This March, Building Keystones researched and published blog posts on our favorite e-commerce Twitter accounts, reducing churn with proper dunning techniques and the state of downloaded software vis-a-vis SaaS and apps.
We also kept an eye on the latest developments and insights in how software is sold and delivered online. The links below highlight some of the best articles that we’ve read this month. Use the Comments section below to share your favorite e-commerce articles and videos.
Alex Payne — How Not To Sell Software in 2012: Alex Payne, one of the original employees at Twitter, writes that in our day and age, software vendors need to simplify overly complicated sales processes so that purchasing software is as easy downloading an app.
This quote sums up his position, “Basically, if a given software package or service isn’t free/open, it should be as easy as humanly possible to try it, pay for it, and start using it in production. If it isn’t easy to get started with your product, I’m going to find another vendor.”
The post continues with a list of eight “Don’ts,” those companies that are getting it right, and those companies that are doing it wrong.
Internet Retailer – Amazon steps up competition in cloud services: Amazon is the acknowledged gold standard of online retailing. According to Internet Retailer, this e-commerce behemoth wants to occupy that same position in cloud based service offerings. Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under Alex Payne, Amazon, Brian Walker, cloud services, conversion optimization, e-commerce advice, E-Commerce Times, Forrester Blogs, Internet Retailer, migration project, software vendors
Forrester Research Principal Analyst Brian Walker recently shared the results of the cleverbridge-commissioned study, “Software Vendors: The Shift to SaaS,” in a webinar presentation. This 60-minute discussion offers practical, strategic advice to help software vendors adopt SaaS solutions.
Adoption of SaaS is increasing among businesses, which gives software vendors a unique opportunity to increase their market share by offering SaaS solutions along with their traditional on-premise software. According to the study, 31 percent of companies are already moderate to heavy users of SaaS software and 68 percent of larger companies have already begun adopting SaaS software solutions. But SaaS is not just for large enterprises. SaaS is also ideal for expanding a vendor’s small-to-medium business market (SMB).
The first step in developing a SaaS strategy is to understand that buyers have the following goals when looking to purchase SaaS products:
- Cost reduction
- Improved data security
- Speedier execution of business processes
- More efficient channels for collaboration and information exchanges
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under B2B, Brian Walker, Craig Vodnik, Forrester, SaaS, webinar
As the year comes to an end, we wanted to take a moment to share our favorite (and trendsetting for 2011) blog posts of 2010.
These come from a variety of different sources and stretch from social commerce and e-commerce to social search and cash payments. We hope that you find them as useful as we have, and recommend that you include these blogs in your 2011 regular reading time, in addition to Building Keystones of course!
Web-Strategist: Rise of Social Commerce: Photos, Slides, Wrapups #RSC10
Brian Walker: What Every Exec Needs To Know About The Future of eCommerce Technology
Six Pixels of Separation: What You Tell a Search Box
All Things Digital: How PayNearMe Wants to Make Cash Cool Again
Here’s a bonus article about the latest Groupon strategy from a journal that I guarantee you didn’t read. Groupon exploded on the scene in 2010, and their model may impact all e-commerce in 2011.
TimeOut Chicago: Groupon 2.0
As 2011 approaches, we wanted to leave you with one prediction for the new year: We think LinkedIn will begin offering a store concept within the LinkedIn company section. Because B2C companies are fawning over Facebook with it’s friend-based social graph, we think that it’s natural for LinkedIn to follow suit, but with a business-based social graph. What do you think?
Wishing you a safe and happy 2011!
Filed under Brian Walker, Groupon, Jeremiah Owyang, Mitch Joel, Social Commerce
