When you have decided to update your marketing software, you probably didn’t know that there are more than 10 000 available programs in 2021. Every business strategy nor relies on these tools especially in eCommerce. But, if you find a great solution for your company, you can expect an increase in sales, more traffic, and expand your reach.
It may feel daunting at first when you realize how many tools you have to choose from. But, like for other firms, this process is manageable and it’s something everyone has to go through.
User Interface
The first thing you will come upon when searching for the features you like is that every single one of them claims they have an easy-to-use platform. Of course, this isn’t always true so you need to rely on your source of information. If you don’t have someone experienced to help you out, you should visit a few websites that will provide enough information about these programs.
Testing is very important and you should look for those that have a demo version or you have available trials. When you are testing it, check if you have clear navigation through it. You would want to understand every single process and option you have available. Also, check how much it takes to finish a small task and if you can save some time.
Features and Integration
Comparing two platforms will give you the best insight into the features each one has so you can easily choose between them. But, you will first need to establish your needs because bigger doesn’t always mean better. Sometimes you won’t need extra features that will be more expensive. Find out more on this page: https://truely.com/
The way you are managing your business now might be a good way to do it so look for the options you like to be implemented into the product. In some cases, they will optimize it towards your needs. Always make a list with what you want so it will be easier to cut down the list of potential vendors.
Customer Support
Switching to something new can be very overwhelming but also risky if you don’t have the help you need. Some of these programs are complex and your employees might need training that takes time, money, and effort. This is much easier to handle when you have great customer support to handle your issues.
You should check what type of support they offer and when they are available. They might use only chatbots to answer your questions when you have a problem so see if they have an actual human to respond to your mails or chat. How long you have to wait for the response also matters and what you can do if customer support isn’t available.
Learning Sources
If you don’t have a person that will teach you how to use a certain tool, you would want to have online sources that will make it easier for you to learn it. These include online videos, guides, or webinars helping you to learn basics or how to navigate through the software. Most of the well-known platforms will have many different kinds of sources so in this case, bigger brands have a better program.
When there isn’t too much information, check what you can learn from these videos. It can happen that these sources have to be paid like online courses. Most importantly, check if they are updated because learning something that is even a couple of years old isn’t great.
User Reviews
Your experience in trying out a few different platforms will be a big deciding factor but you can save your time by checking what others have accomplished with them. When you find a reputable website that has reviews and comparisons of this type of software, check what others have managed to do with it and what’s their experience.
You will rarely find a video testimonial unless it’s something revolutionary like Shopify. Most of the tools you will come upon are tested for a day and someone has written down a review based on this short period. Usually, that is enough to check how it works and see if it has everything you need. Check how many people are using it and what they have to say and also for what type of business it is mostly used.
Customer Relationship Management
Every great marketing platform has a CRM or customer relationship management which allows you to manage interactions with clients. This is very important for small businesses because they can make their sales and marketing strategy great by using CRM. For example, it allows you to set them into groups based on their characteristics and preferences.
When you set these groups of customers, you can personalize messaging for each group which makes a huge difference when reaching out to them. Besides interaction, it can organize buying preferences, organize their contact info, improve task management, and track metrics. This data can also be further used to automate some marketing processes which increase sales over time.
Digital Advertising and SMM
If you wonder how some businesses are able to run big marketing campaigns without many employees, the answer is automation and digital advertising platforms. These programs are meant to connect social media accounts and advertising platforms in one place where you can manage everything. This can save you a lot of time considering that you won’t have to spend it on constantly setting up new campaigns for every post.
Besides paid search, the other features you would want include automated emails and content marketing. Data you have means everything nowadays so make sure there is plenty of metrics that will help you reach the right customer.
Along with managing ads, they should have social media account management tools that make it easier for you to switch through accounts and plan things in advance. Imagine that you can set up 1000 posts to be posted throughout the year. You should also be able to track your followers and their engagement which provides additional information about their preferences.