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Many companies are tempted to offer their products or software to customers for free as a way to encourage them to make further purchase. Unfortunately, what many business owners fail to realize is that free does not always mean cheap. There are many disadvantages to taking this approach, several of which can result in your business actually losing profits. Before you decide to offer any products without cost, learn a little more about the potential benefits and the inevitable perils.

Why Companies Offer Free Products?

Most companies offer free software or products as a result of confusion about the potential benefits. This business practice does get your name out to more consumers, however, unless you are prepared to pay staff for marketing and support, your efforts may not pay off. In other cases, companies offer free software so their users can test it out to determine if it works for them before making a purchase. There are better and more efficient ways to spread the word and educate customers about its practicality.

Perils of Free Offers

Offering free software can be a major financial expense. It is not cheap to advertise your products, letting your customers know that they are available for free. To attract the right users, you still need to conduct market research, place ads, and engage with your target market. These tasks involve highly specialized knowledge, meaning that paying for the labor involved should not be cheap. You need your marketing and design experts to be at their peak performance whenever representing your brand, regardless of the cost of the final product.

In addition, providing support for free products is another major expense. The effort and financial cost that goes into the provision of free products is not a cheap cost. In many cases, companies are surprised to see exactly how much a free product costs in terms of marketing, advertising, and support.

Better Recommendations

Offering your software for free indefinitely can create major headaches, stress, and expenses for you. Instead, consider offering a free trial, limited to 30 or so days. This gives potential users a chance to try out the features of the software without increased effort from you. If they do not like the product by the end of the trial, they no longer have the rights to its use. There is no risk to the customer and no obligation on your part to offer maintenance or support. Alternatively, you could offer your software to customers in stages, with varying support levels associated with each payment package.

It is always tempting to offer a product for free to customers, in the hopes that it entices them to make further. Unfortunately, the effort and expense that goes into the provision of free software is often prohibitively expensive. Before you decide to make this offer to your new and returning customers, take a few moments to consider the very real cost to you of upgrade and support. Contact a reputable consulting company to learn more about the best ways to attract new customers without wasting effort on free software gimmicks.

Now more than ever, businesses face fading into obscurity if they do not take significant efforts to stay ahead of the competition. The market is saturated with companies offering all types of products with the online market inspiring fierce battles between competitors. Many companies that may otherwise come out on top due to product strength alone find themselves falling way behind because of a fear of technology. Learn more about why it is so important to overcome these fears if you wish to remain profitable in today’s tough economy.

Why You Need to Stay Ahead

There is no doubt that technology rules the business world. Regardless of your industry or position, you need to have some understanding of how technology plays a role in your success. Failure to do so can quickly lead to you and your brand falling way behind. Your competitors are making this effort, investing in digital trends with an ever-growing rate. If you fail to do so, you may find that you are no longer able to compete in terms of customer service, speed, and your ability to attract new consumers.

Keeping on Top of Technological Advances

Keeping on top of the latest technological advances for your industry is the best way to remain profitable. You need to know which types of software and developments can make it easier to run your business, to reach out to colleagues, and to effect certain marketing campaigns. Certain business experts recommend spending a minimum of half an hour a week focusing solely on the technological upgrades available to your industry. Failure to have all of this information puts you at a pretty big disadvantage, especially when compared with your industry peers who are eager to invest in the most recent advancements.

How Hiring a Consultant Can Help

The best way to educate yourself is to learn all you can about the field. For many company owners, there simply is not enough time to do so. If this is the case, or if you find that digesting the complex technological material is too difficult, consider hiring a consultant who can help. They can introduce you to software and technological upgrades meant to keep your business on the right track; ahead of the curve.

Consultants can work with you to ensure that you make informed decisions about your software upgrades, explaining each suggested upgrade in detail as well as providing you with its cost. This is the perfect way to ensure that your company stays on the right track without finding yourself overwhelmed with information.

If you want to stay ahead, you need to keep abreast of the latest technological advances in your industry. This can be a daunting task for many company owners, especially those who found success before technology was so intimately intertwined with business accomplishments. Don’t fall behind or spend time stressing out about advances you do not understand. The best solution is to hire a company that can help you stay on track. Investing in these types of services is the best way to save your brand and remain competitive in today’s market.

If you run your own business, you know how important it is to have instant access to all your important information. Ideally, this crucial data can be accessed from anywhere, thanks to remote or cloud-based storage. You never know when an investment opportunity may arise or when you may want to become involved in a business acquisition. Without having this type of information at your fingertips, deals could be delayed, or you could miss out entirely. When you are able to access information in just a few clicks, you can truly retain 100 percent control over your business.

Reduced Cost

Storing data in a way that gives you instant access is one of the best ways to save money. Retrieving information, especially historic data, comes at a cost. You must pay an employee to search out this information and provide it to you. Historic records tend to be stored off-site, increasing the expense involved in data retrieval. With one-click access, you can minimize the steps, time, and staff members involved. This also gives you the benefit of privacy. When you can instantly access data on your own, there is no need for staff members to speculate as to why you needed certain information.

Improved Reliability

Having a centralized system is the best way to ensure reliable data. Businesses that do not have one-click access to information tend to store customer data across multiple platforms and programs. The potential for inconsistences in data is high with this type of system. In many cases, it can be impossible to tell which storage system has the incorrect data, creating a hassle for you and your staff. Centralized systems only allow for one spot for information storage. Any changes made occur there, and only there. As a result, you can trust that the data stored in that platform is accurate and up-to-date.

Full Control Over Your Business

The biggest benefit to a one-click method of data storage is that it gives you full control over your business. You can make important and informed business decisions from almost anywhere when you rely on centralized systems of data. When you provide this information to third parties, such as investment advisors and those involved in asset acquisitions, you can be sure that the information provided is accurate. This helps you close deals faster, expanding your business and your market reach. There is no reason to avoid this type of data storage system. It saves you time, money, and stress. In addition, switching from your current method of data storage to a centralized database is easy when you hire a skilled consultant to facilitate this transfer.

Every company, regardless of industry, can benefit from instant access to their company’s records Living in an enterprise cloud nine is easy when you centralize your data, making it available in just a few clicks. There is no reason to stick with your current method of data organization, especially when these types of storage options are easily accessible and affordable. Contact a consultant today to help you optimize your company’s data storage.