Among the tech crowd, the internet of things is a hot topic.

For the rest of the world however, it’s a very vague concept that even when explained is very hard to grasp. But business owners and marketing executives around the world should be paying very close attention to the IoT (internet of things), because it is expected to dramatically change the way customers interact with businesses. Commerce and the IoT The IoT is currently a way for homes and cars to connect to one another. Originally used as an on/off button for tech items like televisions and printers, the digital system is currently expanding to fill is incredible potential. In the future, normal things like pizza boxes and business signs will be able to turn into point of sale engines. In layman’s terms, customers will be able to point their phone at a sign, box, or other normal item, which will take the customer to the company website so they can make a purchase. How Business Signs Will Be Impacted We mentioned earlier that business signs would turn into a PoS asset for companies participating in IoT optimization. By pointing their phone at a company sign, shoppers will be able to look over menus, reach inventoried products, and more thanks to the connectivity of this interesting internet capability. Customers tend to judge the credibility and value of a business based on the quality and design of their signage. This consumer demand for quality business signs combined with the market change to the IoT will demand that companies create highly visual and targeted signs to educate potential customers about their business. Is Optimization Necessary Now? The IoT isn’t exactly a household term just yet. Regardless, businesses with long-term look a heads should definitely consider spending time researching ways to optimize their business and marketing plan to accommodate this change. Just as the explosion of the internet took many agencies by surprise, the internet of things has the same potential to leave many business owners standing on the sidelines while their competitors rake in business. Don’t let your company be caught off guard, start thinking about whether the IoT will affect your market in the next five years. If it will, start collaborating with your team to determine how you can utilize this change as an advantage to your business model rather than a pain point. There is no doubt that over time, the internet of things will become a highly relevant part of both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar business. Although the technology is new and developing, companies located in large cities around the world may already be starting to see the changes associated with the growing IoT. For more information about how the internet of things works, utilize the many online resources to gather information about how it operates. In the meantime, we hope that you take the time to optimize your existing marketing campaigns with a combination of digital marketing and signage.