Five reasons you need IT support for your business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |IT Support|Five reasons you need IT support for your businessNo matter the size of your business, you should consider having some form of IT support for your brand. Why is that, though? If it’s just you or you have only a small team, you might be thinking there are very few benefits for this – you could think you can do this yourself.

However, you should not underestimate the advantages of having an expert in this area on hand to help you with any problems. Whether your problems are show-stopping issues or minor hassles, having someone who can resolve them quickly, efficiently and in the best way possible can be a great asset. Here are some reasons why you should have IT support.

Information management

Having proper management of all your digital information is vital if your business is to succeed. You will need to have a proper IT support system to ensure that, if you want to log in or look at sales and orders, you should be able to do this with little fuss. You’ll want to avoid large issues like viruses that lose your files or infect your whole system.

Virus protection

The number of viruses and Trojans, as well as other damaging data, has grown in recent years. Every day, there are attempts by hackers trying to get access to an organization’s IT system to plant ransomware.

If these hackers are successful, then you will have to pay a large sum of money to retrieve your business records. By having the required antivirus programs installed to avoid these types of attacks, then you can ensure that your system won’t be affected.

Security

There will be many details you don’t want hackers to have access to, such as customer addresses, personal details, or even payment information. So, for your online business, these all need to be protected – and your IT support can be useful here.

Using the services of a proactive technical support team and using certified professionals means your IT infrastructure can be monitored around the clock. Issues can be dealt with before they become a problem, so you can eliminate complaints and increase productivity.

Maximize productivity

Small businesses depend on staff to be efficient, so downtime because of technical problems can cause significant productivity losses. Items such as computers, networks, smartphones and other technology will fail – and IT departments can perform these crucial tasks for maintenance and repair, so you can have your employees working again. Your staff will then have the support they need to perform as efficiently as possible.

Integration of technology and updates

New upgrades can be time-consuming and confusing – and IT professionals will help integrate those old and new systems. Without them, then your brand might end up being behind on adopting this new technology.

They will also help to troubleshoot the use of new systems and monitor them to ensure that they’re running well. You can also receive recommendations on what new services you could also use, based on your company’s specific needs.

Is LinkedIn A Viable Stand-Alone CRM System?

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |LinkedIn|Is LinkedIn A Viable Stand-Alone CRM System?The debate over whether or not LinkedIn is a viable stand-alone CRM system is an often discussed issue in business.
On the one hand, some believe that you need to integrate it with an existing CRM system in order to get the best of both worlds. Others think that the former can provide enough support via its Sales Navigator system.

However, in recent months LinkedIn has announced that there will be some changes to its tool, which could well prove to be beneficial to both sides of the argument.

Will LinkedIn integrate easily to your CRM?

The answer is, a very vague ‘possibly’. At the time of writing, it will only be possible if you have one of two existing systems on the market, so it’s quite limiting.

LinkedIn’s existing Sales Navigator tool only provides a very basic lead management service that takes data from users’ connections, and then helps to make potential account prospects that are based on demographic criteria.

This is great, but it does lack some of the more essential features that businesses need from a professional CRM system, such as forecasting, marketing, calendars, external mail, and monitoring tracking opportunities.

LinkedIn have announced that they’ll launch a CRM Sync function, which will be able to create and add new contacts that aren’t already in an existing business system, but again, only if the CRM is compatible with theirs.

In the meantime, they will continue to work on and develop the Sales Navigator system in order to make it more user-friendly, for those businesses that are still without a fully functioning CRM service.

Will LinkedIn ever fully replace a professional CRM system?

The improvements that the company have made are welcome, but it’s highly unlikely that in the near future it will make any real dent in the need for businesses to invest in high-quality professional CRM systems from independent organizations.

Those who would like to think more about using both an existing system and integrating with LinkedIn need to bear the following pointers in mind. If you do want to integrate, you’ll have to already be using one of two other systems, one of which is operated by Microsoft. Many companies, therefore, will simply choose to stick to their existing service and leave it at that.

The other major factor is the cost. Companies who want to integrate will have to pay a monthly fee to do so, and this can be as much as $135, depending on your level of commitment to it as a business. A free LinkedIn account won’t cut the mustard here!

Many experts believe that there never will truly be a fully integrated LinkedIn and CRM system. There are also business users who report that their levels of spam communication have already risen due to unscrupulous people taking advantage of the messaging tools that already exist on the platform.

If CRM systems are allowed to access more data via LinkedIn, this could open up the pathway for more of the same. In the long run, this will put many businesses and business users off.

The watchword here is to keep an eye on LinkedIn, but stick to investing only in professional stand-alone CRM systems for your business as a means of gaining a better outreach.

10 Things to Consider When Hiring a Website Developer

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, 10 Things to Consider When Hiring a Website Developer

Forming a strong team of professionals who are on the same page with you is vital and at times very challenging. But let’s face it, the success of your business in much depends on the people who are helping you sail your projects towards the rewarding revenues.

When it comes to finding your perfect developer, there are dozens of things to take into account. For starters, the number of possible existing languages of programming can be compared to that of spoken ones! Not to mention the plethora of platforms on which websites and apps can be built on.

To help you get a better understanding of which things to pay attention to most during your hunt for the ideal developer, here’s a comprehensive list of top tips that should help you in finding the perfect match.

1. Project-based or ongoing?

One of the first questions you should ask yourself prior to making any search attempts is whether you’ll need a developer to join your team “for the long run” or do you need someone who’s more or less a “one-time deal”?

Depending on your answer, you’ll either be narrowing it down to a talented person for a full-time position or start looking for a skilled contractor who’d assist you in your project and with whom you’d part ways after the work is complete.

In case you’re leaning towards the first option, undoubtedly, you should attempt to meet the candidate in person simply to get to know them better. After all, you’ll most probably be communicating with him/her frequently, so make sure that you and your interviewee “click”.

If your needs comply with the second option more, most likely you’ll be hiring a freelancer for the job. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you’ll be working together for a mere couple of weeks. In this scenario, it all goes down to the scopes and volumes which will need to be tackled. And even your project-based contract with a freelancer can last for years, so choose your candidate wisely!

2. Existing project vs Starting from scratch

Based on your necessities, it is important to understand that there’s a huge difference between advancing what you currently have and coping with website construction right from step one. Building from the ground up implies a different (usually larger) scope as new projects require thorough planning alongside quality implementation. On the other hand, dealing with already existing material stipulates additional time for audits or conducting optimization research, just to name a few.

Again, having a clear vision of what your needs are and outlining it in your job description will help you while seeking the right person for the job. The candidate’s previous work experience matters as it’ll safeguard you and maybe at times help you benefit from earlier practices, for example, you may obtain some ready-made solutions.

In any case, giving your prospective hire a test assignment to see “the magic” in action is considered a wise approach!

3. Area of expertise

In some cases, you’ll need to pay extra attention to the field that this or that developer specializes in. Are you sure that the candidate you’re considering is a developer and not a web designer? Is the candidate a front-end or back-end specialist? Or maybe full-stack? The list of alternatives can be lengthy.

Know what platform your website has been built on or what you plan to build it on. This way you’ll quickly weed out more than half of the potential candidates. Asking to view your potential employee’s portfolio can surely do you good as well.

Just to make the picture more transparent, here’s a common example. For instance, you’re an owner of a midsize online retail business and have your eCommerce website built on one of the most popular platforms, Magento. The super flexible platform offers as much customization for your site as you can possibly imagine, meaning that you have the opportunity to transform your most futuristic ideas into reality. To run this store without any glitches from the technical side and to boost your online customer experience whilst staying in step with the trends, you’ll find no better solution than to hire dedicated Magento developers for the job. Magento is without the slightest doubt a tricky thing to work with from the point of view of a developer, thus, rich earlier work experience with the platform and in-depth knowledge of the language, libraries, and systems should be key when choosing the right Magento expert to help grow your online business.

4. Is your candidate a fast learner?

Product knowledge, by all means, signifies value you can gain, so ideally your future employee should understand your needs. It’s among the “musts” to have the person working for you to be willing to find out more about your business, other players on the market, and the overall future direction of the field. Why? This can safeguard you from investing in some longstanding decision regarding your online presence which can soon become outdated.

Whether we like it or not, change is a constant process that always progresses. Thus it’s important to be able to adapt. Your developer will truly be great provided that he/she is constantly improving his/her knowledge and expanding the skill set. Each time something new appears in the world of coding, your IT specialist should keep pace. If that’s not true, bad news for you. Therefore, the ability to learn new things quickly is a major point to take notice of.

5. Communication, communication, communication

It may come to a surprise but not all developers can boast strong communicative skills. Moreover, their language is often filled with dozens of programming terms which can be hard to understand. Do your best to determine if your communication with the candidate is (or will be) effective since from the long-term perspective you and your team will most likely need to touch base with the developer often in regard to the project. And understanding each other with ease should be one of your priorities.

To be on the safe side, the golden rule is to avoid vagueness and be specific about your expectations, requirements, etc. Your first chat with the candidate may already give you the impression of whether you’ll hit off or not.

6. Detail-oriented and attentive

Seeing eye to eye with your developer is certainly a perk. And perceiving how your ideas become “live” within the deadlines is great. But are all even the smallest details taken into consideration after a task is claimed to be “done”?

The quality of the completed work can be measured in different ways, for instance, how well it passes the testing stage. It’s not a crime to make some minor mistakes, we’re all human beings; if something needs to be corrected it should be. Yet how many times the task spins in the testing circle can be an indicator worth noting, as constant do-overs won’t get you far, agree? Perhaps try to test the water on the subject when meeting your candidate and don’t hesitate to ask whether the person can define himself as attentive.

7. Time management

Talent and knowledge is one thing, managing and using your time wisely and effectively is another. The last thing you’d want to do is to take on someone who easily falls for distraction. Even if a real IT guru is sitting in front of you, have your guards up regarding time management matters as, bottom line, this person will be responsible for handling your requests.

To be consistent, inquire about the methods and ways your possible co-worker handles work time or which hours in the day has he/she found to be the most productive ones. This should make the matter’s curtain come down a bit.

8. Self-motivation and initiative

Being able to work in a team is a quality to cherish, staying motivated is another no less vital one. Don’t make the wrong conclusion that the candidate that’s right before you isn’t self-motivated if you don’t see some hyper enthusiasm straight away. It’s fine to be humble during interviews or as you’re making first communication steps with someone new.

Ask your potential employee what motivates them and how he/she overcomes obstacles when dealing with something unknown. This should surely help you get a better idea.

The same goes for being the kind of person who can take initiative. Having a general understanding is one thing, but showing interest and having the ability to give an opinion that’s backed up by facts and from which the whole team can benefit from is a trait you’d also want to try to detect before deciding to hire a developer or not. “No questions asked” guys aren’t always the right choice.

9. Geographics

To be fair, the digital world of the 21st century that we live in today has given us the unmatched privilege and ease of communicating with each other from practically any point on the planet. And when you come to think of it, does your developer’s location really matter?

This question is a point of common debate since many people prefer to back up the opinion that as long as the work gets done, who cares from which point on the map your developer is working from.

Yet for the sake of the convenience of your communication, it has recently become habitual to give preference to working with a developer who is in (or at least close to) your timezone rather than to the one who’s doing so remotely. The thing is that time difference can play a bad trick with you, and it appears that tasks get completed faster and better when thousands of kilometers don’t separate you from your developer. But again, things are not always the same.

10. Where to look for a developer

As mentioned earlier, if you’re in search of a freelancer, you may easily make use of one of the many platforms, created especially to connect you with developers. As such, Upwork, Gun.io, Freelancer.com, and Hubstaff Talent are a couple of examples of places to get you started.

Need someone to join you in-house? Consider opting for the popular and efficient professional network of LinkedIn which has won over the hearts of recruiters worldwide.

All in all, looking for the best possible fit usually takes time. It’s more than safe to say that you shouldn’t expect the candidate to check off every single point on your list of expectations straight away. But if you’ve found the perfect match for you, do your best to have this collaboration going for many years to come since, without a doubt, your developer can help you grow your business!

Get More Efficient In Your Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Efficient business|Get More Efficient In Your BusinessAn efficient business is always going to be more profitable, and you must be looking at taking steps to improve your company’s efficiency so you can really make a big difference. When you look at your business no matter what it is, you need to ensure that you’re improving its performance. From managing financial shares to Best dividend stocks asx, you need to keep your business in great working order.

1. Stop the distractions as much as humanly possible

Even though it may be impossible to eliminate all distractions there must be some methods that you implement in order to keep staff and the entire team on target. Scheduling meetings and other important business functions can be good and also giving your staff targets and access to scheduling tools so they can prioritise can also greatly help. You need to think of the best ideas to keep them from straying during the working day such as checking personal emails or going on their phones. It can be difficult but after all you’re paying them for their time.

2. Implement different solutions for maximum impact

Computers, desks, chairs and equipment that isn’t up to good standard can hinder productivity. Staff may complain, have health troubles or generally not feel that they are working in a great environment and this is bad. You must ensure that you are getting the best things in place for your staff so that they feel at ease and this will lead to better productivity throughout the months.

3. Update your technology

Having efficient and up-to-date technology will help everyone and it will be vital to the production of the company. Improving IT systems and phone systemes will be one of the best ways and a great technological upgrade to perform. Advanced management software can help everyone stay better organised and to also be sure that they can access files quickly without having to wait for things to load. It’s important that they can get on with things quickly.

4. Get the best customer experiences in place and keep them engaged!

By improving the experience for each customer, you will not have the complaints you may have had previously and you will keep them more interested in what you’re doing and want to keep more up to date with you. Your staff will be more focused on other important business matters and this way you can be more efficient and solve problems much quicker than usual. Every staff member should be trained and know how to treat each customer in a kind and polite manner. Efficient assistance to resolve any problems is key to keep your customers happy as afterall, they will always come first. Get your website up to scratch and allow them to have a good user experience online also and give good clear contact information in case of any issues they may have. There are many advantages that come along with improving business efficiency and it starts with you. Today. Get working on an even better business for 2020.

Quirky Ideas For Small Business Marketing

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Small Business Marketing|Quirky Ideas For Small Business MarketingBusiness marketing can’t be avoided, and often entrepreneurs will stick to the same tried and trusted methods to get the results they require. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, but on occasion it’s a good idea to think a little out of the box and try some different strategies to open your business to (hopefully) a whole new customer base.

Quirky ideas for small business marketing are entirely possible with a little know-how.

Take your marketing out and about

Getting out and about and thinking very laterally about your marketing opportunities can offer some amazingly creative ideas.

It’s old school, but there’s something very charming about making flyers, posters or art and taking them to local shops, cafes and restaurants to help your cause. Get out onto the streets and pound the pavements with an old fashioned sandwich board advertising your business services. It’s a talking point and provides potential customers with an opportunity to connect with you.

Create quirky freebies to give away

It’s always good to have a range of promotional or advertorial materials in your arsenal to give away, but think outside the box and beyond the usual coffee mug, mouse mats or t-shirts.

Why not invest in a personalised custom magic 8 ball set and have them made up to send out as an original way to advertise and market your business? An idea like this, or something similar can provide a neat talking point and get potential customers interested in what else you might have to offer.

Consider contests and competitions

Use your website and social media to run contests and competitions that will promote your business. Make sure they’re shareable on social media with ‘share’ buttons from your website to help get better outreach for them.

Create highly unique and relevant hashtags too, so that you can find out who is sharing and discussing what you have to offer and ways in which you can improve your outreach.

Go back to the future

Look into your crystal ball and try to predict what the future holds for your particular industry and use this as a way of promoting your company as always being one step ahead. Remember, that if you’re going to do this, you’ve got to be able to back up any statements you make with the right data and you can’t just pluck figures and statistics out of thin air.

Look at unusual trends or statistics on a subject matter that relates to your business or industry and turn these into a quirky infographic, animation or video to share on your site and via social media. People (generally) love short, easy to digest lists of stats and interesting figures.

Finally, and most definitely not for the faint hearted is to stir up a little controversy. Now, this doesn’t mean being upsetting, argumentative or offensive in any way. Rather it means looking to the industry you’re in, seeing what news stories or negative press surround it and addressing it in a meaningful way that provides genuine, thoughtful answers people can consider for themselves. It can show your customers you’re not afraid to tackle big issues and that you’re honest and upfront, too.