What’s the point of digital technology?

By Lancashire Business View

08 May 2018

leon-calverley-door4-1000x501.jpg
By Leon Calverley, founder and director at Door4

In 1994, the New York Times reported that the first encrypted internet credit card payment of $12.48 had been made.

The NYT explained how secure transactions were necessary to allow people to buy stuff online. The newspaper also obligingly explained, for the layperson, what the internet was. (Coincidentally, this was the year I first used the web. It was a different place back then!)

Fast forward to 2018: the rate of e-commerce growth has slowed but is persistent. Online retail sales in the UK have doubled in the last five years to around £66bn. What happened to boost them? Well, responsive web design and m-commerce have enabled consistent shopping experiences across devices large and small. It’s easier than ever for customers to buy online, undoubtedly more fun and certainly more convenient, with delivery options and flexibility improving every day.

The above is a useful example, although digital technology isn’t exclusively about selling. Its purpose is to make things easier, efficient, accurate … in other words, to improve processes and deliver better outcomes.

Applied to e-commerce, your technology should make it easy and enjoyable for customers to spend money with you. The tools you provide for your teams should enable them to do their jobs to their best abilities, and then some. For the public sector, it should help you save money and improve engagement with citizens.

By its nature, this evolution is about getting to the future faster. It’s about growth and achievement through digital transformation.

Is business doing it properly? Not always. Discovery and research are often overlooked so projects are led by opinion and whim rather than data and empirical insight. Businesses can be distracted by the shiny must-haves sported by their competitors, resulting in a technology solution that’s just not fit for them. Digital projects can flounder, languish unfinished or under-developed and under-used, a permanent reminder of wasted investment.

How can we use digital technology better? We need to fully appreciate how our audience behaviour and expectations have shaped our digital environment - and will continue to do so. People no longer rely on web browsers as their sole source of information - they’ll ask Alexa or tap a quick query to a chatbot.  

We have to follow where they go, whether they are on social media, Google Maps, live chat on our website, on the high street or in our reception area. They expect a smooth, seamless, uninterrupted service, however they want to deal with us. This is the world of omnichannel. And it’s always on. So, the point is, if your digital technology hasn’t made improvements to your business, that’s because it hasn’t made improvements for your customers. Here is the lesson: build services, not websites. Advancement isn’t based on digital technology, it’s built on people.

Latest news

1

PM+M welcomes ten new apprentices for 2025 intake Lucy Field, Kate Walsh, Ellie Fisher, Zainab Aswat, Reece Jones, Aisha Bibi Patel, Finley Vila, Uzair Zariwala, Richard Prest, and Charlie Harrison

PM+M welcomes ten new apprentices for 2025 intake

11 Sep 2025

2

ROCCIA strengthens commercial division with senior appointment Andrew Grove

ROCCIA strengthens commercial division with senior appointment

11 Sep 2025

3

Final call for investors: Rossendale community solar project must hit target by November Gary McEwan managing director of Interfloor

Final call for investors: Rossendale community solar project must hit target by November

10 Sep 2025

4

Lancashire Combined County Authority unveil plan to Get Lancashire Working Lancashire Combined Authority

Lancashire Combined County Authority unveil plan to Get Lancashire Working

10 Sep 2025

5

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and BAE Systems’ FalconWorks announce strategic collaboration Collaboration between BAE Systems FalconWorks and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and BAE Systems’ FalconWorks announce strategic collaboration

09 Sep 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
Sub36 Networking - Follow the signs
Sub36 Deaf Village Social1200
Networking
17 Sep 2025

Sub36 Networking - Follow the signs

The Deaf Village, Blackburn, BB2 5EN

10:00 - 12:00

LBV124 September/October Launch Event
MBP Arc Cinema Preston Opening 205
Networking
18 Sep 2025

LBV124 September/October Launch Event

The Arc Cinema, Preston, PR1 2BL

08:30 - 10:30

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Longridge Soap Box Derby
Screenshot 2025-06-10 090035.png.png
LBV Hub Fundraisers
14 Sep 2025 - 14 Sep 2025

Longridge Soap Box Derby

Berry Lane, Longridge, PR3 3WH

10:00 - 16:30

Preston Tech Connection - The Ultimate Tech Quiz!
Preston Tech Connection Sept 25.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Sep 2025 - 16 Sep 2025

Preston Tech Connection - The Ultimate Tech Quiz!

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
17 Sep 2025 - 17 Sep 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation
Chorley Council breakfast event new
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

Worden Hall, Leyland, PR25 3DH

08:00 - 11:00

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September
Sept Freelancer (1).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Speed Networking with BNI
2.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
24 Sep 2025 - 24 Sep 2025

Speed Networking with BNI

Chorley Football Club, Chorley, PR7 3DU

16:00 - 19:00

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September
TMM Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
25 Sep 2025 - 25 Sep 2025

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September

Chorley, PR7 2SL

18:00 - 20:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV 123 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin