Choosing the right time management software is vital, so what should you consider? There is no denying that it is a valuable solution for recording working times so that clients can be invoiced accurately and the profitability of a job can be assessed as it progresses. It’s true that most time management software is capable of accomplishing basic tasks, but you want a solution that is advantageous to your company. Our last article highlighted four of the benefits of time tracking software and this time we look at considerations. These include the features you need, size of your business, ease of use and how much it will cost you.

What to Consider When Choosing Your Tracking Software?

• What features do you require?
• What size is your business?
• How easy is it to use? Is after sales support offered?
• How much do you want to spend?

What Features Do You Require?

So, what features are important to you? Create a list of those time management software features that are an ‘absolute must’ as opposed to ‘nice to have’. By doing this, you can start to eliminate some of the programmes that don’t offer what you want. When considering this you can also include integration possibilities, platforms supported, data storage and exporting options.

Does the Software Fit the Size of Your Business?

The size of your business is an important factor in determining the solution you need. Time tracking tools are available to suit freelancers, small businesses with up to 50 employees, medium companies up to 250 and larger corporates. Therefore carefully consider what you are doing, your specific and unique challenges and how you track time. But don’t forget the next step! If you are pretty sure it’s the right software for the size of your business now, check out the scalability. You might want to invest in time management software that can accommodate a larger team in the future.

Is the Time Management Software Straightforward to Use?

Managing time shouldn’t be time consuming! Otherwise, you are defeating the purpose of having it. You don’t want to spend a lot of time learning programmes and getting to grips with the features. Basic features should be clearly laid out and only a couple of clicks away. An intuitive and user-friendly interface is extremely important so that everyone can learn how to use it quickly. And that’s also good if you take on new staff. It’s therefore important to ‘try before you buy’ to make sure your team feels comfortable using it and it really fits your requirements.

What is Your Budget?

If you are currently using a free programme such as a spreadsheet, you will need to know how much you can afford. This will help to determine what is actually realistic and you can compare the features and capabilities. If you are using a business technology consultant, make sure they are totally upfront with how much it will cost you.

How Can Relativity Help You with Time Management Software?

When deciding on your time tracking software, consider carefully your requirements and your expectations. It should be relatively straightforward to use with a number of basic and more advanced features to meet your needs, and of course affordable. You need the right tool that suits your company’s requirements in order to facilitate quality work and eliminate time consuming less important and trivial tasks. Call Relativity, the business technology specialists on 01825 280123 or email info@relativity.co.uk for more information.

Next time we will be looking at Zoho Projects in more detail and whether it’s right for your business.

Zoho Sites is a website builder that allows you to build your website instantly without any experience or technical knowledge. In our articles last month, we focused on the benefits of using a website builder and gave you our top tips for choosing a website creator to suit your requirements. This time Relativity, the business technology experts based in East Sussex looks at Zoho Sites to demonstrate its impressive range of features and benefits. We will be highlighting its flexibility and its suitability, particularly for expanding businesses due to its huge range of design options, newsletter support, e-commerce features and analytics tools.

Features of Zoho Sites

• Drag-and-drop builder
• Elements – add text, audio and video
• Sections – over 150 pre-designed layouts
• Shapers – over 25 abstract design layouts
• Dynamic backgrounds – fix and scroll options

The platform certainly offers superb features and has a well-organised interface as well as a user-friendly code editor. Customisation is straightforward although if you are more technically minded, there are HTML and CSS editors.

Customisation Options for Your Website

• Responsive website – automatically optimised for mobile devices
• Auto-save – every few seconds your work is automatically saved
• Visual Editor – experiment with various visual customisations
• Page Versions – every page is saved and listed   
• Message Bar – display announcements, information and cookie notice messages

Captivate Readers by Embedding Audio, Video and Code Snippets

With Zoho Sites, you will have an integrated audio player to upload music and audio files. Videos from YouTube and Vimeo can also be embedded using the embed code from the video source provider. The code snippet element can be used to insert widgets and script from the source providers to your site. Images can be displayed like a photo gallery and the light box will emphasise content on your site. There is also the animation feature to bring elements to life so you can add slide, bounce and fade to your content.

What are the Experts Saying About Zoho Sites?

“A treasure trove of cool features that will make your website shine”

Website Planet

https://www.websiteplanet.com/website-builders/zoho-sites/#overview

“Zoho sites is a cloud based website builder that helps anyone create and publish beautiful websites without writing a line of code”

Capterra

https://www.capterra.co.uk/software/148909/zoho-sites

“Zoho Sites is a website builder with responsive templates, powerful blogging tools and other features that optimise your website”

The SMB Guide

https://www.thesmbguide.com/zoho-sites-reviews

“Zoho Sites is one of the rare website creators that won’t break the bank, first and foremost because it is free to create and update, but also because it doesn’t require complex installations and hiring coding professionals”

Finances Online

https://reviews.financesonline.com/p/zoho-sites/

“The best website builder for big business”

Techradar

https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/the-best-website-builder

The Bottom Line with a Website Built with Zoho Sites

With Zoho Sites, you will be able to build a well designed and functional website, one that reflects your company, services and products. It will certainly look professional and visually appealing. As well as visitors finding it easy to use, it will respond quickly with fast loading of pages. Your website will be optimised for mobile devices and look fantastic on all platforms as well as being optimised for search engines and the social web.

How Can Relativity Help You with Zoho Sites?

Zoho Sites offers a FREE trial for 15 days after which you can opt for the Starter or Pro packages, both of which come with custom domain hosting, mobile optimisation and SSL certification. Add-ons are available for you to purchase as your company expands including capacity for more members, more web pages, or more contributors. If you would like any help from the experts at Relativity with Zoho Sites or any of the Zoho software solutions, including Zoho Social, Zoho Books or Zoho People, please contact us today on +44(0)1825 280123 or email info

There are many business website builder platforms available and most are easy to use and affordable. They allow you to do a lot more with your site in a lot less time and you do not have to be that tech-savvy. Building your own website is no longer the daunting task it used to be and you could have your website up and running in next to no time. In the latest article from Relativity, the business technology specialists based in East Sussex, we will look at seven of the main benefits of using a website builder in detail and how all are applicable to you irrespective of whether you are a complete beginner or have advanced skills.

Benefits of Using a Business Website Builder

Programming or Technical Skills Are Not Required

With drag-and-drop technology and a user-friendly interface design, you will be able to type in text, upload images and make changes easily with a simple click and drag of the mouse.

• The Site Can Be Edited from Any Computer at Any Time

You only need a web browser and an Internet connection as website builders are online with your web files hosted on the service provider’s server, not your own computer. Changes can be made after you log into your account, and you just click, save and publish and your alterations are live.

• Design Talent is Not Necessary

Attractive and appealing templates have already been designed for you with your business website builder. Simply select the template you like from a number of professionally-designed templates and get started. You also can customise the template to suit your requirements and style.

• Added Functionality with Collections of Applications

These are free or paid for applications and come with your website builder. Some are built in and others are fully-integrated third-party tools.

• Easy Maintenance

Visitors will want up-to-date information including what’s new and news about products and services. Loading news, blogs and articles is straightforward and is good for your SEO.

• Adding Media Features is Intuitive

Images, videos, and audio files can be edited easily, removing all of the guesswork from the process. This means you are not reliant on anyone else to make your media look eye-catching.

• Affordable Pricing

You will not need a big budget and there are some free plans available or reasonably priced monthly plans. Some even come with free hosting services and free domain names. Most come with free trial periods.

You could have your website fully functional in no time. With pre-designed templates, pre-populated web pages and ready-to- use applications and tools, you just need to add the content, images and any videos and click the ‘Publish’ button.

How Can Relativity Help You with Your Business Technology?

It’s clear that building your own with a business website builder has many advantages and benefits. Your website is arguably your best marketing tool and that is where prospective customers will be looking for you. Your competitors are certainly prominent out there. If you would like any help from the experts at Relativity with any of your business technology, please contact us today on +44(0)1825 280123 or email info@relativity.co.uk

Just a tip, make sure the website builder you choose is capable of handling your needs as your business grows. Next time we will be giving you our top tips for choosing the best business website builder to suit your requirements.