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The private sector is only scratching the surface of blockchain technology’s transformative potential. Traditional businesses need to start adapting to Web3 or risk getting left behind.
The new internet has arrived
Web3 isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a radical new paradigm where everyday people can not only experience and contribute to the digital world, but also directly and securely own part of it. Beyond Web3 native startups, this technology offers a range of benefits to Web2 companies that can help ensure their continued relevance.
While many major Web2 corporations are already exploring how to best integrate the blockchain, it remains early days for private sector Web3 adoption. With less hype and more serious building, the bear market is the perfect time for companies to implement Web3 features that level up their customer relations, security and trust between stakeholders.
Keep things simple
Web2 companies should look for specialized blockchain solutions that can improve their business in tangible ways. Throughout this process, it’s important to focus on accessibility and avoid any unnecessary complexity for end users.
Web3 technology can be a valuable part of your tech stack without necessarily being visible to your customers or requiring blockchain experience. For example, the Starbucks Odyssey experience utilizes on-chain collectibles but allows users to purchase ‘stamps’ within the Starbucks web app with just a credit card and no previous crypto knowledge required.
To streamline the onboarding process for Web3-powered products, traditional businesses should also understand the concept of account abstraction. By customizing how individuals interact with the blockchain, account abstraction means that companies can offer an improved customer experience. One potential use case is paying transaction fees on behalf of users so they can quickly and seamlessly start performing actions on chain.
Run an efficient operation
Additionally, it’s important to keep your business’s internal processes straightforward and accessible when transitioning to Web3. It can be worthwhile to have your own in-house blockchain specialists, but you should also consider specialized Web3 contractors or white-label service providers to help reach your goals. This gives you more flexibility and can help your blockchain initiatives stay under budget and on schedule.
At the end of the day, business leaders should look for creative ways that Web3 can help delight their customers — while prioritizing simplicity and efficiency for all involved stakeholders.
Connect with your community
For every business, customer acquisition and retention are crucial. Companies routinely spend huge amounts of resources to onboard new clientele and make sure they stick around. In the blockchain era, there are many new ways to build personalized customer experiences, reward loyalty and create enduring bonds with clients.
Many customer retention strategies focus on making every individual customer feel special. With Web3’s power to distribute unique digital assets, it’s never been easier to ignite your community with a personal touch that makes users feel like they truly own a part of their favorite media franchise, car company or more.
As Web3 becomes more mature, it is no longer enough to take an existing Web2 business and tack on superficial blockchain elements. The real challenge is finding ways to deliver true value and engage customers in a sustainable manner.
One example is Starbucks Odyssey, which expands upon the famous coffee chain’s rewards program to offer new Web3-powered benefits such as online master classes and exclusive events. Starbucks Odyssey further promotes an already well-established brand identity with additional elements of gamification, personalization and exclusivity.
Improve your data security
In addition to owning a part of their favorite brand, blockchain also empowers users to take back ownership of their online data and digital identity. The new world of Web3 will mean that users can directly control their own information instead of being at the mercy of big tech.
New concepts such as self-sovereign identity (SSI) mean that customers could soon consent to only sharing their data as part of a mutually beneficial relationship that further strengthens brand loyalty.
Furthermore, this new data paradigm can lead to increased security through the decentralization of Web3. The centralized data silos of tech giants can have disastrous consequences, such as when 3 billion Yahoo accounts were compromised in 2013 alone.
Because Web3 uses distributed ledger technology to safely store data, Web2 companies can adopt these solutions to reduce their risk of leakage, theft and duplicate information. Instead of having a single point of failure like traditional data storage, Web3 storage requires consensus which can make it vastly more difficult to exploit.
Enhance trust and transparency
A key part of the Bitcoin and broader Web3 ethos is “verify, don’t trust.” This belief means that individuals should have more power to independently confirm what is true. So in addition to increasing customer engagement and making their data more secure, Web3 can also help businesses gain more trust. This is because blockchain technology allows companies to perform key operations with far more visibility in areas such as supply chain management.
While not every aspect of a business needs to necessarily be public on the blockchain, this can help mitigate issues from decreased consumer confidence — particularly in the financial sector.
For example, an enhanced level of transparency can help prevent bank runs such as what recently happened with Silicon Valley Bank. Web3 provides a new level of oversight in addition to regulatory watchdogs that can help ensure institutional balance sheets are in order and potentially even prevent the next wave of bank runs.
Your business is still early
Although blockchain has become a mainstream topic in the finance and business worlds for several years now, it’s definitely not too late to join this wave of innovation. Blockchain startups are only part of the equation in this digital revolution, as the ongoing transformation of traditional companies can also capitalize on this new wave of efficiency, performance and reduced costs. Whether the technology is visible to end users or not, today’s consumers want brands that are more engaging, secure and trustworthy. In each of these areas, Web3 is here to help.
Wolfgang Rückerl is the CEO of Istari Vision and Entity.global. His expertise is in Web3 startups, DeFi and GameFi.
This article was published through Cointelegraph Innovation Circle, a vetted organization of senior executives and experts in the blockchain technology industry who are building the future through the power of connections, collaboration and thought leadership. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Cointelegraph.