No, this is not a product endorsement for Sage’s ACT!, a leading customer management software. This post is about 37signals, one of Sage’s competitors or perhaps not really. Yes, both software packages have similar functions yet they are quite different.
As our company has grown over these past years we’ve had to install another level of business process to keep projects on schedule and things from falling through the tracks. 37signals has met and surpassed our expectations as a customer management solution. That’s the honest truth. This is not a paid endorsement, remember? We use all four components in 37signals’ suite: Basecamp, Highrise, Backpack, and Campfire.
All the packages have 30-day free trials, are easy to learn and can be ramped up over time. These options suited us well because we’re a small business and our time and resources are precious. Here’s how we use each of these packages, not necessarily how you might apply them in your business:
Basecamp – is a simple project management solution. We track all the project team members, their things to do, messages between each other, pertinent documents, schedules and files. A great fit for a small, busy company.
Highrise – this is where we keep all of... Read more
Archive for John Leavy 
Is It Finally Time to Get Your Act Together?Feb
Avoid These Top Five Digital Marketing Mistakes
Marketing is time consuming and expensive. Every business needs to spend their marketing dollars wisely, so make sure to avoid these marketing mistakes when launching your next digital campaign:
Having No Plan Does Get You Somewhere
But, does it get you to where you want to be? Marketing plans do not have to be complex. Here’s a simple marketing plan: Define your goals, Outline the benefits to the consumer, Determine your audience, Choose your marketing weapons wisely, Know your company’s niche, Define your company’s personality and Allocate a realistic budget.
Know Your Ideal Prospect
The web is a vast expanse. Your ideal prospects could be anywhere. You need to know what characteristics identify them best and where they gather on the web before you can develop strategies to have visibility in those venues. First come up with a half dozen specific characteristics of your prospect. Then scout out where they gather on the web: look at blogs, forums, social channels, etc. Next, develop and execute your visibility strategies to be noticed.
Metrics and Analytics: Are We There Yet?
Meaningful metrics need to be developed before the marketing effort gets underway; metrics such as the monthly-ad-spend, cost-per-lead, or cost-per-new-customer-acquisition. Metrics will be our marketing... Read more
