Recently, issues related to the implementation of cloud information systems have attracted not only companies, but also government agencies in the CIS and around the world. But at the same time, most potential users are still poorly aware of the differences between the "cloud" as a technology of using server resources (computing power) and rental ("as a service") as a way to use software, particularly in the application of CRM-systems. And yet, this understanding plays an important role in the choice of which way to use a CRM solution.

Let's try to understand this difficult question. What is the most profitable way for a company to use a CRM system?

According to a document issued by a group of experts for the European Commission, which attempted to systematize experience in building cloud systems, "the cloud is a dynamically expandable information system that provides consumers with IT services with specified characteristics, if necessary, and allows the quality of service provision to be controlled according to the laid down metrics. You can also always use the services of development enterprise systems. You can also always use the services of enterprise systems development.

So, as we can see, the main task of cloud technology is to provide the consumer with a quality service. And today there are several options for these services:

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - implies the provision of IT infrastructure (virtual server, storage and network infrastructure) to the customer for use. In this case, the CRM system can be installed on this infrastructure, which saves the company from having to create its own IT infrastructure if it does not exist, or upgrade it to connect and normally operate a new system if necessary. The IaaS model involves only leasing servers, which means that the responsibility for installing the operating system and working applications is assumed by the tenant, not the IaaS service provider;
• platform as a service (PaaS) - the cloud service provider in this case provides the customer not only with the ability to host the IT infrastructure (servers), but also with a platform for software development and hosting. In this model, management is performed by the provider, and the client only has to put his CRM-system in the provided environment;
• Software as a Service (SaaS) - as the name suggests, in this case, you rent a CRM system and use only the features you need. All the "hardware" is maintained by a cloud provider, the installation and functionality of the software is also responsible for it, 24/7 technical support and the updating of applications - for him. In this case, all you need to have is a web browser and a stable Internet connection to work fully with the system.

A compelling argument in favor of using a cloud CRM solution is its security (due to the consolidation of computing resources, minimizing the "human factor" and strictly controlling access to the service) and stability (modern technology allows for full automatic control of the CRM system performance, as well as to take the necessary action in case of the slightest malfunction, thereby ensuring stable and trouble-free operation). If you choose the right service provider, these two indicators can even be much higher than when implementing your own IT infrastructure.

Small businesses are most profitable to use a CRM solution on the SaaS model. After all, the main advantage of renting in this case - financial savings, consisting of lower capital costs for the purchase of server software + savings in operating costs, allocated for adjustment + maintenance and updating of the CRM-system, including the cost of employee salaries.

By renting a CRM system in the cloud, you can significantly reduce the amount of investment on the support and development of IT services within the company. Initially, you pay only for those resources and services that you really need, and subsequently you will incur relatively small recurring costs in the form of rent. The cost of cloud CRM solutions can be as little as a few thousand rubles per month, so your budget can be clearly planned in advance and you can control it.

Another important advantage of using a CRM system on the SaaS model is the time factor. The starting time for its launch in this case is reduced many times: you can start using the solution immediately after purchase, and this is a great competitive advantage in a dynamically changing environment.

Medium-sized companies have more opportunities to use a CRM system in the cloud than small companies. They can afford higher initial license costs and, as a rule, already have the infrastructure to host the system. However, the use of a cloud solution can provide them with undeniable advantages.

In particular, by using a cloud solution, a medium-sized company can improve its efficiency to a much greater extent than a small company, largely due to mobility: access to a CRM solution running in the cloud is possible regardless of physical location and the device used, and the lack of binding to a specific workplace allows the company to significantly expand its horizons and increase the flexibility of its human resources policy. The company gets a greater degree of freedom in terms of the use of office and production facilities, as well as the ability to optimize rental costs through the use of different sites and savings on server rooms.

Large companies are still in no hurry to move all their services to the cloud, fearing for data security and privacy. But still, they are no strangers to this concept. And they go two ways: either they build their own, internal, "cloud", or divide their business processes into those that can be moved to the "cloud" and those that should work on their own resources. At the same time, big business clearly sees its benefit in using cloud technology - the simplification of working with a particular application by eliminating the need to think about scaling and the complexities of managing and administering a software product.

The banking sector, insurance, telecommunications companies, retail and transportation are moving more and more confidently towards using cloud-based CRM solutions every day. After all, in today's dynamic world with limited budgets and high market dynamics, it is very important for businesses to be able to scale their business instantly (i.e. meet demand as quickly as possible) and to be able to quickly reorient themselves with minimal cost. Therefore, there is no doubt that the future belongs to cloud solutions.

I’ve never been shy about my thoughts on SEO… I’ve tested some SEO strategies in the past, had some sites rank for amazing keywords, began relying on that traffic for my income, and then lost it all… I’m not the biggest fan of search engine optimization as a primary traffic strategy.

Why would someone put so much time and money in to something that Google could just change the rules on next week. It’s scary and I’m not a huge fan of it.

Saying that, I do like to take actions on all of my sites that will put me in the best position for SEO success, even if it isn’t my primary traffic strategy.

I see no harm in doing little tweaks here and there on my sites that will make my pages appealing in Google’s eyes. I’m just not putting a lot of eggs in the SEO basket. After all, Google makes its money through paid search results… If they make SEO too easy to figure out, no one would buy ads, we’d all just hire SEO guys instead.

Anyway… Here’s some quick tips that I’ve found Google likes and should help you get a little boost in the search results. And the main advice check link indexing.

1. Pick a good domain name from the start.

If you can find a domain name that includes the keywords you want people to find you for, this will give you a jumpstart. I’ve heard that Google doesn’t put as much value on this element as they once did. However, I still seem to have a much easier time ranking domain names with my keyword than if they don’t have them.

2. Use WordPress for your websites.

WordPress sites are inherently SEO friendly sites.

3. Install WordPress SEO by Yoast.

Use it to create a sitemap and get the sitemap submitted to all the search engines.

4. Create an account with Google Webmaster Tools and use the Yoast plugin to make sure Google pays attention.

5. When adding images to a post, make sure you use relevant keywords for the image’s name and “Alt Text”.

Google looks at this information when ranking posts. It also helps your site show up in Google’s image search….

6. Link out to authority sites from within your blog posts.

Google loves to see links out to big name authority sites like Wikipedia, Forbes, Huffington Post, etc… You linking to authority websites shows them that you are trying to put out great information and link to relevant content.

7. Link your existing posts together.

If you write a new blog post and it’s relevant to an older blog post, link the new one to the old one. Also, go back and edit the old post and link it to the new one. Google likes depth to websites. Google also likes to see a low bounce rate (meaning people stay on your site for a while). By linking between posts, it could lead to people staying on your site for longer.

8. Use YouTube videos on your site.

Google loves to see you linking to their properties. Linking to YouTube videos that are relevant to your site’s content looks good to Google. Google denies that YouTube videos add any value to search engine results. I’ve seen a lot of people show me results the prove otherwise, however.

9. Keep your content fresh and relevant.

Post often and don’t let your blog content go stale. Google loves to see fresh new content. Lately, Google has been ranking fresh new content over existing seasoned content as demonstrated by Glen at ViperChill in this blog post.

10. Get blog comments.

I believe that Google sees a lot of blog comments as an indicator that a post is something that people want to read and interact on. Comments also help keep your posts looking fresh in Google’s eyes. Even if a post was written months ago, a new comment today looks like a post was recently updated. (A loophole also pointed out by Glen at Viperchill.)

11. Leverage social media and ask for Likes and Shares.

SproutInsights points out that 7 out of 10 of the major SEO factors stem from social media. G+ being the most looked at factor in Google’s eyes. Sites that get shared and liked a lot rank higher than sites that don’t… This is a “chicken or the egg” scenario in my mind… Are these sites getting a lot of social interaction because they rank high or are they ranking high because they get a lot of social interaction. I’m not sure. However, no matter how you look at it, social media helps get traffic to your site. Get active and encourage the shares.

When you make a post, share it on Facebook, Google, and Twitter… Like it yourself and encourage readers to do the same. You’ll get traffic from the shares and it could help you rank better.

12. The most important factor in SEO is to create killer content. NO EXCEPTION.

This is the number one rule for modern SEO. Create amazing content that people want to read, want to share, and want to dig deeper on. If you create amazing content on your blog, most of the SEO takes care of itself… People like and share your content in social media, people link to your content on their blog (giving valuable backlinks – important for off-page SEO), people stay on your site longer (decreasing bounce rate), people comment on your blog, and people tell others about your blog. All of these things combined add up to Google loving what you do and putting it in front of readers. Create stuff that people want to read, share it, and the rest should take care of itself.

I’ll leave you with this Infographic (click for full size) that shows the importance of content marketing in SEO as well as social signals effects on SEO.

If you enjoyed this post or gained something from it, please click “Like”, Tweet it, or share it on Google+. I’d love you for it!

Also, please let me know in the comments anything I’m missing in regards to on page SEO. I love the comments and interaction!

Which way to use CRM in the cloud or locally to choose? Modern business can not be competitive and successful without the introduction of innovative technologies. An indispensable assistant in the construction of a reference business relationship with customers is a CRM-system.

CRM provides a comprehensive approach to business management and allow you to organize a full-fledged managerial, warehouse and sales accounting. There are 2 options for deploying a CRM-system: a package (local) version or CRM in the cloud. Today, more than 85% of companies choose cloud solutions, as they allow you to quickly implement and start reaping the benefits of CRM. That said, we'll take a look at the benefits of each method of deployment. If you want to learn more about what CRM is, follow this link to our feature article. Also, i would line to advise you to think about the possibilitty best moving company software.

CRM IN THE CLOUD - BENEFITS

Cloud CRM, with data stored on a virtual server, is the fastest way to get a customer relationship management system. Let's list the main advantages of CRM in the cloud:

• saving capital expenditures. The company does not need to buy servers, uninterruptible power supplies, system software, as well as spend money on their deployment and configuration. Additional costs are incurred by independently preparing for the installation of CRM. The amount of costs depends on the number of users, the size of the client base, the presence of subsidiaries;
• Saving fixed costs for the CRM service. CRM-system developers themselves and at no extra charge to monitor and optimize the performance of the system. Also, the customer receives trouble-free operation in the mode 7/24/365, the exclusion of unauthorized access to data. Updating is done with the help of CRM vendor specialists;
• Cloud CRM has the same functionality as the packaged version. This allows you to integrate CRM with other services running in the company.

Thus, the company does not need to overpay for the purchase of expensive equipment to create IT infrastructure. This method of deploying a CRM solution is suitable for medium and small companies that do not have their own IT infrastructure and support. Cloud solutions are easy to manage. Access from anywhere in the world where there is internet, software updates are performed automatically. Setting up and delegating access rights, expanding functionality through modules in a few clicks. The use of cloud CRM is due to the high speed of system implementation, simplicity and ease of maintenance, as well as significant savings, which, if desired, can be invested in the further development of the company.

ADVANTAGES OF CRM ON A LOCAL SERVER

Local CRM - this is quite flexible, but very costly method of deploying the system. It implies that the company has its own or leased server and a qualified team of system administrators, who are able to service the system.

The main advantage, which gives the local CRM, is the maximum freedom in choosing how to integrate the customer relationship management system and other systems of the company. In addition, the solution deployed on their own servers, allows you to use any version of the CRM, even one that is no longer officially supported by the manufacturer, also this method is considered more protected from hacker attacks. But these advantages entail additional costs to the company for the following activities:

• purchase or rental of server and system software;
• protection against unauthorized access by third parties;
• uninterrupted provision of energy and stability of the Internet connection;
• upgrade and reservation of servers when purchasing them;
• upgrade and service software for servers;
• CRM-solution update.

This type of CRM-system is recommended for large and medium-sized companies that have highly qualified IT staff. Also, the business is willing to bear the additional cost of updating system configurations and protection of personal data of clients.

As a salesperson, we understand that success blooms from following up with our clients. The essential factor that supports a strong foundation is communication – good communication in a client relationship, especially in a timely fashion. Leading software development company in USA adheres to this principle.

The average amount of client interactions it takes before mending a strong relationship into a sales opportunity is 8 to 9. This does not mean bothering or badgering our prospects until they agree to our terms of action, but keeping a steady tab on their condition and their purchase feedback. Sales people usually become befuddled once a client decides to leave or cancel their services after the first few interactions. This is because they lacked feedback. This is feedback in the client interaction before, during, and after the sales process.

Most importantly, time is everything, so here are some tips to perform successful follow-ups:

• Obtain the client’s information – Once you obtain the information needed for the sales purchase, then inquire about contacting them about update. If yes or no, you should then offer to schedule a follow up in the next few days for customer assurance.
• Remind client of the follow up – Send a reminder email or text. This helps both you and the client reconfirm the meeting, plus it provides an inbox note of recognition that the follow up was confirmed and that you have a way of contact established.
• Thank the client for the follow up – Approximately 24 to 48 hours after the follow up meeting; send an email to thank them for the time they sacrificed to be at the follow up meeting. Describe what prescribed and confirm another scheduled follow up. Use this opportunity to inquire any questions or concerns they may have as well, this can strengthen the interaction and make for more conversation.
• Send needed materials or documents – Once the next meeting is scheduled, send the required documents in the allotted time promised and go over them briefly to prepare you for the next meeting. Confirm that they have received the materials and understand what is going on. Note: Be sure to add this meeting to your CRM calendar for future reference.
• Leave it in writing – Email is a convenient mode of communication, but some age groups may not utilize their email accounts as often as they used to. Plus, written documentation has a more direct and personal relation than an email. Summarize the information provided and include information from the previous meetings for clarification, especially any questions or concerns that arose in the previous follow-ups. Time is important, as regular mail takes longer than electronic mail.
• Thank you notes – Always thank your client in hand-written form (sale or not) within the few days after the last follow up meeting. If the client was not ready to purchase anything at that moment, provide them with your contact information in case they decide otherwise in the future. Not: Mark this in your CRM calendar and let them know you’ll be looking forward to talking with them in a few months or so.

You will waste time, money, and effort if you do not contact your clients in a timely fashion. CRM is a great tool for keeping your company up-to-date and informed about all your clients and when to meet with them and send them appropriate information such as essential documents or thank you letters. Every business needs an organized system like CRM to maintain a successful enterprise. CRM helps salespeople manage their contacts and record every interaction along the way. This reaps control over the interactions and sales at the right time, enabling its users to schedule follow up meetings directly in the CRM system so that the company does not fall short of success.

Whenever you make an investment, you make a plan, don’t you? And no, I’m not talking about shopping for things we don’t need but like to have. I mean making a business investment, whether that’s an investment you have to make to build your email list for your startup or an investment to engage, equip and empower a 200-person sales force. In both cases, you want to make sure your investment is the best option available to achieve your and your stakeholders’ goals. Software development company in USA also can help you to grow your company.

It seems like a no-brainer; however, looking at our 4th Annual Sales Enablement Study, it’s not.

Only 9.2% of organizations have a formal approach to sales enablement with a sales enablement charter. But this small group improved its win rates by 19.2% compared to the study’s average. That means only 9.2% of organizations leveraged the huge performance potential of a formal strategic approach with a charter, which is just another word for a business plan.

I already discussed the need for a strategic approach to sales enablement and how to get to such a sales enablement charter, based on our latest data.

Today I want to focus on a special aspect of the sales enablement charter process: senior executive involvement. Too often, sales enablement leaders share with me that their senior executives don’t want to spend the time on it and ask enablement leaders to do it on their own. This is not working. And here is why:

Developing a sales enablement charter is a process that requires senior executive involvement to be effective. Developing a charter is a process, not a single activity, and it’s not about filling in a form. Charters cannot be created alone, they cannot be created overnight, and they cannot be created without the active involvement of senior executives.

It’s the same with any plan. Planning matters more than the plan itself. And it’s no different with the sales enablement charter. Having the conversations and learning details about the senior executives’ strategic initiatives, goals, the latest regarding the business strategy and their different perspectives and viewpoints are very important to an overall vision for your sales enablement endeavor.

Five steps to get your senior executives involved and keep them engaged:

1. Your words matter, and that’s something you control. Addressing senior executives and asking for their time requires adequate language. If you sound like you’re managing a training program, you will be delegated to those who also sound like they’re managing a training program. HOW you ask your senior executives for their involvement is crucial to success. Sound like a business leader and put your request into a relevant business context.
2. Sales enablement is selling internally, so you need a valid business reason. As we all know from selling externally, we need a compelling business reason if we want to get on the calendar of any senior executive. It’s no different if you have to sell your sales enablement strategy and approach internally. In fact, selling internally is often harder. So be prepared, and address the need for a conversation with a compelling reason that connects the dots between your efforts and the senior executive’s goals. Add a data point or two to enrich your business reasons; please use this blog and the metrics mentioned here. There are plenty of reasons why a strategic approach to sales enablement is needed in order to move the performance needle.
3. Be concise with their time, and be prepared and focused. Let’s assume that you got on their calendar, and you have a call or meeting. As you would do in a sales role, prepare for the meeting with an agenda, and state again why you asked for the meeting. Explain the need for a charter (e.g., to better align all enablement efforts and investments to their strategic initiatives), what information and perspectives you need from this specific senior executive and how you are going to use their insights.
4. Be transparent regarding the sales enablement charter process and give them a role. Share with them what the charter process looks like so that they can see how their insights will be used. Ask for their support, guidance and sponsorship. Explain that you are going to consolidate their various perspectives and that you will come back with a first version of the charter after all interviews are complete. Let them know that there will be a final meeting to approve the charter with all stakeholders involved and the opportunity to make final adjustments.
5. Use the approval call to keep them engaged and introduce the advisory board. Let’s assume all steps were successful so far. Congratulations! Use the above-mentioned blog posts and the template in our book to work on all the details you need to pay attention to. Now let’s assume that you have a final call with your senior executives to get the charter approved, which is usually connected to the approval of investments, budgets and resources. Introduce the idea of an advisory board to keep them involved and engaged on a regular basis, to report progress, discuss decisions to be made and get the latest business strategy updates. Get it in the calendar, and you are off to the races.

To all of you who are suffering from a lack of senior executive engagement, let me know if these steps are helpful. Also let me know if I’ve missed critical steps that you found to be very important when it comes to getting senior executives involved.

Once the charter is approved, switch from charter-development mode to charter-implementation mode. With the charter in hand, it’s much easier for you to say no to new ideas that aren’t in line with the charter. The charter is your compass and keeps you and your senior executives focused. And that’s one of the most important criteria for sales enablement success.

If you haven’t already, have a look at our new book Sales Enablement – A Master Framework to Engage, Equip and Empower a World-Class Sales Force. It contains lots of “how-to” information to address the challenges mentioned here.