Tag: Best

The 5 Best Reputation Management Companies of 2020

Researchers at Womply analyzed 200,000 small businesses in every state, looking at a few dozen industries. 

They found that businesses with more than 82 total reviews earn 54 percent more money. It isn’t just about getting reviews either. Businesses achieved moderate to large jumps in revenue from the simplest tasks. Claim your profile on at least four review sites? You earn 58 percent more revenue. Businesses that reply to their reviews 25 percent of the time earn 35 percent more revenue. 

Here’s the problem many businesses run into. 

They don’t know what they’re doing. Most know how to ask customers for reviews, but they’re unsure how to handle the other important parts of reputation management. 

This is why it’s important to get help. 

If you have the right reputation management company, you’ll have the help you need to improve your company’s online reputation.

The 5 Top Reputation Management Companies in The World

Here’s a shortlist of some of the best reputation management companies in the world. You can use review sites like Clutch.co, HubSpot Agency Directory, or Sortlist if you’re looking for something more specific in the reputation management industry. 

1. NP Digital – Best for Local SEO and Reputation Management

NP Digital is my agency. If you’re familiar with my work, you know that I have a strong background in search engine optimization and digital marketing. I built an agency called Pronet Advertising more than 17 years ago, while I was still in high school. 

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been a marketer for more than 20 years! That’s given me a lot of time to learn how reputation management integrates with local search, content marketing, social media marketing, and advertising. I took all of the lessons I’ve learned from the companies I built — Kissmetrics, Crazy Egg,  Pronet, Quicksprout, NeilPatel.com, and now NP Digital.

My agency is a little bit different from other agencies. 

NP Digital ties all of our work back to revenue. It’s no different with our reputation management campaigns. If you’re going to put a dollar into your campaign, you want two dollars back, right? My agency focuses on driving real business results, so your company continues to grow; our work has to make money for your business. 

NP Digital’s client list includes:

  • Facebook
  • Viacom
  • Google
  • GM
  • eBay
  • NBC
  • Thomson Reuters foundation
  • TechCrunch
  • Cheezburger
  • American Greetings

2. Reputation X – Best for Reputation Recovery

Reputation X offers proactive and reactive services, but they lean more towards the reactionary side of reputation management. 

Proactive reputation management options include — content development (articles, reviews, news, blog posts, ratings, etc.). Reactive reputation management options include takedown services, including  — SERP removal, search result suppression, DMCA removals, reputation protection, and content suppression. 

Reputation X has more than 15 years of experience in the industry. What’s significant about their service is the fact that they’re comfortable working with organizations and individuals. 

“Confidential clients include Heads of State, Politicians, SMBs, Celebrities, Public Relations Agencies (white label), and just regular folks.”

 According to their website and marketing materials, they avoid pre-made campaign templates, which are common in the industry. They build each campaign from scratch, which makes sense when you realize that their service starts at $10,000. As expensive as their services are, they’re not for everyone. 

“The Reputation X client acceptance process is unique. Prospective new clients must be approved not only by management but by team members as well. That means many never become clients. In addition, prospective customers whose reputation management problems seem too tough to overcome are always informed of the fact. Alternatives are clearly explained, even if they never become a client.”

They’re pretty picky about the clients they choose and the work they accept.

Reputation X’s confidential client list includes:

  •  Law firms 
  • Healthcare organizations
  • Fortune 500 executives
  • Manufacturing firms
  • Public Relations companies

3. Thrive – Best for Small Business Review Management

Thrive is a full-service agency that offers reputation management and reputation repair services. Thrive offers reputation management and repair services on their website; take a closer look at their website, and you’ll find that they’re really focused on the online review side of things. 

If you’re looking for a reputation management firm with the legal and takedown chops to protect your business Thrive isn’t the reputation management company for you. If you’re looking for an agency that can generate a huge amount of reviews, Thrive may be a good fit. If you’re looking for an agency that’s oriented around small businesses, winning new customers over or burying negative press Thrive is a great place to start. 

Thrive offers most of the services a full-service agency provides. If you’re looking for a Jack of all trades, their agency has experience in several areas; this works especially well for inexperienced small business clients who need help with multiple services. 

Thrive Agency’s client list includes:

  • Nationwide Construction
  • Ready Seal
  • Bonds Ellis Eppich Shaffer Jones
  • Max Mechanical
  • Quick Roofing

4. Reputation Rhino – Best for Individuals

Reputation Rhino specializes in online reputation management; they serve small- and midsize businesses and individuals. Since then, they’ve expanded to create a range of brand management and internet marketing services that they offer to companies and individuals. 

All of the services they now offer — SEO, PPC, Social media, Web development — they’re all geared around their reputation management services. 

It’s not as common, but Reputation Rhino offers clients a money-back guarantee.

They offer reputation management and repair services; One thing that’s surprising about their business is the fact that they’re able to remove negative reviews from online review sites like Glassdoor, Ripoff Report, Google Images, and more. 

Their agency is small but so is the price; campaign pricing starts at $1,000. 

Reputation Rhino’s client list includes:

  • Colleges
  • Reputation management companies 
  • Law firms
  • Local businesses 
  • Retail storefronts
  • Tech companies

5. Reputation Defense Network – Best for Reputation Management Specialist

The Reputation Defense Network specializes in one thing: Content removal. They focus their attention on deleting negative or malicious content, protecting client brand reputation, and identifying anonymous hackers, defamers, and attackers. They also include proactive reputation management services, but their focus is geared around takedowns. 

Here’s how they describe their service: 

“Reputation Defense Network is one of the fastest-growing Internet Content Removal companies in the US. We are the only company to offer guarantees on all of our work. We are not an SEO or marketing firm disguised as a reputation management company.  Our focus is your reputation, nothing else.”

They use their 27-point removal audit to remove negative content permanently. They focus first on removal, then suppression. One thing that makes their value proposition unique is the fact that they offer cyber investigation services. 

If you’re looking for a reputation management company with a significant amount of firepower and legal muscle, the Reputation Defense Network is a good fit. Their services are perfect for high-stakes reputation management — the kind that includes blackmail, fraud, defamation, etc. 

They provide performance guarantees on all of their work: “you don’t pay until we provide you with a favorable result.”

That’s $0 upfront, 100 percent (permanent) content removal with an average turnaround time of 72 hours. If you’re in a competitive industry and you’re dealing with confidential, high-stakes information, this agency is a good fit. The majority of their clients are growing, mid-market firms in the $10M to $1B range. 

They serve clients in the following industries: 

  • Business services
  • Healthcare and medical
  • Education

4 Characteristics That Make a Great Reputation Management Company

When you’re vetting an agency, you’ll want to find a company that displays the right characteristics. The last thing you want is to choose a reputation management company that makes your reputation worse. When you’re searching for the right agency, here are some attributes to keep in mind. 

1. Their agency approach is proactive and reactive 

The industry has matured quite a bit since reputation management of the 90s. Back then, agencies were focused on simply burying negative content. That’s still doable, but it’s much easier to guide the conversation from the start. 

Asking customers to share their feedback via online reviews. Creating, claiming, and optimizing your review profiles; responding to customer feedback, these are all proactive  methods you can use to improve your reputation. Deleting or burying toxic, inaccurate, or misleading content, sending out legal takedown notices, and working with law enforcement are reactive strategies. 

You need both, but these strategies don’t provide a complete picture of online reputation management campaigns on their own.

2. They focus on building relationships

Old-school campaigns are focused primarily on silencing critics, enemies, and opponents. New-school agencies still have those skills if they need them, but they choose to focus their attention on building relationships with customers. 

  • Helping you take care of your customers
  • Requesting reviews from customers 
  • Building reviews up on the right platforms
  • Generating publicity and increasing visibility
  • Responding to unfair attacks
  • If you’ve made a mistake, they’ll help you earn a fresh start

You need an agency that understands both sides of reputation management. 

3. They realize reputation management is ongoing

This doesn’t mean that your agency is trying to lock you into an unnecessary contract. Customers feel reviews older than three months are irrelevant. Agencies realize customers want to see consistent proof that you’re still performing well. 

Reputation and reviews, they decay over time. 

Your agency should provide you with an ongoing service that’s optional; they should provide you with the people, processes, and tools you need to manage your reputation well. They should have a team in place to manage outreach with customers, publications, and press. 

4. They’re local search experts

Your reputation management agency should have experience in running and managing local search campaigns.

You want this because local searches are growing 50 percent faster than mobile search. As far as Google is concerned, online reviews are part of the local ranking factors that determine your rank and performance. 

When it comes to local search, your reputation management company should have expert-level knowledge. They should know how to increase search engine and social media visibility. The easier it is for them to integrate local search, the better your reputation management campaigns will perform. 

What To Expect From a Great Reputation Management Company

Here’s a shortlist of the things you should expect from your agency. 

  1. They’ll show you the plan ahead of time: Your agency will provide you with an A to Z plan, outlining the macro and micro level components of your campaign. You should know exactly what you’re getting into — what your campaign costs, what their goals are, how long it will take to reach those goals and the reports they’ll provide. 
  2. Openness and complete transparency: Your agency should answer all of your questions and concerns; this isn’t optional or negotiable. Your agency isn’t writing copy or designing a website. They’re working with your reputation, so the impact on your business is huge. You need to know exactly what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. 
  3. Consistent communication: Your agency should provide you with constant communication, feedback, and reporting. You’ll need to provide them with the decision-makers and influencers who need to be part of the conversation. 

You should see evidence of this before you sign on the dotted line. If agencies hide behind proprietary software or secret processes, you’ll want to walk away. 

Conclusion

Reputation management is easier when you have the right company behind you. Many businesses don’t know what they’re doing. Most know how to ask customers for reviews, but they’re unsure how to handle the important aspects of reputation management. 

If you feel the same way, it may be a good idea to get help. 

Businesses that handle reputation management will see consistently large jumps in revenue. Completing simple tasks — claiming your review management profiles, responding to customers online, and requesting reviews — good reputation management leads to more revenue. 

Use our guide to find the reputation management companies that are right for your business. Set your values, expectations, and needs ahead of time, and you’ll find choosing the right company is easy. 

The post The 5 Best Reputation Management Companies of 2020 appeared first on Neil Patel.

Best Live Chat Software

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Live chat has quickly become an integral part of customer service in the digital era. 

When a customer or website visitor has a question, complaint, or needs some other type of assistance, they expect to reach your brand via live chat.

In addition to the improved customer experience, live chat is also more efficient for your support team. Service reps can’t field more than one phone call simultaneously, but they can handle multiple live chat conversations at the same time.

Overall, live chat is fast, effective, and more cost-efficient than any other type of customer communication. In terms of consumer preferences, it ranks higher than phone, email, and social media. Every website needs to have live chat.

With that said, there are dozens of different live chat solutions available on the market today. Which one is the best for you and your website? Continue below for my in-depth analysis.

The Top 7 Options For Live Chat Software

  1. Zendesk
  2. JivoChat
  3. Pure Chat
  4. Intercom
  5. LiveChat
  6. Acquire
  7. Smartsupp

How to Choose the Best Live Chat Software For You

As you’re comparing different live chat options, there are certain feature sets and considerations that must be evaluated. I’ll break these factors down in greater detail, so you have a better understanding of what to look for. 

Number of Agents

How big is your support team?

There’s a big difference between businesses with 5, 50, and 500 agents. Most plans will have some limitations on how many support reps can access the software. Other plans will have minimum seat requirements as well. 

It’s also important for you to look down the road as your company grows. Is it easy to add new agents to your plan at scale? Make sure you’re not locked into a plan that restricts your scalability.

Use Cases

Why exactly are you in the market for live chat software?

Sure, there are plenty of general-purpose options out there. But some software is designed to accommodate specific needs and goals. For example, there is live chat software for lead qualification, live chat software for customer engagement, and live chat software for customer support. 

These are just a few of many examples that should be taken into consideration. 

Omnichannel Support

If you’ve got customers reaching out to your brand on different channels, you want to make sure that the software seamlessly integrates with those third-party systems.

For example, you could potentially manage conversations from your website and conversations from Facebook Messenger within the same live chat software. Your service reps can handle everything from a single dashboard, instead of switching screens and being forced to use different platforms. 

Automation

Automation is arguably the most crucial and desirable feature of live chat software. It speeds up service requests significantly, and it’s a cost-effective way to provide assistance 24/7/365.

Chatbots don’t take lunch breaks or sick days. They work nights, weekends, and holidays. So if a website visitor has a question at 2:00 AM on a Saturday, it can potentially be resolved with a self-service chatbot. 

For businesses with multiple departments, chatbots and live chat software can automatically route messages to the right representative. Questions about returns would be sent directly to a support rep, while questions about new products would be routed to a sales rep.

Extras and Bonus Features

Aside from the core live chat software tools, each software will offer additional features with different plans. Not all of these will be a deal-breaker, but it’s helpful to have if you’re going to take advantage of these offerings.

I’m referring to features like CRM integrations, chat history, custom widgets, admin monitoring, helpdesk features, HIPAA-compliance, calendar integrations, appointment scheduling, etc.

The Different Types of Live Chat Software

At its core, live chat software is essentially real-time messaging on a website between a visitor and brand representative from a chatbox on the corner of the page. But within this broad classification, live chat can be segmented into three main categories.

Chatbots

Chatbots use AI technology and automation to solve problems. In many cases, customer inquiries can be resolved without any human interaction if you add chatbots to your website. 

It’s also common for sites to use chatbots initially, before ultimately routing the conversation to a support representative. Chatbots can help qualify the visitor and ultimately get the inquiry resolved faster.

Chatbots typically won’t come standard with basic live chat software plans. These are usually offered as an add-on. Don’t let the price of chatbots scare you away from using them. Over the long-term, it’s much cheaper to use bots than paying for human labor. 

Live Chat For Sales

There are lots of great sales-specific live chat solutions out there. This type of live chat software will include built-in CRM tools (or integrate with the CRM you’re already using), lead qualification features, and customer engagement tools.

Your sales agents will have a much easier time closing leads if you’re leveraging live chat software built for sales. 

Customer Support Software

Live chat is a common component of helpdesk software. Lots of customer service software on the market will have features for things like ticket support and team collaboration, but the best ones will also include live chat. 

Not every live chat software is built specifically for customer support. So if this is the primary feature that you’re looking for, make sure you choose a solution with those helpdesk features and support tools. 

#1 – Zendesk Review — Best For Customer Engagement

Zendesk is a versatile live chat software trusted by 200,000+ businesses worldwide. They have solutions for sales, support, and customer engagement. 

One of the reasons why Zendesk ranks so high on my list is because of its simplicity. The software is easy to use, and you can deploy it within hours of signing up.

Zendesk is used by some big names and industry leaders, like Shopify, Slack, Uber, Venmo, and more. Here are some of the top reasons why I recommend it:

  • Reach out to customers with proactive engagement before they land on your site
  • Powerful analytics customer satisfaction, agent performance, and other KPIs
  • Omnichannel support with email, social, phone, and live chat
  • Self-service and knowledge base tools in 40+ languages
  • AI suggestions and machine learning from context clues

Zendesk Chat starts at $14 per agent per month. 

But I recommend the Zendesk Support Suite. This package comes with features for chat, support, messaging, and voice, starting at $89 per month. It’s also worth noting that Zendesk has a Sales Suite to consider as well. 

Try any Zendesk plan free for 30 days. 

#2 – JivoChat Review — Best Cross-Platform Live Chat Software

JivoChat is branded as an all-in-one business messaging solution. It allows you to communicate with customers via phone, email, social, and of course, live chat—all from a single platform.

It seamlessly integrates with popular tools and services that you’re already using, like Slack, Weebly, WordPress, Wix, Pipedrive, Zapier, Shopify, and more.

More than 284,000 websites worldwide rely on JivoChat for their live chat needs, making it one of the most popular solutions on the market today. Here’s a quick overview and explanation of why the software is so popular:

  • Compatible with Facebook, WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat, Telegram, Email, etc.
  • All customer communication is managed from a single window
  • The live chat widget works on every device, browser, and operating system
  • It’s customizable and has the ability to be translated into 20 different languages
  • Automatic proactive messages based on custom triggers
  • CRM integrations and visitor’s information (like location and click source)
  • Chat logs and reports between customers and agents

JivoChat offers unlimited chats and websites on every plan, including the free version.

The software and its basic features are free for your first five agents. Pricing starts at $13 per month per agent, which gives you access to all of JivoChat’s features. Try it free for 14 days.

#3 – Pure Chat Review — The Best Live Chat Features

Pure Chat is an excellent live chat solution for small and medium-sized teams. 

Compared to other solutions on the market today, Pure Chat is one of the most feature-rich live chat tools that you’ll come across. Even better, all of these features are included with every plan.

Let’s take a closer look at Pure Chat’s extensive feature list:

  • Unlimited chats
  • Advanced widget customization
  • Security roles (for admins, operators, power users)
  • Chat notifications
  • Canned responses
  • File transfers
  • Trigger-based actions
  • Real-time analytics and visitor tracking

There are two different Pure Chat plans for you to choose from—Growth and Pro. These start at $39 and $79 per month, respectively. The Growth plan comes with four users, and the Pro plan comes with ten. Additional users cost extra.

For most businesses, I’d recommend the Pro plan. It gives you the ability to remove Pure Chat’s branding from your widget, and you can use it on an unlimited number of websites.

Try either of these Pure Chat plans free for 30 days to access all of the features.

#4 – Intercom Review — The Best For Lead Qualifications

Intercom is branded as a “conversational relationship platform.” It’s a clever way to say it helps you build customer relationships through messaging and live chat.

The software is trusted by 30,000+ companies across the globe, including Microsoft, IBM, Udemy, and Sotheby’s.

What makes Intercom so great? Let’s take a closer look at the software highlights:

  • Boost site conversions with targeted messages, bots, and real-time chat
  • Onboard, activate, and re-engage customers with outbound communication
  • Proactive support tools and self-help features
  • Manage customer interactions across all channels from a single dashboard
  • 250+ integrations out-of-the-box and APIs for custom integrations

The software starts at $39 per month for basic live chat and outbound messaging features. 

To take advantage of automation and managing lead qualifications at scale, I recommend the Accelerate plan. It starts at $499 per month and includes ten seats. This comes with awesome features like custom bots, team inboxes, and more. 

Try Intercom for free with a 14-day trial.

#5 – LiveChat Review — The Most Versatile Live Chat Software

With a brand name like LiveChat, it’s no surprise to see this software rank so high on my list. This tool is trusted by 30,000+ businesses in over 150 countries, including names like PayPal, McDonald’s, Adobe, and Mercedes-Benz.

The software is used for online chat, multichannel support, lead generation, online surveys, in-app support, net promoter score, and more—making it one of the most versatile solutions on the market today.

Here’s a brief overview of the features, benefits, and noteworthy highlights of LiveChat:

  • Add product cards to live chat conversations
  • Use custom forms and AI chatbots to qualify your leads
  • Automatically track sales and KPIs to monitor the effectiveness
  • Automatic agent routing
  • Automatic ticket creation
  • Segment visitors based on their behavior on your site
  • 170+ integrations (Dropbox, BigCommerce, MailChimp, Shopify, Salesforce, etc.)

LiveChat is easy to use and set up as well. Plans start at $16 per agent per month, and you can try it free for 14 days; no credit card required. 

#6 – Acquire Review — Best Live Chat Software For Chatbots

Acquire isn’t the most popular live chat software on the market today. But it’s still trusted by large organizations like Lexus, Audi, the US Air Force, Discover, and more. It’s an all-in-one solution for omnichannel support, knowledge base, video chat, VoIP phone, and more.

For those of you looking to add the most advanced chatbots to your website, Acquire is my top recommendation.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes Acquire stand out from the crowd:

  • Automate routine questions with AI chatbots
  • Sync your knowledge base articles with chatbots
  • Route chats to human agents when bots can’t provide a solution
  • No coding needed or developers required to deploy bots
  • Manage all email, social, live chat, and other channels from a single inbox
  • Team collaboration tools
  • Co-browsing software for troubleshooting with on-page markups
  • Video chat with customers

Another reason why I like Acquire is because the company provides exceptional customer support. It’s a growing brand, but their team is still available to accommodate your needs, 24/7.

Pricing is not available online. Contact the Acquire sales team for more information.

#7 – Smartsupp Review — Best For Monitoring Visitor Behavior

Smartsupp is another live chat software with omnichannel capabilities. The solution is used by over 425,000 websites.

It’s a great way to increase customer loyalty, drive conversions, and improve engagement with live chat and bots.

Smartsupp has one of the most unique features of all live chat software on the market today. It has built-in video recordings that give your agents a deeper understanding of how each visitor is moving around on your site. This gives you agents the ability to discover where people are getting lost, so they can provide better support. 

You’ll also benefit from top features like:

  • Out-of-the-box integrations and APIs
  • Analytics and customer satisfaction ratings
  • Create personalized automated messages with smart rules
  • Communicate with customers while on the go from Smartsupp’s mobile app
  • Web dashboard with analytics about customers
  • Customize the look and colors of chat box
  • Add personalized photos to support agent names in the chat widget

For smaller websites with basic needs, Smartsupp is free forever for your first three agents. Paid plans start at $10 per month. 

You can try Smartsupp today by creating a free account. 

Summary

There are lots of great live chat solutions available. But the seven recommended in this guide are definitely my favorite.

Which one is the best option for your website?

Be sure to follow the methodology I outlined earlier in this guide. This will make it much easier for you to narrow down your options. 

The post Best Live Chat Software appeared first on Neil Patel.

The 5 Best Reputation Management Companies of 2020

Researchers at Womply analyzed 200,000 small businesses in every state, looking at a few dozen industries.  They found that businesses with more than 82 total reviews earn 54 percent more money. It isn’t just about getting reviews either. Businesses achieved moderate to large jumps in revenue from the simplest tasks. Claim your profile on at …

The post The 5 Best Reputation Management Companies of 2020 first appeared on Online Web Store Site.

Best Video Conferencing Software

Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.

Video conferencing software has exploded in popularity over the last year. With people working from home and remote work becoming the new normal, businesses rely on video conferencing services to communicate. 

But not all video conferencing software is the same.

The tools you use to video chat with your friends and family across the across aren’t necessarily the best business communication options.

Which video conferencing software is the best for you? I’ll break down my top picks in greater detail below. 

The Top 6 Options For Video Conferencing Software

  1. BlueJeans
  2. Cisco Webex
  3. Lifesize
  4. Whereby
  5. RingCentral
  6. GlobalMeet by PGI

How to Choose the Best Video Conferencing For You

As you’re shopping around and evaluating different options, there are certain criteria that must be taken into consideration. Keep these factors in mind to ease the buying process and narrow down the best video conferencing software for your business. 

Call Size

The first thing you need to consider is the call restriction limitations. How many people can be part of the video conference?

Entry-level plans might restrict you to 25 or 50 callers while the highest tiers can be 10,000+. 

If you’re running a small business or just need to occasionally meet with a small team, you probably won’t run into problems with restrictions. But for those of you who plan to give presentations to your entire enterprise-size organization, a large call size capability will be a top priority. 

Simultaneous Video Streams

Even if you get a plan with a large call size, it doesn’t mean that everyone on the call will be able to stream their webcam simultaneously. 

Let’s say you have 500 people attending a video conference; there won’t be 500 videos on the screen. You might be limited to just 10 or 20 streamers. The rest will be view-only. 

Video Quality

There’s nothing worse than being on a video conference with a poor stream. It can really distract from the purpose of the conference. Everyone is worried about disconnecting and then reconnecting, hoping that fixes the issue, which wastes valuable time.

Each participant’s individual Internet connection will obviously impact the quality as well. However, some software is definitely better than others in this category.

The best way to determine the video quality of the software is by experimenting with free trials and reading reviews from current customers. 

Team Collaboration Features

If you’re using video conferencing software for work, it’s useful to have an all-in-one collaboration solution. 

I tend to look for features like file sharing, cloud storage, screen sharing, presentation mode, and integrated live chat. You should also look for features that integrate with tools you’re already using for CRM, site analytics, or whatever else your team is working on. 

Now everyone can collaborate from a single platform, instead of bouncing back and forth between different software while on a video conference call.

Industry and Specific Use Cases

What exactly do you need video conferencing software for?

There are plenty of general-purpose solutions out there. But in some instances, certain software is geared towards purposes like remote work or international calls. There are even industry-specific tools for healthcare or education. 

So if you fall into one of those categories, make sure you choose a software that accommodates your unique needs. 

The Different Types of Video Conferencing Software

As previously mentioned, not all video conferencing software is the same. I’ll quickly name and explain the most popular options, so you have a better understanding of what to expect as you’re shopping around. 

Cloud Video Conferencing Software

Cloud software or browser-based video conferencing software is extremely flexible. Participants can join a call from anywhere, simply by logging in through a web browser. 

This software is supported by open WebRTC (real-time communications) standards. 

If you’re going to have conference calls with participants outside of your organization, then you’ll definitely want a cloud solution. Then you can invite people to join with a URL link, and they won’t have to download any software. 

For example, let’s say you have a sales team that uses video conferencing to communicate with prospects. Forcing those potential customers to download software would add friction and confusion to the sales process. 

Desktop Applications

Desktop apps are commonly used for in-house video conferencing. The best video conferencing software will support all major operating systems. 

Call quality and features are usually enhanced with a desktop app. For example, you might not be able to share your screen on a cloud version of a software, but you’d access that feature by downloading the desktop app. 

Mobile Video Conferencing

Mobile video conferencing is crucial for people who need to join calls on the go. Busy professionals can’t always be tied to a desktop or laptop computer. But this type of software allows people to participate from smartphones and tablets.

If you’re using cloud software, you can usually join from a web browser on your mobile device. However, the experience is definitely enhanced by downloading the mobile application from your video conferencing provider. 

Nearly all of the best video conferencing software on the market today will have some mobile conferencing features. 

Meeting Room Systems

Some businesses require a complete meeting room system for video conferences. These solutions require additional hardware, like external cameras, microphones, speakers, and more. 

A meeting room system is typically designed for physical conference rooms. If you’re having a video conference call in an executive board room with a dozen people present, a laptop at the end of the table isn’t going to cut it. 

These really aren’t necessary for home offices or remote work. They’re designed for large spaces and large groups in a single location. 

#1 – BlueJeans — Best For Remote Work

BlueJeans has a wide range of video conferencing options for businesses of all sizes. It’s trusted by global brands like ADP, Facebook, Zillow, Intuit, and National Geographic. 

For small and large businesses alike, BlueJeans can help your organization and employees communicate by providing them with the right tools for remote work.

Depending on your needs, there are actually four different BlueJeans video conferencing products for you to choose from. Here’s a quick explanation of each one:

  • BlueJeans Meetings — Video, audio, and web conferences from any device
  • BlueJeans Rooms — Single-touch audio and video conference rooms
  • BlueJeans Events — Host and stream interactive events for large audiences
  • BlueJeans Gateway — Access Microsoft Teams calls from any meeting room system

BlueJeans was recently acquired by Verizon, so the video call quality is exceptional. You’ll also benefit from features like enterprise-grade security, meeting transcriptions, automated alerts, meeting management tools, analytics, and more. 

Pricing starts at $9.99 per host per month.

The entry-level plan comes with unlimited 1:1 meetings, unlimited group meetings, unlimited meeting lengths, and five hours of recording. You can host video conferences with up to 50 participants on this plan as well. 

Try it free for 7 days.

#2 – Cisco Webex Review — Best For Healthcare

Cisco has been an industry leader in the telecommunications space for 35+ years. So it should come as no surprise to see Cisco Webex rank so high this list. 

In addition to basic video conferencing, Cisco has tools for contact centers, online meetings, cloud calling, online training, team collaboration, and more. But what really stands out is the industry-specific solutions offered from Webex, including video conferencing for healthcare.

As more and more medical practices make the transition to telehealth, Cisco Webex has been growing in popularity. It’s a top solution for practices that need to meet with patients online, make administrative calls, collaborate with care teams, and healthcare IT teams. 

From virtual consultations to training and security, Webex has everything healthcare organizations need for video conferencing. 

Here are some of the highlights of using Cisco Webex:

  • End-to-end security with strong encryption
  • High-quality video and audio calling
  • Virtual training capabilities with recording and on-demand viewing
  • Share your entire screen or just share a single app or document
  • AI powered web assistant
  • Integrations with tools like Slack, G Suite, Salesforce, and more
  • Compatible on web, desktop, mobile, and video systems

For anyone that prioritizes quality and security, Cisco Webex will be a top choice for you to consider. 

Plans start at $13.50 per host per month. Sign up for free to try it out; no credit card required.

#3 – Lifesize Review — The Best Zoom Alternative

Zoom has quickly become a household name over the past year or so. But it’s not for everyone, and lots of businesses are looking elsewhere for a video conferencing solution. 

If you’re searching for a similar setup and feature list, Lifesize will be your best option. 

Lifesize is a cloud video conferencing solution and team collaboration platform that’s compatible with any device. You can use the software to meet with co-workers, clients, employees, and anyone else, from anywhere.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits and highlights of Lifesize:

  • Ultra-high definition and 4k screen sharing
  • Unlimited guest invitations to meetings
  • Large meetings with up to 500 participants
  • Broadcast live events with up to 10,000 viewers
  • Manage users and room settings from a web-based admin console
  • High encryption standards for robust security
  • Interoperability with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and more

For those of you who need a complete meeting room system, Lifesize has all-in-one conferencing solutions with hardware as well. 

Lifesize is free for up to 10 participants with unlimited meetings. The entry-level plan starts at $12.50 per host per month. This plan comes with SSO support and allows you to host meetings with up to 100 participants. 

#4 – Whereby Review — The Best Simple Video Conferencing Software

Whereby is arguably the simplest video conferencing solution on the market today. There’s no app installation required. Just choose a personalized meeting URL, and participants can access the same link every time.

The software was actually built in Norway, and it’s a popular choice for Europeans. So it’s GDPR compliant and follows some of the strictest data protection and privacy laws globally.

Here’s a quick overview of the features and benefits you’ll get by using Whereby for video conferencing:

  • Live chat and reactions during video calls without interrupting the speaker
  • Rooms are locked by default, so admins can choose who to let in
  • Fit up to 50 participants in a room at the same time
  • Host has control to mute members and end the meeting for everyone
  • Participants can open other tabs and explore websites during a meeting
  • Add company branding and logos to your meeting rooms
  • Integrations with Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar
  • Record meetings that you can download and share
  • YouTube integration for watching videos during a meeting
  • Screen sharing, Google Docs integration, and mobile support

Again, even with all of these great features, Whereby is as simple as it gets. It’s easy for anyone to use and figure out, regardless of their technical skill level.

There’s a free forever plan for personal use that can host small meetings with up to four participants. Paid plans start at just $9.99 per month. 

#5 – RingCentral Review — Best All-in-One Communication Suite

If your business needs more than just video conferencing, look no further than RingCentral. Unlike other software options that accommodate personal use, RingCentral is built specifically for businesses.

They offer an all-in-one communication suite for integrated video meetings, phone calls, team messaging, file sharing, and task management.

The software is trusted by 400,000+ organizations across the globe, making it one of the most popular video conferencing solutions on the market today. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the features, benefits, and highlights of RingCentral:

  • Enterprise-grade security and a 99.999% uptime SLA
  • Easy to set up, deploy, add new users, and manage teams
  • Works from any device
  • Solutions for small businesses, enterprises, and everything in between
  • Tools for remote work and remote customer service
  • Cloud phone systems and contact centers
  • Solutions for managed service providers

RingCentral even has industry-specific solutions in categories like education, healthcare, retail, financial services, high tech, contact tracing, and more. 

Plans start at $19.99 per user per month. You can try RingCentral for free with a 15-day trial. 

#6 – GlobalMeet by PGI Review — Best For International Video Conferencing

GlobalMeet is another popular business communications platform. As the name implies, the software is built to accommodate international calls. 

They have 160+ points of presence in over 60 different countries. This allows for exceptional call quality, even with participants streaming video calls from different continents. 

Here are some other top reasons why I like and recommend GlobalMeet:

  • They offer hardware solutions for complete video room integrations
  • Join calls on the go through the mobile app
  • Record your meetings and play them any time with cloud recording capability
  • Single-click to join video calls from an intuitive user interface
  • High definition video with simultaneous screen sharing functionality
  • 24/7 customer support via live chat, phone, and email in 12 languages

For organizations with an international presence, whether it be internally or with clients, GlobalMeet by PGI is the clear winner.

There’s a free plan for basic use, and paid plans start at $12 per user per month. 

Summary

What’s the best video conferencing software?

With so many options to consider, naming just one as my top pick isn’t very practical. It all depends on what you’re looking for. 

Regardless of your business size, industry, or video conferencing needs, you can find what you’re looking for using my methodology and recommendations listed in this guide. 

The post Best Video Conferencing Software appeared first on Neil Patel.

The 3 Best Analytics Companies of 2020

You likely already know how important creativity is when it comes to digital marketing.

However, coming up with great ideas – be that through content or ads – is only part of the story when it comes to driving results online. 

Another significant factor that will amplify your marketing efforts is the collection and leveraging of data.

In other words, to truly succeed with your digital marketing campaigns, you must utilize the best of the machine and human worlds. 

But perhaps you’re not a data kind of person, which is where hiring an analytics company comes into play – an option you may already be considering. 

Before you make this important decision, equip yourself with the information we’ve outlined in this article so that you can make the best choice for your needs. 

The 6 Characteristics That Make a Great Analytics Company 

When choosing the right analytics company to work with, there are certain characteristics you need to take into consideration. 

Not all agencies are built the same. It is safe to assume that most companies put their best foot forward for their clients, but there will always be variance in terms of what results you will get from each one. 

Consider the following factors.

They offer a full suite of marketing services 

You may already have your marketing strategy under control and may only need help to understand and leverage your data. 

But how can a company help you leverage your data if they have no experience in what the data should be used for? 

The point of data and analytics is to improve your decision making and inform your strategy. So, if you’re working with an agency to help you do so, they need to have some actual marketing chops. 

Make sure that the agency you want to work with offers other services besides analytics. This is a good indicator that the insights they produce from your data will actually mean something. 

They have a strong technology stack

It goes without saying, but if a company is promising to help you leverage data (technology), they will likely have the technology to do so. 

At the very minimum, your analytics partner should have their own proprietary platform that will be used as the central point for your data. 

But in the best case, the partners will leverage more advanced technologies, such as machine learning, that can help make better sense of the vast amount of data that you will have.

You will find that the best insights from your data come after the raw data is analyzed by a machine, and then made sense of by a human. 

The quality of that initial analysis, however, will depend on the quality of the technology that your agency partner has built. 

They have an all-star team 

Making sense of your marketing data is no easy task. It requires breadth and depth of skills as well as experience, all working together in a harmonious way. 

Make sure you check out the team on the about page and on LinkedIn, taking into consideration these factors:

  • Skills diversity – Making sense of data requires a symbiosis between the human and machine side of business. A good agency will have social scientists (or marketing experts), data scientists, and statisticians. 
  • Years of experience – How long has the team been operating? What are their backgrounds? The more industries and businesses they’ve seen, the higher the chance their insights will be valuable. 
  • Founders – The founders set the tone for the culture of the company. Try to find information on the background of the founder to get a better understanding of how they conduct their operations.

They have a strong roster of clients

One of the most objective ways to evaluate a company is to take a look at the clients they’ve worked with – and, most importantly, what results they’ve gotten for them.

Keep these things in mind:

  • Similar clients – If an agency mostly works with Fortune 100 clients and you’re a small startup, they probably won’t be a good fit. They likely will have their processes and expertise optimized for analyzing data at scale. 
  • Transparent results – Can the analytics agency demonstrate the results they’ve gotten in the past? 
  •  Experience with your channels – It’s no use to you if the analytics company you want to work with specializes in advertising analytics and you have a content-focused strategy. Check to see if they have demonstratable results and insights into your specific channels. 

They have a great communication style

If you’re a marketing leader or business owner, chances are you aren’t well trained in understanding and interpreting data. 

In this case, the analytics company you work with has to be able to make sense of your data and also deliver it in a way that you can actually use. 

To get an idea of this, take a look at how the company communicates with its audiences.

  • Blog posts – Is the agency creating content and educating their customers? Do they do so in a clear and simple, yet value-driven way?
  • Visualizations – Does the agency value data visualizations? Do they have any examples of how they visualize data in a user-friendly way?

They take a holistic approach to analytics

It is likely your business has a lot of data to work with. Oftentimes, insights come from unlikely places, such as comparisons between seemingly unrelated data sets. 

To get the most out of your data, your analytics agency will need to map out and architect your entire data ecosystem.

They will need to consider aspects of your business such as:

  • Customer profiles – Your customers will have data points in common, such as demographic information, which can then be used to inform PPC targeting, for instance. 
  • Marketing channels – Each marketing channel has its own set of data to be analyzed. Social media, for instance, has metrics such as engagement and likes, whereas email marketing focuses more on open rates and click-throughs. 
  • Website analytics – Your website will have metrics that can inform on everything from design to marketing. Data points such as website dwell time, page conversions, and heat map analytics come into play here. 

What To Expect From a Great Analytics Company

Each analytics company has their own unique process when working with clients.

The best analytics companies, however, will ensure their process is tailored to your specific needs.

They will also go to great lengths to ensure that you are kept in the loop as much as possible.  

Here’s what you can expect when working with a great analytics company. 

Onboarding and integration

At the beginning of your working relationship, your analytics partner should guide you through an onboarding process. 

Great onboarding sets the stage for future success, as it creates a solid foundation for your working relationship. 

  • Manage expectations – Both you and your analytics partner should clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of your relationship at the offset. Make sure you flesh out all the details, such as communication hours.
  • Integrations and set up – Depending on your marketing channels, there may be different assets your analytics partner may need to access, such as your Facebook Pixel. You will also need to be onboarded to their analytics platform.
  • Goal setting – If you haven’t already, you should have a strategy call with your partner and decide on a strategy and timeline for results. 

Auditing of processes and assets 

Before you start moving forward, the first thing your analytics partner should do is conduct an audit of your existing processes and data assets. 

Depending on your company stage, it is likely that you already have existing data that could serve as a starting point. 

  • Existing data across all channels – Your analytics agency partner will consolidate all of your data across all channels, bringing them into a single platform. 
  • Setting up tracking – In some instances, you may not have been tracking certain things. For instance, if you did not have Google Analytics installed on your site, your partner will help you set this up.
  • Problem solving – You may have attempted to leverage data and analytics before with limited effect. This could have occurred through your own means or another partner. A complete analysis of your previous attempts would need to be conducted to figure out what went wrong and how to get better results in the future.

Setting up marketing channels 

The best analytics company will be able to offer you additional marketing services such as PPC, content and SEO. 

The reason for this is simple: to better understand how to interpret the data and inform your strategy, your agency needs to have actual experience executing a marketing strategy. 

Elements of your marketing strategy that your analytics partner should help on include:

  • PPC – Performance advertising, such as Google or Facebook ads, requires a combination of analytics and creativity. Your partner will help you come up with winning ad ideas that are rooted in data. 
  • SEO – Analyzing the best keywords to target, as well as writing great pieces of content to rank in search engines, similarly reflects the importance of a holistic analytics partner. 

Data management and reporting 

Once your marketing campaigns are in full swing – and the appropriate tracking tools are in place – the fun part begins.

Now is the time to take a look at all the data you have been collecting.

If your agency partner is worth their salt, you should be looking at this data through their own proprietary software.

How this data is organized, analyzed and communicated is where you will really begin to see the difference in quality between different analytic agencies. 

  • Dashboard – When logging into your partner’s platform, you should be able to organize and navigate the different data sets for your marketing channels. 
  • Analysis – Depending on the technology used, you may be able to get instant insight into what your data means, or even compare it to other data sets in your industry.
  • Visualization – A powerful way to understand data is when it is visualized. Charts, graphs and potentially even custom infographics should be provided by your partner. 

Actionable Insights and Results 

However, collecting raw data isn’t enough. 

You need to make sense of that data so that it becomes useful.

Although your analytics partner may have sophisticated number-crunching technologies, there is still a need for a human to look over everything and create real insights.

At the end-stage of the process, your analytics partner will need to communicate to you the real meaning behind the numbers. 

  • Storytelling – Together, you will need to figure out what the data is really telling you. It is easy to point out that one advert is performing better than the other, but why? How do you find the logic behind the data?
  • Strategy – Once you really understand the data, you will need to turn those insights into a strategy. You may realize, for instance, that your entire approach has been wrong, or that there is an opportunity for a new product offering.
  • Execution –  Finally, you need to put your new data-driven strategy into action – either through your own team or with the help of your analytics partner.

The Top 3 Analytics Companies in The World 

With so many service providers to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow them down and finally choose one to go with. 

We’ve broken down the criteria that makes a great analytics company and combed through dozens of companies to find the best agencies today.

Each have their strengths and weaknesses, but regardless of whoever you choose to work with, you will be in good hands. 

#1 NP Digital – The Best for Marketing Execution

NP Digital is a marketing and analytics company founded by Neil Patel, and it is arguably the most recognizable and influential figure in the digital marketing space. 

The company was founded in 2017 and has over 44,000 followers on LinkedIn and over 100 employees. NP digital offers a full range of digital marketing services in addition to analytics.

Here’s what makes NP Digital one of the best analytic companies in 2020:

  • Founder expertise – Neil Patel is a rockstar in the digital marketing world, having started out in the space in 2001 as a teenager. The agency he founded has his fingerprints all over it, which means that you will be working with world class marketers and analysts. 
  • Marketing execution – NP Digital doesn’t just help you make sense of your data. They offer a complete suite of marketing services, from PPC to SEO. As digital marketing is the foundation of their operations, you can expect great results when combined with their analytics services. 
  • Great case studies – NP Digital often receives great reviews and has retained big clients as proof of their success. One client, for instance, has said that “NP Digital is one of the few consultant companies worth their fee”.
  • Press coverage – Neil Patel himself has been recognized by Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and the United Nations as one of the most influential marketers of our generation.
  • Education – NP Digital regularly produces educational content about all things digital marketing. This carries over to their customer relationships, where they position themselves as a teacher as opposed to just a partner.

Who should work with NP Digital?

If you need help with marketing execution in addition to data analytics, then you can’t go wrong with Neil Patel Digital. 

The company was founded by one of the most reputable figures in the digital marketing world, so when you work with his agency, you’re tapping into his years of insight.

There is, of course, a cost to this, however, so Neil Patel Digital is best suited for clients with a larger marketing budget.

Some of their clients include companies such as Viacom, Facebook and even Google.

So, if you head up a marketing team at a large organization and need an end to end marketing and analytics partner, look into Neil Patel Digital.

#2 Artefact – The Best for Technology

Artefact describes themselves as “marketing engineers” and puts particular emphasis on the technology behind digital marketing. 

In line with this identity, they have gone on to build a powerful suite of technologies, which they use to help their clients transform their data into business value. 

Artefact’s works across the entire organization to leverage data, tapping into the entire value chain of operations, IT, and marketing. 

Here’s what makes Artefact one of the best analytic companies in 2020:

  • Technology stack – Artefact utilizes some of the latest advances in AI and machine learning to create custom algorithms that help businesses accelerate data transformation and optimize their business processes. Known as their “AI Factory”, Artefact also works with cloud service providers like Azure to ensure they have a robust infrastructure. 
  • Big, diverse team – Artefact lists over 1000 employees on LinkedIn, which are composed of data scientists, software engineers, and business consultants. This allows Artefact to solve a wide range of needs across different industries. 
  • Solid case studies – Artefact has worked with clients such as FMCG to improve their digital processes. In this particular case, they received an “extremely positive response from [the] client, internal stakeholders, Amazon and even the industry and other vendors on Amazon NL”. 

Who should work with Artefact:

If you are a part of a large organization that is undergoing a digital transformation, then you should strongly consider Artefact. 

The approach and technologies that Artefact uses are also beneficial for organizations that have a lot of data that needs to be optimized across the board. 

For instance, companies that need to optimize their manufacturing processes or who need to react to market information. 

#3 Adverity – The Best for Small Businesses

In some cases, you may not want to work with an agency partner. Particularly for small businesses that don’t have large marketing budgets, analytics software can bridge the divide.

Adverity is a platform that allows you to collect all your marketing data into a single place. Their analytics tools allow you to break down silos in your organization and uncover new insights so that you can improve your decision making.

Although the Adverity team will help onboard you onto their platform, you won’t get the tailored and guided expertise that you would get from an agency such as NP Digital. 

Here’s what makes Adverity one of the best analytic companies in 2020:

  • Cost – If you want to delve into the world of analytics but don’t have a significant budget, Adverity will have you covered (to an extent). Their pricing works on a custom quote which is influenced by your industry, the size of your business, and what data sources you want to tap into. Keep in mind however that you won’t be getting the expert guidance of an agency partner like NP Digital or Artefact.
  • Holistic data analysis – Adverity has one of the largest data connector libraries on the market. You will be able to connect all of your data sources including your CRM, backend database, website analytics, and advertising. They’re always adding new integrations, so if you have a specific need they may be able to customize that for you.
  • Great reviews – On the software review platform G2, Adverity currently has a 4.5/5 star rating, with over 100 reviews. The reviews reflect a variety of businesses and use cases – from marketing agencies to political scientists. One of the most common aspects that reviewers noted is how great the connectivity of the platform is. 

Who should work with Adverity:

Adverity is best suited to small and medium-sized businesses who may not have the budget to work closely with an analytics partner. 

Keep in mind that as you will not have expert guidance, your marketing team will have to figure out how to make sense of all of your data, which is no easy task. 

Conclusion

If you leverage the research we’ve done for you in this article, you won’t have much trouble finding the right analytics company to work with. 

Regardless of your choice, remember that the goal of analytics is to inform your marketing strategy.

But data alone won’t guarantee that your digital marketing strategy will be successful. It must always be paired with creative ideas and rigorous execution. 

To ensure you can’t go wrong when picking an analytics partner, always keep the end goal of increasing conversions in mind.

The post The 3 Best Analytics Companies of 2020 appeared first on Neil Patel.

Best Applicant Tracking Software

Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.

Here’s a business cliche for you: Employees are the greatest asset for every company.

Precisely why recruitment is so challenging for HRs or recruiters. The process is quite elaborate and comprises several steps ranging from job posting to managing and streamlining applications.

Let’s talk statistics:

A corporate job post receives 250 resumes on an average. And even after that, 45% of employers say that they can’t find candidates with the skills they need.

With the high influx of CVs, it’s crucial for HR specialists to raise their efficiency levels, which brings us to our next stat – recruiters only take six seconds to evaluate the candidate’s resume.

Now, six seconds isn’t necessarily enough for recruiters to make the right decision every time, especially because every business has unique needs when it comes to recruitment.

At the same time, technology is changing how we did things manually, which is why we now have a tool dedicated to automating the process of recruitment and hiring. 

An applicant tracking software, also known as ATS software, can help businesses reach a wider pool of qualified applicants as well as manage data from various sources – all at a single platform. 

This software is used by departments and hiring managers to carry out internal hiring. Even third parties, such as recruitment and staffing agencies, use an ATS.

According to research:

  • 86% of recruiting professionals agree that using ATS software has accelerated their hiring process
  • 78% of recruiting professionals found that using ATS software has given them access to higher qualified candidates

So adding top-level talent doesn’t have to be time-consuming and troubling anymore.

In this guide, we’ll review the best applicant tracking software on the market that can help a company employ the most suitable candidate for the job with minimal efforts.

The Top 5 Options For Applicant Tracking Software

  1. BambooHR – Anchor Link to Subhead Below
  2. Bullhorn – Anchor Link to Subhead Below
  3. SAP SuccessFactors– Anchor Link to Subhead Below
  4. Workable – Anchor Link to Subhead Below
  5. JazzHR – Anchor Link to Subhead Below

How to Choose the Best Applicant Tracking Software for Your Needs

Every business has unique recruiting and applicant tracking requirements, depending on specific factors like size, niche, and so on.

It also means that no ATS software offers an a-one-size-fits-all solution.

There are a few pointers that can help you determine the best applicant tracking software for your needs, though. Read on as we discuss them in greater detail below.

ATS Software Type

Every ATS software has been conceived to cater to a specific set of needs.

You see, while some software is designed to handle higher volume recruiting, which is typically carried out by enterprises, some are created to help small businesses specifically. 

Similarly, you’ll also find software focused on satisfying the needs of staffing and recruitment agencies.

We’ll do a more in-depth assessment of the different types of applicant tracking software later on in this article. (Anchor link to H2 below)

Hiring Frequency and Volume

A business that hires around 20 employees every year won’t have the same requirements as an enterprise that is hiring 20 employees every month. You need to figure out a software that meets your hiring frequency and volume.

Generally, ATS software has a maximum limit or restriction on how many active openings you can have at a time. Moreover, most of the brands offer additional features and tools to help businesses efficiently manage large-scale recruiting, which are understandably far more tricky to manage.

So how do you find software that is suitable for your company?

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • How frequently does your company hire new employees?
  • What is the average number of employees that you hire at once? Is the volume high or low?

These two questions will help you weed out software that doesn’t fit your needs instantly.

Feature List

Most ATS software offers add-on features to enhance the efficiency of your recruiting strategy. This can include candidate sourcing, applicant tracking, employee onboarding, recruiting analytics, and workforce planning.

Your aim should be to pick software that fulfills your recruiting needs in terms of efficiency and scalability. For instance, small businesses can opt for cloud-based ATS software that is more affordable and doesn’t require an on-site tech support team.

Contrarily, large-sized enterprises don’t need to go cloud-based since they have a higher budget and can afford an in-house support team to cater to their higher hiring frequency.

Budget

Every business has a budget for various processes. Whether its marketing or recruitment, teams have to operate within the constraints.

Try to find an applicant tracking software that fits within your budget while simultaneously helping you improve the efficiency within your organization.

The good news here is you have several options.

You‘ll find software that costs less than $0.50 per employee – provided you opt for an add-on to HR software – and also plans that have a monthly charge of $249.

What are the Different Types of Applicant Tracking Software?

Here, we’ll compare the different types of ATS.

Small Business vs. Midsize Business vs. Enterprise Business

Small business buyers are anywhere between 1-50 employees. Generally, this category doesn’t have a department dedicated to human resources and recruiting initiatives.

On the other hand, mid-size business buyers and enterprise business buyers have employees anywhere between the 51–500 and greater than 500 range, respectively. While the former is headed towards rapid growth, the latter is more developed. Besides that, mid-size businesses often seek to hire an internal recruiter, whereas enterprise business buyers already have a hiring team and a dedicated IT department.

The hiring frequency and volume for each of these businesses is obviously different.

Staffing agencies, for example, would do well with software plans that offer them sourcing, tracking, and hiring. For corporates, however, hiring may have to be customized further.

It’ll be better for larger companies to opt for plans that allow them to customize their career pages and employee referral portals, followed by pre-screening assessments, e-signature verification and background screening, and lastly, HRMS integration.

In-house Recruiting vs. Recruiting Agency

Some applicant tracking system software is created for in-house recruiting that allows them to enjoy higher personalization and automation. Other software focuses on servicing with recruiting agencies and firms with scalability for high-volume and white labeling for getting clients.

Although you’ll also find ATS software that offers capabilities for both the groups, it’s better to find one that’s right for your company.

All-In-On Option vs. Specialty Tools Availability

Different businesses will require different add-ons depending on their hiring process. While most ATS software does come with additional specialty tools like SEO, payroll, HR, and CRM, some don’t. 

SEO tools are useful for all businesses since these make job advertisements more successful. Not only will companies be able to build up wider reach, but they’ll also attract new candidates to their ‘Careers’ page.

Similarly, CRM capabilities are an essential component for inbound recruiting that allows companies to carry out long-term candidate tracking and build their talent pool.

Core Applicant Tracking vs. Full Recruiting Cycle Support

You’ll find two types of ATS products: one that focuses exclusively on tracking candidate’s application materials, and two, that provide support for other aspects of the recruitment life cycle.

You can also differentiate between the software based on feature lists. Interviews, document signing and management, note-taking, scheduling, and integration are some common differentiation points.

After carrying out extensive research and taking demos, we can confidently recommend the following five applicant tracking software to transform the way your company recruits and hires employees.

Keep reading as we discuss the features, benefits, and pricing of each software below:

#1: BambooHR – The Best Overall Applicant Tracking Software

BambooHR can provide the ultimate solution to your human resources department for handling the company’s recruiting and onboarding needs. While it may not be the cheapest option, you do get features that make the investment more than worth it.

The ATS system of BambooHR provides ideal solutions for small and mid-size businesses. It has a well-organized and visually appealing set of tools for handling application information throughout every stage of the hiring process. 

BambooHR allows you to post job positions on the go too. You’ll have access to top-level talent from the leading job boards and sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Indeed, and Twitter – all at your fingertips. The software has a hiring mobile app that is available for both Android and iOS.

Sending offer letters directly within the platform as well as collaborating with your team for recruiting, sending automated alerts, and so on is also possible.

Additionally, since BambooHR is a complete human resource management software, you‘ll be able to manage your new employees for their full duration with your company.

Prominent Features

  • User-friendly
  • Streamlined processes that are easy to learn, along with easy pre-boarding and onboarding facilities
  • Customizable email templates
  • Automated emailing system
  • Message scheduling to multiple candidates
  • Job boards and social media integration

Pricing

BambooHR offers two packages: Essentials and Advantage.

While both the packages are feature-rich, the ATS isn’t available with the Essentials plan. So if you want applicant tracking, you have to get the Advantage plan. Keep in mind that this software may not be the best solution for your company if you only want ATS.

Unfortunately, BambooHR doesn’t feature pricing on its website. In case you want a free quote, you‘ll have to contact them.

Pros

  • Impressive design
  • Easy to set up
  • Open API that allows simple integrations with HR tech vendors
  • Provides an all-in-one solution for HR departments

Cons

  • Pricey
  • ATS software isn’t available with the entry-level plan

#2: Bullhorn – The Best Applicant Tracking Software for Large Enterprises

Bullhorn is a powerful, easy-to-use applicant tracking system that helps you streamline all recruitments from a single interface that can either be a desktop, mobile device, or any internet browser. In fact, it’s a tailor-made solution for staffing businesses and traders.

The software allows you to keep track of candidates throughout the recruitment process, along with initiating team member collaboration.

You can use Bullhorn to fill jobs and automate the onboarding process. It offers 100+ pre-integrated solutions for customizing the software to accommodate specific needs. Even calculating bills for time tracking and invoicing are also possible.

All in all, you can manage clients as well as candidates with Bullhorn.

That being said, we would recommend this software for staffing and recruiting agencies only. 

Generally speaking, there are better options on the market for internal reporting, making Bullhorn a bit too much for in-house hiring managers and HR departments. Plus, the premium price may be too expensive for smaller businesses who have limited budgets.

Prominent Features

  • Automatic candidate tracking on the application system
  • Allows you to add new candidate resumes from job boards
  • Mobile recruiting software for viewing and managing candidate records
  • LinkedIn and email integration
  • Dashboard reporting
  • Facilitates addition of notes to records
  • Real-time updating of records
  • Reporting and management options to check the recruiting team’s progress

Pricing

Bullhorn offers three plans: Team, Corporate, and Enterprise.

The rates for Bullhorn plans aren’t available on the website. You’ll have to request a pricing quote to get more details.

Pros

  • Excellent user interface
  • Gmail and Outlook integration
  • Intuitive features like bowling alley layout for easy and efficient data input 
  • Unlimited customizations

Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Lacks iOS or Android mobile applications

#3: SAP SuccessFactors – The Best Cloud-Based Applicant Tracking Software

SAP SuccessFactors aims to provide all-inclusive ATS software to give companies wider access to top-level talent with minimal efforts. In fact, in terms of reliability, this software might be one of the best options available to you.

SuccessFactors has a plethora of support and features, such as comprehensive applicant management, onboarding portal, global talent sourcing, and candidate relationship management. You can also avail of performance metrics, employee engagement, and payroll management.

In other words, it’s a holistic, cloud-based HR management system that facilitates all processes of the recruiting cycle.

We particularly like how deeply insightful the software can be for talent acquisition thanks to its analytical reporting and progress tracking features.

Prominent Features

  • Centrally managed global job distribution and access
  • Effective and efficient candidates relationship management
  • E-signature solutions
  • Online offer letter and other documentation
  • Key insights into 4000 job boards, social media platforms, and campuses spanning across 80 countries
  • Responsive career site creation facility

Pricing

SAP SuccessFactors is available as SaaS through a monthly subscription based on the number of users. It‘s priced at $3 per user per month, but you can also avail of the HCM suite that costs $84.53 per user annually.

Pros

  • Comes with a great feature list for small to medium-sized businesses
  • Intuitive setup wizard
  • Provides descriptive video tutorials
  • Superb performance tracking features
  • Great option for fast-growing companies

Cons

  • Steeper price tag than its competitors
  • Doesn’t include add-ons offered by rivals

#4: Workable – The Best Applicant Tracking Software for Small and Midsize Businesses

Offering the best value for small and medium-sized businesses, Workable is an easy-to-use recruiting software solution. It’s a holistic tool that can be accessed on mobile devices as well as desktop.

You get a wide array of applicant tracking (AT) solutions, along with access to a large pool of premium job boards. Besides this, you can also customize the dashboard to boost the efficiency of your hiring process further.

Workable aims to help businesses of all sizes find, evaluate, and automate recruitment and hiring.

Companies can fill in their pipeline with one-click job postings on nearly 200 sites through AI-powered search. Moreover, team collaboration for applicant evaluation, gathering feedback, and automating manual tasks like scheduling interviews and getting approvals is also possible.

Workable also has various add-ons that can make your account more functional – provided you‘re ready to pay for them.

Basically, your company can stay on top of the entire recruiting process right from posting ads to onboarding employees. It’s also a good option for scalability since you can upgrade to an annual plan to get access to advanced features like one-click candidate sourcing and applicant tracking tools too.

Prominent Features

  • Data protection with access rights for hiring team
  • Confidentiality control
  • Organized reporting lines, with role assignment, job creation, and job posting
  • Productivity and activity report generation
  • One-click postings on multiple job boards
  • Interview scheduling with email-calendar synchronization
  • Offer letters and single sign-on (SSO)

Pricing

Workable has two pricing plans: Hire As Needed and Hire At Scale. While the Hire As Needed plan costs $99 per job, per month, the Hire At Scale plan doesn’t have clear pricing.

You can also take advantage of free demos and a 15-day free trial program to test the software before committing.

Pros

  • Easy-to-understand UI
  • Robust integration
  • Offers great email and interview templates
  • Well-organized

Cons

  • Not very customizable
  • Search across tabs needs to be improved
  • Inefficient support functionality

#5: JazzHR – The Best Applicant Tracking Software for Internal Hiring and Staffing Agencies

JazzHR can assure you seamless job requisition, interview scheduling, and other aspects of the hiring process. You can use this software for organizing and tracking all of your job openings, candidates, resumes, customers, and contacts.

This intuitive ATS tool can automate every manual process connected with hiring, allowing recruiters and HR managers to curate recruitment processes and source qualified candidates efficiently and quickly. No wonder it’s trusted by over 5000 organizations across the world!

JazzHR is an excellent option for staffing agencies and internal hiring. It has an unlimited user feature that allows businesses to bill on a per-user basis, which simultaneously eliminates any additional charges.

The software is also highly customizable. You can tailor-make a process to suit your team’s needs and preferences when it comes to recruitment and hiring.

Prominent Features

  • Efficient candidate sourcing, along with employer branding facility
  • Job posting and syndication
  • Collaborative hiring
  • Job-specific recruitment teams
  • Compliance management and reporting
  • Interview scheduling and other assessments
  • Job offers and e-signature solutions

Pricing

JazzHR has three plans on offer: Hero, Plus, and Pro.

At $39 per month, the Hero plan caps the maximum open jobs at three. While this might be suitable for small teams, it still doesn’t offer an applicant tracking system.

For ATS and other benefits like interviews and assessments, all-access support, and so on, we would recommend the Plus and Pro plans, which cost $219 and $329 per month, respectively,

You can also request a free demo and get a free trial for 21 days.

Pros

  • User-friendly and flexible
  • Job posting integration and job syndication
  • Auto-reject functions for unqualified candidates
  • Allows you to keep track of interview notes

Cons

  • Reporting feature needs to be improved
  • Lacks mobile app support

Wrapping Up

Finding the right talent is crucial – more so because employees serve as the foundation of an organization.

We hope you were able to find an ATS software that suits your companies recruitment and hiring needs from this guide.

Irrespective of your choice, an application applicant tracking software will help you select the best candidates from a talent pool of thousands of people in a surprisingly efficient manner. So, why wait? Get your ATS now.

The post Best Applicant Tracking Software appeared first on Neil Patel.

Check Out Our Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Review and Make Your Best Business Financing Decision Today

Will Our Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Review Help Satisfy Your Need for Business Funding? We Put It to the Test

Fundation Group LLC is one of many lending companies online. They provide term loans and lines of credit. Foundation confirmed the information we found about them online. We look at the specifics and drill down into the details. So check out our Fundation Group LLC recession funding review.

Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Review: Background

Fundation Group LLC is located online here: http://www.fundation.com/. Their physical address is located in Reston, VA. Plus you can call them at: (888) 390-0064. So their contact page is here: https://fundation.com/about/.

Their capital base has come from Goldman Sachs; Garrison Investment Group; and Midcap Financial, LLC.

Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Review: Term Loans

Funding as soon as one business day. Up to $500,000 is available; terms go up to 4 years. Payments are twice per month. No specific collateral is needed. They want a personal guarantee. Fundation will take out a UCC-1 blanket lien for most borrowers.

They do not seem to have a time in business requirement anymore. Fundation also does not seem to have an annual revenue or personal credit requirement anymore.

Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Review: Fees

Rates are risk-based; the higher the risk, the higher the rate.

Interest rates are not listed; they will be determined based on several factors. There are no prepayment fees.

Cost of Loans

Several factors are considered when Fundation decides on the cost of a loan. These factors include time in business and seasonality. They also include financial metrics. So these metrics include profit margin and amount of debt.

Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Review: Lines of Credit

Up to  $150,000 is available. The new balance after each draw is amortized in equal installments over 18 months. Payments are monthly. No specific collateral is needed. They want a personal guarantee. Fundation will take out a UCC-1 blanket lien for most borrowers.

They do not seem to have a time in business requirement anymore. Fundation also does not seem to have an annual revenue or personal credit requirement anymore.

Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Review: Fees

There are no prepayment fees. Just pay the outstanding balance plus accrued interest if you prepay
your loan or line of credit.

Keep your business protected with our professional business credit monitoring. It’s a worthwhile investment, saving you money even during a recession.

Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Review: Advantages

Advantages include no apparent time in business requirement. Their maximum loan amount is fairly high.

Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Review: Disadvantages

Disadvantages are they want personal guarantees for pretty much everything and will take out a UCC blanket lien.

A Fantastic Alternative – Establishing Business Credit

Business credit is credit in a small business’s name. It doesn’t attach to an owner’s individual credit, not even when the owner is a sole proprietor and the solitary employee of the small business.

As such, a business owner’s business and individual credit scores can be very different.

The Advantages

Because business credit is distinct from personal, it helps to protect a small business owner’s personal assets, in case of a lawsuit or business bankruptcy.

Also, with two distinct credit scores, a small business owner can get two different cards from the same merchant. This effectively doubles buying power.

Another benefit is that even startup ventures can do this. Visiting a bank for a business loan can be a formula for disappointment. But building small business credit, when done right, is a plan for success.

Personal credit scores depend upon payments but also other factors like credit utilization percentages.

But for small business credit, the scores actually only depend on whether a business pays its invoices punctually.

The Process

Establishing company credit is a process, and it does not occur without effort. A company has to actively work to establish company credit.

However, it can be done readily and quickly, and it is much quicker than establishing consumer credit scores.

Vendors are a big aspect of this process.

Performing the steps out of sequence will cause repetitive denials. Nobody can start at the top with small business credit. For example, you can’t start with retail or cash credit from your bank. If you do, you’ll get a rejection 100% of the time.

Business Fundability

A company must be fundable to credit issuers and vendors.

For that reason, a company will need a professional-looking web site and e-mail address. And it needs to have site hosting from a company like GoDaddy.

And, company phone and fax numbers must have a listing on ListYourself.net.

In addition, the company telephone number should be toll-free (800 exchange or the equivalent).

A small business will also need a bank account devoted strictly to it, and it needs to have all of the licenses essential for operation.

Licenses

These licenses all must be in the perfect, appropriate name of the company. And they must have the same business address and phone numbers.

So keep in mind, that this means not just state licenses, but potentially also city licenses.

Keep your business protected with our professional business credit monitoring. It’s a worthwhile investment, saving you money even during a recession.

Dealing with the Internal Revenue Service

Visit the IRS web site and acquire an EIN for the small business. They’re totally free. Select a business entity such as corporation, LLC, etc.

A company can get started as a sole proprietor. But they will most likely wish to switch to a kind of corporation or an LLC.

This is in order to minimize risk. And it will make best use of tax benefits.

A business entity will matter when it pertains to tax obligations and liability in case of litigation. A sole proprietorship means the business owner is it when it comes to liability and taxes. No one else is responsible.

Sole Proprietors Take Note

If you operate a company as a sole proprietor, then at least be sure to file for a DBA. This is ‘doing business as’ status.

If you do not, then your personal name is the same as the small business name. Therefore, you can end up being directly responsible for all small business debts.

Plus, according to the Internal Revenue Service, by having this arrangement there is a 1 in 7 probability of an IRS audit. There is a 1 in 50 probability for corporations! Prevent confusion and noticeably reduce the chances of an IRS audit at the same time.

Setting off the Business Credit Reporting Process

Begin at the D&B web site and obtain a totally free D-U-N-S number. A D-U-N-S number is how D&B gets a business into their system, to produce a PAYDEX score. If there is no D-U-N-S number, then there is no record and no PAYDEX score.

Once in D&B’s system, search Equifax and Experian’s websites for the company. You can do this at www.creditsuite.com/reports. If there is a record with them, check it for accuracy and completeness. If there are no records with them, go to the next step in the process.

By doing this, Experian and Equifax will have something to report on.

Vendor Credit

First you must build trade lines that report. This is also referred to as vendor credit. Then you’ll have an established credit profile, and you’ll get a business credit score.

And with an established business credit profile and score you can begin to get retail and cash credit.

These sorts of accounts have the tendency to be for the things bought all the time, like marketing materials, shipping boxes, outdoor work wear, ink and toner, and office furniture.

But first off, what is trade credit? These trade lines are credit issuers who will give you initial credit when you have none now. Terms are often Net 30, rather than revolving.

So, if you get approval for $1,000 in vendor credit and use all of it, you must pay that money back in a set term, such as within 30 days on a Net 30 account.

Keep your business protected with our professional business credit monitoring. It’s a worthwhile investment, saving you money even during a recession.

Retail Credit

Once there are 3 or more vendor trade accounts reporting to at least one of the CRAs, then move onto retail credit. These are companies like Office Depot and Staples.

Just use your SSN and date of birth on these applications for verification purposes. For credit checks and guarantees, use the business’s EIN on these credit applications.

Fleet Credit

Are there more accounts reporting? Then move to fleet credit. These are companies like BP and Conoco. Use this credit to buy fuel, and to fix and maintain vehicles. Just use your SSN and date of birth on these applications for verification purposes. For credit checks and guarantees, make sure to apply using the company’s EIN.

Cash Credit

Have you been sensibly handling the credit you’ve up to this point? Then progress to more universal cash credit. These are companies such as Visa and MasterCard. Just use your SSN and date of birth on these applications for verification purposes. For credit checks and guarantees, use your EIN instead.

These are frequently MasterCard credit cards. If you have more trade accounts reporting, then these are doable.

Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Credit SuiteMonitor Your Business Credit

Know what is happening with your credit. Make certain it is being reported and deal with any mistakes ASAP. Get in the practice of taking a look at credit reports. Dig into the particulars, not just the scores.

We can help you monitor business credit at Experian and D&B for 90% less.

Update Your Data

Update the details if there are inaccuracies or the details is incomplete.

Fix Your Business Credit

So, what’s all this monitoring for? It’s to contest any mistakes in your records. Mistakes in your credit report(s) can be corrected. But the CRAs normally want you to dispute in a particular way.

Disputes

Disputing credit report errors typically means you send a paper letter with duplicates of any proofs of payment with it. These are documents like receipts and cancelled checks. Never send the originals. Always send copies and retain the original copies.

Fixing credit report inaccuracies also means you precisely itemize any charges you contest. Make your dispute letter as understandable as possible. Be specific about the issues with your report. Use certified mail so that you will have proof that you sent in your dispute.

A Word about Building Business Credit

Always use credit responsibly! Don’t borrow beyond what you can pay off. Track balances and deadlines for repayments. Paying punctually and fully will do more to boost business credit scores than pretty much anything else.

Building business credit pays. Great business credit scores help a business get loans. Your credit issuer knows the business can pay its financial obligations. They know the company is bona fide.

The business’s EIN attaches to high scores and loan providers won’t feel the need to demand a personal guarantee.

Business credit is an asset which can help your business for years to come. Learn more here and get started toward growing company credit.

Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Review: Upshot

A company needing higher amounts will likely do better with Fundation. But there are negatives.

Entrepreneurs will find they have to give up a personal guarantee and, on top of that, have a UCC blanket lien held by Fundation. A company that fails and ends up going out of business could be particularly harsh for an entrepreneur – so companies which are unsure of the chances of their success would do well to seek out other types of funding, where they either hand over a personal guarantee or a UCC blanket lien but not both.

And finally, as with every other lending program, whether online or offline, always remember to read the fine print and do the math. Go over the details with a fine-toothed comb, and decide whether this option will be good for you and your company. In addition, consider alternative financing options that go beyond lending, including building business credit, in order to best decide how to get the money you need to help your business grow.

The post Check Out Our Fundation Group LLC Recession Funding Review and Make Your Best Business Financing Decision Today appeared first on Credit Suite.

Best Small Business Loans

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Unless you’re independently wealthy, most small business owners need a loan at one point or another. From paying for startup costs to expansion projects, equipment, or unexpected incidents, quick access to funding will make it easier for your company to grow. 

Whether you’re launching a brand new venture or own an established business, there are so many different small business lending options out there to consider. 

Which small business loan is best for you? This guide contains everything you need to know on the subject.

The Top 6 Options For Small Business Loans

  1. Fundbox
  2. Funding Circle
  3. Accion
  4. Lendio
  5. OnDeck
  6. Kiva

How to Choose the Best Small Business Loans For You

Small business loans come in all different shapes and sizes. So as you’re evaluating different options, there are specific considerations that must be examined. I’ll explain each one in greater detail below. 

Lender

When most people think about getting a loan, they automatically assume that a bank is their only option. But in addition to small local banks and national bank chains, there are lots of other lenders that can provide your small business with capital.

You can explore credit unions, crowdfunding sites, P2P lenders, loan marketplaces, nonprofit lenders, and even alternative lending solutions. 

The qualification requirements and loan terms will vary from lender to lender. 

Loan Type

Most lenders offer multiple types of loans for small business owners. Some common small business loan types include SBA loans, lines of credit, installment loans, short term loans, equipment loans, commercial real estate loans, and merchant cash advances. 

In some cases, you’ll need to provide the lender with more information about what you’ll be doing with the funds. For example, an equipment loan couldn’t be used to purchase inventory, and a commercial real estate loan couldn’t be used to buy a new vehicle. 

Lines of credit are great options to have since they can be used for lots of different purposes. We’ll talk more about these different loan types in greater detail shortly. 

Capital Required

The loan amount you’re seeking also needs to be taken into consideration. There’s a big difference between $5,000, $50,000, and $5 million. 

Certain lenders are better for microloans and small amounts, while others are known for lending large sums of cash. 

Take a look at the minimum and maximum amounts available before you apply for a loan. Generally speaking, you shouldn’t apply for more than you need (unless it’s a line of credit). Otherwise, you’ll have higher interest payments. 

Minimum Qualifications

In most cases, you won’t qualify for every type of loan. So pay close attention to these terms before you apply, or you’ll just be wasting your time (and potentially hurt your credit).

Some lenders will only loan money to companies that have been in business for a certain number of years. There are also some cash flow requirements, annual revenue requirements, and business owner credit score requirements for certain loans.

Loan Terms

The loan terms are crucial when you’re evaluating different options. How soon will you need to pay the money back? What interest rates will you be paying?

Make sure you look beyond the dollar amount and take a deeper look at the terms.

Businesses with bad credit won’t have access to the lowest interest rates and loan terms. So you’ll definitely want to shop around until you’re comfortable with the options presented to you. 

The Different Types of Small Business Loans

There are tons of different small business loans out there. But I want to quickly highlight the most popular options to give you a better understanding of how they work.

SBA Loan

SBA loans are backed by the Small Business Administration. This federal agency helps businesses gain access to better funding resources. 

These loan amounts typically range from $50,000 to $5 million with terms from 10-25 years. 

SBA loans usually have great rates (since the SBA reduces the lender’s risk), but they can be tough to qualify for. The process to apply and get approved for an SBA loan can be slow. 

Business Line of Credit

Lines of credit are great for those of you who need flexibility. Instead of receiving a lump sum of cash, you can borrow up to your credit amount as needed. 

Business lines of credit can range anywhere from $1,000 up to $500,000. 

It’s usually easy to qualify for a line of credit if you’ve been in business for more than a year and have $50,000+ in annual revenue. Interest rates vary based on the lender, your credit score, and other qualification terms. But you’ll only pay interest on the amount you borrow on the revolving line. 

Term Loan

Term loans are funded quickly. In some instances, you can receive cash within 24 hours of getting approved. It’s common for term loans to be used for working capital, equipment, operations, and more. 

Some of these loans are short term and must be paid back as early as 12-24 weeks. Others have repayment terms in the 1-5 year range.

Term loans typically have fixed interest rates or flat fees, so your payments won’t increase throughout the lifetime of the loan. 

Merchant Cash Advance

With a merchant cash advance program, small businesses can borrow against future earrings to secure capital. These loans are repaid with a daily percentage of your credit card sales, as previously agreed upon with the lender. 

Most merchant cash advances can be used for a wide range of needs. Similar to a term loan, you can usually get access to funds quickly as well.

It’s easy to get approved for a merchant cash advance, but the interest rates are usually high. 

Equipment Financing

The name is pretty self-explanatory here—the money from equipment financing must be used to purchase equipment. But it’s worth noting that the term “equipment” is pretty broad.

In addition to things like conveyor belts, forklifts, and machinery, other types of equipment like accounting software, or payment processing systems would also fall into this category. 

Equipment financing is usually secured by the equipment you’re purchasing. If you fail to repay the loan, the lender can seize the equipment.

Business Credit Card

Credit cards and loans are obviously not the same. But a business credit card can potentially be a great option to finance certain purchases. 

Some cards offer businesses introductory promotions like 0% APR financing within the first year of opening an account. So you can potentially buy something at 0% interest by putting it on your new credit card (assuming it’s less than your credit amount). But beyond the introductory offer, credit cards will have significantly higher interest rates than other types of loans. 

You can read my reviews of the best business credit cards here. 

Secured Loans

A secured loan requires some type of collateral in order for you to qualify. This is common for high-risk businesses. If the business defaults on the loan, the lender will seize the collateral. 

Since secured loans don’t pose as much of a risk to lenders, the interest rates are usually low. 

Unsecured Loans

An unsecured loan is the exact opposite of a secured loan. Businesses can borrow money without having to put up any collateral. 

In order to qualify for an unsecured loan, your business usually needs to have a long track record of profitability and success without any liens or outstanding debts. If the lender thinks you’re a high risk to default on the loan, they might require you to secure the loan with collateral. 

Crowdfunding Loans and P2P Loans

These types of loans are sourced from a pool of investors. You can get these loans from crowdfunding websites with small amounts collected from the general public or get them from alternative lending platforms where individuals offer P2P loans as a source of income. 

If you can’t qualify for a traditional loan, you might consider a crowdfunding or P2P borrowing option. 

#1 – Fundbox Review — Best For Short-Term Loans

Fundbox is used by 100,000+ businesses across a wide range of industries. 

Technically, they offer business lines of credit. But the repayment period on the amount you borrow gets paid back over a 12 or 24-week plan, which falls into the short-term loan category. 

Using Fundbox is simple, and you’ll get fast access to cash whenever you need it. To apply, you just need to connect your bank account and accounting software, so Fundbox can view your financials. 

You’ll only pay for funds that you draw from your line of credit, so you can use Fundbox multiple times for various short-term loans. There’s no penalty for early repayments.

Before you withdraw funds, Fundbox gives you a transparent calculation of the principal, interest amount, and weekly payments due. So you can plan accordingly and know exactly how much you owe each week for the duration of the loan. 

Fundbox is perfect for short-term situations when you need a little extra cash. It’s commonly used for late invoices payments, unplanned expenses, and to float small businesses during periods of slow sales. 

Apply online, and get a decision within minutes. Funds can be transferred to your account as soon as the next business day. 

#2 – Funding Circle Review — Most Versatile Loan Options 

Funding Circle is an industry leader in the small business lending category. It’s a popular choice for businesses that want fast and affordable loan options. 

With a single application, Funding Circle will provide you with multiple loan types and options to choose from.

Loan types and funding solutions provided by this lender include:

  • SBA loans
  • Business term loans
  • Merchant cash advances
  • Business lines of credit
  • Invoice factoring
  • Working capital loans

You can get a decision in less than 24 hours and gain access to funds within three days of getting approved. Funding Circle has term loans from $25,000 to $500,000 and SBA loans from $20,000 to $5 million. 

I also like Funding Circle because the platform makes it easy for you to manage your loan online. Apply on their website by filling out an application—it takes just six minutes to complete. 

#3 – Accion Review — Best For Startups

Accion is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping small business owners and entrepreneurs fund their startups. 

In fact, Accion is the largest nonprofit lending network in the US. 

Accion offers term loans of up to $250,000 at an affordable rate. You can apply online or over the phone to get a tailored solution that fits your unique needs. 

Here are some of the business types that Accion commonly lends money to:

  • Women owned businesses
  • Minority owned businesses
  • Food and beverage businesses
  • Small businesses
  • Startups
  • Veteran owned businesses
  • Business owners with disabilities
  • Green businesses

Accion also has a wide range of small business resources available to help you achieve success in your industry. With 25+ years of experience in the small business lending space, I strongly recommend Accion to startups and other businesses in the categories listed above. 

#4 – Lendio Review — Best Small Business Loan Marketplace

Lendio isn’t a small business lender. But it’s one of the most popular online marketplaces for business loans. 

If you want to compare loan options from 75+ lenders with a single platform, look no further than Lendio.

This marketplace has facilitated $10+ billion in funding to 216,000+ small businesses. There is a wide range of loan types available through Lendio’s network of lenders, including:

  • Startup loans
  • Term loans
  • Commercial mortgages
  • Short term loans
  • SBA loans
  • Merchant cash advances
  • Business lines of credit
  • Business credit cards
  • Equipment financing
  • Accounts receivable financing
  • Business acquisition loans

I also like Lendio because they provide additional resources for small business owners, like financing calculators and bookkeeping guidance. 

Just fill out some quick information about your business online to get loan offers from lenders in the Lendio network. 

#5 – OnDeck Review — The Best For Revolving Credit

OnDeck has delivered $13+ billion to businesses across the globe. They offer term loans of up to $250,000 and business lines of credit up to $100,000.

I like OnDeck because it’s so simple. After you complete an application online or over the phone, a dedicated loan advisor will go over your options with you. OnDeck offers funding as early as the same business day.

Your line of credit from OnDeck is a great option for working capital. Only withdraw what you need, when you need it, and just pay interest for the amount borrowed.

Repay your line of credit over a 12-month term agreement with automatic weekly payments and no prepayment penalties.

To qualify, you must be in business for at least a year with a minimum personal FICO score of 600 and an annual revenue of $100,000+.

OnDeck periodically reviews your credit profile. So you can automatically qualify for higher credit line limits without having to apply for an increase. You’ll also benefit from a consolidated weekly payment on all withdrawals, so you won’t have to worry about making multiple payments. 

#6 – Kiva Review — Best 0% Interest Small Business Loans

If you need a microloan and you’re not in a rush to get it, Kiva will let you borrow up to $15,000 at 0% interest—no strings attached.

As a global nonprofit, Kiva has helped 2.5+ million entrepreneurs raise $1+ billion.

The only downside of Kiva is that it takes quite a bit of time to actually get the loan. So it’s not ideal for businesses that need cash fast.

First, you need to fill out an online application that can take up to 30 minutes to complete. Then you need to prove your creditworthiness by convincing your friends and family to loan you money, which is about a 15-day process. Finally, you can go public on Kiva and make your loan visible to 1.6+ million lenders across the world (an additional 30 days). 

On the positive side, you’ll have up to 36 months to repay your loan at 0% interest. It’s tough to beat that deal. 

But if you’re looking for large sums of cash as fast as possible, this won’t be the best choice for your business. 

Summary

If your small business needs money, there are lots of different small business loan options for you to consider. 

Which one is the best? 

The answer depends on a wide range of factors, like the amount you need, the loan type, lender, and more. Regardless of your situation, you can find the best loan options for your business based on my recommendations in this guide. 

The post Best Small Business Loans appeared first on Neil Patel.

Best ERP Software

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Historically, ERP (enterprise resource planning) software was used by large corporations and multinational organizations for managing their entire operation from a single platform.

But now these solutions are more accessible than ever before. In addition to enterprises, lots of SMBs have started to leverage these tools over the past several years. 

ERP software essentially combines all of your business tools into a centralized console. It encompasses components like accounting, HR, CRM, supply chain management, and more. 

By consolidating your business tools into a single ERP solution, it’s much easier to manage. Plus, ERP software gives you tons of extra value from a big-picture point of view, that you normally wouldn’t see from standalone software. 

So which ERP software is the best? Find out below. 

The Top 5 Options For ERP Software

  1. Infor
  2. AccountMate
  3. Epicor
  4. IFS
  5. Deltek

How to Choose the Best ERP Software For You

In order to find the right ERP software for your business, you need to understand what to look for as you’re shopping around. All ERP systems are not created equally, and there’s not really a “one-size-fits-all” solution. 

Rather than blindingly picking a tool, use these feature sets and considerations to narrow down potential options. 

Business Processes and Modules

As previously mentioned, ERP software encompasses various types of business processes. These typically come in the form of modules as you’re customizing an ERP solution. 

Some of you might only need a handful of these processes, while other businesses could be looking for a dozen. It really depends on your business size, existing tools, and future goals for resource planning. 

Examples of modules and processes to keep an eye out for include HRMs, financial management tools, CRM, SCM, inventory management, purchasing and supplier management, sales and marketing tools, and more. 

There are even industry-specific processes for things like manufacturing or engineering. These will include crucial functionalities for product planning, production scheduling, bill of materials, shop floor planning, etc. 

Make sure the ERP software you’re evaluating has the capacity to handle your needs with modules for these types of functions. 

Reporting, Analytics, and Dashboards

The best ERP software on the market today has advanced reporting capabilities. These go above and beyond basic spreadsheets and PDF downloads. Look for a solution that includes real-time data and smart filters.

Some tools might even have agile reporting and ad hoc reporting, so you can quickly adapt to ever-changing needs without interruptions. 

You should be able to manage these complex reports and analytics through a simple dashboard. If you can’t figure out the dashboards, you’ll never get the most out of these reports (which renders them useless). 

Dashboards should also display KPIs and let you analyze different data with just a few clicks. For example, you might want to compare qualitative vs. quantitative data based on departments or users within your organization. 

Integrations

Your ERP software must seamlessly integrate with your existing tools and software.

From simple file transfers to complete integrations, it’s crucial that these all work together. For example, you should be able to sync your existing CRM with your new ERP software. Or you might want to link an ERP payroll module to an HRMS software that you’re already using. 

ERPs that provide flexible integrations can expand the functionality of your existing tools or completely replace them after a smooth file migration. 

Custom Capabilities

Customization is crucial when it comes to evaluating ERP software. Otherwise, you won’t get the most of the potential benefits; here’s why.

Each department will have different business workflows. These could potentially have contradictory priorities and goals. For example, marketing teams will focus on spending while accounting teams will be focusing on saving money. Sales teams will be prioritizing a monthly quota, and production departments prioritize daily output. It’s impossible to configure these various workflows into an all-in-one solution. 

So your ERP software should have configurable workflows and custom dashboards for each department. This will allow those decision-makers to define specific KPIs and goals based on custom parameters. 

Setup and Deployment

It’s no secret that ERP software can be complex. Unlike other business tools, it’s not really a “sign up today and deploy in seconds” type of tool. This is largely due to the custom nature and different modules required to run smoothly. 

But with that said, some ERP software providers are definitely easier to set up and deploy than others. If you don’t want to install anything locally, look for a cloud-based ERP solution. You’ll still need a custom solution, but this will be easier overall. 

Between cloud-based SaaS solutions and on-premises deployment, you’ll have different options to consider. 

Training and Support

Again, ERP software isn’t always easy. You need to find a provider that offers you the resources required to hit the ground running. 

In most cases, they will need a proper installation by someone with technical expertise. So if your business doesn’t have a dedicated IT team, make sure you review your SLA. 

In many cases, the installation could be charged entirely separately from the ERP license or subscription. Cloud-based ERPs are definitely easier to set up (as mentioned earlier), but it might still require some training. 

What happens when you have a question or need some assistance? Will your software vendor be there to help you out?

These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself as you’re evaluating different options. 

The Different Types of ERP Software

Before we get into the ERP software reviews, I want to quickly explain the different types of ERP software available on the market today. This will add some clarity as you’re shopping around. 

General Purpose ERP Software

Generalist ERPs are flexible enough to fit the needs of various industries. They have robust customization capabilities, easy integrations, and processes that match a wide range of requirements. 

The vast majority of ERP software is branded as a general-purpose ERP. This gives software vendors the ability to target as many different organizations and industries as possible. 

Vertical-Specific ERP Software

As the name implies, vertical-specific ERPs are targeted for specific industries. Unlike a generalist solution, this type of software is not geared towards the masses. 

These types of ERP solutions are popular in niches like manufacturing, construction, or retail. A vertical-specific ERP won’t be nearly as flexible as a general-purpose tool, but they do a great job hitting the specialized industry. 

Open-Source ERP Software

Open-source ERP software only makes up a small portion of the overall ERP market. However, it’s important to know that they exist. 

An open-source ERP is ideal for tech teams that want the ability to develop and integrate custom apps to an ERP solution. Since ERPs can handle such highly customized functionality and processes, this type of software is the preferred choice for developers. 

Small Business ERP Software

As previously stated, there was a time when only large organizations would be using ERP software. But cloud deployment has made ERP software significantly more accessible to small businesses.

Since some ERPs are delivered with custom modules (as opposed to a fully integrated solution), small businesses can choose just two or three modules and omit the others. For example, you could get an ERP software with just functionality for accounting and HRM. Then down the road, you can add-on a module for CRM or inventory. 

Small business ERPs are also known as “lightweight ERPs” because of this flexibility. 

#1 – Infor Review — The Most Versatile ERP Software

Infor is a cloud-based ERP software with solutions for SMBs and enterprises alike. They have several different ERP products for you to choose from based on your industry and business needs.

With 30+ years of experience in this space, Infor’s robust and flexible technology earns them a high ranking on my list.

The ERP solutions offered by Infor are a popular choice for wholesale distribution companies, manufacturing organizations, and various service industries. Some of the notable highlights of the software include:

  • Ability to personalize home pages and dashboards
  • Intuitive role-based user interfaces
  • Unlimited financial calendars, ledgers, basis reporting, and dimension strings
  • Embedded analytics directly within different user’ workflows
  • Production planning and scheduling management
  • Optimized purchasing with advanced order controls
  • Ability to ensure maximum margins with integrated pricing modules

While Infor is definitely known for its cloud solutions, they do offer single-instance and on-premises deployment options for some of their software.

Infor also has a wide range of specific software for things like HCM, CRM, PLM, SCM, and more. So if you just have one single need, you can explore those choices as well. 

#2 – AccountMate Review — The Best Vertical Specific Solutions

AccountMate is branded as the “world’s most customizable accounting system.” It’s designed to help growing businesses gain a competitive edge with unique ERP software based on specific verticals. 

The software is trusted by 125,000+ companies worldwide. In addition to the software, AccountMate provides additional services to help you get the most out of your ERP tools.

AccountMate’s vertical solution catalog is extensive, to say the least. They have 30+ vertical-specific category options available. Their development partners help businesses get industry-specific functionality in addition to the base financial software. 

Some of those top categories include:

  • Billing
  • Budgeting and forecasting
  • Business analytics
  • Business intelligence
  • CRM applications
  • Document management
  • Ecommerce
  • Food processing
  • Human resources
  • Invoice automation
  • Job costing
  • Payroll
  • Route management
  • Sales analysis
  • Warehouse management

The list goes on and on. As you can see, these vertical-specific offerings are extremely versatile. AccountMate can ultimately provide you with a comprehensive front office and back-office solution. 

Businesses within industries like manufacturing, wholesale distribution, utilities, government, solution providers, ecommerce, and business services all rely on AccountMate for ERP.

For those of you looking for a vertical-specific solution with a core focus on accounting and finance, look no further than AccountMate. 

#3 – Epicor Review — Best ERP Software For Manufacturing

Epicor is another industry leader in the ERP software space. They provide cloud and on-premises solutions for businesses in spaces like manufacturing, retail, automotive, lumber and building, and distribution.

With that said, the manufacturing ERP software offered by Epicor is the clear standout. 

It’s trusted by a wide range of manufacturers producing products like industrial machinery, lumber and wood, rubber and plastics, high tech electronics, aerospace and defense products, fabricated metals, medical devices, furniture, and more. 

Here are some of the top benefits you’ll get with Epicor’s ERP software:

  • Ability to track, measure, and monitor entire operation from raw materials to final product
  • Improve efficiencies with real-time visibility into plant and business operations
  • Streamline your processes to reduce costs and increase profits
  • Adapt to new strategies, changing customer needs, and new manufacturing methods
  • Implement lean manufacturing methodologies to eliminate waste
  • Make smarter decisions and prioritize customer satisfaction

Overall, the software is designed for mid-sized and large businesses in the manufacturing and distribution space. If you fall into these categories, I strongly recommend Epicor for ERP.

#4 – IFS Review — The Best Agile ERP Software

IFS is a bit unique compared to other ERP solutions on the market today. The software isn’t as complicated and rigid as other tools that you’ll come across. 

Instead, IFS gives you the ability to adapt in real-time as market landscapes change, and new technology becomes available. This approach helps maximize the agility of your organization.

IFS has pre-configured ERP solutions for areas like supply chain management, human capital management, project management, financials, service industries, and manufacturing.

Within those categories, some of the noteworthy highlights of the ERP software include:

  • Risk and opportunity management
  • Digital asset lifecycle journey
  • Contract management, variation order management, and payment applications
  • Real-time planning and scheduling optimization 
  • Sales forecasting and demand planning
  • Multisite and multi-entity supply network visibility and planning
  • CRM and SRM
  • Financial accounting, management accounting, project accounting, and strategic accounting

Again, all of these tools and functionality are designed to keep your organization agile as the market changes. You’ll be able to gain a competitive edge and make strategic decisions in real-time using IFS for enterprise resource planning. 

#5 – Deltek Review — The Best ERP Software For Small Business

As previously mentioned, ERP software is no longer reserved for global enterprises. There are plenty of great options out there for small businesses that want to leverage these solutions.

Deltek is one of those options for smaller companies, and it’s my top recommendation in this category.

Overall, Deltek is a great option for project-based businesses seeking an ERP solution. They have a wide range of products and modules in categories like:

  • Information management and collaboration
  • Business development
  • Project and portfolio management
  • Human capital management

They even offer niche-specific solutions like costpoint for government contractors or project lifecycle management for small architecture and engineering firms. These examples showcase the versatility of Deltek. 

The cloud-based deployment makes it easy for smaller businesses to implement as well. 

Summary

There are dozens of vendors out there offering ERP software. But after extensive research and testing, I can only recommend the five options reviewed above. 

Which one is the best? It depends on your situation.

Make sure you follow the methodology I described earlier in this guide to narrow down your options as you’re shopping around. This will make your life much easier and ensure you make the right decision for your business. 

The post Best ERP Software appeared first on Neil Patel.

Best Domain Registrar

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The best domain registrars are affordable, easy to use, and secure. 

But with thousands of options to choose from, analysis paralysis takes over. From privacy and security to configuration and DNS management, it’s understandable to feel confused or unsure. 

However, there’s good news. I’ve used countless domain registrars over the course of my online career and I’ve narrowed things down to my top five recommendations. 

As long as you choose one of these registrars, you’ll be in good hands. 

In this article, I cover how to choose the best domain registrar, the different places to get a domain, and the only companies I highly recommend to anyone interested in creating a new website for their business.

Let’s get started!

The top 5 options for domain registration:

  1. Bluehost – Best for bundling with web hosting
  2. Domain.com – Best for long-term registrations
  3. Namecheap – Cheapest domain registrar
  4. NameSilo – Best for buying domains in bulk
  5. Google Domains – Best for Google integrations

How to choose the best domain registrar for you

Deciding on a domain registrar can feel impossible, especially with so many options to choose from. 

But knowing what to look for helps narrow things down. 

And while I stand behind each of my top recommendations, I want to share the criteria I considered when making this list. Feel free to use it as you go through the process of deciding which domain registrar is right for you.

Registration period and renewal rates

Most domain registrars offer promotional pricing for your initial contract term. Some limit your initial contract term to one or two years, while others may give you five to ten years.

So if you’re looking to save money, your best bet is opting for the longest registration period available. This is also a great way to ensure no one else can buy it, since you don’t have to remember to renew it every year. 

Domain.com offers a five-year registration period, so I highly recommend it. However, Namecheap offers ten years, so it’s also a great option. 

Number of domains

It’s common for large and small companies alike to buy multiple domain names, including:

  • Common misspellings of their original name
  • Various domain extensions
  • And similar domain names

Why? To make sure no one else can buy a similar name or intentional misspelling to steal their traffic. It also ensures your website is easy to find, even if someone doesn’t know how to spell it or what extension you’re using. 

And while it’s a good idea, it’s not necessary, especially if you’re just starting out. 

If you’re interested in buying 50+ domains, NameSilo is your best option. However, if you need less than that (or just one), Domain.com is my #1 recommendation. 

Furthermore, if you need web hosting as well, Bluehost offers one domain name free for the first year. So, this is an excellent option if you need a single domain name and web hosting for a new website. 

Domain management

Domain names may feel like a “set it and forget it” type of thing. But in reality, they aren’t. They require ongoing management including renewals, security, and accessibility. 

Different domain registrars may handle domain management differently, so it’s crucial to understand how things work with the company you choose. 

For example, most registrars offer auto renew services, meaning you don’t have to manually renew your domain registration every year. 

This is essential for keeping your website accessible, even during your renewal period. 

Alternatively, you may need to terminate your domain. So, you need to understand the guidelines for doing so with the domain registrar you choose. 

Furthermore, you may have to manually connect your domain or verify different services using DNS management (it’s a lot easier than it sounds). So make sure the domain registrar you choose gives you unlimited access to your DNS records. 

WHOIS privacy

Domain name registration involves providing your personal details to the domain registrar. However, doing so means your information is now part of the public record. 

But the good news is it doesn’t have to be, thanks to WHOIS protection. 

This is a privacy service that masks private information, like your email, address, phone number, and more. So, it’s not accessible to scammers, hackers, or anyone looking for your information online. 

Some registrars charge for this service, while others offer it for free.

But I highly recommend you use it, regardless of the registrar you choose.

Unless you’re registering your domain with your company’s address, phone number, etc. This information is already public so it won’t hurt to have it attached to your domain. 

Note: Domain.com charges $8.99/year and Bluehost charges $11.88/year for this. But Namecheap, NameSilo, and Google Domains offer privacy for free.

Domain transfers

If you want to change domain registrars in the future, you have to do a domain transfer. Some registrars make this free and easy, while others charge for it. 

So, make sure you read through your registrar’s transfer policy before making any final decisions. It’s important to choose a company you can count on, even when you’re transferring to a different service. 

Otherwise, the transfer can cause unwanted downtime or accessibility issues for your website. 

Domain name extensions

While .com is the most common domain extension, there are others including .org, .net, .co, .tech, and more. Plus, there are also country specific extensions, too. 

If you want a .com, you’re safe choosing any of the registrars on this list. 

However, if you’re looking for a different extension, you need to search around to find a registrar that offers what you want. 

The different types of domain registrars

There are several different places you can buy a domain name. However, I highly recommend going through a domain registrar or with your web hosting provider. 

Domain registrars

Domain registrars handle the tech side of assigning IP addresses to domain names and reserving domain names as well. With that said, you’re in charge of managing and maintaining your domain name after you purchase it from the domain registrar. 

Bundled with web hosting

If you need web hosting, you can get a free domain name from Bluehost for the first year. 

Resellers

Domain resellers are exactly what they sound like. They resell domain names in partnership with domain registrars, but resellers typically charge extra so they can make money, too. Furthermore, they usually don’t have dedicated support. 

This is why I don’t recommend buying through a reseller. 

All of the recommendations on this list are domain registrars or web hosting companies. 

However, you can check ICANN for a complete list of accredited domain registrars. If a company isn’t on the list, they’re probably a reseller. 

#1 – Bluehost — The best for bundling with web hosting

Bluehost is my #1 web hosting recommendation. And you also get a free domain name for the first year when you bundle the two together. 

So, if you’re starting a brand new website, Bluehost is an excellent choice.

However, if you want to buy more than one domain name, I highly recommend using a domain registrar, like NameSilo, instead. Bluehost domains are more expensive than other options on this list so it only makes sense if you need one domain with web hosting, as well. 

All domain registrations come with standard features, including:

  • Intuitive domain management dashboard
  • Free SSL certificate
  • Auto renewals
  • Domain locking
  • Complete DNS control
  • 24/7 expert support
  • Self-service knowledge base

After the first year, your .com domain name renews at $12.99 per year. And you have to pay an additional $11.99 per year ($0.99 per month) to mask your private information. 

Bluehost also offers a Microsoft 365 upsell, but you can skip this and purchase it separately if you end up needing it later on. 

#2 – Domain.com — The best for long-term registrations

Domain.com powers more than 1.2 million websites around the world. With a beginner-friendly interface, and the ability to buy as many domain names as you want, it’s my #1 recommendation. 

It’s also great for long-term registrations because you can register your domain for up to five years at a time. 

This means you don’t have to worry about renewing it every year and you can pay for everything in advance (no annual payments). 

Every domain comes with:

  • Transfer Lock Security – TLS
  • A free SSL certificate
  • Email and URL forwarding
  • Complete DNS control
  • 24/7/365 customer support
  • An extensive knowledge base

Furthermore, Domain.com is extremely affordable. You can expect to pay $9.99 per year for .com domains for your initial contract period. And they renew at $13.99 per year after that. 

They also offer hundreds of different domain extensions including .blog, .co, .net, and .org plus some you’ve probably never heard of. 

However, keep in mind you have to pay an extra $8.99/year for privacy and protection. 

Domain.com also offers several upsells throughout the process including G Suite and web hosting. But you can skip these and buy them separately if you end up needing them. 

#3 – Namecheap — The cheapest domain registrar

Although price is a small factor, if you’re looking for the most affordable domain registrar for a single domain, you should choose Namecheap.

They’re a reputable domain registrar currently managing more than 10 million domain names.

Plus, their straightforward and intuitive interface makes buying a domain name a breeze. It takes less than a few minutes and you don’t have to worry about countless upsells or distractions. 

With that said, there are a few upsells you can skip, including web hosting, private email, G Suite, and EasyWP. You don’t need any of these from your domain registrar. 

You can (and should) buy these separately if you end up needing them down the road. 

However, every domain registration includes:

  • Free privacy protection
  • Domain name security
  • 24/7 live chat support
  • Extensive knowledge base
  • Full DNS access

Prices start at $8.88 per year for .com domains. Plus, you get free privacy protection and you can register for up to ten years in advance. This is an excellent way to save a few dollars and avoid the hassle of renewing every year. 

Keep in mind that your domain name renews at $12.98 per year after your initial contract. 

#4 – NameSilo — The best for buying in bulk

If you’re interested in buying numerous domain names to cover similar names, common misspellings, or alternative extensions, NameSilo is the best choice. 

They offer bulk order discounts if you buy more than 50 domains in a single order. 

However, if you need a single domain name (or fewer than ten), I recommend going with Domain.com instead. It’s a bit more expensive but it’s easier to use. 

Every domain you purchase automatically comes with:

  • Free privacy protection for life
  • DNS management tools
  • Email and domain forwarding
  • Domain defender protection
  • Locking/unlocking capability
  • Monetized parking page
  • 24/7 customer support

For 1 – 49 domain names, each .com is $8.99 per year ($0.10 more than Namecheap). However, that price stays the same when it’s time for renewal, rather than jumping up a few dollars more per year. 

For 50 – 100 names, each one is $8.89 per year. With steeper discounts at higher volumes. So, the more you buy, the more money you can save. 

And these discounted rates apply at renewal time as long as you have the same number of active domains in your account. 

Lastly, don’t forget to say “yes” to WHOIS privacy protection at checkout. 

It’s free but you have to opt in to use it. 

#5 – Google Domains — The best for Google integrations

If you’re familiar with the Google interface, Google Domains is comfortable and familiar. 

Plus, they also make it a breeze to integrate your domain with other Google tools, like G Suite, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console. 

Furthermore, Google Domains is a smart choice if you only need 1 – 10 domain names and appreciate the simplicity of the Google platform. However, if you need more than that, there are cheaper alternatives for buying domain names in bulk (like NameSilo). 

With absolutely no upsells, it’s hard to beat the streamlined checkout process. 

And every domain name includes:

  • Free privacy protection (unlike Domain.com and Bluehost)
  • Email forwarding services
  • Easy access to add-on services
  • Domain sharing
  • 2-step verification
  • Cloud DNS
  • DNS exporting
  • 24/7 customer support

At $12.99 per year, Google domains is affordable and inline with the other domain registrars on this list. However, you get privacy protection for free as an added value. 

Summary

At the end of the day, the registrar you choose doesn’t really matter (as long as you go with one of these recommendations). What’s important iis getting the domain name and extension you want at a reasonable price with the protection and security you need. 

With that said, Domain.com is great for most users and Bluehost offers a free domain for the first year if you need web hosting services as well. 

However, both charge extra for privacy protection.

On the other hand, NameSilo, Google Domains, and Namecheap offer this protection for free. 

NameSilo is excellent if you need hundreds of domains. Google Domains makes sense if you’re comfortable with the Google interface (and sharing more info with Google). And Namecheap is the most affordable registrar for .com domains. 

So, regardless of what you need, your new domain name is just a few clicks away. 

Which domain registrars have you tried in the past? And how was your experience?

The post Best Domain Registrar appeared first on Neil Patel.