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5 Recommendations for a Sticky Website

Young couple in tight slow dance embrace for PROSAR article on sticky websites.

Remember how you clung to your sweetheart as Lionel Ritchie soothed the airwaves with Stuck on You? Holding on so tightly it was as much a testament to your endurance as to your affection. Perhaps it was your high school prom or a party in your friend’s basement. Or perhaps you have no idea who Lionel Ritchie is (shame!) and have always avoided both parties and basements. I suspect you have still experienced that all-consuming embrace and being stuck on your sweetheart. That desire to be part of, that willingness to stay the course, that yearning to be involved… that will probably never happen on your website.

However, there are many things you can do to make your website more engaging and interesting – more sticky. Hormones aside, the following recommendations will help you develop a sticky website to attract more relevant traffic and welcome them with a tight embrace.

Simple to Use

There has been a trend towards simpler and cleaner websites. We’ve grown weary of “cool” design that is more form than function, and frustrated with hard to navigate sites. That’s not to say that people are no longer impressed with technically cool websites, it just can’t be at the expense of simple operation and clear communication.

Many websites have a large amount of information; it makes sense to provide a good resource online. The critical factor is structuring and presenting the information in an easy to access manner. That includes making your website and content accessible for those with disabilities. [Click here to download our AODA Checklist.]

Technically Sound

Little is more frustrating than clicking on a link and landing on an error page. Or, trusting in a website enough to register for a webinar and then the form doesn’t work. It can be very costly to disappoint your audience. Things will change on your website with new content being added, software updating, external links changing… it is virtually a living organism that needs attention to continue to perform. Maintaining the security and technical aspects of your website will help others trust and use it effectively.

Your website is made up of thousands of lines of code, and it interacts every day with thousands of lines of other code. It is likely that your website will suffer technical issues and even get infected at times, but a healthy (updated and monitored) website can survive just fine. [Click here to view our maintenance packages.]

Integrate Your Brand

Simply including your logo and using brand colours is not integrating your brand. It is a topical solution, and if you’re only going skin-deep your missing the heart of the matter.

Is your main messaging clear and do you leverage your headlines? What is the tone of your organization and is your content reflecting that nuance? Are graphics and icons customized to reflect your brand and strengthened with messaging (when appropriate)? Are photos and illustrations supporting your brand via composition, colour, cropping and customization? There are myriad ways to integrate your brand, some obvious, some subtle, some directed at peoples’ conscious deliberation, others directed at their subconscious. Branding is a sophisticated process that goes well beyond a logo and colour, and your website is an ideal tool to effectively position and support your brand. [View our approach to branding.]

Cater to Your Audience

That means you must know your audience. For a small business that requires lasering down to the segment of customers that you serve best. For an association that means concentrating on the core membership. That doesn’t mean that you must ignore other customers and stakeholders, but focus your message on your primary audience. Speaking loud and direct to them will help them see the relevance of your website.

Your website can be structured to address niche audiences, but that should be a conscious and strategic action. That allows you to communicate effectively to each audience, customize your SEO efforts for specific pages, and provide a user-friendly experience.

Keep Content Fresh

Even your core market won’t bother returning to reread information. Websites are relatively easy to update regularly. (Yes, I say this even though we are often less than frequent with our own blog!) It does take commitment and perhaps an ongoing expense, but well worthwhile to keep your audience updated and engaged; and to improve your website search rankings.

Your website could include relevant corporate sector or association information, such as events, activities, announcements, articles worth reading, etc. You can up the ante with images from an event, showing product usage, or photo contest with submissions form your audience. Video is an even bigger draw, whether it’s instructional, a review or highlighting a charity your organization supports. Videos can help improve search rankings as well. Another media file worth considering is audio, such as podcasts, interviews (staff, customers, news-makers, etc.) or maybe staff’s music picks.

Content is the reason why someone visits your website, so strive to keep it interesting, up-dated and formatted to be accessible, as well as to maximize SEO.

Remember that slow dance partner you were snuggling with when we started? They’re dancing with someone else now, but don’t fret. Apply these recommendations to your next website, and with a sticky website you’ll be enjoying that sweet embrace in no time.

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Creating Better Results with Custom Reports

Header image for SharpSpring information on PROSAR website.

You’ve no doubt heard axioms such as “measure what matters” and “how can you improve it if you don’t measure it.” These are true, we instinctively know this. But how do you measure what matters, and can you get it in a convenient, easy-to-understand format? Custom reports is the answer.

SharpSpring has done all the heavy lifting to make it easy to measure important criteria, automatically put them in user-friendly reports, even schedule them to automatically configure and email to key team members. This article provides an overview of SharpSpring’s customizable reporting function.

 

Building Better Reports

 

Though SharpSpring provides different types of sales and CRM reports, you may want to generate reports that show information from many different sources. You can create a customized report that shows only the information that you want. These reports are designed to give you all the information you need to measure your current sales performance — and to forecast performance for the future.

gif showing how to drag and drop widgets for SharpSpring report builder.Widgets are the main component of the Custom Report feature. These widgets provide an at-a-glance view of different types of data. You can configure your reports to show data with any combination of these different widgets. Statistic widgets are small, all other widget types are large. A row of widgets in the report canvas can fit a maximum of six small widgets or two large widgets.

 

By default, widgets will display data with as much information as possible. This might be beneficial for reports that look at the larger picture, but your reports will most likely need to focus only on a certain amount of information. You can use report filters to display only the data that you want.

 

You can export a report as a PDF file, and export data from individual widgets .csv files. Customized reports can also be shared through Cloud Dashboards, which are preset displays that are broadcasted to external monitors or televisions. Shared reports can be accessed via URLs that are unique for each individual report.

Once a customized report has been configured and saved, it can be scheduled to be sent via email. Scheduled reports will be sent to email recipients as a .PDF attachment.

Gif showing how to schedule a custom report to email to team.

 

Segmented by category below, there are many criteria and objectives that you can track and measure with SharpSpring’s customizable reports.

Campaign Widgets

Open Opportunities, Opportunities Created, Sales Lost, Total Leads Qualified, Activity by Campaign, Activity by Channel, Campaigns with Open Opportunities, Clicks by Campaign, Clicks by Channel, Contacts by Primary Campaign, Conversion Funnel, Top 10 Campaigns with Won Opportunities, Top 10 Campaigns by Revenue

 

Chatbot Widgets

Total Chats with Anonymous Leads, Total Chats with Contacts, Total Contacts Created, Total Conversions, Total Form Fills Influenced by Bot, Total Revenue Influenced by Bot, Bot Action Breakdown, Contacts Created Per Bot, Opportunities Created from New Leads Generated by Bot, Total Chats Per Page, Total Chats Per Page with Known Leads, Total Chats Over Time Per Bot

 

Contact Widgets

Contacts Added by Lead Status, Contacts by Lead Status, Contacts Added

 

Email Widgets

Average Email Clicks per Day, Average Email Conversion Rate, Sales Influenced by Email, Revenue by Email, Top 10 Emails by Conversion Rate, Unique Email Opens

 

Form Widgets

Average Form Submissions per Day, Sales Influenced by Form, Total Form Submissions, Revenue by Form, Unique Contacts Submitted a Form

 

Media Centre Widgets

Average Media Views per Day, Unique Media Views by Media, Total Media Views, Influenced by Media, Revenue by Media, Top 10 Media by Views, Unique Media Views

 

Opportunity Widgets

Total Revenue, Total Sales, Expected Value by Close Date and Deal Stage, Expected Value by Deal Stage, Revenue by Close Date and Owner, Revenue by Owner

 

Task Widgets

Completed Late Tasks by User, Completed On-Time Tasks by User, Completed On-Time Tasks by User, Total Completed Tasks by User, Total Completed Tasks by User, Tasks Completed, Tasks Due, Open Tasks, Overdue Tasks, Task Activity Report, Task Completion Rate by User, Task Completion Rate, Tasks Completed Late or Rescheduled, Tasks Completed on Time, Total Open Tasks by User, Total Open Tasks by User

 

Article written by Jake Crown at SharpSpring.

PROSAR Inbound Inc. is a SharpSpring Partner.

 

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Improving Customer Communications with Video Calls

Header image for SharpSpring information on PROSAR website.

Although nothing beats meeting with people to fully communicate, understand each other, and form well-rounded impressions. Communicating via email and text is efficient and can be very effective once a relationship is established. Phone calls are much better at discussing complex issues and getting to know a person, while video calls provide the benefit of voice, facial expression, as well as shared screens and group presentations.

Communication has always been the key to marketing and sales. Now, and for the foreseeable future, video calls have never been more important. Here are some tips for making effective and professional use of video calls.

 

Making Good Video Calls

Since we’re all spending more time in virtual meetings, consider these tips for good video calls:

  • Look Professional: If it’s a business call, show respect for the other participants, your company and yourself — dress accordingly for your business and role. Video calls from home can be a little more relaxed, but you still want to be seen as competent and professional so hygiene, grooming and pants are strongly recommended.
  • Be Prepared: Keeping people’s attention can be more difficult online so don’t create downtime or lags searching for information or trying to remember what you wanted to say. Have all resources close at hand and ready, make notes beforehand and include your goals for the meeting to keep you on track content-wise and strategically.
  • Set the Scene: A cluttered or discordant background make it difficult to focus on you; it may also make it difficult to take you seriously. A plain background is your best backdrop. Good lighting is critical, but from the front not back. Avoid lights and windows behind you.
  • Watch the Time: The informal nature of a video call versus an in-person meeting can foster long, boring affairs. Be mindful of the time and what is being accomplished. Keep to the agenda schedule for your input and move others along if you are the chair.
  • Watch your Mouth: Video calls are often recorded, so think twice before you speak.
  • Take Notes: Just as you would in a regular meeting, take notes to remember key points and action items that involve you. Ensure your notes are in sync with the meeting minutes.

Making Good Video Calls with SharpSpring

SharpSpring has complemented its Sales Optimizer with in-application video calling. It makes it easy to connect with others on their laptop or desktop. Recipients don’t need to use SharpSpring and there is no software to download. Their browser will ask permission to use their laptop’s mic and speaker and that’s it… you’re face-to-face creating relationships and opportunities.

Getting connected for online meetings and meaningful conversations is simple. Reach out to leads in your SharpSpring CRM with the click of a button, invite anyone via email, even invite people to video calls already in progress. Easily contact team members by clicking Video Call in the top toolbar.

Animated gif showing how easy it is to create a video call from SharpSpring.

 

SharpSpring Video Call Features

A full complement of video call features will help you succeed online:

Table of SharpSpring video call features.

 

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Make Your Content FRUITFUL: An 8-Point Checklist to Writing Good Content

Bowl of colourful fruit for PROSAR's FRUITFUL Content blog article.

It may seem that content generation has become a hot tactic in marketing just over the past decade, but it’s actually been around for decades. David Ogilvy, often referred to as the Father of Advertising, always believed that the steak is more important than the sizzle. He maintained that good copywriters must know their product extensively, present the facts honestly, and explain the products merits effectively.

Quote from David Ogilvy regarding good content: "The more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be."

Ogilvy favoured well-written copy as the most persuasive advertising tool. If you have a good product (and you truly understand your market), your primary task is to inform, educate and explain — thus helping your audience make the logical decision to buy. With all the hype and noise created by online marketing these days his message is rather refreshing.

Although content generation is not new, it is now seen as a key means of attracting and engaging with your audience. It’s not simply a matter of generating content; there are reams and reams (or rather, gigabytes and gigabytes) of content being pushed out. If your information is going to be noticed and have any effect, it must be good. To help you with that ambition, consider this list to make your content more FRUITFUL:

Facts – Do your research and really understand what you are writing about. It’s difficult to inform others from a position of ignorance.

Relevant – Understand who your target audience is. Knowing who you are writing for will inform what you write about as well as how you write it. It will also direct where you post/promote the content.

Useful – Beyond being relevant, is the information of use? Readers will have interest if it affects them: consider how does this information make their life better, simpler or more enjoyable.

Images – Many people are more visual-oriented, others are simply too busy to thoroughly read your piece. So complement your words with appropriate photos, tables, charts, funny illustrations, etc. to help convey your message.

Trustworthy – Be honest, in reference to the information as well as how it is presented. We all want our product or service to stand out above the fray, but writing strategically and persuasively does not require falsehoods, or even hyperbole.

Flow – People respond well to stories partly because of their structure. A logical order of information and understandable chain of events makes it easy for readers to follow. The tone of “voice” of your writing and rhythm of the sentences can make your writing more accessible and engaging. (And this may change dramatically depending upon the content or audience.)

Unbiased – Ultimately you have an agenda. If you are communicating professionally, you are either trying to gain awareness for you or your organization, improve SEO, build brand, attract potential clients (or finally impress your mother). But, biased writing is typically discounted or disregarded by readers, so keep their needs in mind, not your own.

Learn – Humans have a thirst for knowledge, we strive to be continuously learning, so being a resource is an excellent way to earn readership. Incorporate tips and information that enable a “knowledge take-away” (like a check list!). Informing is good, but teaching is better (without being preachy or condescending).

There are many considerations in writing good and accessible content. You may also want to check out 5 Tips for User Friendly Content.

 

Make sure your website is accessibility compliant. Avoid significant fines and boost your SEO performance. Learn more now.

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3 Ways to Improve Your Website

Keyboard with "time t Update" key for PROSAR website improvement blog

In addition to regular content additions to keep your website fresh and a maintenance program to ensure that your website is technically up-to-date and secure. Here are three things you can do to leverage your website more effectively:

Marketers learn that Features explain what something does, while Benefits describe why it matters to the user. Then they can internalize and personalize material, making them more likely to act on your information.

Regardless of what your organization does, you’re selling something: products, services, memberships, ideas, etc. — there is a persuasive purpose for your website. Making your content meaningful to the user and helping them visualize how it makes their life better or easier, will have greater impact. Take advantage of your website to effectively position your organization and its message with persuasive and contextualized content. [Read more: 5 Reasons to Use Content Marketing]

Content Audit

Do you know what content you have and how it fits into your overall marketing and sales goals? Don’t worry, most companies don’t. (This blog will help you get started: Own Your Content)

Having content is good, but in order for it to be strategic it needs to fit into a plan. The plan determines what you need, the audit reveals what you have, you determine how it fits into the overall strategy and what other pieces you need to fill the holes. To make this manageable, we use a spreadsheet with columns for:

  • Source (web page, blog, whitepaper, infographic, etc.)
  • Topic
  • Name/Title
  • Funnel (does it fit top, middle or low in the info/sales cycle)
  • Workflow (what workflow or campaign is it part of)
  • Usability (our own scale on how useful/effective it is for our audience)
  • CTA (is there a relevant/custom call-to-action/ad in the content

 Improving SEO and AODA

Keywords are still important, but keyword stuffing will cost you. Google’s keen sense of good online content can sniff out the junk to determine what is truly a good resource with many layers and forms of relevant content. Meta data is still important as it is used in your search displays, so word your page titles and descriptions carefully, to engage potential readers as they search the web. Check out our 5-Minute SEO Check You Can Do Yourself.

For several years, Ontario has been rolling out the web applications of AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act), a set of guidelines to make Ontario more accessible for people with disabilities. Websites are now judged on whether they adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, AA compliance (except for live audio and video). The timeline for when compliance is required can be found on Ontario’s AODA page. In addition to being complaint, making your website accessible according to WCAG opens your website to a wider variety of potential prospects, improves SEO results and earns goodwill among clients. Check out our article on freindly user-content as a starting point.

Marketing Automation

Often referred to as Inbound Marketing, automated marketing enables a series of tasks to be automatically completed when triggered. For example, a client clicks on an e-newsletter link to your “Our Widgits” web page, and visits a specific new widget page three more times in a week. That shows some obvious interest, so your website may automatically send an email to the client with more information on that specific widgit, additional shipping information and a link to your delivery schedule. If your client clicks on the delivery link, another more informative email could be sent, and the appropriate sales rep sent a prompt to call said client immediately. II the client doesn’t click on the delivery link, then a different email with other information and an incentive might be appropriate, or links to relevant blog articles, or references from other clients who have ordered that widgit…

Point being, strategic tasks can be set up to happen automatically, accommodating for the receiver’s actions and sending the right information at the right time. It allows you to look after prospects’ and clients’ needs efficiently and effectively.

Use of dynamic content, presenting different content on a page for different buyer personas, further nurtures leads, and extensive tracking and reporting provides insight and intelligence to make the user-experience as rewarding as possible.

There is much that your website could be doing to better communicate and engage with your audience. Start taking some steps to leverage its potential.

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3 Ways to Strengthen Your Brand

Keyboard with "What's your Brand" key for PROSAR Inbound blog article.

Brand is not merely a cool logo. Branding is about creating an appropriate image for, and experience with, your organization; and positively positioning your organization in your audience’s mind.

Effective branding grabs your target audience’s interest and helps them to realize that you are of value to them, and then nurtures an ongoing relationship.

Without an actual brand and content strategy and ongoing stewardship, even well-crafted promotions can fall flat and even alienate your audience.

Here are three criteria to follow when defining your brand and promoting what makes you distinct.

 

Corporate Messaging

From your tagline to your corporate mission to the content on your website — what you say and how you say it is critical. What is the tone of your organization? Authoritative and instructional, understanding and guiding, carefree and irreverent… the goal is not simply to inform or impress, you should communicate with the intention of making relationships.

Consider your audience (which may include several distinct market segments) and try to engage with them in your writing and messaging. Even with different people creating content, each with their own voice, they can still infuse a corporate tone and positioning through their material. A branding strategy should explicitly outline the messaging objectives, desired corporate tone aa well as slogans and catch phrases.

For your audience to trust your organization, they need to identify or connect with you. Engage them with targeted content that is genuine and relevant to your company. Storytelling is a very effective means of communicating your message and brand, but that doesn’t mean telling tales. What you say and how you say it can provoke tremendous impact and stir emotion within readers; and they can usually tell when it is honest and legitimate.

 

Consider the User Experience

Whether your customer is on your website, on the phone or on-site, what do you want them to think of your organization? In addition to the branded identity and corporate messaging, does the environment reflect the essence of your organization? Do interactions with your company support your positioning?

The best logo and tagline will have little lasting effect if staff, service, store décor, website design, promotional email wording, etc., are not all aligned to reinforce the brand.

Considering what your brand represents as an experience supports your “story” and helps your audience engage with your organization. This leads to stronger relationships and greater loyalty.

 

Consistency

The purpose of branding is to go beyond simply creating awareness, and recognition. The goal is to nurture a trusting and loyal relationship. It’s a comprehensive undertaking that requires consistent use of your branded identity, in all formats.

It all stems from your mission, vision, value statement unique selling proposition, any guiding principles for your organization. A thorough understanding of what drives your organization and what it has to offer is the essence of your brand.

Content generation provides many digital options (web pages, blogs, emails, social posts, ebooks and brochures, whitepapers, etc.) and is an influential means of attracting and reaching out to your audience. Consistency in template designs as well as voice/tone help build a strong foundation for your brand (keep that style guide close at hand!).

An editorial calendar maps out what content will be written, by whom, how it will be published, and when. It allows a strategic approach (ensuring consistency in both frequency and focus) and overview to ensure you are creating content that is of value to your audience as well as supporting your brand.

A brand strategy requires ongoing monitoring and attention. It’s part policing and part promoting. Don’t be overzealous or near-sighted in your regulation. In these fluid times, acknowledge that things change and your brand strategy and implementation will need to evolve to stay current and relevant.

For further info on how branding fits into your marketing and sales process, read Understanding the Branding – Marketing – Advertising – Sales Relationship.

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A Brief Overview to Marketing Automation

Marketing Automation blog article on prosar.com - person pointing at backlit icons

Marketing automation, or inbound marketing, started taking hold about a decade ago and brought about a paradigm shift in how companies approach their target markets. It leverages the power of digital tools and online communication, and consumers’ growing appetite for information. It respects consumers’ greater control over the selling-buying process. And, rather than the traditional broadcast methods of pushing your message out to a general audience, inbound strategy attracts a receptive audience, nurtures a trusting relationship, and secures a loyal client. Here’s a brief marketing automation overview to help put it in perspective for you.

What started quite simply with the notion of attract traffic, nurture interest, convert leads has become more comprehensive and complex. Dynamic-based content allows you to create customized emails, web pages and forms for targeted market segments (personas) and even individuals. Tracking, reporting and analytics now play an important role in testing, measuring and improving deployment of the tactics. And the tools used to manage the process have become more sophisticated and powerful.

This greater complexity speaks to the larger role that marketing automation now plays and great potential that comes with it. It underlines the importance of developing a strategy and detailed planning to ensure your budget and efforts are directly wisely.

The Marketing Automation Process

The basic premise behind marketing automation is much like dating — make yourself known and attractive to those who are looking for what you have to offer. Once you have their attention, you work at proving your value with information and insight via content on your website and downloads. A progression of content and engagement keeps your prospect interested until you successfully build the case that they should purchase form you.

The starting point is to create an informative and inviting online environment, and downloadable content, that serves as a resource for those seeking your service or product. (Content generation is an important component, read Does Your Content Go the Distance? for some helpful tips) When their online searches (often aided by AdWords, social media and email campaigns) bring them to your website, the wealth of strategically written and presented information, calls-to-action (CTAs), landing pages, forms and automated workflows lead them through your marketing funnel, and hopefully to a purchase. The process can take months with many visits, email campaigns, information downloads and even phone calls.

A bonus is that these same tactics are then used to nurture an ongoing relationship. The intention is not simply to make the initial sale, but to cultivate an ongoing loyal customer. The marketing and sales processes can more easily be aligned and integrated to work seamlessly together forming a continuum of customer care.

Tactics Used in Marketing Automation

The primary objective is to convince your prospects that they should choose your organization. Educating your target market helps them appreciate your knowledge and understanding of their needs. Tools, tips and tidbits of information, either as blog articles, whitepapers, branded information pieces, apps, etc. provide evidence to your knowledge and understanding.

Marketing automation tactics include developing strategic content, social media promotion, focused SEO, targeted paid advertising (AdWords and online banners), creation of engaging, customized landing pages and emails, special offers promoted by effective CTAs, scheduled phone calls, chats or online presentations, and a structured plan that integrates all components to work together in an automated workflow. Tracking and analysis enables measurement at several different stages so that tactics and campaigns can be measured and tweaked for ongoing improvement.

If some of these tasks and terms are new to you, download the Ultimate Guide to Marketing Automation Terminology. A comprehensive PDF that explains all the lexicon.

You don’t need to employ all these tactics, but like any campaign with many moving parts, they are complementary and often prove to be more effective when used together. Whatever tactics you chose to implement, they need to be coordinated properly and consistent.

Marketing automation is a process. It takes time to create the content and components, and typically requires several months of applied and integrated effort before you start to see results. Once you have the system working, ongoing effort, trial and tweaking is necessary for ongoing success. Marketing automation improves sales and customer satisfaction, but it’s not a magic formula for instant success.

The Evolution of Smart Marketing

Developing a personalized dialogue to strengthen and maintain a feedback loop, repeat purchases and referrals is smart. Marketing automation simply uses modern tools and best practices to do what good businesses have always done: work strategically to attract prospects, demonstrate your knowledge for your product/service, listen to and look after your consumers.

CTA graphic with link to download the Ultimate Guide to Marketing Automation Terminology PDF

 

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SharpSpring Makes it Easier to Close Sales with its New Meetings App

Header image for SharpSpring information on PROSAR website.

Booking meetings is the name of the game in sales. To help you excel at booking appointments and converting prospects to clients, SharpSpring has gone a few steps further than apps that automate the appointment booking process. It has created a fully automated process of triggered emails, tasks, notifications, follow-up and integrated it with their comprehensive marketing automation solution.

 

Creating and Sharing Meetings with SharpSpring Meetings

Invite clients and prospects to book a meeting with you in a professional, seamless and automated fashion. Use a text link (perhaps in your email signature with screenshot of SharpSpring Meeting app - adding book appointment button to email“Book a consultation now!”) or a button — either are easily created within the app. You can place the text link/button in an email, on your website or a landing page, wherever you want people to connect online and automatically book a meeting with you.

In addition, you can share meetings that you have created. Each share meeting link is unique to a specific meeting. Just like the initial meeting booking links, meetings can be shared via emails, websites and landing pages.

There is no limit to the number of users. A sales team of 2, 4 or 42 can have profiles for all staff, each with their own settings and personalized links to book meetings.

 

Customize Meeting App Settings

screenshot of SharpSpring Meeting app - Booking a Meeting

Set in advance the dates and times you are available, when and how you are notified of booked meetings, and which calendars are synced with your booked meetings. These settings can be modified at any time.

 

Sales managers can be notified and view all activity, monitoring follow-up, results and prospect nurturing.

You can even customize which domains the meetings are set to, as well as the color for meeting calendars.

And, big bonus, the SharpSpring Meetings app is completely free with the SharpSpring Marketing Automation subscription. To learn more about SharpSpring and their Meetings app, contact PROSAR today.

Learn more about marketing automation and its effect on email best practices in our article The New Email Paradigm: Do More with Less

 

PROSAR Inbound Inc. is a SharpSpring Partner.

CTA graphic with link to download the Ultimate Guide to Marketing Automation Terminology PDF

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SharpSpring’s New Sales Optimizer

Header image for SharpSpring information on PROSAR website.

Sales managers are responsible for creating and implementing a sales process that consistently delivers results. But how do you outline what actions your team should take to close the deal, and when? More importantly, how do you streamline and control the process? SharpSpring has the answer!

SharpSpring Sales Optimizer ensures every salesperson follows best practices for conversion by automatically creating tasks and actions that move opportunities through the pipeline. This suite of tools is designed to give you control over both the cadence and quality of sales communication in ways never before possible.

Comprehensive Workflow Tool that Triggers Notifications, Tasks and Actions

Getting rid of those headaches starts with designing your ideal sales process in the visual workflow builder, a tool that empowers you to easily outline every step your team needs to take, from opportunity creation to a closed-won sale.

Your sales team now has access to the same powerful automation tools the marketing team uses, so they can convert those hard-earned leads to sales.

Workflows not only allow you to delegate how and when tasks are executed, but you can also automate actions like creating an opportunity and moving a deal to a new pipeline stage. Automatically generate new opportunities based on a hot lead’s engagement with your content, or move an opportunity to a new pipeline stage after they submit a signed contract. Allow automation to fill in the gaps and keep leads engaged without a second thought.

This enables your team to spend less time on the admin work involved in pipeline management so they can focus on what really matters – winning deals.

Manage Your Message with SharpSpring Sales Optimizer

Now that you’ve painted your horizon in an opportunity workflow, it’s time to add the little details that really seal the deal. When assigning actions in your workflow, you can easily control what emails and media center assets your salesperson sends out. With every auto-assigned sales task, you can link the specific email template they should send and any content assets relevant to that stage in the buyer’s journey. This makes it easy to align sales communication with the marketing team’s content strategy, so you have ultimate control over the message you want to convey.

Sales Optimizer Task ManagerDon’t worry, there’s still room for your salesperson to add their own flair – after all, you can’t automate a personal connection. From the Task Manager, the salesperson will have the option to send a Smart Mail template as-is or go into the email editor and customize it for a particular lead.

Streamline Task Management Through Entire Marketing – Sales Process

Having a more personal touch in your messaging is important for one-to-one engagement, but manually creating these repetitive phone and email tasks leaves too much room for human error. One missed follow-up email or phone call, and a sales-ready opportunity could fall through the cracks. With Sales Optimizer, rest assured that all your leads and opportunities are properly managed with the exact cadence you’ve laid out.


Follow-up tasks are auto-generated and flow seamlessly into every salesperson’s Task Manager. Even better, when leads engage with your website, their tasks float to the top of the list so your team can reach out just in time while your brand is top of mind. Sales Optimizer turns your website into a two-way communicator that’s patched in directly with your sales team, making prioritization easy and effective.

Capitalize on Hot Lead Engagement

Prioritizing who to reach out to is now easier than ever from the Activity Feed with instant visibility into which leads have automated tasks associated with them. Lead owners are able to see which leads are currently engaging and what they are engaging with, so they can respond accordingly.

If a lead opens an email or engages with your social media, this not only shows up in real-time on the Activity Feed, but it’s also highlighted when the lead owner has a follow-up task. This way it’s easy to time your sales follow-up at pivotal moments in the buyer’s journey.

Keep Your Team Accountable

Powerful new automation features sound great, but how do you make sure everything is going according to plan? Keep your team on track with detailed task reports that provide insight into which automated tasks are being completed or rescheduled during a given time.

Sales Optimizer Task Report

Instantly see if your sales rep sent an email when you assigned a phone call, for example, so you can make sure everyone follows the correct process. You can also identify any holes in your sales plan based on the outcome of automated tasks. Are deals closing on target?

Close More Deals With SharpSpring’s Sales Optimizer

Designing, implementing and fine-tuning your sales process can be a difficult feat. Make it easier – and more effective – with Sales Optimizer. To see exactly how the power of automation can benefit your bottom line, contact PROSAR today.

There is an endless supply of shiny new apps to help you manage your business and grow sales. Some are awesome, many are horrible, many are good, but not optimal for your business. Read our blog on Choosing New Tech Solutions for Business Growth — 5 Things Not To Do.

 

Article written by Nicholas Mangold, Product Marketing Specialist at SharpSpring.

PROSAR Inbound Inc. is a SharpSpring Partner.

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