There are soooo many applications out there, all promising to be the best, but how do you know which ones to choose? Here are some key considerations to help navigate the marketing noise.
Analyse Your Business Needs
Heighten Customer Expectations
First, review your current process and take stock of what’s working and what’s not. This also includes your current software – there may be new features you are not taking advantage of.
Be clear about what you wish the technology to do, and list essential features the application should have eg. Generating custom reports to align with specific business requirements.
Functionality
The devil is in the details, ensure:
Features align with business needs - avoid unnecessary features that do not add value
Seamless integration with your current applications
Scalability to grow as you grow
Must Haves
Regardless of the software you purchase, the application should provide:
Multiple pricing options with at least one that suits your budget inclusive of a free trial.
Training Resources – training is essential to ensure effective adoption.
Reliable 24/7 customer service
Access to community forums – no software is perfect. People in forums will share their workarounds.
Data backup – protection against data loss is paramount. The application should have an option to download your data for use should you not have access to the online portal.
Data protection – cybercrime is on the rise.
Due Diligence
Research at least 3 applications and compare features and costs before selecting.
Use the free trial to ensure the application can deliver within the desired pricing package. Demos will showcase the features of the most expensive package.
Start small with a minimum number of power users for a month to test full functionality before getting locked into an annual payment or the full number of users. Note monthly payments will allow you to scale the users up and down if you have seasonal peaks and valleys.
Avoid duplication of features you already have with applications being used OR look to replace the current one - it does not make sense to pay for the same features twice.
What are other businesses saying?
Impartial review sites assess pros and cons, and independent forums share honest experiences. You may even find suggested alternatives with better pricing worth investigating.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kommentare