Research – Flatlogic Blog https://flatlogic.com/blog Explore and learn everything about React, Angular, Vue, Bootstrap and React Native application templates Fri, 23 Feb 2024 15:18:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 How To Build a Fabulous CRM System on A Tight Budget in 2023 https://flatlogic.com/blog/how-to-build-a-fabulous-crm-system-on-a-tight-budget/ Sat, 07 Jan 2023 18:31:57 +0000 https://flatlogic.com/blog/?p=13049 Because they are often free to use and modify, open-source CRM projects can be a cost-effective option for businesses. They may, however, necessitate a significant amount of technical expertise and resources to set up and maintain. However, CRM systems can be expensive, which can be a barrier for small businesses and startups with limited budgets.

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Do you need a basic system for tracking inventory and sales? Or more advanced features such as customer relationship management and financial reporting? Modern custom ERP systems can handle complex queries and requests, and can even generate personalized responses based on your customer data and previous interactions. As businesses face economic challenges during a recession, implementing a custom software or management system like CRM can assist in maintaining user relationships and streamlining operations.

The process of developing a customized customer relationship management system that is tailored to the individual goals and requirements of a business is known as custom CRM development. Defining the project scope, selecting critical features and functionality, and funding for the project are all aspects of the process.

Custom CRM System Development 2023: Process, Popular Frameworks, Trends

Many companies were attempting to create a platform that effectively connects businesses with their customers on a large scale, in a relevant context, and with a genuine exchange of value. As a business owner or manager, it’s important to have a customer relationship management (CRM) system in place to effectively track and manage customer interactions and data. According to data from users of the data science community platform Kaggle, the global CRM market is expected to reach $80.2 billion by 2025.

The first stage in custom CRM development is defining the project scope. Identifying the precise business demands and goals that the CRM system will serve, as well as the target audience and user base, is part of this process. The next stage is to determine the features and functionality the bespoke CRM system will require: important features and functionality.

Source: Analysis of Costs, Benefits and ROI of CRM ImplementationLun HouXiaowo Tang
2024 Research

Between 2020 and 2023, the number of searches for “how to build a crm” is projected to increase as more firms try to personalize their customer relationship management systems to better match their individual needs and goals. Some possible explanations for this surge of rising interest include:

  • Customer relationship management is becoming increasingly important in today’s corporate world.
  • Businesses are increasingly turning to CRM systems to help them better manage and track client interactions and relationships as customer expectations continue to rise.
  • Digital transformation initiatives to climb. Custom CRM creation is becoming more popular as businesses seek to use technology to optimize operations and improve customer experiences.

Here are five critical factors to consider while designing a custom CRM system:

Custom CRM: System Development Process

We will walk you through the process of creating your own custom CRM system, from planning and design to development and deployment, not only in this article. Defining your goals and objectives is the first step in custom CRM development.

What do you want to accomplish with your system? Would you like to increase retention and loyalty? Or boost sales and revenue? By clearly defining your goals and objectives, you can ensure that even your system is tailored to meet the specific needs of your business. So this is the guide:

  • Identify your target audience: On the one hand, you need to identify your target audience. Who will be using your CRM system? Will it be used by sales and marketing teams, customer service teams, or both? Understanding your target audience will help you design a CRM system that is intuitive and easy to use.
  • Determine your budget and resources: CRM development can be a complex and time-consuming process, so it’s important to have a clear resource plan in place. How much money and time do you have available for custom CRM? What resources, such as staff, soft, and hardware, will you need to complete the project?
  • Choose a development platform: There are a number of development platforms available for custom CRM development, such as Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and SugarCRM. Each platform has its own unique features and capabilities, so it’s important to choose one that meets the needs and requirements of your business. For example with popular ChatGPT and our low–code platform, you can create a fully-featured CRM/ERP web app, CMS software, project management tool, or admin panel in minutes. 
  • Design and plan your CRM system: Once you have chosen a development platform, it’s time to design and plan how to build your CRM system. This includes determining the features and functionality you need, as well as the layout and user interface. A well-designed CRM system will be intuitive and easy to use and will help you achieve your business goals and objectives.
  • Develop and test your CRM system: After you have designed and planned your CRM system, it’s time to start development. This involves building and integrating the various components of your CRM system, such as the database, user interface, and workflow processes. It’s important to thoroughly test your CRM system during development to ensure that it is stable and reliable.
  • Deploy and maintain your CRM system: Finally, it’s time to deploy your CRM system.

Custom CRM Ideas: What to build in 2023

Next year, custom systems are expected to be in high demand in a variety of middle-size companies, including:

  1. E-commerce businesses: As online shopping continues to grow, e-commerce businesses will need CRM and ERP systems to manage their customer relationships, inventory, and finances.
  2. Service-based businesses: Service-based businesses, such as consulting firms and law firms, will need CRM and ERP systems to manage their client relationships and projects.
  3. Manufacturing businesses: Manufacturing businesses will need CRM and ERP systems to manage their supply chain, production, and sales.
  4. Healthcare organizations: Healthcare organizations will need CRM and ERP systems to manage their patient relationships, medical records, and billing.
  5. Government agencies: Government agencies will need CRM and ERP systems to manage their relationships with citizens, employees, and contractors.

Overall, the trend of increased searches related to custom CRM development in 2023 likely reflects the growing importance of customer relationship management in the modern business landscape and the increasing availability of tools and resources to support CRM development efforts.

How to Choose the Right Framework for Your Custom CRM Development Project

A survey conducted by the software company RedMonk found that JavaScript is the most popular programming language, with 66.7% of developers saying they use it regularly. In this section, we will look at the top eight frameworks for custom CRM development, including their benefits, and developer communities.

Source: survey.stackoverflow.co

Let’s get started:

  • Angular: open-source framework used for Single Page Application (SPA) development, developed by Google, testable and easy DOM manipulation, but may have performance issues and some complex features for new users.
  • Vue: lightweight and fast framework with extensive documentation, combines features of Angular and React, free and open-source.
  • React: JavaScript library for creating single-page or mobile applications, easy to learn, SEO-friendly, reusable components. So by the developer’s community is also wide-used to creating user interfaces.
  • Bootstrap: a free and open-source library for creating web UI components, operates directly on code without a DOM, requires less code.
  • Node: JavaScript run-time environment for server-side applications, cross-platform, used for building scalable network applications.

Popular framework options for CRM development not only include Java and React. But according to data from the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, React is the most popular front-end library, with 22.54% of developers saying they have used it in the past year.

So creating a system with React code is a great way to build a functional and reliable system that can be used to manage your business operations. By following best practices and leveraging the full capabilities of React, you can also find the most robust and reliable templates that meet the unique needs of your project.

Pros and Cons of JS Templates and Dashboards For Custom CRM Development

Before we will start with this part, it’s important to understand the basics of React. It also shows us the best way to create dynamic and interactive web applications. The first step in creating a system with React code is to decide on the type of system you need. The second, understand what is suitable for your CRM application, including online stores, SaaS platforms, CMS systems, financial dashboards, and project management tools. So we will explore the key features and benefits of templates, as well as their pricing and available demos.

Sing App

Demo

More info

Sing App is a powerful and feature-rich React template that has proven popular among React developers worldwide. Its advanced functionality and wide range of supported applications make it a versatile choice for businesses looking to build custom CRM systems. With its strong focus on user management, eCommerce capabilities, and rich documentation, Sing App is well-suited for a variety of business needs. Whether you are looking to build an online store, SaaS platform, or financial dashboard, Sing App is worth considering as a potential framework for your custom CRM development project.

Lexa

Demo

More Info

Lexa designed a simple and beautiful admin template using Bootstrap. It has 6+ different layouts and 3 modes (Dark, Light and RTL). You can easily change any layout or mode by changing a few lines of code. With Lexa you can start small and large projects or update the design in an existing project. It’s very fast and simple, beautiful and elegant and offers the ultimate user experience. 

Wafi

Demo

More Info

Wafi is a premium Bootstrap 4 Admin Template comes with 7 Unique Dashboards and 36 Layout Options. It is fully responsive, built with Bootstrap 4 Framework, HTML5, CSS3 and Sass. It has a huge collection of reusable UI components and integrated with the latest jQuery plugins. It can be used for all type of web applications like custom admin panel, Project management or Admin dashboard, Sales and eCommerce dashboard, Helpdesk etc.

How to Budget for Custom CRM Development: A Comprehensive Specification&Features Guide

Creating a budget for the custom CRM development project is a critical phase in the process. According to open and free-of-use Flatlogic’s research, the typical cost of a custom CRM system ranges from $50,000 to $100,000, depending on the project’s complexity and scope. Custom CRM development may be the best option in these cases. Another survey conducted found that 71% of businesses reported an increase in customer satisfaction after implementing a CRM system, but it also .

The cost of implementing a custom CRM will vary depending on the chosen approach and the specific requirements of the business. In addition to the initial development costs, businesses will also need to factor in ongoing maintenance, features, and support expenses.

Source: Gartner and semanticscholar.org

So, let’s unlock the secrets of budgeting a successful technical specification. The following example is a technical specification for the non-existent, but similar to the real development and configuration of a CRM system for a business that provides logistics services. The system will be used to process data from f.ex. more than 5 websites and manage the entire process of receiving, handling, and completing requests.

Features such as lead and opportunity management, customer segmentation, and sales forecasting may be included. Data from our developer’s research in 2022 shows that the top three benefits of using a SAAS CRM system are improved customer relationships, increased sales and revenue, and streamlined business processes. Software as a Service CRM as a service (SaaS) is a cloud-based software solution that provides continuous access to CRM functionality and support without the need for installation or maintenance.

However, the price of a SaaS CRM can vary greatly depending on the features and customization required. In this graph, we will investigate the relationship between the cost of a custom SaaS CRM and the fees charged by developers to create it.

Research: Flatlogic Platform

In addition to managing the process of receiving and completing orders, the SAAS CRM system will also be used to track the performance of the business and its employees. It will include features such as reporting and analytics, as well as the ability to set goals and track progress toward meeting them.

The typical workflow of the custom CRM system will be as follows:

  1. Receiving leads through advertisements on the website
  2. Lead processing by a manager
  3. Conversion of the lead to a customer status
  4. Entering additional data about the customer and their order
  5. Distribution of the customer to specialists who will complete the order
  6. Closing the order – completion in the fields and submission of reports
  7. Closing the order in the CRM after receiving payment and changing the status to “completed”
  8. In the context of this system, the terms “manager” and “operator” are interchangeable.

The system will also allow for the receipt of leads through the CRM and Whatsapp or Slack notifications. After a request is received on the website, it will immediately be forwarded to the CRM and channel or your social media integration, where it will be processed by a manager. The manager will enter additional data about the customer and their order and distribute the customer to the specialists responsible for completing the order.

Once the order is complete, the specialists will enter the necessary information into the fields and submit the reports. The order will then be closed in the CRM after payment has been received and the status has been changed to “completed.”

Overall, the purpose of this CRM system is to streamline and automate the process of receiving and completing orders, as well as to provide insight into the performance of the business.

Why Realtional Database Is the Best Option for Your Business

Because it stores and manages all client data and information, the database is an essential component of a custom CRM system. The database manages and stores customer data such as contact information, purchase history, and communication logs. It is also in charge of ensuring that the data is correct, consistent, and up to date.

The database is often developed and configured in bespoke CRM development to fit the specific demands and specifications of the business. Custom fields and data structures to store specific types of customer data, as well as custom database queries and reporting tools to extract and analyze client data, may be included.

Source: survey.stackoverflow.co

Consider integrating your system with other systems: It’s critical to think about how the bespoke CRM system will interface with other platforms. You’ll need to create the database, which is used to store all the data associated with the system. You’ll also need to create the user interface, which is the part of the system that customers will interact with. You can use the components and templates provided by Flatlogic to quickly create the user interface. When choosing a stack, database, and technologies for a custom CRM, businesses should consider their specific needs and technical expertise.

Tips for Testing Custom CRM Systems during Development Process

Once your system is built, you’ll need to test it to make sure everything works as expected. You’ll also want to optimize it for speed and performance, as well as make sure it’s secure and compliant with industry standards. Once you’re satisfied with the SDLC process and testing, you can launch it and begin using it to manage your business operations.

Despite the potential benefits, implementing a custom CRM can be a challenging and complex process. As we mentioned before without careful planning and consideration of the potential pitfalls, businesses may find that their open-source CRM integration fails to meet their needs and achieves the desired results.

As businesses move increasingly online, the need for efficient custom CRM and ERP systems grows. While many developers are familiar with the full-stack development cycle, the low-code approach is becoming an increasingly popular option for businesses that need very quick, cost-effective solutions.

The difficulty of integrating cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) software with other systems via application programming interfaces is a major issue (APIs). Subscription fees can also add up over time, and some cloud-based solutions may not provide invoicing.

Fortunately, there are ways to build a fabulous CRM system on a tight budget in 2023. Here are some tips:

  1. Determine your CRM needs: The first step in building a CRM system is to assess your business needs and determine what features and functionality you require. This will help you narrow down your options and choose a CRM system that meets your specific needs.
  2. Explore free low-code options: There are a number of free or low-cost CRM systems available, such as HubSpot CRM, Zoho CRM, and Freshworks CRM. These systems offer a range of basic features, such as contact management, lead tracking, and sales forecasting, at no cost or for a low monthly fee.
  3. Consider open-source options: Another option is to use an open-source CRM system, such as SugarCRM or vtiger. These systems are free to use, but you will need to invest in the development and customization of the system to meet your specific needs.
  4. Utilize integrations: Many CRM systems offer integrations with other tools and platforms, such as email marketing, social media, and project management. Utilizing these integrations can help you streamline your workflow and save money on purchasing multiple tools.
  5. Look for discounts and special offers: Keep an eye out for special offers or discounts on CRM systems, such as limited-time promotions or discounts for nonprofits. These offers can help you save money on your CRM system.

Right now you understand how critical it is to have a customer relationship management system in 2023 as a business owner or manager to effectively track and manage customer interactions and data. However, off-the-shelf CRM systems may not always meet your company’s specific needs and requirements. By following these tips, you can build a fabulous CRM system on a tight budget. With a little research and careful planning, you can find solution that meets your business needs and budget.

About Flatlogic

Flatlogic Platform-based project allows for more customization and control over the system, which is a key difference between cloud-based third-party CRM solutions and a local copy with dynamic features. This, however, implies that the company will be responsible for system maintenance and updates.

  • Custom CRM systems are an important component of modern business operations. They assist businesses in managing customer relationships, tracking sales, and streamlining communication.
  • However, creating a custom ERP from scratch can be a daunting task, especially for those without extensive web development experience. In this article, we will discuss some of the best open-source projects that can assist you in developing a custom CRM system for your company.
  • Whether you are an experienced developer or just getting started, these projects provide a wealth of resources and tools that can make the process of developing a CRM easier and more efficient.
Sign Up and Generate Your Custom CRM on React!

For example, our product company Flatlogic is a web development company that provides a library of components and templates to help your project get started from scratch or you can use our new feature: GPT-3, and open AI integration with our platform to build MVP by yourself with right stack in minutes.

Creating an ERP system with React code and Flatlogic Platform is a great way to build a reliable system that can be used to manage your business operations. By understanding the basics of React and Flatlogic, you can quickly set up your development environment and begin building your system. With careful planning and testing, you can launch your system and start using it to manage your business operations.

Check out the rest of the articles in this series for a more in-depth look at specific CRM systems and how they can help your business:

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7 Top Tips for Successful Software Product Marketing https://flatlogic.com/blog/7-top-tips-for-successful-software-product-marketing/ Fri, 02 Dec 2022 10:44:26 +0000 https://flatlogic.com/blog/?p=12739 As the creator of your software product, you will know its features better than anyone else. But looking at it as your project is not the same as seeing it as a marketable product. You need to know its marketable features and user benefits, as well as any weaknesses to work on later down the line.

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As a software developer, product marketing can be a challenge. Software product marketing is quite different from product marketing. With technological advancements and changing consumer needs, the way we market our products is constantly evolving. 

With physical products, an item is created then passed on to the marketing team, which then passes it on to the sales team. With software product marketing, the actual product is more complex. 

The problem lies in the disconnect between sales, marketing, and product teams. The creator may have a great product but not know what to do with it. Or the sales and marketing teams may have some great ideas but not know exactly what they are working with.

In this article, we will explore the best ways to bring your teams together as part of a successful software product marketing process. These include: knowing your product, finding your competitors, creating your marketing strategy, and measuring your success.

  1. Know your product inside out

As the creator of your software product, you will know its features better than anyone else. But looking at it as your project is not the same as seeing it as a marketable product. You need to know its marketable features and user benefits, as well as any weaknesses to work on later down the line.

Sales enablement

It’s not only you who needs to be an expert. Anyone working with your software must know it inside out too. For example, if a marketing team is promoting a manufacturing proposal sample as a free software product, what do they need to know about it?

  • Key features: How would it be useful for customers? What is it used for? Is it user-friendly?
  • Hidden costs: If you are marketing something as free to customers, they won’t want to find hidden costs later on.
  • How it relates to the rest of the company: How does this free product lead to paid-for products later? What will make the customer choose to pay for items in the future?

Sales enablement ensures that you can show the value of your software product to potential buyers. Your marketing team needs in-depth information for successful software product marketing. They need to know your software product’s functions, features, strengths, and unique selling points (USP).

2024 Research

Free to use image sourced from Pexels

  1. Get to know your target audience

Before you begin any software product marketing, you need to know exactly who your target audience is. Market research is the best option to find this out. This can be quantitative research, collecting data, and analyzing numbers. It can also be qualitative research, observing and asking questions to find more in-depth information.

Market research

Your first port of call should be existing customers, as they are already familiar with your brand and products. You can then use this information to widen your research area. 

These are some types of market research you may find useful:

  • Sales analytics: Looking back at past sales will give you your target audience from similar software products sold in the past. This will be useful when looking at how to market to your current target audience.
  • Keyword searches: Keywords relating to your product will give you an idea of what your potential customers are currently looking for.
  • Competitor analysis: Taking a look at your competitors’ customer base is essential to your market research. They are your competitors either because your products or your target audience are similar, so you can learn a lot from them.
  • Focus groups: This is where a group of people discuss a product before it is launched. These are especially useful as you are not only getting feedback, you can listen to a whole discussion about your product. This usually brings up points you may not have thought of.
  • Customer surveys: You could ask current customers to fill out surveys for feedback on current products and find out what they want (or expect) from your company in the future. You can also show them images or videos of new products and ask for opinions. 
  • Free samples: These can be sent out in return for feedback on your product and how you are marketing it. You can ask for opinions on anything from how user-friendly it is to how it is presented.

Free to use image sourced from Pixabay

Your typical customer

The essential information you should know about your target audience includes the average age, gender, job sectors, income levels, and location. You should also look into things like their education and interests. This will create a picture of your ‘typical customer’.

Knowing who your typical customer is will guide decisions such as how to price your products. But one of the most important things you need to find out is where to find them. Your software product marketing strategy will focus on where to market your product, just as much as how.

A different type of consumer

Creating software products means that you are not always dealing with average customers. But you’re not just selling to businesses either. 

Interest in marketing to software developers is steadily rising. But marketing to developers can be difficult. They don’t want to be sold with gimmicks or pushed into buying. They want to be clear about what they are buying and see exactly why it would be useful to them.

For example, when looking at a digital signature Canada may not be the first place you think of. But in Canada, 95% of documents and transactions can be verified electronically, according to Canadian electronic signature law. Giving this small piece of information to developers means that they may decide to try your electronic signature software.

  1. Get to know your competitors

No idea is unique, so your products will always have competitors. But you can use this to your advantage. These competitors can give you the information you need for a successful software product marketing campaign.

The first thing you need to do is identify your main competitors. They will either be selling similar products to your company or will have a similar target audience. Most of the time, it’s both. 

Once you have found your competitors, you should do a SWOT analysis. This will help you to highlight your strengths and weaknesses.

Free to use image sourced from Pixabay

  1. Create a vision statement

When you are ready for your software product to be seen by the world, it’s time to create a vision statement. But before you start looking at software product marketing strategies you need to decide on your positioning within the market.

Positioning

  • What does your software product do? What problem is it solving?
  • Who is your software product for? Who is your target audience?
  • What makes your software product different from others on the market? What are its strengths? Does it have a unique selling point (USP)?

With all this in mind, it’s not just about what your product does; it’s also about why you created it. What is your vision for it? Vision statements can be used in pitches, adverts, and on promotional material, so they need to be straightforward and captivating.

Think about what you want people to be saying about your product. You can then create a message – your vision statement – that will become the vision of the company or your specific software product.

Message

  • Short, sharp, and to the point: This description isn’t in-depth. It can be a short phrase or a couple of sentences.
  • Looking to the future: What do you hope to achieve with your software product?
  • Pitching your product: You should be focusing on the benefits, not the individual features.
  • Your tone: Does it match the tone of your company? Or for new software products, what tone do you want to create?

Famous vision statement examples

Microsoft: We strive to create local opportunity, growth, and impact in every country around the world.

Disney: To be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information.

Tesla: To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.

Free to use image sourced from Pexels

  1. Create a pricing strategy

Before you create your software product marketing strategy, you need to think about pricing. How your product is priced will affect how you will market it. 

Pricing a software product is a little different from pricing other products. There is no physical product to touch. But software product marketing usually excels when the product’s features are successfully highlighted. 

You can choose to charge for each product individually. But this isn’t always the most effective way to price software products. 

Subscription services are very popular with businesses and consumers. This is usually a monthly fee to use a company’s products or have access to their software. Similarly, some companies offer a free software product with the option to upgrade to their monthly price plan.

For example, you can use a PandaDoc sponsorship contract template from the website for free. But to use other features customers must sign up for a monthly or annual plan.

When creating a pricing strategy these are three important things to look at:

  • Levels of pricing: Pricing levels mean you can market your software product to a wider audience. Think of how you will market different levels to consumers.
  • Value for money: Software product marketing needs to show consumers that the product is worth the price.
  • Competitive: Can your product be found somewhere else for cheaper? If so, why should consumers choose your software product over others?

Upgrades vs. updates

Your product should be updated and upgraded as needed. But this brings up the issue of whether you choose to charge customers for these additions.

Software product update: This is a ‘software patch’ that makes the current product better. It usually covers minor upgrades and sorts out small problems with the software. 

Software product upgrade: This is a less frequent change to your software product that makes major additions and fixes. In some cases, it is essentially a whole new product.

For example, when you buy a game for a games console, you can set it to update automatically. These updates are completely free and usually just fix minor bugs in the game. But if you wanted to upgrade your game to the new edition, you would have to buy it.

These upgrades and updates can be used as material for software product marketing. Announcing minor updates after a product review shows consumers that you have their interests in mind and are keeping up with new technology. An upgrade of a popular product would be of interest to returning customers.

  1. Develop a marketing strategy

According to a Statista survey (shown below), the most effective digital marketing techniques in 2020 were content marketing and automation. But before you start creating content, you need to create a complete software product marketing strategy. 

This will be based on your sales goals, your target market, and your vision statement. Your vision statement will be at the center of your marketing strategy as this is your overall aspiration for your product.

Image sourced from statista.com

Planning your strategy

This is the basic outline for your software product marketing strategy:

  • Vision statement: Keep this in mind throughout the whole marketing process
  • Target audience: Equally as important as the vision statement
  • Objectives and KPIs: Set realistic targets with measurable KPIs
  • Marketing channels: This includes who will be working on each channel. Try automation where you can, as this gives you time to focus on other tasks
  • Creating content: This could be blog posts, social media posts, imagery, videos, landing pages, infographics, ebooks, etc
  • Timeline: Your strategy needs a set plan with specific timeframes and dates 
  • Launch date: If you have a planned date use this to work backwards
  • Analytics: Decide how you are measuring your progress
  • Ongoing planning for marketing: Marketing doesn’t stop once the product is launched; it is an ongoing process

Marketing channels

Many companies are looking to omnichannel marketing for success. Consumers are no longer sticking to one platform so you shouldn’t either. The main channels you will be working with are your website, blogs, social media, and emails.

Your website may be the place to purchase your product. But how are you going to lead consumers to it? Organic views from Google searches will only get you so far, so driving traffic from your other marketing channels is key.

Whether it’s your own blog or guest posts, interesting content will draw in potential consumers. Guest posting on blogs with a similar audience to yours is free and easy advertising for your software product. That said, avoid clickbait articles, and instead ensure you create information-based content. You can then subtly link back to your website and products.

There are so many social media channels nowadays that you need to pinpoint exactly where your target audience is. Don’t just choose the most popular channels. Use your research to find out exactly where your customers are, and look at what kind of content your competitors are posting.

With social media taking over, email marketing often gets overlooked. But if your target audience is using email, you should be too. Look at email marketing automation software such as Evalance to streamline your software product marketing process.

Screenshot of Evalanche’s dashboard

  1. Measure your success

Before you launch your software product you need to decide how you will measure the success of your software product marketing campaign. If you created a marketing strategy you should already have an idea of your goals or objectives.

When creating measurable goals for your product you need to ask yourself three things: 

  • Are they realistic
  • Are they aspirational
  • How will I measure them?

Realistic goals

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are realistic, measurable goals that support the overall vision of your product. Using KPIs will help your marketing team work together towards the same goal. They also allow you to see what is working and make adjustments when strategies are not working. An example of a KPI is: ‘Increase customer satisfaction rates by 5%’.

Aspirational goals

If you are hitting your targets too easily you may want to rethink them. Goals are created to make sure your software product reaches its potential. It won’t do this if they are not ambitious enough.

If you are struggling to create aspirational goals you may want to try using Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). With this, you create a clear goal that can be achieved using measurable key results.

For example – Objective: ‘Increase click-throughs to website from social media’

Key Results:

  • Post twice a day on social media with links to the website
  • Write 2 guest posts including at least 1 link to the website
  • Create a blog post using keywords relating to the product

Keep track of your goals

The progress of goals and objectives must be constantly monitored to ensure they are on track. This may include looking at sales figures, new customers, lead-to-sales ratios, or clicks on your channels.

It’s important to have transparency with data and analytics when working with a marketing team. This can be done using a template or dashboard for tracking KPIs or OKRs. 

If you and your team can see what is working and what isn’t, you can work together to tweak your strategy. It is also useful to keep data as research for future projects.

Free to use image sourced from Pixabay

Summing up

Now you have read our top seven tips, you are on track for a successful software product marketing campaign. Make sure you do your research before making any major decisions – in particular, you need to know your target audience and where to find them. Then once you have created your vision statement, you’re ready to go.

If you are not quite at the marketing stage with your software product, check out our guide on the software development process.

About author

Yauhen Zaremba – Director of Demand Generation

Yauhen is the Director of Demand Generation at PandaDoc, an all-in-one document workflow platform to streamline, create, and use ready-made templates including this PandaDoc residential lease rental agreement. He’s been a marketer for 10+ years, and for the last five years, he’s been entirely focused on the electronic signature, proposal, and document management markets. Yauhen has experience speaking at niche conferences where he enjoys sharing his expertise with other curious marketers. And in his spare time, he is an avid fisherman and takes nearly 20 fishing trips every year. 

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Starting a Web App in 2022 [Research Results] https://flatlogic.com/blog/starting-a-web-app-in-2022/ Wed, 15 Jun 2022 16:37:40 +0000 https://flatlogic.com/blog/?p=11913 We are finally happy to share with you the results of the world's first study on how developers start a web application in 2022.

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starting web app results

We are finally happy to share with you the results of the world’s first study on how developers start a web application in 2022. For this research, we wanted to do a deep dive into how engineers around the globe are starting web apps, how popular the use of low-code platforms and what tools are decisive in creating web applications.

To achieve this, we conducted a survey with 191 software engineers of all experience around the globe. We asked questions around the technology they use to start web applications.

Highlights of the key findings:

  • The usage of particular technologies in the creation of web apps is closely related to engineers’ experience. New technologies, such as no-code/low-code solutions, GraphQL, and non-relational databases, appeal to developers with less expertise;
  • Engineers with less experience are more likely to learn from online sources, whereas developers with more expertise in software development prefer to learn from more conventional sources such as books;
  • Retool and Bubble are the most popular no-code/low-code platforms;
  • React, Node.js, PostgreSQL, Amazon AWS, and Bootstrap are the most popular web application development stacks.

To read the full report, including additional insights, and full research methodology, visit this page

With Flatlogic you can create full-stack web applications literally in minutes. If you’re interested in trying Flatlogic solutions, sign up for free

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