Do you feel like you spend too much time on admin work, bookkeeping, and other repetitive tasks? Then you might be thinking about implementing AI into your business. But first, make sure you understand this technology and how it can help you.
For example, you can create a website with ai website generator in minutes. This option could save you thousands of dollars in startup costs. What’s more, you can use AI-powered apps to manage and optimize your site.
Artificial intelligence can also automate data entry, lead scoring, email marketing, and other processes that would otherwise take hours of work. However, its capabilities can benefit some businesses more than others.
If you’re on the fence about it, read on. We’ll go over the most common applications of AI in business to help you make an informed decision.
How AI Can Benefit Your Business
In 2024, Constant Contact surveyed over 1,300 small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia. More than half of respondents said they dedicate an hour or less per day to marketing. The reason? They simply don’t have time for it.
Around 36% of leaders admitted to spending one to two hours daily on customer support. 32% reported spending one to two hours per day on accounting, and 25% spent just as much time on inventory management and logistics.
Most respondents also agreed they tend to postpone marketing tasks like content creation, ad campaign management, and analytics.
What many entrepreneurs are not aware of is that AI can automate these tasks—and others. In fact, 91% of the SMBs surveyed by Constant Contact in 2023 agreed that AI has made them more successful.
Nearly 30% of leaders said they expect this technology to save them at least $5,000 over the next year. Most SMBs also reported benefits like:
- Fewer errors
- Faster growth
- Increased efficiency
- More time for core business processes
For example, 33% of respondents told Constant Contact they save over 40 minutes on marketing each week thanks to AI and automation.
AI-driven tools can also streamline accounting, market research, risk management, and other business operations. Banks, for instance, leverage AI to automate credit decisioning, detect and prevent fraud, and personalize their offers.
Some companies are particularly creative when it comes to AI. An example is IKEA’s Online Room Planner, an AI-powered app that enables users to furnish and decorate their homes virtually with the brand’s products.
How to Know When AI Is the Right Solution
As you can see, AI has applications in most industries, from marketing and sales to banking. However, this technology comes with its share of challenges and involves a learning curve. That’s why you need to determine when and where to implement it to fully reap the benefits.
For example, some AI systems, such as Large Language Models (LLMs), are vulnerable to cyberattacks. The same goes for financial AI models, like those used by banks and fintech companies.
If you decide to use these systems, you must prioritize data security—which requires time and money. So, they might not be ideal for startups and SMBs on a limited budget.
That said, here are some aspects to consider before implementing AI into your business.
Assess Your Needs
First, identify the areas where you could benefit from AI. Think about the problems you want to address or the goals you have in mind.
Let’s say you spend too much time handling customer inquiries. If that’s the case, consider using AI-powered chatbots to automate customer support. Zendesk, Flow X, Chatfuel, and Botsify are just a few examples.
Chatbots provide 24/7 assistance to customers and collect data from interactions. They can answer commonly asked questions, guide users through your site, and route more complex cases to human agents.
Keep in mind that AI isn’t always the best option. For example, non-AI solutions like rule-based automation or traditional software allow you to address simple processes (e.g., spam detection or resume screening) more cost-effectively.
Research AI Solutions
Next, look for AI solutions that meet your needs. Assess their ease of use and other aspects, such as how they would integrate with your existing systems.
For best results, start with the simplest solution possible. Most SMBs don’t have the resources to develop and implement proprietary AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, or Anthropic’s Claude.
However, you can always use pre-built AI tools to streamline your workflows. These are often cheaper and easier to deploy than proprietary technologies and can be scaled up or down as needed. Let’s suppose you plan to automate email marketing with AI.
First, research and compare AI-powered tools like ConvertKit, Omnisend, and GetResponse. Next, think about how these apps would work with your CMS and other technologies you use. Also, make sure they can grow with your business.
Another aspect to consider is that AI should complement, not replace, human expertise. But is your business ready for a hybrid approach where employees work with AI? Do you have to upskill or reskill them or hire talent, such as data scientists, to implement and manage this technology?
Ask yourself these questions before embracing AI. Consider your budget and human resources, as well as your immediate and long-term needs.
Start Small and Scale Up
Once you’ve decided which AI tools you want to use, start a pilot project to gauge their efficiency.
For example, you could launch a small-scale email marketing campaign. Or use a Facebook chatbot to answer frequently asked questions from potential customers.
Measure the results and make adjustments as needed. Collect feedback from employees, clients, stakeholders, and other third parties.
If everything goes as planned, scale your AI projects across the organization. Returning to the previous examples, you could incorporate AI into your email marketing strategy or deploy chatbots across all your communication channels.
Generally, it’s a good idea to tackle one area or process at a time so you can see what works and what doesn’t. If you implement AI across multiple functions and something goes wrong, you may not be able to figure out what’s causing the issue.
