Month: May 2019

DevelopmentMartechSaaS

Custom Software Development – Relevance and Benefits

Simply put, custom software which is also termed as “Bespoke” software gets developed for catering to a specific business or corporation to cater to individual needs. Usually, customized software gets designed to address the business requirements of one client or many clients that state the process and features of software they wish to use.

The relevance of custom software development

You always have to consider the after-effects of purchasing software packages off-the-shelf. Also, you need to consider the essential pros and cons of creating specialized software with the help of credible software development services to cater to particular business requirements.

There’s no obligation for you to spend your time with the development team for designing your software. These applications are all generic concerning the end-user needs. And it might provide you with a set of features that might tally with your specific needs. Hence, even when you spend a huge amount of money, you might need to struggle the business automation process, as you might not have access to a couple of features in the ready-made software.

Today, there are several advantages of developing and designing custom software catering to your business requirements. Some of the essential benefits are discussed below:

1. It helps in optimized business methods

Every company comes with its specific business model as well as in-house practices. It is indeed challenging for companies to alter their business procedures, to cater to a particular software application or package, regardless of its potency or efficiency. Hence, the software requirements should get developed and designed in a way that can easily sync it with the best business models. It should also follow a company’s in-house procedures. The custom software development process also enables in optimizing the business procedures instead of substituting it.

2. The advantage of the invention

With software being customized, you can determine the type of software development technology to make use of when you’re designing your business app. You can evaluate and choose the new age technologies for developing customized software. Go ahead and make it work the way you feel it’s apt.

3. You can focus on your business insight

Are you completely invested in developing the software depending on the business requirements? If yes, then it indicates that you consider the in-house business processes necessary. It also speaks volumes about the commitment for your business as you simplify the working models and process flows, for it to perform seamlessly.

4. Dependability

The capacity to maintain and also follow the business procedures over some time enables you to become successful gradually. Reliability is one of the essential aspects that determine success. You need to test your custom software adequately to make sure that you have consistent IT tools that will help you to develop your business.

5. Helps you to be unique

Every business has a unique advantage over the other! One solution can’t be applied to all the business processes. When there’s software custom-made to cater to your individual business needs, it can add value to your business model. Furthermore, the process of custom software development also enables you to develop your “unique” business identity.

There are several other advantages of custom software development that you can experience and put to your advantage. For this, you need to join hands with an ace service provider that understands your requirements to customize the software.

DevelopmentInsightsMartech

Are you a Local Business – Here is what you should know about your online reputation

Your reputation online dictates the responsiveness of your target audience and how they perceive your brand. By using a local business review management tool you can identify, monitor and enhance how your customers find you. It is also instrumental in helping you determine what exactly it is they are looking for and their experience with your website and customer service.

The online reputation you have harnessed from previous users isn’t going to be enough to attract future customers. You have to maintain and enhance it so that you can reel in potential customers and provide them with the same level of experience. Consistency is the name of the game here.

The importance of streamlined online reputation management

Managing your digital reputation may sound like a service required to win you the next presidential election or if you’re launching a cutting-edge device. The fact of the matter is, if you want people to spend money on your products or services, you need to first make a good first digital impression. For example, you need to be able to respond to user comments on Facebook in a timely manner. Customer service is what is essentially all about.

In light of this, here are six dynamics you need to understand about your online reputation.

It impacts buying decisions and sales

Source

According to the Local Consumer Review Survey posted by BrightLocal in 2017, it was determined that around 97% of users based their buying decisions on reading online reviews on local businesses. Moreover, according to the same survey, 12% of consumers searched for new local business each day.

There is no question, online reputation management acts as a bedrock for local business success and popularity. Consumers value positive online reviews. You’d be shocked to learn that as per a Moz report back in 2015, four to five bad reviews on any company online cost them 70% of future customers!

Your existing customers will still read new reviews about your product or service or company as a whole, which is why online reputation management can either make or break your digital footprint.

Your digital reputation is eternal

While we aren’t immortal, our business reputation will surely be around for generations to come. The online world has significantly evolved, becoming a sort of a public archive for a variety of things. This includes things that are known and unknown to most. Simply put, in a business sense, your company will always be what people say about it – and it could be frighteningly difficult for you to change anything.

Even if a user says something that is simply not true, there isn’t much you can do about it, other than to not give them a reason to say anything bad. However, comments such as “it’s a scam!” or “don’t shop from this business” can put a lot of potential customers at the backfoot. What is done will remain done; the only thing you can do is effectively manage your online reputation and ensure consistency.

Word of mouth – faster than a speeding bullet!

Source

The speed by which information travels on the web is phenomenal. Social media networks are a great example of how people spread the word around on new businesses and products. As much as this can help businesses grow their brand visibility, it can also destroy them before they can even lift off. Just look at the backlash United Airlines got after it forcibly removed a passenger from an overbooked flight in 2017.

The point is, your customers can either leave you with a 1-star rating or a 5-star rating – both actions depend on a slew of important variables, such as customer service, delivery, quality of the product, response rate and sometimes, boredom. You have to understand that if a customer doesn’t like your website or how sluggish your customer rep was to respond to his queries, one bad review, and down your company goes.

That is why it is so important to keep a check on these incidents and ensure consistency.  As per a research report posted by Vendasta, 95% of unsatisfied users or customers will come back to you if you solve their problem on time.

The opportunity to set the record straight and make things right

Have you looked back on something that you did wrong then jumped on the opportunity to set it right? The feeling is overwhelming, and you don’t have any regrets about anything. Online reputation management is a surefire way to convert a potentially adverse perception of your target audience into trust.

Bad reviews and constructive criticism can be a very good way of acting quickly to change everything that is wrong with your business. You can improve your quality and services and learn from your mistakes. However, repeating the same mistake twice may not give you the opportunity to correct it again.

Sure, it can be heartbreaking to hear a customer talk bad about your business; however, attentively listening to them and converting their criticism into a healthy discussion is a good way of improving your business. That is exactly why a local business review management tool is so important!

The inability to get rid of a bad review

Sure, you can try your best to solve a customer’s problem quickly and effectively, and you can overshadow some bad comments as well.  But what you can’t do is delete negative comments. Sometimes an angry customer is just looking for validation or a refund. Good reputation management includes taking on-time actions on resolving and de-escalating consumer complications in a harmonious yet professional way.

You can also try to overshadow bad comments by pushing your content at the top of the SERPs, getting rid of the negative search results on Google. After all, most people don’t go past the first page on Google when searching for information or products.

Final words

Overall, these are some vital elements that will dictate your online reputation for better or for worse. If you are meticulous with your digital strategy, ensure quality and consistency, and are willing to solve problems on time, there is nothing for you to worry about.

DevelopmentInsights

Some of The Most Vital Aspects of Google AdWords for Real Estate Investors

We are living in the most advanced scenario, where people are engaging with the internet. These days, many people are taking advantages of AdWords in their business. If you are a real estate investor, then you must understand the outcomes of AdWords. People those want to make the use of PPC advertising can easily able to access its AdWords Account wisely.

If you create an effective strategy which is useful in the AdWords, then you must pay attention to it because it would be supportive in the business. You can call these guys in order to collect more information regarding Google AdWords and understand the process of using the AdWords.

Eight smart steps away from a victorious campaign

If you find yourself a typical real estate investor, then do not get pessimist because this is the time to show yourself. Here are some steps that will help you to get a successful campaign –

Step 1–Create a perfect plan; you need to design a plan for the campaign and try to think about the ROI. Try to write some plan down and revisit it properly. A successful investment plan always works, so simply choose the type of campaign that you want to build. Instead of this, you can also determine the acquisition cost of the customer.

Step 2 – Now the time is to find a perfect keyword, so let get yourself in the research. Once you get the directions plan then the time is to research your market, some keywords and the most important is the opponents that will give you high competition.

Step 3 – Now, the time is to control the Unique Selling Proposition. Basically, USP would be a great benefit that you take.

Step 4 – Audiences offers and ad copy make it possible to analyze everything. One thing that you keep into the mind is that the idea offered by the competitor is unique but do not copy it.

Step 5 – Try to write ad text that stands out because this would be the best formula for you that can grab more and more traffic on the site and enhance the chances of getting the best outcomes.

Step 6– Pay attention to the quality and high converting landing pages which are mobile approachable. If you have the well-optimized landing page, then it would be supportive for enhancing the conversion rate and pull down the cost per clicks.

Step 7– Now the time is to install the conversation and lead tracking, so it will help you to enhance the ROI from AdWords, so you must trace the sales funnel by the help of keyword to the consumer.

Step 8 – Setting up the campaign for the AdWords search campaign. You should simply use the search and try to disable the Display network when you are newly making the campaign.

Well, we have covered all the significant 8 steps away from a successful campaign of which you can take benefits.

DevelopmentInsightsProducts

6 Ways to Manage Your Complicated Solar Projects

Back in 1997, the price of a solar panel was approximately 227 times higher than what it is today. To be specific, the rate stood at $101.5 per watt back then, and it is currently at $0.447 per watt. Moreover, the US stands at number 3 as the country with the leading annual solar power installations.

In fact, there is a new solar panel system installed every 4 minutes. These numbers reveal the lucrative market for solar PV systems. On top of that, more and more people are becoming aware of the need for clean energy, another reason why the solar market is doing so well.

Having a solid market demand, however, does not mean that your solar business is going to run smoothly. If anything, complicated solar projects are common. Only effective management can prevent roadblocks.

In this context, here are some useful tips for managing your complicated solar projects;

1. Sit and discuss the issue with your client

The first and foremost step to a successful project is client communication. To this end, it is essential that you understand your client’s concern, so that you can solve the issue accordingly.

It’s best to communicate effectively since the start of the solar roofing, installation, or any such work. Proper communication here that aims to understand the client’s requirements genuinely can help prevent obstacles throughout the project.

2. Research your audience

Although this step comes before you launch your business, you can always do it later on as well. In fact, audience research continues as your solar business grows. Keep in mind that your business is to serve your audience by providing solar energy solutions to them. And, research is the basic element that can help you comprehend what your customers want.

Understanding your audience via research will help you in two ways majorly. Firstly, you can dive into your customers’ pain points and develop a marketing strategy that focuses on solving those problems.

Secondly, you can get an in-depth look at your clients’ common problems. Once you note these regular issues, you can devise a strategy to solve them, which can assist in removing the complications from your solar projects.

3. Educate your prospects and consumers

A lot of problems surface when existing customers and new prospects fail to understand your services, pricing, or anything else related to the solar PV system. An easy and effective way to solve these issues is by educating your audience.

To this end, you can start an email newsletter, send an informative pdf or leaflet, or blog regularly. As you research your market, you’ll learn what troubles your customers. Take these pain points and convert them into topics for your blog posts.

This tips will not only help simplify your business projects, but help increase your solar sales. A report reveals 81% of the interested buyers conduct online research before sealing a business deal. Furthermore, research confirms that47% of the prospects read at least 3-5 content pieces from your blog before they get in touch.

Hence, by putting educational and valuable content on your site, you show your expertise to your potential clients, which can help boost sales and revenue.

4. Simplify the first steps

More often than not, complications in a solar project arise even before work on the project starts. If you wipe the hiccups in the first stages, you will simplify, at least, half of the process. Moreover, in this way, the entire process of working with you won’t be complication-ridden.

In this context, one of the most common issues consumers face is the lack of contact information regarding the business. You can always help them with the information on where to get solar panel maintenance or anything related to your solar panel systems. So, make sure sufficient contact details including your business number are given on your website.

It is also best that you enhance customer experience on your website by improving its page load speed. Surveys by Gomez.com and Akamai highlight that half of the visitors on your site expect it to load in two seconds or less. Any delay in the page load speed would translate into the prospect abandoning your site and business.

5. Enhance customer experience

Aim to boost customer experience in everything that you do. For instance, striving to communicate well with your customer is one way to boost the client’s experience. When your customer’s experience is good, he feels valued. This reduces the likelihood of your customer getting annoyed when problems poke out of a solar project.

If anything your client will put in more effort into explaining his problem, which can help in reducing and solving the obstacles in the path of project completion. Again, this tip works in favor of your solar sales as a happy customer irrespective of the project complications shares his positive experience with other people.

On the other hand, an unsatisfied customer passes on anti-referrals to about 16 others. Therefore, you should focus on improving the customer experience. Another closely related point is getting customer feedback. This will give you an idea of how you can improve your solar products or installation services business as per your audience’s requirements.

6. Use tech to improve your product as well as services

Lastly, employ technology to solve your complications. For instance, use tech to boost your product quality. On average, solar panels convert less than 14% of the solar radiation into energy.

This is pretty less.

However, by offering another efficiency-boosting tech, you can solve a lot of your customers’ problems. A case in point here is offering solar concentrators. These can optimize the output of the PV system by roughly 50%.

Similarly, you can use software and CRM services to streamline work on several projects and manage things better. This can help chop the odds of snags in your work.

Final thoughts

Complications in your solar projects are inevitable. However, by managing them adequately, you can move forward with your business. The best way to sail through such issues smoothly is striving to understand your client’s problem, trying to effectively communicate with him, and finally putting all efforts in solving the issue.

Bear in mind that the chances of selling to a customer who is happy or getting referrals via him are fourteen times higher than selling to a new prospect. Therefore, you can’t choose to ignore these issues. If anything, work to remove them from the start or boost the quality of your work as you gain experience in your line of work.