We are pleased to introduce our second infographic, after our first one on the Top 25 Project Management Apps, highlighting some of the most important Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Social CRM (SCRM) applications.

CRM apps help businesses manage better customer relationships. CRM tools track all customer information in a database and allow you to input all interactions to better understand your customer needs.

SCRM solutions provide, apart from customer management, the ability of interaction among all users and integrate customer-driven dynamic channels such as social networks.

In this post we explain how we have chosen the 28 solutions to be featured in this infographic and we share with you critical information to help you compare CRM and SCRM apps.

Check out the important decision factors required for choosing such applications, so that you can decide which one is the best for your business needs.

Which Solutions Have Been Included?

We focused exclusively on Software as a Service (SaaS) CRM and SCRM apps which means these solutions can be accessed online.

The selection of 28 solutions chosen for this infographic were based on the size and age of the company developing the product, popularity of the apps, social media presence, ease of integration, trust factors and mobile applications availability.

We consider these solutions to be among the most important of the CRM and SCRM categories, but it does not mean they are the “best” solutions.

To help you understand if an app falls in the CRM or SCRM category, we have included short descriptions of the main function of these apps and  have created a “Kingdom of Customer Relation” where you can see each application on a landscape of traditional CRM and Social CRM.

We always recommend to GetApp.com users to conduct a thorough research effort when evaluating business apps. Eventually your research should lead you to a short list of two or three options  and from there you can test the products using free trials prior to making your final choice.

What Data and Criteria Were Used?

We have collected a lot of information about all of the contenders. All the data points we have been using to build this list are available in the public domain:

• Alexa and Compete ranks
• Number of queries in Google per month for the product name
• Number of followers in Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn
• Availability of the solution in the Google Apps Marketplace, Salesforce.com AppeXchange or Intuit Marketplace
• Mention of an open API option on website
• Third party security or privacy seals such as TRUSTe and others
• Number of employees
• Availability of iOS and Android apps
• Complete price plan available on website (we excluded products that did not)

Have We Missed Some Vendors?

Yes we have and we encourage vendors of apps that have been missed to leave a comment describing the benefits of their solutions.

This a guide to help businesses considering subscribing to a CRM or SCRM service rather than a popularity contest. There are many more solutions available and we encourage you to visit our online CRM and Social CRM categories for a more comprehensive list of over 200 apps.

We will update this infographic so please let us know if you are…

• a vendor not represented in this infographic or not listed in our marketplace
• a user of a great solution that you believe should have made it on the list
• someone with ideas about other important indicators (and you know where to find the information!)
• find that your product misrepresented

Please contact us, we want to know about it.

Follow this link to see the infographic online :

The Most Important Online CRM and Social CRM Apps

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These days, it seems that we have more to remember than ever. Trying to balance personal, business and family life is hard enough, but if you factor in keeping track of all the to-do’s, appointments and notes one has to remember for all of those things, it can be an outright nightmare.

However, despite doing most of their work on computers and mobile devices, many people still use pencil and paper to keep track of the things they need to remember. While that can be effective, there are many services out there that aim to replace “dead tree” note-taking and provide features that physical notes simply can’t have.

If you’re looking for a tool, either a business app or for personal use,  to help you get more organized, here are seven services to consider, including what they can do to help make your life a little bit easier.

1. Evernote

When it comes to online note-taking, Evernote is the biggest player around and for good reason. Working through a series of apps available for both desktops and mobile devices, Evernote allows you to record and store just about anything. You can clip from Web pages, upload notes to yourself, take a photo of something you want to remember or even upload a PDF.

Evernote will make all of your notes searchable, even scanning your images and translating them into text. You can organize your notes into notebooks and further drill down with tags and text that you add. Best of all, items you save in Evernote are not just stored locally, but they are also synced via the Web so they will appear on all your devices, including Evernotes’ Web interface.

Evernote is free to use for up to 60 MB of data uploaded per month. Premium users, who pay either $5 per month or $45 per year, get up to 1 GB of data per month and additional features such as faster image recognition and offline notebooks.

2. SpringPad

Fundamentally, SpringPad is very similar to Evernote in that it allows you to clip information and place it into a notebook. However, SpringPad distinguishes itself in two key ways. First, it exist entirely in the cloud (though Google Chrome users can still enjoy offline access via the Web app) and second it is sensitive to the types of data used.

For example, if you want to remember to watch a movie, you can save the name of the movie and SpringPad will pull in other information about it including cast, crew and where you can buy/view it.

SpringPad is currently free and does not offer a paid version. However, products purchased through SpringPad, such as through Amazon, do use an affiliate code.

3. Diigo

Diigo is something of a departure from the other two as it is seen primarily as a social bookmarking app, not a note taking one. However, Diigo has features and tools that go well beyond mere bookmarking.

Not only can you tag pages and order them into lists, but you can also leave notes on the pages, highlight critical content and even take screenshots to upload to your notebook. You can also establish a “read later” list of content you don’t have time to look at right now but want to come back to.

It’s a simple, powerful way to organize and remember what you find online. Diigo is free for unlimited bookmarks but premium plans, which start at $20 per year, offer additional features such as full text searching of bookmarks, unlimited screenshots and unlimited highlights.

4. Microsoft OneNote

For those who live and breathe in Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote may be a natural choice. OneNote operates through pages where you can enter text, add images and even place documents. However, unlike a word processor, it is completely free-form, much like a pasteboard.

OneNote saves pages into sections and notebooks. OneNote primarily exists as an offline app, using the file extension “.one” but later versions allow for cloud syncing and even offer mobile versions for iPhone and Windows mobile.

OneNote is available for both Windows and Mac as part of the Microsoft Office suite.

5. Zoho Notebook

Zoho Notebook operates similarly to Microsoft OneNote in its use of pages and notebooks, but it is completely cloud-based, existing solely in your browser.

With Zoho Noteook, you can bring in content from a variety of sources including text, images, HTML, video, audio and other Zoho apps. You can then embed that content onto a page and position it in whatever way you want.

Zoho Notebook is entirely Web-based though there is a Firefox plugin. No mobile apps are available. Zoho Notebook is free.

6. Simplenote

Simplenote is exactly what the name says, a simple way to take notes. Using the Web version, mobile app or any of the third-party apps available for Mac, Windows and Linux, you can jot down notes and have them sent to the cloud, where they are synchronized for later viewing.

However, beyond tagging notes and searching through them, there’s no advanced organization. Instead, Simplenote focuses on speed and simplicity.

Simplenote is free to use but a premium account, which costs $20 per year, enables unlimited access via third party apps and more backup versions of your notes.

7. Tomboy

Tomboy is an open source application for Windows, Mac and Linux that aims to make note-taking easy. Tomboy focuses on simplicity rather than depth of features, making it easy to save and find notes at will.

Tomboy boasts a wiki-like linking system that makes it easy to link between notes. Notes can be organized into notebooks, as with similar systems. However, there is no online syncing feature or mobile version as Tomboy is a desktop-only app.

Tomboy is free to use and can also be extended through a variety of add-ons.

All in all, the only reason to use pencil and paper for jotting notes is if it truly is the best method for you. With so many different note taking tools and apps out there, there’s almost certainly one that works for the kind of work you do.

Whether you need an offline-only option, a cloud-based tool or a hybrid of the two, there are services out there that can help.

You can check a longer list to compare online task management software and choose the one that fits your particular needs.

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Image credit to Flick user S@Z

In our previous post, we discussed ways to disrupt your small business. One of the quickest ways to do this is to implement SaaS in your business.

In case you did not know it, SaaS stands for Software-as-a-Service. Thus, instead of purchasing software, you can rent it. Because it is scalable and cheap, SaaS has bridged geographies and the gap between moneyed organizations and cash-strapped small businesses.

According to research published last year by IDC, spending on cloud services by small businesses (or businesses with 100 or fewer employees) in the US, is projected to grow by over 70 percent from last year to $4.1 billion in 2013.

That’s a striking spending increase in these economically depressed times. The increase is even more spectacular when you consider that small businesses work with limited budgets.

So, what’s driving this phenomenal increase in SaaS business apps spending?

Here are four reasons why small businesses love SaaS.

1. SaaS democratizes business

As a small business owner, you are intensely focused on doing more with less. Often this approach translates into expensive decisions that may be costly in the long run.

For example, small businesses often prefer to spend on multiple cheap applications that fragment their customer and business perspective, instead of opting for solutions that provide an enterprise-centric vision. The consequences of such decisions is that they hamper your small business growth.

SaaS enables small businesses to deploy enterprise-wide applications such as enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management at a fraction of on-premise application costs.

Of course, the business value of these applications is tremendous. They enable you to integrate multiple views and perspectives of your customer (and enterprise) into a single cohesive perspective of your customer.

2. SaaS converts fixed costs into variable costs

As we had discussed in our previous post, you can disrupt your small business by converting fixed costs into variable ones. Thus, instead of investing in expensive IT infrastructure and support teams, you can opt for flexible cloud-based IT support and infrastructure.

What’s more, radical pricing innovations in SaaS enable you to pay per seat. Thus, you can scale back or increase your demands based on customer demand and business growth. Similarly, you can convert your fixed real estate costs into the variable costs by investing in project management software that enables your employees to work from home.

3. SaaS enables data security

Because it is expensive and involves additional resources, data security for most small businesses consists of anti-virus software installation. Compare this to enterprise-level solutions where IT security involves physical security, data storage and backup.

SaaS is cloud-based; this means your data resides in a server cloud, which is managed by a third party company. This company is, in effect, responsible for the security of your data. If they lose data, they lose customers. The chain effect automatically makes it important for them to protect your data and ensure that it is available to you 24X7. Thus, without asking for it, you get data security at dirt cheap prices.

4. SaaS improves employee productivity

Employee productivity is a function of two things: mobility and focus. SaaS frees your employees from the constraints of office space. Thus, your employees can access their applications from home or update sales call statuses on the road. Can you imagine the gains in employee productivity when your line manager is able to make updates on the shop floor, instead of in an air conditioned office? Thus, SaaS enables real-time communication and updates, making your business more efficient.

These are just four ways that SaaS can help you adapt to a changing world. As you work with SaaS applications, you will find better and greater use for these applications in your workplace.

Do let us know if you think I missed important points in this post. What do you love about SaaS?

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Image courtesy of Flicr user Cahaya Dalam Kegelapan

Free software for small businesses is great to get started. It provides them with the necessary tools to do their job and be productive at no extra costs. However, good software design is not cheap and costs money. Consequently, good software is not cheap.

So, how do you balance commercial considerations with budgetary constraints?

Enter the freemium model. This model is fast becoming the preferred method for business software distribution and retail.

Essentially, the freemium model is a combination of free and paid. This means that there are two versions of the software available to users: a basic free version (that may be a trial version) with no frills and a premium version with all the bells and whistles and customization.

And, what are the benefits, you ask? Some of them are listed below:

• Free software: The basic version of the software is generally free and enables you to cut costs. This means you don’t need to worry about your budgets going overboard as you implement that great product.
• Easy scalability: Once you have the basics in place, the freemium model enables you to scale your business with the resulting demand curve. This means that you can scale your software use as revenues increase or decrease. This means that, with increasing revenues, you can add complexity to your solution and/or increase the number of users.
• Beta Testing: Freemium software allows you to beta test before you commit to a purchasing decision. This means if basic software versions does it for you, then you do not need to invest in premium versions. The result is that you save money and effort. And, in the end, you know exactly what you are going in for when you invest in software.

On that note, let’s look at some free software that might be of use to small businesses:

• Zoho CRM

Zoho has simplified costly and complex CRM software by offering you three basic versions of their software. You can use the free version to track daily sales and leads, and perform basic customization. The professional edition is aimed at growing organizations and is a cut above their free version for sales activities and data storage. The enterprise edition is pretty much the works including enhanced customization and with added security and user management features bundled into the solution. View ZohoCRM.

• Desk.com

Assistly is a cloud-based software based support system. It helps you track and manage customer support through multiple channels. You can download a free version of their software for a limited time period from their website. You can also upgrade after trying out their software. View Desk.com

• Mavenlink

The folks behind Mavenlink say it is an entirely new way for businesses and consultants to work together. In practical terms, this means that Mavenlink is a project collaboration software that enables you to share documents and files with each other. It is available in four flavors: free, expert, guru, and maven. Each flavor represents an increasing degree of user feature. View Mavenlink.

• AtTask

We call it project management but the folks behind AtTask call it a task management software. What’s more the solution has an array of well-known customers from Adobe to Nike to Apple. But, why don’t you check it out for yourself? They have four basic license types – Requester, Team Member, View-Only, and Full User and they offer a free trial version. View AtTask.

• PlanBox

PlanBox bills itself as a easy to use agile project management tool. This means you can manage and track projects, between team members using a single solution. The intuitive interface makes it easy for agile novices or adepts to start being proficient in no time. They have a free trial version available. View PlanBox.

• Zendesk

This software is one of the leading cloud-based help desk software and support ticketing system with built-in community and knowledge base features. It helps small businesses. It seamlessly integrates all of your support channels including email, web, chat, and social media A free trial version (with the option to upgrade) is available from their website. View Zendesk.

• TribeHR

TribeHR integrates multiple aspects of Human Resources management: from Applicant tracking to performance and skills management. They call themselves “an engaging and social HR tool that frees up precious resources while helping employees feel good about about the work they do” The idea is to help any small business to  save time and effort by making sure that all HR functions are available in one place. They offer a free trial version to help you get started. View TribeHR.

• Podio

Podio creates a “space” for you to share information, download apps, and interact with your colleagues. Sampler: you can add meeting notes, documents, and baby pictures (yes, you can do that!) . They also have a praise tool to send kudos to your team. What’s more, the solution integrates with social media. Sound interesting? Of course there is  free trial version. View Podio.

• BrightPearl

BrightPearl integrates multiple aspects of your business and provides for a single seamless view. The idea is to help you save time and effort by making sure that everything works together and duplication is avoided across different systems. Don’t believe me? Check it out yourself. They have a free version available. View BrightPearl.

• Xero

Xero is an online accounting-based software that enables you to manage and track your accounts from anywhere. They call themselves the “world’s easiest accounting software” and have a free trial version available ! View Xero.

You should always enjoy the free version of a software product before making a financial commitment. Welcome to the freemium world!

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In his 80s bestseller “Thriving in Chaos,” well-known management guru Tom Peters touted the benefits of miniaturization.

In an example, he wrote about the success of mini-steel mills or small mills that supported local markets. In turn, these mills were about to be eclipsed by micro-mills, or steel mills every 25 miles or so.

This is an example of business disruption.

Disruption, or the act of disturbing established business practices, is an essential part of any business cycle. It is necessary for businesses to remain competitive and meet customer demands.

An upswing in technology use and Software as a Service (SaaS) growth has enabled small businesses to compete with established players and implement scale.

Here are four simple, common-sense ways in which you can disrupt your small business.

1. Conduct a SWOT analysis of your small business

In case you did not know about it, SWOT is an analysis technique to survey small businesses for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (hence, the acronym SWOT).

In short, it identifies, establishes, and lists priorities for your small business, includes intangible assets such as your employee base as well as their skill sets. The analysis also sets out a future road map by identifying growth avenues and roadblocks. Typically, this list should be the starting point for any analysis about the evolution of  your business. The outcome should be a list of priorities.

2. Rank your assets

Once you have listed priorities, rank them in order of importance.

This can be especially tricky in an ever-changing business environment. For example, how do you rank intangible assets such as your employee skill-set against tangible assets such as office space?

The secret, in this case, is to rank assets against value derived to your core product or service. For example, if you are in a high-end consulting services small business, skill sets for your employees ranks higher than office space. The converse is true for product-based businesses such as small-scale manufacturing centers since employee skill sets can be ramped up through inhouse (or outsourced) training programs.

3. Fixed to variable costs

Operating business is about achieving scale.

Numerous orders and customers from a single day can slow down to a trickle the next day. As a small business, you can achieve scale by minimizing fixed costs and converting them to flexible costs.

For example, you can eliminate fixed physical office space costs and convert them into variable costs by investing in Software as a Service (SaaS) online project management tools that enable your employees to work from home or from client locations.

4. Adopt SaaS for your business

Most small businesses are apprehensive about investing in technology (and on-premise software) because it represents a fixed cost and commitment to the installed software.

However, SaaS business apps is a democratizing force, one that enables you to compete on the same turf as big business. It enables you to test and implement previously undiscovered permutations for your small business.

The road to disruption is paved with uncertainty and doubt. However, you can minimize this uncertainty by taking a methodical, common-sensical approach and mixing it up with technology. It will also significantly reduce your IT costs and increase your productivity.

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We asked Peter Taylor, aka LazyPM, a few questions about himself, how he defines project management, what are the benefits of project management for businesses, what people should be careful about when choosing a project management tool and where to learn more about project management.

Read on to discover what Aliens have to do with project management and why laziness and productivity can be compatible!

Can you describe yourself briefly and what is your passion?

‘Lazy but oh so productive’!

Well that is the simple definition, add to that author, speaker, PMO leader and husband, father etc. But the constant over the last 27 years has been ‘project manager’.

And my passion is, not surprisingly, ‘project management’ – or more specifically spreading the value and pleasure of project management to as wide an audience as possible.

These days I have the ability to do this through my books, through my speaking and workshops, and through the power of the social networks that all of us can connect to and learn from.

I just wish that there were so many ways to gain wisdom and advice when I started out – books, blogs, websites, podcasts, and an easy connection to a whole world of project managers through LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook etc. Young PMs should really take advantage of this.

How did you come to project management?

Like many project managers of my generation I suspect, by accident. I worked on a team implementing a software system, which I found enjoyable, and then became a manufacturing consultant in a software house. By means of not messing up any project I worked on I eventually became a ‘project manager’.

It was actually 5 years after I had that title that I ever went on a PM training course and 10 years before I took any form of certification. I am pleased these days that we have a generation of business managers coming through that are trained in project management as a core skill.

How do you define project management?

That is an interesting one and is something of a challenge to all of us. I mean how can you simply explain project management to people outside of project management? It is not easy.

I asked this question in a LinkedIn discussion some time ago in a question entitled ‘Explain project management to an Alien’. We all know the terms of definition for project management but, to get outsiders to understand what we do, how would you simply describe project management to someone who has no idea what it is?

Now it may just be me – but I am pretty sure it isn’t – people outside of project management don’t get project management. My family has no idea what I really do and here’s a test, ask any project manager you know to answer one simple question. They must answer quickly, no thinking time; just respond! OK. Look them in the eye and ask them, “What does a project manager do?” I bet half of them will mumble something along the lines of “they manage projects.” Not very helpful.

So back to the ‘alien encounter’ question I feel that we need to get a few things out of the way here. Naturally, as expected, people responded with comments ranging from “If an alien arrived here from outer space then they probably know more about project management than we do” – a fair point – to a comment written in ‘Klingon’ – and of course the classic “I thought that project managers were aliens” – very good and ‘no’ but the sponsors could well be.

The full article can be found here Alien Project Management

And my favorite definition? Well it was “Getting something new and exciting done with a group of people!”

Who should be concerned about project management?

Pretty much anyone these days, I mean we are all project managers in some way – organizing a holiday or family event for example – and so the basic PM skills are of use to every person.

But in a business sense then I believe that all managers and executives of the future should have an understanding of project management as part of their core skill set. Projects are a growing part of every business and projects are an intrinsic part of business strategy delivery – therefore a good manager needs to understand ‘projects’ and what makes a project different from ‘business as usual’.

How can it be useful to a small business? What piece of advice can you share?

Just as in large organizations, project management capability is important and valuable, but more likely to not be considered or prioritized. But of course it should be since a change in a small business can have a much more significant impact (positive or negative) on that business – the outcome becomes far more binary that in a larger organisation. Add to that a large organisation is far more likely to have a mature project capability then the risk of failure is significantly reduced.

So in a small business it is critical that at least the basic project management skills are learned and applied – it will pay dividends.

In your experience, what are the most common concerns?

Cost is always at the top of the list. How can costs be controlled and managed? This is a typical dilemma in that project management is often perceived as an overhead and an added cost and yet the very purpose of project management is to reduce the risk of cost overruns and deliver the value and benefits of the project that has been commissioned.

Risk is there as well; change, and projects are all about change, is good and businesses need change to deliver strategic improvements but there is always a risk in adopting change. Most people are afraid of change and risk is often a way in which that fear is represented.

Linked to cost and linked to risk there is the ‘resource’ issue – does the organization have the right skills available to lead (PM) and to deliver (subject matter experts) the required deliverable?

Virtual project teams are a rising issue as the scope of the projects these days expands in their stakeholder reach and costs (once again) are put under pressure thereby limiting ‘face time’ for project team members. Here the advent of web technology is one way to compensate for this.

Expectation management is another concern – or it should be for any project manager. Communicating skills are number one for all project managers and part of this is dealing with all of those stakeholders that your project involves and impacts and making sure that their expectations of what your project is all about (and will deliver) are under controlled and in line with reality. Get that wrong and you (and your project) will be in big trouble.

What should a business be looking at when searching for project management software?

When I ran a PMO in a recent organization we focused on the 5 P’s – People, Process, Performance, Promotion and ‘PMIS’ (Project Management Information System). Apart from using the basic office tools. the system side was put to the back as we lead with the People and Process and then the Performance and Promotion. Eventually, when we had been up and running for over two years we then felt we were ready to define the solution needed to support the project management community and therefore specified, researched and deployed the application that we selected.

The point here being that software selection too early on – when you may not yet know exactly what you want/need – is the wrong approach in my view.

What are your favorite project management solutions and why?

I don’t have favorites I just use what is in place typically… It is not about the solution so much as about the people.

Where do you find the best information about project management?

I go back to the many ways there are to gain wisdom and advice on project management these days – books, blogs, websites, podcasts, webinars, workshops  and an easy connection to whole world of project managers through LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook etc.

I also attend as many project management conferences as possible – local and national – and here you get to listen to and meet a lot of great project managers willing to share their experience.

And, if you are a new or ‘green bean’ project manager, try and find yourself an experienced project manager that will act as a mentor or coach. This is a truly invaluable way to learn how to be a good project manager.

Thanks for the insights Peter and I would also advise readers to check your project management resources packed blog The Lazy Project Manager

You can also check this infographic about Popular Online Project Management Tools if you need help making a decision about which online project management software is a good fit for your business.

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Okay, quick disclaimer here.  I LOVE shopping — and if I had endless disposable income I would shop everyday.  What’s more, I love shopping online because I can privately select what I want and not be rushed.   So getting the chance to review Shopify, a very robust eCommerce solution, and create my own dream store, was a lot of fun.  What’s more, Shopify makes the experience incredibly easy so you can actually enjoy your work.  So, if you are thinking of building an eCommerce site or already have one but want to make a switch, take a gander at Shopify.

What Does it Look Like?

Shopify is kind of cool. It offers you the chance to choose your template and design, so that your online store is your own.  The best part, the user-interface is intuitive to navigate and very straightforward.  Once you sign up, you are presented with a dashboard and from there Shopify offers instructions that will lead  you through the entire start-up process step by step until you can navigate on your own.   It will even tell you what you are missing and need to do to in order to complete your store.  The ribbon at the top of the screen is your guide and allows you to monitor your orders, save information about customers, add in products, take out products, print out analytics, input multiple sizes, as well as utilize the collections and promotions tabs to help display and promote your online store.

If you already have an online store and decide to make the switch to Shopify, Shopify does offer a few options to switch over without having to start from scratch. Shopify recently launched “make-the-switch”. This automatically loads your store with products from a Magento, WordPress or Ebay account.

Basically Shopify has thought of everything and just taking 30 minutes to go through the solution should be enough to get the hang of it.  And by the way, back to the “cool” part – Shopify even has an App Store.  Awesome.

Features

Creating your online store:

As mentioned above, the process of getting started and creating your store is very simple.  Shopify takes you step by step allowing you to choose themes and colors as well as inputting your logos and other photos that will align your online store with your company brand.  After setting up the themes, Shopify will prompt you to to add in your products.  You don’t have to add all of them in right away – I would do a test first to make sure you like what you see and then go from there.

Like any good eCcommerce solution, Shopify will ask you to add in both photos and copy for each product.  Once you do that, you can also add in information such as the size, product vendor, weight (if applicable), colors and pricing — which even includes taxing.

You can also organize your products through the collections tab.  For instance you can create a shirt collection and another for pants if you are selling apparel.  If you are selling electronics, you could add in a collection for tablets and another collection for PCs — you get the gist.  Here is roughly how it works:  you click on the collections tab and follow the prompts to create a title for your collection.  Once you do that, you can then insert photos and information.  When you are done, Shopify creates your collection and then allows you to insert the products that are part of the collection.

Customers and Orders:

The fun part of Shopify is creating your store and making it look awesome and dynamic for your customers.  But eventually you will have to get down to business and manage your eCommerce site – and Shopify does a nice job helping you with that.

In the Customer tab, you can add in customer information such as mailing addresses, emails and other pertinent information. If you already have a customer list, you can import that data as well while you are in the Customer tab so you don’t have to re-key in all of your data.  Having your customer information all in one place enables you to later track analytics of your customers’ buying patterns like who is buying what and how much are they spending and more. This will also help you later when you want to promote new products or services directly to your customers.

Also in the Customer tab you can track a customer’s order — so if there is a problem, it will be easy to ascertain the order progress.

Likewise, the Order tab allows you to monitor, filter and even bulk actions all of your orders as well as check to see how much your customers spent as well as the status of the order.

Blogs and Pages:

In addition to populating your site with products, you can also set up a blog as well as web pages that offer your customers more information about your business.  This is a really important section of the solution because Shopify is allowing you to implement a valuable SEO tactic – which is the more information and keywords on your site – the bigger possibility your site will show up in searches.  In the Blogs and Pages tab, you can create About Us and Contact pages as well as post articles about your business as well as trends relating to your product line.  For example, if you are selling health food products, you might pen a post that talks about the virtues of eating well and staying away from fatty foods that can raise your bad cholesterol.

You can also create and maintain a blog.  Shopify offers you basic editing tools to design your pages and blogs such as multiple fonts and colors, as well as the ability to insert photos, logos, script and more.

Promotions:

Shopify has numerous tools  to create coupons and other promotions to entice your customers to your site.  In addition to coupons, you can create discount codes as well as use several features available to you such as the Google Web Optimizer which is built into the Shopify solution and allows you to gain a better sense of how your site is being viewed by customers.  A number of online advertising tools from Google AdWords to Yahoo Sponsored Search are also compatible with Shopify.

Implementing a promotions plan that resonates with customers is never easy — even for us veteran marketers.  Therefore, Shopify has a pretty well-stocked Help, Blog and Wiki sections with explanations and advice on promoting your store.

Agressive storage plans

Shopify already includes unlimited bandwidth on all plans but they made a very aggressive  move recently by announcing that they’ve increased file storage amounts by a factor of 10X.

Customers on the Basic plan get 1GB , Professional 5GB , and Business 10 GB  of file storage.  The storage limit increase means you can store more product pictures, documents, videos, and other files you use in your online store.

Mobile:

A lot of online services these days include mobile phone-friendly features — especially  as phones and tablets become the de facto “PCs.”  Shopify Mobile (available for iPhones) allows you to view your administrative site and implement basic tasks such as fulfilling orders, inventory management, capturing payments and much more.  You can get this free app in the Shopify App Store.

Is it for you?

Not all businesses need an online store, but if you sell products or services, having an eCommerce site is pretty much in the cards.  Shopify does an excellent job of backing your online store with helpful tools and apps and the solution is very easy to implement – you do not need any HTML or programming experience to use Shopify.  I was impressed with the amount of instruction Shopify offers its users through the Help and Blog sections.  Overall, Shopify a very good product to have as you develop your eCommerce presence.

Ratings: ease of use 5/5, features 5/5, value 5/5 and ease of deployment 5/5