What is digital consultancy? And how it can help your business thrive

What is digital consultancy?

Digital consultancy is a service designed to help you achieve your goals in innovation and digital transformation in the most efficient way possible. Doing so will help your brand to stay relevant in the market using digital solutions across a range of digital channels.

If you run a business, big or small, it helps to understand how technology solutions can help you gain a competitive edge. But with the online landscape changing at such a rapid rate, it can be hard to map out your brand’s digital transformation. That’s why many small businesses are turning to digital consulting.

What does digital consulting involve?

When you engage a digital consultant, you connect with an expert skilled to help you embrace all that technology has to offer. The role of a digital consultant, as described by growth agency Nexa, is to help your business identify effective ways to increase customer engagement, lead generation processes, general marketing and, of course, its sales.

Technology can help you achieve your business goals, but even the greatest solutions can struggle to make a difference if you don’t know how to use them to your advantage day by day. Digital consultancy helps you to not only choose but also get the most out of technology solutions.

What technology solutions can you cover during a digital consult?

Not all digital consultancies are created equal, so the topics discussed during a session will vary depending on the consultant you choose to engage. Even so, we can share what we help small businesses with when they engage our digital consultancy services.

If you’re keen to understand how digital consults could assist with business planning, our $0 Go Digital Consult service covers:

• Networks and connectivity. How to keep your business connected with the right internet service, IT solutions and devices.
• Digital marketing strategies. How to improve online engagement with marketing strategies to help increase sales and raise brand awareness.
• Software solutions. How to streamline your business with software solutions, from payroll systems to collaboration tools.
• Security strategies. How to help protect your business from online threats with data protection and cyber security solutions.

How do small businesses benefit from digital consulting?

American entrepreneur Matt Mullenweg once said, "technology is best when it brings people together." In business, technology solutions do just that, helping to keep you connected with customers and to simplify your business operations. But before you can leverage the power of tech, you need to understand how it works.

As explored in our report on Thriving in the Digital Age, many small businesses already see the opportunities of adopting new technology. Taking steps to integrate new solutions, digital consultancy can help:

• Save you time by offering advice on which technology solutions suit your business best, so you don’t waste hours comparing digital tools with no clear guidance.
• Improve your efficiency by suggesting new digital processes and protocols that will complement your core business plan and your brand’s key objectives.
• Support your business objectives with expert advice on what platforms, digital channels, and digital tools to use to achieve your goals.
• Map your digital transformation journey by proposing scalable solutions and data technologies that fit your business's requirements and delivery timelines.

What’s the difference between business consultancy and digital consultancy?

Digital consultants bring a unique combination of technology, industry, market, and business expertise to your business planning table. It's their job to figure out how you can achieve your digital transformation goals in the most efficient way possible, while keeping to your budget. Given the focused skillset digital consultants offer, they can help identify the technology solutions you need based on what you’d like to achieve as a brand.

Business consultants, on the other hand, give advice on how you might reach your overall goals and objectives. Their focus is (usually) less on your digital transformation and more on macro business operations. Business consultants need first-hand insights into how you currently operate before making recommendations, as they often collect a lot of data to determine the strategies they present to their clients.

Do digital consultants work with businesses of all sizes?

Digital consultancy may sound like a service designed for big business and corporations, but it’s not. The truth is, digital consults work with brands of all sizes, from a range of diverse industries.

In fact, when it comes to digital transformation, being a small business carries some significant advantages when introducing new technologies that give you an edge. But technology adoption isn’t a project, it’s a process. The role of the digital consultant is to save you time and support you as your business evolves, one strategic step at a time.

How to prepare for your first digital consult

Once you book an appointment with a digital consultant, it’s important to prepare. To get the most out of your session, think about the following questions ahead of time:

• As well as yourself, how many people make up your team, including employees and any contractors?
• Do you run your business from one or more premises, or remotely?
• Do you expect to move or add new business premises in the short or medium term?
• What is your most important business priority this year?
• How much do you know about technology and digital ways of working?
• What challenges do you have with managing your business technology?
• Are there specific things you’re interested in understanding better?

If you can answer the above questions, you’ll help your digital consultant understand what your business needs today and in the future. Basically, when you come to your session prepared, you’ll help your consultant to help your business thrive in the digital landscape.

Originally published March 2023, updated May 2024.