Why Your Business Needs Cloud Software to Grow Your Customer Base

Sophia Belnap

Logistics can be a challenge for any business. There are undoubtedly times when you feel you could use every tool at your disposal to ensure daily tasks run smoothly and customers stay satisfied. At the heart of your business goals is making sure you maintain and grow your customer base. Many company owners feel satisfied with the status quo once they reach a particular target. They feel a sense of certainty that comes with attaining a comfortable business level and don't feel the need to make changes. However, growth is essential to survival. It actually increases stability while raising your credibility and setting you up for the long term. Fortunately, many cloud software packages can help you maintain your client base while giving you the capacity to grow.

Cloud-Based Tools, Explained

If you're used to working with desktop software that resides on your system, it's wise to take a look at migrating to cloud-based tools. You may be wondering, "What is cloud migration?" The cloud consists of servers that you access remotely from anywhere. Migrating to the cloud simply means you move your digital resources to these servers. Moving to cloud-based resources keeps you up to date. Software companies provide regular updates with the latest tools and antivirus protection, ensuring your security. You can also access your files from anywhere, giving you the freedom to take care of duties while away from the office. You're also able to scale your business quickly and easily without the constraints of the hardware you own.

Determining What You Need

Before you run out and purchase all the cloud-based software you can find, take a look at your business needs. Start with a few questions:

• How large is your business?
• How many employees do you have?
• Do you need to keep track of detailed client interactions?
• Do you outsource your payroll or accounting needs?
• Is inventory management a priority?

Your particular industry and company size affect the type of software you need. If you have a small business with one or two employees, for example, you may not require a complex time-tracking package. If you run a big warehouse with many kinds of products, though, you may benefit from a robust inventory management system.

Accounting Software

Every business has accounting requirements, whether it's done with pencil and paper or a complex digital system. Using a cloud-based software package can make your accounting easier. You can find a range of products and sizes when you're shopping for accounting software. Some functions to consider are:

• Payroll services
• Bookkeeping
• Tax preparation

Streamlining your accounting duties gives you and your staff extra time to focus on your customers instead of working on functions that can be automated or simplified with accounting software.

Project Management Software

If you've ever tried to manage a large project, you know you can end up pulled in many directions. Project management software is designed to keep all the individual aspects of a project in one convenient location. This type of software breaks down your plan into segments while still giving you an overview of the project. You can assign tasks, check statuses and answer questions where stakeholders can participate. Project management software helps you work more efficiently so that you're not wasting time backtracking or chasing down project details when you could be growing your client base instead. So go ahead and use the cloud to back up your data.

CRM Software

Customer relationship management software helps you see how you interact with clients. CRM software allows you to maintain customer relationships by analyzing communication and data trends. It records your history with current and potential customers, giving you an idea about what sales methods work for you. CRM software can help you grow your client base by giving you the data you need to make decisions about marketing, communication methods, future advertising campaigns and more.

Conclusion

No matter how large or small your business is, cloud-based software can help you run your company more efficiently. The time and effort you save give you and your staff more chances to increase your client base and position you for growth and stability.