There are around 1.7 million organisations in the UK alone that have a website. With more businesses than ever before taking their products and services online, if you have an e-commerce site you should consider outsourcing your IT support to a professional company. In 2019, £106.46 billion was spent online in the UK, which is promising news for online businesses, but you need to tread carefully. Cybercrime is estimated to cost the country a massive £27 billion a year, and with GDPR regulations to follow, businesses need to be cautious when operating online. From data security, SEO, website problems and time management, here are the top 10 reasons to outsource your IT support to a professional IT company in the UK.
Having a team of experienced IT professionals at your fingertips is an invaluable resource as a business. Being able to contact IT support for small technical issues, to major meltdowns at your business, can really take the edge off an IT problem. Whether it’s setting up a new server, managing a website migration or installing new software solutions, there are so many services that an IT support company can help you with, that make them such a worthwhile investment. Rather than hire an internal IT department that may be sitting down and twiddling their thumbs when your business is running smoothly, choose to outsource your IT needs to a professional IT company who will be there for you when you need them.
E-commerce websites can often be quite complex and should a system or plug-in break, this can seriously damage your online reputation, and cost you money too! In business time is money and this saying rings true for any e-commerce business. As long as your website is down, money is being lost. So having an IT company with the experience and technical ability to quickly fix an IT problem is so important. In addition, while your e-commerce site is down, your competitors may be stealing potential customers from under your nose, so the faster you can be back online the better.
A major part of GDPR regulations is storing data securely and preventing data breaches. When capturing customer data either through an email newsletter sign up, payment details upon check-out, or through customer enquiries, it is vital that this data is given with consent, and is used and stored appropriately. Should you use customer data for a marketing campaign, when this wasn’t stated initially when collecting the information, you are breaking GDPR regulations and may be prosecuted. When designing data capture elements for your website, you can seek guidance and IT support from a professional GDPR IT company. This will help you to avoid unexpected fines in the future.
As we briefly mentioned above, GDPR regulations also require businesses to have measures in place to prevent data breaches. Becoming a victim of cybercrime is a real concern for UK businesses. From hacking and phishing to malicious software, online crime is becoming more difficult to spot. Should your business be targeted by cybercriminals, security information, personal details and files are at risk of being stolen and held to ransom. Should this occur, having a professional IT company at your side will help you get through this frustrating and stressful situation. Plus, professional IT companies in the UK will have security systems in place for their clients to prevent this from happening.
To get your e-commerce site live, you’ll need a reliable GDPR hosting service. If you’re not particularly computer savvy, an external IT company can set this up for you and manage this on your behalf. This frees up a lot of your time so that you can focus on running your business and not need to worry about the IT stuff. An IT company will have a range of clients that they work with and provide hosting services and support for, so they are the best people to consult when it comes to hosting services and platforms.
Mayday, Mayday my website is down! This can feel like a living nightmare for UK businesses. Yes, in some cases this can be a significant issue and related to cybercrime, but often it is simply due to a change of code, a plug-in or an update that has conflicted with your theme. Even though this particular IT problem can feel like a complete disaster, a professional IT company can usually get your site live within a few minutes of being notified. Should there be another issue that needs further investigation, an IT company will have back-ups of your website that can be used in the meantime.
SEO or search engine optimisation is a long-term strategy to get your website higher up in the search results. Based on keyword research and backlink analysis, an IT company will optimise your website, make sure it is mobile-responsive, and help increase relevant traffic to your e-commerce site. SEO can often be a complex and ever-changing strategy that requires on-going management. So, if you’d rather kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, outsource your IT support and get professional IT help and SEO from experts. You can also ask an IT company to manage your Google Analytics data and provide detailed reports relating to website traffic, customer insights, sales, conversions and marketing campaigns. This can really save you time and help you to make sense of all your data.
If you’re a start-up business, or you’re setting up a website on a shoe-string budget, it’s OK to try and save money where you can, but never do this when it comes to IT support. If your website is going to be the main revenue stream for your company, you need to invest in your business by seeking professional IT support. If you attempt to cut corners, you may leave yourself vulnerable to cybercrime or be in breach of GDPR regulations. To give yourself the best possible start, bring in the professionals.
Outsourcing can save you time and money. Choosing to use a professional IT company, instead of hiring an internal IT department, can often be cost-efficient. When you hire an IT guy for your business, you’ll need to invest a lot of time into training, not to mention setting up a desk with all the IT equipment they will need. Plus, if you just have one IT guy, your IT support is limited to their personal and professional experience and skills. Choosing to outsource your IT needs to a professional team, on the other hand, means benefitting from no set-up or training requirements, and you’ll several professionals ready to offer their help and support. It just makes sense!
56.7 million people use the internet every month in the UK. To stand out in this crowded marketplace you’ll need to be significantly different. By offering customers an incredible online experience, with innovative technology, you can quickly get ahead of your competitors online. Enhancing user experience as a business can impact traffic, conversions and sales, but you’ll need to know how to implement the best technology to do so. This is where an IT company comes in. By having a team of IT professionals ready to help your business thrive online and harbour the power of new technology, plugins and systems, you can attract more customers to your website.
Interested in outsourcing your IT needs to a professional UK based IT company? Netzen Solutions, based in the South of England can provide a wide range of IT services to help your business succeed. From e-commerce support, hosting services and data security, to web development, service solutions and SEO, we can help elevate your business online. Rapid, responsive and ready to help, feel free to contact our team today.