How customer voice
drives business

The 21st Century has posed new challenges for brick and mortar businesses, particularly commercial businesses like retailers and restaurants. Retailers, such as mom-and-pop shops, face an uphill battle against online shopping. Restaurants are known for balancing on a knife’s edge of profitability, often surviving on razor-thin margins.  These conditions lead many in-person sellers to look for cost-cutting measures wherever possible to keep their businesses alive and profitable. However, there are significant overhead costs that can weigh on these businesses, such as the hardware and software associated with running a brick and mortar business. The most central hardware they rely on is the Point of Sale (PoS) system. Point of Sale software allows businesses to efficiently and safely process sales in their business. However, the price of these systems can vary dramatically based on the features and scale of the systems.  Fortunately, there is a range of free or freemium Point of Sale (PoS) products available to these businesses. For small businesses in particular, free PoS systems can help keep their business running with minimal overhead costs. However, not all free Point of Sale products are created equal, so it’s important for businesses to pick a system that will help instead […]

Like most industries, the construction industry has benefited from the digitization of processes that used to be heavily reliant on physical blueprints, workflows, and proposals. However, as more tools emerge to help construction companies transition to digital processes, budgeting for these tools has become an increasingly difficult task.  Part of the challenge arises from the fact that “construction software” can refer to dramatically different tools. Broadly speaking, pricing for construction software can start as low as $40/month and scale up to $10,000 for one-time license purchases.  Despite the wide range of construction-specific tools available, there are some main software groupings to consider. Two of the most common types of software used include construction project management tools and estimating/takeoff software.  TrustRadius collected pricing for some of the most popular tools in both subcategories of construction software. Below, you’ll find breakdowns of pricing information for construction project management software and estimating/takeoff software, including differentiators and secondary pricing factors worth keeping in mind.  Pricing Considerations in Construction Software There are some common nuances that buyers should consider when looking at pricing for popular construction software tools. For instance, consider the scope of each product that’s attached to the price. While some tools can […]

Cloud Storage Pricing Comparison Cloud Storage options are becoming increasingly popular for businesses, and in addition to their features, their pricing structures set them apart from each other. To make it easier for you to find what cloud storage tool is right for your organization, we’ve created a detailed pricing comparison to help you find a cloud storage solution that meets your budgetary needs, and the feature needs of your business. Pricing Tier Comparison All of the most popular cloud storage options are sold as software as a service, typically with a monthly subscription, with the option of paying annually.  Many cloud storage options are targeted at specific businesses, or business sizes, as represented by their costs.  Google Drive, OneDrive, and EverNote all have strong features for small businesses, or enterprises with limited storage needs, which is reflected in their price.  In contrast, DropBox business and Box include features such as unlimited storage and built in integrations with popular business software, making them strong choices for large enterprises or businesses with major cloud storage needs. The only cloud storage tool listed below with a forever free version for businesses is EverNote, which is designed to specialize in note storage.  It […]

There are many options for businesses to choose from when it comes to web conferencing, but as you narrow down your choice to a few software options, it can become difficult to determine which one is best.   The most popular web conferencing tools range in price from free to $30.00 per month per user, with many options in between, so no matter what your budget is, there’s a good web conferencing tool for your business. To make your web conferencing decision easier, we’ve collected detailed pricing and features information for some of the most popular web conferencing options to provide you with a comparison of the most important factors of each software. Subscription Tier Comparison The most straightforward way to compare the most popular web conferencing tools is directly comparing monthly costs.  For businesses looking for a budget web conferencing tool, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Webex Meetings all offer a free version, though these free versions have some feature limitations such as limitations on meeting length or number of meeting participants.  It’s also worth noting that all the prices listed below are per license, and none of the top web conferencing tools support license sharing, so be sure to […]

WordPress is a popular content management system that lets you build a website without writing any code.  Despite its relative ease of use, it can still be intimidating for new users.  In the video below, I go over the basics of WordPress, including what you need to launch a site, how to install a theme and plugins, and how to start producing content. Intro I use WordPress for my personal hobby blog, but I have also used it to build marketing sites and eCommerce sites.  WordPress can be intimidating for new users, so I’m going to go over the basics to get you started with the program.  I’ve added timestamps in the description of the video if you want to jump to a certain part of it.  Table of Contents When to Use WordPress Hosting Services and Domains WordPress Themes Dashboard Jetpack Posts Media Library Pages Comments Feedback Appearance Customize Menus Theme Editor Plugins Users Settings When to Use WordPress WordPress is a great tool for people who want to create a website, but either don’t know the coding necessary to create a site, or want to use a simple drag and drop interface to save time.  There are other […]

I’m Brian Mackenzie from TrustRadius, and in this post, I’ll be going over the basics of PhotoShop. PhotoShop is a popular program for creating graphics, print marketing materials, and editing photos.  It can also be intimidating for new users, with many tools and features that aren’t easy to use for beginners.  For that reason, we made this video going over the basics of PhotoShop, and how to use all the tools the program has to offer. Intro I use PhotoShop to create video graphics, channel banners, and to touch up photos and graphs for blog posts. Photoshop offers all sorts of advanced features that you can learn as you use it more, but today I’ll be showing you enough to get you started with the program. Throughout this video I’ll be going over when you should use PhotoShop, how to make a project, what each PhotoShop tool does, as well as how layers work. There are time stamps in the description if you want to jump to a specific portion of the video. ToC 1.       What is PhotoShop used for? 2.       Creating a project, and learning the interface a. Move Tool b. Marquee Tool […]

Data Fabric is a new category of technology that helps businesses simplify data management and accelerate the delivery of app-centric technologies.  Though data fabric solutions offer a number of unique features and capabilities, they are often confused with data virtualization tools. We spoke with Dan DeMers, the CEO at Data Fabric pioneer Cinchy, to gain more insight into the key capabilities that set Data Fabric technology apart. Data Fabric technology is getting a lot of attention right now, but many people associate it with Data Virtualization or other data management software. How does Data Fabric software differ from other data management technologies? The adoption of Data Fabric technology is growing rapidly but it’s fair to say that it is not yet widely understood. This fact has not been helped by vendors claiming to represent Data Fabric technology in order to capture website traffic when they are fundamentally different in design and function. The key element that defines a Data Fabric is suggested by the word “fabric” itself. The term describes how this technology manages data as a logical network of structured datasets, and does not rely on the on-going exchange of copies between apps or data stores in order to […]

Today’s guest post is from Scott Baradell, Founder and CEO of Idea Grove. For more than 15 years, Scott has been a thought leader on the future of public relations. He created one of the original PR blogs, Media Orchard, which at one time had a larger audience than PRWeek. His focus in recent years has been on growing his agency by helping his technology clients grow. In 2020, Scott began writing Trust Signals: The New PR, outlining a new framework for the practice of public relations, to be published by LionCrest in 2021. Put simply, “trust signals” are evidence points, from media coverage and online reviews to website “trust badges,” that make people believe in your brand. Scott has an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the PRSA and speaks on PR and marketing topics at industry events nationwide.  To borrow a phrase from George W. Bush’s now-famous critique of President Trump’s inaugural address: people are believing some “weird s–t” these days. Such as the following:  Starting on the social media site Reddit and spreading like wildfire across the internet, thousands of people shared content last month accusing the furniture retailer Wayfair of trafficking children. These charges were not based on police investigations, journalistic […]

Even with all the flexibility that video conferencing tools provide, it’s not uncommon for leaders and employees—even at small, tight-knit businesses—to feel disconnected amid a lack of on-site interactions. Choosing the right web conferencing software can help prevent your teammates from feeling like ships passing in the night. On the other hand, with the wrong video conferencing software, meetings can feel like a hassle. Un-intuitive user interfaces can cause some users to have difficulty contributing, or feel their hands are tied when attempting to share visual presentations or tune in from afar. That’s why it’s a good idea to do your research before you implement a free video conferencing tool. You don’t want to waste time acclimating your employees or coworkers to a product only to have to switch things up when it doesn’t suit your needs. Thankfully, intuitive tools exist in today’s market that also happen to be free! To get you started, we’re discussing the top 5 free web conferencing tools for small business—and what users have to say about them. We’re including in-depth, verified user reviews highlighting the biggest pros of each tool, as well as letting you know about the cons so you can make the […]

TrustRadius, the most trusted customer voice and insights platform, today awarded 2020 Top Rated Badges in 72 categories spanning across multiple genres of software categories. Top Rated awards bring transparency to the market by choosing winners based on validated customer ratings and reviews. Top Rated awards are unique in the software industry because they’re determined by the innovative trScore algorithm in addition to the recency and relevancy of reviews. These three criteria make the Top Rated awards a true voice of the market. The 72 categories with winners announced today are: Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivable AI Virtual Sales Assistant App Development Assessment Audio Editing Authentication Call Tracking Chatbot Club Management Contact Management Container Management Customer Data Data Deduplication Data Loss Prevention Database Performance Monitoring Desktop Publishing Direct Mail Automation Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Protection Domain Registration Services eDiscovery Email Encryption Employee Engagement Endpoint Security Enterprise Flash Array Storage Enterprise Search Ethernet Switches Facility Management Financial Close Full-Stack Business Intelligence Geographic Information Graphics Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Invoicing IP Address Management (IPAM) IT Alert Management Job Board Knowledge Management LAN Switches Managed File Transfer (MFT) Marketing Intelligence Network Diagnostics Network Security Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) Object Storage Peer Code Review Predictive […]

Leading software companies in Technical Categories spanning, Disaster Recovery, IT Service Management Software (ITsm), Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), Remote Desktop, and other categories earn recognition based on validated user feedback. TrustRadius, the most trusted customer voice, and insights platform, today awarded 2020 Top Rated Badges in 42 categories spanning technical software categories. Top Rated awards bring transparency to the market by choosing winners based on validated customer ratings and reviews. Top Rated awards are unique in the software industry because they’re determined by the innovative trScore algorithm in addition to the recency and relevancy of reviews. These three criteria make the Top Rated awards a true voice of the market. The 42 categories with winners announced today are: Password ManagerPredictive AnalyticsData WarehouseDatabase-as-a-Service (DBaaS)Endpoint BackupInfrastructure-as-a-ServiceNoSQL DatabasesPlatform-as-a-Service (PaaS)Low-Code DevelopmentCloud StorageData IntegrationSecurity Information and Event Management (SIEM)Agile DevelopmentApplication Lifecycle Management (ALM)IT Service Management (ITSM)Version ControlData Center BackupRemote DesktopFirewallHelp DeskIT Infrastructure Monitoring System MonitoringDisaster RecoveryApplication Performance Management (APM)Mobile Device Management (MDM)Cloud Computing SecurityRelational DatabasesIntegrated Development Environment (IDE)Identity ManagementAntivirus.Net DevelopmentServer VirtualizationUnified Endpoint Management (UEM)Open-Source DatabaseVirtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)Network Performance MonitoringApplication ServerIntegration Platform as a Service (iPaaS)API ManagementFunctional TestingSQL Server Performance MonitoringIT Asset Management “Reviews are now a critical way to connect with business technology buyers,” […]

Coronavirus has presented a new reality for all of us and forced millions of people globally to work remotely. Remote work comes with its set of opportunities and challenges. The pace at which businesses must adapt to today’s rapidly changing environment far outpaces the methods and resources available to support it. Businesses across all industries are finding new and innovative ways to scale their operations, help keep their employees safe and track assets and inventory.  One-way businesses are developing operational agility is by turning to low-code platforms. Low-code is a modern way to build and continually improve business software applications that better match the pace of change in today’s business environment.  The low-code application development method eliminates much of the tediousness associated with developing, deploying, maintaining, and updating applications built with traditional software development frameworks and techniques. It enables team members with little to no coding experience to build the applications they need themselves.The best low-code platforms unite teams across the business to continuously innovate and improve their operations.  During this time, some low-code software providers are helping businesses at the frontlines innovate and adapt quickly by offering their solutions and expertise for free.  How Low-Code Platforms Support COVID-19 Response […]

Leading software companies in Accounting, Business Intelligence, HR Management, Project Management, Video Conferencing, and other categories earn recognition based on validated user feedback.  TrustRadius, the most trusted customer voice, and insights platform, today awarded 2020 Top Rated Badges in 50 categories spanning business, data, and people software. Top Rated awards bring transparency to the market by choosing winners based on validated customer ratings and reviews. Top Rated awards are unique in the software industry because they’re determined by the innovative trScore algorithm in addition to the recency and relevancy of reviews. These three criteria make the Top Rated awards a true voice of the market. The 46 categories with winners announced today are: Accounting & Budgeting Software Applicant Tracking Appointment Scheduling Systems (ATS) Business Intelligence (BI) Tools Business Process Management (BPM) Tools Call Center Workforce Optimization Collaboration Tools Community Platforms Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Construction Software Contact Center Software Corporate Learning Management Systems Corporate Performance Management (CPM) Software Customer Success Software Data Science Data Discovery and VisualizationDiagramming Document Management Ecommerce Platforms Electronic Signature Employee Performance Management Enterprise Content Management Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Expense Management HR Management Software Learning Management Systems (LMS) Nonprofit CRM Software Nonprofit Fundraising Office Suites Operating Systems […]

**This article has been updated on April 3, 2020 based on new research conducted by the TrustRadius team* These days, there are SaaS solutions for every business need. Whether it’s beautiful marketing campaigns, time tracking systems, or sales forecasting software, there’s a SaaS product that can help. Vertical software as a service offerings allow companies to grow and thrive, because they tend to be less expensive up front than traditional on-premise software or perpetual licenses, and they are constantly updated with new features in response to changing regulations and needs. “Horizontal” SaaS products serve the needs of particular departments or functions, but are not designed to be industry-specific. “Vertical” SaaS products, on the other hand, are built with the needs of a particular industry in mind.   Here we take a look at what vertical SaaS is, discuss why it’s a trend in B2B software, and highlight 7 of the best vertical SaaS companies with solutions listed on TrustRadius What is Vertical SaaS? Vertical SaaS solutions focus on one particular industry. This type of vertical software might feature similar tools that horizontal platforms offer, but tailored for a specific industry. They may combine functionality from different departments or functions into […]

Remote working is not a new trend. Research from Gallup found that the percentage of American employees working from home increased from 39% to 43% between 2012 and 2016. Some even predict that the rapid growth of employees choosing to work from home amid the covid-19 outbreak will be a turning point for the American workforce in favor of remote working.  Adjusting to a new work environment is rarely easy, but there is a lot that companies can do to make this transition as smooth as possible for their employees. Providing your team with tools that enable them to communicate in real-time, manage their tasks, and schedule and host meetings are critical first steps all organizations can take.  Below are 5 essential types of software that will help your employees stay productive and navigate their new WFH life: Web Conferencing Software Collaboration Tools  Remote Desktop Software  Virtual Private Network (VPN) Solutions VoIP Providers Remote Work Software Tools Are Booming Right Now  As someone who recently started working remotely (like so many others), I now rely on Zoom for daily communication and meetings. But I would be equally lost without other tools like Slack, Google Drive, Airtable, Trello, Calendly, and of […]

If you’ve always dreamed of working from home, you’re not alone. 99% of people say they would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their careers.  When you’re new to working from home, it can be a bit confusing on where to start looking for tools to keep you productive, organized, and most importantly sane. We’ve compiled a list of free tools that will help ease you into your transition to working from home. These tools are great for both new freelancers, college students adjusting to remotely working on group projects, and small businesses taking their business to the cloud. G Suite: Your one-stop shop  First up is G-Suite, a comprehensive productivity platform that has pretty much everything you could need to work from home. Its most ubiquitous tool is Gmail, which provides users with a free email account with a custom alias. Gmail, in particular, works well with Google Calendar, which can sync multiple accounts into one calendar and can be accessed from anywhere using mobile devices.  Other popular tools within the suite are Google Docs (word processor), Google Sheets (Google’s take on Excel), and Google Slides (think Powerpoint). G-Suite also contains […]

We are pleased to announce the Top Rated Web Conferencing Tools for 2020!  The TrustRadius Top Rated awards are an unbiased reflection of customer sentiment and indicate today’s best-in-class products. Top Rated awards are based on user feedback and satisfaction and are never influenced by analyst opinion, or a vendor’s size and status. Here are the Winners GoToMeeting GoToMeeting is a web conferencing tool from LogMeIn that is built for conference calls that users can join through an online call from their computer or via a mobile device. GoToMeeting also includes features such as automated call recordings and transcripts, as well as group chats. Many reviewers praise GoToMeetings easy to use interface, as well as its screen sharing capabilities.  “GoToMeeting gives users the ability to bring people together from anywhere into a single environment. By being able to screen share and pass off presenter responsibilities, it has the potential to be very interactive and productive. Sometimes, more productive than actually being in the same room at the same time.” Dany H.| Adjunct Professor | Adventist University of Health Sciences UberConference Dialpad’s UberConference is a web conferencing platform that offers document management features as well as integrations with document applications like […]

Leading software companies in Marketing Analytics, Compensation Management, Sales Enablement, Social Media Marketing, Webinar, and other categories earn recognition based on validated user feedback.  TrustRadius, the most trusted customer voice and insights platform, today awarded 2020 Top Rated Badges in 52 categories spanning marketing, sales, and social software. Top Rated awards bring transparency to the market by choosing winners based on validated customer ratings and reviews. Top Rated awards are unique in the software industry because they’re determined by the innovative trScore algorithm in addition to the recency and relevancy of reviews. These three criteria make the Top Rated awards a true voice of the market. The 52 categories announced today are: A/B Testing Tools Account-Based Marketing (ABM)Ad Serving & Retargeting PlatformsAll-in-One MarketingBloggingCompensation ManagementConsumer Ratings & ReviewsContent Management Systems (CMS)Content MarketingContract ManagementCompensation ManagementCross-Channel Campaign ManagementCustomer Experience ManagementCustomer Relationship Management (CRM)Ecommerce PersonalizationEmail Marketing SoftwareEvent ManagementEvent RegistrationHeatmap and Session RecordingLanding PageLive ChatMarketing AnalyticsMarketing AutomationMarketing Resource Management Mobile AnalyticsMobile Marketing ProposalPublic Relations (PR)Sales AccelerationSales Content ManagementSales Email Tracking ToolsSales EnablementSales EngagementSales Intelligence SoftwareSearch Engine Marketing (SEM)Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tools Social Media AdvertisingSocial Media AnalyticsSocial Media Customer ServiceSocial Media Management ToolsSocial Media MarketingSocial Media MonitoringSurvey & Forms Building ToolsTag Management Video MarketingVideo PlatformsVoIP […]

Business intelligence has become more advanced and more available over the last ten years. Every business can benefit from business intelligence, but if you don’t have a business intelligence strategy, you aren’t getting as much out of business intelligence as you could be. This article will go over how to determine your business intelligence capabilities and how to create a strategy to capture business information and generate useful reports.  With your business intelligence strategy figured out, you can select the business intelligence tool that fits your needs. How to Build a Business Strategy To build a business strategy, you’ll first have to figure out what data you are capable of collecting and how capable your staff is at performing complex data analysis.  There’s no sense in collecting data you can’t analyze, and your skilled analysts will be underutilized if they don’t have a lot of data to use. Determine Key Data and How you Can Collect it When determining what data is essential for your business, a great place to start is with industry KPIs.  Look at the benchmarks that other organizations in your industry hit on KPIs like sales, or whatever KPIs are specific to your industry.  With this […]

Business intelligence and analytics tools are essential for any business, and data science is critical for data-rich enterprises.  Is your organization utilizing these technologies? This post will lay out the benefits of each one and help you decide what the next step is for your business. Business Intelligence Keeps Track of Business Data Business Intelligence has changed a lot over the years, but it focuses on determining the state of your business and how it got there.  Using business intelligence tools, you can answer questions like “What was our growth within the last year?” or “What were sales for this product in May?”  If you have a business question that starts with “what?”, business intelligence tools are the best way to find the answer. Business intelligence software provides a system that can store, query, and report on data collected from other software used by your business. Top-rated Business Intelligence tools like Tableau and Qlik Sense enable analysts to ascertain the state of an organization and create visualizations to display their findings.  Business Analytics Explains Business Data Business analytics focuses on using business data to extrapolate factors that have led the business to its current state.  Additionally, business analytics also make […]