Posted by Bob Walton on Tue, Feb 23, 2010 @ 04:06 PM
Our subscribers frequently ask us about what they can do to further increase the speed of BigContacts and other web based applications they use on a regular basis.
Based on these inquiries we put together a Web Performance Page on our website. This page will give you tips for tuning your browser to deliver a better experience for you while in BigContacts or surfing some other area of the web.
There are a variety of situations that can exist to create a slower web connection.
- The web browser you are using is slow and/or may have plug-ins that are causing issues.
- Your modem or router is experiencing trouble and may need to be reset.
- Your local internet connection can intermittently run slow.
- There could be an internet connection issue somewhere between you and our servers.
- Our application/ server could be temporarily experiencing unusually heavy loads.
One or more of these tips can improve your web experience:
- Upgrade your Browser
We support 4 major browsers, including: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome. You can decide how fast you would like to surf the web by reviewing the browser performance comparisons on this new web page.
- Reset your router and modem
A browser is the engine that drives your performance on the web. We encourage you to take a moment to make sure it is tuned so that it will perform better for you.
You won't believe the extra "mileage" you can get out of a day with a properly tuned browser.
Posted by Bob Walton on Thu, Feb 18, 2010 @ 07:20 AM
Best Practices Webinars for Web based CRM Software
At BigContacts, we're committed to making a real difference for you in your business. It's our mission to ensure that you get the most out of this easy-to-use, yet capable Web Based CRM Software. Think of us as your technology partner - dedicated to your success.
With the right tools and proper guidance, Web Based (CRM) Contact Management Software can provide measurable results in your business. Whether you're just considering this software for the first time, or have used it for years, we now offer a FREE Webinar series that can help you turn Web Based CRM Software into a true asset for your business.
Register Now and Get More Value for your Business
Whether you're just considering Web Based (CRM) Contact Management Software for the first time, or have used it for years, our webinar series can help you turn this software into a true asset for your Business.
Webinars are hosted daily.
Posted by Bob Walton on Tue, Dec 15, 2009 @ 02:02 PM
We've
all heard the expression "Garbage in - Garbage Out". Often abbreviated
as GIGO, this is a famous computer axiom meaning that if invalid data
is entered into a system, the resulting output will also be invalid.
At BigContacts
we are committed to your success. We can help you save a lot of time
and money in the long run by ensuring you get things right from the
start. We have trained and certified a team of Small Business CRM
Consultants that have the expertise, track record, and commitment to
ensure your success in implementing our web based CRM software within your business.
We are confident that, if implemented correctly, our platform will help
you:
• Strengthen existing Client Relationships
• For every customer who bothers to complain, there are 26 others who remain silent.
• It costs about 5 times as much to attract a new customer as it costs to keep the ones you have.
• Increase Sales through a more targeted system
• You can increase your total sales (on average) by 15-20% with more targeted and efficient sales practices.
• Reduce costs through more a streamlined operation
• You can reduce general operating expenses by 5-10% by implementing a system to help you better manage your work flows.
Read More>>>
Give a call at 1-888-286-6578 to learn more about this program and how we can help you in your business.
Posted by Bob Walton on Tue, Oct 07, 2008 @ 09:51 AM
Over the years too many software applications have been written from an engineer's perspective and fail to adequately take into account what the end-user wants or needs. This approach to designing things in the "lab" can result in applications that are difficult to learn and manage.
At BigContacts we have a singular focus on developing leading edge technologies that are easy to use and provide meaningful solutions for our end-users. We work hard to make this attention to detail very evident in everything we offer. One thing we don't always do well is to properly highlight features and functionality that we have built into our Contact Management System that make your life a little easier to manage.
If you're looking for new Contact Management Software but aren't quite sure how to get your contacts out of your current system and import them into a new platform, we have offer a very effective solution for you. Our Import Wizard provides step-by-step instructions for exporting your contacts from some of the most common Contact Management, Small Business CRM and Sales Force Automation Platforms in the industry.
Once the data is safely exported from your current application, you will then utilize our mapping tool to ensure that you contact data fields find their rightful home in the new system. Big Contacts goes beyond the standard data import. In addition to mapping all of the "standard" data fields, you can now import any "custom" fields that you may have created within your current system. You won't have to worry about a loss of any Contact data when importing to our system.
For those of you that currently use ACT!, we now have a solution for you too!
ACT! is one of those programs that makes is very difficult for you to get your history out of their application and into a new contact management system. We can help you with this as this is part of what we offer in our Custom Data Import service.
Finally, if you wish to import your entire contact history from any of these applications, (notes, meetings, email) our Custom Data Import service will ensure that you capture and properly organize this data as well.
For more information on this, or any other questions you might have, give us a call at 1-888-286-6578. We're here to help!
Posted by Bob Walton on Sat, Dec 22, 2007 @ 11:16 AM
One way to make yourself more efficient using BigContacts is to use email templates and letter templates. If you find yourself sending the same email over and over again, you can save it as a template and avoid having to retype it each time.
And now, you can add contact-specific data to personalize your email and letter templates. To do this, go to the Admin tab and either the Email Templates section or the Letter templates section. Then create a new template or edit an existing one. To add a merge field, add the desired field-name surrounded by curly braces. For example, to add a contact's first name, add this to your template:
{{first}}
You can add as many fields as you wish in this way. If the data is missing, it will just be blank. Another example might be {{first}} {{last}}
Here is a list of available fields you can merge into your templates:
first, last, middle, spouse_first, address, city, state, zip, country, phone, mobile, email, website, salutation, salutation_dear, nickname, company, co_title, co_address, co_city, co_state, co_zip, co_phone, co_email, contact_category, contact_group, contact_type, lead_type, lead_source, ABCD
Use this to save time and get more done!
Posted by Bob Walton on Wed, Nov 14, 2007 @ 05:01 PM
Introducing the BigContacts Email Dropbox
Did you know you can see all of your email traffic with a contact, even if you don't use Big Contacts to send email? Simply configure your email client to auto-bcc and auto-forward your email to your BigContacts email dropbox. Let's say you have a few emails back and forth with a supplier about a new ship date. All this email back-and-forth takes place in Outlook. As long as you have a contact with that email address, it will be saved for you. Log into BigContacts, pull up the contact and you can see all of the emails! Any email attachments are saved in the files table, for easy download any time you need to find it. No more searching through your inbox looking for an attachment.
Go to the Admin tab and the Users section. Click on 'request a email dropbox' next to a user's name and a dropbox will be created. Call us for detailed instructions for configuring your specific email client.
Posted by Bob Walton on Wed, Nov 14, 2007 @ 04:58 PM
Capturing your Sales Leads
Did you know that BigContacts has support for webforms? Do you have a form on your website for people to request a whitepaper or maybe sign up for your newsletter? You can forward this form first to BigContacts where the person who filled out the form's info will be used to create a new contact in the system. When this new contact is added, you can assign a task (follow up sales call?) and/or create a sales opportunity to track the lead. After the contact is added and the task and opportunity are added, the form data is passed on to your site so you can collect the data if needed or simple display a thank you page. If you created an opportunity, you can then tie this lead into your ...
Marketing Automation
BigContacts has a module called Autopilot which allows you to create marketing campaigns. It is keyed off of the sales opportunity pipeline. You select a pipeline stage, the number of days in that stage, and then an action. Maybe you are collecting sales leads form a form on your website. Use BigContacts webforms to add the contact and create a sales opportunity. Then configure Autopilot to send out an email every few days to tell the prospect about some great features of your product. By 'dripping' on your prospects on a regular basis this way you are sure to see more business.
Posted by Bob Walton on Wed, Nov 14, 2007 @ 04:57 PM
Does your office have complex processes that must be followed? With BigContacts, you can create multi-step tasks. Each step can be assigned to a different person on your team to complete. When one step is completed, the next step is assigned to the next person in line. Let's say you have a multistep task for setting up a new customer. When you land the new customer, assign the task. Step one is assigned to a sales administrator to contact the new customer to collect detailed account information and fill out forms. When they complete this step, it is then assigned to your office clerk to fax in the forms and get confirmation back. Then step three might be for you to call the new client and tell them everything is set up. This is a simple example, but you can extrapolate to similar processes in your business.