The Internet has come a long way since it was launched in 1989. Today, there are 4.66 billion active internet users, which is over half of the global population. Needless to say, the Internet has had a profound impact on our society and the way we lead our businesses. Below, we will take a look at different internet-based innovations that impacted how businesses operate.
Table of Contents
Smartphones
Mobile devices exploded in popularity with the introduction of the first iPhone. One of the most appealing features of smartphones is the mobile data and the option to connect to your Wi-Fi. It’s actually one of the main reasons why we consider smartphones – smart devices. Today, you are able to download different apps on your smartphone and stay connected with your co-workers or relatives all the time.
Needless to say, it also had a great impact on how businesses operate online as well as offline, especially since most users spend a lot of time on their mobile devices on a daily basis as well. This is the main reason why most businesses created mobile-friendly websites and thus increased the chances of securing a purchase from their customers. So, today you will likely find a mobile version of your favorite websites.
It’s also worth mentioning that the development of mobile apps also prompted a lot of businesses to invest in their own mobile applications, as more customers prioritized convenience when making purchases online.
For example, this trend was very noticeable with online casinos. Initially, they were created for computers, and users needed to have a laptop or desktop computer to play casino games online, but with the introduction of smartphones, gambling platforms were required to adjust their platforms for smaller screens.
In other words, it was necessary to create mobile-friendly casino sites and invest in separate apps in order to stay ahead of the competition. It’s worth noting that this trend is one of the main reasons why the online gambling market has exploded in recent years. So, whether the casino player wants to read the best online casino reviews before joining a casino site or downloading a mobile casino, it can easily do so from any mobile device on the go.
Social Media Sites
Social media platforms marked an important era of online marketing. Although there were social media platforms like Myspace, the Globe in the early days of the Internet, they didn’t take off globally and weren’t that interesting to businesses.
But, with the popularity of Facebook, this changed significantly. Today most businesses need to have a Facebook account in order to stay connected with their audiences, promote their services, or post relevant content to inspire them to take action.
Actually, social media platforms represent a significant component of any marketing strategy. It doesn’t matter if the business is a small brick-and-mortar store or a well-established retailer; customers rely on social media platforms to connect with the brand and to also find out more about their products and services and how they treat their audiences.
So, today every business needs to have a good social media presence in order to develop a great relationship with their customers. Plus, the number of social media sites has increased significantly, and some of the most popular social media platforms are Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
RSS
Even though most Internet users haven’t encountered RSS (Really Simple Syndication) today, it was actually a web feed format that allowed businesses that had websites and other online platforms to send push notifications to their audiences.
More specifically, when there were new blog posts, news headlines, new products added to the websites, or any other update, the users were able to check their RSS feed that features the automated updates. Even though it’s quite outdated today, it was actually a major innovation that allowed businesses to connect directly with the users and notify them where there was any news on their websites.
E-Commerce Sites
E-commerce today has become a huge industry worldwide as most users have become accustomed to purchasing products online. Without the Internet, this sector would not exist at all, but thanks to the Internet, e-commerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, Etsy operate successfully online and users can easily make purchases and have their products delivered to their address. In fact, you can purchase everything from clothes, books to electronic devices online.
Of course, encryption technology and safe payment methods like PayPal, Google Play, and other digital payment solutions are another reason why e-commerce sites have taken off.
