Working with a big group of people in the field can truly test your agility, patience, and work ethics. Your capability to micro-manage appointments and schedules can go haywire. What you need at this point to effectively manage field service teams is to invest in the right workflow management software that can help you improve workflow management first and foremost. This holds especially true for service-based operations and businesses that require precision and timely execution of work.

Create schedules, appointments, and set field service times

The moment you invest in field service management software, it will instantaneously create schedules, assignments, and adjust your field service worker’s time. This way they can complete any task on hand and move on to something else for productivity. When you are working with the right workflow management software, you gain some benefits as a field agent. Here are a few:

• When the agent works out in the field, their tasks for a certain period of time will be sent to them on their smartphone or computing device. The first thing needed is the address. This information is likewise transmitted to the device from the company’s database. Moreover, they will get a job description for the task, and this can help them manage goals and expectations as they get ready for the job. Whenever an address is provided to someone, GPS routing is likewise given. The services are all tied up to the grid, and the system will provide the shortest possible route to reach the location.
• As they reach a specific job, they might realise that the task is rather more complicated than expected. Their device and field service software will help communicate the matter to the head office. The company can provide a new estimated time, and the software will update the schedule and allow them ample time as may be necessary. Other agents can be sent over if required to get the work done fast and ensure task accomplishment.
• There can be times when the customer to be serviced is not at home for a given appointment. The reasons can vary. The software, in this case, will go on auto-pilot change and update the schedule. It will readjust the same so another task can be taken up for a specific timeslot and set a new appointment for the absent client.

Bottom line

Clearly, field service software affords the flexibility to get things done efficiently, timely, and in a precise manner. An overlap is unlikely to happen in this case. When you have a big field service business, one of your tasks is to schedule, organise, and help dispatch your field service team for various tasks. This can be ideal for repair or contractor work, sales, and marketing, or even other project assignments. The right resources will help you manage everything from start to finish with the least cost, downtime, delay, hassle, and stress on your part and that of your team.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/business-office-composition-paper-3343885/

 

Facility management is a wide encompassing profession. The main goal of facility managers is to ensure the comfort, safety, efficiency and functionality of the work environment. Also, facility managers need to constantly face interpersonal, emotional and professional demands.

To become a successful facility manager, you need to master an extensive list of skills, ensure that you meet the demands of your work and provide the best experience to the customers. Use the guide below so you can become a professional facility manager.

Good decision-making skills

As a facility manager, you constantly need to put your decision-making skills to good use. There will be numerous instances where you must quickly decide on a certain issue. It’s crucial that you hone your ability to recognise which option will provide a more favourable outcome for your team or company.

To improve your decision-making ability, you should learn how to narrow down your options, weigh their significance, and look at the bigger picture. Additionally, you must learn to research the available options. This way, you get to make a good decision at the end of the day.

A flexible and dynamic attitude

Companies face a plethora of issues. Most of the time, you need to adjust accordingly to attain positive results. You should also recognise the fact that situations in the office constantly change. You need to anticipate problems before they happen so you can create the right back-up plan.

Aim to develop a highly flexible and dynamic attitude to ensure the survival of your company or team. More importantly, you need to learn how to maintain your composure during stressful situations so you can think clearly and efficiently.

Organised and keen on details

Facility managers constantly need to be highly organised. Thankfully, there are tools such as facilities management software that can help you manage and keep track of anything. With job management software, you can plan work, schedule assignments, and track your deployed agents. You can readily access the software on your desktop or mobile device.

A clear understanding of the industry you’re working in

Facility managers tend to work in a wide range of industries. To perform well in your role, you need to have an in-depth understanding of your company’s industry. Know the mission, vision and values of the company by heart and find out how they match the industry’s needs and demands. This will help you create better plans for your company.

Analytical skills

Analytical skills are needed regardless of if you’re tasked to deal with business budgeting, financial data analysis or other facility manager responsibilities. Some of the proven ways you can develop your analytical skills include being observant, reading as many resources as you can, asking questions and solving problems on a regular basis.

Working as a facility manager can be difficult because of the many responsibilities you have. Fortunately, there are ways you can develop yourself to become a successful facility manager. There are also tech solutions that can help you fulfil your duties better and more effectively.

Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/business-businessman-chair-computer-1839191/

 

Any company trying to set up and run a call centre, big or small, knows that it can be a complicated and expensive business.

The number of IT experts you need to cover everything from server and hardware installation, management of software and networks and much more makes it difficult and price to maintain. Not to mention the cost of storage of hardware, and the troubles that can come with upgrading all the various pieces of kit. In years gone by a cloud solution simply wasn’t possible, but now it is.

Virtual call centre software hosted in cloud takes away a lot of the pain of managing the technical aspects of a call centre and so many companies are no looking to this as their next solution. The benefits of doing this almost speak for themselves but here a few examples of why it might be worth making the change for your business.

There is no investment needed to switch over

Upgrades and changes to call centre software and hardware can be quite prohibitive for a company. Projects like this require a lot of planning and investment. Cloud based software like virtual pbx simply does not need this. If you have a decent internet connection you can get up and running very quickly and easily, there is no upfront costs for servers or installation. You simply pay by user and month and control it all via an online user interface from configuration of the switch board, to the set up of users.

This makes switching to a cloud service much quicker and easier, and when it comes time to upgrade your company will not have to worry about it as it will all happen at the cloud end.

Instant access to a large number of features

Because the software is hosted online, it is so much more accessible, and the best software integrates easily with mobile phones. You also get the best of modern technology from sending virtual faxes to automatic redials, international calling and Call Me Back options. You can also carry out telemarketing surveys, undertake call monitoring and track analytics quickly and easily.

Day to day call centre management is easier

The user interfaces give a much greater degree of control over the set up of the call centre, allowing call centre managers to react very quickly to changing conditions on the call centre floor. Whether that is managing call forwarding, adjusting the IVR and VOIP routing or changing the welcome message, it means being able to deliver a better service to customers.

The costs are as you need for your size call centre

With a virtual service you only actually pay for what you need. The licences can be tailored to the number of users, and the number of lines. The same is true of the extra features and functionality, you just pay as you go for what you need. Combine with the lack of set up investment costs this can make a real difference to operating costs.

Added to this, using cloud software means no need for on premise server rooms, complicated cooling systems or high electricity bills. You can reuse the space for making your business more productive.

Call centre agents spend less time on low value tasks

With all the features easily accessible, then it can make a big difference to the work life of the agents, and allow them to do what they do best – interact with your customers. By removing the complexity of tasks, and reducing the amount of time spent on administration it will allow your teams to be a lot more productive and motivated in their work.

You can take advantage of WebRTC for internet calling, switch to video calls, use the progressive and predictive dialler for outbound and even set up customisable scripts and sync with Google calendar. Making operations much smarter and faster.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business tech category.

The early adopters that relied on informed and researched future predictions were right. Data has today become the new currency for organizations and enterprises across the world. No matter the industry domain you are in, the insights and decisions that are made by understanding the data at hand have changed the way of working as well as given rise to new products and services that have changed lives.

Acquisition of data has become easier and simpler over the years, with more and more sources providing endless amounts of granular data. But what’s still difficult is the transformation of that data into information, which can be actioned upon or used for smart decision making. The ability to put together multiple data sources together, analyze them, look for patterns, and deliver on value is the need of the hour. Nearly 50% of the companies in the world lack professionals who are well-versed in this.

No wonder that Data science with Python training has started receiving a large amount of attention. Here are a few reasons why opting for this training will take your career to places you’ve never even thought of.

·A fresh and newly created designation

Up until quite some time for the last decade, the term “data scientist” or “data analyst” would be unheard of. There might have been professionals who were carrying out similar functions to a limited capacity. But in recent times, companies have embraced the need for professionals with expert skills in this regard and created roles and vacancies for the same.

Being employed as a data scientist or in any role in the big data world has a huge advantage. This is one of those rare roles where the demand is high and the supply is yet to meet it, allowing companies to pay top-dollar for professionals that can meet the mark. The skills that are acquired during data science training are here to stay because data is truly the fuel for the future world.

·A great chance to work with great names

Technology professionals keep hearing about the wonderful job environments and the spectacular work ethics of great companies. These include Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, PayPal, and tons of others. While everybody is vying for a position here, a lot of the traditional ones are already acquired by excellent talent. Even the roles that open up are acquired by people who are at the top of their game. So, would you never get a chance to work with them?

You still can. A lot of the companies that grace the Fortune 1000 list are heavily invested in reaping the benefits of big data. If you are a professional who is a trained data scientist and has the expertise and skills to showcase, you stand an excellent chance in landing an interview and potentially a viable job at these top organizations.

·There is no career path, but a career flight

Ask professionals that are in enviable positions of big data and data science today, and they will happily recount their journey. While most promotions and career improvements take place in a step-wise gradual manner over the years, data science is one of those domains that has helped people’s careers take off the ground and fly high.

Data science and big data are domain agnostic. Irrespective of the industry that you are working in, any company that is acquiring data that is relevant to their business will want a professional that can help analyze and turn that data into information. The better you get at the job, the better positions you would be offered almost instantly, due to the burgeoning need of data scientists.

·Acquire training in future technologies

If the demand for data analysis and big data jobs is increasing, consequently the technologies meant to carry out the functionalities are increasing and evolving as well. While having the mindset of a data scientist is a powerful skill, complementing it with the technical knowledge of various software meant for big data will make you stand out from the rest.

Mahout, Flume, R, Hadoop and tons of other technologies that are meant for data management are becoming increasingly popular with companies. These are complex software that carry out complex functions on data, which requires an expert for operating them the right way. Training courses in data science consider these needs as well and help make you well acquainted with them all.

A certified data scientist who is well-versed with the newest technologies and software required for analysis would be a prize catch for any company. Be that professional by enrolling for Big Data courses and see yourself unlock the true potential of your career.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business tech category.

Whether you own a startup or a well-established company, the single defining factor that gives you an edge over the competition is effective advertising. One of the most potent tools for reaching your target audience in the digital age is email marketing after conducting a thorough check if the emails exist. Sending out email blasts to people who might be interested in placing orders is perhaps the easiest and most economical strategy to gain visibility for your products. If customers like what they see, they can arrive at your website with a single click of the button.

But is this tool really effective? Read ahead and explore.

Experts Concede that Email Marketing Works!

Research conducted at McKinsey & Company on the best low-budget marketing ideas has revealed some eye-opening numbers:

• At least 99% of customers check their email everyday with most of them taking a quick glance all through the day. That’s 40 times more than the number of instances when users check their social media accounts.
• People who receive promotional emails are likely to make purchases 138% more than their counterparts who don’t receive email offers, discounts, and deals. Who wouldn’t want a slice of that percentage?
• Expect that any time and resources you divert toward this advertising strategy is likely to earn you a Return-On-Investment (ROI) of a whopping 4400%.
• Advertising using emails to contact your customers entices buyers to place orders worth 33.33% more than the sales you could make using social media promotions.

Ready to get started with one of the best low-budget marketing ideas for your small business?

Step 1 – Build an Email Marketing Database

The first step toward starting one of the most cost-effective promotional approaches is to put together a list of email IDs of prospective customers. And, to do that, you’ll want to interest people in giving out their contact information. Here are few simple ideas as advised by the folks at the HubSpot.

• Write and publish informative content on your website that establishes you as an authority in your particular field. Add a Call-to-Action and opt-in button that readers can click on to receive more information.
• Nudge readers to subscribe by clicking on the button and remember to add a “Share” icon so people can send the articles to their friends and family.
• Time the opt-in form at the precise moment when the visitor is ready to leave the website. Make the box eye-catching with appealing colors and images or add an element of humor.
• Offer freebies like an eBook, mobile app, or more detailed articles and blogs. To avail of the deal, readers only need to add their email ID.
• Request for reviews of the products and services customers have used. But to add the review, users must add their contact details and log in.
• Add gateways on your website to promotional offers available on channels like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, for starters.
• Partner with another company offering products related to yours and run a joint email marketing campaign.

Step 2 – Clean Up the Email Database Regularly

Make sure that you’re reaching the right recipients by reviewing your list time and again. Begin by using some of the various tools available online to verify the validity of the emails on your list. This simple exercise ensures that you make the maximum impact in the shortest interval of time and get the responses you want. Here’s why it makes sense to scan the list before hitting the send button on the email blast.

• People making errors when adding their contact details to registration forms is more common than you think.
• Emails may not exist, so you could end up getting the hard bounce or permanent error reply.
• People change their emails often to deter hackers and identity thefts.
• The email may be getting too many spam messages which is why the user closed the account.
• Sending messages to non-existent emails results in spam protection filters reporting the sender’s IP address. If your sender’s ID gets blacklisted, you may not be able to reach other customers interested in hearing from you.
• Although emailing is undoubtedly a low-budget advertising idea, you could save on the time and effort that goes into contacting dead inboxes.
• You have a better probability of recipients opening your emails and reading them with higher click-through rates. You may also earn more conversions and sales.
• You maintain the company’s reputation with internet service providers as a legitimate business.
• You’ll eliminate past customers who are no longer interested in buying your products for various reasons. For instance, users with grown-up kids may not want to buy baby products.

A word of caution! Make it a point to always rely on organic emailing lists where people have volunteered their contact details and want to hear from you. Buying mailing lists may seem like a shortcut, but rarely works in the long run.

Step 3 – Design the Email for Maximum Impact

Now that you’re ready with the emailing list, prepare the content. Don’t lose sight of the fact that an average person is likely to spend 8 seconds or less checking out your email. And, that’s a fact corroborated by Campaign Monitor. If the recipients have opened your message, it’s indication enough that they’re interested in your products. You have just a very short window to get a click-through. So, highlight the main points in the content and have a clearly-visible, “Buy Now!” button. If you’re offering information, make the headline attention-riveting. And, if you have a freebie up for grabs, place details where everyone is sure to notice.

Email Marketing – The Indispensable Advertising Technique

Any small business owner looking for elbow room in a highly competitive arena cannot overlook the importance of adopting low-budget marketing ideas. Using emails as promotional tools is a highly effective strategy given the time all users spend on their mobile phones. The next time, a potential customer whips out a cellphone to kill a few minutes, make sure that yours is the first email to catch his attention and make a purchase!

Hosting site: http://www.thetechblock.com/category/business-tech/

Branding is a comprehensive term in the world of marketing today. It refers to everything a business does to ensure its presence to the target audience. The eventual aim is to remain discoverable and relatable to customers and for that, online presence is critical. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is considered to be one of the cornerstones of a solid digital strategy. While small businesses often try to get things done in-house, it makes more sense to outsource SEO and online marketing needs. In this post, we are discussing further on why every brand should partner with a reliable SEO company.

Because expertise is everything

Having one SEO guy in the office to check your website and fix the Yoast plugin is never enough. Marketing a website and brand through search engine optimization requires a lot more planning than that, and it is absolutely important to have an extended team that can bring both new ideas and expertise. When a bunch of SEO experts share thoughts on better digital marketing, the outcome is extremely positive in most cases.

Because experience lies in diversity

Many SEO companies have worked with hundreds of brands, but it’s not the number that just talks of experience. In fact, the range and diversity in their projects are aspects you need to check. For example, when a SEO service has worked with smaller brands and multinational companies like, you know they have a wide view of the market and how things work for different clients across different industries.

Because it reduces the costs

SEO, unlike paid marketing, is scalable. The strategies may be customized, but eventually, the whole process remains the same and has to be done in a certain way. SEO remains extremely scalable, which means you can put a price to the spending every month. For startups and new companies that are trying online marketing, SEO is the easiest and most affordable tool, and with a SEO agency, you will only pay a fixed amount every month.

Because SEO is also about branding

Contrary to popular belief, SEO is not just about keywords, but also about branding. In fact, it is an effectual tool for promoting a brand without being too unabashed about the process. Think of this – when a customer finds your website on the top of Google with an organic keyword search, it reinstates trust in your brand. SEO services often tap into the branding aspect of the process, and their expertise and proficiency can take your brand to the next level.

Because it’s easier to retain control

Supervising an in-house SEO team can be a tougher job than you imagine. In fact, it would mean overseeing the work, checking for results, and keeping a tab on individual performances. With SEO agencies, you just need to check performance reports, which will be sent every fortnight or once in a month. In most cases, you don’t have to go for a long-term contract with the agency, and that can be a big advantage, because it’s easier to test the waters.

In conclusion

With SEO companies, brands have the expertise and market knowledge required to take a leap into digital marketing. However, it is also critical to be perspective about the project, primarily because SEO can take time. Combined with social media and PPC, SEO can transform the way people look at your company and brand, and that too, without spending a fortune. Of course, not all SEO services are the same, so some homework is critical for selecting one. Getting an estimate in advance and checking their overall strategy are other aspects that must be considered.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business tech category.

The rollout of new cloud services for phone calls is revolutionizing the telephone industry, though it is invisible to most consumers. Let’s learn how these new cloud services for phone service are affecting businesses.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/marketing-office-working-business-33999/

Affordable 1800 Service

Cloud services make it easy to set up one or multiple 1800 numbers that are routed wherever you want them to go. This allows an individual to have a professional 1800 number that is routed to their cell phone or the answering service of their choice. You could also set up a 1800 number for specific marketing channels to run A/B testing of different marketing campaigns or direct calls for tech support and customer service to the right expert.

What do your customers get out of it? They don’t have to pay a fee to call you from a landline, and their wireless calls via Telestra are probably free, too. They typically get an easier to remember phone number because they’ll remember it automatically as a 1-800 number.

Voice Over IP

Voice over IP or VOIP service allows people to make phone calls via a cloud service. Affordable 1800 numbers are supported this way, but any type of phone number could be handled this way. Set up a phone number for team members automatically. It is far faster than trying to get traditional phone service set up in someone’s cubicle. If they change work sites, they can take the phone number with them. Access voicemail online anywhere. If you’re getting spammed, change the phone number with a few keystrokes. Because both ends of the call are accessing the cloud locally, international calling just because a lot cheaper.

A side benefit of VOIP phone service is how it integrates seamlessly with other IT services. Save voicemails for employees to the cloud. Then they can’t lose critical information, and the company still has it if they leave, too. Let them forward voicemails to coworkers or send the voicemail to a transcription service so the text file can be uploaded to the customer’s record. You can automatically record video conference calls for future use or play a video on your computer where it is shared with everyone else connected to the call. Another benefit of the cloud telephone services is that your employees can use software provided by the cloud service for video conferencing, video capture, file sharing and so forth. It all essentially enables a greater degree of collaboration

Services to Support Call Centers

Cloud services for telephone calls is a natural fit with call centers. They can route calls to whoever on shift at the time, and if someone doesn’t pick up, it can automatically route them to the next person in the queue. Your customers call a single number, and calls go wherever your call center is based that shift. This allows you to outsource night shift support to an international service if desired. Or you could route calls to someone’s cell phone to answer if they’re on call. They can do so while working from home. Or you can use the cloud services to hire affordable work-from-home customer service reps.

 

When the number of mobile users surpassed desktop users for the first time in 2015, industry moguls projected that the mobile world had officially “begun”. This statistic also marked a significant increase in webmasters dedicated to overhauling their sites to be more mobile-friendly. From then to now, mobile has continued to grow, solidifying its role in our global marketplace and ultimately signaling to businesses that they must stay competitive by creating their own mobile apps.

Currently, there are about 10 billion people worldwide who own a smartphone, and experts are predicting that consumers who are using their mobile devices to acquire goods and services will continue to drive growth in eCommerce. According to market research company eMarketer, retail mcommerce sales will even reach $338.02 billion by 2020 and by 2021, thereby making up almost three quarters (72.9 percent) of overall e-commerce sales worldwide.

Important mobile statistics for eCommerce business owners:

• 79% of customers order products and services using a mobile phone;
• 62% of people who own a smartphone have bought a product or service using their device in the past six months;
• 53% of smartphone users buy from company-specific apps;
• Mobile buyers spend 2x the money that desktop and tablet users spend in an eCommerce store;
• 89% of users are using mobile retail apps rather than going to mobile websites;
• 80% of smartphone users are will do business with companies with mobile sites or apps repeatedly, especially if the apps provided answers to their questions.

What could these statistics mean for you?

These statistics mean that investing in a mobile app now can give you a competitive advantage over eCommerce business owners who are still choosing to stick with their stores’ mobile version and who are not yet willing to innovate in such a way.

Also, as the ratio between desktop and mobile usage for eCommerce begins to shift, it’s obvious that developing a mobile app is the way to go if you’re looking to build your brand and boost your profits. There is an unlimited number of ways that a mobile app can transform your eCommerce business.

The cost of creating an app

Ask any developer or software agency how much it will cost to have an app custom built for your business, and they’ll likely shrug and say something like, “It depends.”

That’s because the price you need to pay for an app will always depend on three variable elements: (1) technical elements, (2) design features, and (3) maintenance costs. For instance, an app that costs $25,000 might have all the necessary capabilities for a small business, but would nevertheless not be able to compete with design functionalities costing somewhere in the 100 to 200K range. With the latter being much more flexible, companies looking to scale are often willing to spend more.

If you’re selling multiple products and services, you should always have the growth mindset and you shouldn’t put a cap on the number of products that your app showcases just to save costs. If you do that, then you’re not just putting a limit to your store’s income, but you’re also giving other eCommerce apps a chance to steal your customers.

Top factors that influence the cost of an eCommerce app

Scope

Let’s start with explaining what scope is. When developing an app, scope refers to everything that your app contains and how it functions. You might be thinking, “I only want users to be able to buy from my store.” That’s right, but if you think about it, there’s more to it than just putting an image of a product beside a price and allowing users to buy it using their mobile device.

When we will classify the complexity of building an app, eCommerce apps will always be considered as more complex in scope because they need to gather analytics about user activity, involve a lot of screens, support real-time synchronization, and interact or integrate with any base.

When defining the scope, you should indicate special functionalities and a list of features (that you want to see in the app). These features may include allowing users to add to their cart, browse products offline, or associate their spending threshold with rewards and promos. Having a clear scope will protect you and will also ensure that the project is delivered on time and on budget.

Platform

The number of platforms on which your app will be built (iOS, Android, Windows Phone) will also affect its cost. This is because an app will need multiple codebases if it is to be accessible on both Google Play and in the App Store. It will also require more time and investment depending on whether the app will be built natively using Swift or Java. Regardless, the quality of the result will be also higher.

Technical Features

It also goes without saying that the more complex the features of an app are, the more expensive it will be to have it developed. eCommerce apps often need third-party integrations, payment gateways, messaging features, admin panels, social media integrations, and even personalization or geolocation features to create that “personalized” experience for consumers, to approach and show products and services based on customers’ shopping habits, preferences, and geographic location.

All these features will require extensive coding and subscription to third-party services, further affecting the cost of the app development project itself. From a development standpoint, there are a few features that are much harder to build and which require longer coding times, including apps that require interaction with Android-specific features (things beyond plain Java and standard APIs and libraries), apps that require push notifications to millions of users, and apps that will use mobile hardware such as camera, bluetooth or GPS.

User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX)

Gone are the days when design was all about creating visually appealing images that used creative colours and placement to sell. Now, in app development, UI and UX cannot be separated. When designing an app, overall aesthetics need to be considered alongside a user’s experience. Here, your goal is not only to create a beautiful app, but to make sure that it is designed to convert users into paying customers.

Often, multiple people will work on your app during the design phase – so don’t be shocked when you’re provided an estimate that involves billable hours of more than just one design expert. If you prefer to have the app created by an in-house team, you’d be lucky if you’d find one person who can do both the UI and UX design for you.

To expand, a UX designers’ role is to ask questions such as: Will this app solve the users’ problems? Will adding this button make it easier for users to do what they intend to do? Will adding this text here play a role in collecting necessary user data? They are generally marketers, designers, and project managers all rolled into one.

On the other hand, UI designers are tasked with making the user interface intuitive, responsive, and “slick”, all  to keep a user engaged. They work on areas where users directly interact with the product.

To summarize, often a good design will take up about 40 to 80 hours including wireframing and user-testing. Ultimately, the goal when testing is to find out whether users are moving through the desired customer journey. 

QA, Maintenance and Updates

While it is tempting to rule out any further expenses once the development and design phases are “done”, the truth is, QA and maintenance will still cost a lot of money. Testing (unit testing and system testing) an app’s functionality before launch, maintenance factors and necessary updates, and even fixing unexpected bugs are necessary to assure that an app functions during every phase, even post-launch.

In all, maintenance costs account for about 25% of total app development costs for each year following its launch.

When we factor in the total costs mentioned above, a good estimate for an eCommerce app suited to your business ranges anywhere from $30,000 to $170,000. And while our hypothetical app developer was right in offering context as key to the cost of an eCommerce app, now you’re one step closer to weighing your options when considering who to hire for your next development initiative. Just remember, the investment that an eCommerce app requires is not a joke, but if your app stands out, it will be sure to 10x your profits.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business tech category.

Social media tools can be the difference between effective marketing and a waste of time. Discover five tools everyone should be using this year.

How does your company manage social media? If your answer involves one or more employees manually updating your accounts, I have good news for you.

There are tools you can use to make this process so much easier and more efficient! Reclaim your employees’ time and focus on the things that make your business unique. All you need are the right tools.

Some tools cost a bit of money, some are free, and others have a free option with additional paid features. Here’s the list of five social media tools you can’t miss in 2019.

Posting to Multiple Accounts: Buffer

Being consistent on social media isn’t optional. If you want to build your brand, you can’t afford to have any social media accounts that look like a ghost town.

However, it’s not realistic to keep up with the optimum posting schedules on multiple platforms. That’s what Buffer does for you. You can scan your followers to determine the optimal time to post on a variety of different platforms, and you can add your content to the “buffer” so that it will be scheduled to go on the next open slot.

Buffer has a free version that allows one user to post to three social media accounts, with up to 10 scheduled posts per account. For $15/mo you can post to eight social media accounts with up to 100 schedule posts per account.

Supported platforms include Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, with Pinterest available on paid accounts.

All-In-One Platform: Social Sprout

If you have a bit more of a budget for social media, you might consider Sprout Social’s all-in-one social media management for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For $149/mo, you can get tools to manage 10 social profiles at once. These include publishing, a content calendar, monitoring for mentions of keywords (such as your company or industry), and other powerful resources.

You also get reporting, response time analysis, trend analysis, and custom workflows.

If you want a single tool to do everything for you, Sprout Social is the way to go!

Focus on Pinterest: Tailwind

A lot of bloggers and small businesses love Tailwind for its ability to uniquely interface with Pinterest. In fact, it’s the only Pinterest-approved tool you can use for posting without risking penalties.

You can upload pins and images in bulk, pin to multiple boards, loop popular pins so they appear frequently in others’ feeds, and optimize your schedules. Recently Tailwind added functions that allow you to manage Instagram as well, with optimized scheduling, automatic posting, and analytics.

If you have fewer than 25 employees, you can pay $9.99 a month for the basic package. This gives you smart scheduling, basic analytics, and 5 memberships to Tailwind Tribes. If you’re a large brand or agency, you’ll pay significantly more, but you’ll get full profile and board reporting, brand monitoring, ROI measurement, and many other features.

Find Content to Share: BuzzSumo

Do you struggle to figure out what to share on social media? You want to talk about something that’s relevant and interesting to your audience, and you also want to find popular content that people are currently sharing.

BuzzSumo can do that for you. Simply enter a topic or keyword and you’ll see what content is performing best. You can also use BuzzSumo for competitor analysis, to see what social sharing is working well for others in your industry.

For $79/month, you gain access to unlimited searches and 5 alerts for mentions of brand, competitors, or keywords. With the $139/mo plan, you get 10 alerts and an analyzer that finds the most popular questions people are asking on a variety of sites online. You can use this to create content that answers those questions, which will be sharable right away.

Need more help creating and finding content? Consider working with a digital marketing professional like Local SEO Search who understand the social media landscape.

B2B Social Media: Oktopost

If you’re targeting other businesses, rather than individual users, you might think there are not great social media tools for you. Fortunately, there are!

Oktopost allows you to manage, monitor, and measure all of your B2B social media. Curate content, schedule your posts in advance and listen to the current conversations going on between potential business clients.

You can also create social media promotions and manage social employee advocacy on Oktopost.

The Right Tools Can Help You Succeed

With the right social media tools, you don’t need an entire department dedicated to updating your business social media accounts. Instead, you can manage your social media posts in advance, discover how people are talking about the keywords that matter to your industry, and determine which shared content is performing best.

You can’t afford to not participate in social media, but you also can’t afford for it to eat all of your resources. With these five tools, you’re well-positioned to meet your goals.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business tech category.

Local marketing is a major element of effective product promotion – it can boost your local search rankings and raise brand awareness. Companies of all sizes can benefit from it. Let’s take a look at some local marketing tips to implement today:

Tip #1: Leverage Social Media

When promoting your products, connect with your customers via social media. To achieve the best results, it’s best to try a few options to see which produce the best results. Here are some of the highest-rated SMM platforms for local strategies:

• Facebook – With 2.23 billion monthly active users, Facebook is a top choice for businesses looking to promote their brand locally. Use targeting options for paid ads; you can specify your ideal customers by area, age, and a number of other options. Use Facebook to push adverts that are tailor-made for your customer base.
• Instagram – Instagram has 1 billion+ monthly active users. In recent years, it’s grown in popularity for product promotion. Instagram’s visual focus makes it an ideal platform for brands looking to share images and videos of their products. Run UGC campaigns to reach a larger audience.
• Pinterest – Around 93% of Pinterest users say that they use the platform to plan their future purchases. Pins can usually be viewed months after being posted. In order to optimize your results locally, make sure you post at peak times. Try creating boards and pins with local references for the most impact.

Tip #2: Keep Your Ad Materials Branded

Whether you’re sharing marketing materials on or offline, you need to keep your branding consistent. Customers will see your brand and may come across your landing pages several times before making a purchase, so make your message to be recognizable. Put your logo on flyers, use consistent fonts and brand colors. Create a branding package so everyone involved in advertising has easy access to brand guidelines.

Tip #3: Attend & Advertise at Local Events

Even when you don’t have a physical presence in your target region, you can get involved in the local community. Find out if you can take part in event sponsorship and increase awareness in your brand. Or,  pop-up shops are a fun option. Leverage unused spaces in your area to sell your products for a few days — attract local attention, reach out to seasonal shoppers, provide a personalized experience, and talk to your customers in person.

Tip #4: Focus on Word-of-Mouth

Word-of-mouth is one of the oldest, most reliable ways of creating awareness of your product and driving sales. 75% of customers have said that they rely on online reviews when considering whether to buy from a local business. Online, it’s easy for customers to share their experience with others, reach more people, and share content and information. Testimonials and glowing Yelp reviews from satisfied customers can go a long way.

Tip #5: Actively Generate Web traffic

To deliver your product message to your customers, start by increasing your web traffic. Some ways you can do this are:

1. SEO – When implemented correctly, local SEO is one of the best ways to achieve predictable, compounding web traffic. For the best results, look at your keyword strategy, granular keyword research, and optimize your site structure to ensure you get the best performance from your efforts – like building links back to your website and between different category pages.
2. Content – Regular blog posts can be used to promote your store and products, and to drive web traffic. Research shows that websites that post blogs more often get higher levels of web traffic. You can also approach other bloggers or social media influencers in the area to see if they will feature your products on their site.
3. Email marketing – Email can help attract new local customers and retain existing ones. Set up automated email campaigns to welcome new subscribers, offer incentives, up-sell certain products, email visitors who didn’t complete their purchase, or send follow-up communications.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to increasing sales, engagement, and the overall success of your business, the key is to reach as many potential customers as possible. By following this advice, you assure the effective delivery of your product promotion message.

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