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Outsourcing: Is It Right For You?

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Hosting

The post Outsourcing: Is It Right For You? appeared first on HostGator Blog | Gator Crossing . Outsourcing is the process of contracting out certain aspects of a business to an alternative company as a means of working to reduce the overall costs incurred by the business. A computer manufacturer may outsource the creation of certain components to another company because it is cheaper for that other company to make them, as opposed to making the components themselves. A government entity may find that it is cheaper to outsource their tech support to another organization as opposed to keeping IT professionals on staff, and a small business owner may decide that it makes the most sense to outsource their human resources department rather than to create one of their own for only a few employees. Regardless of the type of outsourcing being completed or the type of company looking to outsource, there are several different factors that must be considered, outside of the cost, when looking into this decision.   Factors for Consideration The first factor the company needs to look into is cost. The question of whether or not the company will save any money, in terms of their overhead or operating expenses is a key factor in business decisions. If the company will not save any money by outsourcing, then there is really no point in proceeding. If the company will save money through using outsourcing options, the company must then look to factor two. The second factor a company must consider is whether or not there is an available company willing to take on the outsourced role, and whether or not that company is reliable. Research must be completed regarding the validity of the company and, more importantly, the types of checks and balances that the organization has in place in order to ensure the safety of the data they will be handling. Studies have shown that 63% of data breaches occur as a result of outsourcing, and most companies do not even know the breach has occurred, that is, until they are notified of the breach by a third party. (Guess who is responsible for the breach? Not the company being outsourced to, the company who was responsible for maintaining the data in the first place: YOU.) If the company looks legitimate, and if the company does not have any past complaints for data breaches, and if your company can afford to outsource, then go for it. If none of these aspects meet your expectations, however, it’s best to nix the idea altogether.   You are Responsible Always remember, you are the one responsible for the data, regardless of whether or not you outsource a role. If you can’t afford a data breach, chances are you can’t afford to outsource. This is not to say that all outsourced departments or companies are horrible, but rather that there is simply not enough oversight in order to properly regulate this type of transaction as of yet. As the old saying goes: “you get what you pay for;” if you can’t afford the potential consequences of using a lower cost alternative, you can’t afford not to have the standard measures in place.   Image Source: Workhoppers.com. (2013). Outsourcing. Retrieved from https://workhoppers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/outsourcing.jpg web hosting Continue reading →

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Helpful Tips For Putting A Pricetag On Your Customized Work

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Hosting

The post Helpful Tips For Putting A Pricetag On Your Customized Work appeared first on HostGator Blog | Gator Crossing . Being an entrepreneur requires a very diverse and calculated set of skills. First we conceptualize, then we create, followed by marketing, and if everything pans out we arrive at a sale, to put things simply of course. What very few people anticipate is how difficult it can be to put a price on an item once it’s ready to be sold. What if I’m charging too much? What if I’m charging too little? In either scenario, you probably aren’t making what you deserve. Only you, the creator, can know the amount of time, heart and resources that went into a project. Learning how to price your items fairly and effectively will serve to increase the frequency of your sales. Here are some well tested ways in which you can develop a system for your price tags.   Calculate the cost of materials + 10% This goes for work you already have in stock, and especially for that in which has yet to be created. When you’re approached by a potential client, the number one step is recovering the cost everything that went into the piece before you added time, skills and expertise. If we didn’t make back the cost of materials we’d be in a serious deficit. Adding 10% is a good way to account for all the time that went into acquiring the materials in the first place. Things like transport, gas, etc.   Become a master at tracking your time One of the most common mistakes private contractors will make when starting a new project is thinking that it will be easy to remember how much time was spent going into the finished product. Whether you’ll be spending hours, or months on a paid job it can be very easy to under or over-charge a client. Depending on your personality, you may feel an innate urge to under charge for fear of surprising your client with a large bill. I’ve certainly been there, but one day I truly started valuing my time and expertise and that fear went away. Tracking your time accurately will start to mold how you go about projects, and ultimately how much you’ll end up earning in the long run. For if you’re diligent with your time card, and feel like you’re still spending too much time, you’ll naturally work faster to get to the optimal price for the labor you’re charging. Some great applications for storing your hours include: Freckle – Track your time, send invoices and view colorful graphs broken down into how much time went where on a project. Paymo – Project management, time tracking and online invoicing.   Determine what your time is worth In the world of business people are always going to try and find the best quality at the lowest price. Your number one consideration should be how much quality you bring to the table, and from there try and find a number that is competitive in your respective profession. Part of what your time is worth is what kind of tools, supplies and skills you bring to the table. If you own the only lawn mower in your neighborhood and the competition is working with scissors, chances are you’re going to be able to charge more solely on the premise you’re cut out to do the better job. Over time you’ll get comfortable charging a certain rate and the ones who approach you for your service will be able to see you’re value and won’t question the price.   Quote your price before starting the project Part of advertising yourself as a professional means when someone approaches you inquiring about cost, you’ll be able to price a quote based upon the items made in the request. To many this is known as the bid . This will give your client an opportunity to review and break down everything you’ll be charging them so there isn’t any questioning of your integrity once the work is done. This is also a good opportunity to draw up a contract between both parties as an extra measure of insurance that you’ll receive what you were hired to do. More often than not you’ll need additional clauses that leave room for revisions and changes to the original bid. This will cost you more time and resources so the client will have to pay additionally for any alterations.   Last minute considerations in cost We live in a very different time of exchanging goods and services, primarily due to the way in which eCommerce has opened the door to selling items around the globe. Don’t be afraid to mark up your products online a little more when the third party you’re hosting through has already added their own mark up. And make sure to consider things like shipping, money you spent on advertising, and the overall demand people have for your specific brand. Now that you understand a little more as to what your work is worth, it should be easy to start pricing for the future.   Image Source: http://runrun.es/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/price-tag.jpg (Customized and cropped) web hosting Continue reading →

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How Small Business Can Benefit From Marketing Automation

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Hosting

The post How Small Business Can Benefit From Marketing Automation appeared first on HostGator Blog | Gator Crossing . Running a small business can be compared to a very delicate and complex form of art. Our time has become increasingly more valuable, and maintaining a successful company requires implementing diverse and complicated marketing strategies. While it’s beneficial having access to an array of varying platforms to reach our audiences, it can also be time consumptive and difficult to keep up. It’s no wonder the largest demographic seeking the benefits of marketing automation are small to mid sized businesses. Can your company use some extra time? Let’s find out.   First things first. What is Marketing Automation? Considered one of the fastest growing solutions for sales and marketing professionals, marketing automation refers to technologies and certain software platforms designed for businesses to more effectively market online through multiple channels and automate recurring posts. These services seek to optimize visitor/customer retention, improve conversions, cut marketing costs and perhaps most importantly revamp sales operations. Marketing processes that would have otherwise been done manually, can now be streamlined to make new processes possible and make old task more efficient.   Taking a look at common product features Marketing automation is still a relatively new tactic to most businesses, and for that reason it’s important to know which features will best serve your immediate and long-terms sales problems. Below are the most common found in the leading software:   Lead Management – Leads are the lifeblood of a business; therefore, it’s easy to see why this is considered the greatest challenge and number one goal of marketing pros. Lead Nurturing- Increases the upsell-rate by retaining customer engagement, while also automating the qualifying leads process. Lead Scoring – Applying metrics to leads and prospects Web Analytics – Using quality analytic data will allow you to pursue leads based on their web browsing tendencies. Email Marketing – This is all about sending the right e-mail at the right time through the use of email scheduling. Schedule email blasts to disperse at the optimal time and save time by setting up autoresponder emails. CRM Integration – Otherwise known as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), this feature is an application that is designed to assist you and your business by organizing all the data that you have on your customers. CRM Integration then is building your website to function seamlessly with your CRM.   The Benefits As a small business, this is probably the section you were waiting for. When used correctly, marketing automation allows a staff with limited resources the ability to run successful marketing campaigns in a highly personalized fashion that may have otherwise been difficult to do manually. The major benefits include: Huge Time Saver – We all have days with less going on and marketing automation allows you to make use of that extra time to create an entire month’s social media posts in one day, so when deadlines are approaching you won’t need to worry about posting content manually. Maintain Consistency – Chances are you’re trying to maintain multiple platforms for social media posting, and for good reasons. The spread of our customer demographics have different preferences for social media use and if you’re forgetting to maintain one of them it may be a sign to your followers that your business cannot manage its customer communication or doesn’t care to. Easy For Everyone – A large concern for anyone looking to adopt a new technology is, “will it be user friendly?” And the answer is yes. Marketing automation is simple even for those who aren’t technically inclined. Most applications are equipped with easy to use editors, templates, and helpful guiding interfaces. Detailed Reports – Automated solutions will keep track of every social media post. Text, email and provide detailed graphs, statistics and other useful data to help you optimize future campaigns.   Selecting A Marketing Automation Platform Before selecting a provider, here are several questions to consider: How Long is the minimum license period? – Many ask that you sign up for 1 year, though you may want to look into monthly installments. What is offered in the minimum license fee? – Certain platforms cap once you reach a certain amount of contacts in your database, this detail is very important as you expand networks. Is there a training manual and customer support? – Nowadays the number one do not in licensing subscriptions is getting involved with a company/platform that doesn’t offer customer guidance.   There is no software or automation tool that can replace good planning and strategy; however, once you learn how to define goals marketing automation can take on the repetive and analytical taks for you in order to achieve a sustainable marketing plan.   Image Source: http://www.justaminutellc.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/5-13-marketing-automation.jpg web hosting Continue reading →

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Are Your Website And Business Actually In Alignment?

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Hosting

The post Are Your Website And Business Actually In Alignment? appeared first on HostGator Blog | Gator Crossing . If you’ve ever landed on a website only to feel overwhelmed and confused, then there’s a good chance that website wasn’t in alignment with their business. Often we have expectations when we visit a website, and if those expectations aren’t met then we’re probably hitting the back button. If your business and website aren’t speaking the same language, or if your website is undefined and ambiguous you could be missing out on potential subscribers, business leads, and sales. We’re going to dive into the power of alignment, what it means for your business, and a few steps to get you going in the right direction.   To Whom Is Your Website Calling Out? Whether you’re building your own website, or working with a web designer, it can be easy to build a website that’s catered to your needs. After all, building a website is an incredibly fun process and it can be easy to get caught up in the beauty of it, as opposed to focusing on making it functional and efficient. It’s not the most beautiful website’s that are the most successful, but the website that serves its customer’s needs the best. Throughout the design process it’s easy to get wrapped up in adding all kinds of widgets, interactive elements, and fun features. But, if these elements exist solely for your own entertainment, then you’re just contributing to the noise that already exists on the web and are distracting your users. Your website needs to be aimed at a single person. This single person will be your ideal customer. Although, no single customer will have all of these traits, there will be enough overlap so your website speaks to your core group of customers. When designing, or even writing for that matter it can be useful to hone in on a single person, as opposed to an entire group of people. Know this person from the inside out, and create the perfect website for this single soul.   Time To Run A Compatibility Check Are your business and website one in the same? You see this a lot with small businesses who have storefronts and are just beginning to dive into the online space. Often, you’ll find their website online, browse around for a bit, and finally make the decision to visit their storefront. When you get to their store the vibe is entirely different and their branding doesn’t match up. Usually, you won’t turn around and run out of the store, but it might leave you feeling a little confused. On the other hand, let’s look at Apple. Their website and storefront are virtual matches of each other, and they both perfectly embody the principles of their brand. You can go from one to the other and the brand is very consistent. You may even experience the same feelings on their website that you do when visiting their storefront. Your website needs to be seen as an extension of your brand. If you do business solely in the online space this is important as well. As the way you conduct business, what you’re selling, and what makes you unique will influence how your website and business reflect each other.   How To Align Your Business And Website If your website is confusing and doesn’t align with what your selling, or doesn’t feel like an extension of your storefront (if applicable), then it’s time to tweak and adjust what you currently have up:   1. Define and Refine Once again, you need to know to whom you’re selling. If you just randomly created your website last time without this person in mind, then it’s time to go back and define. Once you can imagine what this person looks like and how they act, then you’re ready to move forward.   2. Upgrade Your Existing Site Once you’ve taken the time to “get to know” your ideal customer it’s time to build them a website. This can either be implementing simple website tweaks, or building a new site from the group up. Also, make sure you upgrade your existing copy to suit the needs of your ideal buyer.   3. Seek Wise Counsel Once you’ve updated your site so it’s better in alignment it can be very helpful get a second pair of eyes on your site. This can help to buff out anything confusing or unclear that remains. Obviously, the closer this person is to your ideal customer the better.   Making sure your website and business are on the same page can be a little time consuming, but it will have a positive impact on your relationship with your customers, as you’ll be providing them with a better experience. In the end, it’s all about service. web hosting Continue reading →

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Scheduling Hassles Are Disappearing

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Hosting

The post Scheduling Hassles Are Disappearing appeared first on HostGator Blog | Gator Crossing . Scheduling Scheduling matters. It’s a concept that everyone is made aware of from an early age; first with working to make sure that you’re up and dressed and ready to go for school on time, and later as a busy entrepreneur, a seasoned CEO, or as a new start-up owner. It doesn’t matter what your position is in the world, from the time that you’re old enough to go to school, you have a basic concept of what a schedule is, and that you’re supposed to be on one. As you get older, these schedules become more and more important. You’re no longer on your own time as you were when you were a child on those lazy days of summer; the doctor can only see you at a set time, you’ve got to be at work at a certain time, and you’ve got that conference call at a certain time. Everything is on someone’s schedule.   Partial Systems Over time, you come to have a system; that system may be sticky notes all over the place, a calendar on the wall in the kitchen, or even a reminder programmed into your phone. Still, you’ve got to remember to add all those important tasks to that calendar, into your phone, or write them down. The human mind can only remember so many things. If there’s not a system in place, it becomes easy to forget (“failing to plan is planning to fail,” after all). Little things, it may be argued, are okay to forget: failing to pick up an item out of the twenty you need from the grocery store is one thing, but failing to meet your boss to talk about a raise is something else entirely.   Tools With today’s digital world, there are a host of different programs available that work to ensure that you can keep track of the events that make up the fifteen minute blocks of time that your days have been regulated to; still, in order for these tools to work, they require you to remember to input that information into their program. Every email client and every online email provider has a calendar equivalent that can be utilized, and there are hundreds more that come in the form of apps or programs that may be installed; and yet, none of these are intuitive enough to be able to take your life and act as a secretary, at least, not until now. For those of you who use Gmail, there is a new light on the horizon; if you use Google’s Calendar, Google Now will take the conversations you have in your email and infer calendar events, asking you automatically if you want these events added to your calendar. What’s more is that the program will likewise notify you, based on how you setup the notifications, in advance, thus ensuring that you don’t miss an event simply because you forgot. The program will take everything from confirmation emails regarding travel plans to your message to your next door neighbor asking if he wants to get together for a barbecue on Saturday night and prompt you to see if you want the event added. Now, it won’t create the events automatically, and if you forget after the notification, it’s hardly the program’s fault, but the fact of the matter is that this is a far more intuitive method than others currently available. Combine this with Google’s ability to setup business email addresses for the company, and you have a way to work to ensure that your employees will be able to make all their meetings without issue. While it’s not the be all and end all for all people, it does offer an additional means of working to ensure that your business runs smoothly, regardless of what that business is. web hosting Continue reading →

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