Technically Easy

Blog

  • Tips for Designing a Strategic Mobile App

    Tips for Designing a Strategic Mobile App

    According to Buildfire blogger Ian Blair, if you’re a customer-first business, you need a mobile app. He describes it as no longer being an option—it’s now a necessity. In 2017, the number of global app downloads was in the tens of billions.

    If you don’t make an app now and you keep putting it off or thinking your business doesn’t need one, you’re ultimately going to suffer in the long-run.

    Even when businesses have a mobile app, it still might not be enough to keep them competitive and at the forefront of their customer’s minds. The app needs not just to exist.

    It needs to be strategic, it needs to align with short- and long-term organizational objectives, and it needs to be something that will grow along with the business.

    Strategic app development is essential to meet these goals. The following are some specific tips to keep in mind as you’re creating a mobile app development strategy and then putting it into action.

    Develop a Mobile Strategy

    Before you can specifically start creating a design strategy for a mobile app, you have to consider whether or not you have a mobile strategy in place. It’s not enough to look at your competition and do what they’re doing as far as their mobile app, because as Buildfire’s Blair puts it, they might have a totally different mobile strategy than the one that your organization has.

    So, how do you create or refine a mobile strategy so you can then put in place a mobile app development strategy?

    You’ll want to think about a few things.

    First, what is your business strategy? Business and mobile strategy don’t operate separately from one another. They have to work hand-in-hand, and there has to be complete alignment for everything to work together cohesively.

    Research indicates significant advantages to making sure the business strategy is clearly defined and understood before creating a mobile and app development strategy. First, it improves ROI by huge numbers. It improves customer satisfaction and can also improve productivity and employee efficiency.

    High-Level Planning

    When businesses jump into the process of creating a mobile app, they tend to think first about the more finite, technical details. For example, they might think about the UX and UI as well as the specific features and functionalities that will be available with the app.

    They might jump into those details too soon, however, and starting with higher-level planning is essential for strategic mobile planning.

    You have to think about your business as a whole. What are your mission and purpose? What are your objectives now, but also in 5 to 10 years? What is your customer’s journey like in a traditional format and how will that translate to mobile?

    Who are your competitors and what are they doing well in terms of mobile strategy versus their weaknesses?

    Where is your business missing key points of strength that you could integrate into your mobile strategy?

    App Strategy

    Once you’ve looked at the larger and higher-level concepts, you can dial it back into mobile-specific strategies and planning. Before you do anything else, what is the primary purpose of the app you’re going to develop and what benefits will the user derive from it?

    The answer to this question needs to be streamlined and easily definable. It’s much easier to build around those core considerations than to start with a million disjointed objectives. Don’t start the development process with the features you want. Think only about the number one element of functionality and value you want the app to bring to users.

    Once you have that, you can move to the details.

    As you create a mobile app development strategy, but also a mobile strategy in general, think about the following and ask some of these questions:

    • What constraints or limitations might exist?
    • Will the outcomes and results that I hope to achieve be measurable? How will they be measured and at one point will the app strategy or the app itself be considered a success based on these metrics?
    • How do the objectives to the mobile app and mobile strategy align with business strategy and how will growth fit into this?

      • Once you’ve covered all these areas, you can move into things like the user interface and how you can create a simple interface that’s in line with your customer personas. You can start laying out individual screens and thinking about the appearance and branding of the app. It’s important to lay a strategic foundation before you start any of these specifics, however.

  • The Growing Trend of Flexible Working and How to Support It

    The Growing Trend of Flexible Working and How to Support It

    The office space landscape is such that free-thinking entrepreneurs can find themselves benefiting from a serviced office and workspace industry that offer shoe-string budgets a great alternative to a conventional office.

    Gone are the days when professionals and businesses fork over thousands of dollars in Melbourne, Sydney, and other major cities for office space. In fact, many of today’s workspace solutions have eliminated large initial start-up costs to fund comfortable office space, in some cases office space sitting in the country’s premier business districts.

    In fact, businesses, large and small, are discarding traditional office space for cheaper, more convenient formats. Serviced offices all over the country are finding it more cost-effective to provide businesses flexibility to work anywhere – hot desk, dedicated desk and offices available in most parts of the country, especially in the urban landscape. While this trend of providing flexible office space to business has been a revolution in the making for years, today’s businesses are finding newer contemporary workspace plans are not only budget-friendly but allow for more flexibility than in past times.

    Continue reading to learn more about how flexible working is being supported in today’s office space landscape.

    The multitude of options

    Within the serviced office industry itself, businesses have had the long-standing executive suite that provides businesses with fully-furnished and staffed supported office space without the ridiculous price tag.

    However, the co-working space and virtual office are some of the newer workspace styles that not only have drastically reduced the cost of overhead for many businesses, but they have also provided businesses versatility in being able to use space for different functions and the flexibility of not tying businesses to protracted contracts.

    At the end of the day, this trend in flexible working options has given businesses a number of options that do not commit them to unrealistic contracts or protracted agreements.

    The flexibility and support of the virtual office

    The virtual office, for example, provides smaller outfits with the change to lease space on an as-needed basis by providing them with a quality internet connection and some of the basic necessities that are required of the standard office.

    In this increasingly paperless office, businesses are simply cutting costs because the opportunity to set up an online infrastructure for remote-working platforms reduces the reliance on printers and ink cartridges. Businesses operating through a virtual office get the benefit of support that allows professionals to work from any place in the world without being away from their office.

    The flexibility and support of the co-working space

    The co-working space, of the many options, has provided businesses with a platform for not only getting the work of business done but also for providing businesses with the chance to connect with other professionals.

    However, the coworking phenomenon has also become a monster in the office space landscape in recent years because accelerator and incubator programs have been a great part of shaping and supporting the business landscape.

    Conglomerates have found that much of the activity-based work that is so central to the co-working space can be adapted for the corporate model. Whether it is the community that provides the backbone of support for professionals or just being able to work an environment filled with resources, co-working has definitely left an indelible mark on the business community.

    Flexible Support In An Ever-changing Landscape

    Of course, technology has been at the core of shaping and supporting industry, and in office space, this is no different. However, technology has created platforms that have closed the gap for both domestic and international business.

    Through convenient, accessible resources, many businesses are finding that starting a venture can be done very inexpensively and that the new office space platform provides them with a versatility unseen or heard of before.

  • Why Outsourcing Is Changing So Rapidly

    Why Outsourcing Is Changing So Rapidly

    A large percentage of the workforce is getting younger every week, every month, and every year. They are increasingly disgruntled with the typical 9-5 setup that is required of most positions that offer little growth, skill development, or flexibility in terms of change.

    Many are opting to take on the challenge of being a digital nomad, or at least a member of the workforce with a few days a week of remote work. This added flexibility gives them the chance to work the way they want to or take advantage of longer than usual weekends and holidays. A happier workforce is usually a more efficient workforce. For this reason, the outsourcing industry is being flooded with both agencies and would be employees that are looking to make the most out of this transition.

    The difference lies in how they approach it. Outsourcing agencies, like Trust Sourcing company, are not the same as hosted sites such as Upwork, they have greater attention to testing and developing their freelancers/remote workers.

    Sites like Upwork are filled to the brim with scammers on both sides, which damages many employers and employees idea of what can be done with outsourcing. Nothing is worse than getting stiffed for work that was done. At the same time, there is nothing worse than paying a large amount for quality only to be disappointed by subpar work.

    What kind of jobs are being done?

    There are a wide variety of jobs that are being outsourced. Whilst most who think outsourcing picture the rhetoric of American factory jobs being moved overseas to lessen costs, the reality is quite different.

    Digital outsourcing is often project based in the initial stages. It can range from website to software builds to lead generation to outsourcing customer service for product launches. In fact, lead generation outsourcing to the Philippines have contributed a notable increase in the growth of customer base of many businesses. Pay and budget can vary just as widely, from abysmal to fantastic. In literal terms, from $50 per project to $1,000,000+ depending on what’s required and its importance.

    Due diligence becomes a matter of focus for both sides of the outsourcing industry. Some outsourcing agencies spend a large chunk of time recruiting only the best and then heavily vet them to ensure there are minimal problems.

    Where does it go from here?

    With firms such as Toptal that focus only on the best of the best, every outsourcing agency will invariably have to specialize.

    Specialization helps segment the market to make it as easy as possible for both employers and freelancers to know exactly what they are getting into. It saves time and money. Specialists will join particular agencies where work will be perfectly suited to their skill sets and projects will be frequent.

    The normal lapse in either high-quality freelancers or consistent work for them will be practically eliminated. As more countries join in, pricing will vary until there is a standard set for most projects that assure only quality freelancers will participate.

    Regardless of what happens, the market will continue to shift as the freelancer pool becomes wider.

  • Reasons to Move Your Business to the Cloud

    Reasons to Move Your Business to the Cloud

    Companies invest a lot of money in the software they use for their business. Cloud computing enables your business to access software from anywhere, so long as you have an active internet connection. It is also a safe way of storing and accessing your company’s data.

    For those who are not familiar, cloud computing refers to the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer. This means that files can be accessed from virtually anywhere with an active internet connection.

    If your business has not migrated to the cloud, it’s time to start making the migration, for many reasons.

    Moving to the cloud can benefit your business – here’s how

    Cloud storage is the way of the future. In this digital world, no one wants to rely on paper files or the risk of hard drive failure. Now thanks to cloud storage, businesses don’t have to. Cloud storage allows for the storage of more files using less space, without the need for bulky servers. This reduces the need to have a dedicated IT staff on site to maintain servers.

    Cloud storage may seem scary, but it brings many benefits, such as:

    • Reduced costs
    • Flexibility
    • Scalability
    • Data security
    • Automatic backup
    • Improved collaboration
    • Employees can work remotely

    In addition, companies also enjoy energy savings, disaster recovery, better business focus and staff resource allocation. There are no files to store and no bulky servers to house. By migrating to cloud storage, companies can focus more on their business and spend less time worrying about data issues. Cloud storage saves money, which accommodates future growth. Your staff can be best used elsewhere, not waiting for a hardware or software issue to happen.

    Because data can be accessed from anywhere, you can adjust schedules and tailor work to fit your business needs. This is particularly helpful if your business is open nights, weekends or holidays, when in-house staff would otherwise not be available.

    If you’re an organization that writes grants, a cloud-based grants management system can help meet goals, allowing access from anywhere at any time. Next-generation grants management software plays an integral role in organizations meeting their needs.

    Moving to the cloud is easier than ever

    Moving your data to the cloud is easier than you might realize. If your business is considering this big move, it’s important to do your research. Start by using a trusted vendor to ensure your transition is done properly, and well. You’ll want to hire a company with experienced developers who can determine which things are necessary to move over, and which ones are not worth bothering with.

    A good vendor will walk you through the entire migration process, giving you a clear picture of how your data will be secured. At the end of the migration, your vendor should do a test run to ensure all data was transferred over.. They’ll also conduct a dummy traffic test to ensure your site can accommodate the increase in traffic. This step will also help to identify points of weakness that need to be corrected before completion.

    Moving to the cloud might be the best decision your business makes in 2019. Start the process and streamline your business data storage process.

  • Beyond the Hype: What are Advanced Analytics?

    Beyond the Hype: What are Advanced Analytics?

    All analytics is advanced, right? Not necessarily. Analytics is actually a catchall term that describes a number of different disciplines organized in hierarchical order. Here’s how it looks in ascending order:

    1. Descriptive Analytics – Understanding what happened.
    2. Diagnostic Analytics – Understanding why it happened.
    3. Predictive Analytics – Imagining what could happen.
    4. Prescriptive Analytics – Imagining what should happen.
    5. Cognitive Analytics – Causing something to happen.

    The term “analytics” typically refers to the first two categories. This technology relies on basic formulas to offer a backward-looking evaluation of data. It saves a lot of time and labor, but the insights are rather shallow.

    The term “advanced analytics” refers to the final three. These types of analysis are forward-looking. And, until relatively recently, they were largely theoretical. Developers could predict the potential of analyzing data in-depth on a large scale, yet they lacked the technology to make it practical. Now that technology exists, and advanced analytics is a reality.

    A recent survey from NewVantage Partners polled executives on how their companies use data and want to use it. The number one goal for these executives was using advanced analytics to improve decision making. Impressively, 69 percent of those respondents had already achieved success towards that goal. That is exciting news when you consider what advanced analytics actually has to offer.

    Getting More from Your Most Valuable Asset

    It’s been true for a long time that data is the single most-valuable asset companies own. It has immense strategic potential, and it’s largely proprietary. This data, more than anything else, is what gives a company a competitive advantage. Advanced analytics lets you get more from the data you already have. You can turn existing information into a clear and accurate forecast for the future. That way, every decision you make is informed and confident. Advanced analytics almost makes it possible to collect and leverage new types of data, further refining your foresight.

    Supercharging Your Business Strategy

    Managing a business is largely about overcoming unknowns. Companies expend massive resources trying to guess what will happen, plan in advance, and overcome their missteps. Advanced analytics offers relief from this stumbling cycle because it provides clarity about the future.

    Predictive and prescriptive analytics allow companies to avoid obstacles early and seize on opportunities sooner. And with cognitive analytics, companies can actually control their own fate. These are the kinds of capabilities that every business in history has wished for. Advanced analytics makes them possible.

    Extending Insights to All

    The term “advanced analytics” obscures one of its most impressive features – It’s actually easier too. Advanced analytics is designed to be more powerful and prognosticating than what came before.

    But it’s also designed to be more intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly. Getting insights is as easy as entering a question into a search bar. Some solutions even let you use voice commands.

    Then, when the insights are delivered, they are formatted into advanced visualizations that bring the takeaways to life. These tools are easy enough for anyone to use regardless of their technical training. And since they can be embedded into just about everything, analytics can enhance any workflow. It may sound counter-intuitive, but choosing advanced analytics actually makes the implementation and onboarding process simpler.

    The word “advanced” gets thrown around a lot, so how do you know if a solution truly offers “advanced analytics?” Start by looking for some of the features mentioned above like voice recognition.

    Then look at how the system incorporates artificial intelligence, which is required for complex, large-scale analysis. Finally, test out how user-friendly it is. If it seems like a tool that could give you clarity and certainty, it probably deserves to be called advanced. Don’t wait too long to make your company advanced as well.

  • Gain the Edge with ICP Agile Certified Coach Training

    Gain the Edge with ICP Agile Certified Coach Training

    The ICP Agile Certified Coach course or ICP-ACC training is one out of two Continuous Learning Certifications (CLCs) provided by the Agile Coaching and Facilitation Track. This training lets participants grow into the position of an Agile coach. Using this form of Agile management training, you may not only facilitate but mentor highly skilled agile teams.

    You are taught to focus on creating achievable goals for your team through improved team practices. Professionals are given the tools and in-depth knowledge of problem-solving, guidance techniques and effective team building to gain improved team performance.

    Studies prove that of having an Agile coach increases their efficiency by 300%. Comparatively, studies also indicate that a lack of an Agile coach only upgrades the efficiency by a mere 35%. This is assuming the Scrum team has capable project managers and certified Scrum technicians capable of managing the Agile framework.

    What the course is about

    This course is aimed at building the mindset and skills of a professional Agile coach. This includes all responsibilities of the coach that is necessary and helps build valuable tools to manage various scenarios effectively. The course covers numerous aspects needed in becoming a highly successful Agile coach. This encompasses numerous skills that the coach must possess so they may be able to navigate through a robust start-up agenda.

    This ICP-ACC course offered by KnowledgeHut is covered over 21 hours via an online training medium that emphasises the importance of a coach setting boundaries and clarifies the difference between being a mentor and coaching a team. Learning the basics of agile is crucial when being a coach as is the mindset shift required to suit the position this will ensure your team is on a high-performance track.

    This course also highlights key philosophies of being a coach like the importance of creating the correct team environment and the importance of team development focused on optimised performance. Resolving conflicts using tools provided by Agile to clear impediments of any nature is key. While organizational impediments are part of any team, conflict resolution by knowing how to manage them is an essential skill this course offers.

    Key takeaways

    Upon the completion of the 21-hour training course, you earn the ICP-ACC certification or the ICP Agile Certified Professional – Agile Certified Coach certification. This enables you to be in the most favourable position when it comes to understanding the responsibilities of a Scrum expert and the mindset of an Agile coach. Using these tools, you can lead and mentor a highly effective and efficient team that produces at the highest levels. You are also awarded 24 PDUs and SEUs during the course.

    Having prior experience with Agile and Scrum can be beneficial for this course but is not a requirement for enrollment.

    Why KnowledgeHut

    KnowledgeHut unites some of the most talented professionals to impart their knowledge and skill during this course. You are given the opportunity to learn from and meet the best of the best across industries while being allowed to pick their brains on scenarios and challenges you may struggle within Scrum management. Add to that, the fact that KnowledgeHut is a registered education provider or REP of the Scrum Alliance and your employability increases as do your chances of advancement at a rapid pace.

  • My First Payment Gateway: 3 Important Fees to Consider

    My First Payment Gateway: 3 Important Fees to Consider

    Integrated payment technology uses APIs in order to connect to gateways. Through using API integration, the payment gateway provider can manage the tasks that are necessary to complete a transaction.

    Also, they give you, the platform owner, complete control over how the checkout page will appear and look. And it allows you to obtain a range of payment types, including debit and credit cards.

    This gives you to accept a wide range of payment types, including debit cards, ACH and eWallets. This means that you’ll be able to keep your customers embedded in your brand while also serving a high quality check out experience.

    And in this guide, we can help you understand the payment gateway integration costs. This will help you create a budget and drive your IT team to make the payment gateway app successfully. So keep reading to learn more!

    1. Incidental fees

    There are a few incidental fees you have to consider when calculating your payment gateway integration cost. A chargeback occurs when a client contacts a bank to complain about an unauthorized problem or charge with the service provider and requests for a refund.

    The client’s bank will then ask for money back to your bank, and this might require some paperwork, you might get a chargeback fee.

    2. High rate from certain cards

    Often there will be one price, but this might not be possible in every scenario. For instance, there are some credit cards that can be charged more than others. A credit card that offers certain privileges tends to cost higher.

    Additionally, business cards can cost more to process fully. You might have to pay for a large commission rate if your customer wants to pay with a foreign card or another currency. So you’ll want to know more about different pricing options.

    3. Plugin price

    There are some payment gateways that come with pre-built extensions that you can use in your online store but can charge you for this. For example, some of the plugins on PrestaShop might cost you around 100s of euros.

    Conclusion

    You should take some time to research when choosing the right payment gateway. There is a huge variation in pricing, and this can make a difference to your bottom line. PayPal, for instance, is a well-known platform and might be tempting to use, but with the higher commission rates means that you’re just paying for the name.

    And it requires your customers to be redirected to the website and log onto your account, which can disrupt your process. We suggest that you understand the entire pricing strategy, so you don’t experience any surprises and don’t want to pay more than necessary, while still obtaining the benefits from a secure and safe option.

    Do you have any questions about utilizing your payment gateways?

    Share in the comments below.

  • How to Implement a Solid Omnichannel Support Strategy

    How to Implement a Solid Omnichannel Support Strategy

    Customer support can now occur through far more channels than in years past. Your customers could contact you through the traditional call center, but they may email, text message, submit online tickets or reach out via social media. Your customers and your business are best served with an omnichannel support strategy. Let’s discuss how to implement such as system.

    Create a consistent image

    When done right, the benefit of omnichannel support is that customers see the same business brand and level of support no matter how they reach out to your company. Customers should see the same logos, receive similar answers and the same great service whether they’re setting up a chat session or emailing your team. No one should get conflicting information on when they’ll get their package or how to resolve a problem. Moving to omnichannel support may require providing training in how to properly use new software and the new, company approved way of dealing with clients.

    Have a customer centric process

    Instead of setting up a call center and assuming younger clients will find the phone number and call it, create a customer persona for each customer demographic and determine how they’d prefer to contact you. Then set up multiple channels to serve your clients, especially those your major customer segments prefer to use. If you don’t have the time and budget to set up every channel your customers would like to use, follow Pareto’s Law and set up support on the 20% of channels that generate 80% of your customer contacts. All of these channels should flow into a single, integrated help desk.

    If a customer needs to be handed off between departments, such as a billing issue referred to tech support, they should be transferred directly. Never have one department tell them to call another phone number or visit a different website. Instead, when someone complains about an order, help them file the claim for reimbursement or return the item for repair.

    Use a rool rhat supports Omnichannel support

    Not every customer relationship management system or helpdesk software will manage customer support through various channels. The solution is to use tools like those offered by Humach Omnichannel Solutions that can handle omnichannel customer support. It has a full suite of open APIs so that you can create a consistent customer experience no matter what channel they use to reach your company. You won’t be constrained by the limited options provided by single-vendor solutions or need to invent your own tool to reach customers through a particular channel.

    Remember the metrics that matter

    Regardless of which channel customers use or the systems used to handle omnichannel support, remember that you need to measure performance based on the metrics that matter to your clients. For example, your team should prioritize reducing response times across all channels over trying to handle as many tickets as possible. Track customer feedback on your customer support, so that you know when they aren’t happy. A side benefit of omnichannel support is that you’re not trying to analyze data across many separate channels. Always set key performance indicators that set high quality customer experience as the goal of your organization.

    Omnichannel support yields as significant return on investment. The challenge for organizations is transforming their currently siloed support channels, consolidating data and changing software at times to create a single, customer-focused support model.