kinetik IT blog spot

It’s not unusual for business owners to think of their IT budgets as something akin to a black hole on a balance sheet. It seems like it keeps going in, but they aren’t sure what, if anything, ever escapes out of the other side. They need technology, but aren’t sure whether they are getting good value for the dollars they’re spending.

We can understand. It’s hard enough to make the right IT budgeting decisions when you’re in the industry and know the features and benefits of each product. For an outsider, being bombarded with different ideas and buzzwords, they can easily become overwhelming.

That doesn’t mean you have to simply give up and accept that some of your technology budget is going to be wasted, though. We have a few simple pieces of advice you can follow to make the most of every expenditure…

Don’t Pay Hourly

While we love working with our clients, we hate sending them invoices for hourly IT work. That’s because nearly every business would be better served by opting for a managed services agreement, which lets us handle their technology proactively for monthly fee, rather than simply responding to emergency calls as needed. Those last-minute technology disasters come unexpectedly, and they can cost you dearly when you’re paying for time instead of expertise. Do yourself a favor, and sign up for a monthly rate.

Opt for Subscriptions When You Can

Speaking of monthly rates versus unexpected charges, most businesses are better served by renting equipment and paying for software on a subscription basis than they are replacing expensive hardware and applications on an irregular basis. With subscriptions, you get the latest and greatest technology, a predictable cash flow, and the luxury of stopping your service when something isn’t working. Shell out big money for an upgrade or version improvement, though, and there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself doing it again in the near future.

Get Good Technology, But Not the Newest Gadgets

Technology sales professionals can be great at helping you identify opportunities for efficiency and functionality, but they can also be guilty of selling you the latest and greatest gadgets when you don’t really need them. When you buy a piece of tech that’s fresh off the shelves, you’re probably paying top dollar for it. Why not wait months until it’s cheaper and all of the bugs have been worked out? A lot of salespeople won’t tell you, but that’s the “sweet spot” in the technology market where the biggest bargains can be found.

Find a Proactive IT Partner

Your hardware, software, and devices all cost you the most when they aren’t working. That’s because the minute they fail, you and your team usually stop working, too. From there, the losses (in terms of sales and productivity) just add up one hour after another. To avoid that kind of situation, you should find a good IT vendor who will work proactively to not just fix problems, but ensure you won’t have outages in the first place. That’s the ultimate IT money-saving tip.

When you need a team of committed technology professionals who will get to know your business and help you maximize your bottom line, we are ready to help. Call us to set up a free consultation and learn about the different ways we can make your company stronger.

Many of the business owners we meet with have a love/hate relationship with technology. On the one hand, their companies are dependent on computers, phones, tablets, and software. But on the other, technology seems like a part of their budget that, while necessary, seems to constantly be growing even though they never understand why.

Even worse, many businesses face a situation where they are paying more and more for IT equipment and expertise, but getting little in return. Perhaps they are being forced to buy new hardware they’d rather not invest in, or are feeling persuaded into investments that are difficult to make sense of… much less pay for.

Each of these can be frustrating. And, they’re in direct contrast to the way the most successful business owners look at things like hardware and software. Technology should be a source of strength and innovation within your business – a way to save time, cut costs, and reach more buyers efficiently. If it feels like a drag on your bottom line, then you probably aren’t getting the advice you need.

To show why, and how a little bit of knowledge can make such an enormous difference in your profitability, we share the first thing every business owner absolutely needs to know about managing IT expenses.

Many companies now look to custom software development as the ideal solution for organization and management. Some, however, avoid it completely, favoring off-the-shelf solutions instead. While the reality is that any company can utilize custom software development, Phoenix is full of industries that should ALWAYS consider it over any other solution for a variety of reasons. Here are the top three:

Financial Services

The world of finance is very different from any other industry today. Not only is understanding the data and math behind complex processes like securities valuations, risk and trading a must, there are also myriad compliance issues to consider. From portfolio managers to the traders themselves, those in the industry know that sacrifices in functionality can mean lost profits, and that’s not a choice you want to be up against. Custom software development here is a must. Because financial services companies are all different and they have a niche environment in which they must work, challenges abound, and only the right program can meet those. 

Healthcare

Patient care, insurance, HIPAA security, regulation, certification, billing and coding – the list of concerns when you’re dealing with any healthcare organizations is vast. While the list of vendors selling one-size-fits-all software programs is lengthy, for most healthcare entities, cookie-cutter software simply won’t make the grade. Each healthcare organization has its own angle, its own concerns, its own budgets, and choosing a software project that means meeting every aspect of an organizations needs is a necessity. You need a team that has expertise with medical software projects and knows enough about health interoperability standards to create the right solution to meet your needs.

Logistics

Business is about being at the right place at the right time, and in the logistics business, you understand that you need a software solution that will allow you to process and move as quickly as possible. In an industry where the margins are slim, a half-second delay caused by software not specifically designed to suit your needs is either going to cost you time, money, or a customer. The only way is to go with something that has been specifically optimized to meet your exact needs. 

Even if your industry is not listed here, there’s a strong possibility that off-the-shelf software won’t address all your company’s needs. In the long run, customized software development is always going to be the only way to move forward for your company. Off-the-shelf software is developed to appeal to the mass markets of your specific industry. By using off-the-shelf software you disregard the fact that the needs and potential of your business are as unique as the business itself and locks you into using the same technology as your competitors.

Kinetik I.T. has vast experience in developing unique custom software applications for all types of industries. Whether your business simply needs a current application enhanced or you need us to develop a complete solution from the ground up to fit your business, contact us and we will show you how we can make a difference in your organization.

Whether you’re migrating to a new platform, building a new store, or simply upgrading the one you have, shifting ecommerce platforms or making changes to your current system could actually do your company more harm than good. Unfortunately, the little things have the potential to kill your current optimization strategy, and a big shift in your site could mean a shift in your ranking. What can you do to implement your changes while preserving your rank? These tips can help.

Keep an eye on the information architecture during migration as well as the URL structure.

If you have an established site, the search engines know what to expect. The better your information architecture and URL structure, the stronger your SEO program. That could change as you work on your store, so be aware of the fact that you don’t want your pages competing against each other and you want everything you do to strengthen your site as a whole.

Look out for duplicate content!

There is no faster way to get your site in trouble from an SEO perspective than to have duplicate content on the site. Proper planning on the part of absolutely everyone involved can help you avoid this problem, though.

Don’t lose sight of traditional SEO tactics.

Ignoring standard SEO simply because you’re dealing with ecommerce isn’t necessarily a good idea. While there are some practices that may not be perfect for those with an ecommerce site, others, like solid text, are just the gold standard no matter what kind of site you happen to have.

When you’re looking for help optimizing your business’s ecommerce platform, call Kinetik I.T. We can develop a customized solution without compromising your overall SEO efforts, ensuring you get the services you need without losing any page rank in the process.

In the first years of the Internet, websites offered information in straightforward (if not always attractive) formats, created by men and women with specialized training, often self-taught. Today, nearly anyone can create a web presence—a blog or website, compatible on multiple devices and across various platforms. As a business owner, it’s possible to create a site, but the real question is: will it deliver the results you’re looking for?

While the “build your own website” ads look appealing, with easy-to-fill-out forms and low prices, they may not be the best choice for your business. Choosing a company specializing in professional website building offers many advantages over the drag & drop, fill-in-the-blank, pre-formatted online builders.

Cost

While hiring a company to design your website might cost more money up front, the benefits reaped from a fully functioning, easy-to-use website can be enormous. By using an online site to build your website, you could miss out on different ways and  techniques to create more traffic for your site. This is the expertise you need  that a website company brings to the table.

New Trends

When choosing a website company, you get the expertise and knowledge of a large set of individuals. These experts know what is trending in design and how to create a user-friendly site with calls to action.

Saving Time

Most businesses and individuals do not have the time or in-depth knowledge required to build a truly useful and informative website that sets your company apart from the competition and provides a great user experience for any visitor.

Exact Specifications

Do you have specific design specifications you want incorporated into your new website? Do you have a vision for what your website will look like? If this is the case, an online website builder will be unable to fulfill your website dreams. Only a website company can sit down with you and talk through the wants and needs of your new website and advise on the best way to accomplish this.

As industry becomes more reliant on connectivity, business needs and those of employees and customers are also evolving. Along with this evolution, web-based database applications have become the medium for the next century.

AppStorm describes a web app as an application utilizing web and [web] browser technologies to accomplish one or more tasks over a network, typically through a [web] browser. More specifically, an app utilizes computer software designed to help the user to perform singular or multiple related specific tasks, using Web technologies like Flash, Silverlight, JavaScript, HTML & CSS, Java, various other programming languages and other computer technology intended for the use across networks.

How can a web app provide more functionality and customization to your business? 

·      Compatibility: Unlike many desktop or smartphone applications, web-based choices are far more compatible, regardless of platform. The customer can access the app via web browser, usually without installing additional software. making your audience far wider than it might otherwise be.

·      Scalability: The world of business is changing fast, and so is the size of your company. It’s tough to predict where you’ll be and when you’ll get there, which makes scalability essential. You need a system that can grow and change with your company, and custom web applications can do just that.

·      Everything You Need, Nothing You Don’t: When you’re dealing with an off-the-shelf solution, you’re getting lots of things that may not match your specifications. Custom web application design means your needs are the primary consideration from day one of project development. The entire application is built to meet your needs, and that means you’re going to have something that does exactly what you demand from the moment it is released.

·      Time Savings: Imagine automating a vital yet time-consuming process – what could you do with the time you save? Custom web apps offer the ability to change your company’s daily tasks, increasing your company’s productivity and efficiency with a single web application.

·      Financial Savings: Automation of your business processes or tasks will provide you with substantial financial benefits in the long run.

While the idea of customization may sound daunting to the owner of a smaller business, a web app specifically designed with your business needs in mind can automate helpful and engaging tasks, like alerting customers of new product releases or price changes, forwarding web-generated leads to sales representatives, even conducting business any time, anywhere, in any language and currency, through any distribution channel.

A web application designed and developed by Kinetik I.T. will keep your employees and clients informed while building credibility. Many of our clients have experienced a measurable return on investment by implementing web-based solutions.

To see examples of custom-designed web apps and learn how they’ve helped several of our clients, please visit our online portfolio. 

Many small companies are concerned about the prospect of outsourcing anything. The reality, though, is that as you grow, you can’t handle everything anymore. Whether you shift responsibilities to those in your management team or you look for a company to handle some tasks, the idea of letting go is a bit difficult. That’s particularly true when it comes to outsourcing your IT needs. As your company grows, your IT needs become far more complex, and there’s simply no way that you can keep up with your own needs and still manage your company properly. Instead of building an IT department you can’t afford to keep, it may be time to look toward outsourcing your IT work.

IT consulting companies abound these days, and with good reason. There are many other businesses in the same spot you are, and outsourcing your IT work makes sense. Not sure there are any real benefits? Here are a few to consider.

• Saving Money: Building an IT department from scratch is just out of reach for many people. You’ll find that you can control expenses far better by outsourcing than you ever could by hiring dedicated staffers. You won’t be paying for individuals when there aren’t problems, and you’ll know exactly how much to budget up front.
• Better Resources: If you’re a small business, it would be tough to match the resources of bigger companies. There just isn’t the funding in the budget. By outsourcing, though, you get access to amazing resources without the amazingly large price tag. Big businesses maintain cutting edge systems, and you can have access to that same technology for a fraction of the cost.
• Focus On Your Company: If you only need to pick up the phone when you need IT help, then you don’t have to take quite as much time away from your own goals and objectives. You focus on growing your business every single day, not dealing with this IT problem or that one.
• Reduce Your Risk: Every business has to deal with risk at some point in time, but outsourcing means you have to deal with far fewer risks because you’ll have a partner in managing much of that risk for you. They’re going to be far better at deciding which risks to undertake when it comes to your technology and how to avoid the worst bits than you could ever be.

For many companies, outsourcing IT just makes good sense. The key is to find the right IT consulting partner to meet your needs, then you’ll start to level the playing field and help your company truly excel at what it does best every single day. Contact us at www.kinetik-it.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.