In addition to being the world's most popular search engine, it has allocated much of its budget to constant technological research such as augmented reality and autonomous cars.

Innovation implies taking into account infinity of criteria, sometimes very specialized; it is for this reason that I gave myself the task of creating four keys so that you choose the most appropriate technology for your project.

With these points you can determine your options, make the best decision and who knows? You could become the innovative company of tomorrow.

1. Determine your goals

The first thing is to define what you want to achieve, how you are going to do it and when you are going to start. Ask yourself if what you will offer is a tangible product supported by technology or if it is a 100% technological and digital service.

Do you want to strengthen your accounting office with a mobile app? Do you want to reduce the response time in customer service with a desktop application? Or maybe you want a digital sales platform hosted on the web.

Take the time to design your strategy. It seems that there is not much difference, but with this specification, you will know how to allocate your resources and the characteristics to consider in the development of the platform.

2. Think about costs and licensing

The most sensitive issue for SMEs and startups is the cost of technologies. The first thing you should do is set a maximum budget and then explores your options; it's about buying technology intelligently.

Open source programs are free and because their code is "open" to modifications, they can be adapted to the particular characteristics of each business.

The Software as a Service is like a partial rental of a license. Being hosted in the cloud, it is ideal for not-so-long projects and for a certain number of people.

However, if your project is long term, you should consider the permanent purchase of a program; you can even bet on the development of an application.

3. Where defines how

According to your objectives, think about the devices you will need to run your platform and the interface that will be necessary for it. These details will give way to the functionalities and features that you want it to have.

A mobile application is one that is optimized for devices such as smartphones and tablets. Your download is through app stores and you must take into account the operating system of the device on which you want it to work, whether Android, iOS or Windows.

A web app is one that can be accessed through a browser such as Safari or Chrome. Your hosting is completely virtual and does not require a download. These types of apps can be used on both desktop and mobile devices and help reduce system support and maintenance costs.

Finally, desktop applications commonly called "programs," are those that can be downloaded or installed on our computers. You do not need a web connection to access them (although some already require it to validate your user license).

4. Implementation

Technology is the easiest, change is the big challenge. It is very important to advise us of what we are going to acquire in order to get the most out of it and present something unique to our potential clients.

Offering a new way of doing things can lead to skepticism by users or customers. For this reason, it is essential to allow them to ask questions and listen to their concerns, in this way we will generate confidence and with the feedback you can improve your proposal.

By monitoring the use of your app you can know if, for example, it needs modifications and improvements of user experience and usability.

The creations of correct strategies, together with technological innovation, have proven to be one of the main differentiators and elements of competitive advantage. Unfortunately, very few organizations are encouraged to venture into this combination; this is where startups and SMEs have their chance.

There is really no definite formula for digital success, but as you properly analyze your project, take users into account, and find a way to leverage technology, you will see more and better results.