With the influx of convenient tech solutions for consumers, you’re no longer just being compared to your competitors. You’re being compared to the best services in the world. Thankfully, there are business software offering a suite of features at cost-efficient prices, regardless of your industry.
However, because everyone has access to these technologies, strategizing how to make the solutions have the greatest impact on your customers poses a challenge. This article discusses how business software can give your organization a leg up on the competition and offers scenarios of these technologies at work.
Below are five ways that business software can give you an edge over your competitors.
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It makes your business easy to contact
Sometimes, when people search for products and services online, they end up with a business simply because it is the first one to respond. Business solution platforms can help you respond faster than your competitors. If you’re offering services, you can even get back to them with a professional quote ready for their approval, as this HVAC business software provides. Combining the ease of being reached with speedy service can set you apart, even from competitors with objectively better products.
When it comes to customer support, look to remove friction points. For example, self-service portals allow customers to help themselves. This can be via a chatbot directing them to content or pages on your website answering their concerns. Take a look at how your customers usually reach you. If you were the customer, which steps would you like removed? This will illuminate how you can use technology to help improve your customer support.
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It enhances ease of doing business
In line with the above, there are also plenty of ways to make it easier for your customers to do business with you. Examples include the following:
- Online booking – Certain business software provide integration so customers can book via their Facebook page. This is great as it can lead to business right after discovery.
- Mobile app – Managed service providers (MSPs) offer a cost-efficient way of handling app development, allowing your customers to interact with your business on-the-go.
- Payment process – There are few things more frustrating than a business that makes it hard to pay. Software integrations allow you to accept multiple payment methods.
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and look at the steps they need to take when dealing with your business. How can you minimize those steps? What features are missing? You can even take inspiration from the services you use in your personal life. Take those you enjoy the most and see if there’s software you can adopt to replicate it with your business.
The number of areas you can identify might surprise you.
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It allows for utilization of innovative solutions
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms enable you to analyze customer data and turn those insights into innovative solutions. These systems consolidate all customer interactions, both off and online. This information can be shared across the organization, aligning every department toward the goal.
Credit card companies are excellent at leveraging this. Looking at your transactions and spending behavior, they can come up with personalized financial services that are hard to refuse. For example, if they see you have a history of settling your bills on time, they won’t hesitate to offer low-interest deferment plans for transactions and cash loans.
Getting a competitive edge can even be as simple as analyzing user experience (UX) preferences. Say you have competitors offering virtually the same products and services as you. If your platform is easier to navigate or has a design that resonates more with your target customers, that’s your advantage.
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It provides you with professional documents
Business software can also provide you with templated documents giving your business a distinctly professional feel. With everything going on with running a business, invoices, email templates, and other business documents can come as an afterthought. Tech services can take the task off your plate, allowing you to focus on business growth.
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It streamlines business processes
Less admin time means more time to focus on customer needs, take on more jobs, and improve services. The best business software empowers you to accomplish all that. Examples of how these platforms help organize your operations include the following:
- Accounting
- Scheduling and dispatching
- Time tracking
- Stock inventory
- HR services and payroll management
- Invoice follow-ups
With all the administrative tasks the software can handle, business owners and decision-makers have more time to explore business growth opportunities and spend time with their families.
Final words
The great thing about business software services and MSPs is that you can tailor your requirements and only pay for what you need. This allows you to accomplish three things: gain a competitive advantage, improve business processes, and enhance customer experiences.
