Category: Business

The introduction of new luxury hotels illuminates the tourism sector every year. It is fantastic because it forces businesses to provide their best service, which is excellent for customers because there is more competition. Booking a vacation accommodation has grown more difficult due to the limitless options. 

How can you earmark the best hotel for you? What is important to focus on? Have no fear—we’ve got you covered! Check out our advice on how to choose the best luxury hotel for your upcoming trip.

Things to Remember While Picking a Luxury Hotel

• Budget

Money is frequently a key consideration when picking the ideal luxury hotel. The majority of holiday expenses are often spent on lodging. The possibilities are endless in the travel industry. Hotels and resorts come in a variety of price ranges. In other far-flung locales, a single night could cost as much as a few thousand dollars. 

You obviously cannot afford it if that is your whole travel budget. Consider your top priorities to better understand what makes up your ideal vacation. Do you prefer to set aside cash for amazing activities? Perhaps you’re a foodie who wants to sample everything the location has to offer. 

Perhaps your ambition is to stay at the most opulent hotel. Thus picking a luxurious hotel should be a top consideration. The next step is to choose a room category. The value of money supplied can vary depending on where you go. For instance, because Italy is a more costly country, you may have a magnificent suite for the same price as a much smaller room. 

The majority of your time at a resort will be spent inside your lodging. In this situation, budgeting more for accommodation may be wise.

• Nature of Vacation

You must take a moment to reflect on the purpose of your trip before you begin looking for a hotel. Choosing a resort-style facility can be your best option if all you want out of your trip is to relax. Before booking, verify whether the hotel has a spa, wellness center, and pool. When possible, staying near the beach is a wise choice. 

Nonetheless, having a decent location is crucial if you want a trip mostly focused on sightseeing. Your top objective should be to stay close to popular sights so that you don’t have to waste time traveling there and back.

• Location

The location of the hotel is important when making a decision. Think about whether you would rather stay in a touristy region close to major attraction spots or a hip, up-and-coming neighborhood. Beverly Hills, for instance, is a great place to go if you want to spot some celebrities. 

Nonetheless, individuals who enjoy good meals and wish to avoid crowds and visitors should go downtown. Also, staying in a region of a city or nation you haven’t been to before is always a smart move. For instance, Bali is a small island, but each of its regions is very distinct. 

The grandeur of lush rainforests and rice fields can be found at Ubud, whereas Canggu is right now the hottest surf destination.

• Style

We all have our own inclinations and areas of interest. It applies to fashion as well. Although it may seem like you favor luxury travel, there are many other methods to enjoy luxury. Those who enjoy extravagant vacations frequently book stays at boutique, design, or luxury hotels. Moreover, independence and branded luxury are two separate things. 

Buy a Hotel.com hotel gift card to gain access to the most amazing luxury hotels across 200 countries.

Traveling independently is recommended for those who want to experience more unusual things. The finest choice would be a typical luxury hotel if receiving the best service is important to you. Boutique and design hotels offer more individualised service.

• Desired Amenities

Never be embarrassed to ask questions when looking for a luxury hotel. You can only find acceptable housing in this manner. Even though it may appear like a hotel has a tonne of amenities, they are frequently either extra expensive or only available under certain circumstances. 

Additionally, keep in mind that your choice of accommodation may affect what you have access to. Because of this, occasionally choosing a more opulent stay can result in greater advantages. Of course, you must also take into account the amenities that are most important to you. 

Ensure that the lodging you choose offers all the amenities you require. You will be disappointed if not. 

Final Thoughts

You should confirm the services and amenities you’ll receive with the booking agent to ensure you receive the luxury level you expect. If none of the things on this list are mentioned, you should keep listening. We hope that our guidelines will come in handy while picking the luxury hotel you want.

The B2B industry is expanding rapidly, and more significantly, the way merchants see the sector has also altered. Formerly, B2B was a development of B2C. (Business to Customers). The value of having B2B and B2C as distinct business models, which were previously solely pursued by e-Commerce giants like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay, is now recognized by small to medium and medium-to big-scale enterprises.

According to Forrester, the e-Commerce business would be valued $1.8 trillion by 2024. The epidemic caused us to go further. With a wide variety of prospects and the technical developments offered by eCommerce platforms like Magento, the B2B market also has a lot of room to diversify and flourish.

Critical Characteristics of B2B E-Commerce Platforms

There are many instances of B2B e-commerce platforms that are successful, and the elements listed below are often a significant factor in this. These are the essential elements of B2B e-commerce to take into account when choosing a platform.

• Access Restrictions and Client Validation

B2B e-commerce is based on security since customers want to know that their data is kept private and secure. Like you, when operating an online store, they also wish to prevent unwanted access. To obtain access to your system, customers should be required to provide identification or other credentials.

• Managing Corporate Accounts

The B2B eCommerce agency user experience needs far more personalization than B2C. When working with corporate divisions or sub-units, several users with different responsibilities and purchase privileges are often present in B2B accounts.

Complex, hierarchical corporate account structures should be able to be handled by your system’s corporate account management features. Regardless matter how many companies, teams, departments, offices, or branches they may have, buyers should be able to build their account management structure, add authorized users, and define purchase rules.

• Customer-Specific Pricing and a Catalog

Based on the kind of consumer or, as was already indicated, the customer group, B2B businesses might charge variable pricing. Also, even if you are merely segmenting your consumers to tailor the shopping experience, you will often discover that your more demanding customers want “special” product prices. This must not be mistaken with affordable prices. It is a whole different tactic.

The core of a B2B eCommerce website is the ability to set different base prices for any product in your catalog and assign these to specific customer groups. This capability will determine whether or not your customers complete their orders online or continue to contact you by phone or email to have their orders filled.

• Reporting

Reporting tools should be available on B2B platforms. Frequent reporting may provide you with information and insights about your company and consumers. To be evaluated, this data may be transferred to outside business intelligence tools. B2B organizations may produce the tremendous potential for the expansion of their commercial operations by concentrating on the data-driven insights offered by reporting tools.

• Simple to Add New Technology Partners or Channels

Modern e-commerce has altered as a result of the omnichannel experience, which enables companies to do business across several channels, including social media, internet platforms, and physical shops. Sales are aided by a uniform experience across all channels, which also improves customer satisfaction.

Finding a platform feature that emphasizes omnichannel must be a key step in the research process. Being able to sell to clients in whatever channel they use is one of the keys to company success given how much the shopping experience has evolved in the previous ten years.

• Adaptable Check-Out

All eCommerce shops depend heavily on their checkout procedure, but B2B companies have it the hardest. We advise you to include additional features like guest check-out, address retrieval, more flexible payment choices, and even the ability to again place past purchases. This may provide the comfort your customers want, and it will unquestionably aid in the faster development of your website.

• Design for Mobile First

Also, we strongly advise making your B2B eCommerce website more mobile-friendly. It is primarily designed to assist your mobile users. Prioritizing your mobile responsiveness will not only please Google, whose algorithm changes every few years, but it will also make it much simpler for consumers to explore the catalogs and make purchases there. 

Conclusion

Making modifications for the launch of a B2B eCommerce website is necessary for your business. You’ll need to reconsider how you see client connections. You’ll need to put time and money into your company and find the best eCommerce platform.

Managing customer relationships is the cornerstone of success for any business. And as companies in Dubai continue to grow and compete for customers, it’s critical to have a robust customer relationship management (CRM) system in place. 

Good CRM platforms help companies manage interactions with customers. It also provides valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. This empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions to improve the customer experience and drive growth. More importantly, it helps stay ahead of the competition and increase CLV (customer lifetime value).

So whether you’re just starting or looking to upgrade your current system, we’ve got you covered. We have handpicked the best CRMs for Dubai in 2023 based on features, reviews, and value for money. But first, let’s understand what CRM is and why you need one!

What is CRM Software?

CRM stands for customer relationship management. It is a tool that helps businesses manage relationships with customers, prospects, and vendors. It allows you to organize customer information and automate sales, marketing, and customer service processes. 

Whether you run digital marketing campaigns or use cold calling to convert prospects, a CRM can help bring all the data together. You can track how customers respond or interact and make changes to drive better results. 

However, there are different types of CRM, including.

• Collaborative CRM: It allows you to collect and share customer information across departments. This facilitates better up-selling and customer service.
• Operational CRM: It is a centralized system that serves customer-facing teams, including sales, marketing, and support. As a result, it makes it easier to understand customer behavior and preferences. 
• Analytical CRM: As the name suggests, it helps you analyze vast chunks of data. It converts raw data into valuable insights to help you make more informed decisions. 

There is also an all-in-one CRM that combines all three types of CRM and gives you a complete package. Choose the best platform that suits your business requirements for the best results. 

Why Do You Need a CRM?

CRM systems play a crucial role in helping businesses succeed in today’s highly competitive market. They provide organizations with a single, unified view of their customers. They also enable them to manage customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle.

Think of a CRM as the central nervous system of your business – it helps you keep track of everything related to your customers, from initial contact to post-sale follow-up. As a result, you can deliver a personalized, seamless customer experience that builds trust, loyalty, and long-term relationships.

Additionally, a CRM can help you target the right customers with the right message at the right time, helping you close more deals and increase conversions.

In short, a CRM system helps businesses:

• Manage customer interactions and data in one place
• Deliver a personalized customer experience
• Streamline sales processes
• Increase productivity and drive growth
• Target the right customers with the right message

5 Best CRM for Dubai Businesses in 2023

While there are several CRM platforms, these five tools offer good value for money and have positive customer reviews. 

1- FirstBit

FirstBit software tops our list of the best CRM in Dubai because of its advanced features and proactive support. Based in UAE, this system provides a wide range of modules to help you manage your business processes more effectively. 

Another thing that makes the FirstBit solution an excellent choice for businesses like yours is that it is FTA-accredited software. This means that it has passed the stringent requirements of the Federal Tax Authority United Arab Emirates. This, in turn, means you can easily comply with the tax requirements of the UAE using FirstBit. 

Key Features of FirstBit ERP

• Contact management: Track all your customer information in one place. You can see their names, contact details, the products they’re interested in, and more using one platform.
• Automate lead collection: Capture customer information from website forms and emails automatically using FirstBit. 
• Lead and deal management: Track key information on each lead in your pipeline. Optimize your messaging accordingly to increase conversions.
• Account management: Strengthen your relationship with existing and potential customers. Analyze their data and forecast behavior to make future decisions. 
• Sales funnel and reporting: Track and determine your sales pipeline to optimize your sales processes. Predict a customer’s behavior to upsell or cross-sell at the right time. 

2- Zoho

Zoho is a popular cloud-based ERP software that helps you enhance your customer-facing team’s abilities. It streamlines the sales process, automates repetitive tasks, and provides real-time insights into customer behavior.

Headquartered in Texas and with offices in multiple regions, Zoho helps enterprises engage customers with the right message at the right time. Its intelligent AI Zia provides accurate predictions and guides you on the next steps for each lead to increase conversions. 

Key Features of Zoho

• Leads: Track and manage sales leads from various sources.

• Contacts: Store and organize information about customers and their interactions with the company.
• Deals: Track the progress of leads and sales opportunities.
• Accounts: Get a comprehensive view of your customer base and interactions with them.
• Marketing automation: Create and execute targeted digital marketing campaigns from one place. 
• Reports & dashboards: Analyze real-time insights into sales and marketing efforts performance.
• Collaboration: Enable team members to communicate and collaborate on sales and customer service tasks.

3- RealSoft

Designed for sales teams, RealSoft CRM helps sales reps better track leads in their pipeline. It equips them with a 360-degree view of customers, from lead generation to inquiry management and planning sales activities. 

Whether you’re starting a business in the UAE or already have an established company, RealSoft can help you. As a VAT-enabled ERP software, RealSoft CRM allows you to generate VAT reports and comply with UAE taxation laws, just like FirstBit. 

Key Features of RealSoft CRM

• Finance and accounting: Manage financial transactions, accounts payable and receivable, and general ledger.
• Procurement and inventory: Control the procurement process and track inventory levels.
• Sales: Manages the sales process from lead generation to close.
• Job Costing: Track the cost of projects and jobs.
• Customer Relationship Management: Manage interactions with customers and track customer information and history.
• WBS/Estimation: Plan and estimate the cost of projects.
• WMS/PDA: Manage warehouse operations, including receiving, storing, and shipping goods.
• Production & manufacturing: Manage the production process, from raw materials to finished products.

4- Salesforce

Salesforce unites your sales, marketing, and service teams to help you provide the best possible experience to every individual. You can track and analyze prospect information in one central location. As a result, you can increase conversions and customer satisfaction. 

However, it is built for large enterprises. Although it can accommodate complex business requirements, it comes at a huge price. You will need to work with one of their partners to set and maintain the tool. 

Key Features of Salesforce

• Contact management: Access critical customer information, including activities, interactions, and interests. Use the insights to enhance customer experience. 
• Opportunity management: Streamline the sales process by focusing on what’s important to the business. Keep your team informed with real-time updates using the mobile app. 
• Forecast management: Track your team’s performance with CRM analytics. Identify gaps and forecast sales using historical data. 
• Activity management: Get a 360-degree view of customer interactions by integrating Salesforce with Gmail or Outlook. Leverage AI features to sell smarter and faster from anywhere. 
• Pipeline management: Get a comprehensive view of your pipeline and revenue forecasts. Use predictive AI to improve business decisions and increase revenue.
• Sales automation: Build workflows with drag-and-drop functionality to automate complex manual tasks like custom proposals. 

5- Leadsquared

Leadsquared is a sales execution CRM combined with marketing automation software. Whether you’re into education, healthcare, insurance, or banking, Leadsquared has a tailored solution for your industry. 

It also helps you enable self-service and assisted customer onboarding. This reduces the time to convert while enhancing customer experience. Furthermore, you can automate tedious sales and marketing tasks so your team can focus more on generating revenue. 

Key Features of Leadsquared 

• Marketing automation: Move leads down the pipeline faster with robust lead nurturing features.
• Field force automation: Enhance your field team’s efficiency by keeping them up-to-date with real-time information.
• Self-service portal: Let prospects get answers to their queries online and complete their applications without assistance. 
• Sales performance suite: Define, measure, and track sales performance with gamification. 

Wrapping Up

Investing in CRM software is critical to enhancing customer experience and retention. However, the right CRM depends on your business requirements and budget. Thus, make sure to analyze all the CRM platforms in the market before finalizing one to gain a competitive edge. 

You must have heard the saying, “First impression is the last impression.” As a business owner, this is one of the most critical mantras you must cater to. 

A lot of effort goes into building and maintaining a brand’s online reputation. Hence, it is vital for you to take up ownership of your brand’s online response effectively. This is where review management comes in!

Since reviews can be listed on any review platform, you may find it difficult to keep track of them all at the same time. Don’t worry! You can start by enabling real-time updates to keep track of all the good, bad, and fake reviews. This will improve your online presence and help mold your customers’ purchase decisions. 

Let’s start with exploring the importance and some of the best techniques to follow to respond to online reviews. 

Importance Of Monitoring And Responding To Customer Reviews And Ratings 

If you want to grow your business and stand firm in front of competitors, you must take account of your online reputation. While you can’t control people’s opinions about your brand, you can always review their feedback and work on them actively. This will not only create a positive brand image but also engage your brand with some of the most significant well-wishers of your brand. It will also help you address the negative feedback and turn them into positive one for better growth. 

From the growth perspective, monitoring customer reviews can help improve your brand’s local SEO rankings and build a sense of credibility and trust for better results. Research shows that a positive online rating can improve your revenue by as much as 39%. 

Hence, take a look at some of the best techniques that will help you track your online presence. 

Techniques For Keeping Track Of Online Reviews And Ratings 

Before getting on with monitoring and responding to online reviews, you need to resort to a strategic approach that will help you with review management and make a positive impact. Since online reviews are one of the best sources to gather feedback about your brand, you need to follow specific best techniques to be able to monitor the same. 

Here are some of the market-best techniques you can follow to monitor and respond to online ratings. 

• Monitor The Review Sites 

Monitoring customer reviews is very important as it gives you an insight into the customer’s perspective of your brand. It also increases brand credibility and creates a bond with the customers. 

Consult and develop a system with your team to track the reviews on the most visited review platforms and continuously monitor them. Set alerts to manage google reviews along with other social media platforms. Leaving customer reviews unattended can hamper the brand image. Such an action might lead the customer to have a negative impression of your brand. 

To make the task of monitoring easier, subscribe to review monitoring tools to skip the hassle of manual review monitoring. These tools will do the time-consuming task for you and help you keep track of more customer reviews. Review monitoring tools are extremely beneficial as they help you track real-time review updates. It also helps to interact with the customers and establish a positive impression. 

• Keep Track Of The Brand Mentions

Being active and vigilant is the key to monitoring reviews! Think from a customer’s point of view! They will like you to be prompt and attentive to their ratings and mentions. 

It is imperative to be active in real-time and respond to online customer reviews and ratings meticulously. As per research, 53% of customers expect a reply to their reviews within seven days of posting the same. Responding to their reviews will convey that you are interested and appreciate their feedback. Besides, replying to negative reviews will help you understand your brand’s shortcomings. Hence it is vital to keep track of platforms like Facebook, Google My Business, and other online forums where customers usually leave their reviews. 

To focus more on brand monitoring forums, you can set Google alerts or register on platforms like SocialMention, etc. 

• Address The Positive Reviews 

Communicate with your audience to build a bond! This includes paying attention to both positive and negative reviews. This will make your customers feel important and valued. 

Most companies commit the mistake of disregarding the positive ratings and focusing on the negative ones only. But this needs to be corrected! Giving attention to the positive ones creates a positive brand reputation and increases the chances of higher engagement. 

Addressing the positive brand mentions will show that you care about your customer’s opinion and increase the chances of a new prospect’s discovery. 

Try responding to your customers publicly and highlighting the significant ones. This will improve your search rankings. Besides, keep it short and sweet while responding and tell them that you are looking forward to doing more business. 

• Address The Negative Reviews 

Be fast and turn negative reviews into positive ones! 

Just like the positive ratings, don’t get overwhelmed by the negative ones as well. Keep a tab and promptly cater to negative comments and reply professionally yet politely. This will convey that your brand is attentive to the customer’s opinion and working actively on the same. Moreover, customers do sometimes put negative comments out of a misconception. You need to understand the misconception and resolve that feedback intelligently. 

Put yourselves in the customer’s shoes! Would you like it if someone ignored your feedback? No, right? Hence, never leave a negative review unresolved. This will be detrimental to the brand’s image and have profound implications. 

While responding to a negative rating, show concern and apologize for the inconvenience caused. Consequently, empathize with the customer and resolve the comment by shifting to a private chat. This will help you maintain privacy and interact with the customer on a personal level. 

• Keep Track Of Fake Reviews 

It’s a fact that you are going to face competition in the market. Competitors may try to tarnish your image by putting in fake reviews online. Don’t fret! Keep your nerve steady and your brand strategy resolute. 

Yes, spotting a fake review online can be challenging. But possible if you keep a vigilant tab. As soon as you spot one, do not respond negatively. Just report or flag the fake review and get it removed from the forum. This is the most common action businesses have taken to combat fake reviews online. 

For slanderous reviews, you may or may not comment. But to suggest, try to maintain parity. If you follow a tradition of replying to all online reviews, be they good, bad, or fake, stick to it. This will define your brand strategy and eliminate chances of misunderstanding on the part of the customer. 

So avoid falling for the bet! For fake online reviews, address the issue politely and comment with a reasonable response as an action. 

• Use A Social Media Monitoring Tool For Reviewing Alerts

Want to be aware of brand mentions and ratings on a real-time basis? This is where reputation management tools come into existence. 

These are extremely useful and help you manage and monitor your online reviews and ratings hassle-free. 

Register or subscribe to a reputation management tour and get real-time updates on when and where reviews appear. Keep the notification tab on; you will receive all the updates as you are reviewed by any customer. This will help you be prompt and resolve the negative ratings more efficiently. 

Besides this, these tools give you a detailed insight into your performance. Make sure to scan the weekly status and act on the same quickly. It will provide a comprehensive report that includes the total number of good and bad mentions, churn out the fake ones, and a list of brand mentions and interactions on social media. Take into this practice, and you are sure to make good progress. 

Conclusion 

Now that you know the best techniques for managing and responding to online reviews, improving your online reputation isn’t hard anymore. Keep implementing these techniques to build customer trust, making the online customer feedback process prompt and transparent. Keep in mind that your customers will monitor you in multiple forums. So ensure to pay equal attention to all the platforms for greater conversion.

Helpware is a type of customer service outsourcing companies that provides businesses with the tools and strategies to create an enhanced customer experience. It can be used for various customer service needs, such as call center operations, customer support, and more. In this blog post, we will provide an overview of three major providers of helpware solutions—Accenture, Atos, and Capgemini—and discuss the benefits these solutions can bring to your business. 

Intended Audience: Business owners interested in learning about how helpware can benefit their business 

Helpware’s Experience in Managing Customer Service Operations for Enterprises 

Helpware is a global professional services company that provides a range of solutions for enterprises looking to improve their customer service operations. Helpware’s portfolio includes solutions such as virtual agents, voice-enabled technology, machine learning-based analytics, and more. Additionally, Accenture offers case studies that demonstrate the benefits their solutions have brought to customers. These include increased sales conversion rates and improved customer loyalty. Accenture’s team is also experienced in helping businesses develop long-term strategies for improving customer service operations. Helpware is one of the most popular customer service outsourcing companies that are working in the USA, Europe and other countries. They have achieved this thanks to their hard work, good reviews and a large customer base, as well as the quality of the services provided.

Atos’ Specialized Solutions for Complex Customer Care Needs 

Atos is a premier helpware solution provider, particularly for businesses dealing with intricate customer care demands. What makes Atos exceptional is its commitment to tailoring solutions to the unique needs of every client with whom it collaborates. Their service portfolio encompasses intelligent automation and data-driven insights, elevating customer experiences while reducing operational costs. Among the notable beneficiaries of Atos’ helpware solutions are industry giants like Microsoft, Intel, and Deutsche Bank. Notably, it distinguishes Atos from other providers’ ready access to cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and the integration of Cloud RPA, solidifying its position as a preferred partner for forward-thinking enterprises.

Capgemini’s End-to-End Customer Service Offerings and Strategies  

Finally, Capgemini is renowned for its end-to-end helpware offerings and strategies for delivering an exceptional customer experience across all channels—from online chatbots to mobile applications. Their portfolio includes innovative technologies such as conversational AI bots that are designed to anticipate customers’ needs before they even ask them; digital engagement platforms; cloud computing; big data analytics; and much more. 

Helpwareoffers numerous benefits when it comes to improving your business’s customer service operations. By partnering with experienced providers like Accenture, Atos or Capgemini you will be able to identify areas where improvements need to be made in order increase efficiency while providing an enhanced experience for your customers at the same time. With their specialized toolsets tailored towards different industries and use cases you will be able get up and running quickly without having any prior experience or expertise in this field – allowing you focus on growing your business!

Ever wondered how to use SMS marketing to increase sales?

If you’ve considered it then you are on the right path. But then there’s one hurdle you have to hop over before you can begin: collecting phone numbers from new and existing customers.

What to know before collecting customer phone numbers?

Before you begin, there are some things you should know. No matter how tempting it is to buy a ready-made list of phone numbers, avoid doing it by all means. 

It’s not like the purchase itself is illegal, it’s just that sending text messages to people who have not opted into your campaign is illegal in most countries and subject to heavy fines.

In  2020, an Italian telecoms operator, TIM was fined $31 million for breaching GDPR laws that included sending customers unsolicited messages. You need to be familiar with the laws regarding SMS marketing in your jurisdiction to avoid getting into trouble. Make sure you know and understand the anti-spam policies in place.

Furthermore, using unsolicited SMS to reach people can put a dent in the reputation of your brand and any attempts to further communicate will be viewed as spam. This can render all your future SMS marketing efforts futile.

Whereas you can reach people without consent on other marketing channels like email, you need people’s explicit consent to include them in your promotional bulk SMS marketing.

By opting to receive messages from you, your customers are putting their trust in you. With this knowledge, you must:

• Include the option to opt-out
• Guarantee customer data privacy
• Ensure you offer value

7 Actionable Tips for Collecting Phone Numbers for Future SMS Campaigns

1. Free trials

When a fitness company needed to attract new customers to its new gym, it offered a free session to encourage new customers if they signed up with their phone numbers. 

This is always good, particularly if you’re primarily a brick-and-mortar business. When customers sign up with their phone number (and email address), you can include the opt-in option as a part of the free trial package.

2. Provide Incentives to Subscribers

Whether you do it through exclusive perks or discounts, people should know that they get something out of subscribing to your campaign.

If you want to get customers to sign up for your messages, provide them with incentives to do so. 

Privacy is a big thing to a lot of customers and they know their numbers are valuable information. 

When Rihanna expanded her lingerie brand Fenty, customers who signed up got 50% off all purchases for a limited time and Fenty saw a 150% growth in 2019 by using SMS.

3. Customer support 

If your brand takes support calls, your agents could ask for phone numbers when new customers call in for inquiries. 

On these calls, your team could encourage customers to give their consent to 2-Way SMS alerts that give them more room to speak to your business.

4. Provide clarity and exclusive perks 

Customers need to know what they’re signing up for and the best way to get them to commit is to be upfront with them. Provide clarity on how much text they’d get from your brand and what perks come with texts.

Popular sandwich brand, Subway once used SMS marketing to get people to opt into getting free coupons once a week when they register their numbers.

5. Run a text contest

You can create a contest with an eye-catching prize and get people to input phone numbers to enter a draw. 

This is a win-win situation for you as your subscriber list expands, and you get some brand awareness and increased customer engagement. Shoprite, the South African retailer used this strategy to penetrate into the Nigerian market when it added two more stores to the country’s commercial capital, Lagos.

6. Website forms

If you already have an online store and you have a good amount of traffic, you can always get customers to sign up for exclusive offers, discounts, and coupons right before they checkout. 

You can capture customers’ preferences in the popup by adding a list of the products or services they’re interested in. That way, you’ll tailor your SMS marketing campaign based on their needs.

7. Create a catchy keyword and set up a short code

Encourage customers to send your catchy keyword to a short code you create for marketing purposes. The keyword could be something that gets them a chance to win something. 

For example, you could get them to send the keyword “SHOP22” to 2442 to get discount coupons for an end of year sales coming up. This all depends on your creativity and what your brand does. 

Start your SMS marketing with BSG

One last thing, in order to make all the points above work smoothly, you need an omnichannel communications platform that provides you with the data and insights you need to run your campaign, and BSG is the one you can rely on. Let’s get started today!

A positive brand reputation is vital for any company. A good brand reputation may save the business even during the harshest crisis. It is the reason why any business owner should invest in a brand’s reputation management. 

A brand’s development strategy is a must for the creation of a good reputation. Naturally, qualitative services and products may do the trick. Yet, a focused approach to a brand’s reputation is a proven method for a company to profit. 

This article explores proven strategies for brand management and ways of reputation improvement. 

Why Does a Company Need a Strategy for the Brand’s Reputation? 

A brand’s reputation is how clients perceive it and what they say about it. A brand with a good reputation will receive more support from the company’s audience. The perception of a brand consists of external and internal factors. 

While a company cannot control all the external factors that influence the brand’s perception, it can create a strategy to maintain its reputation from within. A focused brand management strategy brings various benefits. 

Employees Growth 

Сlear and straightforward brand strategy is one of the primary benefits for workers’ growth. When a company has a clearly articulated brand perception, it will be easier for job seekers to hire someone to write a cover letter to get professional help. 

Besides, it will be easier for a company to find like-minded people who will contribute to the meaningful development of the business. The desired perception of a brand is a cornerstone of the company’s culture. 

Edge on the Market’s Competition 

A company may make quicker decisions on the marketing competition by having a clear idea of what brand perception should be. 

For example, a new rival enters the market with dumping. A clear vision of the brand and its customer perception will help develop a reasonable answer for the new competitor. 

Increase of the Customers’ Base 

Many companies’ primary income is the loyal customer base. Brand development strategy is a way of communicating with this base and meeting their needs and desires. 

With the right approach, a company may learn what people expect of the brand and how to meet these expectations. 

source 

Build the Brand’s Identity 

Before creating a strategy for the brand’s development and improvement, a company should have a brand. A brand represents the company’s values, aims, and offerings. Therefore, a brand should reflect all these components in a simple, recognizable form.

The brand’s identity should include the following: 

• Consistent visual language. Colors, shapes, logos, and images of your brand should synchronize with each other. 

• Defined brand’s voice. 

• Vision, mission, and a company statement. 

When all these elements are completed, a company may work on how to promote them. 

Create a Brand Style Guide 

Each successful business grows and diversifies with time. Yet, it is crucial to maintain consistency across all the products and publications. A brand style guide will help keep it. 

A style guide is a list of recommendations for maintaining a brand’s identity for different products. When a company has many departments and various teams, it is essential to have a guide to creating consistency across all departments. A consistent brand attracts more people and keeps loyal customers. 

Build Online Presence 

Each modern company needs an online representation. It includes a website, groups in social media networks, and channels of communication with the clients. 

Online experience creates the first impression about the company. Therefore, it would be wise to invest in the graphic design of the brand’s website and user experience. 

Communication with the Clients 

Direct and honest communication with clients is one of the fastest ways to improve the brand’s reputation. Reviews, in particular, are an excellent tool for such communication. 

Usually, satisfied clients do not write reviews and enjoy the product. However, people who dislike the brand will ensure their voice is loud. Therefore, answer all of the reviews, positive and negative. 

This communication will show the customers that the company is attentive to their opinion. Even if the reviews are negative, active answers show the company’s dedication to satisfying its customers. 

A high-quality user experience is a great way to improve a brand’s reputation. In addition, more communication channels with the clients and a proficient support team can enhance the brand’s reputation. When people have to deal with brand-related problems, they want to be sure that the company will hear them at any moment. 

Build a Healthy Corporate Culture 

 A brand will benefit from a productive and friendly environment within the company. When people engage in meaningful, valuable activities, they want to share them with others. Employees, who are proud of their company, will promote its brand naturally. 

Career resources like Glassdoor and Indeed publish details about companies’ inner culture. If it is positive, many employees will leave positive reviews about the company, contributing to the brand’s reputation. 

A healthy culture appears when a company listens to its workers, has a clear vision, and contributes to society. Acts of philanthropy and social activism are excellent actions to solidify the company’s culture and make it more attractive. 

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Invest in the Community Management 

Communication with the clients is more than reading reviews and answering distress calls. It is the provision of valuable information and constant interactivity with the audience. Therefore, a company needs a high-rank community management team to uphold the brand’s positive reputation. 

Intelligent community management includes: 

• Management of the brand’s website and social media groups. 

• Communication with the local media about the positive accomplishments of the company. 

• Securing speech positions for the company in industry-related events. 

Not only reactive but proactive communication will elevate the brand’s reputation. 

Bottom Line 

A positive brand’s reputation starts with a clear identity and its presentation to the company’s teams. With a defined brand and comprehensive style guide, a company will build a successful strategy for the brand’s reputation improvement. 

Active communication with the brand’s audience is the key to its positive perception. Answering all the reviews, creating a high-quality customer experience, and investing in community management will secure the brand’s positive reputation. 

This is a guide for the entrepreneur who wants to build a full-cycle agency. It provides insights on how to develop your agency from a small business idea to a successful company. Itexus is a full-cycle custom software development agency and digital transformation consulting firm. In today’s world, it has never been more important for entrepreneurs and small businesses to think about how they can grow their companies. If you’re looking for ways to grow your company, this guide might be able to help you out. It includes information on how developing an agency can help with growth in different areas of your business such as advertising, media relations, and marketing.

A full-cycle agency is an agency that offers a variety of services, such as content writing, digital marketing, or graphic design. Full-cycle agencies are able to develop and manage a wide range of digital marketing strategies for their clients. They also create content that can help brands build their online presence. The idea of a full-cycle agency is to provide a holistic approach to the marketing and business development process for smaller businesses. By doing this, they hope to increase the likelihood of success for their clients in the long run.

Everything You Need to Know About Full-Cycle Development

Full-Cycle Development is a process that helps to increase the quality of software. It includes the entire spectrum of development, from design to testing and deployment. The idea behind it is that this process can reduce time and cost when compared with traditional waterfall development. There are many benefits of using Full-Cycle Development such as increased productivity, reduced risk, more maintainable code, better quality control, faster release cycles and shorter product life cycles.

The full-cycle development process is the process of developing an idea into a product. It starts with the idea, moves on to the design and development of a prototype, and finally ends with the mass production. This article covers everything you need to know about this process. It includes different stages of designing and developing a product, including how to create a prototype for your idea.

How Full-Cycle Development Works

Full-Cycle Development is a software design methodology in which the entire process of designing and developing software is done by one team. It is a systematic approach that has been used by many companies and organizations, such as Amazon, Google, Netflix, and Facebook. The full-cycle development process starts with an idea for a product or service.

The idea is then translated into a high-level business case that outlines the customer problems the product will solve, the features it will have and how it will be delivered to customers. This document also includes an estimate of cost and time to market. Next, this idea goes through several stages of prototyping before being presented to potential customers for feedback. After getting feedback from customers that validate the concept and make adjustments if necessary, the final design goes through another round of prototyping before being turned into code.

The advantages of this methodology are that it allows teams to work on multiple projects simultaneously while also giving them more flexibility in terms of scope changes or Full-Cycle Development (FDD) is a process that takes a product from inception to launch. It begins with idea generation, followed by the creation of an MVP, then the design and development phase, then marketing and sales. The most important part of FDD is the iterative process where there is constant feedback between each step to ensure that the product is as successful as possible.

The FDD process ensures that every aspect of a project has been considered and planned for before it begins. This allows for an efficient use of time and resources during development.

Conclusion

Developing a full-cycle agency can be an incredibly rewarding process and a great way to grow your business. By investing in the most suitable professionals and resources you are setting yourself up for success in the long run. With well thought out strategies, processes, and goals that have been customized to fit your business needs, you will be able to ensure that your time is wisely spent and that you are maximizing efficiency across all departments of your organization.

Owning a timeshare feels like a great opportunity at first, but eventually, it grows into a huge buyer’s remorse. People are easily lured by the enticing timeshare offers and disregard their needs, leading to a decision they regret for a long time. They plan to sell or rent it out, only to find that there are already numerous sellers like them, while only 1% of buyers are out there.   

Consequently, they turn to timeshare cancellation companies for assistance. Many companies, such as Timeshare Compliance, Wesley Financial Group, etc., provide legal aid to help them out of a timeshare. Are you also planning on working with Timeshare Compliance? 

You may face the doubt, ‘Is Timeshare Compliance a legit company?’ When dealing with financial concerns, you definitely want to be sure of your investments. Thus, it is vital to be aware of a few things about the process before hiring a timeshare exit company.  

How to find a legitimate exit company? 

To avoid being trapped in timeshare company scams, you must take the necessary measures to find a legitimate company. Before making any payments, thoroughly research the company to check its authenticity.   

Timeshare exit companies are restricted from making false promises. They rely on illegal and unethical methods to cancel your timeshare contract, and then you have to bear the consequences. You’ll eventually end up owing more money than before. Thus, it is wise to find a legitimate company to receive the best services.   

Here are some tips to know whether a company Is legitimate or not:  

• Client feedback and testimonials  

One of the most reliable methods to know if a timeshare exit company is legit is by checking its reviews and feedback from previous clients. A legit company offers a free consultation to potential clients where they explain their terms, process, and fee charges.   

Do not pay any upfront fees before consulting a company. Look for companies with positive reviews and recommendations. Not every timeshare exit company can help you out. Hence, you must consult with them about your particular situation before paying any fees.   

• State Regulated  

Another method is to check whether the company is regulated by your state. An authorized and authentic company must be state verified and have legal permission to offer services in that state. Legit timeshare exit companies are state-regulated that adhere to government policies.  

If a company is caught exploiting the clients or is facing issues with the Attorney General, it is obviously fraudulent. Thus, look for reviews online to check the company’s status and functioning. If it complies with the laws and regulations of the state, it is a legit company.  

Apart from these, you can also contact the owner services department of the company to know about the value of your ownership and how much you can get in return. In all cases, ensure to ask questions and learn more about the company before making any payments for their services.    

To Conclude  

Timeshare ownership entails heavy recurring expenses, such as repair assessments, maintenance fees, etc., and is not as flexible as advertised. Because of this, the owners are unable to enjoy a vacation as per their will. As a result, they start looking for options to get out of their timeshares.   

According to a study, 85% of timeshare owners regret their purchase. They search for an authentic company to help them get out of their contracts. However, choosing a legitimate company is also quite tricky. Many timeshare exit companies are set up just to scam the frustrated and vulnerable owners and not provide healthy, constructive solutions.  

If you plan to hire a timeshare exit company, ensure to follow the tips mentioned above to avoid becoming a swindled customer. Mindful research can help you make wise decisions and save money. The right, legit timeshare exit company will deliver meaningful assistance and productive results. 

Students with lots of energy often wonder if it’s possible to begin their own business while still in college. Too many great business ideas sometimes make it hard to sit still and focus merely on studying the theory. Some people don’t want to wait until graduation to start working on their ideas.

Such determination sometimes pushes them a whole mile ahead of their fellows. A great example could be Mark Zuckerberg, who co-founded the social networking website Facebook in his college dorm room while still studying at Harvard University. 

And even though it’s possible to start pursuing this kind of dream as a student, there are still many factors to keep in mind. With such an ambition, an undergraduate comes across wonderful opportunities as well as a number of sacrifices to make. Along with that, with essay writing help, students are able to save up many hours and dedicate them to their businesses. Sometimes a smart thing to do is not to juggle everything at once but to outsource the work. 

Let’s look at what these are! 

Pros of Starting a Business As a Student 

Applying knowledge in practice right away

In college, people just study, gain the theory and let it settle for years while they are studying new loads of information. But taking a chance to begin your own hustle can show that it can be put into practice right after it’s learned. 

This can also help to understand the theory better and consequently perform better in group discussions or even examinations. It also depends on what kind of business a person is doing. But if he, for example, studies marketing, the knowledge he is about to process when running an e-commerce company will be of great value.

Progressing faster than your classmates

Chances are not many of the students think, “Who can do homework for me so I can work on my business?”. Instead, they try to do all the college work by themselves and think of finding jobs and creating business plans only after graduation. 

Consequently, a student who starts a company before he graduates gets ahead of his classmates. Such individuals have more chances to be successful in the future. All because they fail faster and learn from their mistakes faster, getting all the experience before being ‘ready.’ 

After some time of starting a business, the benefits unlocked for a student are: 

• Better work ethic 
• Understanding of how things work earlier than the competitors (classmates) 
• Even if failing a startup, experience for the future job
• Improved time-management and communication skills 
• Less fear of working on new and similar things again in the future

Gaining financial freedom 

Financial freedom is the best benefit. It shows the true value of hard work and what is possible to achieve when starting your own project. This opens many opportunities in life and provides means to travel wherever you want instead of asking for a vacation. It’s possible to work whenever you like from any part of the world. 

When having a business, a person doesn’t have a limit on how much they can earn. It solely depends on their hard work and the things they do. Even scaling a small hustle idea can bring a whole new level of income after some time. 

Better chances to get a good job after graduation 

If the startup fails, a person with experience running a business automatically stands out. It shows how many skills were accumulated during that period and how serious the candidate is. Start-up graduates who find themselves in the position of applying for a job for whatever reason in the future will have more chances than other potential employers. After all, they can show they have leadership skills, creativity, and great courage to try things out and go into the unknown. 

While also demonstrating their ability to handle administrative tasks with ease, such as using various tools, like paystubs generator, to maintain accurate financial records for their team.

Cons of Starting a Business As a Student 

Not enough time for homework

When the excitement of running the business takes over, it’s easy to forget about proper time management. Working on something on the side damages the focus and disrupts the performance of the college tasks. But there is a great solution for making more time. 

Less fun and social activities

In college, young people are looking to have fun because that’s what the college years are. With the burdens of handling their own business, however, student life might get dull. Plans get postponed or even avoided. Friends get more and more distant. In college, if someone is doing something unusual, it’s more likely they stay isolated along with their activity. Taking a different path often closes the doors to fun social interactions and parties. 

That’s why it’s a serious fact to consider while thinking of launching a startup. If you are an extrovert who can’t live without hanging out with friends, it’s a huge disadvantage for you. 

Limited financial resources 

College students may not always have the necessary funds to cover their business idea. To bear the desired fruit from your startup, at the beginning, it’s necessary to take risks and invest. There should be multiple tests done before finally coming to the end product or finalized idea. Most of those who attend college already have it hard with their tuition fees, stationary expenses, etc. It’s especially harder if they are living apart from family. 

Investors and partners might not perceive you seriously 

When seeking help from influential people, it might be quite stressful. A lot of time can pass before a student can actually find the people ready to invest in their idea. Everyone wants to collaborate with those with a steady ground, finished studies, and at least some experience. Undergraduates are often perceived as newbies, and even though it might be unfair, this is the reality. 

Conclusion

Starting and running a business as a student is a dream that has already been implemented in real life by others. The task is realistic but requires focus, effort, and hard work. To achieve this goal, a student has to sacrifice the fun he could have in college and take things seriously. There are equal pros and cons when launching a business as a student. 

However, if someone has a good idea, it’s always better to test it right away before it loses its value and potential. A startup may be profitable and successful this year, but the next one, the market demand or other circumstances, can change.