#salesforce managed services pricing

[ourjobagency]

Don't let Salesforce management overwhelm you. Trust our Salesforce Managed Services to optimize your platform, maximize your ROI, and take your business to new heights

[bizmagnets]

How BizMagnets WhatsApp Flows Empower Sales and Support Teams

Introduction

In the era of instant communication, businesses are under constant pressure to deliver seamless and efficient customer experiences. For sales and support teams, maintaining speed and precision in their interactions can be a daunting challenge, especially when managing a large customer base. BizMagnets WhatsApp Flows emerge as a game-changer, offering automation, personalization, and efficiency to streamline operations.

This blog explores how BizMagnets WhatsApp Flows empower sales and support teams to achieve their goals effortlessly, driving both productivity and customer satisfaction.

What Are WhatsApp Flows?

WhatsApp Flows are automated communication workflows designed to guide customers through predefined pathways. These flows handle repetitive tasks, provide consistent responses, and ensure customers receive timely, accurate information.

BizMagnets WhatsApp Flows take this concept further by offering advanced automation tailored to the needs of sales and support teams, enabling them to focus on what they do best—building relationships and solving problems.

Key Features of BizMagnets WhatsApp Flows

1. Customizable Workflow Builder

Easily design workflows tailored to your sales or support processes with an intuitive drag-and-drop builder.

2. AI-Powered Automation

Leverage AI to predict customer needs, suggest solutions, and guide conversations dynamically.

3. Seamless CRM Integration

Integrate WhatsApp Flows with popular CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho for synchronized operations.

4. Real-Time Notifications

Keep teams updated with instant notifications about leads, escalations, or critical customer issues.

5. Performance Tracking

Analyze workflow efficiency with detailed metrics and reports.

How WhatsApp Flows Empower Sales Teams

1. Streamlining Lead Management

Automate lead qualification by asking predefined questions to gather essential information.

Instantly route qualified leads to sales agents for follow-up.

Send personalized welcome messages to new leads, making a strong first impression.

2. Accelerating Sales Cycles

Automate follow-ups with potential customers to ensure no opportunity slips through the cracks.

Share brochures, catalogs, or pricing instantly through automated responses.

Use WhatsApp Flows to send reminders for meetings, demos, or payment deadlines.

3. Personalized Customer Interactions

Craft personalized sales pitches by incorporating customer data into WhatsApp Flows.

Provide tailored product recommendations based on customer preferences and purchase history.

4. 24/7 Availability

Use automated flows to engage leads even outside of working hours.

Provide instant responses to FAQs, ensuring leads remain engaged.

5. Improved Collaboration

Notify sales teams instantly about high-priority leads.

Use WhatsApp Flows to coordinate between field sales teams and office staff.

How WhatsApp Flows Empower Support Teams

1. Faster Query Resolution

Automate responses to common queries such as account information, troubleshooting steps, or return policies.

Escalate complex issues to human agents seamlessly within the same WhatsApp thread.

2. Proactive Customer Support

Send proactive messages such as appointment reminders, payment due alerts, or service updates.

Conduct satisfaction surveys after resolving issues to gather actionable feedback.

3. Reducing Workload for Agents

Handle high volumes of customer inquiries with automation, reducing the burden on support agents.

Allow agents to focus on complex issues that require human intervention.

4. Omnichannel Support

Integrate WhatsApp Flows with other support channels to offer a unified experience.

Ensure customers receive consistent support, regardless of the channel they use.

5. Real-Time Support Metrics

Track response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction scores to identify areas for improvement.

Benefits of Using BizMagnets WhatsApp Flows

1. Enhanced Productivity

By automating repetitive tasks, sales and support teams can focus on high-impact activities.

2. Improved Customer Satisfaction

Faster response times and personalized interactions lead to happier customers.

3. Cost Efficiency

Reduce operational costs by minimizing the need for manual intervention.

4. Scalability

Handle large volumes of interactions effortlessly, allowing your team to scale operations without compromising quality.

5. Actionable Insights

Use analytics to refine workflows, optimize team performance, and enhance customer engagement strategies.

Real-World Use Cases

Case Study 1: Retail Business

Challenge: A retail business struggled with managing customer inquiries about product availability and order status. Solution: Implemented BizMagnets WhatsApp Flows to automate responses to these queries. Result: Customer query resolution times dropped by 60%, and sales teams could focus on upselling and cross-selling opportunities.

Case Study 2: Financial Services

Challenge: The company faced delays in responding to loan inquiries. Solution: Deployed WhatsApp Flows to guide customers through the loan application process. Result: Loan application completions increased by 35%, and support teams had more time for complex cases.

Case Study 3: E-Commerce

Challenge: Frequent cart abandonment due to lack of follow-up. Solution: Set up WhatsApp Flows to send automated reminders and personalized offers. Result: Cart recovery rates improved by 45%, leading to higher revenue.

Tips for Optimizing WhatsApp Flows

Focus on Simplicity: Avoid overly complex workflows; keep the customer journey straightforward.

Use AI Smartly: Implement AI to handle dynamic queries and improve flow efficiency.

Personalize Interactions: Tailor messages to customer preferences for better engagement.

Continuously Update Workflows: Adapt flows to evolving customer needs and business goals.

Ensure Compliance: Follow data protection regulations like GDPR to build trust with customers.

The Future of WhatsApp Flows for Sales and Support

AI-Driven Sales StrategiesWhatsApp Flows will leverage AI to predict customer behavior, enabling proactive sales outreach.

Voice and Video IntegrationFuture updates may include voice and video support within WhatsApp Flows for richer customer interactions.

Advanced AnalyticsDeeper insights into customer behavior and workflow performance will enable continuous optimization.

Hyper-PersonalizationWhatsApp Flows will evolve to deliver highly personalized experiences based on real-time data.

Conclusion

BizMagnets WhatsApp Flows are revolutionizing the way sales and support teams operate. By automating routine tasks, enhancing collaboration, and delivering personalized experiences, they empower teams to work smarter, not harder.

For businesses aiming to boost productivity, improve customer satisfaction, and scale operations efficiently, BizMagnets WhatsApp Flows are the ultimate solution.

Start transforming your sales and support processes today with BizMagnets WhatsApp Flows and stay ahead in the competitive business landscape!

Ready to Empower Your Teams?Discover the power of BizMagnets WhatsApp Flows and elevate your sales and support operations effortlessly.

[hostpyters]

Reply.io is a sales engagement platform designed to help sales teams automate and manage their outreach efforts through multiple communication channels. It aims to streamline the process of engaging with prospects and customers, thereby increasing productivity and efficiency.

Below is a detailed review of its features and functionalities:

Key Features

Multi-Channel Outreach:

Email Campaigns: Automate and personalize email sequences to reach prospects effectively.

Phone Calls: Integrates with VoIP services to facilitate direct calling from the platform, including features like call recording and logging.

Social Media: Allows outreach via LinkedIn, including automated message sequences.

SMS and WhatsApp: Supports text-based outreach through SMS and WhatsApp for more direct communication channels.

Automation and Sequencing:

Automated Workflows: Create automated workflows that sequence multiple touch points across different channels.

Conditional Logic: Use conditional steps to branch sequences based on recipient behavior, such as email opens or replies.

Task Automation: Automate repetitive tasks such as follow-ups, reminders, and updating CRM records. Personalization and AI:

Email Personalization: Use dynamic fields to personalize email content, increasing engagement rates.

AI-Powered Suggestions: AI tools provide suggestions for improving email content and outreach strategies.

Personalized Videos: Integrates with video messaging tools to include personalized video content in emails.

Integration and API:

CRM Integration: Seamlessly integrates with major CRM systems like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive, ensuring data synchronization.

API Access: Provides API access for custom integrations and automations, allowing for greater flexibility.

Third-Party Tools: Connects with various other tools such as Zapier, Slack, and Google Apps to enhance functionality.

Analytics and Reporting:

Campaign Analytics: Detailed analytics on email open rates, reply rates, click-through rates, and more.

A/B Testing: Test different versions of emails to determine which performs better.

Team Performance: Track team performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and optimize outreach efforts.

Contact Management:

Lead Management: Centralized database for managing contacts and leads, with segmentation and filtering options.

Enrichment: Automatic data enrichment to enhance lead profiles with relevant information.

Prospect Importing: Easily import contacts from CSV files or directly from integrated CRM systems.

Pros Comprehensive Multi-Channel Outreach: Supports a variety of communication channels, providing a holistic approach to sales engagement.

Advanced Automation and Sequencing: Powerful automation features help streamline workflows and increase efficiency.

Deep Personalization: Tools for email and video personalization improve engagement and response rates.

Robust Integration Capabilities: Seamless integration with CRM systems and other third-party tools enhances data synchronization and workflow automation.

Detailed Analytics: Comprehensive reporting and analytics provide insights into campaign performance and team productivity.

Cons Complexity: The extensive features and customization options can be overwhelming for new users, requiring a learning curve to fully utilize the platform.

Cost: Pricing can be relatively high, especially for smaller businesses or startups with limited budgets.

Limited Free Tier: The free tier offers limited functionality, which may not be sufficient for more extensive outreach needs.

Reply.io is a powerful and versatile sales engagement platform that offers a comprehensive suite of tools for multi-channel outreach, automation, and personalization. Its robust integration capabilities and detailed analytics make it an excellent choice for sales teams looking to optimize their engagement strategies and improve productivity. However, the complexity and cost may pose challenges for smaller organizations or those new to such platforms. Overall, Reply.io provides significant value for businesses seeking to enhance their sales outreach and engagement efforts.

[exitrowiron]

What are your thoughts of all the layoffs announced by the tech companies? How would you navigate this if you were laid off or not from one of these companies?

Great question!

Unfortunately I'm not surprised by the tech layoffs. Before I retired in early 2022 my company was regularly losing good (and not so good) software engineers to Microsoft, Facebook, Salesforce and Amazon. The compensation offers were off the charts and I didn't believe it was sustainable. I didn't blame them for leaving, but the compensation seemed too good to be true and in my experience situations like that rarely last (ex. real estate prices going up 15% year after year).

Although some tech firms had begun to announce minor trimming of their work force in Q3, it seems like Twitter really opened the floodgates. Now more companies could follow and once all the big tech employers were cutting, there was less risk of losing the most valuable, talented staff to competitors. My heart goes out to anyone impacted by the layoffs, but I firmly believe this disruption is temporary and talented software engineers will be in demand for a very long time.

What would I do if I was laid off?

Set a deadline (no more than a week) by which time you will stop feeling sorry for yourself, etc. Most people can probably think of reasons why they shouldn't have been cut, but it doesn't matter any more. Accept the unfortunately reality of your situation and get to work.

Take advantage of any outplacement services offered by your former employer, especially resume writing. The last time I sent a resume it was read by a human. That's not the case today. Make sure your resume has the necessary key words to get past the AI screener.

Work your network - personal, college, family, previous employers, LinkedIn. It still helps to have someone recommend you to the hiring manager and/or recruiter. At the very least it may help secure an interview. Don't be shy about telling people you've been laid off. Anyone with any professional experience knows that this isn't a personal shortcoming. Layoffs can happen to the best employees.

Get your financial house in order. Do a cash-flow forecast and assume you'll be out of work for six months. Eliminate/minimize unnecessary expenses but be sure to sign up for COBRA medical coverage. Don't let a mountain of debt accumulate - take part time gigs if you need to.

Update your skills/certifications.

If you're a software engineer, make sure your profile/projects in GitHub are a positive reflection of your skills.

What would I do if I wasn't laid off?

I was a senior executive in the corporate travel industry before and after 9/11 and the financial meltdown on 2008/9. In both cases business travel plummeted and the survival of the company required layoffs. Unlike the tech companies today, we weren't guilty of mindlessly pursuing growth at any cost, but we had to do layoffs just the same. I helped determine how many cuts were necessary across the company and had to layoff members of my team. In each case we tried to minimize the number of layoffs by cutting expenses/compensation at all levels.

When laying off people it is important to act with as much empathy as possible and to try to do it all at once, rather than leaving the remaining employees with the fear that their job may be cut later. It just as important to be fair - HR has to carefully review the recommendations to make sure that no group (especially protected groups) is being unfairly targeted.

As an executive who hadn't been laid off, I had to accept that many current and former employees would view me as one of the bad guys. In a situation like this, people need someone to blame and for some people that person was me. Layoffs destroy or at least significantly degrade a company's culture, impact productivity, damage it's reputation with customers and potential employees and it takes a long time (years) for those things to recover. Time, patience and genuine empathy are required.

Regardless of your job situation, it is a good habit to update your resume every year. Your CV shouldn't keep growing longer, but you should keep it current with your latest accomplishments while trimming the details of past.

Thanks for the question. Hope that helped.

[meret118]

Last year was, by all accounts, a bloodbath for the tech industry, with more than 260,000 jobs vanishing — the worst 12 months for Silicon Valley since the dot-com crash of the early 2000s.

Executives justified the mass layoffs by citing a pandemic hiring binge, high inflation and weak consumer demand.

Now in 2024, tech company workforces have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, inflation is half of what it was this time last year and consumer confidence is rebounding.

Yet, in the first four weeks of this year, nearly 100 tech companies, including Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, TikTok and Salesforce have collectively let go of about 25,000 employees, according to layoffs.fyi, which tracks the technology sector.

. . .

"The layoffs seem to be helping their stock prices, so these companies see no reason to stop."

"Google and the rest of Big Tech are betting big on AI while cutting back on non-strategic areas. Layoffs will continue to happen for Big Tech in some areas while the hiring frenzy in AI will be unprecedented as this arms race continues across the tech world," Dan Ives, managing director at Wedbush Securities, told CNBC.

. . .

Other companies too are looking to cut jobs to focus on their AI-driven businesses.Vroom would axe about 800 jobs, according to the U.S.-based online used-car marketplace's regulatory filing last week, as it plans to focus on automotive financing and AI services and close its e-commerce and used-vehicle dealership businesses.Earlier this month, media reports said Duolingo would cut 10% of its contractors as the language-learning app moves toward using AI to create content.

[timseigfield]

Top Challenges Faced While Implementing Salesforce CPQ

Salesforce CPQ is one of the widely used Salesforce products used by salesperson to create sales quotes easily and with best efficiency.

However, Implementing Salesforce CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) is not a simple task and requires domain expertise. Businesses often face several challenges while implementing it. Businesses must always consult with Salesforce CPQ Consulting services providers which can ensure them hassle free and quick implementation. So, In this blog, we are going to discuss about the challenges faced during Salesforce CPQ Implementation:

Data Integration: Salesforce CPQ typically needs to integrate with various data sources, such as CRM, ERP, and pricing databases. Ensuring smooth data integration and data quality can be challenging, especially when dealing with legacy systems.

Customization Complexity: Salesforce CPQ is a highly customizable tool, and organizations often need to tailor it to their specific needs. However, extensive customization can lead to complexity and longer implementation timelines. Balancing customization with out-of-the-box functionality is essential.

Pricing Strategy: Determining the right pricing strategy and translating it into Salesforce CPQ rules and configurations can be complex. You need to consider factors like pricing tiers, discounts, promotions, and bundling while ensuring profitability.

Product Complexity: If your organization offers a wide range of complex products with multiple configuration options, managing and configuring these in Salesforce CPQ can be challenging. It's crucial to have a well-structured product catalog and configuration rules.

Unclear Objectives and Business Goals Alignment: It has been found several times that businesses make the decision of implementing technologies in a rush just looking at the emerging technologies. So, they are not able to properly align their business objectives with the technologies and hence proper tool utilization is not done.

Performance Optimization: As the system grows and more users access it, you might encounter performance issues. Regular performance monitoring and optimization are necessary to ensure a smooth user experience.

Scalability & Flexibility: As the business evolves with the time with product offerings and customer base growing and so the Salesforce CPQ solution should be. A solution that cannot be evolved with the time, literally becomes a liability. So, businesses need to ensure that their Salesforce CPQ implementation can scale with their business requirement.

Regulatory Compliance: Depending on your industry, you may need to adhere to specific regulatory requirements related to pricing, quoting, and contracts. Ensuring that Salesforce CPQ meets these compliance standards can be a challenge.

Testing and Quality Assurance: Thoroughly testing the Salesforce CPQ implementation is crucial to identify and resolve any issues before they impact sales operations. Developing comprehensive test plans and involving end-users in testing are vital.

End User Training: It must be ensured that the end users should receive the necessary training required to handle the tool so that they can work efficiently. In many of the cases, it has been found the end users does not enough training and found technical complexities in using the tool.

Ongoing Maintenance and Support: After the initial implementation, you'll need a plan for ongoing maintenance and support. This includes addressing user issues, updating configurations to reflect changes in pricing or products, and applying software updates.

Cost Management: Implementing Salesforce CPQ can be expensive, considering licensing costs, customization, and integration expenses. Managing the budget and ensuring that the project stays within scope can be a challenge.

To address these challenges, organizations should involve key stakeholders, engage with experienced Salesforce CPQ consultants or partners like Hexaview Technologies, and plan the implementation carefully. It's also essential to have a clear roadmap and set realistic expectations for the project timeline and outcomes. Regular communication and feedback loops with users and stakeholders are critical to ensure the success of Salesforce CPQ implementation. Hexaview Technologies is a renowned Salesforce services providers that offers a gamut of Salesforce related services like Salesforce consulting, Salesforce Development Services, Salesforce Data Migration, Migration to Salesforce CRM, Salesforce CPQ consulting etc.

[madhukumarc]

What strategies can sales professionals employ to effectively build and maintain strong relationships with clients?

Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients is an essential aspect of sales. It requires a combination of skills, strategies, and techniques that sales professionals should master to succeed in their careers.

Here are the top 6 effective strategies to employ that can help sales professionals build and maintain strong relationships with clients:

1. Active Listening: The first step in building a strong relationship with clients is to listen actively. Listen to their needs, concerns, and goals.

This will help you understand their expectations and requirements and enable you to offer solutions that address them.

“You can’t reap the full loyalty-building benefits without prioritizing relationships and closely listening to what your audience is saying” – Sprout Social

2. Personalization: Every client is unique, and hence, each relationship requires a personalized approach. 

Sales professionals should take time to learn about their clients' interests, preferences, and communication styles.

This information can help them tailor their approach to each client, making them feel valued and appreciated.

“When you know your audience’s needs and interests, effective personalization becomes possible. And that leads to better engagement, higher customer satisfaction, and increased loyalty” – springboard

3. Consistency: Consistency is key to building strong relationships. Sales professionals should be consistent in their communication, follow-up, and delivery of services or products.

This builds trust and reliability, which are essential to maintaining a long-term relationship.

“88% of consumers are looking for authenticity from the brands they support. Consistency is essential for branding because it builds trust and shows customers that your values are authentic” – HubSpot

4. Transparency: Honesty and transparency are crucial in building trust with clients. 

Sales professionals should be open about their products or services' limitations and be upfront about pricing, timelines, and other relevant information.

“Transparency is not just a trend but the standard for how brands are expected to act online. It’s more crucial than ever before. Not only is transparency important, but so is authentication” – 2023 Social Trends Report by PLANOLY.

5. Value-Add: Sales professionals should aim to add value beyond the initial sale. Keep in touch with your clients by providing relevant updates, industry news, or even just checking in to see how they're doing.

This helps maintain the relationship and positions you as a trusted advisor rather than just a salesperson.

“Gone are the days when you could launch killer campaigns that meet client goals and call it a job well done. Now, you need to add value in other ways, including the technology you manage, the data you use and the services you offer” – Resonate’s Agency Cookbook

6. Resolve issues quickly: Every relationship encounters bumps along the way, but how you handle them is what makes the difference. 

Sales professionals should be responsive to any concerns their clients raise and work quickly to resolve them.

This shows that you value their business and are committed to providing excellent service.

“According to Forrester, 72% of customers prefer self-service to resolve their support issues over picking up the phone or sending an email to customer service agents” – Executive Guide to Customer Engagement [Salesforce]

Image Source - via MarketingProfs

In conclusion, building and maintaining strong relationships with clients is essential for sales professionals.

By actively listening, personalizing, being consistent, transparent, adding value, and resolving issues quickly, sales professionals can create long-term relationships that benefit both parties.

Here's related information that you may find helpful – Know about Sales Promotion Effectiveness to win ahead.

[paltechh]

How to Choose the Best Cloud Solutions Provider for Your Business

In in recent times’s digital generation, agencies of all sizes are turning to cloud solutions to optimize operations, decorate flexibility, and decrease charges. Choosing the right cloud answers provider is a vital decision that can appreciably impact your commercial enterprise agency primary overall overall performance and growth. With such a selection of companies available, locating the excellent one calls for cautious interest of different factors. This guide will assist you're making an informed choice on your industrial company.

1. Understand Your Business Needs

Before exploring cloud provider companies, examine your commercial enterprise necessities. Consider the subsequent:

What unique troubles do you need the cloud to treatment?

Do you need cloud garage, computing strength, or software internet website hosting?

What degree of scalability and flexibility does your industrial company call for?

Identifying your needs will help you align with a cloud solutions provider that offers the right offerings.

2. Check for Service Offerings

Not all groups provide the identical shape of cloud solutions. Some recognition on Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), while others offer Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). For instance:

If you want virtual machines and storage, search for IaaS corporations like AWS or Microsoft Azure.

If you require improvement equipment, circulate for PaaS providers.

For hosted software software like CRM or email, SaaS vendors like Google Workspace or Salesforce may be extremely good.

3. Assess Security Measures

Security is one of the most important factors at the same time as choosing a cloud answers provider. Your provider have to provide strong safety protocols to protect your sensitive records. Look for:

Encryption for facts in transit and at relaxation.

Compliance with organization requirements like GDPR, HIPAA, or ISO 27001.

Multi-issue authentication and normal protection audits.

Ask the agency how they cope with breaches or safety incidents to ensure your statistics stays safe.

4. Evaluate Reliability and Performance

Your commercial enterprise corporation relies upon at the reliability of your cloud business enterprise. Downtime can motive out of area productivity and income. Check the organisation's Service Level Agreement (SLA) for uptime ensures. The company fashionable is ninety nine.9% uptime, but the better, the higher.

Also, look at their universal performance metrics, along with records switch speeds and server reaction times, to make certain seamless operations.

5. Scalability and Flexibility

As your business business enterprise grows, your cloud goals will exchange. Choose a cloud solutions company which can resultseasily scale their offerings to suit your increase.

Look for pay-as-you-circulate models or bendy subscription plans.

Ensure the provider can deal with unexpected web site traffic spikes or stepped forward call for without compromising regular normal performance.

6. Cost Transparency

Cost is a major thing in selecting a cloud company. While cloud services may be charge-effective, hidden fees can fast add up. Compare pricing structures of various organizations and look for:

Transparent billing models.

No unexpected expenses for statistics retrieval or scaling.

A smooth knowledge of what is covered in the pricing.

Remember, the cheapest company isn’t continuously the top notch. Value for coins want to be your attention.

7. Customer Support

Reliable customer service is critical at the same time as you face technical problems or require assist. Assess the enterprise’s guide alternatives:

Do they provide 24/7 assist through more than one channels like chat, e mail, and contact?

Are there committed account managers for large clients?

What is their commonplace reaction and resolution time?

Reading purchaser opinions and testimonials will will permit you to gauge the agency's manual tremendous.

8. Data Backup and Recovery Options

Data loss may be catastrophic for any organisation. Ensure the provider has dependable backup and disaster healing options. Key additives to keep in mind embody:

Automatic backups at everyday durations.

Easy healing procedures.

A nicely-documented catastrophe recuperation plan to reduce downtime.

9. Vendor Reputation and Experience

Choose a cloud answers enterprise with a sturdy recognition and huge revel in within the agency. Established vendors regularly have a confirmed music record of reliability and innovation. Research their consumer base and case research to recognize their knowledge in serving companies just like yours.

10. Compliance and Legal Considerations

If your organisation operates in a appreciably regulated organization, make sure the company complies with the crucial criminal and regulatory requirements. Verify their certifications and audit critiques to make sure they meet your agency’s compliance necessities.

11. Try Before You Commit

Many carriers provide unfastened trials or limited-feature plans. Use the ones to check the offerings and observe their normal performance. Testing permits you apprehend whether or not or no longer the company meets your specific wishes in advance than making an extended-term determination.

Conclusion

Choosing the right cloud answers provider is a crucial step on your enterprise’s virtual transformation adventure. By expertise your desires, evaluating service offerings, prioritizing protection, and assessing common typical overall performance and expenses, you may discover a company that aligns perfectly collectively together with your desires.

Take it slow to investigate and look at groups. A nicely-informed choice will empower your enterprise agency with reliable, cozy, and scalable cloud solutions that pressure performance and boom.

[techinfowithexperts]

What's New in the Salesforce? A 2025 Guide for Businesses 

 Salesforce is still a trailblazer in the business world, providing advanced solutions for companies that need to adapt to new digital changes in their operations. In 2025, the Salesforce will release a barrage of advancements and tools to help organizations become prepared in CRM, commerce, and more. It is time to look at what is new in Salesforce and how to use it to your business advantage. 

The Evolution of Salesforce Cloud Solutions 

Salesforce has solidified its reputation as the leading Salesforce CRM system, and in 2025, its cloud offerings have been further enhanced to cater to the diverse needs of businesses:   

Salesforce CRM System Innovations 

Customers can navigate the Salesforce CRM more easily, work with integration options and AI-backed data analytics, and provide better services. These updates help organizations gain insights into client behavior, optimize business processes, and provide better services.   

Service Cloud Einstein   

One of the latest Service Cloud Einstein, which applies artificial intelligence, offers new sophisticated instruments for managing customer support. That is why features like case routinization prediction and sentiment analysis may help increase resolution time and customer satisfaction.   

Salesforce Commerce Cloud Einstein 

Commerce Cloud Einstein uses artificial intelligence to offer customer product recommendations, intelligent prices, and insights. This is especially important for organizations that seek to design and build unique eCommerce experiences for clients.   

Revolutionizing eCommerce with Salesforce Commerce Cloud 

Salesforce Commerce Cloud continues to be a cornerstone of eCommerce strategies in 2025, offering robust tools for both B2B and B2C businesses:   

Salesforce B2B Commerce Cloud   

The Salesforce B2B Commerce Cloud aims to simplify the business buying process. With integrated pricing strategies, customized libraries, and self-administration interfaces, such B2B organizations can meet customers' demands perfectly.   

Composable Commerce for B2C   

Composable Commerce for B2C enables businesses to build different solutions using modular systems. This approach, among other things, helps the customer during his or her shopping trip. At the same time, it helps the business reinstate itself and/or its adaptability to changes in this market.   

Salesforce B2C Commerce   

Salesforce B2C Commerce is one of the 'weapons' for developing compelling e-stores that increase conversion rates. Improved Usability and personalization based on the advanced use of AI make it easier for businesses to deliver a shopping experience that competes with the biggest names in this trade.   

AI-Driven Enhancements: Commerce Cloud Einstein 

Commerce Cloud Einstein remains a game-changer in 2025, providing AI-powered solutions to optimize the customer journey:   

Personalization at Scale   

Every company can give their client an incredible experience through corporate Artificial Intelligence insights. Using artificial intelligence, Commerce Cloud Einstein identifies products to suggest and deliver a customer's likely preferences and targeted content.   

Advanced Analytics   

It provides a detailed understanding of customer behavior and is valuable for fine-tuning marketing messages and channels and managing the sales process. Such an approach adds more value through analytics of percentages of returns and customer loyalty.   

Empowering Businesses with Salesforce Consulting Partners 

Navigating the vast landscape of Salesforce solutions can be challenging. This is where Salesforce Consulting Partners come into play. These experts help businesses maximize their investment in Salesforce by:   

Developing linked programs and courses for the salesforce CRM management.   

Ensure that Salesforce cloud solutions complement existing systems that align with an organization's needs.   

Serving sectors such as retail and manufacturing or healthcare industries with value-added products.   

Salesforce Consulting Partners are essential in 2025 to assist organizations in attaining digital transformation in their operations.   

Salesforce Staff Augmentation Services 

With an increase in the number of companies that require skillful Salesforce professionals, Salesforce Staff Augmentation Services means that businesses have the option of a staff they need for their teams. Regardless of your business requirements for developers, administrators, or consultants, these services provide one for projects of all sizes.   

Salesforce Migration Services: Smooth Transitions for Modern Businesses 

Implementing a new version in Salesforce or moving to a new one is also difficult. Salesforce Migration Services are designed to ensure a seamless transition by:  

The method of transferring data from old systems with the least interruption 

Preserving the accuracy and confidentiality of data during nontrivial migration.   

Providing procedures that will assist different teams to overcome problems of identifying and using the new system.   

These services help organizations adopt new paradigm changes in CRM and Salesforce technology.   

Salesforce Commerce Cloud: Unlocking eCommerce Potential 

Salesforce Commerce Cloud continues to evolve, empowering businesses with innovative tools for eCommerce success:   

Salesforce B2B eCommerce   

Salesforce B2B eCommerce solutions for 2025 are even mightier. Opportunities such as contract management, automated reordering, and others that imply the use of artificial intelligence create a more solid foundation for the relations between the business and the client.   

Salesforce eCommerce for B2C   

Salesforce eCommerce solutions go beyond B2B, providing A/B testing and a personalized user journey for B2C companies. From the product preview stage, where customers choose what clothing items they want, to the chatbot stage, the platform ensures that customers constantly interact.   

Why Choose Salesforce CRM Implementation? 

Salesforce CRM implementation is a valuable investment that forms part of business development and customer relationship improvement strategies. Here's why:   

Unified Data Management   

Salesforce CRM integrates customer information and offers interaction history. Since the customer channels fall under a single umbrella, they also provide a coherent message throughout their interactions.   

Scalability and Flexibility   

In essence, all Salesforce CRM solutions are remarkably versatile and suitable for any organization. Salesforce came into existence with a goal to solve a problem that small businesses and start-ups face. It has the solution; it has a package that can be adopted by any start-up or any huge enterprise.   

Enhanced Collaboration   

There is coordination since everyone on the platform is encouraged to share their ideas and collaborate with others. This creates competition and encourages the achievement of improved business results.   

The Future of Commerce: B2B and B2C Integration   

Traditional B2C commerce and B2B commerce have had different solutions with divergent development paths, but Salesforce is slowly promoting congruent solutions that meet changing business requirements. By combining the best of Salesforce B2B Commerce and Salesforce B2C Commerce, the platform ensures:   

Ensuring that brand experience is consistent across all the communication channels.   

The management of various products and services and their prices may prove very difficult and cumbersome for the staff.  

Fluidity in other AI tools and solutions such as Commerce Cloud Einstein. 

Conclusion: Harnessing Salesforce in 2025   

Salesforce's changes and improvements in 2025 strengthened its leads in CRM and eCommerce sectors. These range from Salesforce cloud solutions to Salesforce commerce cloud and Composable commerce for B2C business, which helps businesses acquire tools to succeed, especially in a competitive arena.   

Other ways of enhancing Salesforce's value are Purchasing Salesforce products and services and engaging the services of Salesforce consulting partners to implement, staffing augmented Salesforce staff, or migrating to Salesforce.   

From automation processes to improvements in customer relation management to the need to increase sales via e-commerce, companies would find a specific solution set by Salesforce. Be future-ready with Salesforce and discover what is possible for your business in 2025. 

[salesforce-updates]

What's New in the Salesforce? A 2025 Guide for Businesses

Salesforce is still a trailblazer in the business world, providing advanced solutions for companies that need to adapt to new digital changes in their operations. In 2025, the Salesforce will release a barrage of advancements and tools to help organizations become prepared in CRM, commerce, and more. It is time to look at what is new in Salesforce and how to use it to your business advantage. 

The Evolution of Salesforce Cloud Solutions 

Salesforce has solidified its reputation as the leading Salesforce CRM system, and in 2025, its cloud offerings have been further enhanced to cater to the diverse needs of businesses:   

Salesforce CRM System Innovations 

Customers can navigate the Salesforce CRM more easily, work with integration options and AI-backed data analytics, and provide better services. These updates help organizations gain insights into client behavior, optimize business processes, and provide better services.   

Service Cloud Einstein   

One of the latest Service Cloud Einstein, which applies artificial intelligence, offers new sophisticated instruments for managing customer support. That is why features like case routinization prediction and sentiment analysis may help increase resolution time and customer satisfaction.   

Salesforce Commerce Cloud Einstein 

Commerce Cloud Einstein uses artificial intelligence to offer customer product recommendations, intelligent prices, and insights. This is especially important for organizations that seek to design and build unique eCommerce experiences for clients.   

Revolutionizing eCommerce with Salesforce Commerce Cloud 

Salesforce Commerce Cloud continues to be a cornerstone of eCommerce strategies in 2025, offering robust tools for both B2B and B2C businesses:   

Salesforce B2B Commerce Cloud   

The Salesforce B2B Commerce Cloud aims to simplify the business buying process. With integrated pricing strategies, customized libraries, and self-administration interfaces, such B2B organizations can meet customers' demands perfectly.   

Composable Commerce for B2C   

Composable Commerce for B2C enables businesses to build different solutions using modular systems. This approach, among other things, helps the customer during his or her shopping trip. At the same time, it helps the business reinstate itself and/or its adaptability to changes in this market.   

Salesforce B2C Commerce   

Salesforce B2C Commerce is one of the 'weapons' for developing compelling e-stores that increase conversion rates. Improved Usability and personalization based on the advanced use of AI make it easier for businesses to deliver a shopping experience that competes with the biggest names in this trade.   

AI-Driven Enhancements: Commerce Cloud Einstein 

Commerce Cloud Einstein remains a game-changer in 2025, providing AI-powered solutions to optimize the customer journey:   

Personalization at Scale   

Every company can give their client an incredible experience through corporate Artificial Intelligence insights. Using artificial intelligence, Commerce Cloud Einstein identifies products to suggest and deliver a customer's likely preferences and targeted content.   

Advanced Analytics   

It provides a detailed understanding of customer behavior and is valuable for fine-tuning marketing messages and channels and managing the sales process. Such an approach adds more value through analytics of percentages of returns and customer loyalty.   

Empowering Businesses with Salesforce Consulting Partners 

Navigating the vast landscape of Salesforce solutions can be challenging. This is where Salesforce Consulting Partners come into play. These experts help businesses maximize their investment in Salesforce by:   

Developing linked programs and courses for the salesforce CRM management.   

Ensure that Salesforce cloud solutions complement existing systems that align with an organization's needs.   

Serving sectors such as retail and manufacturing or healthcare industries with value-added products.   

Salesforce Consulting Partners are essential in 2025 to assist organizations in attaining digital transformation in their operations.   

Salesforce Staff Augmentation Services 

With an increase in the number of companies that require skillful Salesforce professionals, Salesforce Staff Augmentation Services means that businesses have the option of a staff they need for their teams. Regardless of your business requirements for developers, administrators, or consultants, these services provide one for projects of all sizes.   

Salesforce Migration Services: Smooth Transitions for Modern Businesses 

Implementing a new version in Salesforce or moving to a new one is also difficult. Salesforce Migration Services are designed to ensure a seamless transition by:  

The method of transferring data from old systems with the least interruption 

Preserving the accuracy and confidentiality of data during nontrivial migration.   

Providing procedures that will assist different teams to overcome problems of identifying and using the new system.   

These services help organizations adopt new paradigm changes in CRM and Salesforce technology.   

Salesforce Commerce Cloud: Unlocking eCommerce Potential 

Salesforce Commerce Cloud continues to evolve, empowering businesses with innovative tools for eCommerce success:   

Salesforce B2B eCommerce   

Salesforce B2B eCommerce solutions for 2025 are even mightier. Opportunities such as contract management, automated reordering, and others that imply the use of artificial intelligence create a more solid foundation for the relations between the business and the client.   

Salesforce eCommerce for B2C   

Salesforce eCommerce solutions go beyond B2B, providing A/B testing and a personalized user journey for B2C companies. From the product preview stage, where customers choose what clothing items they want, to the chatbot stage, the platform ensures that customers constantly interact.   

Why Choose Salesforce CRM Implementation? 

Salesforce CRM implementation is a valuable investment that forms part of business development and customer relationship improvement strategies. Here's why:   

Unified Data Management   

Salesforce CRM integrates customer information and offers interaction history. Since the customer channels fall under a single umbrella, they also provide a coherent message throughout their interactions.   

Scalability and Flexibility   

In essence, all Salesforce CRM solutions are remarkably versatile and suitable for any organization. Salesforce came into existence with a goal to solve a problem that small businesses and start-ups face. It has the solution; it has a package that can be adopted by any start-up or any huge enterprise.   

Enhanced Collaboration   

There is coordination since everyone on the platform is encouraged to share their ideas and collaborate with others. This creates competition and encourages the achievement of improved business results.   

The Future of Commerce: B2B and B2C Integration   

Traditional B2C commerce and B2B commerce have had different solutions with divergent development paths, but Salesforce is slowly promoting congruent solutions that meet changing business requirements. By combining the best of Salesforce B2B Commerce and Salesforce B2C Commerce, the platform ensures:   

Ensuring that brand experience is consistent across all the communication channels.   

The management of various products and services and their prices may prove very difficult and cumbersome for the staff.  

Fluidity in other AI tools and solutions such as Commerce Cloud Einstein. 

Conclusion: Harnessing Salesforce in 2025   

Salesforce's changes and improvements in 2025 strengthened its leads in CRM and eCommerce sectors. These range from Salesforce cloud solutions to Salesforce commerce cloud and Composable commerce for B2C business, which helps businesses acquire tools to succeed, especially in a competitive arena.   

Other ways of enhancing Salesforce's value are Purchasing Salesforce products and services and engaging the services of Salesforce consulting partners to implement, staffing augmented Salesforce staff, or migrating to Salesforce.   

From automation processes to improvements in customer relation management to the need to increase sales via e-commerce, companies would find a specific solution set by Salesforce. Be future-ready with Salesforce and discover what is possible for your business in 2025. 

[digitalmarvel]

How do I gather marketing intelligence?

Marketing intelligence is critical for businesses to stay competitive, identify trends, and make informed decisions. Here’s a guide on how you can gather effective marketing intelligence:

1. Monitor Competitors

Website Analysis: Track competitor websites for changes in product offerings, pricing, and promotions.

Social Media Monitoring: Observe competitor engagement, campaigns, and audience responses.

Review Aggregators: Check customer reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, or Trustpilot to understand customer perceptions.

2. Engage in Customer Feedback

Surveys and Feedback Forms: Conduct surveys to understand customer preferences, needs, and pain points.

Online Forums and Communities: Participate in forums where your target audience discusses products or services similar to yours.

3. Use Data Analytics

Tools like Google Analytics and social media insights help track user behavior, engagement, and demographics.

Heatmaps and click tracking tools provide data on how users interact with your website.

4. Conduct Mystery Shopping

Mystery shopping is an effective way to gather insights into customer service, operations, and overall experience. HS Brands Asia specializes in leveraging mystery shopping for actionable market intelligence.

5. Leverage Market Research Reports

Subscribe to industry-specific reports to stay updated on trends and competitor strategies.

Analyze case studies and whitepapers for deeper insights.

6. Use Advanced Tools

Tools like SEMrush, HubSpot, or Salesforce help analyze SEO, customer relationship management, and campaign performance.

Artificial intelligence tools can provide predictive analytics and trend forecasts.

7. Observe Industry Trends

Stay informed by attending industry conferences, webinars, and reading trade publications. This ensures that you are aware of emerging technologies and market shifts.

8. Collaborate with Professionals

Partner with specialized agencies like HS Brands Asia to gather detailed and accurate intelligence. Their expertise in market intelligence ensures businesses gain a strategic advantage.

Why is Marketing Intelligence Important?

Marketing intelligence empowers businesses to:

Predict market trends.

Understand competitors.

Develop customer-focused strategies.

Increase ROI through targeted marketing efforts.

Investing in professional services like those offered by HS Brands Asia can streamline the process and provide valuable, actionable insights tailored to your needs.

[ourjobagency]

Unlock the full potential of Salesforce with our expert Managed Services. Boost productivity, enhance user adoption, and streamline your business processes with our team of certified Salesforce professionals. Maximize your ROI and focus on what matters most – growing your business. Schedule a consultation today!

[8manage]

Top CRM systems rankings: A comparison of cost-effectiveness and features

With the advancement of information technology, more businesses are focusing on managing customer relationships effectively. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a powerful tool that helps organizations streamline customer service, boost sales performance, and enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. The market is flooded with a wide array of CRM systems, each offering different features and price points, making it challenging for businesses to choose the right one. This article provides a detailed analysis of the top CRM customer management systems, helping you understand their cost-effectiveness and features to make an informed decision.

1. An Overview of CRM Customer Management Systems

A CRM system (Customer Relationship Management) is designed to manage and optimize interactions between businesses and their customers through technology. The primary goal is to collect, analyze, and utilize customer data to support decision-making, drive sales, and improve customer satisfaction.

Key features of a CRM system include:

1.Customer Information Management: Storing essential customer data such as contact details, purchase history, and communication records. 2.Sales Management: Managing the sales pipeline, from lead tracking to contract signing. 3.Marketing Automation: Automating marketing activities to improve efficiency and effectiveness. 4.Customer Service Management: Providing channels for feedback and support to enhance customer experience. 5.Data Analytics and Reporting: Offering insights through data analysis to support better business decisions. As businesses grow and market demands diversify, CRM systems have evolved to provide increasingly comprehensive functionalities, catering to organizations of different sizes and industries.

2. CRM Customer Management System Rankings: A Comparison of Cost-Effectiveness and Features

Here’s a look at some of the most recognized CRM systems in the market, comparing their features, pricing, and overall value.

1. 8Manage CRM

Strengths:

● All-in-One Solution: 8Manage CRM combines customer management with project and supply chain management, making it ideal for large organizations requiring cross-department collaboration. ● Industry Adaptability: Its flexible design caters to various industry needs. ● Customizable Features: The system can be tailored to specific business requirements, enhancing operational efficiency. Weaknesses:

● Longer Learning Curve: The comprehensive feature set can be overwhelming for new users, necessitating more extensive training. ● Higher Pricing: Designed as a premium solution, 8Manage CRM is better suited for larger enterprises with ample budgets.

2. HubSpot CRM

Strengths:

● Strong Free Version: HubSpot offers a free CRM with powerful features, including customer data management, sales tracking, and marketing automation—ideal for small businesses with limited budgets. ● User-Friendly Interface: Its intuitive design ensures easy adoption, even for non-technical users. ● Exceptional Marketing Tools: HubSpot excels in marketing automation, helping businesses optimize campaigns and improve results. Weaknesses:

● Limited Advanced Features: The free version may lack advanced capabilities required by growing businesses. Upgrading to paid plans can increase costs.

● Integration Limitations: It may not integrate as seamlessly with third-party tools as Salesforce, occasionally requiring additional development.

3. Zoho CRM

Strengths:

● High Cost-Effectiveness: Zoho CRM offers a robust suite of features at an affordable price, making it a great choice for small and medium-sized businesses. ● Powerful Automation: Its automation tools streamline operations and boost productivity. ● Strong Integration: Zoho CRM integrates well with the broader Zoho ecosystem, such as Zoho Mail and Zoho Analytics, enabling holistic management. Weaknesses:

● Less Intuitive Interface: Some users find the interface less straightforward, requiring time to become familiar. ● Support Services: Customer support could be improved, especially for complex technical issues.

4. Salesforce CRM

Strengths:

● Comprehensive Features: As a global leader in CRM solutions, Salesforce offers extensive functionality across sales, service, and marketing domains. It’s particularly favored by medium to large enterprises. ● Cloud-Based Access: Salesforce is cloud-based, enabling access anytime, anywhere, and ensuring seamless collaboration and remote management. ● Highly Customizable: With robust customization options, Salesforce can adapt to the specific needs of various industries. Weaknesses:

● High Cost: Its advanced features and robust support come with a higher price tag, making it less suitable for small businesses with tight budgets. ● Steep Learning Curve: The system’s complexity may require significant time and resources for training and adoption.

5. Pipedrive CRM

Strengths:

● Simplicity and Focus: Pipedrive is tailored for sales teams, offering straightforward tools to manage sales pipelines and improve efficiency. ● Sales-Centric: Its core focus on sales processes makes it a preferred choice for sales-driven organizations. ● Affordable Plans: With competitive pricing, it’s an excellent option for small to medium-sized businesses. Weaknesses:

● Limited Scope: Unlike other systems, Pipedrive focuses primarily on sales, offering fewer features for marketing and customer support. ● Not Ideal for Large Enterprises: Its simplicity may not meet the complex needs of large organizations requiring comprehensive CRM functionality.

3. How to Choose the Right CRM Customer Management System?

When selecting a CRM system, businesses should consider the following factors:

1.Company Size: Larger businesses may need feature-rich systems, while smaller organizations may prioritize simplicity and affordability. 2.Budget: Determine a budget that balances the cost with the features and benefits provided. 3.Feature Requirements: Identify the key functionalities needed by your team. Sales-focused teams may prioritize pipeline management, while marketing teams might need robust automation tools. 4.Integration Needs: Ensure the CRM system can integrate with other tools and software already in use.

FAQs: Common Questions About CRM Customer Management Systems

1. What is the difference between a CRM system and customer relationship management?

A CRM system is a technological tool used to implement customer relationship management strategies. It automates and optimizes processes, while customer relationship management encompasses broader strategies and practices to build and maintain strong customer relationships.

2. How can businesses choose the best CRM system?

Businesses should evaluate their needs based on size, budget, industry, and specific functional requirements. For small budgets, systems like HubSpot are ideal, while Salesforce and 8Manage CRM are better suited for large-scale operations.

3. How does a CRM system improve customer satisfaction?

By centralizing customer data and interaction history, CRM systems enable businesses to offer personalized service, respond promptly to inquiries, and address issues effectively, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Conclusion

Selecting the right CRM customer management system is crucial for any business aiming to foster growth and build strong customer relationships. With this comparison of top CRM systems, you’re now equipped to identify the best solution for your organization’s unique needs, driving improved efficiency and business success.

[dyrect1]

Top 4 Warranty Management Software Solutions to Simplify Warranty Tracking

Effective warranty management is critical for businesses aiming to enhance customer satisfaction and streamline after-sales service. Warranty management software can simplify the complexities of tracking warranties, processing claims, and analyzing data to improve product reliability. Whether you're in manufacturing, retail, or any other industry, these tools are designed to make warranty management seamless. Here are the four best warranty tracking software solutions to consider for your business.

1. ServiceMax

ServiceMax is a leading warranty management solution tailored for businesses requiring comprehensive service operations management. Its robust features make it an excellent choice for industries like manufacturing and equipment services.

Key Features:

Centralized warranty tracking for products and parts.

Automated claims processing to reduce administrative workload.

Integration with Salesforce for seamless CRM connectivity.

Analytics and reporting tools for performance insights.

Why Choose ServiceMax?

ServiceMax’s user-friendly interface and scalable solutions make it ideal for businesses of all sizes. Its ability to integrate with other systems ensures smooth data flow and efficient operations.

2. Clyde

Clyde focuses on providing retailers and e-commerce businesses with a seamless way to offer extended warranties at the point of sale. Its modern, customer-centric design sets it apart.

Key Features:

Easy integration with e-commerce platforms like Shopify and Magento.

Customizable warranty programs tailored to different product categories.

Real-time data tracking for warranty claims and usage.

Customer self-service portals for hassle-free warranty management.

Why Choose Clyde?

Clyde’s ability to enhance the customer experience through personalized warranty options makes it an excellent choice for businesses in the retail and e-commerce sectors.

3. Extend

Extend is a scalable warranty management solution designed for businesses aiming to offer efficient product protection plans. Its API-first approach ensures flexibility and adaptability.

Key Features:

Quick integration with online and offline sales channels.

Dynamic warranty pricing based on product and customer data.

Automated claims management to improve processing speed.

Marketing tools to promote warranty programs effectively.

Why Choose Extend?

Extend’s focus on automation and analytics helps businesses optimize warranty offerings while enhancing customer satisfaction.

4. Syncron Warranty

Syncron Warranty is a comprehensive platform designed for manufacturers and service providers looking to maximize product lifecycle value. It’s known for its advanced analytics and warranty cost management.

Key Features:

Proactive warranty tracking to predict potential claims.

Tools for reducing warranty costs through data-driven decisions.

Integration with ERP systems for streamlined operations.

Multi-language and multi-currency support for global businesses.

Why Choose Syncron Warranty?

Syncron Warranty’s ability to provide actionable insights and cost control makes it a valuable tool for businesses managing extensive warranty portfolios.

How to Choose the Right Warranty Management Software

When selecting a warranty management solution, consider the following:

Industry Fit: Choose a platform tailored to your business’s needs.

Integration Capabilities: Ensure the software integrates seamlessly with your existing systems.

Scalability: Opt for a solution that can grow with your business.

Ease of Use: Prioritize platforms with intuitive interfaces and robust customer support.

Conclusion

Investing in the right warranty management software is a strategic move to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction. Solutions like ServiceMax, Clyde, Extend, and Syncron Warranty offer diverse features to meet the needs of various industries. Evaluate these options to find the best fit for your business and simplify your warranty tracking and management processes.

[sadisweetomi]

AI agents promise to lighten your shopping load − if they can earn your trust

HAMDEN, Connecticut

Online shopping often involves endless options and fleeting discounts. A single search for running shoes can yield hundreds of results across multiple platforms, each promising the “best deal.” The holiday season brings excitement, but it also brings a blend of decision fatigue and logistical nightmares.

What if there were a tool capable of hunting for the best prices, navigating endless sales and making sure your purchases arrive on time?

The next evolution in artificial intelligence is AI agents that are capable of autonomous reasoning and multistep problem-solving. AI shopping agents not only suggest what you might like, but they can also act on your behalf. Major retailers and AI companies are developing AI shopping assistants, and the AI company Perplexity released Buy with Pro on Nov 18.

Picture this: You prompt AI to find a winter coat under $200 that’s highly rated and will arrive by Sunday. In seconds, it scans websites, compares prices, checks reviews, confirms availability and places the order, all while you go about your day.

Unlike traditional recommendation engines, AI agents learn your preferences and handle tasks autonomously. The agents are built with machine learning and natural language processing. They learn from their interactions with the people using them and become smarter and more efficient over time from their collective interactions.

Looking ahead, AI agents are likely to not only master personal shopping needs but also negotiate directly with corporate AI systems. They will not only learn your preferences but will likely be able to book tailored experiences, handle payments across platforms and coordinate schedules.

As a researcher who studies human-AI collaboration, I see how AI agents could make the future of shopping virtually effortless and more personalized than ever.

How AI agents help shoppers

Marketplaces such as Amazon and Walmart have been using AI to automate shopping. Google Lens offers a visual search tool for finding products.

Perplexity’s Buy with Pro is a more powerful AI shopping agent. By providing your shipping and billing information, you can place orders directly on the Perplexity app with free shipping on every order. The shopping assistant is part of the company’s Perplexity Pro service, which has free and paid tiers.

For those looking to build custom AI shopping agents, AutoGPT and AgentGPT are open-source tools for configuring and deploying AI agents.

Consumers today are focused on value, looking for deals and comparing prices across platforms. Having an assistant perform these tasks could be a tremendous time saver. But can AI truly learn your preferences?

A recent study using the GPT-4o model achieved 85% accuracy in imitating the thoughts and behaviors of over 1,000 people after they interacted with the AI for just two hours. This breakthrough finding suggests that digital personas can understand and act on people’s preferences in ways that will transform the shopping experience.

How AI shopping reshapes business

AI agents are moving beyond recommendations to autonomously executing complex tasks such as automating refunds, managing inventory and approving pricing decisions. This evolution has already begun to reshape how businesses operate and how consumers interact with them.

Retailers using AI agents are seeing measurable benefits. Since October, data from the Salesforce shopping index reveals that digital retailers using generative AI achieved a 7% increase in average order revenue and attributed 17% of global orders to AI-driven personalized recommendations, targeted promotions and improved customer service.

Meanwhile, the nature of search and advertising is undergoing a major shift. Amazon is capturing billions of dollars in ad revenue as shoppers bypass Google to search directly on its platform. Simultaneously, AI-powered search tools such as Perplexity and OpenAI’s web-enabled chat deliver instant, context-aware responses, challenging traditional search engines and forcing advertisers to rethink their strategies.

The outcome of the battle between Big Tech and open-source initiatives to shape the AI ecosystem is also likely to affect how the shopping experience changes.

The risks: Privacy, manipulation and dependency

While AI agents offer significant benefits, they also raise critical privacy concerns. AI systems require extensive access to personal data, shopping history and financial information. This level of access increases the risk of misuse and unauthorized sharing.

Manipulation is another issue. AI can be highly persuasive and may be optimized to serve corporate interests over consumer welfare. Such technology can prioritize upselling or nudging shoppers toward higher-margin products under the guise of personalization.

There’s also the risk of dependency. Automating many aspects of shopping could diminish the satisfaction of making choices. Research in human-AI interaction indicates that while AI tools can reduce cognitive load, increased reliance on AI could impair people’s ability to critically evaluate their options.

What’s next?

AI-based shopping is still in its infancy, so how much trust should you place in it?

In our book “Converging Minds,” AI researcher Aleksandra Przegalinska and I argue for a balanced and critical approach to AI adoption, recognizing both its potential and its pitfalls.

As cognitive scientist Gary Marcus points out, AI’s moral limitations stem from technical constraints: Despite efforts to prevent errors, these systems remain imperfect.

This cautious perspective is reflected in the responses from my MBA class. When I asked students whether they were ready to outsource their holiday shopping to AI, the answer was an overwhelming no. Ethan Mollick, a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, has argued that the adoption of AI in everyday life will be gradual, as societal change typically lags behind technological advancement.

Before people are willing to hand over their credit cards and let AI take the reins, businesses will have to ensure that AI systems align with human values and priorities. The promise of AI is vast, but to fulfill that promise I believe that AI will need to be an extension of human intention – not a replacement for it.

Tamilla Triantoro is Associate Professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems, Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.

[kryonknowledgeworks]

SAAS Product Development: A Step-by-Step Approach for Entrepreneurs.

Introduction:

The global Software as a Service (SaaS) market is projected to grow from USD 317.55 billion in 2024 to USD 1,228.87 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 18.4%. This growth emphasizes the importance of SaaS product development for businesses to stay competitive. Key factors include:

Adoption of cloud-based solutions offering scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.

Integration of advanced technologies like AI and ML to improve efficiency and insights.

Centralized data analytics enabling better decision-making and performance optimization.

Strategic partnerships expanding SaaS offerings, such as IBM’s collaboration with AWS. Additionally, the rise of hybrid work environments has made SaaS tools essential for project management, communication, and HR needs.

What you’ll learn in this article:

· What are the steps involved in the SAAS product development?

· Opportunities and threats in SAAS product development for entrepreneurs.

· What are the common Pitfalls in SaaS Product Development, and how can we overcome them?

· Team consideration in SAAS product development?

· Factors That Affect the Cost of SaaS Product Development

· Tips for Building Successful SaaS Products.

Importance of SAAS in Business development:

SaaS plays a key role in helping businesses grow by providing easy access to software tools and solutions. It removes the need for expensive infrastructure, reduces maintenance work, and ensures automatic updates without extra effort.

SaaS is flexible and can grow or shrink with business needs, making it suitable for startups, small companies, and large organizations. From managing projects to improving customer relationships, SaaS solutions support various business tasks, helping companies work smarter, save time, and achieve their goals faster.

What is SaaS and Its benefits?

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a cloud-based way of delivering software to users over the Internet. Instead of buying software and installing it on a device, users subscribe to the software and access it online from any compatible device. The actual software runs on cloud servers, which are managed by the SaaS provider and can be located far from the user’s location.

With SaaS, users don’t need to worry about maintaining the software or managing the infrastructure it runs on. The SaaS provider takes care of updates, security, and maintenance. Users simply focus on using the software for their needs. SaaS typically follows a subscription model, where users pay monthly or yearly fees or a pay-as-you-use pricing structure. This makes SaaS more affordable and flexible compared to traditional one-time purchases.

Examples of SaaS products include Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) for email, document creation, and collaboration; Slack for team communication and messaging; Salesforce for customer relationship management (CRM); Zoom for video conferencing and online meetings; and Dropbox for cloud storage and file sharing. These tools allow users to access powerful features through an internet connection without worrying about installation, updates, or maintenance, making them popular choices for businesses of all sizes.

Why should businesses need the SAAS product?

Reduces Time to Market: SaaS solutions are often quicker to implement since they don’t require extensive setup or installation of infrastructure. This allows businesses to launch new products or services faster.

Easy Integration & Scalability: SaaS products are designed to integrate seamlessly with existing systems, making it easier to adopt new tools without disrupting operations. Additionally, SaaS platforms are highly scalable, enabling businesses to adjust their usage as needs grow or change.

Super Secure: SaaS providers invest heavily in security measures like data encryption, regular updates, and compliance with regulations, ensuring that sensitive business data is protected.

Cost-Effectiveness: SaaS operates on a subscription model, eliminating the need for upfront capital expenditures. Businesses pay only for what they use, reducing overall costs and improving resource allocation.

Improved Cash Flow: By shifting to a subscription model, SaaS helps improve cash flow by providing predictable, manageable expenses instead of large, one-time software purchases and ongoing maintenance costs.

What are the steps involved in the SAAS product development?

Idea Validation

Validating your SaaS idea is essential to ensure it meets market needs. It helps reduce risks by confirming that your product solves real pain points for users. Methods like market research, identifying pain points, and understanding user needs allow you to test the demand before development begins.

Market Research

Conduct thorough market research to define target customers, understand their pain points, and assess competitors. This research will help you identify unique selling points and determine the viability of your product.

Product Planning

Creating a Product Concept and Roadmap: Establishing a clear product vision and roadmap guides development and keeps the project on track.

Defining Features and Functionalities: Focus on essential features that solve user problems, ensuring the product provides real value.

Establishing Unique Value Proposition (UVP): Highlight what sets your SaaS apart from competitors, helping you stand out in the market.

Technology Stack Selection

Choosing the right technologies ensures your SaaS product runs efficiently and securely.

Choosing the Right Technologies for Development: Select tools and platforms that align with your product’s needs and goals.

Overview of Popular SaaS Technologies: Commonly used SaaS technologies include cloud computing, APIs, and databases.

Considerations for Scalability and Security: Ensure your technology stack supports growth and keeps user data secure.

Design and Prototyping

A good design improves user experience and makes your SaaS product more effective. User-centered design focuses on creating a product that meets user needs and is easy to navigate, ensuring a seamless and intuitive experience. Creating wireframes and mockups helps visualize the product and align design elements with user expectations. A smooth and user-friendly UX keeps users engaged and satisfied, ultimately enhancing the overall effectiveness of the SaaS product.

Development Process

Choosing the right development approach ensures your SaaS product is built efficiently. Building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP): An MVP helps test key features, gather user feedback, and validate the core idea before scaling up. Iterative Development and Feedback Loops: Continuous feedback ensures the product evolves based on real user needs, helping improve and refine the final product.

Testing and Quality Assurance

Conduct comprehensive testing to identify and resolve bugs, usability issues, and security vulnerabilities. Regularly perform quality assurance checks to maintain the highest standards throughout the product life cycle.

Launch Strategy

A well-planned launch ensures your SaaS product gets off to a strong start.

Preparing for a Successful Product Launch: Clear planning, preparation, and marketing strategies ensure a smooth go-to-market.

Marketing Strategies for SaaS Products: Use digital marketing, content, and partnerships to reach your target audience.

Gathering Initial User Feedback Post-launch: Collecting feedback helps improve the product and build long-term customer engagement.

Maintenance and Scaling

Ongoing Maintenance Best Practices: Keep your product updated, secure, and optimized to avoid performance issues.

Strategies for Scaling Your SaaS Product: Plan for growth by adding features, enhancing user experience, and increasing capacity.

Importance of Customer Support and Engagement: Providing excellent support helps retain users and ensure satisfaction.

Financial Planning and Budgeting

Proper financial planning ensures your SaaS project stays within budget and meets goals.

Estimating Costs for SaaS Development: Budgeting for development, marketing, and ongoing expenses ensures financial stability.

Funding Options for SaaS Startups: Options like venture capital, grants, or crowdfunding can support your SaaS business.

Pricing Models: Subscription, Freemium, etc.: Choosing the right pricing model (like subscription or freemium) helps ensure sustainable revenue.

Opportunities and threats in SAAS product development for entrepreneurs.

Opportunities:

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (AI/ML) Integration

Predictive Analytics: Building SaaS solutions with AI-driven insights to enhance data-driven decision-making.

Automation & Intelligent Workflows: Developing SaaS products that automate tasks, offer personalized recommendations, and optimize workflows.

Natural Language Processing (NLP): Creating tools for chatbots, voice assistants, and AI-based customer support.

IoT-Enabled SaaS Platforms

Real-Time Data Analytics: Building IoT-enabled SaaS solutions that provide real-time data for industries like manufacturing, logistics, and smart cities.

Asset Management & Tracking: Developing SaaS products that use IoT data to monitor and manage connected devices.

Micro-SaaS Platforms

Specialized SaaS Products: Developing small, focused SaaS solutions for specific tasks (e.g., task management, billing, project tracking, etc.).

Low-Cost SaaS Models: Offering niche products with simplified features at competitive pricing to target small or mid-sized businesses.

Subscription & Flexible Pricing Models

Usage-Based Pricing: Building SaaS products that offer pay-per-use models, scalable subscriptions, or tiered pricing.

Freemium Models: Creating SaaS products with free basic tiers and premium features for upselling.

Self-Service & Customer Onboarding Tools

Simplified User Experiences: Building SaaS products with intuitive interfaces, self-service capabilities, and onboarding wizards.

Support & Community Platforms: Developing SaaS solutions with knowledge bases, forums, and automated customer support.

Threats:

Data Security & Privacy Risks

Data Breaches & Cybersecurity Threats: As SaaS solutions store sensitive user data, cybersecurity threats such as data breaches, ransomware attacks, and unauthorized access can be significant risks.

Compliance Risks: Ensuring compliance with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS can be complex and costly, posing legal and reputational risks.

Intense Market Competition

Over-saturation: The SaaS market is highly competitive, with numerous players offering similar solutions, making it difficult for new entrants to stand out.

Price Pressure: Competitive pricing models often lead to margin pressure, especially if multiple vendors offer similar features at lower prices.

High Development & Operational Costs

Scaling Costs: Building, maintaining, and scaling SaaS products requires significant upfront investment in infrastructure, development, and cloud resources.

Resource Constraints: Recruiting skilled developers and maintaining a robust tech stack may increase operational costs, affecting profitability.

Dependency on Third-Party Services

Service Downtime or Disruptions: SaaS products often rely on third-party services (cloud providers, APIs, payment gateways), and disruptions or outages from these partners can negatively impact the SaaS product.

Vendor Lock-In: Over-dependence on specific third-party tools or platforms may lead to vendor lock-in, reducing flexibility in switching providers.

What are the common Pitfalls in SaaS Product Development?

Overcomplicating Features

Avoid overwhelming users with too many features. Focus on providing core functionality that solves key problems. Simplifying your product improves the user experience and makes it easier for customers to adopt and use.

Solution: Focus on delivering core functionality that solves key user problems.

Steps to Overcome:

· Prioritize Essential Features: Identify what features are truly necessary and remove unnecessary ones.

· User Feedback: Gather feedback from potential users to understand what they value most.

· Simplicity & Usability: Ensure the product is easy to use with an intuitive interface.

Insufficient Market Research

Don’t skip market research. Understand your target audience and their needs. Validate your product idea, identify what sets you apart from competitors, and ensure your product addresses customer pain points effectively.

Solution: Conduct thorough market research to ensure your product meets user needs.

Steps to Overcome:

· Understand Target Audience: Gather insights into your audience’s pain points and preferences.

· Competitor Analysis: Study competitors to identify gaps and opportunities.

· Validate Your Idea: Use surveys, interviews, and feedback loops to validate your product concept before development.

Factors Affecting the Cost of SaaS Product Development.

1.Complexity & Features

More Complex Products: The more features and functionalities a SaaS product has, the higher the development cost.

Core vs. Advanced Features: Simple SaaS products with fewer features cost less to develop, while SaaS products with advanced features like AI, integrations, or extensive customization require more development effort and budget.

2. Development Team & Expertise

Skilled Developers: SaaS development requires specialized expertise in areas like cloud computing, APIs, front-end, and back-end development.

Geography: Development teams from regions with lower labor costs (e.g., India, Eastern Europe) generally offer more affordable services compared to regions with higher costs (e.g., North America, Western Europe).

3. Technology Stack & Infrastructure

Cloud Infrastructure Costs: SaaS products often rely on cloud-based infrastructure (like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud), which incurs ongoing costs for storage, bandwidth, and server maintenance.

Choosing Tech Stack: The choice of technology (e.g., front-end frameworks, back-end languages, databases) can influence development complexity and costs.

4. Third-Party Tools & Integrations

APIs & Integrations: Building SaaS products that require third-party integrations or APIs (CRM, payment gateways, etc.) adds to development time and costs.

Licensing Fees: Costs associated with third-party software, libraries, or tools used in development.

5. Design & User Experience (UX)

UI/UX Design Complexity: Developing an intuitive and user-friendly interface adds to the development cost, especially if customization or brand-specific design is required.

Customization: More customized designs or features tailored to specific user needs increase development effort.

6. Security & Compliance Requirements

Data Security & Compliance: SaaS products that handle sensitive data (e.g., healthcare, finance) must comply with regulatory standards (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA). Meeting these compliance requirements increases the cost.

7. Team Size & Project Duration

Project Size: Larger, more ambitious SaaS projects require bigger teams, leading to higher costs.

Timeline: A tight deadline may require more resources, leading to higher costs for quicker delivery.

Team consideration in SAAS product development?

Roles and Responsibilities

Developing a successful SaaS product requires assembling the right team, each with distinct roles that contribute to the overall success. A Product Manager (PM) ensures the product vision aligns with business goals by gathering requirements, prioritizing tasks, and coordinating between teams. Developers (front-end, back-end, full-stack) build core functionality, focusing on scalable and secure code. UI/UX designers create user-friendly interfaces that enhance the product’s usability. QA/Testers ensure the product is bug-free, and performing well across devices. DevOps engineers manage cloud services, optimizing deployment and performance. Data Engineers and Analysts handle data pipelines, providing insights for better decision-making. The Marketing and Growth team drives user acquisition and retention through effective strategies. Finally, the Support and Customer Success team ensures customer satisfaction, collecting feedback to improve the product.

Team Collaboration & Communication

Agile methodologies are key for SaaS product development, promoting iterative development, continuous feedback, and improved collaboration. Shared vision and clear goals ensure that all team members stay aligned. Regular meetings like daily stand-ups and sprint reviews foster effective communication and accountability.

Tool & Infrastructure Consideration

Effective project management relies on tools such as Jira, Trello, Slack, and Confluence, which enhance team communication and productivity. Cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP are essential for deploying and managing SaaS infrastructure. Git-based tools like GitHub ensure smooth version control and code collaboration.

Tips for Building Successful SaaS Products

1. Understand Your Target Market & Validate Your Idea

Level 1: Research & Define the Problem: Start by conducting in-depth research to understand your target audience, their pain points, and the industry trends. Identify what challenges your SaaS product aims to solve. Level 2: Validate Your Idea: Use methods like customer surveys, interviews, and feedback to validate the demand for your product. Build a minimum viable product (MVP) to test the concept in real-world conditions, ensuring there’s genuine interest.

2. Prioritize Simplicity & Core Functionality

Level 1: Identify Core Features: Focus on delivering the essential functionality that addresses the primary needs of your users. Avoid feature bloat that can overwhelm users and dilute the product’s value. Level 2: Iterate Based on User Feedback: After launching, continuously gather feedback, prioritize enhancements, and streamline the user experience to maintain simplicity and ensure usability.

3. Build for Scalability & Performance

Level 1: Plan for Future Growth: Design your SaaS product with scalability in mind, considering increasing user demand and data loads. Use cloud-based infrastructure to ensure your product performs efficiently under growth conditions. Level 2: Optimize Infrastructure & Performance: Invest in scalable cloud services (like AWS, Azure) and monitor performance regularly. Ensure the product can handle traffic spikes, ensuring reliability and uptime.

4. Invest in Customer Support & Retention

Level 1: Build a Support System: Offer exceptional customer support to address issues and ensure customer satisfaction. Provide onboarding, training, and self-help resources to enhance user experience. Level 2: Focus on Retention & Feedback Loops: Use customer feedback to improve your product, address pain points, and implement features that enhance user satisfaction, driving long-term retention.

Steps to Choose the Right SaaS Application Development Company

1. Research and Identity Requirements

Start by clearly defining your SaaS application requirements. Outline the key features, functionalities, budget, timeline, and technical specifications you need.

Share Your Requirements: Provide detailed requirements regarding the scope of work, timeline, budget, and any specific technologies you need.

Shortlist Potential Companies: Research and identify reputable SaaS application development companies that align with your criteria, based on factors like experience, expertise, and client feedback.

2. Conduct a Thorough Evaluation

Engage in Research & Analysis: Review the company’s portfolio, case studies, and previous work to ensure they have relevant experience in SaaS application development.

Check Reviews & Testimonials: Look for client testimonials, ratings, and feedback on platforms like Clutch, G2, or Google Reviews to gauge their reliability and quality of work.

Evaluate Technical Expertise: Ensure the company has expertise in relevant technologies, such as cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), APIs, DevOps, and front-end/back-end development frameworks.

3. Engage and Shortlist Potential Companies

Request Proposals and Demo Sessions: Reach out to shortlisted companies and request detailed proposals or demos showcasing their capabilities and how they plan to meet your needs.

Discuss Technical Solutions: Engage in discussions with the development team to understand their approach to SaaS development, such as their development methodology, scalability, and security practices.

4. Build a Clear Plan and Setup the Team

Define Milestones & Deliverables: Establish clear project milestones, timelines, and deliverables to ensure accountability.

Team Setup: Collaborate with the company to define the team structure (developers, product managers, designers, QA engineers, etc.) that will work on your project. Ensure the team has the right skills and experience.

5. Proceed with Terms & Agreement

Set Clear Terms & Conditions: Define the terms of engagement, including pricing, payment schedules, intellectual property rights, and project timelines.

Legal Agreements: Ensure proper contracts are in place, covering confidentiality, ownership, and scope of work.

Review & Finalize: Once the terms are agreed upon, sign a formal agreement to ensure both parties are aligned on expectations and responsibilities.

From Beginning to End: Building Remarkable SaaS Products for Today’s Market

From start to finish, building successful SaaS products requires careful planning, diligent execution, and a commitment to continuous improvement. By understanding the significance of SaaS in today’s business world, following the steps involved in SaaS product development, and addressing common challenges, you can create a high-quality product that meets customer needs and drives business growth. Stay focused, adaptable, and customer-focused, and your SaaS product will be positioned for success in today’s competitive market. When you’re ready to take the next step, our Growth Accelerator program is here to help you turn your product into a thriving business.