Startup companies face limited resources, experienced competition and highly selective consumers. Therefore, they must have the right software solutions in order to run the most efficient and effective operation.
Publishing Programs
The three free publishing programs that most startups choose from include Drupal, Joomla and WordPress. Each has their own advantages, but they all offer excellent content-management services. WordPress is actually one of the most popular content publication systems because they offer advanced customization features with over 30,000 plug-ins. These plug-ins can create calendars, picture galleries and even Twitter feeds. While this can be daunting to novice users, startup companies should maximize the marketing and customer engagement benefits of a content publication service. Keep in mind that no HTML editing is required and users have full control of their 100 percent customizable website. Most important, the concise code that WordPress uses is easy for Google and other search engines to read. Therefore, search engine optimization management is a straightforward process.
Project Management
Startups will most likely have to keep track of multiple projects, ranging from product development to client collaboration. Trello is one of the most popular web-based project management programs that syncs perfectly with different devices. The basic service is free, but there is also a monthly fee-based service. Trello allows users a board system that allows users to edit and customize cards in accordance with their project’s needs and scope. Users can upload attachments, add comments and create checklists and deadlines. There is also a notification system and collaboration function that allows endless amounts of users to collectively comment on a card. Another popular project management program is Asana, which is free for teams of up to 15 users. Asana’s well-designed system and dashboard has been used by Uber, CBS, Pinterest and Dropbox.
Customer-Relationship Management
Customer-relationship management (CRM) programs are one of the fundamental ways that companies use to not just track sales data, but ensure quality customer engagement and superior customer service. This software is an essential tool for any business that wants to surpass the competition. There are many traditional software programs that companies use, such as Microsoft’s Dynamics and Oracle’s CRM program. However, Salesforce is a web-based CRM system with flexible programming that actually grows with the company. This is because almost every function can be customized. This will be intimidating to new users with simplistic needs. Nevertheless, a complex CRM system is actually better in the long run because employees will be trained and prepared to handle the complex sales pipeline.
Taken as a whole, every startup company should have the right software programs in order to standardize and streamline their operations. Three of the most basic kinds of software include publishing, project management and customer-relationship management programs.