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With the right software, you can help to organise your business efficiently and work faster. However, with so many software options to choose from, finding that right software can be a challenge. Here are a few tips for helping you to select the right business software.
Read online reviews
Online reviews can offer non-biased information on software to help you determine whether its right for you needs. Customer reviews can be useful for seeing what other users think of the software. Professional reviews meanwhile can help to give a more detailed assessment. You could even consider using comparison guides, which may review multiple types of software in order to bring you the pros and cons of each.
Get advice from IT experts
When it comes to certain software like security and cloud storage, it can be worth getting help from IT experts. By outsourcing IT services & support you could help to get personalised professional advice on which software best suits your needs and your budget. Make sure to only seek advice from credible IT support companies that understand your trade. There may be specialised companies that can help you find software suited to your niche industry.
Watch video tutorials
Some software companies will create video tutorials for their product, which you may be able to find on their site or on Youtube. These can help you to get an idea of how the software looks and the level of complexity that it provides. You may even be able to find video tutorials and reviews on Youtube made by users that could offer unbiased information.
Download free trials
A lot of software companies also provide free trials of their product that you can download. These trials tend to last no more than 30 days and may offer only a limited version with certain features locked from use. However, these free trials are still a great way to get a feel for the software and to determine how user-friendly it is. Just be wary of free trials that get you to sign up beforehand as some may automatically charge you once the free trial is up.
Attend software demos
Some companies also host software demos. These are conferences in which a salesperson presents the software to a group of potential buyers. Whilst the information you’ll get in these demos is likely to be biased and heavily promotional, these events are great opportunities to ask questions directly to someone working for the company. You’ll also meet other people at these events looking to invest in software – some of these people may be able to offer tips. Software demos can also be a great chance to seek out discounts, which could help you to save money on your ideal software package.