B2B Connection

Today’s Community Contributor is Himanshu Periwal, Vice President of Growth for travel and bookings website ixigo.com. Himanshu has a Bachelor’s of Engineering along with an MBA, and has experience in product marketing and management consulting. He has contributed  ratings and reviews of various marketing products on TrustRadius.  First off, why call it Growth, and not Marketing? In a traditional sense, Marketing is how your business defines and positions your product in order to attract customers. It covers the 4Ps of business: Product, Price, Placement and Promotion. In contrast, Growth has an equal focus on these aspects of marketing along with product-tech led by experimentation. Thus, it empowers marketing to scale and optimize through product and technology capabilities. What is the AARRR ‘Pirate Metrics’ framework?  The AARRR, or Pirate metrics, framework was defined by entrepreneur Dave McClure. An acronym for Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, Referral, this methodology allows you to analyze and optimize every step of your customer funnel. This simple framework helps to streamline marketing and product efforts across each of these stages, ensuring your team doesn’t miss out on small yet important marketing requirements. This framework is typically used by marketing, product, engineering teams in the company to split […]

I am old enough to remember the days of AIM group chat rooms and Yahoo! Messenger. I am, however, young enough to remember using Skype to do group video calls with my friends. We used external microphones the size of desk lamps and clunky webcams. Potato quality, indeed! Back then, that was a luxury (as was high-speed internet). These days, speedy wifi connections and video calls hosted over the internet are a regular, no-big-deal kind of occurrence we refer to as “web conferencing”. But what exactly is web conferencing and how does it differ from our video chats of yesteryear? More than just video conferencing Simply put, web conferencing software allows participants to host or attend meetings via the internet. It is also referred to as online meeting software. That’s kind of just what web conferences are–online meetings. Some folks will tell you that web conferencing is also synonymous with video conferencing. Those folks are wrong. While all web conferencing software supports video conferencing, not all video conferencing tools support web conferencing. The keyword here is “web”. Video conferencing as a term simply refers to a live, audio-video call or meeting between at least two participants. Typically, if we’re just […]

Today’s Community Contributor is Steffany Winkelmann, a Client Success Manager at Jackrabbit Online Class Management Software. She has written several reviews for ecommerce, business intelligence, and email marketing products. Millennials are often pegged as rapid job-changers. While there is plenty of truth to that generalization, it has afforded me a unique perspective. Having had multiple opportunities to start anew has forced me to prove that my prior job-hopping can, in fact, add value to an organization more than harm it. To do that, I’ve had to learn to navigate new systems and processes quickly, make valuable connections early, and make a lasting impact fast. (On that note, I’m by no means advocating for job-hopping or ignoring its apparent downsides, but rather highlighting a unique perspective afforded to me through it). Learn what your role actually is To make an impact fast, you first need to understand your role. No, not the role you were hired for, but the role you’re actually filling. Remember: you were hired to help the organization reach a certain goal. Throughout the interview process, you should have uncovered what that goal is and market yourself as being the right person to help the company reach these […]

We are excited to announce the Top Rated Office Suites for 2019! Top Rated awards showcase today’s top-of-the-line products in Office Suites based solely on user feedback and satisfaction scores. These awards make the voice of the market the primary decider into the industry’s best products. Top Rated awards are the most trusted in the industry because they are never influenced by analyst opinion, the vendor’s size, popularity, or status as a TrustRadius customer. So without further ado… Here are the winners: G Suite G Suite is an office suite by Google. In addition to the typical productivity tools, G Suite also includes email, document storage, identity management, online surveys, and meeting tools. Half (50%) of the G Suite users on TrustRadius are from small businesses. Reviewers appreciate that G Suite excels at collaboration and that it is an economical solution.  “We use G Suite across the entire organization. We utilize Gmail, Calendar, Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides) and Meet. It allows us to collaborate as teams and have easy access to the information we need for our organization to be successful… We love using G Suite!” – Verified User | Director in Human Resources | Computer Software Company Microsoft Office […]

What is a business buzzword, and what makes them the worst? Words become annoying buzzwords when they get overused, frequently misused, or are just plain vague. Terms with a perfectly good plain-English counterpart are especially hated. It’s a classic mark of jargon! If there’s a different word that you would say if you weren’t at work, check yourself: you’re probably using business jargon. Based on a recent TrustRadius survey of over 700 professionals, here is the ultimate list of the 119 most-hated business buzzwords. These corporate cliches, in order of most-mentioned to least-mentioned, are full of juicy jargon, vague terminology, obscure metaphors, and problematic turns of phrase.  The 119 Worst Business Buzzwords for 2020 Synergy Think outside the box (and other variations, like “step out of the box,” an “out of the box” idea, etc.) Take it offline Circle back Low-hanging fruit At the end of the day Cloud, and cloud-based To not know what you don’t know Big Data Move the needle Leverage Agile Best Practice Digital transformation Deep dive Bandwidth Customer journey Moving forward–and its close cousin “going forward” Next level, up-level, level up Reach out Touch base Wheelhouse Disruptor Alignment / Aligned Right Bottom line Acronyms (FYI, […]

The promise of project management software – having your whole team collaborating together within one centralized platform that houses all your project materials – sounds like a dream come true.  Unfortunately, reality doesn’t always live up to this dream. Personally, I’m currently using three different project and task management tools, each serving a slightly different purpose. And according to our research, I’m not alone: 58% of project management users use more than one tool.  This simple insight can make finding the right project management software for your team unexpectedly difficult. There are also hundreds of tools to choose from and a wide range of project management methodologies to consider. Though project management software, also called ‘work management’ or ‘collaboration and work management software’, has evolved to meet the needs of today’s workforce, these factors can make searching for a new software solution even more time consuming. One key trend is that many popular products are now web-based. A few legacy products, like Microsoft Project and JIRA, still offer on-premise deployment options. Web-based project management is definitely a positive development, as it makes it easier to connect remote workers with the rest of their team. Yet this also makes the market […]

If anyone were to look at my desk, they would see a maze of sticky notes with near-illegible chicken scratch I use to manage my short-term project goals. While my sticky-note methodology is near and dear to my heart, it also falls tragically short when it comes to team-based projects or long-term planning and coordination. If you’ve come across this article, you’ve likely felt this shortcoming yourself, and have some experience with the reality that digital project management is a necessary part of making the most out of employees’ limited time and resources. In any case, it can often pay dividends to invest in a project management software to address inefficiencies or costs, or to supplement an existing management style. Thankfully, there are myriad options that have emerged in the market to service these needs. Project management (PM) software offers a centralized platform and set of tools for developing, executing, completing, and evaluating definite projects. These tools can add value across industries and within any level of business or organization, but the variety of available options can be overwhelming.  If you’re unsure how to search for or choose between software, these questions will help clarify what to look for in […]

Most modern business will need to use a web conferencing tool at some point — and more companies are using webinars for everything from sales training to customer onboarding.  Often, these two types of platforms are conflated. After all, they both provide a tool for sharing video, collaborating on projects, sending chats and more.  Traditionally, the main difference between webinar software and web conferencing tools has been that webinars are typically set up for one-to-many presentations, while web conferencing tools are used more for many-to-many meetings and conference calls. However, with the right integrations, businesses have been able to use each of these tools in both the one-to-many webinar and many-to-many meeting settings. There are also products that offer webinar and web conferencing features within the same platform.  But it can be confusing to figure out what type of product is best for your business. If you think you could benefit from both webinar features and web conferencing features in your platform, you’re in the right place. Here’s what to consider when deciding between platforms and the top tools that include both webinar and web conferencing functions.  Web Conferencing Tools and Webinar Platforms: What to Consider The biggest difference between […]

Today, we awarded the 2019 TrustRadius Top Rated badges for Webinar Software. The TrustRadius Top Rated awards are the most trusted in the industry because they are an unbiased reflection of customer sentiment, based solely on user feedback and satisfaction scores. Top Rated awards are the voice of the market and are not influenced by analyst opinion, the vendor’s company size, popularity, or status as a TrustRadius customer. Here are the winners: BlueJeans BlueJeans is a web conferencing and video calling platform that supplies a complete webinar solution. BlueJeans’ plans provide a low cost option for users hosting 50 person meetings, but scale to support events with up to 15,000 remote viewers. Webinars conducted via BlueJeans Events can be viewed in device agnostic HD video and include user interactivity tools like polling, surveys, and  moderated chat.  Beyond the live experience, BlueJeans provides cloud storage and sharing of events, a calendar integration, and social sharing capabilities.  On TrustRadius, the majority of BlueJeans reviewers come from either small businesses  (35%)  or enterprises (30%). Users praise BlueJeans’ sound and video quality for all situations, the easy-to-use session sign-on experience, and its versatility for use in both small conferences and huddles as well as […]

As a human, a citizen, and a consumer you care about trust. But as a professional, trust is important, too–to your success with coworkers, customers, and your boss (or if you’re the boss, the employees you manage). Maybe you use social media to network with people you know, or want to know. Maybe you use it to keep up with industry news. Maybe it’s an important source of data, an advertising channel, a customer support channel, a recruiting tool, or a revenue source for your business. You may choose where to focus your time and efforts based on performance metrics–measuring the difference between different social networks in terms of how many views or clicks you get, what your response/engagement rate is, how much data you can pull, etc. Or, maybe you prioritize based on who is using the platform, or simply based on how valuable the information you find there feels. Yet trust is another important piece of this puzzle. Whether you’re posting information you hope will resonate with your audience, or looking for information you can rely on, you need to consider the trust factor. Poll shows LinkedIn is the most (and typically only) social source of information professionals […]

Software development is a complex process — that’s why teams do extensive research before selecting the right project management tools. If you are just getting started in your research, you might not know where to start. A good starting place is looking at software review pages with the most traffic. Jira is one of the most frequently researched application lifecycle management tools listed on TrustRadius. This solution is a popular tool used by development teams, but it is not the only software out there. Let’s take a look at how teams use Jira, and what other options professionals take into consideration when choosing project development tools. How Jira Supports Development Teams Atlassian Jira is an issue and project tracking software for agile teams. Teams use boards and customizable workflows to plan, track, and release their software products. Jira also allows teams to use real-time data to improve team performance. To make a team’s workflow easier, Jira integrates with many other development solutions, including Confluence and Bitbucket. Jira Cloud mobile gives teams freedom to work away from their desktop computers. Enterprise-grade Jira allows users to scale with uninterrupted access and no additional licensing fees. Teams benefit from features such as distributed […]

TrustRadius Top Rated Today, we awarded the 2019 TrustRadius Top Rated badges for VoIP Providers. The TrustRadius Top Rated awards are the most trusted in the industry because they are an unbiased reflection of customer sentiment, based solely on user feedback and satisfaction scores. Top Rated awards are the voice of the market and are not influenced by analyst opinion, the vendor’s company size, popularity, or status as a TrustRadius customer. VOIP VoIP providers offer technology that allows voice and other communication to be transmitted over the internet rather than over traditional telephone infrastructure. Businesses use VoIP solutions to communicate via telephone, video conferencing, and live chat. Common features of VoIP solutions include video and audio conferencing, interactive voice response (IVR) capability, call screening and recording, voicemail systems, and mobile access. Some providers may offer advanced features like integration with CRM systems, internet faxing, and ring groups. VoIP systems are often a component of comprehensive UCaaS solutions, which are intended to cover all communications needs for large enterprises. Some vendors offer both point solution VoIP tools and end-to-end UCaaS platforms. Buyers of VoIP systems should consider their security and remote communication needs. Some businesses may need support for remote workers […]

TrustRadius Top Rated Today, we awarded the 2019 TrustRadius Top Rated badges for Project Management Software. The TrustRadius Top Rated awards are the most trusted in the industry because they are an unbiased reflection of customer sentiment, based solely on user feedback and satisfaction scores. Top Rated awards are the voice of the market and are not influenced by analyst opinion, the vendor’s company size, popularity, or status as a TrustRadius customer. Project Management Software Project management software helps teams and individuals define, plan, execute, and assess projects. These products often act as project hubs for teams, helping them keep track of tasks that need to be done, who will do them, and when they should be completed. Common features include task assignment and scheduling, file sharing and organization, task grouping, collaboration tools, time tracking, mobile applications, and integration with third-party software like Zapier, Slack, and Google Drive. The feature scope of project management products can vary widely. Some products, such as Wunderlist, focus exclusively on to-dos and team communication. Other products, such as JIRA, support a variety of organizational methods, custom workflows, and detailed reporting features. Buyers of project management software should consider their organization’s needs. Smaller teams or […]

TrustRadius Top Rated Today, we awarded the 2019 TrustRadius Top Rated badges for Collaboration Tools. The TrustRadius Top Rated awards are the most trusted in the industry because they are an unbiased reflection of customer sentiment, based solely on user feedback and satisfaction scores. Top Rated awards are the voice of the market and are not influenced by analyst opinion, the vendor’s company size, popularity, or status as a TrustRadius customer. Collaboration Tools Collaboration Tools can’t always be compared apples-to-apples. That’s because they take different functional approaches. Depending on the type of collaboration a tool is designed to facilitate, it will have features around communication, project & task management, and/or file sharing & management. As you peruse this list of products, keep your team’s needs in mind. What’s right for your collaboration context won’t be right for everyone. Think about the kinds of work and information your team should be able to collaborate on. What are the specific challenges or bottlenecks you face today? How many people need to be able to collaborate together at once? What forms of communication are most natural for the potential users of this tool? Do they need to be able to talk in real […]

Reviews are a driving force for your brand’s reputation. Your reputation is what creates conversion. Do you need reviews for your company but don’t know where to start? We are going to take a dive into why reviews are important, where your reviews should live online, and 10 ways for you to ask for the reviews your business needs. Why Reviews Are a Big Deal Customers are relying more and more on word of mouth and online reviews to make an informed purchase. 95% of customers read online reviews before buying a product. Customers are doing independent research more than ever. A product with zero reviews is 270% less likely to be purchased than a product with only five reviews. Reviews help future customers become aware of products. They also allow customers to narrow in on their final decision by giving them realistic and honest expectations of the product. Additionally, reviews enable customers to ask better questions of sales representatives. Lastly, they supplement marketing materials with real-life experiences. Even negative reviews are better than no reviews. 85% of buyers look for negative reviews before buying a product. Bad reviews build the trust and credibility of a collection of customer responses. […]

Being a great Project Manager means wearing a number of hats. Not only do you have to ensure a project executes on time, in the budget, and within scope, you will also serve multiple roles: negotiator, decision maker, team-builder, mentor, schedule-maker, risk-evaluator, budgeter, and task manager. Each of these roles requires skill and practice. Below, in no particular order, are seven skills you want to master when as a project manager. 1. Leadership Arguably the bread and butter of project management, leadership is a skill you wouldn’t want to miss in a project manager. There are a number of smaller skills that go into being a good leader, some of which you may have already. What they essentially boil down to is being a cheerleader, coach, and referee to your team and being able to balance these three roles. Good teams are made up of people that are motivated, skilled, and accountable to themselves and others. A good leader creates an environment where this can happen. Leaders that cheer their team on and provide  “feel good” vibes will have happier teams. Not only do happier employees make the workplace a more enjoyable place to be they’re also beneficial for the […]

Where there’s a rule, there’s a loophole. Where there’s a security feature, there’s someone to hack it. Where there’s a system, there’s someone figuring out how to game it. So, once online reviews revolutionized how we buy stuff—allowing us to use the real experiences of others to decide which vacuum cleaner to buy, which hotel to stay at, which doctor to consult, which cruise to take, which book to read—that system got gamed too. Amazon is the quintessential example, where a slew of fake review schemes have led to a system where even legitimate sellers feel they need to buy fake reviews to stay competitive. And the latest news—that the Elon Musk-based AI nonprofit OpenAI has created an AI tool that can generate fake text—doesn’t bode well for the consumer online review industry (though it’s not releasing the code for fear of misuse). What about business software reviews? Our process ensures that they don’t get published, but we see (and reject!) our share of fake reviews submitted to TrustRadius too. (And I feel confident our review readers would spot an AI-generated review off the bat.) But the motivation is different. In the consumer world, it’s the sellers buying fake reviews to […]

TrustRadius Top Rated Today, we awarded the 2019 TrustRadius Top Rated badges for Web Conferencing Software. The TrustRadius Top Rated awards are the most trusted in the industry because they are an unbiased reflection of customer sentiment, based solely on user feedback and satisfaction scores. Top Rated awards are the voice of the market and are not influenced by analyst opinion, the vendor’s company size, popularity, or status as a TrustRadius customer. Web Conferencing Software Web conferencing software enables users not in the same physical office, such as remote employees, clients, prospects, business partners, or members of other office branches to participate in online meetings. This software is used in many scenarios: one-to-many presenter style meetings, group meetings, virtual face-to-face client or remote employee meetings, online presentations, conference calls, webinars, online learning, product demos, and live trainings or tutorials. Many vendors offer features such as audience polling, live chat, Q&A, and file sharing along with standard video conferencing, dial-in, and screen sharing capabilities. Evaluating web conferencing software and finding one that has the level of quality, reliability, security, and scalability that fits your business best can be tough to navigate. Feedback from users who have already been through this process […]

Picture a situation we’ve all found ourselves in before: You’re itching to watch a movie, but the streaming experience has momentarily lost its luster. Maybe your recent binges have drained your queue so that only the sketchy dregs are left. Or maybe you’ve logged so many hours on the couch that you need to be surgically removed from the cushions and you long to see the sky once more. Whatever the reason, you’re craving the theatergoing experience, so you turn to Rotten Tomatoes for the standard information-gathering ritual. But not so fast! Rotten Tomatoes is a massive clearinghouse. It aggregates lots of reviews from lots of different sources. If all that data is going to help you decide what movie to see, you’ve got to figure out what bits of information are relevant to your situation. That means making judgement calls: deciding how much weight to give reviews from critics as opposed to those from other audience members; whether to give more weight to written reviews or to numerical scores; whether a given reviewer shares your personal tastes; and so on. And it’s not just about running down a checklist. Your gut feeling plays a big role, too. We’ve all […]

In our last post, we mentioned Millennials in the 2018 TrustRadius B2B Buying Disconnect. In short, this research study highlights the perspectives of buyers, distinguishing what buyers like, dislike, and need from vendors in a software buying process. Millennials proved to be a dominant demographic in the TrustRadius study. This makes perfect sense, being that this age group (22-37) make up over one-third of the workforce. In fact, when it comes to making technology purchasing decisions, 73% of millennials who work in business are involved in the decision making process for their companies. We recently discussed what Millennials seek when buying a product from a vendor. In the end, Millennials are looking for a product to commit and be loyal to. When they find the right product, they are notoriously vocal about their approvals and recommendations. Overall, 84% of all buyers, millennial and non-millennial alike, are willing to share their perspective with other buyers. That being said, more than half of millennial buyers use reviews when making a purchasing decision, much more than other generations, and there is a reason for that. So what can younger buyers teach other buyers? Here are some takeaways you can adopt from millennials. What […]