So You Think You Know CRM Software?

A year ago if someone asked me if I knew my way around the CRM Software Industry I would have confidently said yes, however, as it turns out the old saying the more you learn the more knowledge you realize you lack, is true. When talking about the CRM Software Industry it is almost impossible to actually say that you know it inside out since there are so many CRM vendors around the world, all developing their technologies at such a rapid pace. As if it wasn't hard enough for a company to make a decision regarding; what they require, how it can help their business and so on, these technological advancements are always followed with a marketing campaign each speaking of how much this new feature or functionality will help you.

So the question stands at, you think you know CRM Software? This is difficult to answer with all the hype surrounding the industry combined with the relative youth of Web-based CRM and the large number of vendors. It is also difficult to produce a linear comparison since each vendor has their own set of terms and names for features. So where do you begin? You can learn the basics of Web-based CRM Software fairly easily with a quick search on Google, however I would like to mention a few points that are more difficult to uncover; the hidden costs associated with purchasing CRM Software, what to avoid, how your CRM can go beyond simply contact management and where the industry is going.

When a company decides it's time to make the move to Web-based CRM Software they should first develop a plan on how they expect this new implementation to boost their companies productivity and revenue. The largest roadblock in achieving a fast ROI is all the hidden costs that are not clearly listed on vendor's web sites. In researching to develop a comparison of some of the major players in the CRM world including Salesforce, Netsuite and Salesboom.com, the majority of my time was spent researching pricing for different platforms, upgrades, implementation, customization and customer support. Salesboom was actually the only one at the time to have a page with their pricing listed clearly.

To just go out and purchase a CRM Edition and think you are done is nowhere near the truth, this is just a base point from which pricing begins. This leads me into what to avoid when seeking your future CRM Software. What you need to look into and ask questions about is; storage limits and the cost of additional storage, maximum number of custom tabs & fields, maximum number of applications you can add, this being particularly relevant for Salesforce, and any other limitation which could later force you to upgrade.

If you have implemented a CRM Software Solution and reached any of these mentioned limitations I'm sure you can vouch for my statement that it comes at a great cost. What is often the case is that the edition a company is currently working with is doing a great job but for example they have reached their storage limits. An edition upgrade for a company with roughly 750 users can amount to around 2 million dollars above what they were already paying. With this upgrade of course comes more features and functionality however they are features and functionality which will not increase your ROI simply because your company doesn't need them.

Now that the buyers beware and the negatives are out of the way we can focus on the positives. When you implement your new Web-based CRM you have just knocked down all the walls separating your departments or office's, no matter their location and you did it in real-time. Once up and running your CRM goes far beyond contact management software with vendor's now integrating front and back office functionality. Netsuite has a strong back office, which makes sense knowing their background in back office ERP solutions; however I find their SFA or front office not to be up to the standards of some others. Salesforce and Salesboom.com both offer a well rounded CRM solution for companies of all sizes, between these two it really comes down to price.

With more than just contact management capabilities CRM Software is a great tool for your; marketing department with in depth campaign and lead management tools, your customer service department since a complete history of all clients and cases are a mouse click away, your back office including inventory, billing & invoicing by taking advantage of real time workflow processes and of course your sales force with features like escalation rules or in more recent times offline and mobile editions.

Today CRM Software vendors are coming out with Offline and Mobile Editions giving new ways to never lose contact with the office. This brings us to the future of Web-based CRM Software, where is it going? Well over the past year we have seen great advancements with the use of AJAX, or as it's known to the tech world, Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. This code underneath your CRM Software eliminates the need for you to refresh your web browser whenever you make a change. This can be seen in some social networking sites, a popular one being facebook. Here AJAX is used to allow for drag and drop customizations to appearance and the arrangement of applications. The idea is the same with CRM Software, a simple down mouse click and drag will allow you to customize the appearance of your dashboard without an IT department, so you can focus on the information most relevant to you.

The other benefit that AJAX will bring us in the future when combined with faster internet speed is the elimination of load time, maybe not completely but at least the majority of it. This sort of functionality is now only seen with On-premise software since all information is stored within your computer or server you don't need to wait for the internet to download any data. AJAX comes into play here since you don't require a browser refresh you can continue working while only that portion of the web page is reloaded. I predict that the gap between Web-based and On-premise CRM Software will be much smaller by the end of 2008 and we will see the same trend with businesses leaving their On-premise for Web-based CRM, like was seen in 2007.

Author Bio
I am a University graduate with a B.A. double major in communication and political science. Always having an interest in business management has lead me to becoming a freelance writer for various Customer Relationship Management vendors and sites. I also keep up regular blogs and encourage feedback on articles and blogs written. More info: http://crmspot.blogspot.com

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Here is What to Look For in SEO 2016 Trends

Submitted by: John Smmith

After years of studies in online marketing there are few puzzling things that have brought digital analysts a lot of dilemma as what to pay attention to when it comes to SEO. There are so many technical jargons that need to be well-thought before understanding the modern concept and approach of search engine optimization. These jargons are complicated and have the capability of confusing even a seasoned SEO analyst. Google is popular in staying a step ahead from its patrons when it comes to searches and search rankings. Without wasting one single more second, let us see what to look for this year in the arena of SEO. The following points will make you understand that 2016 makes it easier for businesses to reach its target audience and optimize websites and web content.

1. Fresh Semantic Search

Hummingbird update has changed the world of SEO. This completely innovative and feature-rich update that Google launched has made searches more meaningful. The engine will no longer search the keywords entered, instead it will furnish results in accordance with the actual meaning underlying the query. As we all know that Semantics is the study of linguistics, the search engine is actually considering the keyword as a proper conversational query. Bravo Google!

2. Optimization of Mobile is a necessity

Today, mobile phones have much stronger customer grounds than desktops. Knowing the fact that mobile phone industry is gaining market exponentially, it has become a reiterated fact that mobile website optimization is a must now. As more than 50% of local search is conducted through mobile devices for shopping, watching videos or anything, it has become necessary to optimize mobile websites and make it more engaging and user-friendly.

3. Ranking is directly proportional to user experience

Gone are the days when link building and keyword density would determine the search rankings for a website. Now it is all about what the user feels about the website. User experience is the most important factor that is ruling the charts right now. Customer was, is and will always remain the king. Factors like responsive design, content relevancy, content, bounce rate and query handling determines what the visitor feels about the website and eventually makes the foundation of overall ranking.

4. Keyword is history

Not that it has totally lost its relevancy but keyword no longer remains the sole ranking determining factor. According to a research done in 2016, the high ranking websites have given up on keyword relevancy or density factors. By only having 6% relevant content in their title, body and meta description, these websites are becoming winners by getting majority of clicks and reads. This determines that content writers need to use primary keywords a couple of times which is obvious and general. Primary variants, secondary variants and keywords are old school now.

5. Citations- check! Brand names- check!

Time has changed and so has Google. Google is efficiently equipped in rummaging all around the web to successfully get usage of citations and brand names. It can even check third party forums, review sites and yellow pages. Thus it is time to offer legitimate names, contact details and addresses of companies, businesses and organizations so that improved web presence can be attained.

Summary

The article reflects light on the trends in SEO this year. 2016 is going to experience a lot of SEO changes. Keywords are going to be soon forgotten and factors that will change the face of SEO will be citations, brand names, content, and website uploading speed, focussed ideas, mobile website optimization and bounce rates.

About the Author: John Smith has been working as a content writer for last five years. He basically writes the articles on SEO. To know more about Please visit our website http://dreamztech.com/services/digital-marketing/search-engine-optimization/

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Cell Phone Insurance - Look Before You Buy

Our cell phones are a life line, a work tool, and in some cases, the tie that binds families. To be without a cell phone is unimaginable for many but it is a reality that they are faced with at some time as record numbers of handsets are lost, stolen, or rendered useless each year. However, in a nation that attempts to insure every possession, cell phone insurance is available.

Numerous insurers have popped up in recent years promising to end the turmoil caused by the unexpected absence of these handy devices. These companies reassure us that we won't go more than a matter of hours when a cell phone is stolen as they strive to quickly resolve claims and replace our valuable goods. But is this insurance really cost effective? Does it provide the service that consumers anticipate? Potential buyers need to take the time to seek out the details of a policy before deciding that such insurance is a solution to the issue of a cell phone gone missing or bad.

When reviewing a cell phone insurance policy, buyers should consider a few things:

Consider the cost of the coverage.

This includes the monthly payments times the number of months the owner anticipates having the phone. For instance, a $5/month policy held on a phone that is owned for 3 years would total $180. That is $5 x 36 months = $180. Now the potential buyer must also factor in any deductible. For our example lets say there is a $50 deductible. The new total of $230 represents what the buyer would actually be paying if indeed their phone had to be replaced. Consumers need to compare the cost of a new, equivalent cell phone compared to the cost of the coverage. If they can obtain a new phone on their own for nearly the same amount as the cost of the policy, they are better off forgoing the insurance.

How are cell phones replaced?

Is there a guarantee that the phone will be replaced with a model of equivalent or better value? A guarantee that the phone will be new rather than refurbished? Is there language assuring the time frame in which the phone will be replaced? These types of questions will help determine whether or not the service will meet the needs for immediacy in obtaining a replacement and if the replacement will be inferior or equivalent to the original equipment.

What does the cell phone insurance policy cover?

Does the policy apply to cell phone theft, cell phone loss, and significant damage? It is important to know which situations are covered and which are most likely to occur. If the policy does not cover the situations that a particular buyer is most concerned with, then the policy is useless to them. Many policies will differentiate between loss and theft; sometimes requiring a police report for thefts.

Know what the cellular provider can do in these instances

Some cellular providers are willing to help replace a damaged or missing cell phone that a user has had for more than a year. In some cases, a replacement will be provided or discounted, minimizing the need for the additional protection of cell phone insurance.

Like any type of insurance coverage, cell phone insurance could provide significant assistance in quickly replacing a vital device that an owner can not afford to replace in some circumstances. However, in many instances it is merely an added expense. Consumers need to carefully review the policy to determine whether or not it offers the type of protection they need for their cell phone.

Author Bio
Christine Peppler invites readers to visit homemedias.info to learn more about cell phone plans and other related topics by visiting her site.

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Search Wars! Battle of the Major Search Engines

It's pretty safe to say that anyone who has a computer has at some point or another used a search engine. Search engines are extremely useful creatures. They have had a major impact on our society, I mean its pretty amazing that you can just go type in anything you want into a search box and get back information about it in about two seconds. Before search engines came along you pretty much had to rely on going to the library to get more information. With that being said the popularity of search has created quite a huge market. The advent of paid advertising has sprung search engines into a multi-billion dollar a year industry, thus creating some pretty stiff competition. Right now we are in the midst of a major war on the internet, with the major players being Yahoo, MSN, Google, and an upcoming strong contender in Ask. So you may ask who is winning this war right now? And why? And who will take the lead in the future? One thing is for sure the reward of being the king of the search mountain will reap billions and billions of dollars annually.

So what are these top gun search engines competing over? The answer is clicks, on the paid advertisements they present every time someone uses their search engine. If you notice when you use Google for example that at the very top of the page and on the right hand side it says sponsored sites. This is where people trying to make money online pay to advertise for their company. These prices range from nickels and dimes per click, all the way up to hundreds of dollars per click, depending on the keyword. So the main objective for a search engine is to get as many people as possible using them to search the internet. Just think about it for a second, the more searches they get, the more chance of people clicking on their paid ads, which is where they make their money. Now of course not everyone is going to click on the paid ads, only a small percentage of the searches they receive ever actually make the search engine money. However, with millions of searches a day it only takes a small percentage to really make a big monetary difference.

So who are the warlords going to battle here? And who is in the lead? The three major competitors are MSN, Google, and Yahoo, and Ask is fighting its way back into the mix of things with some pretty sweet search features.

As of right now Google is in the lead, they receive somewhere in the ballpark of 80% of all search queries on the internet. Google is estimated to gross around 3 billion dollars in 2006, all from just paid advertisement. Now you may ask why is it that Google is so far ahead? Well there are a few reasons. First, Google has the most advanced algorithm, which is the mind boggling mathematical equation that ranks and lists sites depending on the keyword. Trying to understand their algorithm is extremely complicated, Google only hires absolute geniuses to work for them. Second, is the brilliance of Google.com itself, which is their homepage.

Take a look at Google's homepage, all you can do is type your keyword in the search box and hit search. There's really nothing else going on it's pretty clean cut and user friendly, with absolutely no distractions from getting people to do what they want. Which is search

Now take a look at MSN, or Yahoo's homepage. It is just jam packed with all sorts of stuff to do from playing games to reading articles about the news. This stuff is great and all, however it does distract people from typing into the search box and inevitably clicking on a paid ad putting money in their pocket. I believe this is a major part in why Google has such a gigantic lead in the volume of searches they receive compared to the other top guns. .

So I firmly believe that in this case the giant will not be taken down. Even though you see commercials for Yahoo and Ask, you know the ones with the cheesy guy screaming Yahoooo and the monkey that Ask is featuring. The bottom line is Google has the best algorithm right now and their site doesn't distract people from searching, which will yield many more search queries. Who knows though just as Google basically came from no where and took over the market, there may be a new kid on the block that will topple them. However as of now though they are the reigning champions.

Author Bio
Search engine specialist Steve Bis, is the author of the free search secrets newsletter and owns a unique web search tool that will help you find anything on the internet in 60 seconds, eliminating your search frustrations.

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