3 Options for Domain Registration in 2020

I’ve registered hundreds of domain names over the years.
During that time, I bought a domain from virtually every platform in existence. Some experiences were great, others were awful, and the majority fell somewhere in the middle.
Whether you’re buying a domain for the first time or looking for an alternative solution from your last registration, you need to understand that you have options.
Where can you register a domain name? The choices can be segmented into three categories:
⦁ Domain Registrars
⦁ Hosting Providers
⦁ Website Builders
I’ll show you the difference between these options and point out the top platforms within each category. Use this guide to learn the best way to buy a domain name.
1. Domain Registrar
As the name implies, a domain registrar’s primary function is domain name registration. There are some registrars that provide additional services as well, such as hosting plans or website builders. But the best domain registrars specialize as platforms to buy a domain name.
Let’s review four of the top domain registrar services on the market today.
Domain.com
Domain.com
Domain.com is the best domain registrar for first-time and experienced buyers alike. The process is simple, straightforward, and the registrar provides exceptional service.
You can register a .com domain for just $9.99 per year with Domain.com.
During the checkout process, this registrar gives you the ability to buy your domain for up to five years. I love this feature because you won’t have to worry about renewing every year.
When you register a domain, your name and address become available to the public. Domain.com offers privacy and protection for $8.99 per year per domain. If you’re registering a domain under a company name (that’s what I do), you can skip this. Otherwise, you’ll definitely want to add the privacy and protection.
Some domain registrars offer this for free, but it’s worth paying a little extra for the personal privacy.
Domain.com hits with you additional upsells throughout the checkout process. This is pretty standard practice in the domain registrar industry. I’d skip the add-ons. Things like an SSL certificate and SiteLock should come standard from your web hosting provider.
Registering a domain from Domain.com takes less than a minute. It’s the perfect registrar for those of you who plan to buy multiple domain names.
Domain.com also has exceptional 24/7 customer support, making it a top choice for domain transfers as well.
Namecheap
Namecheap
Namecheap is another top choice to consider for domain registration. More than 10 million domains have been registered through this platform.
The process is easy for someone who has never bought a domain before.
Namecheap has .com domains available for $8.88 per year. They also offer free privacy and protection, which is a nice bonus since it’s something you’ll likely need to have.
Like most domain registrars, Namecheap offers a wide range of upsells during the checkout process. Since you’re getting privacy and protection for free, you can skip everything else.
Namecheap has an excellent knowledge base of resources if you need some assistance. Live chat is available 24/7, and their support team provides ticket response times under two hours.
With a simple process, free privacy protection, and outstanding support, Namecheap delivers everything you want and need in a domain registrar.
NameSilo
NameSilo
If you’re looking for a no-frills domain registrar, NameSilo has you covered. As you can see from the screenshot above, their website is very outdated. But this hasn’t stopped them from becoming one of the most popular domain registrars in the world.
Buying a .com domain from NameSilo starts at $8.99 per year. You’ll benefit from bundle discounts if you’re registering more than 50 domains in a single order.
NameSilo lets you search for up to 500 domains simultaneously. You can even upload a list of domains from your computer to save you time.
If the outdated interface doesn’t bother you, NameSilo will be a top choice for those of you who want to buy multiple domains at the same time.
There are barely any upsells during the checkout process. WHOIS privacy and protection is free, and ICANN fees are included in the total. You can be out the door for $8.99 per year per domain.
NameSilo allows you to enable auto renew as well, so you won’t have to worry about the name lapsing if you forget to do so manually.
2. Web Hosting Provider
Every website needs to be hosted. So once you register a domain name, the next step is finding a web hosting provider. With that said, some hosting providers let you register a domain directly from through their platform.
If you’re planning to register multiple domains over time, use a domain registrar. But if you just need one domain, you can save some money by bundling your hosting and registration together.
Bluehost is the best web hosting provider for domain registration bundles. It’s what I recommend the most.
But if you’re set on using another hosting provider, there are a few other platforms that deliver decent deals and service for hosting and domain registration.
Bluehost
Bluehost
Even though Bluehost is a web hosting provider, you can still purchase a domain directly from them without using their hosting services. However, I don’t recommend this.
A .com domain from Bluehost is $11.99 per year. Privacy and protection is $11.88 per year. For the same price, I can register two domains from a domain registrar and still have change to spare.
However, you can get a free domain name from Bluehost if you bundle your domain registration with their hosting services.
The process is extremely simple. Just choose your web hosting plan, and Bluehost will prompt you to register a new domain. If you follow these steps, your domain will be free for the first year.
You’ll still have to pay $11.88 per year for privacy and protection. Bluehost provides a free SSL certificate, one-click WordPress installs, and 24/7 support.
Bluehost is the best web hosting provider on the market today, and it’s the only web host I actually recommend for domain registration.
Dreamhost
dreamhost
Dreamhost is another top consideration for web hosting. While it’s not as popular as their web hosting products, Dreamhost does offer domain registration services.
You can get a .com domain with Dreamhost for $7.99 per year. This includes free privacy and protection. Furthermore, Dreamhost has more than 400 TLDs, with .xyz extensions as low as $0.89 per year.
While $7.99 for a .com domain is definitely a great deal, there is a catch. Your domain will renew at $15.99 per year.
I really can’t justify this price, especially from a platform that specializes in web hosting, not domain registration.
HostGator
HostGator
HostGator is another well-known web hosting provider. In fact, they rank high on my list of the best cloud hosting services.
In addition to web hosting, HostGator offers a wide range of other services, including a site builder and domain registration.
You can register a .com domain with HostGator for $12.95 per year. While it’s a bit high compared to the domain registrars we reviewed, it’s just the introductory offer. The price actually jumps up to $17.99 per year upon renewal.
Privacy and protection is an additional $14.95 per year. So your initial registration comes to $27.90 and will renew at $32.94 per year.
I could get three domains from Domain.com, Namecheap, and NameSilo, for the same price.
So can you get a domain name from HostGator? Yes, the option is available. But I really don’t see any reason why you would.
SiteGround
SiteGround
SiteGround is one of the most popular and well-known web hosting providers on the market today. The platform also has domain registration services, although I can’t say I recommend it.
You can register a .com domain from SiteGround for $15.95 per year.
That’s nearly double the price of Namecheap’s registration, and there’s still a catch. You’re only able to use SiteGround for domain registration if you have a SiteGround web hosting plan.
So if you wanted to buy a domain from SiteGround and host your site elsewhere, that’s not an option.
For those of you looking to bundle domain registration with web hosting, you’re much better off using Bluehost. With Bluehost, you’ll get a free domain for the first year, which is not available with SiteGround.
3. Website Builder
Most people don’t associate website builders with domain registration.
Similar to web hosting, I normally wouldn’t recommend buying a domain from anywhere other than a registrar. But with that said, there are a handful of site builders offering domain registration services.
These are some of the best website builders to consider for buying a domain name.
Wix
Wix
Wix is best known for its simple drag-and-drop website builder. If you don’t know how to code and you’re creating a website from scratch, Wix is a top choice to consider.
You can’t exclusively buy a domain using Wix. You’ll need to bundle your domain registration with their website builder.
With that said, there are two ways to get a free domain with this platform.
Every Wix site comes with a free Wix subdomain. Without spending anything, you can have a domain in the following format:
wixusername.wixsite.com/yourdomain
I don’t recommend this to anyone unless you’re just experimenting with the Wix platform. Once you’re ready to take things to the next level, you’ll need to register your own domain.
Wix also offers a free domain for one year with all paid site builder plans. Privacy and protection is included free as well. You could even bundle your web hosting through them, although I can’t endorse that option.
Squarespace
Squarespace
Squarespace is another one of my favorite website builders. It’s great for beginners and people with an eye for great design.
But like Wix, getting a domain from Squarespace means you’ll have to bundle it with a site-building plan.
All Squarespace annual plans come with a free custom domain name for the first year. WHOIS privacy and protection is included. Additional domains can be purchased between $20 and $70 per year, depending on the extension.
Those prices are outrageous if you compare them to the domain registrars that we reviewed earlier. If you need to buy more than one domain, this is not the platform to do so.
I would only consider registering a domain with Squarespace if you need one domain, you’re using the site builder, and you think it’s easier to purchase everything from one provider. Just know that you could run into problems if you need to transfer your domain and website to another platform in the future.
WordPress
WordPress
WordPress is the world’s largest CMS platform. We use WordPress here at Quick Sprout to power our website.
This website builder is best for those of who are comfortable with coding and want to get the most out of your site’s content. Although WordPress does have plugins that allow drag-and-drop building capabilities.
You can also use WordPress to buy a domain. The domain will automatically be connected to your website, and renewals get handled through your WordPress account.
While it may be tempting to get a domain directly from WordPress, it’s not the most convenient procedure. You’ll have to go through a six-step process, which includes creating your WordPress account.
Plus, the domain registration is a bit pricey. A .com domain from WordPress costs $18 per year, which is more than double the price of the cheapest domain registrars.
Weebly
Weebly
Weebly is a website builder geared toward ecommerce sites. Compared to some of the other website builders out there, registering a domain name with Weebly isn’t the worst idea.
Two of Weebly’s premium plans (Professional and Performance) come with a free domain for one year with an annual contract. Those plans start at $12 and $26 per month, respectively.
You can use Weebly to register a domain without a site builder plan. The nice part about using Weebly for domain registration is that you’ll save money by registering for longer periods of time.
⦁ 1 year — $19.95 per year
⦁ 2 years — $16.95 per year
⦁ 5 years — $14.96 per year
⦁ 10 years — $12.57 per year
But even though you can save up to 37% off with an extended registration, the ten-year price is still more expensive than NameCheap, NameSilo, and Domain.com.
How to Find the Best Place to Buy a Domain
With so many options to choose from, finding the best place to buy a domain can be challenging. There are certain features and elements that must be taken into consideration when you’re evaluating a prospective platform to buy a domain.
This is the methodology that we used to narrow the search.
Price and Contract Terms
The price should always be the first thing you look at. If all of these platforms are basically offering the same thing, it makes sense to go with one that’s cost-effective.
Don’t just look at the cheapest extensions. Always compare the prices for .com domains, since that’s what you should be registering.
Look at the length of your contract. Some providers will require a minimum registration period, such as one or two years. Others will offer discounts for long-term registration.
Keep an eye out for additional fees. Most add-ons you’ll be able to ignore. But you’ll definitely want to get WHOIS privacy and protection. This comes free with your registration on some platforms, but others upcharge for it.
Make sure that your contract makes it easy for you to renew your domain. Look for automatic renewals or contracts giving you a grace period after the domain expires, in case you forget to renew manually.
Domain Transfers
If you’re unhappy with your domain registrar, for any reason, you might want to transfer your domain in the future.
You cannot transfer a domain within the first 60 days of registration. However, you’re free to do what you want with your domain after that.
Just make sure that your registrar makes transferring easy for you. Platforms like GoDaddy, have a reputation for throttling down outgoing transfers. So always check customer reviews about the transfer process before you settle.
The best domain registrars make transfers easy and don’t impose any extra fees.
Additional Services
As you’ve seen from this guide, you can get a domain name from a wide range of platforms. Some of those platforms specialize in additional services, like web hosting or website builders.
The ability to bundle multiple services shouldn’t sway you toward one provider over another.
Most providers are better at one service compared to the other. Just because a platform is one of the best website builders, it doesn’t mean they have a flawless domain registration process.
In many cases, domain registration is more expensive from website builders and hosting providers. Some of these platforms let you to buy a domain independently from their primary services, while others force you to bundle everything.
Sometimes it’s worth it to go with a service bundle. For example, Bluehost gives you a free domain for one year when you sign up for a web hosting plan.
Support and User Experience
Registering a domain name shouldn’t be complicated. If a platform is making you jump through hoops, it’s probably best to look elsewhere.
Most of the time, you should be able to register a domain in a minute or two, at most.
If you’re interested in buying dozens or even hundreds of domains simultaneously, look for platforms that support those needs.
In some cases, you may want to request some assistance. Although this usually won’t be required unless you’re transferring a domain. In any event, you’ll want to make sure that the platform provides excellent customer service to assist you with transfers or whatever else you need help with.
Conclusion
There are three main options for buying a domain; domain registrars, web hosting providers, and website builders.
Within each category, you’ll have tons of different providers to choose from.
Buying a domain from a domain registrar like Domain.com will almost always be your best option. These providers specialize in domain registration, so you’ll get the best price, quality, and customer service here. Plus, domain registrars won’t force you to bundle your registration with another service.
Using Bluehost to bundle your domain registration with web hosting is the only time that I’d consider bundling services. That’s because Bluehost gives you a free domain for one year when you sign up for a hosting plan.
Other providers have similar offers, but overall, they fall short in one category or the other.

Best Email Marketing Services

In-depth reviews of the best email marketing service providers for 2020

Our content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links in this post that we may earn a commission.

Email is the king of the marketing world.

No other distribution channel drives engagement and builds customer relationships like email marketing. Email campaigns deliver a higher ROI than every other type of marketing category. So if you can set up your emails properly, it can be extremely lucrative for you.

But to have a successful email marketing strategy, you need to find the best email marketing service to manage your subscribers, content, and campaigns.

Most email marketing services will have similar features. That’s why finding the best email marketing software for your business or website can be difficult.

What makes one email platform better than others?

Trust me, all email services are not the same. Throughout my career, I’ve managed multiple email lists with more than 100,000 subscribers and used about every email marketing tool in existence. I know what it takes to run successful email marketing campaigns, and I know which software will get the job done.

Whether you’re starting a new email list from scratch or looking to switch to a new provider, this guide will help you find the best email marketing service for your situation.

Top 10 Best Email Marketing Services

Constant Contact

AWeber

GetResponse

ConvertKit

Mailjet

Drip

ActiveCampaign

MailChimp

MailerLite

Hubspot

Hundreds of providers offer email marketing services. But you should really only be considering these top ten for your business.

I’ve reviewed each of these platforms in greater detail below.

I’ll highlight the top features, price, benefits, and any potential drawbacks or downsides for you to consider. Let’s begin.

Email Marketing Service Reviews

#1. Constant Contact

Constant Contact Free Trial

Visit Constant Contact

Price starts at $20/mo
Drag-and-drop email builder
100+ mobile-friendly templates
Simple automation tools
Get a 60 day free trial

Constant Contact is an industry leader in the email marketing space. For more than 20 years, this software has been a top choice for small business owners and large corporations alike.

Creating new email campaigns with Constant Contact is easy. Just choose from more than 100 of their pre-built and mobile-optimized templates. Then customize your message with the easy to use drag-and-drop builder.

Adding text, image, video, coupons, polls, and events to any message is simple and straightforward.

With Constant Contact, you can track the results of your campaigns in real-time. You’ll see everything from open rates to click-through rates, as well as data for each individual subscriber.

Automation is a key benefit of Constant Contact. You can trigger welcome messages for new subscribers and set up drip campaigns based on their actions.

Constant Contact has easy integration with other platforms you might be using, like Salesforce, Shopify, Eventbrite, WordPress, QuickBooks, Gmail, and much more.

Constant Contact offers a 60-day free trial, which is one of the best offers you’ll find in the industry.

Constant Contact Free Trial

Pricing for Constant Contact email software is straightforward. There are two plans for you to choose from; Email and Email Plus.

Like most email marketing platforms, your rate will be based on the number of subscribers on your list. Here’s what some of the prices look like for each plan:

Email

0 – 500 Subscribers — Starting at $20 per month

501 – 2,500 Subscribers — Starting at $45 per month

2,501 – 5,000 Subscribers — Starting at $65 per month

5,001 – 10,000 Subscribers — Starting at $95 per month

Email Plus

0 – 500 Subscribers — Starting at $45 per month

501 – 2,500 Subscribers — Starting at $70 per month

2,501 – 5,000 Subscribers — Starting at $95 per month

5,001 – 10,000 Subscribers — Starting at $125 per month

These tiers continue all the way up 50,000. Once you eclipse 10,000 subscribers, you’ll automatically be upgraded to the Email Plus plan.

For basic and professional emails, the cheaper plan will be fine. But for those of you who want to get the most out of your email campaigns, I highly recommend Email Plus.

This plan comes with more advanced features like subject line A/B testing, dynamic content, and automated behavioral campaigns.

#2. AWeber

AWeber

Visit AWeber

Price starts at $19/mo
700+ pre-built templates
A/B testing and automation tools
24/7 live chat & email support
Get a 30 day free trial

AWeber is a traditional email marketing service that’s reliable and very affordable. The company has been around for 20 years. During that time, they’ve provided email marketing software to more than one million entrepreneurs and small businesses.

I like AWeber because it’s simple and straightforward. Unlike other platforms that add features and capabilities for plans at different price points, AWeber offers all of its features with every plan.

Pricing is based strictly on the number of subscribers on your list. So you’ll get the same features whether you have 20 contacts or 20,000 contacts.

Here’s an overview of the pricing tiers.

0 – 500 Subscribers — $19 per month

501 – 2,500 Subscribers — $29 per month

2,501 – 5,000 Subscribers — $49 per month

5,001 – 10,000 Subscribers — $69 per month

10,001 – 25,000 Subscribers — $149 per month

Another reason to love AWeber is because they offer outstanding customer support.

AWeber Customer Support

You can reach them 24/7 via email and live chat. They also have phone support available during business hours on weekdays.

With AWeber, you’ll get all of the basic features that you expect with an email marketing service:

700+ pre-built templates

Drag-and-drop email builder

Email analytics

A/B testing

Sign up forms

Automation

Third-party integrations

Subscriber segmentation

AWeber is an industry leader in email deliverability rates. They make sure that your content is optimized to reach your subscribers’ inboxes.

You can try AWeber for free with a 30-day trial.

#3. GetResponse

GetResponse

Visit GetResponse

Price starts at $15/mo
Automated sales funnels
200+ email templates
24/7 live chat support
Get a 30 day free trial

GetResponse is a bit more than a basic email marketing service. It’s more of an all-in-one solution that specializes in automation.

In addition to traditional email campaigns, GetResponse can help you build high-converting landing pages for lead generation.

The platform has a really cool feature called Autofunnel. This tool can be used to create funnels for sales, leads, webinars, and more. It’s fully automated and very easy to use.

Funnels include things like emails, landing pages, exit popups, marketing automation, Facebook ads, and ecommerce integration. It all depends on your goals and how you want to set it up. But GetResponse provides all the tools you need to grow your subscriber list and monetize those contacts.

GetResponse Features

Once a user enters your funnel, everything is fully automated by GetResponse. It’s the perfect way to guide customers through the conversion process with multiple digital touchpoints.

Let’s take a closer look at GetResponse’s plans and pricing.

Basic — Starting at $15 per month

Autoresponders

Unlimited landing pages

1 sales funnel

Unlimited lead funnels

Sell e-products

Plus — Starting at $49 per month

Automation builder with 5 workflows

5 sales funnels

Contact scoring capability

Webinars with up to 100 attendees

CRM software

Professional — Starting at $99 per month

Automation builder with unlimited workflows

Paid webinars with up to 300 attendees

Unlimited sales funnels

Unlimited webinar funnels

Enterprise — Starting at $1,199 per month

Transactional emails

Dedicated IP

Webinars with up to 500 attendees

Consulting services for email campaigns

Dedicated account manager

These prices are all based on 1,000 subscribers. The rate will increase as your list grows. As you can see, even the entry-level plan offered by GetRetresponse comes with advanced features like autoresponders, lead funnels, and sales funnels.

All plans come with 220 email templates, 180 landing page templates, 700 form templates, 40 autofunnel templates, 150 integrations, and 24/7 live chat support.

But to really get the most out of this software, I’d recommend the Plus plan, especially if you don’t already have a CRM software. The base rate is definitely higher compared to the other services we’ve seen. However, the plan just comes with so much more.

Instead of just getting email software, you’re benefiting from building automated lead funnels, landing pages, webinars, and lots of other extras that just aren’t included from other providers.

GetResponse offers discounts for annual and 24-month contracts if you pay in advance. At the very least, you can try GetResponse free for 30 days.

#4. ConvertKit

ConvertKit

Visit ConvertKit

Price starts at $29/mo
Build automated email funnels
Custom forms & reporting
Tag and personalize subscribers
Get a 14 day free trial

ConvertKit is one of my favorite email marketing services. However, it’s definitely not for everyone.

If you’re looking for drag-and-drop builders and tons of pre-built templates, then you’ll be better off using another software. In fact, ConvertKit only has a few templates, all of which are pretty plain. But that’s not to say they don’t get the job done.

ConvertKit is best for creators selling products. The platform focuses more on building integrations with landing pages, ecommerce platforms, and membership sites.

For those of you who want to build automated email funnels at an affordable price, ConvertKit will be a top option for you to consider.

ConvertKit Features

To set up automated emails, you’ll be guided through a simple visual flow chart.

Instead of having multiple lists of contacts, ConvertKit groups all of your subscribers into one list. But you’ll still be able to tag them manually, or with auto tags based on their behavior to improve the personalization of your campaigns.

ConvertKit is best for sending quick emails with clean formatting. There are no complex designs or distracting elements here.

Like most email marketing software, ConvertKit pricing is based on the number of subscribers you have.

0 – 1,000 Subscribers — $29 per month

1,000 – 3,000 Subscribers — $49 per month

3,000 – 5,000 Subscribers — $79 per month

If you switch to ConvertKit with more than 5,000 subscribers, you’ll benefit from their free concierge migration service. You can save some money and get two months for free if you sign up for an annual plan.

ConvertKit has more than 70 third-party direct integrations, customizable forms, and custom reporting. Email and live chat are available for 12 hours per day, Monday-Friday, with limited support on nights and weekends.

Still not sold? Take advantage of ConvertKit’s free 14-day trial to test it out on your own.

#5. Mailjet

MailJet

Visit MailJet

Price starts at $9.65/mo
Real-time collaboration tools
A/B testing features
Drag-and-drop email builder
Try Mailjet for free

More than 130,000 businesses use Mailjet for email marketing. While this number is impressive, Mailjet is not nearly as popular as some of the other services on our list.

But Mailjet is unique. It’s the only email marketing software I’ve seen that offers real-time collaboration, making it a top option for marketing teams.

This is a huge advantage for businesses that have multiple departments weighing in on an email campaign. Without real-time collaboration, it’s easy for things to get messy and complicated.

Mailjet makes it easy for you to manage the permissions for team members collaborating on email campaigns as well.

mailjet collaboration

Creating emails with Mailjet is easy. The platform has an intuitive drag-and-drop builder that allows for complete customization. You’ll also have access to tools for personalizing content for your subscribers.

You can send dynamic content and view advanced statistics and reports for all of your email campaigns.

The pricing structure for Mailjet is a bit different as well. Rather than your rate being based on subscribers, it’s based on how many emails you send per month. Although your subscriber count will obviously be directly tied to this number.

Mailjet has a free plan that allows you to send 6,000 emails per month. Although the plan limits you to just 200 emails per day, which isn’t really enough to run a successful campaign. This free plan is more of a never-ending trial so you can test out the platform.

Here’s an overview of the plans and pricing:

Basic

30,000 emails per month — $9.65

60,000 emails per month — $18.95

150,000 emails per month — $68.95

450,000 emails per month — $166.95

900,000 emails per month — $333.95

Premium

30,000 emails per month — $20.95

60,000 emails per month — $41.95

150,000 emails per month — $96.95

450,000 emails per month — $229.95

900,000 emails per month — $398.95

Mailjet offers a 10% discount on all plans if you get billed annually instead of month-to-month.

I’d really only recommend Mailjet if you plan to take advantage of the team collaboration tools. You’ll need a Premium membership to access multi-user collaboration. The Premium plan also comes with segmentation capabilities, A/B testing, and automation tools.

#6. Drip

drip

Visit Drip

Price starts at $49/mo
24/7 live chat and email support
CRM for ecommerce stores
Automatic revenue attribution
Get a 14 day free trial

Drip is a relatively new platform. It’s a CRM that offers email marketing for ecommerce businesses. So if you’re selling physical or digital products online, Drip will be a top choice for you to consider.

With Drip, you can track valuable commerce metrics related to customer intent and purchase behavior.

You’ll be able to segment new website visitors from returning customers. Drip also lets you target users who abandoned their carts.

Drip integrates with WordPress, WooCommerce, Facebook Ads, and many more tools that you’re using to sell online.

I like Drip because the CRM helps you reach customers through multiple touchpoints online, including email. Drip also has a revenue attribution feature, giving you a clearer view of which campaigns are actually making you money.

Drip Reporting

Again, this is ideal for ecommerce shops.

With personalization capabilities, powerful segmentation options, and detailed analytics, Drip has everything you need to succeed with email marketing.

Pricing is based on the number of customers in your account. All plans come with the same features and benefits.

2,500 subscribers — $49 per month

5,000 subscribers — $122 per month

10,000 subscribers — $184 per month

15,000 subscribers — $246 per month

20,000 subscribers — $308 per month

25,000 subscribers — $370 per month

35,000 subscribers — $494 per month

50,000 subscribers — $680 per month

130,000 subscribers — $1,630 per month

All Drip plans come with 24/7 live chat and email support. You can try it out free for 14 days and have access to all of the features.

#7. ActiveCampaign

active campaign

Visit ActiveCampaign

Price starts at $15/mo
Segment based on user behavior
Advanced personalization
Integration with 250+ apps
Get a 14 day free trial

ActiveCampaign is a sales CRM with email marketing capabilities. With ActiveCampaign, you’ll be able to run split tests, send dynamic content, and segment your subscribers for enhanced personalization.

Broadcast emails

Targeted emails

Scheduled emails

Triggered emails

Autoresponder emails

Email funnels

You can easily run all of these campaign types using the email software from ActiveCampaign.

I like ActiveCampaign because their email builder simplifies complex and personalized messages. You can add personalization and contingencies to nearly every element of a message.

ActiveCampaign Personalization

ActiveCampaign integrates with more than 250 apps like Shopify, WooCommerce, Facebook, Zapier, Unbounce, Stripe, and PayPal.

You can set up campaigns and improve your customer database with geotracking, site behavior tracking, custom data, and link actions. ActiveCampaign also sends you reports showing which content is generating the most conversions and revenue.

Here’s a quick overview of the plans price points based on the amount of subscribers you have:

Lite

500 contacts — $15 per month

1,000 contacts — $29 per month

2,500 contacts — $49 per month

5,000 contacts — $89 per month

10,000 contacts — $139 per month

25,000 contacts — $225 per month

Plus

1,000 contacts — $70 per month

2,500 contacts — $125 per month

5,000 contacts — $169 per month

10,000 contacts — $249 per month

25,000 contacts — $339 per month

Professional

2,500 contacts — $159 per month

5,000 contacts — $239 per month

10,000 contacts — $349 per month

25,000 contacts — $599 per month

ActiveCampaign offers enterprise-level plans as well. Just contact their team to get a custom quote if you have a large list of contacts.

If you’re currently using another CRM or email software, ActiveCampaign will give you a free migration from any platform. You can take advantage of a 14-day free trial and save roughly 20% per month if you sign up for an annual billing instead of month-to-month.

#8. MailChimp

MailChimp

Visit MailChimp

Price starts at $0
Premium plans start at $9.99/mo
300+ app integrations
24/7 customer support
Try MailChimp for free

MailChimp is another popular email marketing solution. It’s geared toward startups since it’s flexible, affordable, and can grow with your business.

Lots of people choose MailChimp because they can start for free. You won’t be charged anything if you have less than 2,000 subscribers on your list.

As a new business, it’s nice to know that you can start an email list with MailChimp without paying a monthly fee early on. This gives you time to grow your list and get the most out of it before you have to pay. By the time you reach 2,000 subscribers, your business should be in a position where it can afford the added cost.

MailChimp Plans

Here’s an overview of the plans and rates for the other plans offered by MailChimp.

Free — $0

Up to 2,000 contacts

7 marketing channels

1 audience

Basic templates

Behavioral targeting

Essentials — Starting at $9.99 per month

Up to 50,000 contacts

3 audiences

Access to all MailChimp templates

A/B testing

Custom branding

24/7 support

Standard — Starting at $14.99 per month

Up to 100,000 contacts

5 audiences

Event-based automation

Retargeting capability

Custom templates

Advanced insights

Premium — Starting at $299 per month

Up to 200,000 contacts

Unlimited audiences

Advanced segmentation

Multivariate tests

Phone support

The Standard Plan would be my recommendation for the majority of you. It comes loaded with plenty of advanced features to get the most out of every campaign.

Again, your actual rate will be based on the number of subscribers on your list. For example, if you sign up for the Standard Plan with 5,000 contacts, the rate is $74.99 per month.

MailChimp has templates designed specifically for the goals of each message. It’s a top choice for building and managing relationships with your customers.

In addition to award-winning customer service, MailChimp has an extensive knowledge base with guides and tutorials for learning and self-help.

#9. MailerLite

mailerlite

Visit MailerLite

Price starts at $0
Premium plans start at $10/mo
All basic email features
A/B testing tools
Try MailerLite for free

As the name implies, MailerLite is a basic email marketing service. Instead of adding on lots of extra features and functionality, MailerLite sticks to the essentials.

The platform still offers tools for automation, landing pages, pop-ups, and surveys. So it’s not like you’re extremely limited.

MailerLite has a drag-and-drop editor, which makes it easy for anyone to design a high-quality message. Segment your subscribers to enhance personalization, and optimize your campaigns with features like A/B testing.

MailerLite AB Testing

I’d recommend MailerLite for those of you who want simple email software at an affordable rate. Here’s a look at the price points for MailerLite:

Up to 1,000 subscribers — $10 per month

1,001 – 2,500 subscribers — $15 per month

2,501 – 5,000 subscribers — $30 per month

5,001 – 10,000 subscribers — $50 per month

10,001 – 15,000 subscribers — $75 per month

15,001 – 20,000 subscribers — $100 per month

20,001 – 25,000 subscribers — $120 per month

25,001 – 30,000 subscribers — $140 per month

The pricing tiers continue to rise at about $20-$40 per 10,000 subscribers. MailerLite offers a 30% discount if you sign up for annual billing, making it one of the most affordable options on our list.

There is a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers, but you’re limited to just 12,000 emails per month. You can use this option as an extended free trial when you’re just starting out.

#10. HubSpot

Hubspot

Visit Hubspot

Price starts at $0
Create stunning email templates
Contact insights and activity
Traffic and conversion analytics
Try Hubspot for free

Hubspot offers a wide range of awesome tools including their robust email marketing platform. Their email marketing tools allow you to quickly and easily create, personalize, and optimize your emails without the need for designers or IT.

They provide you with dozens of pre-made templates and they also allow you to make your own using their simple drag and drop editor.

The Hubspot editor is simple to use and allows you to customize your layout, add calls-to-action and images, and modify your content and colors to match your brand.

Use their advanced personalization tools to personalize your emails in order to boost your open rates and clickthrough rates with ease.

You can use any information in an email subscriber’s contact records to automatically serve up the most relevant subject lines, content, links, attachments, and calls-to-action.

They also will provide you with A/B testing tools and detailed analytics that will help you maximize all of your efforts.

Hubspot email reports

Use this data to determine which subject lines get the most opens, and the content and calls-to-action that will earn you more sales.

The HubSpot email tool is free for up to 2,000 email sends per month, with upgrade solutions starting at $50/month.

Join Hubspot for free to create and send email campaigns that look professionally designed and display perfectly across any device – all by yourself.

How to Find the Best Email Marketing Service For You

The best email marketing software for you won’t necessarily be the best for me or everyone else. There are factors that need to be taken into consideration during the evaluation process.

I’ll break down the details of our process for making this list. I’ll explain what matters, what doesn’t, and what you need to know to find the best option for you.

Price

The cost of most email software is based on the number of subscribers on your list. In some instances, the price might be based on the number of emails you can send per month (like Mailjet), but that is still directly tied to your contact list.

Keep in mind, as you continue to add subscribers to your list, the price will go up. So you need to have a budget in mind from the beginning, as well as some contingencies for the future.

As long as you’re able to successfully monetize your email campaigns, price increases won’t matter as your list grows.

There are some free options out there, but in most cases, you really won’t be able to get the most out of free email marketing software. Your capabilities will be pretty limited.

Functionality

What are you planning to use your email marketing software for?

Every legitimate email service will let you send bulk emails, segment your subscribers, and learn analytics results for each campaign. Do you want to craft unique, beautiful, and custom designs? Then look for software with a drag-and-drop builder. Otherwise, find the platform with the biggest library of free templates.

When you compare the email features of the services on our list, you’ll see that the majority are very similar. Sometimes advanced functions like enhanced personalization, behavioral tracking, email funnels, and A/B testing require plan upgrades.

You can automatically eliminate certain email services that offer functions you’ll never use.

For example, GetResponse helps you build landing pages, webinars, and has sales funnel automation. ActiveCampaign is a full-service sales CRM. Drip is a CRM and email software specifically for ecommerce websites.

If you don’t need those types of advanced features or capabilities then look for something simple, like MailChimp or MailerLite.

Customer Support

The day is going to come where you have questions, problems, or need some type of assistance. So it’s important to find an email service that offers great customer service.

The best email marketing services have 24/7 live chat and email support. Some plans include phone support as well.

Platforms like ActiveCampaign will migrate you to their platform for free if you’re already using an existing service, which is a great incentive to sign up.

However, if you’re building a new email list from scratch, a benefit like that doesn’t really matter for you.

Summary

What’s the best email marketing service? It depends on what you’re looking for.

Here’s a quick recap of the top ten options on my list.

Best Email Marketing Services for 2020

Constant Contact

AWeber

GetResponse

ConvertKit

Mailjet

Drip

ActiveCampaign

MailChimp

MailerLite

Hubspot

I made sure to include something for everyone here. Whether you’re starting a new list from scratch, switching providers, need team collaboration tools or looking for a full-service CRM, there’s an option for you above. From ecommerce specific CRMs to basic and budget-friendly emails, you can find what you need using this guide.

 

What is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

VoIP is an acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol. IP Telephony, Internet Telephony, and Internet Calling are all terms used to describe it. It is a different technique to make phone calls that can be extremely inexpensive or absolutely free. Because you can communicate without a telephone set, the ‘phone’ portion is no longer always present. VoIP has been dubbed the most successful technological innovation of the previous ten years.

The advantages of VoIP and PBX over traditional phone systems are numerous. The primary reason for the widespread adoption of VoIP technology is its low cost. In organizations, VoIP is a technique to reduce communication costs while also adding additional capabilities to communication and interaction between employees and consumers, resulting in a more efficient and high-quality system. Individually, VoIP is not only a way to have fun chatting for free through computers and mobile devices, but it is also a way to transform voice calling all over the world.

What is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Are you looking for a new VoIP service provider? Speak with the Best

The Internet has enabled individuals all over the world to send and receive instant messages as well as make free audio and video conversations. Although VoIP is believed to be inexpensive, many people utilize it for free. Yes, you can converse for free using VoIP provided you have a computer with a microphone and speakers and a strong Internet connection. This is also available with your cell phone and landline

VoIP technology may be used in several ways. It all depends on where you’ll be making the calls and how you’ll be doing so. It might happen at home, at work, in your company’s network, when traveling, or even on a beach. Depending on whatever VoIP service you use, the manner you make calls will be different.

The beauty of VoIP and PBX is that it extracts greater value from current infrastructure without incurring new expenditures. The IP Protocol is used to send the sounds you generate over the ordinary Internet infrastructure. This is how you may interact without spending more than your Internet fee each month. Skype is the most well-known service that allows you to make free phone calls from your computer. There are so many computer-based VoIP services available that making a decision will be challenging. Traditional and mobile phones can also be used to make free calls. Examine the many types of VoIP services that enable you to do so.

VoIP may be utilized for free on computers, as well as on mobile and landline phones in some instances. It can be utilized to replace the Public Switched Telephone Network service, though it comes at a cost However, this is a far lower cost than regular phone calls. When it comes to international calls, this gets even more exciting. Due to VoIP, some people have seen a 90% reduction in their international communication expenditures.

Although VoIP is a relatively new technology, it has quickly gained widespread acceptance and usage. There is still much to be improved, and substantial technological advancements in VoIP are predicted in the future. It has so far been shown to be a viable replacement for the telephone system. Its growing popularity throughout the world has prompted fresh questions about its rules and security. Call Precise Business Solutions to know more and install VoIP and PBX systems.

VoIP’s current rise could be likened to that of the Internet in the early 1990s. The public is becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of using VoIP at home or in their enterprises. VoIP not only provides convenience and helps individuals to save money, but it also generates a lot of money for those who get in on the first floor of this new phenomenon.

What are Search Engine Return Pages (SERPs)?

It is difficult to stand out on the internet. A Web page might deliver essential information about a popular topic interactively and engagingly while yet attracting only a small number of visitors. Obtaining an exalted position on search engine result pages is one of the most dependable techniques to increase visitors. To target more visitors, search engine return pages (SERPs) are one of the most important criteria you need to focus on.

Assume you have established an authorized website on a topic; in this case, let’s use “Digital Marketing” as an example. Since your site is so new that it has yet to appear in any SERPs, the first step is to submit it to search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Your Digital Marketing site is a web page that provides essential information, fascinating photos, and helpful connections that direct users to other resources. Even if you have the most up-to-date Digital Marketing material, your site may not appear on the first page of search engine results. Because your site is not among the top results when people search for “Digital Marketing,” they can end up on a lower-quality site.

Even though most search engine firms aim to keep their operations concealed, their criteria for ranking high in the SERPs is not completely unknown. Only by providing links to the finest websites connected to the user’s search criteria are search engines successful. It helps search engines to include your site high up on their SERPs if they are the top Digital Marketing resource on the Web. All you have to do now is figure out how to convince search engines that your website deserves to be at the top of the list. That is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in; it is a set of tactics that a webmaster may do to boost his or her site’s SERP ranking.

This is where Precise Business Solutions comes into action. Precise Business Solutions is an all-in-one business solution that manages all your IT business solutions including SEO and SERPs.

BUILD YOUR WEBSITE

A quality website, online store, or portfolio may help you stand out online. You can make any concept a reality with Precise Business Solution’s Web Builder. All you have to do is pick up the phone and dial our access number, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Get Started with Precise Business Solutions

ADAPTABLE PORTFOLIOS

Use the portfolio designs from Precise Business Solutions to show off your work. To share private work with clients, display projects in configurable galleries, and add password-protected sections.

USEFUL BLOGGING TOOLS

Use our sophisticated blogging tools to tell your narrative, promote a product release, or discuss corporate news. To make your content work for you, categorize, distribute, and schedule your pieces.

Create a Search Engine Optimized Blog with the help of Precise Business Solutions and rank it on the first page of search engine results.

IN-BUILT SEO TOOLS

Every Precise website or online store comes with built-in features and helpful instructions to help you get the most out of your search results. And Precise Business Solutions is your partner, providing you with all of these features and guidelines, as well as assisting you at every step of the way.

 

WEBSITE ANALYTICS                                                                       

Precise Business Solutions’ in-depth Analytics tools may help you figure out where your website traffic is coming from, what your visitors are looking for, and how they’re interacting with your content or goods.

Learn More

Discover: which pages your visitors are most interested in by looking at the most popular content.

Product Highlights: View your top-selling items in terms of revenue and number of units sold.

Learn about website visitors: including their geographic locations and journeys through the site. 

TOOLS AND APPS

We link popular applications with your company website and provide you access to the resources you need in one convenient location. As a result, you won’t have to do anything else except focus on your business.

DESIGNING A WEBSITE

Precise Web Builder is all‑in‑one platform to build a beautiful website. Just contact us and tell us about your business and the rest is done by us.

Call us now to get started with the best business solutions for your business.

What is the meaning of IT Consulting

meaning of it consultant, it consultant, it consultation, consultation for it, it consulting

An IT consultant is a skilled professional who charges a fee for their services. Such a person may operate as an independent contractor, in which case he or she would be considered an independent consultant. IT Consulting can consist of a variety of services in a wide range of IT categories.

An IT contractor may also work for a firm that provides advisory services. Clients normally pay an hourly rate for IT consulting services. Offering your clients open correspondence channels with your organization at painfully inconvenient times is significant. This implies having a current web presence with effectively available contact data, and a help group.

On the off chance that clients are utilizing your item, they ought to have the option to request and find support, regardless of what season of day it is. Regardless of whether it’s just a computerized reaction that discloses to them your administration and backing hours, and gives connects to conceivable break arrangements, that is superior to leaving them out of the loop, not knowing when they’ll get a reaction. For sites that have live talk includes, the best ones let clients know where they are in the help line and how much stand by an ideal opportunity to expect. That is the means by which you show your client you’re there, you understand they have a need and you will address it as quickly as time permits.

An information technology consultant (IT consultant) is an individual that provides advice, guidelines and a road map for sourcing, utilizing and managing IT assets and resources. An IT consultant provides organizations with best practices for using IT solutions and services for their business objectives and in solving their problems.

Typically, an IT consultant specializes in one key area or domain. They can consult and help implement websites, software, network infrastructure, cloud environments, ERP and other IT business solutions.

IT consultants advise clients on everything from the overall IT strategy to what should be hosted in the data center, not in the cloud; depending on the type of technology and functionality required in the context of the customer’s business and IT environment, and goals such as process automation or cyber security.

“Consulting is more than advising, it is assisting clients to reach a goal and preparing the client for the real-world issues of implementation and system operation.” José Franco.

In other words :-

An IT consultant is a third-party service provider that impart advise to clients on how to use Information Technology to meet the specific business requirements. IT consultants work with a professional IT consulting firm or as freelancers. They analyze business requirements and create information systems solutions that helps in fulfilling the organization’s goals.

This informs companies about how they can achieve business results using technology. It’s when a consultant’s recommendation accelerates the use of technology and helps an organization to become more effective and less wasteful giving them a competitive edge in the market.

It includes but not limited to:

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Automation
  • Cloud Computing
  • Digital Transformation
  • Blockchain
  • Internet of Things
  • SaaS
  • ICT
  • Data analytics
  • IT governance
  • etc…

I hope my answer has benefited you. Follow me to not miss a relevant answer in the future. Thanks.

 

What Is SEO Search Engine Optimization

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” It is the process of getting traffic from the “free,” “organic,” “editorial” or “natural” search results on search engines.

All major search engines such as Google and Bing have primary search results, where web pages and other content such as videos, images or local listings are shown and ranked based on what the search engine considers most relevant to users. Payment isn’t involved, as it is with paid search ads.

VIDEO: SEO Explained

New to SEO? Start with this quick and easy to understand video about search engine optimization. It’ll quickly cover the basics:

If you need quality video content like above, Common Craft can help produce a video.

More Search Engine Advice For Beginners

For more basic but also in-depth advice, our Periodic Table Of SEO Success Factors, introduces you to all the key concepts you need to know, including elements of on-page SEO, off-page SEO as well as the “Toxins” or elements to steer clear of. We also take a look at emerging verticals of search optimization:

Precise Business Solutions Guide To SEO

As a companion to the table, Precise Business Guide To SEO explains the search ranking factors in more depth. It also features tips and advice from SEO experts on implementing them to achieve greater visibility and higher rankings in organic search results.

Links to each chapter in the SEO Guide are shown below. Chapter links at the bottom of each make it easy to navigate through the guide.

Daily Search Engine News & Expert SEO Advice

In addition to daily news stories from our editorial staff, Precise Business publishes daily articles from expert contributors that cover SEO issues mainly from an in-the-trenches perspective.

Browse the SEO Channel for the most recent SEO news stories and expert columns. Sign up to receive Precise Business daily email newsletter featuring a roundup of search marketing news and exclusive analysis and insights.

In addition to covering SEO generally, Precise Business also has search engine optimization areas specifically for the major search engines:

Also within our library is the How To: SEO section is devoted to practical tips and tactics about search engine optimization.

We also have sub-categories, including:

We also cover technical SEO topics, including an ongoing SEO for Developers series.

Get SEO News & Advice Delivered To Your Inbox

Subscribe to our daily brief newsletter for a recap of all the latest SEO related news, tips and tactics from Precise Business Solutions and other sources all over the Web.

Sign up for our daily recaps of the ever-changing search marketing landscape.

PRECISE BUINESS SOLUTIONS WEBSITE SITEMAP

44 Common IT Problems

it problem, it problems, it help, it support

IT problems are persistent technology issues that cause risks and costs. By contrast, an incident is a single event that causes business disruption. Where incidents are usually resolved in minutes or hours, problems can last years or decades. The following are common types of IT problems.

IT Problem 1: Architectural Complexity

A large number of systems or an architectural landscape that is too complex for the business functions it addresses. Complexity tends to result in cost and a higher rate of incidents.

Audit Trail

A lack of logs and information to aid audits and investigations.

Authentication And Authorization

Weakness in basic security controls that authenticate users and authorize information access and transactions.

Availability

A technology service with too much downtime. In many cases, any system that is available less than four nines is a problem.

Backup And Restore

Data that isn’t sufficiently backed up or that lacks established restore procedures. Precise Business Solutions partners with MSP360 to backup and restore files.

IT Problem 5: Brittleness

Technology that easily breaks such as upgrades that always seem to fail.

Business Technology Alignment

Technology that the business doesn’t need or that fails to support business functions.

Capacity

Capacity limitations such as data storage or bandwidth.

IT Problem 8: Change Control

Changes that are made to code, configurations or infrastructure outside of a properly controlled process. For example, ad hoc maintenance without approvals or notifications.

Compliance

Technology functions and conditions that fail to comply with laws and regulations.

IT Problem 10: Configuration Management

Configuration management is the practice of controlling and recording the configuration of hardware and software including code changes. It is used to analyze the impact of change and troubleshoot incidents. Operating a technology platform without configuration management tends to be a problem. For example, it can be difficult to determine which update caused a new issue.

Data Integration

Data that is needed by multiple processes and systems that isn’t properly integrated. Precise Business Solutions offers software development to help with this common IT problem

Data Proliferation

Data that is maintained in multiple systems and documents, typically resulting in inconsistencies.

Data Quality

Data that is missing, wrong, poorly formatted or difficult to access to support business processes.

Defects

Software and hardware bugs can be considered problems if they are a persistent issue.

IT Problem 15: Design Debt

A design debt is a poor software design that causes future costs. In many cases, projects are rushed and design shortcuts are taken. Such savings in short term costs tend to result in future maintenance, incidents and additional costs to projects that rely on the design.

Disaster Recovery

A technology platform that is vulnerable to disasters. For example, a platform that runs from a single physical location or that relies on a single resource such as a particular telecom provider.

Enterprise Architecture

An IT organization that lacks a consistent structure such as shared services, platforms, standards, practices and designs.

Fault Tolerance

Services that easily crash when they encounter an error.

Information Security Vulnerabilites

Vulnerabilities that allow threats to compromise information security.

IT Problem 20: Interoperability

Components and platforms that don’t work together seamlessly.

Knowledge Management

Missing knowledge related to your IT platform. In some cases, organizations have systems with millions of lines of code that have no design documentation or maintenance procedures.

Legacy Technology

Technology that has aged to the point that it is expensive to support, difficult to extend and at risk of failing.

Maintainability

Components of information technology that are expensive and high risk to maintain.

Mean Time To Repair

A common measure of the average time to fix an incident when it occurs. A high mean time to repair (MTTR)is indicative of problems such as missing knowledge, skill gaps and poor designs.

IT Problem 25: Operations Processes

A lack of mature IT operations processes for support, maintenance and improvement.

Ownership

Applications or services that have no identifiable owner in your organization.

Performance

Services that are generally slow or that fail when business volumes peak.

Privacy

Insufficient privacy controls that represent compliance, liability and reputation risks.

Process Integration

Problems related to process integration such as event processing limitations and failures.

IT Problem 30: Reliability

A tool or component that doesn’t perform consistently such as errors that appear to be erratic.

Retention Policy

Unclear or insufficient procedures and policies for data retention.

Scalability

Services and systems that fail to support increased business volume in an efficient way.

Service Desk

A single point of contact for support of information technology. Service desk problems range from a complete lack of support to the need to further optimize support performance.

Service Management

Service management is a broad term for the comprehensive set of processes that deliver information technology to business. Problems in this area include financial, design, implementation, deployment and operations management issues.

IT Problem 35: Software Bloat

Software that is far too complex for its function.

Software Entropy

The tendency for software to age quickly due to its overall complexity and the laws of thermodynamics. In other words, software becomes less reliable with time.

Software Quality

Software that fails to function or behave as documented in specifications such as business requirements.

Structural Integrity

A poorly designed technology stack that is difficult to maintain, improve and extend.

Subject Matter Experts

A lack of highly skilled experts in areas such as architecture, security, infrastructure, design and programming.

IT Problem 40: Technology Silos

The tendency for organizational units such as departments and teams to create their own technology platforms and data repositories. Can result in an extremely complex, duplicative and expensive architecture that is poorly understood, brittle and vulnerable.

Testability

An inability to regression test changes due to poor documentation of existing functionality.

Transactional Integrity

Transactional integrity refers to the atomicity of business functions. For example, a financial transaction such as a stock trade should either succeed or fail with nothing inbetween. Transactions that partially succeed result in data issues that have negative business impacts such as a stock trade that purchases shares but fails to debit the client’s account for the cost.

Usability

Interfaces that are difficult to use resulting in low employee engagement, productivity issues and human error.

IT Problem 44: Vendor Lock In

A dependency on a vendor specific tool or service that would be expensive and high risk to change. In such cases, vendors may hold strong negotiating power and be unresponsive to your business needs or may escalate fees.

 

Best VoIP Providers

best voip, voip, voice over ip, pbx systems

Understanding Voice over IP

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a protocol that you can use to make calls using your internet connection as a phone line. Since you’re already paying for internet access, the only added cost is purchasing the VoIP service, thereby reducing your cost of phone services.

Mobile apps are also available from the top VoIP providers, allowing you to use your mobile phone to make and receive calls from anywhere.

Especially useful for business, some of the more important aspects of using a VoIP system include video calling, screen and file sharing, web conferencing and chat. Additional high-end features include solutions also offer digital assistants, call queues and integrated email.

More prominent VoIP providers include Avaya, Skype, 8×8 and Viber. Our team of B2B experts provide comprehensive reviews of these platforms, including RingCentral, one of the highest scoring solutions in the VoIP category.

Choose the Best VoIP Provider for Your Needs

VoIP cuts the traditional landline wires often used in a business telephone system and anticipated to diverge and effectively displace traditional landlines in modern businesses for the foreseeable future. Realistically, the increasing volume of worldwide VoIP service providers demonstrates that fast and reliable online phone service will permanently institute Voice over Internet Protocol as our standard communication outlet more quickly than we can imagine.

Why cut the cord on traditional landlines for VoIP? It’s elementary – Today’s VoIP systems for nearly any businesses and SMBs are multi-faceted, customizable, omnipresent, and cost so much less than the convoluted landline systems! Although the benefits of software-based VoIP systems vary from one platform to the next, what remains a common thread is that they all rely on IP networks to transmit voice calls. This translates to a much more efficient customer connection throughout your entire business system.

VoIP: First Things First

You may dream of having a more state-of-the-art business; however, you should consider whether a VoIP solution would be beneficial to your needs. Two benchmarks must be met first before opting for a VoIP system: One – will a VoIP system minimize the call traffic you receive each day? Second – do you have the necessary internet systems prepared to install and initiate an advanced VoIP platform to handle those calls?

The basis of any VoIP platform requires a stable broadband internet connection and solid bandwidth, followed by the flawless performance of all of your switches and routers. VoIP translates voice calls to data, so your internet system will be data-heavy. This requires a system that can compile traffic according to priority and help you select the correct system provider, specifically one that offers caps on bandwidth so you don’t have to set them yourself.

Not only does your internet system need to be adequate, you also require the correct hardware (telephones, fax machines, routers, adapters, etc.) that can recognize and protect against probable security threats. Defense against your security include anticipating traffic volume, installing DDoS and password control to prevent hacks to your network.

Installing and Launching VoIP

Often the VoIP service is hosted elsewhere, eliminating any difficulties you may have with its installation. You can also bypass the need of redirecting or forwarding calls without added hardware installation.

A more complicated option is investing in a VoIP compatible PBX system that uses a PSTN gateway that converts data to voice calls. While this type of a system may be less expensive, it also requires a much more arduous installation process and may not be worth the investment in the long run.

The basis of VoIP technology itself is three-fold, all working toward the primary function of any VoIP system – the ability to make virtually free phone calls.

One installation option is to use IP phones. They look like conventional telephones; however they use an RJ-45 Ethernet connection rather than the standard RJ-11 connection. Via the Ethernet, all calls are transmitted to your network router so you can implement them online via Wi-Fi.

Secondly, and also requiring a solid and quick internet connection, is to install an analog adapter. With this installation, the analog adapter converts all analog phone calls to digital data. Although this seems like a convoluted approach, it is one of the easiest ways to install and launch your VoIP system quickly.

The third installation option also manages long-distance calls. In this instance, you must establish a connection between multiple devices through a DSL modem. Since you will also have monthly payments to your ISP for the modem and services, this once again spotlights the lower cost features of VoIP.

Testing Providers Through Free Trials

The try-before-you-buy concept is critical before making the final decision on your new system. It’s important that you thoroughly understand what each service option is, what it does and how it can positively affect your business’s productivity.

Targeted Businesses for VoIP Providers

  • Small and mid-sized businesses and organizations can lower costs with VoIP systems.
  • Larger operations can take advantage of the higher-end services with business-level VoIP services.

6 Featured Top-Rated Platforms

  1. 3CX: an advanced open source phone system that is customizable to your needs. Precise Business Solutions offers VoIP Consultation and Installation of this system.
  2. Nextiva: an all-in-one cloud-based system for voice calls, business conferences, online meetings, and more. They also offer a free online demo.
  3. 8×8: another cloud-based VoIP service for small to large enterprises with advanced features that include web conferencing, internet faxing and Smartphone integration.
  4. Skype: a web-based communication tool, Skype is more than text software. It also offers video chat and international calling services.
  5. Mitel: Mitel Communications offers a suite of cloud-based services to integrate any size business including phone and video conference calls, web sharing capabilities, and mobile communications.
  6. Google Hangouts: a communications platform developed by Google that offers a variety of communications services including text, phone calls and video chats.

4 Typical Categories of  VoIP Providers

  1. Integrated platforms – For the beginner just learning about VoIP systems, integrated systems utilize traditional phone equipment and legacy systems integrated with VoIP service. Users are familiar with their current phone systems while the system works in the background to enhance the legacy system.
  2. SIP Trunks – Session Initiation Protocol is an ideal solution for companies still using PBX systems yet want all of the benefits of VoIP including mobile phone capabilities.
  3. Managed IP PBX – Comparable to SIP Trunks, but the provider manages the details and maintains the technology. The equipment is provided from the IP vendor and charges for its services.
  4. Hosted IP PBX – a cloud-based system similar to managed IP, however the business does not receive hardware from the service provider.

7 Key Features of  VoIP Providers in Texas

  1. Find Me/Follow Me – an advanced call routing, call-forwarding feature for mobile teams. Users provide a list of phone numbers where they can be reached prior to the call being forwarded to voicemail.
  2. Voicemail to email Transcription – this feature will transcribe your voicemail messages into text and send them to your email inbox.
  3. On Hold Music – Callers placed on hold will hear music while they’re on hold.
  4. Call Screening – Using a Caller ID feature, you can see the phone number of the caller, allowing you to decide how to handle the call.
  5. Auto Attendant – Callers are greeted with an automated voice menu system allowing callers to select the proper menu option for their needs.
  6. Conferencing – This feature allows you to seamlessly coordinate a conference including a floor monitor, inviting participants, muting callers and even “hand raises” for participants who want to ask questions or comment.
  7. Do Not Disturb – Use this option to put a temporary block on incoming calls while you are busy.

Service Benefits

In comparing various VoIP service platforms, we found the following two benefits:

  1. VoIP is relatively inexpensive, thereby keeping you within your budget.
  2. VoIP keeps your up-front costs low, regardless of the size of your company, especially those who already maintain a strong broadband internet connection for their current calls and instant messaging. With the exception of SIP, most times there is no need for high-end hardware to support a VoIP system. Most providers also offer package subscriptions without contracts, so you only pay for the services or data that you use. If you operate a global unconsolidated business, you can save on the free international calling benefit, which further enhances the attractiveness of the low-cost startup.

Redirected Mobile Calls

This is another benefit for the discerning businessperson who is always on the go. You can use your cell phone to call and receive calls right from the home office just by installing an app.

VoIP – Powerful and Multi-Faceted

Unheard of with traditional landline phone services, VoIP provides multi-faceted, powerful and timesaving services including, but not limited to instant notifications, voice mail, voice recording and transcription.

Are There Risks with VoIP?

Depending on the quality of your internet connection, you may experience disruptions in your phone service or poor quality calls. While these risks are not seen in traditional landline systems, if your internet provider is stable and your connectivity is solid, the cost and timesaving features far outweigh the risks.

To offset any disruptions, if your employees’ internet connections are reliable, you can offer them the option of working from home if your office experiences a loss of connection so you don’t miss many calls if any.

Special Calls May Require Extra Fees

Some unique calls require additional payment, for example, emergency calls or international calls to countries with higher rates. You should inquire about free-minutes packages if you know you’ll be calling overseas often.

Traffic Going Through the Internet May Not Be the Most Secure

If you regularly route unencrypted confidential or critical business information toward the internet, you risk hackers getting that information. Having a virtual private network (VPN) offers relative protection but it isn’t 100% foolproof and shouldn’t be completely relied upon.

Furthermore, unless you configure your wireless security during installation, your network may be exposed to a number of vulnerabilities in the VoIP system.

Overview of VoIP Provider Pricing

There are myriad VoIP providers today, and they may continue to increase in the near future. Taking this into consideration, there is obviously a wide range of pricing structures that vary from one provider to the next.

There are also varying degrees of features, all with their own costs including specific hardware necessary to run the service and additional costs for hosting, installation and maintenance. Some providers detail the total costs before you purchase and install the system. Others offer contract-specific costs based on your needs and the detailed costs involved, including any special add-on services.

Overall, you can find a VoIP provider from as little as $19.99 in case of popular solutions like MightyCall up to $5000 for enterprise tools; however we advise you to check and compare providers and use their trial or demo programs first before making a final decision.

Expert insight about the business VoIP providers comes from our partners.

The Fundamental Project Management Skills You Must Have in 2020

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The business world needs more highly skilled project managers. Otherwise, it will continue to bleed around a hundred million dollars (ouch!) for every billion it spends on projects and programs. Without the right talent and strategy, project schedules and budgets will remain elusive — with only 57% of all projects completed without additional funding, and only 51% successfully making the original deadline.

If you are a project management professional or planning to become one, the coming year will be a great time to progress your career and help businesses overcome the challenges ahead. But you’ll need the right project management skills to make an impact.

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), a project’s success rate improves by approximately 40% when project managers possess and nurture the ideal skill set (a powerful mix of technical, leadership, and business management expertise).

Those in the know have been shining a spotlight on the increasing demand for project management skills in recent years. Computer World ranked project management among the hottest skills for 2017, while PMI projected a dramatic increase in the demand for project-oriented skills from 2017 through 2027. For each year during this period, companies around the world will need to fill an annualized figure of 2.2 million new project-oriented roles.

Despite the growing number of jobs, the serious lack of candidates with adequate project management skills creates a huge talent gap. With competition expected to become more intense across industries in the coming year, the scramble among recruiters for professionals with excellent project management skills will remain fierce in 2020, to say the least.      

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How much do project managers make?

When strong demand meets scarce supply, prices go way up north. This can be alarming to employers but quite a good thing for project management practitioners. Entry level project managers in the U.S. receive a median annual salary of $70,249 while senior project managers easily take home $102,318 on average. The most skillful and ambitious — those at the high end of the scale — are worth more than $142,000 according to Glassdoor. 

Project managers who obtain an industry-recognized credential like PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP) certification have an extra edge. Research by the Project Management Institute revealed that project managers who earned a PMP Certification received a 20% higher median salary than non-certified project managers. The study found the median salary of a PMP was $111,000, compared to the median salary of $91,000 for those without a PMP certification.

project-management-skills

Top 25 project management skills needed in 2020

Project management may well be the career where technical, business, and people skills routinely intersect.

To become a good project manager, technical skills are must-haves. You need full proficiency in the tools (such as project management software) and techniques (such as the Agile framework) of the trade.

While you don’t necessarily need to be a domain expert (e.g., non-architects or non-engineers can be project managers in construction while non-programmers can serve as project managers in software development), you need basic familiarity and topview knowledge of the field you are in.

In addition, you need to have a strategic and logistical perspective on each project you undertake to optimize cost efficiencies and benefits. And lastly, you need to possess leadership and people skills to effectively manage a diverse team of people who are also bringing their unique personalities and skill sets to the table.

We have broken down the top 25 project management skills for 2020 into 3 categories – technical skills, business management skills, and personality traits – in the handy matrix below.

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Project management skills matrix

Based on studies and recommendations from PMI, KPMG, EY (Ernst & Young), APM (Association for Project Management) and other domain experts, here’s a comprehensive project management skills matrix that can help you make a positive impact in 2020:

Technical skills and functional knowledge

Skill Name Description
Project Management Software Proficiency with commonly used technology tools such as Microsoft Project, Asana, and Trello.
Project Management Methodologies and Frameworks Ability to apply frameworks and methodologies such as Agile and SCRUM throughout a project’s lifecycle.
Reporting/Stakeholder Management Coordinate with managers, clients and team members to set expectations, deliverables, and objectives.
Team Building/Management Build and lead a team of people with different skill sets towards a unified goal by guiding each member to complete their unique deliverables on time.
Resource Planning and Management Formulate and implement a strategy on how project objectives can be met efficiently in the right sequence, by a group of people with unique skills within project constraints (time, budget, quality, etc.)
Time Management/Scheduling Ability to 1) accurately map out talent resources, tasks, and dependencies; 2) make timeline estimates and set specific and general schedules; and 3) keep everyone up to speed.
Cost Assessment/Budget Management Achieve cost efficiencies by optimizing work hours and establishing rationale for key procurements and other expenses.
Review/Monitoring Tr
ack overall project and individual stakeholder progress throughout the project lifecycle, resolving conflicts and optimizing gains along the way.
Conflict Management and Resolution Fix project discrepancies, overlaps, stalled workflows, and other issues due to internal roadblocks or unforeseen external setbacks. Help address interpersonal conflicts among team members.
Policy Knowledge An adequate grasp of the regulatory regime governing the sector, including health, safety, business best practices, and environment.

Business management and soft skills

Skill Name Description
Leadership Enable, motivate, and inspire the team to meet deliverables within project constraints by demonstrating commitment, expertise, confidence, genuine concern, and ability to help everyone solve challenges and achieve goals.
Business Communications Use the right language, tone, and storytelling techniques when communicating, describing, or explaining issues over email, chat, reports, presentations, and other forms and channels of communication. Generate the right impact or response from specific audiences (team members, managers, clients, vendors, partners, other stakeholders).
Collaboration/Relationship building Establish a collaborative culture where people with unique personalities and skills happily work together towards a unified goal.
Decision-Making Make prompt, informed, and fact-based decisions for the good of the project.
Accountability Embrace ownership of and accountability for the project.
Problem Solving/Critical Thinking Assess issues from different vantage points and formulate the best solution in addressing specific challenges.
Active Listening Practice active listening to glean insight and truly understand the needs or message of all project stakeholders.
Negotiation Apply the appropriate framework (SWOT, risk-reward, etc.) to arrive at a best-case scenario for all parties involved.
Research/Information Gathering Fill knowledge gaps through active research or by directly engaging resource persons.

Personality traits

Skill Name Description
Commitment/Motivation/Drive The project manager owns the project and should be the person with the highest level of commitment and motivation to see it through from start to finish.
Goal-Orientedness No one can become a decent project manager without a personality that places tremendous value on outcomes, objectives, and results. Project managers should be focused on the goal and the most efficient route to get there.
Confidence Project managers should exhibit process mastery with confidence and humility. Bragging, bullying, and bossing around don’t work.
Open-mindedness/Trainability Because continuous learning and self-improvement are integral to project management, practitioners should be open to new technologies, approaches, and experiences.
Adaptability/Proactivity Workplaces, workflows and project development practices rapidly change over time. Hence, project managers should possess the required agility to nimbly adapt to different situations and make proactive adjustments when necessary.
Inclusivity/Sociability The workplace is becoming more global and more diverse in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, and other demographics. As such, project managers should embrace everyone in the team and help nurture a culture of fairness, diversity, and inclusivity.

Key takeaways for project management job seekers in 2020

In addition to technical skills, companies are probing the job market for project management professionals with the right emotional intelligence, critical thinking, mentoring, and communication skills.

Here are some key takeaways for jobseekers who wish to participate in the project management field:

  1. A project is a unique and temporary undertaking that is defined via a specific scope, timeline, budget, quality standards, and a set of desired outputs, outcomes, or benefits. A project is often contrasted with “normal,” “as usual,” or “ongoing” business operations to describe or distinguish its nature. For example, corporate finance is a “business-as-usual” operation while the development of a mobile financial app for Android devices is a project.
  2. Project management refers to the systematic application of frameworks, processes, tools, and techniques to achieve the desired outcome for a project within a set of constraints such as quality, budget, and schedule. It covers strategic planning, resource allocation, process administration, overall monitoring, risk management, documentation and reporting.   
  3. With a projected job growth of 33% through 2027, a career in project management faces much-better-than-average outlook compared to other occupations.
  4. Project managers are in demand across many industries as the project-based approach to doing business becomes more widespread. While project management has reached high maturity levels in IT and construction, industries with the greatest current demand  include healthcare, telecommunications, manufacturing, and energy.     
  5. Project management ranks among the highest-paid careers, with well-experienced practitioners typically bringing home six-figure salaries.
  6. Because it is radically goal-oriented and requires collaboration with people of diverse backgrounds, project management is among the most fulfilling and satisfying career paths. Success (or failure) of each project has a palpable impact not only on the company’s bottom line but also on its morale and culture.     
  7. Success in project management requires a range of diverse skills spanning technical, strategic, business management, and leadership competencies. Examples of project management skills include negotiation, team-building, and technical proficiency in tools such as Microsoft Project, Asana, PowerPoint, Slack, and Trello.
  8. Project management takes its practitioners on a path of continuous learning, training, and skills development. Moreover, most skills learned in managing projects for one sector are easily transportable to other fields and industries.
  9. Certifications matter. Project managers with accredited certifications outearn non-certified practitioners by 20% on average.  
  10. Like sales, a successful stint in project management is considered a stepping stone towards executive leadership in many global companies. Simply put, if you are a successful project manager, then you have bragging rights to claim that you “literally get things done” pretty much all the time.

How strong are your project management competencies?

It’s easy to see why the appeal of a project management career can be very strong. The demand is high, the outlook is good, and the pay is head-turning. Job satisfaction, relevance, corporate impact, and self-worth similarly score very high on just about any metric.  

But project management is not for everyone. This skill-intensive role fits people who actively seek out learning opportunities so they can discover new things, improve competencies and build their skill sets over the course of their career.

If you are that person — someone who likes to get
things done and embark on a journey of continuous learning — then nothing is stopping you from becoming the best project manager you can be.        

Here’s a good place to start.

Looking for more project management resources around the web? Check out our list of the Top PM Blogs in 2020.

Want to learn more?

Take your project management skills to the next level with our comprehensive (and free) ebook!

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Joseph Mapue

Joseph Mapue

Joseph Mapue wears his writer’s hat wherever he goes, crafting top-notch content on business, technology, creativity, and innovation. He is also a dreamer, builder, father, and gamer.

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