Do you want your business to say “quick fix” or “long haul” to the customers you value?
When you’re on a shoestring budget, you’re always looking for expenses to cut. The app economy has made one of those choices simple: software, systems, and platforms.
You can find a free solution for just about anything.
But just because something is free, doesn’t mean it’s good. One of the first suggestions I make to a client when she’s trying to up her game, gain credibility in the market, and boost profits is to make changes to the platforms she uses to run her business.
Let’s get real.
The tools we use say a lot about the business we run. Good tools and professional systems say that we mean to stick around. Poor tools and DIY-solutions say that we’re a gamble.
Just because a tool is premium doesn’t mean it’s good, either. Your job is to determine the experience of your business that you want your customers to have.
In setting up payment gateways, content security, and member intake at Kick Start Labs over the last few weeks, we made a concerted effort to make everything flow, to make the experience elegant, to allow each detail to speak for itself. We researched platforms, fought with APIs, and tested.
When we launched, things didn’t go as planned.
I was, frankly, devastated.
So we regrouped. Made different choices. Got creative. In the end, the back end is a little more unwieldy than I would like. But the front end is a much better experience.
It’s a user experience that represents the quality our customers receive.
You do great work. You facilitate big things. You serve your customers with heart.
Don’t you deserve the same from your business solutions?
Here are some ideas of how to get started:
- Upgrade your web hosting or utilize a content delivery network to speed up your website.
- Invest in a full-featured payment system.
- Use professional webinar or teleclass solutions.
- Invest in a customer retention management, inventory, or accounting solution.
- Engage a project management application.
- Purchase better software & applications for writing, designing, or editing.
Your business most certainly does not to spend money on things you don’t need. But, where you have needs, you might need to spend money. In most cases, free will only go so far.
What platforms are you using that need to be upgraded?
