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Published June 29th, 2016 by

What Makes a Good Call Tracking Software Vendor?

What Makes a Good Call Tracking Software Vendor?

A business, for a business, is good business. The services sector is part of the economy wherein goods produced and offered is in the form of labor, knowledge, advice, software, or in engineering economy, what they call, the “intangible goods”. These products aim to improve one’s productivity, efficiency, performance, competitiveness,  abilities and well-being. The services industry focus on the business of relating to people with their non-physical needs, not on tangible products or goods on sales. The services rendered also applies to both people and other businesses alike.

For many years, there is substantial growth in the economy of services sector. In the past, it was dominated by the manufacturing and industrialized sector. This growth enabled many businesses to invest in the development of more service-oriented products. Quoting from Kenichi Oemae, a globalist, said that “In the United States, 70% of the workforce works in the service sector; in Japan 60%, and in Taiwan 50%. These are not necessarily bus-boys and live-in maids. Many of them are in the professional category. They are earning as much as manufacturing workers, and more often.”

Software Development Industry

The software development industry is part of the services sector, utilizing the multiple facets of computer technology. It resembles as the “life” of the (computer) hardware industry, or pertains to that of the manufacturing of the physical parts or components of a computer or computer system. It works within the context of a virtual network, where there is manipulation of coding, algorithm and programming, to produce the desired functionalities and capabilities of its product. The global acceptance, and increased demand for computers paved the way for the development of the software market industry. The capabilities of the computer is enhanced more by the integration of an equally powerful software to run in it.

The industry of software development as well needs people who have knowledge and expertise in programming and network analysis. Together, they make powerful software that aim to make people and/or businesses increase their productivity, efficiency and competitiveness by integrating technology within the tools they use, or within the existing architectural system he/she is working in.

Software for Business

A software, or a business tool when used within the scope of work and commerce, aims to provide solutions to the needs of a specific type of business, increase the productivity of its people, and increase the competitiveness of the business in the market. There are also some software that are multi functional, which combine a number of benefits and features to create a suite. Normally, consumers prefer such because it seems to give more worth for their money. They also create packages containing different software  which are integrated with each other to create a complete system meant to run in a specific department, or the company as a whole.

Business Marketing

Often times, a company recognizes two crucial areas within its structure: the product research and development, and the sales and marketing. Both are crucial in the success of a company. It is where the revenue basically comes from, and both hold the responsibility of carrying and upholding the company name or brand. And it is also where the bulk of the company’s resources go, whether in the form of expertise, or in the financial aspect. Both should work collaboratively and must have an effective, and organized system.

The sales and marketing department holds the responsibility of making sure that the product or service the business is making is visible within a large number of potential customers in its market. The company should be able to reach its target market within its product specialization, or scope. It should responsibly promote the product within its specifications and function, by avoiding making too much and unrealistic promises. This is done by deploying creative marketing campaigns and marketing collateral.

A successful marketing campaign, is usually gauged by the numbers, that is, in the form of sales and revenue. But this seems to be a general evaluation of the company performance, with department has its own contribution to it. There isn’t a way, for the marketing people, to assess their own marketing efforts. How would they know which marketing campaign generated the most leads? Also, there should be utilization of the company resources allocated to the marketing campaigns. Which among these campaigns are not even effective, and just eats up money without returning positive results?

What is a call tracking software?

A market research conducted by NewVoiceMedia revealed that 59% of its respondents said that they still prefer calling the service providers to know more about a product or service they are eyeing. This is a huge lead over other means like email, online chatting, or meeting in person. Also, according to Indago Digital in 2015, 66% of customers prefer to talk to customer hotlines when making inquiries on businesses. They felt more satisfied with the answers they get, and they get it faster. The legacy system has a great and untapped potential.

Call tracking is a technique developed to utilize the data in every inbound call that the marketing receives. The company’s phone system is integrated with a call tracking system, which processes the data gathered further, then generates a report. The marketer, can now see in a different perspective, the performance of the marketing campaign his/her team is implementing. Call tracking is a proven effective technique which ensures that the evaluation of the marketing campaigns is an evidence-based and scientifically analyzed.

A phone call tracking software, on the other hand, revolutionized the function of call tracking by making it adaptable to use in a bigger business setting. It enables monitoring, gathering and analyzing of bigger volumes of data. It also effectively integrates with all the communication channels that the business use, including the internet. It can also function within the VoIP systems, and also expanded to SEO and CRM. A call tracking software is a business tool that utilizes data analytics, or the science of processing raw data and turning it into metrics. The software can generate reports that are essential in crucial decision making, as well as in realizing a more concrete analysis on the marketing’s ROI.

The Call Tracking Software Market

The services sector in general is facing challenges from having products that are intangible in nature. Some people are skeptic about costs, being unable to see the worth of the investment at first. Most software that are used within systems need a considerable amount of time to run and yield results. The ROI for services can be best evaluated in the long run, but sometimes the result cannot be in the form that is more visual. This presses challenges in selling services in general.

A call tracking system is no exception to this scenario. The number of benefits and features it offers to businesses did not stop some marketers from being skeptical about its necessity and value in a marketing system. Some would find its cost very high for a simple job, or some have issues about privacy, complicated use, and the rise of mobile technology. Mobile technology made social media the best marketing venue today, with its growing number of users. This in turn shifted attention to the value of web based marketing campaigns.

Another challenge is the growing number of providers that offer the same kind of service. This calls for expertise and ingenuity from the developers in optimizing the basic function of a sales call tracking software, and adding more value-based features that will encourage more users. The quality of service rely on the person or group of people delivering it, so the developers invest more on skills and abilities of their own team members. For some, they compensate it through other factors like making a more visually appealing user interface, simplicity of operation, and affordability.

Characteristics of a Good Software Vendor

Overcoming challenges in the business is part of growth and improvement. There is no single solution for the varying needs of different types of businesses. The service providers should be efficient in handling more types of problems and needs of its customers. It should also be flexible in adapting to shifting business scenarios. And of course, the service should be cost efficient.

The economic value for services is a very subjective matter, which involves many factors like expertise and experience. Yet, most of the services have its cost standardized already. But with the continuous growth and change happening within the market, it could not stop the cost of development from rising as well. It is also a must for every vendor to balance cost with quality. It is best to develop service-oriented products that are both  useful and cost efficient in the long run.

Technology has already played a great part in evoking convenience and increased productivity among its users. But there is such thing as too much technology, making any service seems too technical and impersonal. Even though software development deals with programming, algorithms or other technical aspects, the developer’s sensitivity to the actual need of the customers should be its driving point in its development, and it will be evident in the way the products is presented to the potential client. At the same time, customer service also plays an important role in any business. According to a survey by Customer Experience Impact Report by Harris Interactive/RightNow, as stated in the HelpScout website, 86% of the customers faced with bad customer experience won’t buy the product or quit doing business with company at all. A considerable figure of 67% of people doesn’t like to deal with an automated phone hotline inquiry system, according to a survey from American Express Survey in 2011, as also stated in HelpScout website. Uplifting its human resources is still the best way to drive a business closer to its success.

A software shouldn’t drive its users, or take away their jobs. Its purpose is to enhance the already present capabilities of a person in his workplace, and to assist him in the job. It should also increase a person’s productivity by helping in time management and organizational matters. A software should place a person or a business in a competitive level in his career or market status. A software is a tool for improved delivery of a product or service.

The best call tracking tool provider should be able to help a company to utilize its resources by being worthy as its investment. Its service should be able to work well with its customer’s system for a longer period of time, and make a cost efficient solution that is tailored to their specific needs and requirements. A good call tracking tool provider should have work ethics and professionalism when dealing with its customers. The bestcall tracking software provider should have all the characteristics I mentioned above.

The business of service provision is a social responsibility at the same time. You as a person is what the customers are getting, and sometimes, different people see and say different things about your worth. But your driving force should be the fulfillment of a certain need by applying your education, experience and expertise. Your true worth is based on how well you relate with people in their world-doing a job that is already part of their lives, and used to bring food on their family’s table. A business, for a business, is a true and sincere business.

How well do you know your market? Finding the right business tool and service provider shouldn’t be a hard task at all. Click here for the latest list of the top call tracking software. Hear what people say by reading CrowdReviews.com’s reviews of call tracking software.

Keith Moore

Keith Moore has worked with several leading Android development agencies to build customized mobile apps enabling businesses to extend the use of their services to smart phones and mobile devices.

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