Have you ever considered using online applications to enhance your business productivity?
On line applications can help you when working with current and potential clients. For example in connection with lead generation, delivering services to our clients and as internal tools in our practice – all of which enhance your productivity and effectiveness.
I was recently approached by journalist Marie Boran of the Irish Independent who asked me to do an email interview about my use of online applications in business to enhance productivity.
I have summarised below my reply outlining all the tools I use as I think you too will find them of benefit to build your brand and reputation online.
Online tools are particularly helpful when you are in a role where you are mobile and your team and the business partners you collaborate with are dispersed across the country or event the globe as is the case in my business.
Many of the applications are available at no cost or require a relatively small financial investment to assess them.
In addition, you do not have the challenge of installing and keeping the applications up to date on your own in-house IS platform.
Many of the tools and platforms are providing a bespoke solution for us and we did not have a previous desktop application. Other tools such as Skype we use in addition to our regular phone services.
Here is a list of online applications that I use in my business and which i think you too will find of benefit in growing your practice:
RSS feeds – I find it helpful to access updates from news sites, websites and business blogs which keeps me up to date with news, articles and current research in my business sector. An easy an no-cost way of managing your RSS feeds is Bloglines.
Google Alerts – this is an invaluable tool to keep up to date with news and information on a daily basis. I set alerts for key words associated with my business and in fact have found it has recently helped me identify where people are using my content from articles and business blog posts without attribution – as so much information is freely available on the web today, many business leaders are concerned with copyright infringement.
Here are 10 ways I use Google Alerts.
Business Blogs – I host a number of business blogs and podcasts and I am also a guest author on some business blogs. Some of the blogs are on a Wordpress platform and are hosted on my own websites and others are using a hosted service Typepad which is a great tool to get started in the world of business blogging.
My main business blog Biz Growth News is also the place that I host archived copies of my weekly ezine – I find it really easy to update and the newsletter archive provides valuable content and resurces for my newsletter subscribers. I also find it a great place to post resources and articles for my clients as I can password protect specific pages for them.
Google Calendar – I have found this a great tool to use to create customised calendars for specific projects which can then be shared with the people involved in a project
Moodle – I use this platform to host branding and business development programmes I teach to clients across the globe. We host the course tutorials in this application and the participants can also network with each other and build collaborative relationships using this application
Easy Web Automation – this is the online shopping cart that I use. It manages all the subscriptions from my websites to my mailing lists for my newsletter, information products and programmes. I can then send email and newsletter broadcasts to thousands of subscribers with little effort and in very little time
Wikis – we use a wiki when working with my business colleagues on The Podcast Sisters. We use this to keep track of the programme of events and are using it to also create content for programmes and products we develop
Basecamp – this is a project management tool from 37signals which I use to share documents and files with members of our design team
Ask Database – this is a tool for you to create online questionnaires on your website
Marketing Makeover – this enables you to create landing pages for your website at the click of a mouse
Video Generator – create video’ for your website with your web cam
Wordtracker – we use this to determine the key words to include in our sales copy
Mediamax – we use this tool as a simple place to direct our clients and business partners to upload and share files including audio and video – this ensures that we do not use all the storage or bandwidth from our main websites. I also use this application for online backup of the contents from my PC
Audioacrobat and Audiogenerator – we use these tools to host audio and provide customised players for our websites for any audio we create including podcasts
Web Marketing Sales – we use this tool to add customised post-it notes to our websites and business blogs to highlight specific features and notify visitors to the sites of key messages
Power Link Generator – we use this tool to manage all our links to the sites we recommend
Appointment Quest – we use this to manage online appointments where our clients can schedule their meetings
Assessment Generator – this is a great tool to create customised online questionnaires and surveys you can then display on your website
Xiosoft Instant Teleseminar – is an application I use to host teleseminars over the web at no cost so you can connect with your team and also provide relevant content to your clients and prospects. Attendees to the teleseminar can then either dial into the teleseminars or listen to it as a webcast
Go To Webinar – this is a really cost effective platform for hosting webinars for lead generation and profit generation and also employee communications and engagement
Flikr and Google Picasa – we use these tools to share photo albums online so attendees at our live events can access them
Googlemail – this used for bringing together all my different email addresses in one inbox. I can then access these from anywhere in the world without the need for taking my laptop with me
Skype – I use this platform for both instant messaging and for calls to colleagues and clients
Twitter and Jaiku – you might consider these as micro blogging sites as the amount of content that you can add to each post is limited to just 140 characters. As a member of the organising team for PodCamp Ireland which is a social media conference, we are using Jaiku to keep connected with each other. Attendees to the event can also subscribe to get updates so they keep in touch with the plans for the event
Facebook, LinkedIn, Ecademy, MySpace – yes there are a lot of online networking platforms available and it might seem difficult to choose which one to build your profile in. I take the approach that we need to be found online – in fact we need to build our personal brand, our employer brand and our corporate brand online so that we are digitally distinctive.
With over 35% of people checking our personal profile online before they even meet us, think of it as if they are doing an online reference check. All of these platforms have a free entry level, I’d encourage you to build your profile on each site but then you can decide which one you specifically want to use as a priority to help you build your network with potential business partners and even clients
Ziggs is a tool I highly recommend, especially if you are not able to be found online at this time. For a small monthly investment of US$4.95 you can build your profile, connect to your team and you will also be guaranteed to be found at the top of the search engines when people search on your name. It’s a great tool for people who are not yet ready to author their own business blog, host a website, whose name is not yet at the top of the search engine rankings or if you are in a corporation where only a few people get specifically mentioned in press releases and in the media
Marie also asked me a number of questions about my view of online applications adn you can access my answers to her here:
Do you see all productivity in businesses moving online within the next decade?
I am not sure that all productivity tools will move online – I think there will still be a need for desk top applications. There are still circumstances and places in the world where we can not always guarantee being connected to a broadband connection. In those circumstances it can be frustrating not to be able to have access to the applications as and when you want them
Online applications also require us to fully trust the hosting provider and I believe there are some situations and business who will continue to be concerned about online applications for purposes of client confidentiality and security of data which provides competitive advantage. In these cases, online applications are probably not the right solution.
Do you think online applications are best suited to small to medium sized businesses rather than large corporations?
I think there are applications that are of value to all businesses. Larger organisations are sometimes a little more hesitant to explore them because of concerns over internet security.
I believe online applications offer a great, and as yet, untapped opportunity to both enhance productivity, reduce overheads and also enable us to connect and engage with customers, clients, employees and prospects to support your brand and marketing communications plan as for example, as is the case with business blogs.
Do you think those whose businesses are not in the tech sector can easily use apps like these?
The adoption of online applications is relevant for businesses no matter what their size or business sector. My business for example, is not in the technology sector and I have found many applications that are relevant for me, my team and my clients to enhance our effectiveness.
What drives you towards using online apps rather than using a piece of software installed on your desktop?
The online applications we use have been chosen primarily for their functional benefits and ease of use. Many of the applications are available at no cost which is a additional great benefit.
I think online applications also offer you an opportunity to try out new platforms with little risk. There have been some tools that we have explored, and as we have not had to make a huge investment and install them on our systems, it has not been a problem for us to move to other platforms when we have found that the tool did not deliver the benefits we were looking for.
Are there any drawbacks to doing and keeping everything online do you think?
The key areas I have found a challenge have been for example this last month where I have been away on an extended vacation and we have had no access to a phone line. It has been frustrating at times to have to find a Wi-Fi spot to get online to access and update information.
As I mentioned earlier, some businesses may be concerned about the security of their data – I know that I prefer to hold my word documents on my own PC at this time versus on an online application.
The other challenge I have found is that many online applications do not have a live help desk, so if you need immediate support, you often have to post a ticket to a help desk which can be a major draw back if you need urgent assistance.
What advice would you give to an SME who is unsure about how these online apps could enrich and improve their workload?
I would recommend that you explore which part of your business you would like to enhance productivity and cost effectiveness in – is this lead generation, communication, marketing, project management?
Then you can focus on exploring online applications that meet those specific needs. As most are available at no cost for trial versions there is little risk for you.
Be sure to make time available in your calendar to try the application. I know many people register to try online applications and then do not invest time in exploring them fully. Before they know it, the free trial period has lapsed or they find they have made a financial investment in an application they have not used or gained benefit from.
What would you say to SMEs that might fear applications such as RSS feeds, blogs, Facebook etc are time wasting and unproductive?
Yes it easy to think that many of the online applications can be a waste of time rather than enhancing your productivity.
You can always ensure that you limit the time you spend each day in reading your RSS feeds. Of course the starting point is to make sure that you only subscribe to RSS feeds from websites that are going to provide you with the content that you need to support your business strategy and growth plans.
In relation to business blogs and online networking, I think it is important to consider these as tools to use in your marketing and communications plan. Consider your business blog as having your own “column” in a trade journal or newspaper. And consider online networking sites as a community such as being a member of your Chamber of Commerce or other business networking forum, but with the benefits of there being no membership fee, no travel time and no geographic boundaries to finding and connecting with potential clients and business partners.
I have to disclose I am an advocate and evangelist for business blogging to build your brand and your business online as both I and my clients have seen tremendous results for our businesses through business blogs. I can not think of any other way that I could have hundreds of my articles available acting as members of my sales team 27/7 and 365 days a year, so that when people search online for services, products and programmes such as I provide then I am more likely to be found. And I didn’t even need a webmaster to help me make this happen as business blogging has such an easy interface – if you can type an email you can blog.
In relation to business blogs, given that they are considered a trusted resource for consumers and customers, even if you are not ready to author your own business blog, I believe it is important to follow the conversations in the blogosphere for your business sector. This can give you great insights as to what is happening in the world of your clients, competitors and the market place in general.
In relation to online social networking sites, as I mentioned earlier, as many of them are available at no cost it takes little time to make sure that your profile is there so that you can be found. However I do not advocate you have to be active in every community. Just as you choose which offline networks you want to invest in, you should do the same with online social networks. Find the online communities that meet your specific networking requirements be that personal development, connecting to potential clients, market research or networking for social reasons.
I have to say that I took little notice of social networking sites until a few years ago when a colleague of mine secured a contract in business worth €60,000 all through making connections and building relationships through LinkedIn – now that made me take notice.
And of course if you are in a company and looking for your next career move perhaps into a new business sector or a new organisation within your own sector, building your personal brand through writing a business blog and being visible and active in online networking sites is imperative today. Your business blog can express your expertise in your field. Be aware that HR professionals, recruiters, journalists and researchers in the media are all spending time online – wouldn’t you rather be found versus your competition?!
Online applications provide us as business leaders with great low and even no cost platforms to build our brand, generate more leads for our business and increase both productivity and profits.
With demands on us all to deliver products, programmes or services faster, more cost effectively and more efficiently, with more and more teams working virtually across Ireland and across the globe, with the ease of access and use, online applications can provide competitive advantage and are a great addition to our leadership tool box.
© Krishna De. All Rights Reserved
Krishna De is an Employer Branding and Personal Branding strategist. You can access free articles and resources to build your corporate brand, employer brand and personal brand online and offline at Krishna’s business blog and podcast at www.bizgrowthnews.com
