Choosing the best cloud-based marketing software solution for your business can be a confusing process due to the vast number of solutions available.  When shopping around for a new cloud-based software solution, bear in mind your employees as well as your customers.   In order to guarantee success in your business, your first step is to make sure your marketing and sales teams are always prepared with quick and easy access to their materials.  What better way to access these things than a cloud-based solution?  With today’s technology you are able to utilize the tools that make your life easier and as an added bonus, they are readily available whenever you need. 

How do you find the best solution?   

First, keep in mind your personal sales goals as well as your businesses goals.  If you are responsible for marketing and/or sales of a Pharmaceutical, BioTech, or Healthcare company, you will need to keep in mind the industry standards and best practices, as well as the ease of accessibility and HIPAA compliant solutions.  Furthermore, you’ll want to find a solution that will help you grow revenue with minimal acquisition costs. 

What to Look for When Searching for a Marketing Portal: 

Evaluate the Standards of the SaaS    

Do evaluate your business and think about your industry type before choosing the best solution. Every healthcare, pharmaceutical or medical device company is different. Think about the needs of your individual organization and write them down.  Make sure the vendor you are considering follows the standards of ethics and rules-based best practices and can satisfy your legal processes for sensitive information and government guidelines.  

Many organizations need an easy way to customize content quickly and on the fly, whether it is your sales teams in the field or business cards for new employee’s.  Don’t waste time and money paying someone to make PDF documents every time you need one.  Instead, look for vendors who can make you a one-time PDF document that has a customizable feature to accommodate everyone.  

Focus on Easy Access   

Being able to quickly access your data is important.  Make sure your SaaS uses simple sign-on technology with increased security as the need arises. Accessibility plus security is a must. Secondly, give your team a solution that they will have success with, not a complicated site with all the bells and whistles that will never get touched. Give them a great experience and tell your vendor your business logistics to make sure they can accommodate.  If they cannot accommodate, make sure you find a vendor that will either work with you or help think of other business logistics in the software that can.   

Find a Vendor Who Can Integrate with Printing Needs or Fulfillment Services   

Find a vendor who offers the ability to use print options or print fulfillment services for those customers who order personalized items or items to be sold “on demand.” This is a growing area of business that is needed for business owners to stay on top of the demand. Fast access and delivery of content that your sales reps can access increases revenue opportunity and does not waste their time.   

5 Things to Avoid When Searching For a Marketing Portal: 

Don’t Choose the First SaaS You See   

There are many different marketing solutions out there today that are full of automation features and special benefits. First create a checklist for your business/practice’s needs. When you have completed this step, you are now ready to start researching different software providers and seeing if their solutions match any of the needs on your checklist.  Ask for examples of similar results from other companies in the industry. Make sure you have a plan in hand, take a stakeholder with you, and have a budget in mind to meet the need and see what is affordable.  

Don’t Choose a Vendor Who is not Using State-of-the-Art Technologies   

Find a SaaS that uses the best cutting-edge software like Amazon’s AWS or Microsoft’s Azure. This will ensure that they can handle the load when your business demand grows. It also helps with security because the bigger companies have a way to prevent most hacking attempts before they happen.  

Don’t Sacrifice Security and Find a Rules-Based Engine   

This is the most important aspect of choosing a cloud solution. Even if you find a solution that does everything you need, if it isn’t encrypted with the best security tools and anti-malware tools, you are open to disaster from anyone who wants to penetrate your system. Put security first, especially if you work in the area of medical and pharmaceuticals. Locate a rules-based software engine that allows for input at the front end. Otherwise, you could waste money in the long run.   

Don’t Choose Free Print Solutions   

Free usually means what it says. That means you are not paying for anything of value. You are just trusting that they have something that is good enough to use “for now.” Rather than settle for a freebie, look around for high-quality print solutions that offer real value in exchange for a nominal fee. You are investing in more than a solution, find a partner that will have customer support, training, and assistance to you when new ideas and logistics come to head.   

Do Consider Price to Increase Your ROI   

Remember that purchasing SaaS is a big but important step for your business. Consider the cost and what you are getting for your money. Compare every feature to other products and see which one best fits your needs.   

Summary   

When choosing a Digital Asset and Order Management solution, cloud-based is the way to go. The improvements that have been made on modern SaaS cloud solutions is amazing. Just keep in mind these 10 Do’s and Don’ts to make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck, increase your ROI, and lower acquisition costs. Marketing is important, but if you are in a field that requires careful handling of data and other digital files, make sure you choose a company you can trust!