Josh Melick is an entrepreneur, a visionary, and a futurist; all rolled into one. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Broadly, Josh spent the past three years working to revolutionize how small businesses communicate with their customers. But before he became an entrepreneur, he was in sales and technology at a large company.
He talked with us about emerging trends he sees for small businesses in the future.
Mobile-First Businesses
Today there are a million different ways to communicate with a consumer, and that number is growing monthly. When Josh launched Broadly, he noticed that people were still very much tied to their desktops for conducting business. But once Broadly introduced mobile devices, everything changed. It was simple to use, took less time, and people could use it on the go.
Since then, Josh has noticed that small businesses are transitioning from traditional desktops to mobile-first platforms. But this isn’t just a transition for Broadly – many other platforms are seeing this shift happen as well.
Sensors in Everything
Josh also sees a future where everything can talk to the Internet. Josh envisions a world in which anything can be controlled by an app or via voice command from your car, TV, alarm clock, and even your house. Mobile devices will start making investments into more than just their screens – they’ll get advanced cameras, advanced microphones, and much more.
The Internet Of Everything
When Josh looks into the future of small businesses, he also sees a world in which everything is interconnected via the Internet. For example, if you’re an online retailer with hundreds or thousands of customers, Josh envisions a time where each customer has their own profile and easier ways to manage that data.
This type of system would help manage an eCommerce website, especially when everything is connected to the Internet – not just your computer. For example, when making purchases, customers could choose which devices they wanted to use (their phone, tablet, or laptop) and make their purchase on any device available to them.
Customized Experience
For small business owners, Josh envisions a future in which everything they do is customized to the customer. People will start expecting more personalized experiences than generic messages and offers, whether social media or eCommerce. As a result, businesses will need to adapt quickly to keep up with modern customers.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that everything will happen automatically. As customers continue to expect personalized experiences, small business owners can do their part by ensuring they know all the details of their customers – from purchase history to buying preferences.
Josh sees businesses moving towards a future where customization is king and looks forward to seeing how small businesses will adapt as the market continues to shift towards this vision.
Moving Towards a Metaverse
When looking into the future of technology, Melick also sees a much more connected world.
He envisions a time when all data is interconnected and accessible through one universal interface. This type of system would allow people to gain access to their information in a variety of different ways – whether it’s through your smartphone, tablet, or even your car.
As customers, we’ll also be able to interact with businesses in various ways, including augmented reality and virtual reality systems. These personalized experiences will be more immersive and rich than ever before, allowing businesses and customers to access new information and tools with ease.
