Want to jump straight to the answer? The best VoIP phone systems for most small businesses are Nextiva, RingCentral, or Ooma VoIP. Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone systems are great for remote workers and other employees on the go. With dozens of VoIP phone services on the market, choosing one can be tough. Luckily, we’ve done all of the research and heavy lifting for you. Below are in-depth reviews of each one, as well as pricing, features, and anything else that should be taken into consideration. Let’s jump in.
Top 10 Best VoIP Phone Systems in 2020These are the 10 best VoIP phone systems on the market today: Keep reading for more in-depth reviews of each service. NextivaStarting at $19.95 per month Nextiva offers a wide range of great services. In addition to its VoIP phone services, the company provides sales and service CRM software. Some of the top Nextiva features include:
While Nextiva is definitely a viable option for small businesses, they also offer exceptional plans for enterprises and call centers. It’s used by big national brands like Taco Bell, Stanley Steamer, and DirectBuy, and Ashley HomeStore. The plans from Nextiva can be segmented into two main categories: small business and enterprise. Like most VoIP phone services, the rates vary based on the number of users you have and the length of your contract. Nextiva has month-to-month and annual rates. Overall Nextiva is easy to use and provides high-quality customer service. From small businesses to enterprises, Nextiva is a top choice consider. Try Nextiva for free and see if it is the best choice for your business today. RingCentralStarting at $19.99 per month RingCentral is the best overall VoIP phone system. Hands down. Their features and services offers any business what you need for your VoIP needs. The best part: No new hardware. To get started, you can easily use your existing phone number and phones to do calls over the Internet. You can also access your business line from anywhere. You can use the phone service from any device. It’s probably the fastest and easiest way to get a business phone number on your current cellphone. Set up your RingCentral account and install the app: In addition to traditional phone calls, RingCentral offers a wide range of business phone needs. You can have access to messaging and video conferencing as well. In fact, RingCentral also ranked first on our list of the best video conferencing services. Whether you’re looking for an all-in-one calling solution, or VoIP phones only, RingCentral has you covered. Pricing for a phone plan starts at $29.99 per month per user. But that’s for a month-to-month contract. You can save 33% with the annual rate. If you have 20 or more users, you’ll need to upgrade to an all-in-one plan, which starts at $24.99 per month per user with an annual contract. RingCentral is a perfect VoIP solution for any business. OomaFlat $19.95/user per month Ooma VoIP is best for smaller businesses and startups. They give you the option of keeping your existing number or getting a new one. The best part: set up is lightning fast. In fact, you can set everything up in less than 15 minutes. Some of the top small business features of Ooma VoIP include:
Ooma gives you a great rate with no long-term contract. There are two main business phone plans offered by this provider:
The Office Pro plan is worth the extra $5. This plan comes with the most advanced features like call recording, call blocking, and voicemail transcription. For small businesses looking for an all-in-one solution, you can use Ooma to build your own system from scratch. This will include hardware, separate conference phones, and a physical fax machine if needed. If you’ve got a small company with five or ten employees, Ooma VoIP is a top choice for you to consider. Phone.comStarting at $9.99 per month If you’re on a budget, Phone.com has some of the most cost-effective VoIP phone plans on the market today. There are definitely cheaper plans offered elsewhere, but none that I would recommend. Phone.com gives you the most bang for your buck. Here’s a brief overview of the pay-per-minute plans and pricing. All rates are for annual contracts. Base — $9.99 per month
Plus — $14.99 per month
Base — $29.99 per month
While the plans are affordable, they are definitely limited. If you’re going to exceed those monthly minute restrictions, you can consider switching to a Phone.com unlimited plan. The unlimited plans start at $24.99, $32.99, and $49.99 per month, respectively. They are nearly identical to the plans listed above, except you’ll get unlimited monthly minutes. GrasshopperStarting at $26 per month For those of you who need a business VoIP system for calls on the go, Grasshopper will be a top choice to consider. Lots of VoIP phone services have a mobile app, but Grasshopper really stands out from the crowd. You’ll be able to use Grasshopper with your existing phone; no additional devices are required. The setup process is extremely simple. Just choose the app (Grasshopper or Grasshopper Connect) based on your business needs. Then select a number (toll-free, vanity, local, current number) and download the app. Then you can start calling and texting using your number right away. You can try using Grasshopper for free with a 7-day trial. No credit card required. Assuming you’re happy with the service (which I’m sure you will), here’s an overview of the paid plans and pricing: Grasshopper Solo
Grasshopper Partner
Grasshopper Small Business
Grasshopper Connect
As you can see, the Grasshopper plans are perfect for smaller organizations, startups, and solo entrepreneurs. The fact that you can sign up and use your VoIP phone service without any additional hardware is a huge bonus. 8×8Starts at $12 per month per user 8×8 has more than one million business users across the globe. It’s trusted by international brands like McDonald’s, Regus, and NetSuite. They offer a wide range of phone services, including VoIP phones, contact centers, and video conferencing. I’d recommend 8×8 to small and medium-sized organizations that need international calling capabilities. Here’s an overview of the small business pricing plans for all-in-one communications. 8×8 Express — $12 per month per user
X Series X2 — $25 per month per user
X Series X4 — $45 per month per user
X Series X6 — $115 per month user
If your organization has more than 100 users, you can contact the 8×8 sales team for a quote on an enterprise VoIP phone solution. Vonage50+ communication features In terms of flexibility and product offerings, Vonage is second to none for business VoIP plans. They offer a wide range of communication packages, including:
Vonage integrates with popular tools and technology like G Suite, Salesforce, Office 365, Slack, and HubSpot. Another unique standout of Vonage is that the company offers industry-specific solutions as well as services based on business needs. For example, they have tools for accounting, law firms, healthcare, retail, real estate, and more. The company also has tools for things like reducing communication costs, starting a call center, recording employee calls, or connecting virtual teams. For VoIP phone plans, Vonage has three main plans; Mobile, Premium, and Advanced. The rates vary based on how many lines you need, so there’s a wide range of prices offered. To give you some perspective, here are the rates of each plan for businesses who need 20+ lines:
If you need four lines or less, those rates would jump to $19.99, $29.99, and $39.99, respectively. Based on the pricing structure and wide range of product offerings, Vonage is the perfect VoIP phone solution for growing businesses. JiveLots of all-inclusive features Jive is an affordable VoIP phone service with arguably the most extensive feature list on the market today. It’s tough to get Jive’s offerings at a better price point elsewhere. The platform has solutions for small businesses, mid-market, and enterprise, as well as products for voice, video, contact centers, and more. But for now, we’ll just stick to the VoIP phone features:
The list is seemingly a mile long. In fact, there are over 80 different VoIP phone service features available with Jive. The best part? Features are all-inclusive with all Jive plans. Pricing is based on the number of users you have, and ranges between $19.95 and $29.95 per month, per user. No long-term contracts or annual commitments. All plans are available month-to-month. If you need a phone plan with 100+ users, contact Jive for a custom quote. 1-VoIP40+ standard features 1-VoIP has been providing phone services for 10 years. On average, business customers switching to 1-VoIP save 53% compared to their current plan, which makes this provider one of the most cost-effective options on the list. Some of the top 1-VoIP business features include:
While 1-VoIP does have some traditional plans, I’d recommend the metered pricing option. This will be the best choice for businesses that only want to pay for what they use. If you’re a low-volume caller, the base rate is $14.97 per month for each extension. From there, you’ll pay just $0.02 per minute. The package comes with all features included. There are no long-term contracts and no cancellation fees either. MitelStarting at $20.99 per month Mitel offers a VoIP phone service that runs on Google Cloud. So you know that you’re getting support from an industry leader in reliability, scalability, and security. It has a modern interface that’s extremely easy to use. You’ll benefit from real-time management and a seamless experience across all of your devices. Mitel is an all-in-one solution for communication, collaboration, and contact center services. It’s used by well-known names like Netflix, Smile Doctors, and Rewards Network. Here’s a brief overview of the plans and pricing: Essentials — Starting at $20.99 per month per user
Premier — Starting at $26.59 per month per user
Elite — Starting at $38.49 per month per user
As you can see, Mitel has the ability to meet the needs of multiple business types and sizes. It’s a top solution for anyone who wants to take advantage of Google’s Cloud reliability. What Is a VoIP Phone System?VoIP stands for “voice over Internet protocol.” Instead of a traditional phone line, VoIP systems use the internet. Incoming calls from a non-VoIP number can be converted to a VoIP line. You’ll receive calls from anyone regardless of their phone system. VoIP phone systems have been growing in popularity for businesses over the past few years. That’s because these services are simple, cost-effective, and offer complete flexibility. How to Choose the Best VOIP Phone Service For Your BusinessCompare Quotes From The Best VOIP Phone Services Get matched up with a VOIP phone service that fits your specific needs. Compare Quotes
Now that you’ve had a chance to see some of the top VoIP phone services on the market today, it’s time to choose one for your business. This is the methodology that we used to narrow our options. We recommend that you do the same for your business. Hardware RequirementsNot every VoIP phone service is created equally. Some will allow you to use your existing hardware, while others will require you to get specific devices. There are even VoIP business plans with no hardware requirements. You can simply make and receive calls directly from the mobile app. It all depends on the needs of your business. A solo entrepreneur and an enterprise-grade calling center will obviously have different hardware preferences. PricingFor the most part, VoIP business plans are priced based on the number of users or lines you have. The more lines you need, the lower the per-user cost will be. Some services charge you per-user, some give you unlimited minutes, and others provide minute restrictions based on your plan. It’s important that you find a price point that’s within your budget, while still meeting your needs. If you’re a low-volume caller that only makes and receives two or three calls per day, you probably won’t need an unlimited plan. You should also consider the length of your contract. Some companies force you to sign an annual contract to get the best rate, while others bill month-to-month. Setup and Ease of UseIn theory, VoIP phone services are supposed to be easier than a traditional business landline. So avoid companies that have a lengthy setup process and complex functionality. You can usually request a demo or free trial to test out a service before you commit. See what the company’s existing customers say about the products and services by reading third-party reviews. FeaturesIt’s easy to get drawn toward a VoIP phone service with an extensive feature list. But with that said, you might not need every feature under the sun. While some of these will definitely be useful, think about which ones you actually want or need. There’s no reason to pay extra for features you’ll never use. Feature lists are always a top selling point, but focus in on the features that will help your business. Some services provide features all-inclusive, and others offer features based on your package. ConclusionIf your business is ready to make the switch to a VoIP phone service, then the options above are the top ten that I’d recommend. Overall my top 3 favorites are Nextiva, Ooma VoIP, and RingCentral. Compare them all to find the best for you. No matter how big or small your business is, I’m confident that the perfect VoIP phone for your company can be found on this list. Compare Quotes From The Best VOIP Phone Services Get matched up with a VOIP phone service that fits your specific needs. Compare Quotesvia Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-voip-phone-services/
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Want to jump straight to the answer? The best direct mail service is PsPrint. Direct mail is still a viable marketing strategy. It’s easy to lose sight of this when you’re putting more emphasis on online advertisements, email, and other digital marketing tactics. But direct mail is an effective and affordable way to drive brand awareness, generate leads, and engage with new customers. It’s an excellent opportunity for both new and established businesses to reach consumers who may not see their digital presence. In order to have success in this space, you need to find a reliable direct mail service. Direct mail services help you deliver promotional content to consumer and business mailboxes.
A basic direct mail company will print, stamp, and deliver your flyers, postcards, or brochures. Some services take that one step further by providing you with design templates and helping you create a list of viable address. Use this guide to find the best direct mailing company for your business. The 8 Best Direct Mail Services of 2020Even though so many people believe that direct mail is dead, there are still countless direct mail services on the market today. The high number of companies in this space proves that the industry is still alive and thriving. After extensive research, I’ve narrowed down the best direct mail companies to eight options:
I’ll give you an in-depth review of the features, benefits, and use cases of each one below. Best Direct Mail Services ReviewsPsPrint (Most options for mailable products)• Wide range of products PsPrint offers a wide range of products available for direct mail. Unlike other services that just offer postcards or flyers, PsPrint will create and mail:
Their services include mailing list processing, CASS certification, inkjet addressing, and postal resorting. PsPrint offers a quick turnaround as well. In just two to five days after it’s done printing, your order can be mailed out. The entire process can be managed online. Just select your product, upload your artwork, and attach your mailing list. PsPrint will even send you an extra prints that weren’t mailed. The “overs” are free if they fit into one box. For those of you who don’t have a mailing list, PsPrint will help you create one in less than 15 minutes. Just answer some questions related to your target market based on age, income, zip code, and other details. PrintingForLess (Best for EDDM)• Full-service mailing house PrintingForLess.com is a well-known and reliable direct mail service. It’s a one-stop-shop for both printing and mailing needs for businesses. As a full-service mailing house, PFL has mailing lists and every door direct mail services. It also offers a wide range of tools like free templates and direct mail tips. Before you start producing and mailing at scale, PFL will give you custom free printing samples. You can choose from different paper types, weights, coatings, binding options, effects, and other products to see which one is the best for your business. To request a sample, simply fill out a form online, email PFL, or call their customer support team. Some standouts of the features, sizes, and options available for direct mail via PFL include:
More than 200,000 businesses trust PFL for their needs. The service has been used by popular brands like Zappos, 99designs, Constant Contact, British Airways, and more. What I like about PrintingForLess.com is that they make a promise that if your mailing and printing aren’t on time, they’ll fully reimburse you for the cost sustained. That gets rid of a lot of the anxiety that can happen around big marketing projects. Getting a quote from them is a snap too. You can either call their 1-800 number, email them, or use the form on their website. Vistaprint (Best for all printing and promotional needs)• Postcard mailing service There’s a reason Vistaprint is one of the biggest printing solutions out there: They do it all. No matter your marketing needs, Vistaprint has you covered. Some popular categories include:
Their post card mailing service is also top notch. That means Vistaprint will create and mail these postcards for you. Simply design your card, send them your list of addresses, and Vistaprint will handle the rest. Vistaprint has both standard and oversized postcards. Don’t have a mailing list? No problem. You can buy a targeted list directly through this platform as well. I like using Vistaprint because they have so many other products and services. So if you want to get your mailing service from the same provider as your other promotional products and printing needs, you can get it all in one place. NextDayFlyers (Best for next business day printing)• Wide range of products NextDayFlyers is one of the most popular direct mail services on the market today. They offer a wide range of products at an affordable rate with fast delivery times. With NextDayFlyers, your company can send:
NextDayFlyers will store your inventory, verify addresses, presort your products, and send your mail. You can also rent mailing lists for campaigns as well. Use NextDayFlyers for EDDM (every door direct mail) postcards. Navigating through this platform is easy. Simply choose the size of your flyer, customize the cardstock, add a gloss or matte coating, and select your quantity. You can create artwork directly on their website or upload your own file. You’ll see the cost for your direct mail campaign in real-time as you continue to make changes. As the name implies, NextDayFlyers does offer next business day printing turnaround. Although you will pay a higher price for this premium service. But it’s a great option for time-sensitive offers and campaigns. Gunderson Direct (Best full-service direct mail marketing agency)• Full-service marketing agency Gunderson Direct is a full-service direct marketing agency. For 16+ years, this organization has been driving leads for big brands like PayPal, ZipRecruiter, Postmates, AAA, Adobe, Wells Fargo, and Dish Network. They even work with some of the best business loan companies like Lending Club. The experts at Gunderson Direct have everything you need to know to get the most out of your direct mail campaigns. Here’s how the process works. You’ll start with a consultation with the Gunderson Direct team. Based on your needs, they’ll help you create a mailing list using their own database as well as external resources. Gunderson Direct will manage your entire direct mail campaign from start to finish. They take a creative approach to direct mail and provide detailed reports and analytics for each campaign. These reports will show KPIs, benchmarks, and detail new opportunities for improving performance and ROI. All of Gunderson Direct’s services are customized. Get in touch with their team to get a unique quote for your business. PostcardMania (Best for high-volume postcard campaigns)• Direct, EDDM, & bulk mailing More than 90,000 businesses trust PostcardMania for printing and mailing. It’s a top option for high-volume postcard direct mail because of its low prices and bulk discounts. PostcardMania offers the following services:
I like PostcardMania because the platform has an extensive resource of designs for businesses in nearly every category. Here’s a sample of the roughly 80 different industries served by PostcardMania:
The list goes on and on. PostcardMania has a unique service called Everywhere Small Business. As the name implies, this is a multi-channel marketing effort that includes direct mail. In addition to mail, you’ll also benefit from mail tracking, targeted Facebook follow-up advertisements, Instagram ads, Google follow-ups, and call tracking. PostcardMania targets the same people who are receiving your promotions in the mail across digital advertising channels. It brings multiple campaigns together for lead generation and brand awareness. Pricing for high-volume standard-sized postcards starts at just $0.05 per piece. You likely won’t find a better bulk rate in the industry. Cactus Mailing (Best for brochures)• Direct mail and call tracking Cactus Mailing is a simple and straightforward direct mail service that’s ideal for small businesses. Some of their top success stories include a 700% return on investment for one business and $150,000+ in new revenue for another. Overall, Cactus Mailing has helped more than 17,000 businesses increase sales, promote brand awareness, and acquire new customers through direct mail. Top services include:
Similar to some of the other services on our list, Cactus Mailing also offers “Smart Marketing.” This program includes Google display ads and landing pages in addition to direct mail postcards. Cactus Mailing has a helpful ROI calculator tool and an extensive design gallery. Some of the top industries using Cactus Mailing include dentists, restaurants, salons, spas, churches, real estate, retail, fitness, and more. Another reason to consider Cactus Mailing is because they are always running great specials if you combine more than one service. Contact them today for a quote on your direct mailing needs. SaasMQL (Best for SaaS demand generation)• Focused on SaaS businesses SaasMQL is extremely unique compared to the other direct mail services on our list. I’ll start off right away by saying this company is not for everyone. SaasMQL offers account-based demand generation for SaaS businesses. If your organization falls into this category, SaasMQL will be a top choice to consider. In most cases, direct mail isn’t associated with SaaS. But SaasMQL has revolutionized the way that you approach your lead generation strategy. They use direct mail to create leads and opportunities with mid-market and enterprise-level prospects. Using a direct mail campaign, one of their clients generated more than 50 qualified meetings in less than two months. This generated over $2 million. How do they do it? Instead of just sending a flyer or a postcard, SaasMQL sends packages to businesses. This stands out compared to the hundreds of emails, calls, and junk mail these people get on a daily basis. Nobody is going to take a package and just throw it in the garbage. In addition to direct mail, SaasMQL will help you with other account-based marketing campaigns and analytics. They have everything you need for SaaS demand generation across multiple channels. How to Choose the Best Direct Mail Service For Your BusinessAs you can see from this list, each direct mail service is unique. Finding the best one for your business can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for. This is our methodology for narrowing your choices down. I’ll explain each factor in greater detail below. Design OptionsFirst impressions are crucial for direct mail campaigns. You want the final product to look clean and beautiful when it arrives in mailboxes. Find a direct mail service that helps you create a high-quality design. Some services offer industry-specific templates. Other companies let you choose the quality, size, and finish of your products. Designs should be eye-catching and informative as well. Mailer TypesCertain direct mail services are limited in what they’ll print and mail for you. Just because a company offers a product for custom printing, it doesn’t mean that it’s available for direct mail. Common mailer types include:
For some of you, a postcard will be sufficient. But if you’re looking to send more detailed information about your organization, you might want to consider a brochure or catalog. Although uncommon, companies like SaasMQL even send packages via direct mail for certain business types. Mailing ListsWho are you sending your direct mail campaigns to? Not every business has a mailing list on hand. For those of you who don’t, you’ll want to find a direct mail service that will help you generate a targeted list. Sometimes this is free and part of the service. Other times you’ll need to pay extra to buy or rent a list. Turnaround TimeSome direct mail campaigns are more time-sensitive than others. If customers and prospects are receiving a mailer after a promotion has expired or come to an end, it’s a huge waste of money. Once printing is complete, mailing turnaround time ranges anywhere from next business day to ten business days. You can usually pay extra to get your mailers out faster. But it’s better to find a direct mail service that works quickly at no additional cost. Price and VolumeIn most cases, price and volume go hand-in-hand for direct mail campaigns. The more you order, the less you pay per piece. Make sure you use a direct mailing service that offers transparent pricing. Sometimes companies will draw you in with a low per piece cost, but don’t include the costs for print and postage until the end. Sometimes you can get see the prices online. But lots of direct mail companies offer custom quotes based on your needs. Additional ServicesIt’s rare to see a company that only offers direct mail. Lots of the options on our list include additional services for other marketing campaigns and common business needs. For some of you, it could be more cost-effective to bundle these offerings with one company. Even if you don’t need them today, it’s something to consider for your future plans. ConclusionWith so many direct mailing services on the market today, these are the top eight that I’d recommend:
There’s a service provider on here for every business across all industries. From startups to B2B organizations selling software, direct mail is for everyone. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-direct-mail-services/ Want to jump straight to the answer? The best WordPress popup plugins are Ninja Popups and Getsitecontrol. Looking for a good way to collect more leads? Or maybe draw in newsletter subscribers? Or maybe you just need some customers to participate in a survey? A WordPress popup plugin helps get you there. In fact, the average popup outperforms the average traditional landing page. According to a study from Sumo, the average conversion rate for a website popup is 3.09%. While another study from Impact, the average conversion rate for any website landing page is 2.35%.
I created this guide to help you choose the right popup plugin for your WordPress site. I’ve narrowed down the top seven options. The 7 Best WordPress Popup PluginLet’s dive right in. 1. Ninja PopupsNinja Popups is one of the most popular WordPress popup plugins on the market. I’m not saying you should always follow the crowd, popularity is usually a telling sign when it comes to quality. Of the reason why Ninja Popups is one of my favorite plugins is because they offer an extensive list of features, the popups are extremely responsive and work well on mobile devices in addition to desktop browsers and it’s easy for anyone to configure this plugin, even if you don’t have any coding experience. With Ninja Popups, you can customize the design of your popups to match your trending website color schemes. Ninja Popups also lets you customize things like the size of your popups and colors of the buttons. This is important because this plugin also offers A/B testing. You can try different variations of your popups to see which is the most effective and yields the highest conversions. In addition to the A/B tests, Ninja Popups has a detailed analytics page. You can see other KPIs with charts to help you improve your popups. This plugin has page level targeting as well, so you can have different popups for each page on your site depending on your goals. The regular license for a single website starts at $26, making this plugin extremely affordable. It’s ideal for nearly any type of popup campaign you want to run. 2. GetsitecontrolGetsitecontrol is a powerful popup plugin for WordPress. They help you generate leads easily with different widgets. You’ll also be able to manage all of your widgets in a single, powerful dashboard that lets you manage your popups across multiple different websites. It also allows you to manage the popups’ appearance, target audience, and integrations. Seamless integrations include Google Analytics, Hubspot, AWeber, ConvertKit, and SendGrid. Rest easy knowing that Getsitecontrol will play nice with your business’s existing workflow. Along with popups, you’ll also get:
Pricing starts at $7 a month that includes 10,000 monthly widget views. Getsitecontrol also comes with a 7-day free trial with no commitment or credit card needed. 3. Popups by OptinMonsterOptinMonster is a very popular lead generation software. They also help you with other marketing tactics. More than 700,000 websites have used OptinMonster for a host of marketing and lead generation solutions. But their WordPress popup plugin Popups by OptinMonster really stands out. You don’t need highly technical skills to use it. Its drag-and-drop builder is dead simple to use. In addition to popups, this plugin allows you to create other campaigns like:
OptinMonster offers advanced targeting based on personalized behavior for each unique website visitor. This technology is made to trigger popups at the most optimal time to drive conversions. They specialize in popups with exit intent technology. The software can determine when a website visitor is going to leave your page based on their browsing behavior. For example, if they open a new tab, there’s a good chance they are going to navigate to that tab. So that’s a time when an exit intent popup would be triggered. This is great because you don’t want popups to be intrusive to a user’s browsing experience, but you do want to catch visitors before they leave. OptinMonster claims that this plugin has helped some websites boost conversion rates by up to 785%. While I can’t guarantee you’ll get those same results, I’d definitely say it’s worth a try. All of the campaigns built with the Popups by OptinMonster plugin are mobile friendly and highly responsive. The plugin integrates with your email marketing software as well. You can run A/B tests with this plugin. And you’ll have access to Google Analytics data for all of your campaigns. 4. Layered PopupsThe Layered Popups plugin lets you create popups that are, you guessed it — layered. Basically, these popups can have multiple layers, which can attract the attention of website visitors and let you get creative. I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to implement website popups that are far from boring and separate themselves from the crowd. This plugin has a visual editor, which makes it easy for anyone to create and make changes to the design of these popups. Layered Popups has several options for display modes as well. These are some of the options for triggering a popup:
These options make it easy for you to get more email subscribers without annoying your website visitors. Layered Popups is also compatible with some of the top email marketing platforms on the market. As a matter of fact, the plugin supports 56 of these email systems, but some of the biggest names include:
So it’s safe to assume that whatever software you’re using for email is on this list. When you install Layered Popups to your WordPress site, you’ll have access to more than 150 templates. You can also create an unlimited amount of A/B tests for different elements of your popups. With pricing starting at just $21, this is definitely one of the best WordPress popup plugins available. 5. ConvertPlusThe ConvertPlus WordPress plugin is designed for driving conversions with popups. Here’s what the plugin offers
One of my favorite features of ConvertPlus is the template selection. You can take one of the 100+ templates and make slight tweaks to personalize it for your own website content. ConvertPlus has more than 700 fonts that will make your popups stand out. They offer custom CSS, animations, and background settings as well. You’ll also benefit from real-time analytics for your popups and other campaigns. This information will help you track KPIs like views, clicks, and conversions. This plugin integrates with email marketing software, as well as other CRM solutions such as:
6. BloomThe Bloom WordPress plugin is designed specifically for email opt-ins. There are six different ways to display these opt-in forms on your website.
The last option is something that’s unique, and makes this plugin stand apart from other available options. Here’s how it works: Depending on what your website is offering, you can restrict content to the average user. This is a great way to entice opt-ins or registrations. In order for a website visitor to gain access to premium content, they’ll need to opt-in first. Popups can be triggered based on a number of different actions.
Bloom also works with 16 different email marketing platforms, including:
Bloom has hundreds of templates for your popups. You can also customize things like the borders and edges of your popups. The color options are virtually unlimited, so you won’t have to worry about finding a color scheme to match your website design. 7. Elementor ProWith Elementor Pro, you can build any type of website popup from scratch. Its jam packed with features that will help any site grow. You can create popups for specific reasons like:
Elementor Pro offers advanced targeting options as well. For example, you can trigger a popup after a specified number of page views or a specified number of sessions. You can even control popups by the device a user is browsing from. Popups are triggered based on actions such as scrolling, clicks, page loading, inactivity, and exit intent. You can show certain popups on posts with specific tags, authors, or categories. This plugin also offers WooCommerce integration. You can also hide popups for users who are logged in. That way you won’t be asking for an email address that’s already been added to your subscriber list. Subscriptions start at $49 per year for Elementor Pro, which is a bargain, in my opinion, considering all of the advanced features you’ll get for that price, plus design elements that are second to none. You can create beautiful popups that are visually appealing and attractive to your audience. ConclusionDo popups work? That’s a conversation for another day. For those of you who are ready to add popups to your website, you’ll need to install a WordPress plugin that will make this process much easier for you. So what’s the best WordPress popup plugin? It all depends on what you’re looking for. I’ve narrowed down the top seven options for you to consider. You’ll want to install a plugin that lets you create the type of popups you want, but also integrates smoothly with any other software you are using. Some plugins have more templates and custom design features than others. While other popup plugins offer better analytics, A/B tests, and advanced targeting options. You’ll even find some options with all in one features. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-wordpress-popup-plugin/ My quick take? I prefer Domain.com over other top registrars. They have great prices and super easy to use. It’s the registrar that I personally use and always recommend. You need a domain name. More specifically, you need the RIGHT domain name. It’s going to stick with your business for the long haul. That’s why you need to get it right early. Don’t just register whatever domain name is available and call it a day. That’s a big mistake. In this guide, I want to walk you through my process for buying a domain name, starting with how I go about coming up with a name in the first place. Straightforward and easy to use How Much Domain Names CostThere are two options when it comes to getting your domain name:
Regardless of which option you go with, you’ll pay an annual registration fee of $7–$15/year on average. If you are acquiring the name on top of that, you’ll pay an additional acquisition price. The cost of acquiring a domain name varies widely: You can easily spend 4–5 figures on a name. In some cases you can find a good one for hundreds of dollars. Some domain names aren’t for sale at all, while others have sold for millions of dollars. Recently, someone bought CoolQuotesCollection.com for $2,500 and Boot.com for $70,000. There’s nothing wrong with registering a domain name that is available, as long as you’ve thought it through and are intentional about it. In fact, I encourage that. The issue is that in many cases, people don’t even realize that there are other options. Getting your hands on the optimal name is more doable than you might think. I suggest you put some budget behind your domain name — especially if it’s for your business. The tighter your budget, the more limited you’ll be more limited in what you can do. Like most things you don’t pay for, a domain you get for free sometimes shouts to your customers that you’re cheap. I agree with Anthony Shore of the naming agency Operative Words that a non-natural word name probably won’t serve your brand well because it comes off as he puts it in this podcast, “domain desperation.” It’s not a good look. Brainstorm Concepts and IdeasBefore you even think about buying a domain name, you’ll need to do some ground work. Get creative, because it’s time to do some brainstorming. Your domain name is going to be used for something, maybe a business, or a campaign, or a blog. You probably already have some ideas around what it’ll be called, so you’ve already started the process. Create a Concept ListTake your project and write down of all the words, descriptors, phrases, ideas, mantras, etc. that come to mind. Come up with as many words as possible. Use a thesaurus to help. I like to call this a concept list. It’s the list before your final name list. It isn’t necessarily names, but for now, just concepts. Some high level rules:
I personally find a mind map useful for this process.
Choose Potential Domain NamesOnce you have a thorough concept list, you can develop a more refined list of potential names. Start by listing all the names you like. Since you might not have an unlimited budget, make sure to dig deep here. You can’t be too picky yet, because that will end up limiting your options. Write down everything you think might work. I recommend browsing through the following websites to get more ideas. You might get lucky and find something you like just by browsing. If you do, add those to your list as well. BrandBucket — They put together more creative, brandable domain names and then sell them. I’ve found a lot of names here I would not have thought of on my own. BuyDomains.com — They have a huge selection of domain names for sale. They have transparent pricing and offer a seamless experience. This is always my starting point, and preferred approach to acquiring a domain name. Sedo.com — Probably the biggest selection of domain names and the most well known place to acquire a name. BuyDomains.com and Uniregistry are the biggest players in selling domains. More times than not, if a domain name is for sale when I type it into my browser, it is one of those two companies that is behind the sale. I find them to be the most reasonable. HugeDomains.com is another one I have bought from. More Naming Tools to Come Up with ConceptsIf you get stuck, I recommend listening to this podcast episode with Anthony Shore from Operative Word, a company that specializes in naming things. Recently, he’s named the on-demand fitness system Tonal (love how it’s a word that conveys fitness tone and some sense of the futuristic) and Virgin Voyages (formerly Virgin Cruises, which really, who wants to take a cruise when you can take a voyage?). He uses a variety of tools, too, which I’ll list here: OneLook.com – This is like a thesaurus juiced up with killer capabilities and wildcarding options. Say you want a name that starts with Bl and ends with rd, and it’s seven letters long — you can literally search for that. RhymeZone – Pretty self explanatory. Bet you didn’t know that Quick Sprout rhymes with six out, big trout, this crowd, clear out, and sixth round. In addition to rhymes, you can also find synonyms and adjectives. Sketch Engine – This is very intense corpus linguistics database; it uses a large body of real world language that it runs through a computer to organize and tag that language. Anthony sets his to all the news articles from 2014–2017. You can look up words that are used near or in relationship with other words. Basically, you’re finding words that are already natural together. This makes your name more relatable, credible, and adoptable. He talks about it more on the How Brands Are Built podcast. MRC Psycholinguistic Database – He talks about this more in the podcast — it’s a pretty advanced way to search for words with certain criteria. You can use it to find words that start or end a certain way for example. Now that you have a giant list of options it’s time to narrow down the list. Narrow Down the List According to ViabilityNarrow your list down quickly by typing in the .com for each name that you like. Type it into your browser and see what is there.
The best domains are typically the ones for sale unfortunately. But if you have the budget for it, it’s well worth the investment. Once you have the narrowed down list, the next step is to dig even deeper to determine what your final options will be. Choose Your NameIt’s now time for the big decision. Remember the rules-of-thumb:
Then, ask yourself these 10 questions about each of your domain name options:
The Starter Domain ApproachAn approach that I am a fan of is to use the starter domain approach. The idea here is that you can start with a domain name with the intention to move to another one down the road. Let’s say you identify a domain name that you really like, but it is out of range for your budget. For example, when I was coming up with a name for my latest company, I really liked GoodLife.com. Someone else owns it and isn’t necessarily looking to sell it. If I wanted to buy it, I would have to offer a lot of money — a lot more than I was ready to pay. If I wanted to take the starter domain approach, I could have gone with the name Good Life Media, and acquired GoodLifeMedia.com which is for sale for $24,500. (That price must have gone up, because it wasn’t that high when I was actually considering this as an option.) Anyway, I could start with GoodLifeMedia.com and eventually try to acquire GoodLife.com. It would be very easy to rebrand from Good Life Media, to Good Life. Internally, we would just go by “Good Life.” The day that we eventually acquire GoodLife.com would be a huge milestone and would create a built-in company goal that we could go after as a team. If you want a real life example, The Wirecutter just recently rebranded to Wirecutter. Considerations for the starter domain approach
A Note on Social HandlesIn a perfect world, you’d pick a domain name whose social handles are also available. This isn’t a perfect world. My take on this is that it’s hard enough to get a good domain name. Don’t make it even harder or nearly impossible by also adding this criteria. When it comes to picking up the social handles, you’ll have options. You can get creative, or even potentially acquire the handles from the current owners. It’s a good idea to consider social handles when making your final decision, but don’t let that stop you from picking the right name. Buy Your Domain NameStraightforward and easy to use At this point you should have a narrowed down list of viable options for your domain name. The next step is to own it. Each of your options should fall into one of three categories:
We’ll tackle each one of these situations. What to Do If the Domain Name is UnregisteredIn this case, all you need to do is go to Domain.com and register the domain name (get 25% off with coupon code QUICKSPROUT). You’ll find out for sure if that is an option or not once you type the domain name into the search bar. You’ll go through a straightforward process here. Don’t buy any of the add ons or worry about web hosting or any of that yet except for “privacy protection”. It’s what will keep your name off a bunch of spam call lists. You want to use Domain.com to register your domain name and keep your information private (get 25% off with coupon code QUICKSPROUT). That’s it. They are the best domain registrar and I use them exclusively. I do not use them for anything else because there are other companies that I use for the rest of my web needs. I’m a huge proponent of going to the expert in each area of my business. After you finish registering the domain name, you’re done! You are officially the proud owner of your new domain name. All you have to do moving forward is renew the domain name each year. If you fail to renew it, then someone else will be able to replace you as the owner. I recommend setting your domain to auto-renew. It’s just one less thing to worry about. What to Do If the Domain Name Seems AcquirableIf the domain name seems acquirable, but it isn’t clear — you have two options. Either you can try to figure out who owns the domain name yourself and reach out to them. Or, you can hire a broker to do it for you. If you hire a domain broker, there isn’t much risk. Typically, the only way you will have to pay a fee is if you buy the domain name. That’s the biggest downside. Sedo is a good place to start if you want to hire a domain broker. I’ve used them before and have read good reviews from others. In the case of doing it yourself, you can start with a WHOIS search to try to figure out who owns the domain name. Googling the domain name and seeing if it is tied to any social media profiles or other websites is also a good approach. More times than not, I will fail at finding out who owns the domain name myself. It is common for people to use privacy features that hide their contact information. Most domain registrars offer this for free, so people tend to do it by default. (Like I said above, you should definitely opt into this feature.) The benefit of a domain broker is that they have a huge network. They almost always know who owns what, and if they don’t, they have ways of figuring it out. Back to my GoodLife.com example. There is no way I would have figured out who owns that domain name if I didn’t have a broker figure it out for me. Of course, I still do not know who owns that domain name, but at least I have a broker who does. Another benefit of a broker is that you do not have to deal with the awkwardness of negotiating price. You have a middle man who can be the bad guy for you. What to Do If the Domain Name Is Clearly for SaleDomain names that might be acquirable, as outlined above, can be challenging. I much prefer to focus on names that are clearly for sale. These are easy. If the name is already for sale, the process is straightforward. The only thing you really need to think about is negotiating price. Negotiating PriceThere is often opportunity to negotiate price. Depending on who you are dealing with, there could be some room to get the price down. I don’t recommend pushing too hard or overthinking this. That might just lead to wasting time and potentially losing out on the name. However, there is no harm in giving it a shot and doing some level of negotiating. After the AcquisitionOnce you acquire the domain name, the next step is to transfer to your domain registrar. Again, I recommend Domain.com (get 25% off with coupon code QUICKSPROUT). You can see the process for transferring your domain name here. It also helps to understand how domains work. Regardless of how you acquire your domain name, the final step is to see it sitting inside of your account. That is when it’s official! via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/buy-domain-name/ Want my quick answer? BlogVault and BackupBuddy are the best WordPress backup plugins out there. If your website crashes, you need a way to get it up and running ASAP. That’s why you need a good WordPress backup plugin. Your website could become the victim of user errors, vicious attacks, or malware.
When that happens, expect a hit to your SEO ranking, and damage your relationship with customers and website visitors. On top of rebuilding your website, you’ll also need to run campaigns to improve your online reputation. Backup plugins help you avoid these situations. It’ll restore all of your WordPress website content if you ever have any problems. So what’s the best WordPress backup plugin? 6 Best WordPress Backup PluginThere are tons of options to choose from. The last thing you want is to install a backup plugin as a fail-safe and have it cause more problems. That’s why I narrowed down the list to the six best WordPress backup plugins for you to consider. Use this guide as a reference to help you find the right one for your website. 1. BlogVaultBlogVault is trusted by 400,000+ websites for their backup needs—and for good reason. In between its affordable pricing ($7.40 / month) and it’s great features, it’s sure to give you everything you would need out of a WordPress backup plugin. It’s also incredibly intuitive. Even the newest WP user will be able to learn the ropes quickly. They also offer easy migration in case you’re changing web hosts. One other very nice feature is the fact that BlogVault backs up your website even if your website is down. You’ll be able to access any backups via your BlogVault dashboard while you wait for your site to go back up. BlogVault also creates multiple backup copies of your website, allowing you to upload them into a third-party storage site like Google Drive or DropBox for even more protection against lost data. And with daily automatic backups, you’re sure to have the most up-to-date backups as possible. Recovering your website is a snap too. With just one click, you’ll be able to restore your backed up website and return it to what it was the day before the hack or loss of information occurs. BlogVault allows you to add sites to their service to. You’ll be able to manage all of your website backups on one dashboard, and generate reports and analytics for each one. Pricing for BlogVault starts at $7.4 / month and includes real-time backups, a 90-day backup archive, and one site. Try BlogVault now. 2. BackupBuddy
All of these components will be backed up with this plugin. The files are backed up and stored off-site in a location that’s safe and secure. Each time a backup is completed, you can download a zip file to have another copy on your hard drive. You can also send backups to remote storage locations such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and BackupBuddy Stash. If you ever have a problem and need to recover content, BackupBuddy makes it easy to quickly restore your entire WordPress site. While this plugin can back up nearly every element of your WordPress site, that doesn’t mean you have to do so. For one reason or another, you may only want to backup certain components, like a database or specific files. You can completely customize the backups to fit your needs. Another reason why BackupBuddy is a top choice is because you can schedule automatic backups, so you won’t have to remember to do this manually. BackupBuddy is extremely helpful when it comes to user error as well. If you accidentally delete a post, you can restore the content in just a few clicks. If you ever need to change domains or hosts for your WordPress site, the BackupBuddy plugin will help you do so with ease. The WordPress migration tool makes this plugin a popular choice for developers who create custom websites for clients on a temporary domain before moving the site over to a domain that’s live. BackupBuddy also runs malware scans, which can potentially identify any problems before they happen. All of these features make BackupBuddy one of the best WordPress backup plugins available. 3. VaultPress
It’s so good, we use VaultPress on Quick Sprout and have since 2011. Once you install this plugin, you can easily set up automated backups. Everything is stored in a digital off-site vault. In addition to backups, you can use VaultPress for site migrations, file repairs, and restores. VaultPress also has a calendar view option, making it easy to locate, view, and restore content from previous backups. But the dashboard of VaultPress is different from what you’re used to with other WordPress plugins. This minor navigation flaw doesn’t affect the performance and usage of the plugin itself. I also like the built-in security features. The file scanning and spam defense will help you identify and eliminate malware, spammers, viruses, and other security vulnerabilities. The added security reduces the chances that you’ll actually have to use the restore functions due to an outside threat, but it’s nice to have the backups available just to be safe. Pricing plans for VaultPress start at $39 per year, so it’s a cost-effective way to back up your WordPress website. 4. UpdraftPlus
UpdraftPlus gets my vote of confidence because it’s so easy to use. Even if you don’t have much technical experience, the interface is very straightforward. The simplicity allows you to backup and restore content in just a click or two. The free version of UpdraftPlus lets you run full backups, manual backups, and scheduled backups. You can also back up and restore your plugins, themes, and database with the free version. Automatic backup options range anywhere from hourly to monthly. If you want to manually manage UpdraftPlus, you’ll clearly see the restore, clone, and migrate options in addition to the backup buttons. You can access all of your current backups directly from the dashboard. It’s easy for you to restore or delete older versions that you no longer need. Like other backup plugins, UpdraftPlus gives you remote storage options to places such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and many more. UpdraftPlus is fast. So it uses up fewer server resources. This is a great feature for those of you who are using shared web hosting services. It’s comforting knowing that there are free WordPress backup plugins out there with so much functionality. With that said, you can upgrade to a premium plan that’s extremely affordable, starting at $42 per year to get these additional features and reports:
The incremental backup feature is one of the best reasons to upgrade this plugin. Instead of having to back up your entire site when you make a change, such as adding an image, this option only backs up those new files. If you have any issues with this plugin, the customer support team is exceptional. You can tell that UpdraftPlus is a reliable plugin just by the sheer number of active installs on other websites. The plugin wouldn’t be so popular if all of those people had problems. 5. DuplicatorWith over one million active installations, Duplicator is another popular choice. As the name implies, the primary function of this plugin is to migrate, move, or clone a WordPress website between domains. This can be accomplished without any downtime, which can’t be said for other plugins out there. You can also use Duplicator to transfer your WordPress website between hosts. This plugin lets you duplicate a live website to a staging area, or duplicate your staging area to a live site. Duplicator allows you to execute a full migration in WordPress without having to import and export SQL scripts. This plugin is a great option, but I can’t say I’d recommend it to beginners. It’s definitely better for those of you who have some technical knowledge. Don’t get me wrong; you don’t need to be a coding expert, but you should have a basic understanding of how things work before you attempt to use the Duplicator plugin on your website. It’s great for developers who are tired of manually configuring themes and sets of plugins each time they build a new site. You can just do this once and bundle it with Duplicator, then just use that as your template by migrating it over to different locations for each client. Here’s how it works: All of your website content, plugins, themes, and database get bundled into a zip file, which is referred to as a “package” by Duplicator. In addition to these features, you can also benefit from scheduled backups by upgrading to Duplicator Pro. The pricing is pretty affordable; it starts at $79 per year. Backups can be stored locally, or in remote locations. You can also set up email notifications for updates on the status of your backups. I’d say this WordPress plugin is more suitable for developers who have the need for migrations and things of that nature. So if that’s what you’re looking for, Duplicator can fulfill the requirements. It’s great for developers who are tired of manually configuring themes and sets of plugins each time they build a new site. You can do this once and bundle it with Duplicator, then just use that as your template by migrating it over to a different locations for each client. But if you just want a basic backup plugin, you’ll probably be better off with one of the other choices on our list. 6. WP Time Capsule
After you install this plugin, the first thing you’ll need to do is connect it with one of the cloud storage locations:
Once that happens, the plugin will automatically start creating your first backup. Next, you just simply have to set your backup schedule and the WP Time Capsule plugin will take care of the rest. Another great feature of the WP Time Capsule is the calendar view option. This is extremely helpful if you want to restore content from a specific date. As you can see, this is very straightforward. All you have to do is click on the date, and decide if you want to view or restore files from your selection. Since WP Time Capsule backs up your site incrementally, you won’t have multiple copies of files. This means less disk space will be used. WP Time Capsule doesn’t create zip files either, so fewer server resources are used compared to other backup methods. If you want a backup plugin that’s simple, straightforward, user-friendly, and easy to use, WP Time Capsule is a top choice to consider. ConclusionWhat’s the best WordPress backup plugin? I narrowed down the top six options for you to consider. Each of these plugins is slightly different from the others, so what’s best for your site will depend on what you’re looking for. For those of you who want to go with a popular choice for WordPress backups, then you should take a closer look at BackupBuddy and BlogVault. If you’re a developer, a bit more tech-savvy, and plan to use a backup plugin for cloning, migrations, and moving content between servers, you’ll want to consider Duplicator. Maybe you just want a simple backup plugin that’s easy to use, has automatic backups, and stores content in your personal remote storage accounts. In this case, you’ll want to go with WP Time Capsule. If you want added security functionality in addition to WordPress backups, VaultPress has what you’re looking for. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-wordpress-backup-plugin/ Are you ready to launch a new website? Finding and registering a domain name is the first step in this process. For those of you who have never done this before, it can be a bit intimidating. You might not know where to start, and you’re probably hesitant to spend money. Fortunately, you don’t have to pay to register your domain. There are plenty of different ways to get a free domain name for your new website. Whether you’re starting a blog, online portfolio, small personal site, or business website, this guide will show you how to get a free domain.
How To Get a Free Domain Name Using BluehostFree domain name included with your hosting plan Bluehost is the best way to get a free domain. In addition to a domain name, you’ll also need to host your website online. Bluehost ranks first on our list of the best web hosting providers. When you sign up for hosting with Bluehost, you’ll get a free domain. You’re essentially killing two birds with one stone, and one of those birds is free. I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of getting a free domain name with Bluehost. Step #1: Go to Bluehost.comThe first thing you need to do is visit the Bluehost website. When you get here, you’ll see several different menu navigation options. One of those menus says, “Domains.” Do NOT go to the “Domains” page. This is a common mistake. Since you’re looking for a domain name, this would seem like the logical place to get it. But if you take this route, you won’t get your domain for free. Instead, click on the “Hosting” menu. Bluehost offers three different types of web hosting:
All of these come with a free domain for one year. Shared hosting is the best option for the vast majority of people. This is especially true if you’re starting a website from scratch. The other hosting types are more expensive and provide resources you likely won’t need right now. Step #2: Select a Web Hosting PlanNow we need to choose a hosting plan. Bluehost has four different shared hosting plans. Here’s a look at the different price points for each of those plans: I’ll give you a quick overview of the features and benefits of each plan to help you decide which one is the best for your website. Basic
Plus
Choice Plus
Pro
The Basic plan is plenty for most. You can always upgrade to another plan down the road as your website scales. Check out our full Bluehost web hosting review for more information about these plans. Again, you’ll get a free domain name for one year regardless of the plan you choose. Step #3: Choose a Domain NameAfter selecting a hosting plan, you’ll be redirected to the following page: From here, you’ll have three options:
Already know the domain you want? Search for it in the box on the left side of the screen. Bluehost offers domains with different extensions, including:
In most instances, a .com domain will be the only one I recommend. But there are two reasons why you might get an alternative domain extension: price and availability. Getting a .site or .tech domain is cheaper than a .com extension. But in this case, you’re getting a year for free anyways. Price aside, .com domains will be better for the long term success of your website. Another reason why people consider an alternative extension is if the .com domain is unavailable. For example, if you try to create a domain using quicksprout.com, Bluehost will give you this alert: Rather than using an alternative extension suggested below, you’re better off coming up with a completely new .com domain. For more tips on choosing a domain, review our guide on how to buy a domain name. Step #4: Create Your AccountChoose an available domain. You’ll then be prompted to create a Bluehost account. As mentioned above, you can also skip the domain registration for now and go directly to this step. You’ll still get a free domain when you eventually register it. The account creation is about as straightforward as it gets. Simply fill out the form fields with the required information. This is all pretty standard stuff. You’ll be asked to fill out the same information on the checkout page of nearly any website. You cannot get a free domain without creating a Bluehost account. Step #5: Choose Your Billing TermsNow time to choose your plan. Bluehost offers web hosting for 12, 24, and 36-month contracts. The price varies based on your term length. These are the price points for the entry-level Bluehost shared plan:
These rates are only valid for your first contract. Bluehost Basic renews at $7.99 per month. The 36-month contract gives you the best overall rate but requires you to pay the most upfront when you sign up. This is just a matter of personal preference. Some people would rather pay more to avoid a long-term contract. Others are happy to pay extra today for the best deal over three years. Step #6: Select Add-Ons (Optional)Before you enter your payment details and finalize the contract, Bluehost has a handful of extras that you might want to consider. Get domain privacy and protection. Trust me. Without it, your personal information will be listed on a public database. This includes your name, phone number, mailing address, and email address. So anyone, including spammers, can access it. With domain privacy and protection, this information is hidden from public view. Every other add-on is optional. You could also opt-in for CodeGuard Basic. It handles things like daily backups, automatic monitoring, and one-click version restores. These features are available through other methods as well, such as WordPress plugins. So don’t feel pressured to get it now. SiteLock Security Essential is another popular add-on. It covers added malware protection, blacklist monitoring, automated malware removal, file-level scanning, and things like that. Again, you could always get this extra security at a later time using a plugin or another service. The final step is entering your payment details. Bluehost lets you pay with a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express) or via PayPal. Once you agree to the terms of service, your hosting account will be set up, and you’ll have a free domain name for one year. Bluehost has a 30-day money-back guarantee. So you can get a full refund on your hosting costs if you change your mind during that time. Other Ways to Get a Free Domain NameWhile Bluehost is definitely the best way to get a free domain name, it’s not the only way. I’ll show you some alternative methods for getting a free domain. Use a Free SubdomainLots of website builders and other services offer free subdomains. For example, if you use a free website builder like Wix to create your website, you won’t have to pay anything for a domain. However, your site will have a subdomain in this format: yourusername.wixsite.com/yoursiteaddress Here’s what that would look like if your Wix username was “My Stunning Website 123” and the domain you wanted was “myblogsite.” This is obviously not ideal. No credible website has a domain like this. The only time I would consider using this method for a free domain is if you were just experimenting with the free features of the website builder. But overall, this isn’t a viable long-term strategy. WordPress is another popular option for a free subdomain. It’s not as invasive as Wix. The format for a free WordPress subdomain is: yoursitename.wordpress.com You can get away with this for a while if you’re using WordPress to run a small blog or personal site. But you’ll eventually want to ditch the subdomain if you want to establish any sense of authority online. Domain Registrar Ad Programs (Not Recommended)There are plenty of domain registrars that will give you a free domain in exchange for running ads on your website. While there is normally nothing wrong with having ads on your site, this is not the best way to do it. In most cases, you won’t have any control over the ads and their placement. This will not only hinder the experience for your website visitors, but it will also damage your SEO ranking. Plus, what if your website got one million views? You wouldn’t see a dime from those ads. All you get is a free domain. If you want to run ads on your website, do it through a legitimate advertising network, like Google. Don’t exchange ads for a free domain. Free ccTLD Services (Not Recommended)The web is full of free TLD (top-level domain) services for different country codes (cc). This refers to the extension after your domain name. So you can register your domain with country codes like:
You can get these from services like Freenom or Dok.tk. But I strongly advise against it. Saying this is a sketchy way to get a free domain is an understatement. If you look up reviews on the web about these services, you’ll find nothing but criticism. From malicious ads to adult content and randomly removing the domain, you won’t have a pleasant experience. ConclusionBluehost is the best way to get a free domain name. Just sign up for a web hosting plan, and they’ll give you a free domain for one year. There are other ways to avoid paying for a domain, like using a free subdomain or joining an affiliate program. But I personally wouldn’t recommend the majority of alternative options. If you’re thinking about getting a free domain using a random country code from some island in the South Pacific, don’t do it. Saving a few dollars isn’t worth the cost of running a spammy website. Stick with Bluehost, or check out the best domain registrars for paid alternatives. Free domain included with hosting via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/how-to-get-a-free-domain-name/ PEO stands for “professional employer organization.” It’s a service that handles routine company tasks, mainly in HR. They include things like running payroll, managing benefits, and filling paperwork. A PEO saves you from having to do all of this yourself. Every business needs one, you’ll save a ton of time and money. Whether you’re interested in hiring a PEO service for the first time, or looking to switch providers, we’ve reviewed all the top PEO options. We also have some tools below to help you to help you find the best option in your location. Compare the Best PEO CompaniesThere are 957 PEO companies in the USA! Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin. Benefits Of Using A PEOThere are plenty of reasons why you should use a PEO. Here are 10 benefits now:
Your People Are Your Most Important AssetPEOs offer a wide variety of services. Each company that offers one is unique too. So the one you ultimately choose is up to you. However, there are a few things that all PEOs should do, and you should avoid any that don’t at least provide these services: What Your PEO Should Do The Following At a Minimum
Some PEO services are industry-specific, while others are intended for businesses of a certain size. Compare the Best PEO CompaniesThere are 957 PEO companies in the USA! Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin. Why There Is No One Size Fits All PEOUnlike other B2B solutions where it is a commodity and most services are quite similar, this is not the case for PEOs. The factor that makes the biggest difference is the insurance. For example, there is a large PEO in Utah that has 50% market share but that only works in Utah because of their health insurance provider plan; it isn’t competitive as a PEO outside of Utah. That is why a lot of PEO’s stay regional and don’t go national, and even national PEOs are stronger in some states then others. The second factor about why there is no one size fits all PEO is your industry. For example, if you are a staffing company, there are dedicated PEOs that only do staffing. If you were a tech company, you wouldn’t want to use a staffing PEO because you would pay three times more for your benefits and there could be a considerable knowledge gap. PEO Mistakes To AvoidBelow is a list of negotiation items and things you want to avoid when choosing a PEO.
Complete our survey below to discover what is the best PEO match for you: Compare the Best PEO CompaniesThere are 957 PEO companies in the USA! Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin. PEO Frequently Asked QuestionsHow much does a PEO cost? PEO’s cost between $1,000 and $1,800 per employee per year, depending on the size of your company – companies over 100 employees will be at the lower end of the range and smaller companies will be at the higher. Remember that using a PEO reduces your insurance cost dramatically so sometimes you actually end up saving money even though you might be paying more per employee as compared to what your payroll service charges. Are there setup fees? Most PEO’s charge between $1,000 and $10,000 as setup fees. Can I get started right away? If you sign a contract today, you can be onboarded in 1-3 weeks depending on company size As the owner of the company, can I also get benefits for my family and me? 100% you will get access to all the plans and benefits available to everyone in your organization. Does the PEO own my employees? When you enter in a co-employment relationship with the PEO, you will sit under a joint EIN. This doesn’t affect anything other then tax submissions. The PEO will not “own” your employees and you are free to do business as if you weren’t using PEO. What are the best benefits for a startup? The best benefits for your startup are in streamlining health insurance, as what you can offer depends heavily on what’s available in the state in which you operate. For example, the largest health insurance providers in New York are United Health Care, Blue Cross, Oxford and Aetna, so these will be your options for employees living in New York. However, if you have employees in other states, they may have other choices. Navigating this, and making sure you’re spending your money as wisely as possible, can be a major headache. A good PEO will help you figure this all out and choose the right plan/plans for you, which will allow you to focus other tasks that are going to contribute more to the growth of your startup. 9 Best PEO Service ProvidersThere are countless PEO services available on the market today. Some PEO services are industry-specific, while others are intended for businesses of a certain size. Finding the best PEO provider for your business can be challenging if you don’t have any guidance. I want to help. That’s why I’ve broken down the nine best PEO service providers. Read about them below. I’ll cover the features, benefits, costs, as well as any drawbacks. Amplify PEO• Full-service PEO solutions Amplify offers a full-service PEO solution. They offer a roster of features and services you’d expect from the best HR solutions out there including:
Their services helps save companies $1,185 per employee each year. Think about that. If your company is 25 employees, that’s nearly $30,000 a year saved. If your company is 100 employees, that’s $118,500 saved. I really like Amplify because they’re more human than a lot of other PEO providers. And I mean that literally. Any and all HR issues are directed to an actual person rather than an automated call center. So whether you’re looking for benefits solutions, payroll solutions, or retirement solutions, Amplify has you covered. Pricing is obscured on their website but you can request a quote for free. ADP TotalSource• Full-service PEO solutions ADP is an industry leader in technology. Since 2011 they have been providing software for human resources to businesses of all shapes and sizes. But in addition to their robust technology, ADP TotalSource is a full-service PEO solution. ADP is another top option for small to medium-sized business owners. Whether you have 1-49 employees, 50-999 employees, or 1,000+ members on your team, ADP has a plan for you. ADP TotalSource is used for human resources, talent management, payroll, employee benefits, and risk assessment. As a small business owner, you can use ADP to provide enterprise-grade medical, dental, and vision care to your employees. Furthermore, ADP also offers 401(k) plans. The technology used by ADP is the biggest standout of this PEO provider. Everything from HR to payroll, benefits, and recruiting can be accessed and managed through a mobile app or easy to use web dashboard. But arguably the best feature of ADP is the customer service. Naturally, your employees will have questions. Whether it be about their pay, benefits, or something else that would fall into the HR category. Rather than bothering you with those questions, your staff can simply contact an ADP representative directly. ADP’s knowledgeable and friendly staff will guide your employees in the right direction to answer any questions or help them pick a plan that fits their needs. I like ADP because they also have industry-specific solutions for businesses in the following categories:
ADP provides PEO services and technology in over 140 countries worldwide. The only potential downside of using ADP TotalSource is the company’s size. Since ADP is so large, it’s possible that your small business could feel like it’s getting lost in the shuffle. Insperity• Full-service HR solution Insperity has been around for 30+ years. They provide full HR solutions for small businesses as well as enterprises with up to 5,000 employees. In 1997, the company went public on the NYSE. They have a long list of awards, accreditation’s, achievements, and glowing reviews from their customers. Insperity’s full-service HR solution includes:
For those of you who don’t need a full-service solution, you can also use Insperity for individual services. While Insperity does accommodate the needs of businesses with 150-5,000 employees, I’d recommend their services to small and medium-sized business owners with less than 150 employees. With Insperity, you’ll have access to the iOS and Android mobile apps to monitor and manage your business on the go. It’s a great option for those of you who enjoy leveraging the latest technology to streamline your processes. For those of you who prefer working with large organizations, Insperity is definitely a top choice to consider. They did $3.8 billion in revenue back in 2018. Although the company is big, they still provide excellent customer service and know how to work with small business owners. Another top feature of Insperity is its flexibility. Unlike other PEO providers on the market, Insperity won’t lock you into a long-term contract. You can cancel at any time, as long as you give them 30 day’s notice. Insperity does not list prices for their services online. You’ll need to speak with their customer service sales team to get a custom quote. A potential drawback of using Insperity for PEO services is that their health plan options are limited. Unlike other providers, Insperity only offers health plans from a single health insurance provider. So if your company wants to give your employees multiple options for healthcare, you should look elsewhere on our list. But this usually isn’t a problem for small business owners. Paychex• Full service or individual plans More than 670,000 businesses trust Paychex. While the company is best known for its online payroll services, they are also a full-service PEO provider. One of the biggest standouts of Paychex is the way that they provide PEO services. Your business will get a dedicated HR professional. In some cases, this dedicated HR manager can even be on-site at your office. By working directly with your employees, Paychex takes HR outsourcing to the next level. Since Paychex works so closely with your company, it makes it easier for them to assess workplace risks and address key areas of liability. These are some of the top features and benefits of using Paychex as your PEO provider:
Like other PEO providers, Paychex also offers individual services if you don’t need a full-service plan. You can search for solutions by task, business size, or role. Paychex even offers outsourced office management services. From paperless hiring and onboarding to issuing payroll, Paychex does it all. The only negative thing I can find about Paychex is that the interface is a bit outdated and not as user-friendly compared to options like ADP TotalSource. The price for Paychex PEO services is based on the number of employees you have. Justworks• Basic and Plus plans Justworks is a full-service PEO provider offering payroll, human resources, compliance, and employee benefits under a single umbrella package. The company launched in 2012 but has quickly grown in both size and popularity over the last few years. They went from 40 employees in 2015 to 300 in 2018. Today, Justworks has more than 600 employees and relationships with major companies like United Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, and ClassPass. In addition to employee benefits like health, vision, and dental insurance, Justworks also provides a wide range of compliance services. They handle W-2 and 1099 filings, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation. Justworks has an automated payroll system for direct deposit, paying vendors and contractors, and integration with your business accounting software like Quickbooks and Xero. Another benefit of Justworks is that they can accommodate the needs for businesses of all sizes. So if you start working with them now, they can scale with you as your company grows. Here’s an overview of their plans and pricing based company size: Basic — Payroll, HR Tools, Benefits, and Compliance
Plus — Access to Medical, Dental, and Vision
You can save 15% on all plans when you sign up for an annual contract. I like Justworks because they give you so many options. You’re not forced to take the health insurance package, but it’s available if you want it. If you’re just starting out and new to working with PEO service providers, you could always start with the Basic plan and upgrade to Plus when you’re ready. Justworks offers 24/7 customer support. The company is modern and still growing at a rapid rate, so I expect them to continue providing excellent service in the future. The only real downside of Justworks is their lack of experience. There are other PEO service providers who have been in business for decades. Visit JustWorks to learn more. Oasis Outsourcing• Owned by Paychex Oasis Outsourcing was originally founded in 1996. The company was recently acquired by Paychex in 2018, although Oasis still operates under its own name. PEO services provided by Oasis Outsourcing include:
Oasis can help your small business get great deals on healthcare by bundling your plan with other clients. They’ll help you set up employee retirement plans as well. Like other providers on our list, Oasis has some industry-specific solutions.
I’d recommend Oasis to startup companies because they are versatile, but smaller than some of the other choices out there. Oasis can give startups the special attention that they need, even with just a handful of employees. While some PEO providers allow for month-to-month commitments, Oasis will force you into a one-year contract. So for those of you who don’t want to get locked in, this won’t be the best option for you. With that said, Oasis does offer a 90-day money-back guarantee window. So you’ll have some time to change your mind if you’re not satisfied in the first few months. VensureHR• Full-service PEO solutions VensureHR helps you simplify your HR processes by offering a full range of PEO solutions. Founded in 2004, they’ve since helped process more than 4 billion in annual payroll processing. With more than 250,000 employees served, you can bet that they’ll have solutions to help your company too. Their services include:
While their services are robust enough for companies of many different industries and sizes, they’re focused on helping small businesses manage their HR solutions. That means if you’re a small business owner, you can focus on pulling the levers that boost growth instead. Pricing is obscured on their website, but you can request a quote at anytime by filling out a form. TriNet• In business for over 30 years TriNet is one of the oldest and most experienced PEO service providers in the industry. After launching in 1988, the company has been serving businesses for more than 30 years. As of today, they are currently working with over 16,000 clients and roughly 332,000 employees. The PEO services provided by TriNet are similar to some of the others in the industry. They offer niche-specific solutions for:
TriNet stands out as one of the best PEO providers because of their service and attention to detail. Their team will be on standby for your employees. Whether it’s during the hiring process, onboarding, or just day-to-day questions about their benefits or employee status, TriNet is there for all of those needs. TriNet does not try to appeal to larger organizations. In fact, services are segmented by employee size into these three categories:
I’d recommend TriNet to those of you who fall on the lower end of this scale. A company with 500 or 1,000+ employees should look elsewhere. TriNet offers a wide range of employee health benefit options through insurance companies like United Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Aflac, Aetna, and MetLife. TriNet also has partnerships with big brands to offer small businesses and employees marketplace discounts. Some of those brands include Verizon, AT&T, Hyatt, and Avis. Infiniti HR• Pick & choose what you need While some providers force you to bundle all PEO services in one package, Infiniti HR allows you to pick and choose which ones you need. Do you only need an outsourced human resources department, but not payroll? No problem. Infiniti HR can set you up with that. In addition to the traditional PEO services that we’ve seen so far (HR, payroll, risk management, employee benefits, etc.), Infiniti HR also specializes in recruitment. This PEO provider will help get top-level talent to your team. Another standout for Infiniti HR is the type of businesses that they serve. They work with lots of franchise organizations like Supercuts, Best Western, and Massage Envy. Whether you own one franchise location or multiple franchises across the country, Infiniti HR will be a top choice for you to consider. Infiniti HR has been in business for just over ten years. They are still growing and improving their services on what seems like a daily basis. The Infiniti HR mobile app is expected to be released by the end of 2020. This technology improvement will definitely make their services more appealing. How to Find the Best PEO Service ProvidersThere are 957 PEO companies in the USA! Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin. There is quite a bit of information that must be taken into consideration when you’re evaluating a PEO service provider. Since so many companies seem to offer similar services, choosing the best fit for your business can be a challenge. I’ll take you through the methodology that we used to come up with this guide. You can use these features as well during your search process. PricingThe first thing you should look at is the price of the PEO solutions. This will make it easier for you to eliminate options that might be out of your price range. Unfortunately, not every PEO provider includes prices on their website. Since so much about this industry is customized, you’ll need to speak with a sales representative to get a quote. But if you’re looking for a provider with transparent prices, Justworks will be a top option for you to consider. Employee BenefitsWhile a PEO provider is supposed to reduce costs make your life easier as a business owner, it should also have a positive impact on your employees. Things like retirement plans, health insurance, dental, and vision offered by a PEO will be appealing to your staff. Not only will this keep your employees happy, but it will also help you hire top-level talent. Some PEO providers work with just one health insurance company, while others provide a wide range of options. So if diverse plans from varying providers is important to you, then make sure you find a PEO solution that can accommodate those needs. Employee Self-ServiceThe best PEO providers offer technology for employee self-service. Whether it’s an app or web portal, your staff can access crucial information related to their pay, employee status, or benefits. If the self-service options are not sufficient, you want to make sure that your PEO provider will be available to answer any questions via phone, email, or live chat for your employees. Your staff should be able to do this without having to go directly through you to speak to an outsourced HR representative. Business Size and IndustryA startup with five employees and a franchise with 2,000 employees across 50 locations will not be in the market for the same PEO service provider. Look for you providers that work with companies similar to the size of your business. Furthermore, some PEO providers specialize in certain industries. Ideally, you want to work with a provider who understands your industry, whenever possible. ConclusionWhat’s the best PEO service provider? The answer depends on a wide range of factors. Not every business is looking for the same thing in a PEO solution. Some businesses want a full-service PEO package, while others just want an outsourced HR representative. Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-peo-service-providers/ GoToMeeting ranks high on our list of the best conference call services. The platform offers all of the tools you’ll need to run a successful business meeting. GoToMeeting stands out for its exceptional call quality, robust features, and excellent customer service. Whether you’re a small, medium, or enterprise-sized business, GoToMeeting has conference call solutions to fit your needs. Millions of people have used GoToMeeting, including some well-known names like Make-A-Wish and Marketo. If you’re in the market for new conference call software, GoToMeeting should definitely be taken into consideration. Use this guide to learn more about its benefits, plans, and pricing, as well as any potential drawbacks.
GoToMeeting Features and BenefitsGoToMeeting has a wide range of features for different use cases. I’ll highlight some of the top advantages of GoToMeeting’s software and service. If you want to just jump right in then I suggest signing up for the GoToMeeting free trial. Conference CallsWhether you need to communicate with coworkers, customers, or prospects, GoToMeeting’s audio conference calling has you covered. As long as your device can access the Internet, GoToMeeting lets you join a call. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and mobile devices. GoToMeeting has taken the complexity out of business conference calling. From the initial setup to the call quality and meeting management features, it’s easy for anyone to use. All plans come with unlimited web audio conference calls — so you’ll never have to worry about exceeding a limit. GoToMeeting provides optional toll-free numbers for more than 50 countries. If you add-on this feature, you’ll only pay for what you use. This is an alternative solution to traditional VoIP phone services. You’ll also get custom email invitations, reservationless connections, integrated scheduling, and one-click meetings with the conference calling feature. Video ConferencesIn addition to audio calls, GoToMeeting provides HD quality video conferencing. This gives you the opportunity to host face-to-face meetings online. Up to 25 users can use their webcam at the same time with GoToMeeting. Other video conferencing platforms have confusing controls, syncing errors, and unexpected outages. But you won’t have to worry about any of these problems with GoToMeeting. The platform enables cloud collaboration for both desktop and mobile. Bandwidth is automatically adjusted for each user based on their resources and hardware, making it a seamless experience for everyone involved. Using the video conferencing feature is simple. GoToMeeting allows people using the desktop app to edit their webcam preferences. So you can change the display format before going live. Want to jump off of your camera without leaving or interrupting the meeting? No problem. GoToMeeting makes that easy to accomplish. Screen SharingOnline screen sharing with GoToMeeting elevates the quality of your audio and video conference calls. You’ll be able to present your computer screen in real-time to meeting attendees. This is the perfect way to enhance your communication when visuals are required. Screen sharing helps with brainstorming ideas, team member training, or presentations and slide decks. With screen sharing capabilities, you can turn any conference call into a full-blown presentation in seconds. Another advantage of this feature is its flexibility. You can choose exactly what screen you want to share. Whether it’s your entire monitor or just a single app, GoToMeeting has settings to support your needs. Meeting attendees do not need to download any desktop or mobile software to access screen sharing capabilities. GoToMeeting offers screen sharing from all Chrome web browsers. This is perfect for people who are in a software-restricted environment or using an operating system where installing the app isn’t possible. These are both common scenarios for certain corporate firewall permissions. You can share your screen from an iPhone or iPad as well. You’ll even be able to switch between iOS devices seamlessly. If a meeting is running late and you need to step away from your computer, just continue on your mobile device without leaving the meeting. Transcriptions and RecordingsA common problem with virtual meetings is the ability to retain information. This is especially true for longer sessions featuring multiple presenters and participants. Hand-written notes aren’t always practical. Plus, it defeats the purpose of using technology to your advantage. GoToMeeting solves this problem with transcriptions and recordings. Simply click the record button. The presenter’s screen, along with everyone’s audio, will be captured. You can store these recordings locally or in the cloud. The Smart Meeting Assistant will also transcribe the conversation automatically. So you’ll always be able to refer back to those transcripts. There’s no reason to assign a designated transcriber to your meetings anymore. Instead of scrambling to write things down, you can actually pay attention to what’s going on. The transcriptions and recordings are also highly beneficial to coworkers or clients who were unable to attend. They can re-watch the meeting on their own time as if they were there. Hardware BundlesIn addition to providing software, GoToMeeting also has all of the hardware you need for hosting high-quality meetings. They have hardware bundles available for huddle spaces, as well as larger conference rooms. With Poly and Dolby Voice, GoToMeeting provides top of the line technology. The audio and video quality with these bundles is second to none. These out-of-the-box conference room solutions are incredibly user-friendly. Installation is easy as well. You can get the entire system set up in less than 15 minutes. There’s no reason to get your conference room hardware from a third-party provider. Bundling your solution with GoToMeeting is a cost-effective way to get top of the line equipment. Mobile ConferencingThe modern workforce is always on the go. Remote employees aren’t always tied to a desk with a computer at their disposal. GoToMeeting solves this problem by providing native mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. Now you can schedule, join, or host a meeting directly from any mobile device. The mobile app still gives you all of the features and benefits that we previously discussed. You’ll be able to share your screen and record meetings as well. It works for both audio and video conference calls. Again, GoToMeeting will automatically adjust your bandwidth to ensure high quality, no matter where you are. Other Considerations of GoToMeetingThere are some drawbacks to GoToMeeting. Below are some of the other things you should consider before pulling the trigger: Stable Connection RequiredIf your Internet service provider is frequently pinging your modem, GoToMeeting might give you some problems. The connection must be error-free for the software to work properly. Even brief interruptions can force a session to crash. Restarting a new meeting can be a pain, especially when there are lots of attendees. If your company experiences lots of Internet connection problems, you should switch providers before signing up for GoToMeeting. Equipment QualityThe quality of the equipment being used for hosting and attending meetings matters. GoToMeeting prioritizes the most up to date solutions but doesn’t keep up with outdated technology. If you’re using hardware that’s more than five years old, you’ll probably need an upgrade to get the full benefits of GoToMeeting. Fortunately, you can get a hardware bundle directly from this provider. Added Costs For Premium FeaturesAll features are not available for every plan. We’ll discuss the plans in pricing in greater detail shortly, and you’ll see what I mean. But the entry-level plan is not all-inclusive. You’ll have to upgrade to get the most out of GoToMeeting. That could be a deal breaker depending on your budget. Limited Chat CapabilitiesUntil recently, GoToMeeting’s chat was limited to meetings. Meaning you weren’t able to create chat rooms for on-demand instant messaging. Now they launched Business Chat, which includes this feature. However, I don’t think it’s at the point where you can use it to replace Slack or similar real-time messaging tools. Maybe this will change in the future. But for now, GoToMeeting is better for its conference calling capabilities, not chat functions. No Free PlanThere are lots of free conference call services on the market today. However, GoToMeeting isn’t one of them. They offer a 14-day free trial and provide discounts for annual contracts, but you can’t use the software for free indefinitely. Compare GoToMeeting Plans and PricesGoToMeeting offers three different plans to accommodate businesses of all different shapes and sizes. That’s good because it means they’re scalable and will grow as your business does. I’ll give you an in-depth look at what each plan has to offer, including the price points. GoToMeeting ProfessionalGoToMeeting Professional starts at $12 per month per user with an annual contract. The month-to-month rate is $14 per month for each user. This package allows you to host meetings and conference calls with up to 150 participants, which is more than enough for a small business. In addition to the HD video, audio, screen sharing, and other benefits that we discussed earlier, GoToMeeting Professional comes with the following features:
You’ll also benefit from GoToMeeting’s 24/7 customer care team. The admin center is a robust and intuitive dashboard for managing calls, users, and your account. You’ll also have access to diagnostic reports for all of your meetings. This allows you to track the performance on an individual user level for advanced troubleshooting. Every update or change made within your account is tracked. You can view these logs with downloadable admin reports. Even with the entry-level plan, GoToMeeting gives you unlimited meetings with no time limits for audio and video calls. It’s tough to find a better entry conference call plan on the market with so many advanced features. Transcription and recording functions are not available with GoToMeeting Professional. So you’ll need to upgrade if you want those advanced features. GoToMeeting BusinessGoToMeeting Business starts at $16 per month per user with an annual contract. If you don’t want the long-term commitment, you can $19 per user on a monthly basis. This plan allows you to host calls with up to 250 participants, making it an appealing choice for medium to large-sized organizations. GoToMeeting Business has all of the features in the Professional plan, with extras like:
The meeting lock feature adds an extra layer of security to your calls. Once a meeting begins, late users need to wait until the host lets them in. GoToMeeting Business comes with Smart Assistant. This tool uses machine learning technology to detect highlights and action items in a meeting automatically. You’ll also benefit from the ability to take notes directly on the platform during a call or conference. GoToMeeting recently launched a new feature that’s available on the Business plan called “Slide to PDF.” During a presentation, you can automatically capture slides and create a sharable PDF with everything in chronological order. This is just another way to stay organized after a meeting is complete. GoToMeeting EnterpriseAs the name implies, this is an enterprise-grade solution intended for larger organizations with needs exceeding the limits of the other plans. That means GoToMeeting Enterprise pricing is customized for each organization. They provide volume discounts for extra users. You’ll need to contact the GoToMeeting sales team to get your quote. Host meetings and calls with up to 3,000 participants. This is an ideal solution for organizations with dozens of locations positioned across the country or globe. The Enterprise plan allows you to connect using your existing conference room system with InRoom Link (H.323, SIP). This provides an additional layer of security for your protection. Aside from the 24/7 customer support you’re already getting, GoToMeeting will provide you with a dedicated customer success manager. You’ll also benefit from custom onboarding, training, and quarterly reviews. ConclusionOverall, GoToMeeting is an exceptional conference call service provider. They have solutions for small, medium, and large organizations. The plans are affordable and come with features that go beyond just basic audio or video calling. Even the entry-level plan comes with unlimited calling with no limits for up to 150 participants. Other conference calling solutions won’t give you as much out of the box. I like GoToMeeting because its technology is second to none. They are always using the most up-to-date equipment, and offer exceptional hardware bundles for businesses as well. Whether you’re hosting meetings from the office conference room, or on the go with your mobile device, GoToMeeting has you covered. While the platform does have a handful of drawbacks, I’d say the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Try GoToMeeting for 14 days with a free trial. You won’t even have to provide your credit card information, so there’s no commitment. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/gotomeeting-review/ Background checks are an essential part of the hiring process. It can give you crucial information about a potential employee. Not doing one can result in damage to your brand’s image and reputation. So if you’re running a business, you need to be doing this as well. But where can you get a background check done? Are all background checks the same? Compare Quotes From The Best Background Check Companies Get matched up with a background check service that fits your specific needs. Compare Quotes
If you run a quick Google search, you’ll learn that there are countless types of background checks offered by hundreds of different services. It’s tough to figure out which ones will actually give you the information that you’re looking for. That’s I want to show you the top background check services on the market today, and help you decide which one is the best for your business. The 5 Best Background Check CompaniesIn a market flooded with background check services, there are really only five companies that I would consider using as an employer. I’ll explain the pros, cons, and pricing of each service below. InteliusFree limited searches Intelius is slightly different compared to other background check services on this list. That’s because they offer their services to the Average Joe who wants to run a quick background check. However, an employer could still use this service to find information about a prospective hire. Intelius allows you to search for names, phone numbers, and addresses for free. It also shows the person’s age and a few associated cities. Of course, the results will be limited. To get the most out of Intelius, you’ll need a premier account. These reports include:
With Intelius, you’ll pay a fixed monthly fee to run unlimited reports. Memberships are month-to-month and cost $29.95. You can try your first month for a discounted rate of $14.95. The price of Intelius is definitely appealing, but the reports are limited compared to other companies. If you have a large business that runs tons of background checks, you could use Intelius as a way to pre-screen candidates before running a more thorough report. For example, the $29.95 per month fee could save you money in the long run if you avoid wasting upwards of $100 on extensive reports. A red flag on Intelius would be enough to narrow down your candidate pool. Then you could always run a full background check through another platform. GoodHireMost popular for small business GoodHire is one of the most popular background check services for small business owners. It’s also used by some larger and well-known companies like Tuft & Needle and Draft Kings—along with 75,000 other orgs that rely on GoodHire. 72% of GoodHire customers say that these background checks are faster than other services that they’ve used in the past. One of the reasons why GoodHire is such an excellent choice for small business owners is because of the flexibility in their pricing. Since a small business owner doesn’t hire as frequently as a larger organization, you won’t have to pay a monthly fee for background checks. For example, if you plan to run less than 25 background checks per year, they only charge for each report. Only need five checks? Just pay for the five. It’s that simple. The cost of a background check depends on how much information you want to find: Basic
Standard
Premium
As price increases, the background checks become more extensive. GoodHire also gives you the option to add-on other screenings and services like:
GoodHire provides additional assistance for drug screenings and healthcare sanctions as well. At the end of the day, they have nearly every type of background check that a small business owner would need before hiring someone. One downside of using GoodHire is that they charge a one-time setup fee to verify your company. This cost might be tough to justify if you’re only running a couple of checks per year. But if you plan to use the service at least a dozen times or so, it’s worth it. The add-ons can also drive up the cost of your checks. So if you need lots of add-ons for each background check, it might be worth requesting a custom quote from their sales team. B&B ReportingCustomizable background checks B&B Reporting has offered great background check solutions for 20+ years. On average, they turnaround reports in less than 24 hours. B&B Reporting also has a 19% criminal hit ratio, which is above the industry average. They accomplish this by using the latest tech. This cloud-based platform makes it easy for you to order and review background checks online. Each background check is completely customized. Choose exactly what types of records you want to search for or verify, and the price will vary based on those inquiries. Unlike other background check services on the market today, B&B reporting does not require a monthly minimum or charge you for an initial setup cost. The B&B Reporting technology allows you to send electronic consent forms to applicants to initiate the process. They also have an intuitive dashboard that shows you the status of candidates and reports at a glance. With B&B Reporting, you can run background checks for:
If you need it, they likely have the info you’re looking for. One downside: pricing isn’t transparent. To start running background checks and get a quote, you need to fill out a form online to discuss your screening program with a sales agent. For prices, you need to be verified by B&B Reporting. Then you can receive a quote. AccurateNowAffordable without monthly minimums If you want a simple and straightforward way to run background checks for your small business, AccurateNow will be a top choice for you to consider. The platform is advertised for small and medium-sized companies. But I’d recommend it to microbusinesses and companies with very small teams. AccurateNow is affordable and does not require any monthly minimums for background checks. They are FCRA compliant, which will help you avoid lawsuits while screening employees. To get started with AccurateNow, you’ll need to register your account, e-sign their agreement, and get approved before you can start ordering reports. This company does charge a one-time setup fee to verify your business. Once you’ve been verified, you can order the following reports: Basic
Standard
Premium
As you can see, these plans are very similar to the ones offered by GoodHire, which we reviewed earlier. The biggest difference between AccurateNow and GoodHire is the add-on options. AccurateNow doesn’t offer as many add-ons, but the add-ons they do offer are cheaper. GoodHire’s add-ons typically start at $14.99, whereas AccurateNow begins at $9.95. All of this makes AccurateNow a better choice for smaller businesses that don’t need features like international employment verification. But this does make AccurateNow a bit more limited than some of the other options on our list. VerifirstNiche-specific solutions Verifirst has been running background checks for 15 years. They offer a wide range of services including:
While all of these options are viable, I’d prefer to use Verifirst for niche-specific solutions. Their tenant screening services stand out the most to me. Whether you own one investment property or run a larger property management business, Verifrist has what you need to find the most qualified tenants. If you’ve been managing properties for a while, you know that renting a unit to the wrong person can be a costly mistake. Not only are you putting your property at risk, but this decision can also result in thousands of lost rent, legal fees, and turnover costs. Verifirst offers specific background checks for tenant screening. These reports include:
In addition to the actual reports, Verifirst makes it easy for you to manage applicants and view everything online. You can access this web-based platform 24 hours per day and grant access to an unlimited number of users. This is perfect for those of you who run a property management business. Furthermore, Verifirst integrates with popular property management systems that you’re already using. You’ll also benefit from complimentary pre-screenings of an applicant’s income and analysis of their assets. Verifirst lets you run multiple screenings simultaneously, which is ideal for joint applications or leases with co-signers. All pricing on Verifirst is custom. So you need to contact their team to get started and learn more about the rates for running reports. Overall, Verifirst is the best background check company for tenant screening. But I’d look for other options if my business was in another industry. How to Find the Best Background Check ServicesCompare Quotes From The Best Background Check Companies Get matched up with a background check service that fits your specific needs. Compare Quotes
When searching for the best background check company, there are certain feature sets that you need to keep an eye out for. This is the methodology that I used in this guide. I’ll explain why each one is important as you’re narrowing down your choices. Types of Background ChecksNot every background check service is the same. Some are intended for personal use, connecting with relatives, or finding information about your neighbors. None of these are really useful for employers. When running a check on potential hires, these are some of the most common types of searches you’ll want on the report:
Depending on the type of business you have, you might also want to run motor vehicle records, or various international screenings. Turnaround TimeBasic information like identity verification is usually instant. Other reports can take a few days, depending on what you’re searching for. It’s important to understand how long your reports will take. If it’s taking companies a week to get reports back to you, then it’s way too long. You don’t want that much time to pass, as it extends the hiring process longer than it needs to be. Company SizeThe size of your business is crucial when looking for a background screening service. Smaller companies obviously don’t run checks as frequently. So as a small business owner, you should find a service that doesn’t require monthly or annual minimums. Very small businesses don’t always need extensive reports either. A basic identity verification and criminal check is usually sufficient. Initial Setup and New Background ChecksIf you’re running a background check for the first time with a new service, you might need to get your business verified before you get started. This process is easier with some services compared to others. Sometimes you can just sign up online, but in other instances, you’ll need to request a quote and speak to an agent to get set up. In some cases, you’ll need to pay a one-time setup fee as well. Once approved, look for background check services that make it as easy as possible for you to run a new search. Companies like B&B Reporting let candidates e-sign consent forms, which speeds up the process. Report AccuracyAt the end of the day, accurate reporting is probably the most important part of the background check process. It would be terrible if a report came up clean, but the person actually had a criminal history. This is something you need to know about before hiring someone. All of the companies in this guide have been around for years, which should help you rest easy when you’re running reports. But it’s always a good idea to check and see what databases they are using for screenings. ConclusionBackground checks are common practice in the hiring process. As a business owner, this is something that needs to be taken seriously. If you’re looking for the best background check services you can’t go wrong with any of the services above. But with that said, there are other options that are viable choices as well, especially if your company falls into a certain category with specific needs. Use the form below to find the best background service for your business needs. Compare Quotes From The Best Background Check Companies Get matched up with a background check service that fits your specific needs. Compare Quotesvia Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-background-check-companies/ Want to jump straight to the answer? The best dropshipping companies for most people are definitely Modalyst for Wix and Oberlo for Shopify. If you want to start an ecommerce business without having to deal with:
Get into dropshipping. Manufacturers ship products directly to your customer for you. You get all the upside without any of the ecommerce headaches. In this guide, I list and review the best dropshippers to help you get started.
The 15 best dropshipping companies, suppliers, databases, and tools
Once you have your Wix or Shopify account and your store set up, you’re ready to link up with a dropshipping partner and get selling. But, it can be hard to break into dropshipping because most dropshipping businesses don’t like to share their items or their suppliers. The thinking is: you’ll just replicate their shop and eat into their market. I’m here to help with this list of 15 dropshippers, databases and suppliers — along with their pros and cons. 1. Modalyst — Best Wix plugin and directoryFree Starter Plan Modalyst seamlessly automates your dropshipping business. They connect you with suppliers to get your customers the products they need. They also boast a massive of products including clothing, jewelry, accessories, and more. Modalyst is also centralized—making it very easy to use. You’ll be able to connect with suppliers from a single dashboard, and they even have an app for easy communication. Where Modalyst really shines is their highly rated integration with Wix. With just a single click, you’ll be able to install their app and get started selling to your customers. Pricing starts free with a basic plan that includes a 25 product limit. 2. Oberlo — Best Shopify plugin and directoryFree Starter Plan Oberlo offers an excellent plugin service that works with Shopify stores. The Oberlo directory offers you all the products you need. The dashboard also shows you how many pageviews, sales, and star-rankings each item and seller has. Once you make a sale, you’ll use Oberlo to order the item to be shipped to your customer. The product selection and fulfillment are handled for you. That frees up your time to focus on driving traffic to your store. Oberlo has a forever-free Starter plan. However, to unlock shipment tracking and order fulfillment monitoring (which I recommend) you’ll need to upgrade to the Basic plan at $30 per month. It’ll also raise your sales limit from 50 to 500. Once you crest 500, you’ll be in Pro territory, which is $80 per month and allows for multiple users as well. Oberlo has 4.2 out of 5 stars from 2,000 reviews in the Shopify app store. 3. SaleHoo — Members-only database of 8,000+ suppliers60 Day Free Trial A $67 yearly membership grants you access to this database of wholesalers and dropshippers. There are currently 8,000+ suppliers on the site, and they’re all screened by SaleHoo before they’re added to the directory. There’s a 60-day free trial period, and the customer service gets high marks: 9.6 out of 10 with 300 reviews on TrustPilot. 4. Spocket — A Shopify database app with good reviewsFree Starter Plan Spocket gives you a great database app of dropshipping items. They allow you to sort by country and simply upload the products into your Shopify store. They make it easy to find US and EU items that’ll ship within your country rather than from China, cutting down on slow ship speeds. The Basic plan (25 products with unlimited orders) is free, and upgrading to Pro is $49 per month for 250 products and branded invoicing. The Empire plan unlocks unlimited products for $99 per month. The app has 4.5 out of 5 stars in the Shopify app store. 5. Wholesale2B — Versatile supplier and dropshipping hubBrowse for Free You can do a lot of different things with Wholesale2b: sell its products on eBay, Amazon, on a Wholesale2B site, or your own WooCommerce / Shopify / Magento / BigCommerce site. Handle the orders yourself by becoming a registered reseller with each supplier or pay Wholesale2B a 3% fee to handle that for you. 6. Inventory Source — Timesaving dropshipping automation toolDropship Automation Solutions An automation tool that allows you to either sync the suppliers products with your page (inventory automation) or to sync the entire customer purchase flow so that your orders are automatically placed with your supplier (full automation). Inventory automation is $50/month and full automation is $150/month. 7. Worldwide Brands — Budget-friendly databaseLifetime Plan $299 For $299, you can get a lifetime subscription to this database of wholesalers and dropshippers. Worldwide Brands is a budget-friendly — but still great — solution for those competing to sell products on Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. Worldwide Brands distinguishes itself with its extensive upper-market wholesale directory of certified dropshippers and its reliable and quick-to-respond support team. The lifetime membership certainly doesn’t hurt either. Worldwide Brands has 4.9 out of 5 stars from 171 reviews on Trustpilot. 8. Dropified — Popular Shopify app for AliExpress14 Day Free Trial This is another Shopify app for populating your store with items and automate your orders on AliExpress, including customer shipping address. That said, there is no Dropified marketplace, but rather a browser plugin that’ll let you pull from anywhere on the web. You can set up margin parameters and rules for changing the price points in your store. There’s a 14-day free trial; after that it’s $47 per month for the Builder plan, or $39 per month on the annual plan. The Premier plan, which costs $127 per month or $97 per month with annual billing, recently added a profit dashboard, Zapier integration, and an unlimited high-speed captcha solver. The app has 4.4 out of 5 stars from 104 reviews in the Shopify app store. 9. AliExpress — China-based dropshipper with great user reviewsFree To Join AliExpress is Alibaba’s online retailer and a popular dropshipping service worldwide. A Chinese online sales platform, AliExpress offers incredibly low prices on many products. On their website, you’ll find lots of user reviews and analytics that are super useful during the product research phase. But here’s my take: AliExpress offers the perfect model for starting out. You don’t need an established business entity before starting your online store. You control your margins. And there’s limited investment upfront. You can get up and running for free in literally under an hour with access to millions of products. AliExpress dropshipping is possible even without contacting suppliers. Because AliExpress is best for small order quantities and finding samples of items, it can be a low-risk option for testing out product ideas without a ton of investment. 10. DHgate — 1M+ products, but check user reviewsFree To Join There are over a million Chinese suppliers on DHGate. Best practice for buying off DHgate: check user ratings and feedback. Just like you would when buying something off of eBay, be wary of anything that could be a knock-off or imitation, and be prepared for slow shipping and nuances like new-with-box items arriving with their boxes unassembled. 11. Doba — 2M+ products with so-so profit margins14 Day Free Trial This 2 million product database doesn’t just bring a number of suppliers into one marketplace — you’ll also place your customer orders within Doda as well. That being said, it’s not cheap and we’ve read a number of negative reviews, many of which mention that the prices aren’t low enough to profit. Doba has a 14-day free trial, so you can log in and run the numbers to see if a membership (which starts at $29 per month) is right for you. 12. Wholesale Central — Best free dropshipping directoryNo Membership Required This free directory lists suppliers you can work with individually to order products from. There’s nothing fancy about it — it’s like a phone book — but has useful information to use as you do your research. 13. Sunrise Wholesale Merchandise — Some of the best shipping speeds7 Day Free Trial A $99 yearly fee gets you access to Sunrise’s selection of goods. It’s a bit smaller than other databases, but the shipping times are pretty quick: typically 5–7 days. Packages arrive to your customers with a receipt from “Customer Service” that’s not branded. 14. Megagoods — US-based dropshipping supplier30 Day Free Trial A California-based warehouse that will dropship your goods under your packaging and branding, typically in less time than it’d take to ship from an overseas supplier. Pro tip: check the added fees to make sure that your margins are good. 15. Dropship News – Extensive online directoryOnline Directory of Suppliers This free online directory of suppliers is worth sifting through. We found some great US-based suppliers. Most of each supplier’s dropshipping information is on their profile, which saves you some clicking around. The Worst Dropshipping Services1. National Dropshippers — Difficult user interface and product search (not recommended)You can give a try to see if there’s a product that’s only available here, but if you can find it elsewhere you’ll probably be better off going with the alternative. Products are hard to find and search for, and the returns and shipping policies aren’t favorable. 2. Dropwow — Negatively reviewed Oberlo competitor (not recommended)An app that’s reminiscent of Oberlo and Spocket, but with more negative reviews. The tool claims to automate your orders and help you locate dropshippers located in the US and elsewhere. However, with only 3.8 out of 5 stars from 121 reviewers on the Shopify app store, and a monthly subscription of $29 per month, I don’t recommend it. 3. DropshipDirect.com — Currently in hiatusThis site makes some enticing claims: 100,000 items in its inventory, a SaaS-approach to data, and quick shipping from its Michigan warehouses. However, the sign-up form is in private mode and the company seems to be on a year-long hiatus. We’ll keep an eye on Dropship Direct and report back. Why Dropship?Dropshipping solves a bunch of problems: no cash needed upfront, no boxes piling up in your store room, garage, or let’s be honest, in your spare bedroom. You never even have to touch the product or be responsible for the packaging or shipping. That means no more trips to the Post Office, either. Your dropship partner takes care of all that.
The benefits of dropshipping are also its drawbacks. You don’t have the inventory in your warehouse, so you don’t have control of a customer ordering something that’s out of stock. There’s no shipping work on your end, so you can’t control the shipping speed, or the packaging. Long ship times = canceled orders. And, you still need some money up front to build your website, put in the sweat equity of making that business take off, and all the other steps you’ll need to take to start your business. Like any business partnership, you need to do your research on who you’re working with, what it’s going to cost you, and what you’re expecting to get out of it before you get too involved. This review will help you pick dropshipping companies that’ll work for your business — no matter your niche. What’s the best dropshipping company for me?Trying to find the best dropshipping company all up is a little bit beside the point. It’s like asking for the best eBay seller or the best store on Etsy. The things that make dropshippers great are a lot of the same things that make an eBay or Etsy seller great: They’re communicative and have fast shipping. The product arrives as promised. It looks like the listing and it shows up in one piece in packaging that looks nice and not chewed up by an alligator. Just like an eBay seller, the best dropshipper for you is the one selling what you’re interested in buying (and reselling). They will reliably, communicatively, and quickly ship the product you’re after at a price that’s profitable for you — it’s about finding your best. Most dropshippers use a Shopify or Wix store and an automation app like Modalyst or Oberlo. If you’re new to dropshipping, this is definitely the easiest way to get set up. Why Shopify is the best way to start your dropshipping businessThat means, you are basically setting up the equivalent to any ecommerce store. For ecommerce stores, the clear winner is Shopify. It’s been the frontrunner for a while. What’s most important about that for dropshipping is that the app store is super robust. Most stores use Shopify, so developers looking to make a high-quality app develop it for the Shopify app store. So, if you haven’t already set up your Shopify store, that needs to go on your to-do list. We have a post that’ll walk you through the step-by-step process for setting up your Shopify store. It’s easy. There’s even a course in the Shopify Academy to learn how to start a dropshipping business with Shopify: Dropshipping 101. I don’t recommend dropshipping with eBayIt’s compelling to set up shop with a marketplace — you don’t have to start a website, pay a subscription, etc. like you would with Shopify. But, I don’t recommend it. Unlike Shopify that’s super excited and helpful with new dropshipping businesses, eBay is growing more and more against them. Here are the sticking points for me:
If you do want to build your dropshipping business with eBay, I’d spend a few weeks or months in the seller forums to understand the specific risks and challenges of dropshipping on eBay. How to start a dropshipping company1. Find items to sellFind your niche.There’s lots of chatter on the internet about finding your dropshipping niche, but this is just a trendy buzzword for product-market fit: are there people who want to buy your product? From you? If not, you won’t have a successful business. You’ll have the most success dropshipping a product if there’s an audience that wants to buy it and doesn’t have an easy way to access it. That’s where you come in. Some ways to find your niche: brainstorm rabid fan groups or audiences with a common need or interest (dog lovers, anime fans, parents who love to dress up their kids in matching outfits, sailors, very tall people, people who love 90s throwback tees). These are purchase-ready populations looking to love and buy things that they’re interested in. See what’s trending on Facebook.Doing a quick search of a phrase like “Get yours here” or “Buy now” and look at the videos featuring items for sale that are getting traction. This can give you a sense of which products are interesting people on Facebook right now. Look for a high number of views in a short period of time, then search for the item at a dropship supplier like Oberlo or AliExpress. Consider the price-point of the item in the video and the assets you can create for it. Can you replicate — or improve on — the current trending video? If so, you may have an item worth dropshipping. Don’t sell anything dangerous or copyrighted.If you’re a beginner, don’t start with something that goes in or on a person’s body. If you do not know the quality and source of the ingredients, and something goes wrong, do you have coverage for that liability? Also, if there’s a celebrity or character from a movie franchise on the item, it could get you in trouble. Steer clear of mice with big round ears. Look at seller’s reviews and order a test product.How long has the seller been selling? What feedback have they been getting. When you order a test product, does it meet your expectations? What do you need to tell your customers so they’ll be happy when they receive the product? Consider dropshipping only some items.Just because you’re dropshipping some things doesn’t mean you need to dropship everything. Perhaps it makes sense to use dropshipping for large, bulky, high-priced niche items. Say, for example, you have an online store that sells nautical gear. You may want to personally store and ship some items, but dropship the anchors. For items like this, your customers may also be more accommodating to longer shipping times since it’s a large and more considered purchase. Same goes for home goods: perhaps you keep small items in stock, but dropship the couches. You can increase your inventory breadth very simply this way. Go directly to a supplier and build a dropshipping relationship with them.This is a killer plan: there’s guaranteed to be less competition. You’re basically creating a new audience for an under-marketed product that’s not getting seen by a ready-to-buy audience. If you use a database, every single other subscriber is using that same database. 2. Nail the basicsInvest in a good domain name.We buy all our domain names from Domain.com. (You can read our full review on the best domain registrars.) Set up your website.If you go with Shopify, you’ll be up in minutes. Lots of dropshippers recommend the Shopify Brooklyn theme with a good font choice. You can also use another ecommerce option. Here’s our review on the best ecommerce platforms, if you’re interested in exploring. Get a professional logo.You can get one for a reasonable price (and no design expertise) with 99Designs. See my post about how to get your first brand identity on a budget for more details and how to run a logo design contest. Use a professional email address.It should be a sensible start (help@, support@) with your own domain name. I recommend getting G Suite for $5 a month per user. There’s nothing to trust about emailing a customer service that’s at yahoo.com or gmail.com. Give your customer strong trust signals.You can do this with high quality photos and unique item copy, a real and robust About Us page, and thoughtfully using things like discounted prices and pop-ups. Ask yourself: Would I buy from this store? Would I feel comfortable suggesting it to a friend or family member? You’ll need some trust logos and some FAQs at minimum. Set shipping time expectations.Most dropshipped items aren’t going to get to the customer very quickly — and in world where Amazon Prime has set the standard at two days, that means dropshipments of 30 days feel extremely slow. If you don’t prepare your customers they’ll be very unhappy. We’ve seen very straightforward copy, like: All our items ship directly from our suppliers in China. Shipments are processed the day of your order and arrive in 25–30 days. Make sure your orders go through.Bundle credit card orders so your bank doesn’t cancel your numerous orders. Let your bank know what types of orders and in what quantities you’ll be placing, so they’re not flagged as fraudulent. There is no pain so rich as having to reorder orders you’ve placed. (You do have a business credit card, right?) Prepare for returns and cancellations.How will you deal with unhappy customers? What’s your return policy and how will you chargeback customer payments? Will returned items be shipped to you, or to your distributor? How will that work? Like with anything in business, it’s important to set it all up from day one like it’ll be a huge success. Set aside money to pay taxes.If you’re using Shopify as your payment gateway, once you get to a certain sales threshold, Shopify will automatically report your sales to the government. You’ll want to make sure you have money available to pay applicable taxes. We also recommend getting an accountant and a lawyer (we’ve heard good things about UpCounsel and LegalZoom) and setting up Quicken. 3. Differentiate yourselfMake your store listings and ads unique.Remember, if you can quickly and easily set up a dropshipping order for a specific product, it’s likely another store will be able to do the same. You will need to find an edge: why would someone order from you, or find your store selling the product, and not your competitor? Take your own pictures. Write your own copy. Shoot unique social videos. Really put thought into how to best convey the product and why a person would want it: What problems does it solve? Can it make them feel joy? Import user reviews.If you’re using AliExpress, you can import the user reviews. No one likes being the first to buy something. Consider offering free shipping.Do all orders have free shipping or only when a certain order spend is hit? What threshold or minimum spend works best? I do not recommend offering “Free products — you pay shipping.” Many customers would rather know the price up-front than go through a purchase flow that says $0 the whole way through and then slaps on a $15 shipping charge. It’s 2019 and the norm is free 2-day shipping with Prime. People are catching on and aren’t happy about it. Read more from The Daily Beast in Instagram Influencers Dupe Their Fans With ‘Free’ Products. Market your store.Make sure people know about your store. This can be through word of mouth, social media ads, viral memes, influencer programs, SEO, a newsletter. You’re going to need visitors to make sales. 4. Iterate iterate iterateUse ads to test and gather data.We’re assuming that you’ll be buying ads. If you do, buy and use the data to test what’s working. What gets traction? Double down on it. What doesn’t? Trash it. This may lead you to changing your products, your ad style, your audience. Following the early traction means you head toward what’s working and away from what’s not. Analyze your sales.What’s selling well? What’s not selling at all? Is there any common theme in the items? Replicate what you can. Stop what’s not working. Dropshipping vocabularyArbitrage – The simultaneous buying and selling of an item to take advantage of a difference in price for the same asset. Say there’s a board game for sale at Walmart for $20, but the lowest price on Amazon is $45. Arbitrage is listing the game for sale on Amazon and buying the Walmart game. For every sale you make on Amazon, you take advantage of a $25 price difference. If your arbitrage is online to online, with free shipping, the math suggests you could simply sell on one site, buy and ship from the other, and pocket all the profit. This does not take into account any hiccups: returns, merchandise not accurate, merchandise no longer in stock, price changes in either market, etc. Dropshipping (DS) – The supply chain system in which a seller does not keep items in stock, but rather transfers orders directly to a manufacturer, supplier, or wholesaler who ships the item directly to the consumer. Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) – Some sellers set a floor to how low you can advertise or display your product for sale. This is not the same as the price you can sell it for. So, the MAP price does not take into account coupon codes or sales, or other tricks like offering a gift card with a purchase, offering rebates, or doing things like showing an even lower price in the cart. Dropshipping examples and pressYou may have seen the posts we’ve seen — the ones about people starting dropshipping businesses and raking in the sales. We’re talking five-figures in a single day, six-figures every month. What is this magic sauce, we wonder. The magic sauce is the same sauce as any other business: it’s a math equation based on margins. How big are your margins? How big is your customer base? What’s the conversion rate? How stiff is the competition?
The mystery of the $70 hoodie is also not a mystery: it’s a one-time sale that’s not going to turn into repeat business. It’s a simple equation: high price + low product quality + poor customer experience = repeat business
“This guy” is Justin Wong, and he made his business work by studying Instagram marketing, set up affiliate partnerships with influencers, and matched his product with his marketing technique. And, he’s not confused about the pros and cons of that marketing strategy: when the posts age on a influencers feed, his sales go down.
Further reading
via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-dropshipping-companies/ |
Sean BrianWhile radishes deter certain insects naturally, they require similar growing conditions as carrots. Although the crops both have roots, radishes grow and germinate quicker, allowing carrots to continue growing in the soil space available when the radishes are harvested, Archives
April 2023
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