The idea of business software can be a little complex for people who aren’t already in the know, which means that as a newcomer to the concept, it can be a little intimidating to try to figure out what to buy, and why.
So, if you’re suddenly tasked with choosing the right business software for your company, think through the following five tips – learn about the software first, look for reviews, find out about updates for each suite, think about subscriptions vs. one-time payments, and maintain consistency within your company.
- Learn About the Software First
It seems like an obvious first step, but many people will skip the very important decision to learn about business software first. They’ll just buy something that seems popular, or maybe go on the recommendation of someone else who doesn’t know all of the necessarily details. So before you buy anything, read into it as much as possible so that you avoid wasting money and spending time being frustrated with things you don’t understand.
- Look For Reviews
Every piece of business software probably has tens of thousands of reviews about it. Find a software review site and look for the most helpful reviews, and see what people have to say. Businesspeople aren’t necessarily writers by trade, so don’t mark off for grammar or bad sentence structure – look at the crux of what reviewers are talking about, and use that data to help you make a better decision overall. Just make sure the reviews are as recent as possible as well.
- Find Out About Updates
The death of many great pieces of businesses software can occur because updates don’t come on an ideal schedule. If you look into the cause of many security risks, when it comes to software, the biggest ones occur because updates don’t come out regularly, and then people don’t pay attention to them when they do. And especially because this is a business situation, there’s much greater risk from hackers.
- Subscriptions vs. One-Time Payments
Different types of business software have different payment plans. Some software you just buy upfront with a license, and updates and include for a certain amount of time. With other companies, you essentially buy a subscription to their software. You’ll have to decide for yourself which one best fits your budget.
- Consistency Within Your Company
And finally, whatever software you choose, make sure that it is consistent with whatever else your company is using. You have to be a little careful mixing operating systems, but with the right planning, it’s possible to make sure that all of the overarching software works within your company itself as well as with client projects.
