Just like India has changed a lot over the past couple of decades, it is also changing at a rapid pace. The internet is at the core of the revolution. As access to internet is fast becoming ubiquitous, it is opening new opportunities for businesses to reach out to a wider set of customers.
Recent study by Almeida University, Brazil highlights the changes in the way in which people engage in online purchasing. According to the report, nearly 79 per cent of B2B market research was conducted online over the past five years and these surveys have shown that nearly 90 per cent of employees of today’s market research firms conduct online business research. This has triggered the need for an accessible business portal, to help customers who are looking for B2B solution from various companies.
Making The Right Choice
For any online business to be successful, it is very important to know how to choose the right software. In terms of selecting the best tool, there are several things that you should consider. One, should you choose an open-source web platform or would you prefer to use a closed one that requires specific technicalities. The choice is based on what suits your business requirements and how much expertise you have in coding and coding practices. This will help you attract more customers.
Second, you can choose a platform that will allow you to have customization. For instance, if you are running a service based business, you may require features such as marketing automation, as that is the core of your business. However, if your business is a web-based product, you can get by with less customization, but will have limited customization options. The last point to consider is your time. If you are a solo entrepreneur and need to run your business on a tight budget, it might be a good idea to go with a paid product that has advanced features. But if you are working with a team, it is advisable to go with the open-source platform as that comes with minimal complexity, speed, simplicity, and minimal maintenance.
Add to the Align with SEO, Lead Scoring, Social Media Optimisation
Once you have decided on the software, your next step is to select the right hosting service. Your hosting service should provide you with access to the most relevant services for your business. Whether you want to integrate your website with Google Analytics or use the web analytics service from Cpanel, you should select hosting service that offers you these capabilities.
When it comes to technical considerations, you should go with a hosting service provider that offers an SSL certificate for your website, as SSL helps protect your website from any vulnerabilities. You can then integrate an online business management solution with an e-commerce store, which should help you provide your customers with an easy-to-use shopping portal.
Apart from this, there are a lot of other features that you can get on a hosted solution, which might be more relevant for certain businesses than others. They include:
You can set up a social media publishing button on your website to help build a brand online
Website content management system: Many e-commerce websites run on an CMS, which automatically creates a blog in your website to help you post news about the product you sell, as well as provide customer reviews and chat features to connect with customers
Integration with marketing automation software: Many online businesses, for instance, are able to boost sales by engaging customers through marketing automation tools and A/B testing. This helps them understand their customers’ needs and how best to service them
Offer full-scale e-commerce solutions: E-commerce solutions offer a large variety of online stores that offer everything from wholesale to point-of-sale systems, as well as a wide range of business-to-business solutions to help you manage your accounting and bookkeeping
Access to a custom-made security solution: Cloud storage and data management offer a secure platform that enables you to store your customer and product data in a safe place. However, businesses tend to go with a third-party vendor to ensure that their data is adequately secured.
While a hosted solution might be the most affordable option, it also comes with a lot of benefits. It will save you a lot of time and effort, as it is easier to install and configure the software than to try to deal with various issues that arise when your website is being built and your hosting service is being installed. The hosting provider takes care of all the technicalities. Plus, as a hosted solution doesn’t require a technical team to manage it, it offers your business more flexibility.
Over to you
In conclusion, the answer to the question “Should You Go With a Hosted or a Managed Service?” is an emphatic yes. Yes, you should go with a hosted solution, where all of the core technical aspects are handled by an expert. It is a lot cheaper, it is easy to install and configure, and offers a high level of security. Most importantly, it will save you a lot of time and effort.
Conclusion
As you can see, the decision to opt for a hosted solution is a good choice. You can significantly reduce your workload. Plus, it will let you save a lot of time.
Author Bio: Dang Yang is a professional web designer with more than eight years of experience in the information technology sector. He is currently the IT Marketing Manager at one of the biggest Chinese Q&A websites.
