SEO for accountants is a topic that’s often overlooked, despite its positive impact on practice growth. Today, you’ll unlock the black box that is SEO for accountants and gain insights on the latest industry best practices.
To start, let’s cover the basics.
Now, just because you have a website, this doesn’t mean that people can find it. This is why SEO is needed to find potential customers and grow your accounting business.
If you want to build your professional brand, you want to ensure that you have a strong digital presence that attracts customers who are specifically interested in your services.
In our latest webinar, we caught up with Kelly Gonsalves, Co-Founder of Totally SEO, to discuss the benefits of SEO for accountants and how it can help you gain more visibility online.
In case you missed some of Kelly’s SEO tips for accountants, here are the 8 key takeaways.
SEO for accountants 101
SEO stands for search engine optimization and is the practice of using techniques on your website to increase its visibility on search engines.
The goal of SEO is to increase both the quality and quantity of your website traffic by ranking for targeted keywords or phrases in the organic (non-paid) search engine results.
Depending on your specialization, this means that you want people who are looking for accounting or tax services or tax services to find you.
Popular search engines you may want to optimize for include:
The reality, however, is that 90% of all search engine questions are done on Google. Therefore, you should prioritize catering your content to Google’s standards, which will end up benefiting you on the other sites as well.
How SEO works
SEO for accountants and everyone else looking to be found on the internet requires Google to go through a process of finding your website and determining its value.
The key SEO terms you should understand are crawl, index, and rank. Let’s take a closer look at what these terms mean.
1. Crawl
Google works by using search engine algorithms to locally index webpages. They “crawl” billions of webpages using “spiders” (search engine bots) to index the content on the page and then rank that content.
Crawling is the discovery process search engines use to find new and updated content using search engine crawlers, or bots.
The bots that crawl websites look at your:
Content.
Videos.
Images.
All the information from these pages goes into each search engine’s database to be sorted.
2. Index
Indexing is the process of a search engine sorting the webpage information it has collected and putting it in order according to where they think they should rank in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Think of this process as similar to following the Dewey Decimal System to sort web pages.
For Google, information is uploaded to a massive index called Caffeine. This is where all of the web content that Google has crawled and indexed lives.
3. Rank
After crawling and indexing your site, search engines rank your website content in the SERPs.
When you perform a search on Google, Bing, or Yahoo, the search engine scans their index and pulls the pages that are most relevant to your search.
The results are then presented in order of rank. The higher a web page is ranked, the better answer it is to the question or topic you typed in.
So the main goal of SEO for accountants is to rank as high as possible in certain search queries that your target audience would be interested in.
Ideally, you want to rank in the first to tenth positions as this will put you on the first page of the search engine’s results.
Generally speaking, the higher on the page you rank, the more organic traffic you’ll get to your website. Here’s a breakdown from Backlinko, on the percentage of clicks websites in the 10 top positions typically get.
SEO for accountants is a valuable digital marketing tool
Accountants these days use numerous methods to reach their audiences and build their client lists.
Some of the forms of marketing you may be using include:
Word of mouth marketing: Asking your current customers or partners to connect you with new people.
Events marketing: Using digital or physical events to connect with new people. This includes conferences, webinars, podcasts, and more.
Social media marketing: Promoting your website on free channels such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to a curated audience.
Digital marketing: Using the internet to meet new people. This includes content marketing (blogs/articles), social media, email marketing, paid advertising (Google Ads), and of course, SEO.
SEO is an important tool that should be part of your digital marketing strategy. Good SEO will result in more lead generation for your accounting firm, which will lead to more revenue.
Why keywords are an important part of SEO for accountants
There are three major aspects of SEO:
Image tags: Google crawls for images as well as alt text, so be sure to label them correctly.
Crawling frequency: “Spiders” crawl new and updated websites, make sure that your website stays current so that Google can trust that it is a good website to recommend.
Keywords: These are the words or phrases people type into Google by which your website can be indexed.
As you can see, words always carry meaning, especially when it comes to search terms. In fact, keywords are the most important part of SEO for accountants.
To a search engine, keywords are the words your audience actually uses when they’re searching for you.
If your accounting firm’s website is written without SEO knowledge, what you rank for and what your audience actually needs you to rank for can be two very different things.
But be careful. SEO isn’t just about putting the words “accounting” all over your website. You not only want to make sure that you’re using a relevant keyword, but that you’re putting it in the right places on your page.
Don’t worry, you aren’t expected to be an accountant and a wordsmith. As a starting point, Google offers a free tool called Google Keyword Planner to find out what accounting services keywords you should be using.
Since keywords are so important, here are some keyword tips for accountants.
Go local
Many accounting professionals work remotely, but still prefer to target customers who are nearby. Using the right keywords will help you achieve that goal.
Google results vary based on location, so it’s beneficial to use a keyword that targets potential customers near you. For instance, if you’re a tax accountant, you might only want to target customers in your specific region.
An example of local SEO for accountants would be a web page that targets the keyword “accountants in New Jersey” and serves content with information on this topic.
A directory of New Jersey accountants and their services or a list of the top accountants in New Jersey would likely fulfill a searcher’s needs in this case.
It’s important to note that some keywords are harder to rank for because of high competition for a top ranking.
The accounting industry is big, and you’re probably not the only accounting firm in your area with a website offering your type of services.
Just like local bakeries compete for foot traffic you’ll be competing in the digital space for website traffic. So, consider using a keyword that has lower volume but less competition to reach your target audience.
As sometimes it’s better to use a keyword that has a lower search volume but less competition to reach your audience.
Where to place keywords
The location of your keywords is critical when it comes to SEO for accountants.
To let search engines know early on what your webpage is about, you want to incorporate your target keyword or phrase in the first paragraph of your text.
Titles and headers are especially important to Google, so make sure to place your keywords there. In fact, this is why so many great websites have boring content titles, like “How to get more accounting clients” or “Things you need to know about basic accounting.”
Along with keywords in your text, Google is also reading how your images are tagged, the titles of the videos you post, and that PDF you pinned to a page.
Don’t underestimate the images you use. Too many non-relevant pictures or videos can hurt your search engine ranking, so be cautious of how you use them!
Wrap up: Good SEO will bring new clients to you
Here are a few final tips on SEO for accountants to help you get started on your SEO journey.
Make sure your business is on social media: Twitter is the most popular platform for accountants, then Facebook and LinkedIn. It’s worth staying active on all three platforms to promote your accounting content and #taxtwitter is a great place to start.
Interlink all of your social media and content as this is really important for being found in the SERPs. It also makes it clear to Google that the same accounting business is behind everything you post.
Start a YouTube page. Google owns YouTube, so if you’re already hosting podcasts and webinars, consider adding that content to your business’s YouTube page! Even if you don’t plan on using it right now, claim your accounting firm’s name before someone else does.
In sum, SEO for accountants will give your business more visibility and grow your client base. Using relevant keywords will bring high-value customers to your business who are interested in the accounting services you offer.
If you’re looking to expand your digital presence and increase your leads organically, get in touch with Totally SEO to help make your business known!
Want more tips on SEO for accountants? Check out the full recording of our webinar with Totally SEO!
Method’s time tracking tool can make you more efficient and profitable by automating manual tasks and giving you crucial business insights. Read this post to find out how.
When you run a business, your company is either making or losing money every minute of every working day.A time tracking tool gives you valuable insights you need to get your business on the right side of that equation.
How do they do this? At a high level, you gain a complete picture of employee time spent on each individual task with a time tracker. This allows you to measure the efficiency of your current workflows and address inefficiencies.
What’s more, employee time tracking software comes with helpful features you can’t get with Excel, swipe cards, punch clocks, or paper timesheets. These special features empower you to:
Automate data entry.
Measure employee productivity.
Offer customers precise, detailed estimates and invoices.
Reduce payroll mistakes.
Better manage project costs.
Plan for the future with more accurate data.
Get real-time updates from the job site.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Simply put, the best time tracking apps arm you with the tools you need to make you more efficient and profitable.
Questions to ask when choosing a time tracking tool
So now that you know the benefits of an employee time tracking app, how do you pick the best one for your business?
There are literally hundreds of choices out there with a wide variety of features. To complicate matters a little more, no two businesses are exactly alike. There is, however, some functionality that every business needs to get the most out of its time tracking tool.
That said, these are the questions you need to answer before deciding on the best time tracking tool for your business.
Does it have a mobile app?
This is a deal-breaker for service businesses with teams that work in the field.
To get the most accurate data, you need the exact number of actual working hours for each block of time.
A time tracking tool with a mobile app is really the only way for your field team to accurately log time. It’s also the best way for them to confirm what they’re there to do.
A mobile app allows your team to open the work order when they get to the job site. It also gives them a convenient way to start and stop the timer on their mobile devices as soon as they begin and end a task.
Having your team manually fill out time logs leaves too much room for error because, at best, they’d be making their time entries in the truck. And there’s also a real possibility that they don’t fill in timesheets until the end of the day or week, giving you even less reliable data.
Another important feature is that a mobile app acts as a portable employee time clock with attendance tracking. Your field teams don’t need to come to the office just to clock in and out or to hand in timesheets.
Is it cloud-based?
To get the most out of your time tracking tool, it needs to be cloud-based. This is especially true for a mobile time tracking app.
Cloud services allow for updates made in the app to be communicated in real time between your office and field crews. This way you can get live updates of your work crew’s progress on each job and solve any delays or issues.
Another big reason going cloud-based is important? A cloud-based time tracking tool also enables you to check employee availability and send last-minute work orders to your teams in the field.
Does it address the challenges your business faces?
Measuring the blocks of time needed to complete each job is a basic feature of an employee time tracking app. But for your business to thrive, you need more than just a simple time log.
The right automatic time tracking app will have reporting features that give you the insights you need to:
Improve your teams’ time management skills.
Help you with accurate budget forecasting.
Reduce project costs.
Streamline your operations.
Can it integrate with the tools you already use?
One of the biggest benefits of time tracking software is the ability to automate workflows and reduce the need to manually enter the same data in different programs.
In other words, your time tracker needs to make for simple software integration. This way, data can be imported to and from your time tracking app and your accounting and invoicing tools, email, scheduler, contact list, and more. And software integration isn’t just about making your life easier and saving valuable time, it also reduces the chances of a data entry mistake making you look bad in front of a customer.
Does it have a free trial?
One of the great things about software solutions these days is that many will give you the option to try before you buy.
A standard free trial should be enough time to:
Get used to the interface.
Experiment/play around until you learn how to use it.
Start seeing the benefits of a time tracking tool.
So now that you know the features that are crucial to your business, let’s take a look at Method’s time tracking solution.
Method’s app checks all of the above boxes and more. Keep reading to find out the 4 top reasons why our popular time tracking app should be your go-to solution.
Why Method should be your time tracking tool of choice
Rated as the number one CRM for QuickBooks, we’re experts in workflow automation.
Many of our field service customers needed time tracking functionality so we built one based on their input into our CRM and FSM solutions.
The result? A time tracking tool perfect for service businesses with work crews in the field.
Our time tracking solution simplifies your workflows for both your office and field teams. These are the features that make it happen.
1. Simple payroll automation with two-way QuickBooks sync
Data entry, especially from multiple sources, is one of those tasks that:
Takes a lot of time.
Can lead to costly mistakes.
Is not a good use of your resources.
Based on the feedback from our customers, we built a time tracking app that solves these issues and more.
To do so, Method’s Time Tracking app syncs with both the QuickBooks online and desktop versions.
Billable hours logged in the time tracker are imported into QuickBooks and can be approved and sent to your payroll and invoices in a few clicks — eliminating double data entry and reducing your office staff’s workload.
With Method’s powerful two-way time tracking sync with QuickBooks, you’ll enjoy:
Easier, faster, and more accurate payroll and invoices.
A 360-degree view of every customer and job from estimate creation to job completion and billing.
Painless approvals — entries can be approved in bulk for maximum efficiency.
2. Replace manual employee timesheets with a user-friendly mobile app
Tracking time with our mobile app means not having to worry about constantly chasing after your team to fill out accurate timesheets.
Our easy-to-use mobile time tracker makes it convenient for your field crews to record time entries.
Your team simply pulls out their phones before and after a job to start and stop the timer. That’s it! Say goodbye to clipboards, stacks of paper, or trying to find a pen.
And the best part? You get more accurate data because there is no delay between when your team logs their hours and when they complete the work. No more trying to remember how much time was spent on a task or rounding up or down.
Automated time tracking also makes invoicing customers easier and more accurate. Approved time logs can be added to invoices in a few simple clicks.
So now both you and your customers can be assured that they are only being charged for actual billable time.
Better yet, Method lets you create custom QuickBooks invoices so you can include as much detail as you need on your invoices, something your customers are sure to appreciate.
3. Get real-time reports from the field with our cloud time tracking tool
Our online time tracker gives you instant updates on job progress, employee hours, and what’s happening at the job site.
By keeping you connected with your team in the field, our app enables you to:
Troubleshoot problems on the job site as they happen.
View notes left by your work crews in their time tracking entries in real-time. This information can be grouped by employee, job, or customer as required, making it easy to find it when you need it.
Capture revenue from last-minute and emergency work orders.
What’s more is, with real-time information, you gain a data-driven look at individual employee performance and overall team activity.
Having access to this data positions you to:
Accurately identify operational bottlenecks.
Optimize scheduling to reduce costs.
Create more accurate estimates.
4. Connect the tools you love
So far you’ve learned about our time tracking tool’s easy integration with QuickBooks for payroll and billing processes.
The Time Tracker app also has native integrations with the programs you rely on every day — making it easier to automate even more of your workflows. We’ve highlighted two of the more popular integrations below.
Google Calendar
This app is everywhere, including your employees’ phones. You can schedule tasks, reminders, and jobs with information automatically imported from our time tracking tool.
Zapier
With our Zapier integration, your time tracking tool can be connected to hundreds of apps.
Based on the workflows you create, you can trigger time entries to import and create reports, contact customers from within the app, send invoices automatically, and so much more.
Recap: Why Method is the top time tracker for teams on QuickBooks
To sum up, a time tracking tool empowers business owners and managers to drill down on how time is being used on each task and project.
By doing this for your business, you gain the insights you need to streamline workflows, reduce project costs, and keep your customers happy with more precise estimates and invoices.
Method’s time tracking solution was designed with service businesses in mind. Our Time Tracker app:
Automates your payroll process and ends double data entry with our QuickBooks sync.
Makes it easy for your team to record precise time entries in the mobile app.
Keeps you constantly connected to your field teams and ensures that everyone’s up-to-date and on the same page with a cloud-based service.
Takes workflow automation to new heights with native software integrations.
Find out why Method’s app is the go-to time tracking tool with a free trial.
Nothing is more exciting than running a successful small business. However, as you get busier, it becomes more difficult to keep up with your growing business needs.
If you struggle to keep organized and find that your team constantly falls behind on important sales tasks, you probably need a CRM for workflow automation. Luckily, there are several CRMs with features that can enhance your team’s productivity and streamline your business processes.
Wondering what a CRM for workflow automation can do for your business? Today you will learn exactly why you need a CRM to automate your workflows, and find out which are the best CRMs to help grow your business.
Why use a CRM for workflow automation?
If your workflows are not in order, many aspects of your business will suffer, including your customers. Automating your workflows will have a positive impact on several components of your business.
Let’s take a look at how using a CRM for workflow automation will simplify each step of your sales process.
Lead collection
Consistently having sales prospects come from multiple channels is a great thing. It means that your business has a lot of exposure and people are interested.
Keeping your leads organized is an important step to successfully give each one the attention they need, but it becomes difficult and time-consuming to centralize all of the information on leads you’re receiving. If you’re unable to keep up, you end up missing out on potential revenue.
Automating your lead collection process will ensure that every lead is accounted for. A CRM for workflow automation can help you with that, and make everything that follows much easier.
Lead assignment
Lead assignment can be another time-consuming task for sales managers, but it’s also another process that can easily be automated.
Once you establish an organized way of collecting your leads, you need to assign each of them to a sales rep. It’s important to assign your leads right away, but you also want to make sure that this process is organized so as to not have several sales reps contact the same lead.
Using a CRM for workflow automation allows for an organized method of assigning leads and ensures that every lead is followed up with in a timely manner.
Prospect follow-up
It’s important to follow up with every prospect, and only following up once is rarely enough to move closer towards turning your lead into a customer.
According to Brevet, 80% of sales require an average of five follow-ups in order to close a deal. Multiply that by the number of prospects you have, and you realize that your sales team has their work cut out for them.
Inevitably, if you’re following up manually, some sales are going to slip through the cracks. However, a CRM can help prevent that from happening.
A CRM allows you to leverage automation by instantly scheduling follow-up activities for your sales reps. With an automated process in place, you can rest assured that each lead is followed up with and brought down the sales funnel by your team.
Sales pipeline management
Tracking your sales data gives you the best insights into your business, such as:
The likelihood that each ongoing deal will close.
How much revenue has come in.
How each of your sales reps is performing.
Manually tracking these data points is a slow process, so it’s an excellent one to automate.
Instead of spending hours in Excel trying to figure out these insights, a sales automation tool such as a CRM streamlines this process for easy-to-read insights on the numbers you need.
Even better, CRM tools often feature options to filter data by categories such as:
Closed/won deals.
Sales rep.
Total revenue.
Using these filters helps you dig deeper into the data to understand what is currently working well for your business and what you may need to improve.
Still wondering how using a CRM for workflow automation can help improve your business? Let’s get more specific and explore the benefits of using a CRM for workflow automation.
What are the benefits of using a CRM for workflow automation?
Automating your workflows is essential for keeping your business moving forward. After all, your goal is to grow, right? A CRM can help you grow faster by automating the manual tasks you hate doing, benefiting other areas of your business as a result.
Let’s take a look at some of the key benefits of using a CRM for workflow automation.
Gain data-driven insights on your customers
As a small business, your top priority is your customers. After all, your customers are what will directly grow your business.
To have the best insights into your customers, you need to know their pain points, learn their needs, and figure out a way to deliver solutions for them.
Using a CRM for workflow automation will help you get to know your customers better by gathering helpful information on them, which allows you to implement strategies to better serve their needs.
Increase the productivity of your team
Using a CRM for workflow automation means less manual work and more meaningful work.
Tasks that your sales team must tackle on any given day include:
Managing leads.
Following-up with customers.
Answering customer questions.
Creating estimates.
Scheduling meetings.
And more!
There are only 24 hours in the day, and you can’t expect your sales reps to work all of them, so it becomes impossible for them to complete all of these tasks and still have time to do their main job: sell!
Using a CRM to automate these workflows allows your sales team to focus on high-value tasks, which will increase productivity and performance from your sales reps.
Don’t waste your productivity on manual tasks. Let your CRM workflow automation software do the work for you.
Strengthen your relationships with your customers
In order to retain customers, you must maintain a positive relationship with them.
Maintaining a positive relationship with your customers requires a lot of time and attention, and if your sales team is bogged down with administrative tasks, they may not be giving each customer the attention they need. This is where a CRM can help.
With a CRM eliminating the need for manual data entry, you free up time for relationship-building tasks such as:
Visiting your customers’ offices.
Performing product demos in person.
Taking customers out for lunch.
A CRM will never be able to replace the human aspect that is necessary to building relationships with your customers, so leverage it to complete the other tasks that don’t require as much of your attention.
Thinking a CRM may be the solution for your business? Let’s discuss what you should be looking for when choosing a CRM for workflow automation.
Strengthen your relationships with your customers
CRMs aren’t just there to automate manual tasks you hate – the best CRMs provide you with a 360-degree view of each task and where it is in the current workflow.
Workflow management is essentially about creating the fastest, most efficient paths for data to transfer across. This way you can complete tasks or items quicker and more accurately. It also prevents redundancies and losing key details throughout the process.
When setting up your CRM for workflow management and automation, you’ll want to have a system that can scope out redundant tasks, create the ideal workflow for everyone involved, and automate manual processes.
Every workflow consists of the following basic components:
Steps: A step is a predetermined framework of tasks within a workflow. Each step should be well-defined and lead to the next one, until all the steps combined take you to your end goal.
Stakeholders: A stakeholder carries out a task in the workflow. An example of a stakeholder is a person who responds to customer inquiries or complaints once the customer has provided information about the issue. When steps or groups of steps are automated, stakeholders can step back and take a less active role in monitoring tasks. In this case, a stakeholder may only be necessary when human intervention is required.
Conditions: Also known as rules, conditions determine whether a step has been fulfilled and whether a user can move on to the next step. They also determine what the next step should be when one is completed.
There are different types of workflows. Workflows can generally be split into two categories:
Sequential workflows: These are workflows that require steps to be followed in sequential order (one after the other) before a task can be considered “complete”. An example of a sequential workflow is a rules-driven process that can only progress when specific rules are triggered in a specific order.
Parallel workflows: These workflows are made up of multiple steps that can be tackled concurrently (all at the same time) instead of sequentially.
What to look for in a CRM for workflow automation?
Every business can benefit from using a CRM for workflow automation, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to finding the right one.
When choosing a CRM for workflow automation, consider the following factors.
Size of your organization
The size of your business determines the type of capabilities you may need from a CRM. This can be measured by:
Number of employees.
Number of users.
Number of customers
Number of transactions.
The bigger your business, the more capabilities you will need from your CRM.
Your industry
Different industries have different needs. For example, the automation needs of an online retailer are different from the needs of a non-profit organization.
You want to make sure that the CRM you choose makes sense for your industry. Some industries have more complex sales pipelines, and others need deeper customer engagement. Choose a CRM for workflow automation that makes your business stand out from the competition.
Software integrations
Your goal in getting a CRM is to automate your workflows, so you want to consider whether a potential CRM can integrate with your current tools.
Luckily, today most CRM solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly with a variety of different applications, including:
Email.
Calendars.
Schedulers.
Chatbots.
Social media management.
However, be sure to double-check before you commit to one system. You don’t want to think you’ve found the perfect solution only to find out that it won’t integrate with your calendar!
Your business objectives
This is probably the most important factor to consider when choosing a CRM for workflow automation. What business objectives do you want your CRM to help you reach?
Are you simply looking to keep better track of your customers? Do you want to offer better customer service? Or maybe you want to create a personalized customer experience.
No matter what your business objectives are, there is a CRM system out there that will help you achieve your goals and improve your business.
Now let’s take a look at some of your options.
The 4 best CRMs for workflow automation
Choosing a CRM for workflow automation can be difficult as there are so many systems on the market, each with their own capabilities.
Many CRM platforms offer free trials, so before committing to a solution, it’s recommended that you try it out to see if it’s the right fit for your business.
To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of tools to help you decide what the best CRM for workflow automation is for your business.
1. Method CRM
Method CRM is the only CRM on our list that provides two-way sync with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. In fact, Method is the #1 rated QuickBooks CRM.
Method CRM can help you streamline your sales process and turn your leads into repeat customers. We specialize in solutions for small and medium sized businesses across many industries, such as:
Manufacturing.
Non-profit.
Construction.
Accounting.
Field services.
Method CRM also offers unlimited CRM workflow automation, meaning this CRM solution can easily grow with your business.
Some of the key workflows that Method CRM can help you automate include:
Lead management: Web to lead forms allow you capture every lead from your website, then instantly add them to QuickBooks when they become customers.
Seamless billing: Convert a customer estimate to an invoice and collect payment all in one place by using Method CRM’s self-service customer portal. The process is smooth for your customers, and each step syncs to your QuickBooks account.
CRM integrations: Method CRM integrates with your favorite apps so you can access your data from anywhere. Keeping track of your contacts is easy with our Gmail and Outlook integrations, and send email campaigns in just a few clicks with our Mailchimp integration.
Reporting: Method CRM’s reporting capabilities allow you to build custom reports, create reusable templates, and uncover the insights you need to grow your business.
Method CRM’s 100% customizable, no-code platform means that you can adapt it to automate your workflows to your needs without any coding knowledge. But don’t worry, if you do find that you want to create something more complex, you can always call on one of Method’s customization experts.
Method offers two competitive pricing options, Contact Management and CRM Pro, both of which can be customized to suit your business’s specific needs.
In the video below, check out how an integration with Method helped double this shipping container company’s revenue in just three years.
2. HubSpot
HubSpot’s CRM platform will allow your sales reps to get richer insights into your customers and warmer leads. This platform is a good choice for those who want to automate their marketing processes, as well as their sales processes.
HubSpot’s automation software allows for email marketing and social media management. It can even be used as a CMS (content management system) for content marketing. However, be aware that their email templates are difficult to modify without basic CSS knowledge, and their reporting capabilities are limited.
As well, HubSpot does offer a limited free version of their plans, but if you take advantage of its full capabilities, the monthly price can add up quickly.
For example, if you’re looking to automate your sales workflows, moving from their Starter plan to their Professional plan means a jump from $50 a month to $500 a month. Upgrading to their Enterprise option is another major jump, costing $1,200 a month.
3. Salesforce
Salesforce has a popular CRM platform suitable for businesses of all sizes and a wide range of industries. Salesforce offers capabilities such as:
Lead and contact management.
Opportunity management.
Customizable reports.
Users praise the platform for the large choice of tools they offer that help you connect with your customers’ needs. However, Salesforce customer support is limited, with users noting that live support is not easily accessible.
Furthermore, Salesforce is one of the pricier CRM options for workflow automation on our list. They also only have the option to bill annually, which must be considered when planning your CRM budget.
4. Zoho
Zoho is a CRM platform and has a lot of the capabilities you need from a CRM for workflow automation.
A notable feature is that their multi-channel support allows you to reach your customers via phone, live chat, email, or through social media. They also have an AI-powered sales assistant called Zia to provide interpretations, solutions, and predictions for your sales team.
Although Zoho’s pricing is reasonable, their overall capabilities are limited. For example, there is a limit on the number of custom fields you can add. As your business grows, you might find yourself in need of more complex business functions that Zoho may be unable to support.
The best workflow automation CRMs for small businesses
Running a small business often means having to wear many different hats, especially in the first year or two, until you can get enough people on your team. But if you don’t have the means to expand your team just yet, your next best bet would be to utilize a CRM that can automate and manage your workflows. With a CRM, you and your small team will have more time to focus on what really matters.
As mentioned, Method CRM is a great workflow automation tool for small and medium-sized businesses. Here are a few other CRMs with workflow automation geared toward small businesses:
1. Freshsales
With its no-frills interface, you won’t have to spend too much time figuring out how to maximize Freshsales for your business. Everyone, even the least tech-savvy of your employees, can learn how to navigate the program in just a couple of hours – making it the perfect CRM for mom-and-pop-type businesses.
Some of Freshsales’ most impressive features include:
Data deduplication functionality.
Auto-renew and contract renewal alerts.
An array of communication tools such as email templates, integrated voice over IP (VoIP) for phone calls and voicemail, call recording, campaigns, etc.
2. Pipedrive
Here’s another CRM that boasts simplicity and basic features that are easy to learn and implement. Pipedrive allows small businesses to manage leads and deals, track calls and emails, automate repetitive administrative tasks, gain insight into key performance metrics, and more – all in one simple and clean interface.
3. Capsule
Capsule CRM aims to make CRM “simple yet powerful” with contact management solutions, sales analytics tools, sales pipeline tracking features, and integrations with popular business apps like QuickBooks, Xero, Mailchimp, and more.
One of the best things about Capsule is its flexibility. You can always add new teams or processes to the program and tailor who gets to access what information. Capsule also has a pretty commendable support team that’s always there to pick up the phone.
Recap: How to choose the right CRM for workflow automation
Choosing a CRM for workflow automation is difficult, but you’re the only one who can make that choice.
A CRM that works for one organization may not work for another, so it is important to determine your business’s specific needs and figure out how you want to propel it forward.
What you should look for in a CRM solution is:
Native integrations with the tools you already use.
The option to try before you buy.
Ability to personalize your workflows.
All in all, choosing the right CRM for workflow automation will motivate your team and drive your business forward.
Method CRM has everything a CRM solution should deliver, and more. Start your free trial today!
Picking the right time tracking solution can be a daunting task. Until now! These are the 6 must-have features that help you get the most out of a time tracking app.
If you want to run your business more efficiently, employee time tracking apps are a great place to start.
The simple act of recording the amount of time it takes to complete every task in a workday gives you vital information you need to:
Streamline your operations.
Reduce your operational costs.
Maximize your productivity.
And so much more.
So how do you know which is the best time tracking app for your business? Keep reading to find out how these tools strengthen your operations and the features you need in your time tracking software.
Why time tracking apps are beneficial for growing businesses
As you know all too well, there’s a lot more to managing a business than making sure that the work gets done.
If you’re not using a time tracking tool, much of your workload is likely weighed down by tasks that are better off being automated.
Here are some of the advantages you get with an employee time tracking app.
Accurate records and less work for your team
Having your team manually fill out timesheets leaves you open to reporting errors.
The reality is that your crew may forget to record time entries until the end of the day or pay period. And even if they are filling them out as they go, there’s still a good chance that time is being rounded up or down.
This means that either you or your customer is losing money — which isn’t a win for anybody.
There’s also the possibility of mistakes being made when work hours are manually entered into your payroll and invoicing programs. Especially when you’re trying to manage stacks of paper or multiple spreadsheets.
In other words, manual logs can far too easily lead to payroll mistakes and inaccurate invoices. With employee time tracking software, your team simply clicks a button on their mobile devices and the app records their actual working hours. This gives you one source of truth that you can rely on, instead of multiple sources that have the potential to conflict with each other.
Find inefficiencies in workflows and operational bottlenecks
Another benefit of using time trackers is the business insights available to you.
By analyzing the time logs of each individual task, you can easily identify the tasks that take the longest and look for the reasons why.
Not only does this help you streamline your business, but simple time tracking of tasks inspires your team to become more productive.
Data-driven employee performance reviews
The time records collected from each of your employees also act as a reliable source to base employee performance reviews.
Comparing results from similar tasks done by several employees allows you to quantify areas where an employee may be struggling.
By sharing this data with them, they get a clearer picture of where they stand.
Better forecasting
A time tracking solution gives you exact data on the amount of time it takes to complete specific jobs and overall projects.
So now your estimates will be even more accurate and earn you the kind of credibility that gets spread by word of mouth.
Better yet, having precise data on the number of working hours needed to finish a job helps you optimize your scheduling and cut down on labor costs.
The 6 best employee time tracking app features
As you’ve probably guessed, there are countless time trackers out there. So, trying to figure out the best time tracking app can be a daunting task. Until now!
Here are the key features that every service business needs in an employee time tracking app.
1. User-friendly timesheet and attendance tracking
Your office and remote teams have plenty on their plates.
So, to fully realize the benefits of your employee time tracking app, you need buy-in across all departments. This is a lot easier to accomplish with a time tracking solution that’s easy to use.
Ideally, your team should be able to start and stop a time entry within a work order when they arrive on site. That time entry should be uploaded into a centralized system so that your office staff can:
Track attendance.
Seamlessly convert time entries into employee hours for payroll.
The best time tracking apps allow you to do all of the above without having to enter the same data twice, so make sure to add these functionalities to your wish list.
2. Scheduling and work order creation
A key feature you want to look for when comparing time tracking apps is versatile scheduling functionality.
As a business with remote teams in the field, you need the ability to view everyone’s calendars and add last-minute work orders to them.
Having a web-based time tracking app that adds new jobs to employee calendars keeps you from losing out on valuable business.
3. Real-time updates on job progress
It’s one thing to know the details of your team’s workday when it’s all said and done. But having the ability to troubleshoot problems as they come up is one way to level up your service.
So you want to make sure you can get updates on events as they happen with a cloud-based time tracking app.
Say, for example, your team arrives at a job site and there’s nobody there to let them in. Or they were scheduled for landscaping work but a thunderstorm makes it unsafe for them to be working outdoors.
With real-time updates, you can reach out to the customer and start finding solutions right away.
4. Robust reporting
You learned earlier how time tracking each job can give you the insights you need to streamline your business operations.
For that to happen, you need a time tracking app that pulls the data points you need and presents them in insightful reports.
When looking for an employee time tracking app, you want to look for those that go beyond reports that are limited to time spent on tasks. Instead, look for tracking tools that can provide you with analytics on costs vs profit as well. Even better if you can find a solution that lets you easily filter time entries by employee, customer, month, etc.
With these insights, you’ll know exactly which are your most profitable jobs and teams. And if you offer any flat-fee services, you can monitor them to make sure they aren’t costing you money.
5. Integrations with the software you love
The benefits of a time tracking solution can only truly be enjoyed when it’s connected to the rest of your tech stack.
Software integration is what allows your data to flow from tool to tool. Key software integrations to look for in your time tracker are with your payroll and invoicing programs as they eliminate double data entry between systems.
Let’s take a look at Method’s sync with QuickBooks as an example. When a time entry in Method’s Time Tracker app is stopped and the work order is completed, the time entry automatically appears in QuickBooks.
From here, you can include these time details in your invoice as well as approve these entries for payroll. Both of which simplify your payroll and billing processes.
Another recommendation is to use a time tracking app that works with Zapier. This way, you can connect your time tracker to your email, scheduling tool, CRM, etc., to automate your workflows even further.
6. A time tracking tool with a mobile app
Mobile is the perfect medium for time tracking in the field. It’s a lot easier to click a button on a mobile app than it is trying to remember how much time was spent on each task/job after the fact.
This is huge because one of the key selling features of an employee time tracking app is the accuracy of your reporting. So your team needs to be able to start and stop the timer as they begin and finish their work.
An added bonus of employees reporting time on their mobile phones is that you know exactly who completed each job. Now, any feedback from customers can get added to your employee performance reviews.
Recap: What to look for in your employee time tracking app
To take your business to the next level, you need an employee time tracking app that:
Makes it easy for your team to record time entries.
Takes the data entry burden off your office employees.
Lets you schedule and add work orders on the fly.
Keeps you in the loop on progress and incidents at the job site.
Gives you reports on productivity, profitability, and more!
Integrates with your other software tools.
Empowers your team to start and stop the time tracker as they work with a mobile version of the app.
Find a time tracking solution with all of the above, and you’ll help ensure your growing business is a success!
See how Method elevates your time tracking abilities with a free demo.
If you spend too much time on tedious tasks and struggle to get your business organized, CRM workflow automation might solve your problems.
One of the most important factors when it comes to running a successful business is efficient processes. Manual data entry is not only inefficient and boring, but the repetitive nature of the process creates room for error.
A CRM (customer relationship management) is one of the most effective tools for automated workflows because it helps you accomplish your key workflows from one place.
CRM workflows allow you to automate tedious tasks so that you can focus on selling. After all, sales are what will grow your business.
Today you’ll discover different ways a CRM can optimize your workflows and learn why CRM workflow automation is the key to unlocking your business’s full potential.
Let’s get started!
What is CRM workflow automation?
Workflow refers to the steps that are necessary to complete a business process, such as closing a sale.
Let’s look at the general process of closing a sale as an example:
When a lead comes in, the first step is to assess their data (name, contact information, etc.) to make sure that it is accurate.
From there, you have to assign the lead to a sales rep who will determine whether they are a sales-qualified lead (SQL).
If the sales rep determines that the lead is qualified, they will schedule a meeting with them to discuss their needs or carry out a product demonstration.
If all goes well, an estimate will be sent, then need to be converted to an invoice.
Finally, your accountant will be responsible for making sure that the invoice is paid within the given time frame.
That sounds like a lot of steps, right? Imagine if each step were automated, requiring almost no manual work from you or your sales team? That’s where CRM workflow automation can help.
A CRM automates these steps, so you can close sales quicker and with less manual effort.
For example, once an invoice is sent, your CRM will automatically send reminders to your customer to help make sure that they pay on time.
Some other tasks that CRM workflows can automate include:
Synchronous vs. asynchronous workflows in your CRM
CRM workflows can be synchronous or asynchronous.
And while synchronous and asynchronous may be new terms, you have probably already encountered them in practice many times before.
When you create a workflow in a CRM, you will see the option to “run it in the background” as the recommended approach. The option you choose determines whether the workflow runs in real-time (synchronously) or in the background (asynchronously).
In general, it is best to choose the asynchronous option. Asynchronous workflows use resources as they become available, so it does not impact you if you need to work on another task as it runs.
Synchronous workflows, on the other hand, allow you to keep track and see exactly when the workflow is complete. They, however, will not let you execute another operation at the same time, meaning it will hold you up until the workflow is complete. This isn’t ideal if your goal is to be more efficient!
Don’t worry, the option you choose isn’t a lifelong commitment. If you choose the asynchronous option, you can always switch back to the synchronous option and vice versa.
Now that you’re caught up on the basics, let’s talk about how CRM workflow automation can benefit your business.
The benefits of CRM workflow automation
CRM workflows will streamline your sales process to increase revenue and grow your business.
Some of the most common benefits of CRM workflow automation include:
Higher productivity.
Data organization.
Fewer human errors.
Improved sales.
Reduced costs.
Stronger customer retention.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key benefits.
Be more productive
Automating CRM workflows allows your sales team to accomplish more.
As a small business, you and your team already have so many tasks to complete throughout the day. If you want to be as productive as possible, administrative tasks should not be taking up the bulk of your work.
Think of the time that you would save by not having to do manual data entry every time you need to score a lead or update a customer’s contact information. This instead would let you focus on sales tasks that directly drive revenue.
CRM workflow automation allows your sales team to complete high-value tasks, which will increase productivity and performance from your sales reps.
Keep your business organized
Your sales team has to deal with large amounts of data to analyze and organize their leads.
As your business grows, this becomes more difficult but even more important as you have more leads and customers to manage. And if your team grows into several departments who all need access to different types of information, using a CRM makes sharing it:
Easier.
Faster.
More accurate.
Unorganized data slows down your sales workflows and, even worse, leaves room for human error. Fortunately, CRM workflow automation can help prevent those errors.
Automating your workflows will not only keep your data organized, but also keeps systems integrated between different teams.
CRM workflow automation can keep your leads organized by where they’re at in the sales pipeline so your team can focus on the most promising sales opportunities rather than unqualified leads.
CRM software also allows several members of your team to update information in real-time, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.
Build better relationships
With fewer administrative tasks, your sales reps have more time to focus on interacting with your customers.
By automating your workflows, you can spend more time building relationships with customers and ensuring customer satisfaction.
Having your sales reps spend more one-on-one time with your customers allows you to build trust and credibility with your target audience. Getting to know your customers better will make it easier to close deals, generate repeat business, and gain referrals.
Now that you understand some of the benefits of CRM workflow automation, let’s take a look at the key workflows that you should automate.
Top 4 CRM workflows your business needs
To begin implementing CRM workflow automation, you need to determine which workflows you want to automate.
To help you out, here are the top CRM workflows that will streamline your business processes. Hint: these are all capabilities that the top small business CRM software have.
Lead management
Managing your leads takes a lot of effort and can be a confusing process. Lead management includes tasks such as:
Collecting leads.
Assigning leads.
Nurturing leads.
Scoring leads.
Updating their information.
Converting leads to customers.
Without proper lead management, you can miss out on crucial information, such as a lead requesting to change their email address on file. You also end up running the risk of losing out on opportunities to convert more leads into customers.
Lead collection
When it comes to collecting leads, you want to make sure you’re tracking what channel they come from. Depending on your business, these channels may include:
Social platforms.
Sales website.
Ads.
In-store.
Email.
Chatbots.
With so many different channels, it’s hard to keep track of your leads. You want to automate this process because it will ensure every lead is accounted for and that you don’t lose out on potential revenue.
Lead assignment
Assigning new leads can be equally challenging. When a new lead comes in, you want to assign a sales rep as soon as possible to contact them. At the same time, you want to make sure multiple sales reps are not jumping on the lead at the same time, overwhelming your potential customer.
By automating lead assignment, you know that there’s no processing delay before leads are followed up with and that only one sales rep is contacting them.
CRM workflow automation also enables you to automate personalized emails to nurture leads. This ensures that you reach your sales prospects in the right stage of the sales funnel and send out timely follow-up emails.
In all, CRM workflow automation gives you one centralized place to keep track of all your leads to help you convert them to customers. For QuickBooks users, Method CRM can help manage your leads, opportunities, and customers.
Keeping track of all interactions with potential customers.
Tracking loss opportunities and gathering data to help your business improve.
With these workflows automated, you can better manage all of your data and ensure better customer service.
Customer service
Customer service support can be very time-consuming as you generally have to answer the same questions again and again. You also have to keep track of complaints to ensure that you resolve issues in a timely manner.
CRM workflow automation allows you to streamline your manual support processes. For example, a chatbot will not only provide customer service support when your sales reps are unavailable, but it can also provide your customers with quick solutions for known problems.
You can also implement an automated notification process that immediately alerts you to sales teams and IT staff when a problem occurs.
Other customer service tasks you can use a CRM to automate include:
Keep records of customer complaints.
Cancel or upgrade accounts.
Enable order placements and other transactions.
Managing contact records.
Using a CRM to automate these workflows will lead to better customer satisfaction.
Billing
You may feel a sense of accomplishment once you close a deal, but your job isn’t over until the most important step has been completed: the invoice has been paid.
Billing is a task that requires a lot of attention as it involves a number of steps to complete. These include:
Creating an invoice.
Sending the invoice.
Sending reminders.
Processing payments.
And keeping records of each step along the way!
With so much involved in the process, keeping track of each step becomes difficult for you and your accountant. Automating this CRM workflow, on the other hand, makes your billing processes quick and painless.
For optimal CRM automation, you’ll want to look for a CRM that lets you easily convert pre-sales to post-sales document transactions.
With the right CRM, you can create a self-service customer portal to make this process easier.
Customer portals allow your business to share individual account data with your customers. This saves you time on admin work and provides customers with a more enjoyable experience.
Reporting
Drafting reports is not an exciting job, but it can take up a lot of your time. Luckily, with the right software, you can turn this dull task into an automated process.
The right CRM will set workflows for any type of report.
CRM reporting can give you at-a-glance insights on sales pipeline amounts, opportunities progress, and sales operations. You can then use this data to make better decisions for your business and come up with sales strategies to retain your customers.
Better yet, not only can your CRM generate reports, but it can also send out these reports to your sales team so that everyone has access to the information they need.
The takeaway: CRM workflow automation grows your business
The main goals of CRM workflow automation are to empower you and your team to accomplish more. Automating your workflows will have a positive impact on your employees and your bottom line.
CRM workflow automation can benefit all areas of your business, especially marketing, accounting, and, of course, sales. By eliminating manual workflows, you will:
Manage your data better.
Build better relationships with your customers.
Close sales faster.
Increase the productivity of your team.
With CRM workflow automation, you’ll be able to run your business more efficiently and see results.
Method CRM has everything you need to automate your workflow and grow your business. Start your free trial today!
Are you still using a punch clock, Excel, or timesheets to track how employee time is spent? In the digital age, employee time tracking software is the only way to go for businesses with teams out in the field completing work orders.
The role of employee time tracking software in your payroll process.
How time tracking software can make you more profitable.
So let’s get to it!
Why time tracking is important for small businesses
Tracking the amount of time and personnel it takes to finish tasks helps you plan, budget, and staff more efficiently on future jobs. It also helps you give more exact estimates in the future, something your customers will appreciate.
Keep reading to learn why tracking employee time is essential for your small business.
Eliminate payroll errors with accurate time entry
It’s important to get payroll right for your team and business. But, this doesn’t always happen as payroll mistakes have led to 33% of employers getting penalized by the IRS.
By keeping track of what your employees work on and their hours, you reduce your chance of making payroll mistakes. Which is a win for both employee satisfaction and your standing with the IRS.
As a business owner, having a record of what an employee does every month also confirms that you are paying employees for work done and not just for a certain number of hours.
Reduce your costs and inefficiencies
A precise breakdown of what tasks your staff spend time on helps you identify problem areas.
For example, this can highlight that a certain task is an issue for several employees, which means a system tweak is needed. And on the other hand, if a task is an issue for just one or two of your team members, you may realize extra coaching is needed.
Either way, if you’re not tracking time spent on tasks, these issues can be a lot harder to uncover.
Avoid mistakes and headaches with one source of truth
There’s a reason the whole world is going paperless.
For starters, having multiple documents that measure the same thing is a waste of time. Not to mention that you then have to check each document against the others.
And if they don’t match, how do you know which is the right one?
Thankfully, there’s a better way. Having one, central place for your time entries is a better approach because it:
Saves time for your team.
Reduces confusion and stress.
Cuts down on the risk of data entry errors.
Increase customer trust with precise and detailed invoices
If you bill your customers by the hour, you can win your customers’ loyalty by keeping accurate records of the time spent on their jobs.
For example, your customers may or may not be at home or keep notes on how much time your team spends on the job. So, how do they know they’re being billed fairly?
The answer is by you being transparent with time tracking on your invoices.
A best practice when it comes to customer service is to create invoices with a line-by-line description of items, so your customers know what you’re charging them for.
This way, you and your customers know that you’re only charging them for real, billable hours.
The benefit of this is that your reputation stays credible and more referrals and repeat business comes your way.
The difference between employee time tracking software and other methods
If you’re considering a time tracking tool, chances are that your current time tracking method isn’t working for you. Here’s a deep dive into the alternatives that push many to start looking at other solutions.
Swipe cards — Swipe cards are great for controlling who gets in and out of the office and recording the times people come and go. The problem is that they don’t track the time spent on actual work. This system also doesn’t track any jobs being done in the field or by your remote teams.
Employee timesheets — Even if your team fills these out diligently, they still need to be entered into a computer for analysis and payroll. If you have more than five employees, this becomes a time-consuming job in itself and is not an efficient use of your time.
Spreadsheets — While spreadsheets can be useful for lists, charts, tables, and calculations, they aren’t ideal for time tracking. In fact, they give you many of the same issues as timesheets. Also, spreadsheets don’t integrate with other software you use for project management, payroll, or invoicing. This means you’re stuck rekeying data into different tools when you could be doing more important work.
In a nutshell, these approaches hold your business back from reaching that next level of growth. If you can relate, it’s time to look into other time tracking options.
What is employee time tracking software?
First, let’s be clear on what employee time tracking software is.
As you can tell by the name, this software lets your staff record how much time they spend on tasks and projects. You may also hear this type of solution referred to as:
Time trackers.
Employee time tracking apps.
Employee time clock apps.
Project time tracking tools.
Now that you have an understanding of what time trackers are, let’s dig into how these solutions work!
How do you record hours in time tracking software?
While every time tracker has its subtle differences, most have similar workflows. Since we know our own solution best, we’ll use that to explain how you’ll use this type of software.
With Method’s Time Tracking app, you would complete the following steps when you arrive on-site or start working on a project:
Open the app and go to the Time Entry screen.
Enter your name.
Enter the name of the customer you’re doing the work for.
Choose the billable hours status (if applicable).
Select the task or job you’re working on.
Press the Start the Timer button.
When you are done working on a job or taking a break, you simply stop the timer.
That’s it!
If any issues arise during the job, you can add notes to the time entry. This is great because it gives your office team a line of sight into job progress and keeps them in the know about any challenges you face.
It seems so simple, and it is. But taking the less-than-30-seconds to start a time entry can make a huge impact on your:
Efficiency.
Customer retention.
Bottom line.
How does employee time tracking software support payroll?
So far, you’ve learned how important time tracking is for accurate and fair payroll but how do time tracking applications help you with your payroll?
Well, for one, your Office Manager doesn’t have to constantly chase after employees to get timesheets filled out and in on time. And that’s not even half the battle.
Without employee time tracking software, your Office Manager has to manually enter all those time entries — which can easily lead to mistakes (especially if you use paper timesheets).
So, the question becomes: Why spend so much time and effort on data entry when there’s a solution that does the work for you? The answer is simple, you don’t — you use a tool instead.
Better yet, you can connect your time tracking and payroll software with a software integration or via Zapier, to automatically update time entries across your tools. The benefit is that processing payroll becomes faster and more foolproof for your business.
Let’s take Method for example. Method integrates with QuickBooks so that when you use the Time Tracking app, that information gets synced over to QuickBooks.
In other words, you can process your payroll immediately with a few clicks. No more double data entry!
The top 4 benefits of employee time tracking for growing businesses
For businesses in growth mode, the name of the game is making sure that every dollar spent and every hour worked move the business forward.
Employee time tracking software helps you grow your business faster as it gives you the following advantages over traditional time tracking methods.
1. Higher productivity
You learned above about how employee time tracking software can save your Office Manager or HR team from hours of manual admin work. These are hours that can now be spent on training, hiring, and other tasks that improve your business.
2. More accurate time tracking
With an employee time tracking app, you get a precise total of the time spent working on each specific job that includes any breaks taken!
By contrast, having employees fill out timesheets at the end of the day or week leaves too much room for guesstimating and forgetting chunks of time.
Whether this results in too many or few hours being accounted for, this approach is bound to cause errors in your payroll and invoicing.
Not to mention that having an exact record of how long each task takes is a fundamental part of project management. You need this information to help you when planning employee schedules and to keep project costs down.
In other words, employee time tracking software lets you:
Maximize team productivity.
Pay your employees fairly.
Bill your customers correctly.
Reduce your operational costs.
3. Real-time reporting
How often have you wanted to know the exact status of a project at any given moment? To know right away about delays that were holding your team back? Or about a mistake or accident that needed an immediate solution?
If your time tracking app has real-time reporting, this is possible as you’re looped in to what’s going in the field as it happens.
This way you can proactively take steps to get ahead of any issues and keep customers happy if there are delays or issues reported on the app.
Take Method’s Time Tracking mobile app, for example.
It acts as a live feed from the job site to connect your in and out-of-office teams. This way you can support your field crews with a solution that stops hiccups from turning into disasters.
4. Simpler, faster, and more detailed billing
An integrated time tracking tool can instantly add employee hours to your invoices so that an itemized bill for services can be done in seconds. A bill, mind you, that doesn’t charge your customers for breaks or idle time.
Taking this approach:
Earns customer trust.
Makes you look more professional.
Builds brand credibility.
With Method, you can provide each customer with a precise, itemized, custom invoice in just a few clicks because our Time Tracker Tool integrates with QuickBooks.
Putting it all together: The importance of employee time tracking software for your business
To run a successful business you need to make sure that all your resources are spent wisely — including labor.
Keeping track of how your employees are spending their time:
Minimizes your payroll errors.
Gives you a better picture of where the sticking points are in your workflows.
Reduces your time entries to one source of truth.
Empowers you to give precise and detailed invoices to your customers.
There are many ways to track employee time, but none are as accurate and easy to use as employee time tracking software.
Maximize your productivity and reduce costs with a free trial of the Method:Field Services Time Tracking app.
If you find your sales team focusing more on administrative tasks than on actual revenue-generating activities, then sales automation may be the solution.
Sales reps have a huge amount of responsibility in today’s competitive market. Not only do they need to continuously bring in revenue, but they also need to keep track of data related to their sales at each step of the process, which involves a lot of manual work. In fact, Forbes determined that sales people only spend about 35% of their time selling. That doesn’t sound right, does it?
But imagine if your sales team no longer had to do that manual work. Their productivity and efficiency would improve, resulting in higher overall sales.
Sales automation can get you those improved results, and technology such as automation tools and software can help you get there.
Today you’ll learn how sales automation can benefit your sales team and lead to more revenue for your business.
Let’s dive in!
What is sales automation?
Sales automation is the process of streamlining manual tasks in the sales process. This helps you get tedious, time-consuming tasks done quicker and more efficiently.
Streamlining your sales process allows your sales team to focus less on admin and more on selling. Here’s a glimpse of how you can expect sales automation to positively impact your business:
Increase your sales team’s productivity.
Improve the accuracy and efficiency of your sales process.
Keep sales data consistent across your organization.
Reduce response time and increase customer satisfaction.
For maximum efficiency, you want to use sales automation software, such as a CRM, to simplify your sales process. The right software will help you keep track of your sales data and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
Sales automation vs. marketing automation
If you’ve been researching different tools to help streamline your business processes, you may have also come across the term marketing automation.
Both marketing automation and sales automation are important to drive sales and bring in revenue, and in an ideal scenario, your business would use both. However, it is important to understand the difference between the two and determine where each fits into your organization.
As you can guess, the idea behind marketing automation is similar to sales automation. It involves using tools and software to automate marketing tasks and processes. These tasks include:
Marketing automation is mainly focused on the top of the sales funnel, meaning that it will help you get more leads. Marketing automation will help you build your email database and nurture your leads.
Sales automation, on the other hand, moves you towards closing the deal. Sales automation will also help you keep track of your leads as they move through the funnel.
Let’s take a closer look at how automating your sales processes can benefit your business.
The benefits of sales automation
Now that you’ve learned the basics of sales automation, you probably want to know how it can benefit your business. Well, we’ve got you covered! Let’s dive deeper into the top benefits of automating your sales process.
1. Gain insight on your customers
Your top priority is your customers, so you want to get to know them as much as possible. Sales automation allows you to gather helpful data and implement strategies on how to use it to better serve your customers.
The data you collect will help you figure out your customers’ pain points, learn their needs, and form sales strategies to deliver solutions to those needs.
2. Less time on admin, more time building relationships
Sales automation allows your sales team to accomplish more. When you take administrative tasks off their plates, your sales reps have more time to focus on their main job: building customer relationships and closing sales!
Sales automation allows your sales team to focus on high-value tasks, which will result in increased productivity and performance from your sales reps.
Imagine not having to do manual data entry every time you need to update a customer’s contact information. Or imagine having your leads organized by where they’re at in the sales pipeline so you can focus on the most promising sales opportunities.
By automating your sales tasks instead of worrying about updating your customer’s data, you can spend more time building relationships and ensuring customer satisfaction.
3. Enhance data accuracy
Have you ever had a lack of communication between two of your team members lead to a missed sales opportunity? This is an unfortunate occurrence that many small businesses go through.
The lack of a clear, automated sales process may lead to more human error. If you rely on manual data entry from more than one member of your sales team, you may end up with redundancy or inaccurate information. You also run the risk of multiple people having bits of information on your customers, but no one having the full picture.
Automation can not only ensure that information is updated on time, but also that it is updated accurately. In particular, a CRM can help make sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to your customers.
Sales CRM automation means there will be fewer data entry mistakes because the information is located in one database and updated in real-time. If there is an error, any employee who accesses the file can correct it so the same error won’t pop up to other team members.
4. Automate lead scoring
No one likes manually sorting through prospects to score each sales lead manually. This task is not only time-consuming and tedious, but it is also prone to error. This is risky since lead scoring is important to make sure your sales team spends their time with the most qualified leads.
Lead scoring involves scoring every interaction a lead has with your company, and weighing those points against expected values. The result is turning that lead into a sales-qualified lead (SQL).
Automated lead scoring can make this process easier and more accurate. With the help of a good sales automation platform, you can identify your SQLs more quickly and immediately start giving them the attention they need.
As you can see, sales automation can benefit your business in multiple ways. Let’s get more specific and look at some sales automation workflows that will help your sales team be more efficient.
4 sales automation workflows that simplify your sales process
Automating your workflows will have a positive impact on your sales reps, your customers, and your overall business. Let’s look at some key workflows that sales automation can simplify.
1. Lead collection
Lead collection is often a messy process. Sales prospects often come in from multiple channels, such as:
Social platforms.
Sales website.
Ads.
In-Store.
Email.
Chatbots.
With so many different channels, it’s hard to keep track of your leads. Centralizing this information is a time-consuming process that’s prone to human error. The result? Sales opportunities get left on the table and hot leads get ignored.
You want to automate this process because it will ensure every lead is accounted for and that you don’t lose out on potential revenue.
2. Lead assignment
When a new lead comes in, it needs to be assigned to a sales rep so that not everyone on the team jumps on it at the same time.
Unfortunately, this process is usually manual and takes a significant part of a sales manager’s time, making it a great process to automate.
By automating assigning leads, you know that there’s no processing delay before leads are followed up with and that your sales team isn’t bottlenecked.
3. Prospect follow-ups
Once your lead collection process is automated, the next step is to ensure every lead is followed up with in a timely manner.
According to IRC Sales Solution, only 2% of sales are made during the first point of contact. That means you stand to lose 98% of potential sales if you don’t follow up.
With your sales reps having so much on the go, a follow-up to each of your leads isn’t a sure thing. Unless, of course, you leverage sales workflow automation.
By instantly scheduling follow-up activities for your sales reps, you can rest assured that each lead will be followed up with and brought down the sales funnel by your team.
4. Sales pipeline management
Keeping up with data is important to manage your sales pipeline, from knowing which deals are closing to tracking how much revenue has come in.
However, manually tracking data points is a slow process that’s worth automating. Instead of spending hours in Excel figuring this information out, look for sales automation software that automates this process for quick insights on the numbers you need.
These tools allow you to view data using different filters, such as:
Closed/won deals.
Sales rep.
Total revenue.
Account.
Filtering allows you to dig deeper into the data and closely analyze what’s working and what isn’t. As a result, you can flag and address problems in a quicker and more effective way.
Now that you understand how sales automation can simplify your workflows, let’s check out some tools that will help you automate your sales process.
Tools that make sales automation easy
Sales automation tools can help make automating your sales process that much quicker. There are several different types of tools available for you to choose from. Let’s take a closer look at a few of them.
Schedulers
When it comes to keeping track of sales leads, staying organized is crucial. Many potential sales could be lost because of unorganized processes. There’s nothing worse than struggling to coordinate a meeting with a sales prospect and failing to find the right time.
Schedulers, such as Calendly, are a great tool for any business to have. Schedulers eliminate the tedious back and forth of choosing a time that works for your customers. Plus, schedulers often offer calendar integrations so invites are automatically sent out to sales reps and customers.
CRM
A CRM (customer relationship management) tool is one of the most important types of sales automation software because it helps you automate so many of your sales tasks.
Some of the tasks that CRM sales automation can help you accomplish include:
Create lead gen forms to make it easy to turn website visitors into qualified leads.
Enable email integrations to make it possible to seamlessly track activities while communicating with leads and customers.
Automate your payment process so your sales team doesn’t spend time on payment collection.
Track every step of the sales pipeline and quickly create reports.
And so much more!
As you can see, a CRM may be the only sales automation tool you need, but it can also feed data into other sales automation tools that your sales team uses.
For QuickBooks users, Method CRM can help keep your data organized and automate every step of the sales pipeline.
Method is the #1 CRM for QuickBooks and Xero users. The following video shows how Method helped a shipping container company double its revenue in just three years.
Chatbots
In an ideal world, you want to engage with your customers 24/7. However, your sales reps are only human, and are unable to be available for your customers at all times. Luckily, there’s a solution: Chatbots.
Chatbots are a form of automated communication for prospects and customers. Gone are the days of chatbots being solely a customer service tool. When used right, they can indicate to prospective customers that you want to communicate with them and care about their experience.
Chatbots help capture and qualify leads by asking automated questions. As responses, they serve up existing web content like help articles and FAQs, as well as deliver simple information, such as store hours.
Chatbots help your customers move through the sales funnel. Instead of having everything sent to your sales team, chatbots will triage requests to qualify leads more quickly.
If you’re ready to look into integrating chatbots into your sales automation plan, check out Intercom and Drift to bridge the communication gap when your sales reps aren’t available.
Zapier
Although a CRM may provide you with all of the sales automation tools you need, you may come across other tools that you want to integrate into your processes.
Don’t worry if your current CRM can’t integrate directly with a tool you want to use. There is a solution to that.
A connector can easily integrate your CRM with different apps. One of the most popular connectors is Zapier.
Zapier allows you to instantly connect a CRM to over 3000 apps to help you automate your work. Some of those apps include:
Trello.
Slack.
Mailchimp.
Gmail.
Outlook calendar.
Zapier pushes information from your favorite apps directly into your CRM. That way, you can get up-to-date information on your leads, customers, sales, and more, all from one place.
Zapier also eliminates double-data entry, empowering your team with accurate data and ensuring that everyone is always on the same page.
QuickBooks users can experience the magic of Zapier, as it allows you to integrate Method CRM with over 3000 apps to automate your work.
No-code tools
Programmers are no longer the only ones with the power to create apps. Thanks to no-code tools, anyone can create interactive apps without knowing how to code.
No-code is the act of building software apps without coding, eliminating the need to hire a software developer for application development. You don’t need to know a programming language to use it. All no-code really requires of you is to scroll, click, drag, and drop.
No-code solutions empower small businesses of every size to build automated workflows that mirror their exact business processes. The beauty of creating a custom solution like this is that you can add in personalized fields and meet your unique business needs.
For example, instead of relying on error-prone Excel for data entry, you can develop a cloud-based app for your entire team to store and update your data. No-code gives everyone the power to automate workflows, improving the productivity and efficiency of your team.
Wrap up: Sales automation brings your business forward
To recap, sales automation can:
Improve your sales team’s productivity.
Reduce human error.
Keep your team organized.
Enhance your customer’s experience.
Track data efficiently.
Easily generate sales reports.
Sales automation has become a necessity in today’s sales world to keep up with ongoing demands. The right automation software gives your sales team the freedom to focus less on admin work and more on selling.
The best thing you can do for your business is set yourself up on a sales automation platform to streamline your workflows and increase your revenue.
To learn more about how sales automation can streamline your sales process, download our free sales ebook.
Data analytics is no longer just a tool for large corporations. Today, small and medium businesses can now use their data to:
Reach new audiences.
Improve operations.
Fuel business growth.
This is thanks to new small business technology trends that have made large swaths of data available to everyone — from single-location boutiques to multi-location, growing franchises.
For a deeper understanding of small business data analytics, keep reading to learn:
What data analytics is.
The current state of small business data analytics.
How data analytics can impact your small business.
How to get started with small business data analytics.
The role of data analytics in marketing.
Now, let’s jump in!
What is data analytics?
Data analytics generally describes the process of using information to discover new ways to improve your small business.
For small businesses, the process is fairly straightforward and can be broken up into four parts:
Collect data about your business activities.
Clean this data.
Organize your data points to ensure they can be examined easily.
Evaluate information to discover new ways to improve your operations.
Essentially, the goal of small business data analytics is to take your raw data and turn it into actionable insights that can be used for impactful change.
The current state of small business data analytics
Now that we’ve covered the foundation of what data analytics is, let’s look at how small businesses leverage data today.
According to Score, 51% of small business owners believe that big data is a must.
“51% of small business owners believe that big data is a must.”
— Score, 2019.
Digging deeper, this research found that companies that leverage data analytics tools enjoy 15% more in sales than companies that don’t.
All in all, it’s clear that in 2021 and beyond small business data analytics are a key part of growing your business. Next, let’s look at why they’re so crucial for scaling businesses.
What types of data analysis techniques should small businesses look into?
Data analytics are essential to growing one’s business in this day and age. But data must be analyzed wisely, or else you risk it going to waste.
Here are some essential data analysis methods that businesses can use to scale up:
Text analytics: Also called data mining, text analytics involve extracting patterns from large data sets to help businesses predict customer behavior, identify potential relationships, and ultimately make better business decisions.
Diagnostic analytics: This involves examining data to find the causes of certain trends and the correlation between variables. With this, small businesses can gain a better understanding of insights like market demand and consumer behavior by simply asking, “Why did X happen?”
Predictive analytics: This involves looking at historical data and data gained from machine learning to predict future outcomes. Small businesses can use this method to pinpoint potential risks, threats, and opportunities.
How can data analytics impact your small business?
One of the most common ways to use small business data analytics is to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your sales process.
By evaluating data from each step of your process, you can:
Increase the efficiency of how you deliver services or create your product.
Reduce shopping cart abandonment to maximize revenue.
These benefits, however, are only possible if you ask the right questions about your data set.
Questions such as, “Which acquisition channels have the highest ROI?”, “How can we adjust our outreach to more effectively target audiences?”, and “Why are prospects abandoning us at that step in the sales process?” are just a few examples of questions that will provide you with valuable insights.
When it comes to small business data analytics, it’s important to understand not just what the data says but also the why and how behind it.
How to get started
First thing first: you need data to analyze. And while you may think you don’t have information worth analyzing, that likely isn’t the case.
Here’s an overview of tools you probably use that hold information you can include in your analysis:
Customer relationship management (CRM) solution. This gives you a 360-degree view of every customer from their demographic details to order history. This is all information you can include in your analysis.
Email marketing platform. This tool holds data such as customer communication habits and campaign performance. This is information you can use to examine your email communication tactics at scale and look at how they perform with different audiences.
eCommerce tool. You can look here for data about your online buyers and the steps that lead them to make purchases with you. These are data points you can then use to refine your buyer personas and customer journey.
As you begin your data analysis, you’ll want to ask questions like:
What patterns do you see in this data?
What is causing these patterns?
How can you use this information to improve your business?
Now that you have the right information, you’ll want to make sure your analysis uses data hygiene best practices. For those of you new to small business data analytics, data hygiene is “the ongoing processes involved in guaranteeing data is clean” or error-free.
Data science and small business analytics
While the two terms seem similar, there are key distinctions between the two. Business analysts pore over large datasets to find trends, patterns, and important insights that can help decision-makers bring positive changes to a business.
Data scientists, on the other hand, build the algorithms and structures that can help analysts do their job of collecting data. Essentially, data scientists create the tools analysts use to gather, study, and keep information.
The role of small business data analytics in your marketing efforts
Next, let’s look at how small business data analytics can impact your marketing performance.
#1: Maximize your customer retention rate
The benefits of strong customer retention are almost endless. From higher sales to a better bottom line, it makes financial sense to invest in the relationships you have with your existing customer base.
Discover which communication efforts are the most engaging for your customers. Then, replicate that style of messaging going forward.
Segment your contact database to create personalized offers for different segments of your audiences.
And with 80% of buyers only shopping at businesses that provide them with personalized experiences, the above tactics are sure-fire ways to turn your customers into life-long, repeat purchasers.
#2: Expand into new markets
Next, let’s walk through the scenario of using small business data analytics to successfully expand into new markets. To start, here’s an example.
Imagine that you’re a small business that sells stationery.
In the past, you sold stationery to businesses in your surrounding zip codes but now, you’re looking to sell your product to businesses in other geographic areas.
In this example, the data-driven path forward is to analyze your customer data to determine who your ideal customer is and then build a strategy that targets this profile in other regions.
To do this, you need to examine your current customer base and look for the common characteristics your best customers share. Once you understand this, you can then determine who your ideal customer is and target audiences that match this persona.
Whether that’s through look-a-like ad campaigns or extremely targeted sales outreach, leveraging data analytics here helps you successfully break into new markets and grow your business faster.
What to consider before hiring a data analytics consultant
Before you start searching for a data analytics consultant, consider the following factors first:
1. Have a clear objective
What are you looking to get out of data analytics? What is your endgame? Which goals do you wish to achieve with the help of data? Once you can answer all these questions, you become better equipped to find the right tools and people to get the job done. While many tools out there boast a myriad of functionalities, each service will have its own strengths, weaknesses, and advantages over the competition.
2. Identify your limitations
What needs can your own team fulfill? In what areas are they lacking? What are their expertise and weak points? Sometimes, your team may be equipped to handle the first steps of small business data analytics but may not have the knowledge or resources to see it through. This is where a consultant comes in.
3. Determine which traits you value the most
Do you need a team or consultant that can work fast or someone who is more methodical? Are you looking for someone with good leadership skills to mold your in-house team or a team player who will simply provide assistance to your short-staffed team? Do you need someone who is flexible or will be a fixture in the long run?
What sorts of tools can small businesses use for data analytics?
There are so many tools out there that small business owners can use to harness the power of data and take their business to the next level. Here are some of the top-rated analytic services for small businesses:
SAS: One of the most popular data analytics tools on the market, SAS services a variety of industries, from agriculture to small and medium-sized enterprises. SAS equips small business owners with machine learning and forecasting capabilities, among many others.
SAP Business Intelligence: SAP offers a wide range of data solutions ranging from supply chain planning to CRM and customer experience. SAP users can utilize dozens of functionalities in a single, intuitive platform.
Sisense: This user-friendly solution accesses data from key tools like AdWords, Salesforce, and Google Analytics to give your business a competitive advantage in the market. Unlike most data analytics tools, using Sisense requires no prior knowledge of coding or IT – perfect for small businesses just starting out with small teams.
Tableau: Tableau’s mission is to make it easier for people to see, understand, and manage their data. Like Sisense, Tableau is relatively easy to understand, allowing users without an extensive background in programming and IT to give it a shot. Tableau is also free for personal use.
Google Analytics: This underrated tool by Google allows businesses to better understand their current and potential customers based on their online journey. From site visiting behavior to social media traffic, there are plenty of insights you can collect by using Google Analytics.
Closing notes on small business data analytics
There’s no doubt that in 2021 small business data analytics are center stage and here to stay! No longer a tool that’s reserved for large corporations, it’s time for small businesses to shine as data-driven companies. Whether for marketing, product development, or internal optimization, analyzing your data is a great way to yield powerful insights and improve your operations.
And if you feel overwhelmed at the idea of incorporating data analytics into your strategy, fear not as there are partners that specialize in helping you do exactly that.
Whatever approach you take, we wish you the best of luck!
Looking to dive deeper into small business data analytics? Learn about the power of big data in business here.
Today, you’ll get some clarity on a common question — should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?
In the next few paragraphs, you’ll get guidance on how to make this decision. That said, it’s important to preface things by saying that the answer really depends on how your business is set up and operates.
Keep reading to learn the:
Scenarios where you should stay on QuickBooks Desktop.
Before answering the question, “Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?” let’s get to know QuickBooks Desktop a bit better.
QuickBooks Desktop is a popular accounting software that helps businesses manage their finances and perform tasks like:
Report generation.
Payroll handling.
Inventory tracking.
Tax management.
QuickBooks Desktop offers different versions to meet specific needs:
QuickBooks Desktop Pro: perfect for small businesses.
QuickBooks Enterprise: suited for larger enterprises with complex accounting demands.
QuickBooks Desktop stores all your data on your computer for a traditional, hands-on approach to financial management. Whether you use Mac or Windows, it offers a full suite of tools to handle your accounting processes and the needs of your customers.
Benefits of using QuickBooks Desktop
Using QuickBooks Desktop comes with many benefits:
All-in-one tool: From basic accounting workflows to managing your entire company file, QuickBooks Desktop makes sure you keep everything on track from a centralized space.
Feature-packed: QuickBooks Desktop is loaded with a range of features to address diverse business needs.
Easy reporting: The software gives you a clear snapshot of your business with customizable reports and crucial data like your profit and loss statements.
Safe and efficient: QuickBooks Desktop boosts productivity and keeps your data secure — all while letting you keep an eye on your products and services.
Let’s take a closer look at QuickBooks Online before answering, “Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?”
QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting software that improves your business’ financial management. It’s designed to cut down the time you and your employees spend on tasks like:
Bookkeeping and invoice creation.
Customer and supplier management.
Expenses and budget handling.
Sales and cash flow tracking.
Best of all, QuickBooks Online is easy to access from anywhere, any time. However, keep in mind that it requires an internet connection unlike QuickBooks Desktop.
Benefits of using QuickBooks Online
As with QuickBooks Desktop, using QuickBooks Online comes with unique benefits:
Accessibility: Manage your finances from any corner of the world. This lets you keep your budget and supply chain on track — whether you’re in the office or on the go.
Automatic updates: No need for tricky installations or updates. Using QuickBooks Online means more time to focus on profit generation and less on tech issues.
Multi-user access: Collaborate in real time with your team, which makes it simpler to monitor cash flow and share important insights.
Automatic backups and security: Your financial data backs up automatically and securely to QuickBooks Online, so you don’t have to worry about losing crucial information.
Simplified invoicing: Online’s automated invoices make managing your finances easier and more accurate.
Get started with your free trial of QuickBooks Online here.
Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?
Now that we’ve explored both options, let’s tackle the big question: “Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?”
Before making the decision on moving from QuickBooks Desktop to Online, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons of each option and conduct a comparison of features and functionality. Plus, you need to consider the time and money it costs to make the switch.
While QuickBooks Desktop has robust capabilities, QuickBooks Online offers the advantage of accessibility. To determine the best fit for your business, analyze your specific needs and goals.
Let’s look even closer at the differences between these options so you make the most informed decision for your unique workflows.
QuickBooks Desktop vs. QuickBooks Online: What is the difference?
To answer the question, “Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?” let’s take a look at what sets them apart.
The main differences between QuickBooks Desktop and Online are:
Technical and operational aspects.
Growth and adaptability.
Financial factors.
Accessibility.
Let’s look into these areas closer.
Technical and operational aspects
To start, let’s explore the technical and operational differences between QuickBooks Desktop and Online:
Version updates: QuickBooks Online automatically updates more frequently than Desktop. In contrast, QuickBooks Desktop requires manual updates, and upgrades come out few and far between.
Data storage: QuickBooks Online stores your data in the cloud for online access, while Desktop stores it locally. Consider your preference between these two different approaches in terms of data security and privacy.
Automatic backups: QuickBooks Online provides automatic backups, unlike Desktop, where you’ll need to perform backups manually.
Remote access: QuickBooks Online allows for remote access, unlike Desktop, which requires additional remote software for on-the-go functionality.
Integration: While both software versions have designated app marketplaces, QuickBooks Online provides better integration options than Desktop. It offers broader compatibility with third-party apps and easier implementation.
Growth and adaptability
Next, let’s dive into the growth and adaptability differences between QuickBooks Desktop vs. Online:
Scalability: QuickBooks Desktop is more scalable than Online, especially for large-sized businesses. QuickBooks Enterprise in particular handles complex operations and seamlessly aligns with long-term business plans and scalability.
Industry-specific tools: When it comes to specific industry needs, both QuickBooks versions offer tools to meet the accounting method and requirements of multiple industries. These include tools for sectors that range from manufacturing to non-profit organizations.
Customization: When it comes to reporting and customization options, Desktop has more features than Online. These features are advanced and let you personalize the solution for better alignment with your operations.
Financial factors
Now, let’s explore how QuickBooks Desktop and Online vary when it comes to financial aspects.
In terms of subscription pricing vs. one-time purchase, they follow different approaches. For most, QuickBooks Online’s monthly subscription model is more cost-effective than Desktop’s one-time purchase approach, which also includes optional yearly upgrades.
Accessibility
Lastly, let’s discuss how QuickBooks Desktop and Online differ in terms of accessibility:
Remote access: QuickBooks Online offers better accessibility than Desktop, as you can use it on any device, provided there’s adequate internet reliability and speed. Online is also easier to use than Desktop due to its user-friendly interface and simplified screen navigation.
User access: QuickBooks Online supports more users simultaneously than QuickBooks Desktop. This means multiple users can access data without the need for additional licenses.
Support options: Support options vary between QuickBooks Online and Desktop. For example, Online users may depend on web tools for technical support and assistance, whereas Desktop users may rely more on phone and email support.
Product and security updates
QuickBooks Desktop usually rolls out updates once a year. These updates require manual installation and sometimes come with additional costs if you’re upgrading features.
Intuit also releases security patches periodically to ensure your system remains up to standards. Although existing QuickBooks Desktop users still receive continued support for products, it’s important to note that as of September 30th, 2024, certain versions are being discontinued from support and security updates.
In contrast, QuickBooks operates on a cloud-based model, which means you do not need manual updates for your software. Intuit automatically applies:
Product enhancements.
New features.
Security updates.
Cloud-based products like QuickBooks Online also include advanced encryption and continuous security monitoring to safeguard your data against threats.
These differences are what make tackling the question, “Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?” tough.
QuickBooks Desktop to Online: When it doesn’t make sense to switch
To help you answer the question, “Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?” let’s explore situations where a switch is not the best fit.
The first major checkpoint in this decision is to evaluate the current features you use against what’s available in the QuickBooks Online platform and app ecosystem.
While QuickBooks Desktop and Online share some features and functionality, they are not a like-for-like replacement.
Here are the features native to QuickBooks Desktop that are not available “out of the box” in the Online versions:
Inventory tracking and automated reordering points.
IIF import files.
Custom fields on invoices and bills.
Job progress invoicing.
Job costing.
Sales orders.
If any of these features are part of your workflow today, you may need to get creative and dig deeper into the nitty-gritty of the QuickBooks Online offering.
For example, let’s look at custom invoice fields in QuickBooks Online. While the capability exists, it does so in a more limited capacity than in QuickBooks Desktop.
As a result, you need to think about the level of customization your QuickBooks invoices need and include this in your decision to move from QuickBooks Desktop to Online.
In other cases, such as inventory tracking, you will need to invest in a third-party application from the QuickBooks Online app store to unlock the functionality.
Now, it’s important to note that installing third-party applications is not necessarily a bad thing. You should instead view this as an opportunity to extend the power of QuickBooks Online and get the exact functionality you need.
In some cases, the combination of QuickBooks Online and third-party applications results in a solution that goes well beyond the functionality of QuickBooks Desktop and provides you with a more powerful tool.
When looking at apps as part of your decision to move from QuickBooks Desktop to Online, you should consider the following questions:
Does the app meet (or exceed) the QuickBooks Desktop features you use today?
Does the incremental cost of the app justify the impact it will have on your business?
Can you import your historical data from QuickBooks Desktop into this new app?
If you answered, “Yes” to these questions, switching to QuickBooks Online might meet your specific needs around:
Legal compliance.
Payroll.
Time tracking.
Get everything you need to run your business in one place.
Answering the question, “Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?” becomes easier when you understand the limits of QuickBooks Desktop.
Mobility
When it comes to mobility, QuickBooks Desktop restricts you a bit. For vendors and products on the move, the ability to migrate or convert data is essential.
That’s where Desktop falls short compared to Online, which enhances accessibility and mobility. Online is more mobile-friendly than Desktop in almost every way.
Multiple-user access
QuickBooks Desktop is limited in collaboration and multi-user access. It doesn’t easily allow for remote access. Plus, assessing finances as a team may require additional licenses.
Automatic updates
QuickBooks Desktop users may find themselves missing out on the latest features.
Unlike QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop lacks automatic updates and backup functionality. This means you’ll need to manually install updates to stay current.
Integration with online apps
QuickBooks Desktop is limited in its integration with third-party apps.
This can slow down your workflow and result in missed opportunities for productivity-enhancing features.
Backup
QuickBooks Desktop lacks automatic data backups, which makes data security and privacy a concern.
In contrast, QuickBooks Online provides automatic backup and recovery options to minimize risk.
User interface
QuickBooks Desktop has a different user interface than the more modern QuickBooks Online. This impacts the learning curve and training needed for users to adapt.
That’s why getting to know the transition and onboarding process is key when starting with QuickBooks Desktop.
Diving into feedback from current QuickBooks Desktop users, as well as user reviews and testimonials will guide your decision if you’re leaning towards Desktop.
Subscription model
Lastly, QuickBooks Desktop has a different pricing model than QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks Online requires a subscription, while QuickBooks Desktop requires a one-time purchase.
Although a one-time purchase avoids recurring payments, it also involves a higher initial investment. This can be a strain for small businesses just starting out.
On a related note, it’s also wise to understand QuickBooks Desktop’s cancellation and refund policies, as they affect your software’s overall cost and flexibility.
When you might choose QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop
Now that we’ve covered the key factors when asking, “Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?” let’s review why businesses are making the switch.
1. Improved workflow and automation
Switching to QuickBooks Online enhances back office accounting with automation that is more efficient than Desktop.
The real game-changer here is that QuickBooks Online offers better accessibility than its desktop counterpart. This means you can tap into a range of automation opportunities more easily.
Right from the get-go, you’ll enjoy support for two common recurring workflows — invoicing and bank statement imports.
2. The robust app ecosystem
The beauty of QuickBooks Online’s cloud-based architecture lies in how it integrates better with third-party apps than QuickBooks Desktop. This means you can easily connect with a range of other solutions to enhance your business operations.
Plus, QuickBooks Online has more features than QuickBooks Desktop through its more extensive app store. Whether you need specific point solutions or full-fledged QuickBooks CRM integrations, these tools free up time by reducing manual, repetitive work.
3. Access from any location, on any device
As is the case with any cloud product, you no longer need to worry about hardware compatibility or having the latest and greatest technology to run your business applications with QuickBooks Online.
It’s cloud-based, unlike QuickBooks Desktop. So, all you need is a device with a browser, and you have access to your data!
This also means you do not need to manage any local installations or “helper” applications for third-party tools — which are often a point of friction for businesses getting set up or migrating to new hardware.
Because QuickBooks Online runs on Intuit’s servers and databases, Intuit also manages the hardware and its redundancy. This saves you from the worry of managing a local QuickBooks Desktop file. Not to mention, it’s more cost-effective than maintaining your own hardware.
Subscriptions for QuickBooks Desktop
QuickBooks Desktop Pro or Premier
As of the September 30 stop-sell, QuickBooks Desktop Pro and QuickBooks Premier versions are no longer available to purchase in the United States. This decision marks a significant change in Intuit’s strategy as they focus more on cloud-based solutions and subscription models.
This does not affect existing Desktop customers, who can continue to use their software and renew it after September 30th. It’s also important to note that Intuit is continuing support for these versions for current subscribers. This includes providing:
Security updates.
Product updates.
Technical support.
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise continues to be available and supported to all users. It isn’t impacted by the QuickBooks Desktop stop-sell decision. If you have a larger business with more complex needs like deeper inventory management and advanced functionality, upgrading to a QuickBooks Enterprise subscription may be worth considering.
Can you transfer data from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?
If you’re considering a switch to QuickBooks Online, the good news is that transferring data from QuickBooks Desktop to Online is possible. With specific tools and guidance, it’s a straightforward process.
Is migration right for you?
For existing QuickBooks Desktop users, the decision to migrate to Online is a tough one. It’s important to remember that the stop-sell affects only new sales of specific QuickBooks Desktop products in the U.S., including:
Pro Plus.
Premier Plus.
Mac Plus.
Enhanced Payroll.
If you’re an existing customer, you can continue to use it and renew it — and you’ll still receive updates and support from Intuit.
But consider your business’ specific needs. For example, if you require advanced inventory management, QuickBooks Enterprise might be a better option.
In the same way, the comprehensive features and cloud accessibility convenience of QuickBooks Online could offer a more useful accounting solution.
What converts and doesn’t from QuickBooks Desktop to Online
You can convert most of your essential financial data to QuickBooks Online, including your:
Company information.
Chart of accounts.
Customer and vendor details.
Transactions.
This ensures smoother operations and minimal disruption to your accounting processes.
Unfortunately, some data and features may not transfer directly due to differences between the platforms. This includes:
Certain custom financial reports.
Any transaction types.
Advanced inventory details.
How Method helps with your transition
If you have a Method account connected to your QuickBooks, Method is proactively offering guidance and support to ensure a seamless shift. This includes:
Personalized support: Method’s team is ready to assist with accounts remapping to retain functionality and data integrity.
Transition tools: Using migration tools and Method’s expertise, rest assured that your data transfer is complete and accurate.
Educational resources: Method provides additional resources, including webinars and help center articles, so you have all the information you need on migration process and best practices.
You can transfer your data from QuickBooks Desktop to Online. To do this:
Start by logging in as an admin to the company file you want to import.
Navigate to the Company menu and select “Export Company File to QuickBooks Online.” This jumpstarts the data conversion process.
Click on “Get started.”
Select the destination by clicking “Select destination.”
Sign in to your QuickBooks Online account, and you’re on your way to seamless data transfer.
So, there’s no need to worry about your desktop data when considering, “Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?”
Is it hard to switch from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online?
You may wonder whether switching is a challenging task when asking, “Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?”
The answer is no. It’s not hard to switch from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online. Intuit has simplified the process to make it as easy as possible. You can find detailed steps on the QuickBooks website for importing your information into QuickBooks Online.
Migration tools and support to get started
Intuit provides a QuickBooks Migration Tool that transfers data from Desktop to Online. This tool guides you through the process and automatically moves data like your:
Company file.
Accounts.
Transactions.
Customer and vendor details.
The tool simplifies the process to make it accessible even if you have limited technical expertise.
If you’re integrated with Method CRM, transitioning to QuickBooks Online requires a couple of additional steps to ensure that all linked data and custom workflows continue to operate smoothly. You’ll have access to personalized support and solutions to remap your account and ensure a smooth transition.
QuickBooks Desktop vs. Online: Key takeaways + some bonus reading
Deciding to switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online is not as straightforward of a choice as you may have thought.
The beauty of this decision, though, is that both platforms are very similar in terms of core functionality. This means that the factors you need to consider are more around the nuances of how you ultimately use QuickBooks on a day-to-day basis.
Start your free 30-day QuickBooks Online trial and get 30% off your subscription during your first year.
For some further reading, check out how Method:Partner Victoria Cameron evaluated the switch, as well as her top tips for making the transition!
Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online FAQs
Why are companies switching from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online?
More and more companies are making the switch from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online, and here’s why:
Accessibility: QuickBooks Online offers the flexibility to access financial data from anywhere, any time. Also, it is more accessible on mobile devices than Desktop.
Automatic updates: QuickBooks Online is continuously updated, unlike Desktop. It automatically implements the latest features and security patches, sparing you the hassle of manual backups and updates.
Scalability: As businesses grow, their needs change. QuickBooks Online makes it easier to scale up, as it offers a number of plans that grow with your business.
Integration with other apps: QuickBooks Online integrates with a wide range of business applications to centralize your operations.
Improved collaboration: Cloud-based accessibility makes it simpler for teams to work together efficiently, regardless of their location.
In a nutshell, companies are switching to QuickBooks Online for its convenience, accessibility, and ability to adapt to growing business needs. That’s why more business owners are asking the question, “Should I switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?”
Do accountants prefer QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online?
Accountants’ preferences vary, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Some prefer QuickBooks Desktop, while others prefer QuickBooks Online:
QuickBooks Desktop: Accountants who prefer QuickBooks Desktop appreciate its robust features, customizability, and ability to work offline. With more features than QuickBooks Online out of the box, it’s ideal for those who have complex accounting needs.
QuickBooksOnline: Accountants like QuickBooks Online as it offers real-time collaboration, internet accessibility, and automatic updates. It’s ideal for users who value mobility and teamwork.
The choice really depends on your unique needs!
Can users still use QuickBooks credit card processing features with QuickBooks Online?
Yes, QuickBooks Online supports credit card processing directly within the platform. It’s easier to use than other systems, as it offers a simplified way to manage credit card payments for your business.
Should I move clients from QuickBooks Desktop to Online?
Moving clients from QuickBooks Desktop to Online depends on their specific needs. QuickBooks Online offers cloud-based software access and automatic updates, which makes it suitable for clients requiring flexibility and real-time collaboration. Consider your clients’ business size, industry needs, and the features they rely on before making a decision.
Does QuickBooks Online sync with QuickBooks Desktop?
QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are separate products and do not sync directly with each other. Data migration tools are available to transfer information from Desktop to Online, but continuous, real-time syncing between the two platforms is not supported.
Strengthen your QuickBooks workflows today with a free trial of Method.
This blog is a guest contribution by Rebecca DiCioccio — the Marketing Manager at Paperform.
In the world of small business tech, things change fast and CRM solutions are no exception.
With new CRM providers popping up almost every week, this can be a tricky space for your small business to navigate.
To make this process easier, here are the top 3 future CRM trends you need to have on your radar.
But first, let’s start with some CRM 101 to get us all on the same page.
What is a CRM?
Customer relationship management (CRM) software is designed to help you manage interactions and relationships with customers.
So, in other words, it’s a goldmine of customer and lead details that includes everything from one’s purchase history to demographic data.
A CRM is useful across the board, as it lets teams from sales to customer service easily find the customer data they need to get the job done efficiently.
All in all, a CRM is a powerful solution that lets you do everything from storing customer contact interactions to managing your email campaigns.
Future CRM trends to have on your radar
AI
The first future CRM trend to watch out for is Artificial intelligence (AI).
AI is growing at a fast rate across all industries and CRM isn’t going to miss the boat.
CRM solutions are enhanced by the use of AI in multiple ways, with opportunities to save time and money, as well as gain incredible insights and data.
In fact, by the end of 2021, AI associated with CRM activities will give a $1.1 trillion boost to global business revenue.
So, everyone working in sales should pay attention to artificial intelligence and how it can be used together with human intelligence.
Workflow automation is one of the biggest and most important uses for AI in CRM. For example, using automation for your sales workflow can put hours back into your day each week as you don’t have to worry about manually entering lead data or following up with prospects.
Workflow automation is a must-have future CRM trend as it:
Saves you time
Increases your productivity
Reduces your workload
Lets smaller teams accomplish more
Conversational tools such as chatbots are another excellent way to make the most of AI for CRM.
Rather than completely take over from human customer service teams and salespeople, this CRM trend automates some of the most simple and common queries.
As AI gets more advanced, it will be able to handle more complex queries too — making this an important future CRM trend.
Social CRM
Getting the deepest view of your potential customer is a powerful and effective way to close more sales. And social media channels are no exception to the 360-degree customer view we’re all after.
That’s why social media channel software integrations are one of the top future CRM trends on this list.
This is particularly true when looking at the impact of COVID-19 on digital prospecting and online sales.
With everyone stuck at home, social media provided everything from friends to window shopping.
In fact, 60% of customer interactions with companies are projected to be online in 2021 and the rest in-person. In comparison, 2018 was practically the opposite with 42% of interactions were online and 58% in-person.
Online customer interactions are set to increase 43% post-pandemic.
– ROI Revolution, 2021.
Combining social media and CRM gets businesses closer to their customers online. It offers you a chance to get deeper insights into what your customers think and what they say about your brand online.
When you keep an eye on what’s happening on social media, you can collect customer feedback and use it to improve the customer experience as a whole.
A single line of customer communication
Taking an omnichannel approach to business has become popular over recent years, but it could soon be a thing of the past.
While the behaviour of leads and customers reaching out to you via multiple channels like phone, email, and social media is unlikely to change, how you manage these interactions should.
Especially when you consider that the current best practice results in full-time service reps switching screens up to 1,100 times a day on average.
A full-time customer service rep switches screens 1,100 times a day on average.
– American Telephone, 2020.
The alternative is to take a channel-less approach to communication requests and instead filter everything to your CRM.
This way your customer interaction can take place on any channel and one application will handle all incoming queries. This means your team members don’t have to continually check each platform and can stop jumping between over 1,000 screens daily.
With this CRM trend, communication is centralized so that customers can still choose their preferred method of communication but customer support teams have a much easier time trying to stay on top of everything. A true win-win scenario.
The final word: Future CRM trends to watch out for
The world of CRM is changing. New technologies and tools are making things easier, saving time and money for small businesses everywhere. Here’s a recap of the future CRM trends you need to be ready for:
Artificial intelligence is bringing automation and chatbots to the table
Social media is becoming more important to your sales process than ever before
It’s time to unify the line of communication you have with your potential and existing customers with a CRM
CRM trends, like just about everything in business, are always advancing. If you don’t keep an eye on these latest trends, you could get left behind. So, what better time than now for your small business to get on board with the way technology is heading.
Want a CRM that evolves with your business? Start your free trial of Method CRM today!
