How bespoke software can improve the process flow in your company

Does your organization have the right software to help it reach its end goals? You might be surprised as to how a normal software can create redundancies within the workforce, and waste up a considerable portion of work time. Without the right software for your employees designed to suit organizational needs, you’d be losing out to your competitors. This is where a Bespoke or custom made software can help, keeping in mind the specific needs of your company and what you seek to achieve from the software at the same time.

How does it differ from any other off –the-shelf software?

Any off-the-shelf software comes with restrictions that can prohibit you from reaching your full productivity value. Also, since they don’t specifically cater to your business, expect to have significant features missing that you would want. This is where a bespoke software can help. Designed to address the specific needs of the company, it helps increase your productivity and enables you to access software quickly.

For instance, accounting firms can follow different accounting methods. If the firm handles only stock broking business’ accounting needs, their needs would be categorically distinct from any off-the-shelf software that they can find. Bespoke software will provide the customization that is necessary for such a unique business.

How Is Bespoke Software Different?

When designing bespoke software, developers take into account the different aspects of the business. This includes looking into everything from research and development to marketing and engineering.

For instance, large companies use bespoke software for content management, human resource management or inventory control. Bespoke software has slowly been gaining a foothold in the market.

Having tailor made software is of particular benefit to large scale companies who have specific needs that demand change and ability to adapt.

Benefits of bespoke software

For one, you get a solution for different business challenges and requirements – whether it is a need faced by everyone in your line of business or it is an issue unique to your company.

There will be no additional bloatware or features that you have no use of. Instead, you’ll get software that helps you do exactly what you need, and enables you to improve productivity, enhance collaboration within teams and increase your resources. In many ways, it also helps to consolidate the business processes already existing.

There are some other advantages as well.

–    Automate any processes that you have been doing manually up till now. This will bring all your data together and allows you more data for a more accurate analysis as well as increases efficiency.

–    Significantly lower workload on tasks that can be done automatically instead of assigning a manual employee to it.

–    Easier to monitor and analyze business trends. It will help you compete with other companies better, and no off-the-rack software can provide this level of utility.As of 2013, package software spending stood at 25.8%, according to ComputerWorld.

–    Business data is easier to understand. This is because since the software is custom made for you, it specifically includes the know-how of your business.

–    You control the development of the software according to your needs. You do not have to wait for upgrades to come out for a long duration or install updates that add no value to you.

How Does bespoke software help the process flow?

Integration is the key word through which bespoke software helps your process flow. Once the bespoke software is up and ready, it is integrated with the already existing IT system of the company. There will be real-time data flow between all your systems, allowing you to make better decisions and draw more comprehensive analysis.

Bespoke software can help companies achieve its end-level objectives companies quickly. You can have two printing business aiming for different things. One of them may focus on giving the fastest response while the other may focus on a high-quality end result. Bespoke software will help them achieve their ends, and an off-the-shelf software may not be up for the task.

The post How bespoke software can improve the process flow in your company appeared first on Blogtrepreneur — For Busy Entrepreneurs.

Blogtrepreneur – For Busy Entrepreneurs

How bespoke software can improve the process flow in your company

Alaska Airlines And Virgin America Begin Process Of Merging

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) has formally begun the process of merging with San Francisco-based Virgin America after officially closing on the acquisition. The merger has created what is now the fifth largest U.S. airline. The combined operation will have an expanded route network of nearly 1,200 daily flights to 118 destinations in the United States, […]
Mergers & Acquisitions – The Cerbat Gem

Alaska Airlines And Virgin America Begin Process Of Merging

What Is Your Lead Generation Process for Ad Agency New Business?

Believe it or not, most small to midsize agencies have no consistent process for generating online leads. 

Business development doesn’t have to be so difficult. With a little forethought and the creation of simple steps and processes, you can create a system that will make it much easier to kick-start your online leads.

Here are 7 ideas to help get you started:

1. Consistently Use Lead Generation Platforms

The battle for new business has moved online.

According to Marketing Sherpa, 80-90% of business to business transactions begin with a search on the web.

You want to enlarge your agency’s online footprint to have the ability to consistently generate more leads. These are some proven platforms:

• For over eight years, I’ve prescribed creating a niche blog for agency new business and have helped create over 200 personal blogs for agency principals. A personal blog can provide small to midsize agency owners with a perfect platform to create positioning of authority and appeal to a very specific target audience. It’s like a fishing expedition. You fish for a specific fish with a particular bait, you fish away from the boat (the agency’s website) so you don’t scare off the fish.

• Repurpose your online content into white papers, eBooks, SlideShare presentations and videos.

• Create your own training events. Add live webinars, online training courses, offline seminars and workshops to your lead generation tool box as a way to build relationships and buy-in from prospects. You’ll quickly establish value and a positioning of expertise when your first face-to-face meeting is a paid engagement.

• Use your personal social media accounts to grow your online community of prospects and engage with them online. Most agencies still haven’t tapped into the power of social media for creating new business leads. It is networking on steroids.

2. Create Specific Calls-to-Action

A call to action is an important element for generating inbound leads. Every call to action must immediately answer two primary questions: First, what do you want prospects to do?  Second, why should they do it? An effective CTA will eliminate the guesswork. A resource that you might find helpful is Hubspot’s 101 Examples of Effective Calls-To-Action.

3. Qualify Your Leads

To begin a successful lead generation program, one of the first steps is to identify and qualify your best prospects.

A business development person without leads is like a fish out of water. Neither can survive very long. Yet …

Only 30% of B2B marketers know the names of decision makers in the companies they are targeting. The RAIN Group

To be successful in new business development, you must first name your prospects. Then it’s important to qualify them. Unqualified prospective client meetings are as bad as no meetings at all. It is a waste of agency time and resources.

4. Try Speaking for New Business

Speaking at events attended by your best prospects will provide you with instant credibility. It’s an excellent tactic for business development, particularly for small to midsize agency owners. Having the opportunity to speak in front of a highly targeted, interested group of prospects is the most effective form of lead generation.

Public speaking is an essential component to my business development program. I have been the keynote speaker for more than 100 events in the U.S., Canada and in the UK, speaking on topics related to leadership, business development, and social media. It’s typical to come away from these meetings with new clients. That’s why my personal marketing is designed to facilitate more opportunities to speak.

5. Eliminate Web Forms to Connect with a Person

Most people don’t like completing online forms. Prospects have no idea who gets their information, the follow-up or how their info will be used in the future. When a prospect has an interest, it is often short-lived. I encourage my clients to make their contact information directly available to their prospective clients. Remember, you’re not selling widgets! Make it easy for them to reach out to you.

6. Add and Optimize Landing Pages for More Leads

Landing pages are vital to producing inbound leads. According to some studies, over half of landing page visitors leave within 5 seconds. You need to know how to get the most from them. For instance:

• Using correct targeting and testing methods can increase conversion rates up to 300%.
• According to the Marketing Sherpa’s Benchmark Report on Landing Page Optimization, only 52% of businesses and agencies that use landing pages test them to find ways to improve responses.
• You should have only one specific offer for each landing page but 48% of landing pages contain multiple offers.
• Adding videos on a landing page can increase conversions by up to 86% according to a study by Eye View Digital.
• You may not realize it but long landing pages have the greater potential to generate significantly more leads, up to 220% more leads than above the fold call-to-action. Email Monks

New business success is dependent on the number of qualified leads. So, the first step toward this objective takes place by developing effective landing pages.

7. Provide Social Proof

As part of my consulting work, I’m asked to review a lot of agency websites from a new business perspective. Recently, I was reviewing the website of a large agency in New York. I wasn’t surprised that I didn’t find a single testimonial from a happy client. A good number of agencies neglect to add this important component to their marketing mix.

Third-party validation is a powerful tool.

63% of consumers indicate that they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has reviews and testimonials. – CompUSA and an iPerceptions study

Adding client testimonials and recommendations is one of the easiest ways to empower your lead generation program. Testimonials help to eliminate skepticism, provide credibility and trust.

Additional Resources:

• A New Approach to New Business: An online, on demand new business course for advertising, digital, media and PR agencies
• Pick My Brain: New business consultation via phone or video conferencing
• Onsite Training: New business workshop that will help you to launch an inbound new business program in 30 days

photo credit: Theen … Lead Pipe via photopin (license)

The post What Is Your Lead Generation Process for Ad Agency New Business? appeared first on FUEL LINES.

What Is Your Lead Generation Process for Ad Agency New Business?