At Girls Who Web, we help small businesses in Singapore and Southeast Asia make the most of digital tools. This means your website, your CRM and all the other apps in your “system”.
We’ve asked other small business experts around the world what their suggestions are when it comes to digital transformation in small businesses, and these are their answers. Enjoy!
Use Low-Code/No-Code Platforms for Quick Solutions
One innovative approach that has consistently exceeded expectations during digital transformation projects is the use of low-code/no-code platforms for automating workflows and building custom applications. These tools, like Zapier or Microsoft Power Apps, allow our teams to quickly prototype and deploy solutions without requiring extensive coding knowledge.
Inge Von Aulock, Founder & COO, Penfriend
Implement AI-Driven Marketing Automation
One innovative technology that surprised me with its effectiveness during our digital transformation was artificial intelligence (AI)-driven marketing automation. We decided to implement AI tools to enhance our client campaigns, and I’ll admit I was skeptical at first, wondering how much of an impact it would truly have. However, once we began using AI-powered platforms like Klaviyo for email automation and ChatGPT for content generation, the results far exceeded my expectations. For instance, by integrating AI into our email marketing workflows, we were able to create highly personalized, dynamic email sequences that were triggered based on customer behavior. AI helped us not just segment our audience, but also understand the nuances of customer preferences. We saw an increase in engagement rates by over 30% and a 20% boost in conversions, something we hadn’t expected with such a short timeline. It was remarkable how quickly AI adapted to different customer behaviors, optimizing campaigns in real-time without manual intervention. The AI tools learned from each interaction and continuously improved, which made the whole process feel much more efficient and effective than traditional methods. Additionally, we used AI for content generation, which allowed us to create tailored blog posts and social media content at scale. AI not only helped with generating ideas, but it also suggested keywords and optimized our content for SEO in ways that we couldn’t manually replicate at such speed. This helped us meet tight deadlines without sacrificing quality, and it made the content production process much more streamlined. The key takeaway here is that AI can truly unlock new levels of efficiency and effectiveness if leveraged correctly. It’s not just about automating processes, but about enhancing personalization and driving smarter, data-backed decisions. For other businesses undergoing digital transformation, I highly recommend embracing AI-driven tools to automate routine tasks and optimize customer experiences. The ROI speaks for itself.
Georgi Petrov, CMO, AIG MARKETER
Leverage AI-Powered Tools for Efficiency
One innovative technology that surprised me during our digital transformation was AI-powered tools. While I initially thought they might be overhyped, their effectiveness in automating repetitive tasks, generating ideas, and providing actionable insights exceeded my expectations. For example, AI helped us streamline content creation and data analysis, saving significant time and resources.
That said, AI is good but not great. It still requires oversight, refinement, and improvement. It’s not a plug-and-play solution but a tool that needs to be trained and tailored to specific business needs. The key takeaway is that while AI can amplify productivity, it’s most effective when paired with human expertise to ensure quality and relevance. Use it as an enabler, not a replacement.
Rizala Carrington, CEO, MyGrowthAgent.com
Adopt AI-Driven Chatbots for Customer Service
One innovative approach that really surprised me during our digital transformation was adopting AI-driven chatbots for customer service. At first, I wasn’t sure if they’d be able to handle the variety of inquiries we get, but they exceeded expectations by providing instant, accurate responses to common questions. For example, customers could get help with tracking orders or finding product information 24/7 without waiting in a line. It freed up our support team to focus on more complex issues and improved response times overall. The key takeaway is that when set up correctly, AI can really enhance customer experience without replacing the human touch-just make sure it’s well integrated into your workflow.
Adnan Jiwani, Assistant Manager Digital Marketing, Ivacy VPN
