SoftwareSupp Blog

Project assumptions

Pipedrive CRM deployment:
- A production company. Hiring over 50 people. 
- Implementation of Pipedrive for 3 people
- Sales process is in ERP. Data has to be moved.
- No training for the team

The goal of the project

1. Keep the process under 2 weeks
2. Help customer to learn as much as possible
3. A European group where the customer is united is planning to start using a CRM. They will need several months to make a decision which CRM should be used. Another several months will be used to set up the system. Customer cannot wait. They need automation of the process.

What problem did the client struggle with

1. Lack of time
2. Lack of knowledge where are bottlenecks in his current workflow
3. No forecasting
4. Not using numbers in making decisions
5. Losing sales with customers not ready to buy now. They will become ready in several months. Customer up today did not have a system to get back to them. And to build a business relationship
   

Project scope

1. Connect Wordpress form with Pipedrive
2. Install chat na Wordpress site. Chat should be connected with CRM
3. Import customers
4. Set up pipes
5. Training for company owner

Description

- All organizations are assigned to one person. It will be easy to filter them.
- To create users, you need to enter their emails. Then the system will send an invitation. After accepting it, the user becomes active in the system.
- At the moment, users, as assigned to the organization, are created as a label. It is enough to filter by labels and then you can change the owner for the organization data with a collective action.
- I have also moved the email and phone number - please select all my organizations and in the collective actions tick​​ so that the system will clear the field with the phone and​/​or email

I have provided some filters​​ to help with your browsing:
- an organization without an ERP number 
- organization without email

I checked and the system does not see duplicates in Organizations:
Unfortunately, that doesn't mean they don't exist. Only the system can't find them.
Of course, some of the organizations would get www, e.g. Gmail.

Additional tasks to be completed

• Applying corrections reported by the client
• Demonstration of the finished system
• User configuration

Short introduction of the technology

• NoCode was used - chat creation and contact form for Wordpress
• SQL to clean data and prepare for import
• Zoom for meetings

Summary

• Satisfied customer
• After 3 hours of training the customer said: I do understand this system. 
• And he started working with his customers in the system. Making notes and new appointment, moving deals through Pipes

Benefits of such project (for the client)

• The customer has a tool to measure and improve his process
• Company has one source of truth
• Time savings and less errors on manual work

Keys to success in the project

• Communication with customer
• Understanding the needs
• Align with the communication channel and best time to get in touch
• Keep promises
• Report blockers and obstacles
• Bring solutions not problems
• Always stay curious and learn something new

Project assumptions

The client needed a specialist to implement email and SMS marketing for their newly established online store. The client's main goal at the beginning of the collaboration was to acquire potential customers before the store's opening, provide them with a voucher for a free gift upon subscription via email, and enable future email marketing activities.

After discussions with the client, we jointly determined the necessary actions for implementing email marketing, both before and after the store's opening. We discussed the action plan for the upcoming period, outlining the specific stages of cooperation.

Project Objective (Stage 1 and 2): Comprehensive implementation of email & SMS marketing for the online store.

Challenge: The client approached us with a project that required immediate action due to the short time remaining before the store's opening. Furthermore, they did not have a dedicated IT person to assist them, so they wanted the integration to be as fast, simple, and effective as possible.

Project (Stage 1 and 2)

Duration: The implementation of email marketing and execution of the initial email campaigns took approximately 30 hours. The project is still ongoing (Stage 3) for promotional campaigns, recipient database management, lead generation, and increasing efficiency.

Project Scope: Integration of the email marketing system with the Shopify online store and implementation of basic and advanced email marketing functionalities. The project included the following tasks:

1. Choosing an email marketing tool, integrating it with Shopify, and providing recommendations for actions.

This task involved selecting the best email marketing system for the client, considering easy and fast integration with Shopify. Klaviyo was chosen as it currently offers the most advanced email marketing functionalities for ecommerce and provides the best integration with Shopify. After connecting Klaviyo with Shopify, appropriate settings and recipient lists were selected, with parameters and properties adjusted (subscription model, confirmation message, confirmation action pages, subscriber information update page). The Terms and Privacy Policy were also verified for compliance with GDPR and email marketing plans.

Meanwhile, the client received recommendations for additional actions to implement alongside Klaviyo. Some of these actions were included in other points or subsequent stages of cooperation.

2. Welcome messages in Omnisend/Klaviyo.

Before the start of the project, the subscription form was connected to the Omnisend system by the agency that created the promotional landing page. Omnisend was randomly selected without input from an email marketing specialist. Due to technical issues with the subscription form, the initial welcome and subscription confirmation messages were sent from the Omnisend system.

Consequently, both Omnisend and Klaviyo systems needed to be integrated with Shopify to ensure that all subscriptions were transferred in the following order: Omnisend -> Shopify -> Klaviyo. Some technical problems arose, requiring us to manually resend the welcome message to a portion of subscribers at a later time.

Welcome messages were created in both Klaviyo and Omnisend to accommodate this situation. Confirmation messages were also created in both systems due to the double opt-in subscription model.

3. Mailing to customers of the previous store.

In the meantime, a mailing was sent to the customer base of a second, no longer active store, informing them about the opening of the new store. The mailing aimed to invite customers to take advantage of a promotion for a free bottle while encouraging them to subscribe to the newsletter of the new store. The message was fully compliant with GDPR (same company).

Shortly after the store's opening, another message was sent to the same customer base, excluding those who had already subscribed to the new store's newsletter. The message informed about the store's opening, the ongoing promotion for a free bottle of wine, and the opportunity to use a code in the open store.

4. Communication directed to customers after purchase.

Transaction message editing, outgoing to customers after making a purchase in a store, e.g., order confirmation, shipping confirmation. Content preparation, logo and color matching to the brand. Verification of message sequence and accuracy - quality testing.

5. Communication aimed at customers who opt for recurring subscriptions.

Creation of messages targeted at customers who choose to make purchases in a recurring subscription. The first message sent to the customer, shortly after the subscription starts, contains basic information about the subscription's operation, editing, cancellation, notifications, etc.

The next message is a reminder of orders processed within the subscription, sent 3 days before the next order's payment is due. The rest of the messages are related to specific actions, such as an error message during payment processing, subscription suspension, etc.

The next stage of work on subscriptions (stage 3 of collaboration) will involve marketing emails, including thank-you messages for subscription activation, benefits, additional content, and messages encouraging other customers to take advantage of the subscription (cyclic campaigns divided into segments with tailored communication for customers with 1 purchase, subscribers without purchases, customers with a higher number of purchases).

6. Abandoned cart.

Implementation of abandoned cart: automation scenario, templates for two email messages, settings customization, quality testing.

7. Managing the recipient database.

Comparison of addresses between Klaviyo, Omnisend, and Shopify due to subscription form issues (3). Then, verifying how many subscribers did not receive a welcome message with a gift. Creating a segment of people who did not receive the shipment. Setting up a campaign for the created segment in Klaviyo. Checking conversion rates and planning a second campaign reminding about the ongoing promotion.

Creating segments in Klaviyo necessary for dividing the welcome cycle. Checking the correctness of data transfer between systems, unsubscribe rates, forms, and message delivery.

8. New subscription form - quiz. Integration with Klaviyo.

The client has created a quiz aimed at acquiring customers. The quiz introduces gamification elements into the process, usually increasing the form's effectiveness. The reward for completing the quiz is also a free bottle of wine, different from the one offered during the initial promotional campaign related to store opening.

The quiz was created in the Presidio application. It was then connected to the subscriber list in Klaviyo.

In Klaviyo, a welcome message was created along with a code to redeem a free bottle. The message is sent to subscribers immediately after completing the quiz. The message contains a link that, when clicked, automatically adds the free bottle of wine to the customer's cart on the store's website.

9. Subscription form pop-up. Integration with Klaviyo.

Providing instructions to the designer regarding the appearance and content of the pop-up and confirmation page. Integration with the appropriate list in Klaviyo. Creating a dedicated welcome message and including it in the welcome cycle (editing the subscription source and dividing messages with a free bottle). Adding a tag to subscribers indicating the subscription source [source: popup, form, etc.].

10. Deliverability (this point is usually done at the beginning, but it was an exception here).

Providing the client with information on the settings to implement in the administrative panel to improve deliverability and, above all, to send emails on their behalf through the store's domain rather than Klaviyo. It was necessary to create a subdomain and create CNAME and TXT records in the subdomain's DNS area.

11. Campaign analysis and optimization (newsletters + automations). Regular newsletters and continued implementation of the established strategy (stage 3).

Implementing newsletters according to the established schedule. Implementing the remaining functionalities discussed after the initial recommendation, including expanding the welcome cycle, creating a sales funnel, new lead generation ideas, remarketing, upsell/cross-sell, SMS campaigns.

Tools/Technologies used: Shopify, Klaviyo, Email Marketing, Marketing Automation, SMS Marketing, Omnisend, Mailchimp, HTML

Summary

Project Results: Integration of Klaviyo with Shopify store. Set up welcome flows for new subscribers. Introduction of regular newsletters. Creation of abandoned cart scenario. Determination of action strategies. Acquisition of first subscribers and customers. Increased brand awareness.

Benefits for the client: Acquisition of first subscribers and customers. Functional processes, implementation of automation. Time savings. Obtaining advice on e-commerce operations (especially regarding emails and the purchase process). Identifying and preventing errors, support in UX/web design activities.

What should be focused on during such a project?

• Discussion with the client regarding plans, needs, overall marketing strategy
• Creating a road map for the project.
• Establishing a schedule of activities.
• Summary for the client.
• Verifying the purchase process and identifying elements for improvement (transactional emails, subscription checkboxes, data transfer between systems).
• Testing everything - from data transfer between systems to emails (quality tests and A/B tests).
• Ensuring proper email appearance, appropriate CTAs, design consistency, links, ALT tags, subject lines + preheaders, email size, image quality, logo, template division.
• Monitoring processes and responding to issues as quickly as possible.
• Preparing project documentation.

Statistics or numerical data regarding project-related benefits:

Time savings for the client: 30 hours of specialist work + knowledge.

Approximately 250 subscribers acquired within the first month of activities (taking into account form and message issues and limited marketing efforts).

Take Control of Your Ad Performance

We live in the world of automation. There are more and more tools that require minimum input from humans to work, and online advertising is certainly an area where a lot of automation and simplification have been happening.

It is not to say that this is in any way bad, or that you don’t need professional marketers, and I would argue that in the world of automation, they have even more value now. Anyone can use automated tools to create a simple ad, but only an expert would know if the algorithms are working as they should or not. And sometimes you need to get your hands dirty.

What are SKAGs?

SKAGs mean single keyword ad groups. The basic idea is very simple: let’s say you want to use the keywords “best men's shoes in Dublin” and “best women’s shoes in Dublin” you create a separate group for each keyword, instead of putting them into one group.

First and the most obvious benefit of this approach is that you will have separate ads for each keyword and you can optimize ad copy for each keyword. This way you target a specific audience and show them the specific message that is relevant to them.

SKAGs are very specific – only one keyword triggers an ad.

How SKAGs help break Iceberg Effect

In simplest terms, Iceberg Effect is when the keywords in your ad campaign don’t match the search terms your ads appear for.

Why is that bad? Well, because you are really paying for search terms and not for keywords, and if your search term doesn’t match your keywords, then you are attracting the wrong traffic.

Match types in Google Ads help control the size of your “Iceberg” to some extent, but it is not perfect, and SKAGs allows marketers to have even more control.

Other benefits of SKAGs

Even though SKAGs are all about keywords the core of the idea is a granular approach and you can extend it beyond keywords. You can use a granular approach based on location, time, device, day of the week, etc. For example, you can have a separate ad campaign to promote your online commerce store for London and Dublin; or a separate campaign for computers and smartphones.

And to go even further, you will have very precise control of how you spend your budget on ads. You can use different bidding strategies for different campaigns, you can have different budget limits for each ad campaign.

Another benefit of SKAGs is higher CTR. If you ever had a problem with ad campaigns not generating any traffic (or very little traffic) it’s time for you to try SKAGs.

Of course, all of this takes time. SKAG approach is all about granular control of different elements and with how many options are available to us, things can get too complicated. So you have to be very deliberate in how much control you really want.

Setting up SKAGs

When you create your first SKAG campaign there are two basic steps: 

1. Creating ad groups, based on root keywords.

2. Keyword refinement.

Root keywords are very simple and basic short-tail keywords. If you are selling online music mixing services for musicians, you can start with a very simple keyword, like “online mixing services”, and you don’t need to have a hundred keywords and can start with as low as one keyword. There is also no need to do extensive keyword research at this stage, we will make Google give us the best and most relevant keywords at the refinement stage.

Once you have several root keywords (or one) you start creating your ad groups. A general rule of thumb is to name Ad Group the same as the keyword. For the keyword “online mixing services” you need to create an Ad Group name “online mixing services”. 

When you create an Ad Group, add root keyword in phrase match and exact match. Your Ad Group will look like this:

“online mixing services”

[online mixing services]‍

The next step is Ad Copy. This is where you can be as creative as you’d like, but the rule of thumb is to use the keyword as one of the headlines in your ad copy (preferably pinned as Headline 1). When you are done with creating ads you can just launch your campaign.

Keyword refinement

What you will see is that your SKAGs will start to generate different search terms. This is good. Let’s say our initial SKAG generated the following search terms:

• online mixing and mastering services
• mix and master online free
• fiverr mixing
• mastering and mix music online

The first thing you do is identify completely non-relevant search terms and add them to a negative keyword list for the group. In this case “mix and master online free” is the first choice for a negative keyword list, since we are selling the service and want only paying customers. 

Then you identify relevant search terms, for example, “online mixing and mastering services”. What you need to do next is to add this keyword as a negative keyword on an Ad Group level (not a campaign level), and then create a separate Ad Group for this search term. That way, your shorter-tail keywords won’t steal impressions from your more specific long-tail keywords.

If you want your new SKAG to generate more search terms, you can add a keyword as a phrase match and exact match. If you want your SKAG to be as precise as possible use only exact match. But the most important thing is not to let shorter tail keywords steal impressions from long tail keywords (or any new SKAGs you added to your campaign). 

I really like this approach because you base your keywords on real search terms used by real people. You don’t need to use any 3rd party service for your keyword research or spend days collecting keywords. Google will tell you how people actually look for products and services.

Is it magic?

Yes and no. SKAGs can be helpful in a number of ways. The most obvious benefit is that they can generate more traffic and generally have higher CTRs. You know your traffic better and you can target your ads with more precision. It’s easier to get high quality scores for ads with SKAGs, which in turn can improve average positions, CPC and impression shares.

With the SKAG approach you decide how much control over your ads you want, and how much leave for automation. But SKAGs take more time to set up and they can dilute data. SKAG campaigns can be hard to manage and can be time-consuming. Even though personally I really like this approach, sometimes it is not necessary.

Conclusion

SKAG approach can seem like a very simple concept on the surface, but in reality, it can be incredibly complex and complexity can come not just from having one hundred Ad Groups in a campaign, but from multiple places. With this article, I wanted to introduce you to this idea and show some concepts of how it can work, but in practice, there are so many ways SKAGs can work that it would be impossible to cover everything in one article.

And you are not just limited to search campaigns and can be used for social media ads and display ads. The core idea of SKAG is creating a granular structure, but how exactly you will implement it is up to you.

SoftwareSupp's premium partner network

‍

What is the Remote Partner Network all about?

SoftwareSupp is an elite network of the best developers in the IT industry and we want to share some exciting things we have in store for you. You can become a part of our affiliate program and receive a 25% commission on client’s life-time payment! All you have to do is refer individuals and companies to SoftwareSupp.

We are committed to ensuring that our best freelancers have a real impact on the development of SoftwareSupp, which is why we offer an additional set of benefits such as activity pay, mentor support and a set of training materials.

And because SoftwareSupp is a premium service, we want our partner network to reflect high quality standards of SoftwareSupp. That's why we are committed to building a community that is passionate about achieving its sales goals and happy to represent us in sales activities.

How to join the SoftwareSupp Partner Network?

1. Join the SoftwareSupp network as an expert
   A freelancer who wants to become a SoftwareSupp partner must go through a standard verification and certification process to prove his or her identity and expert skills.
2. Pass the certification exam
   Next, an expert member of the SoftwareSupp network must pass certification exams, proving his knowledge of sales and project management on the platform.
3. Meet with your partner mentor and plan your activities
   During the meeting with the mentor, you will learn all the details of the partners' activities, define your sales goals with a plan, and he or she will be able to ask about all the issues you are interested in.

Benefits

25% commission on each customer deposit

An affiliate receives a 25% lifetime commission on each customer deposit. The amount you earn depends on the number or volume of customers you bring in. There is no limit to the amount you can earn.

Guaranteed remuneration for active partners

Our partners are among the best, so we want to reward them for their activity and commitment. Each partner is paid for each meeting held with leads assigned by the SoftwareSupp team at their hourly rate if the lead doesn't convert.

Systematic training sessions

We care about keeping our partners up to date, so we provide them with the materials and courses they need for their work. We work out the scope of activities together and set the sales goals we plan to achieve.

Mentor support & platform resources

The Partner Mentor is here for you. The Mentor will answer your questions, help you with problems and support you during lead conversion. They will also take care of the systematic payment of your commission. :)

You can lead your client as a project manager

Partners also have the opportunity to participate in the client's project as an expert, implementing the project, but also in the role of project manager. This allows them to develop the client's project and provide further solutions tailored to the business - for which the partner is also rewarded with a 25% life-time commission.

Activities

What is the process of connecting and transferring the lead?

Option 1
Partner finds a lead and guides it through the process
Lead pays a deposit
Partner receives 25% life-time commission

Option 2
Partner forwards the lead to the Remote Partner Network manager
The Remote Partner Network manager takes over the lead and leads the sales process
Lead converts to a customer
Partner receives 25% life-time commission

Option 3
Lead submits form - SoftwareSupp business team activities
Remote Partners' mentor contacts a lead and introduces him/her to the process
Lead arranges meetings to learn about the offer
The partner holds a sales meeting, during which he presents SoftwareSupp services.
The account manager sends information to partners about the new lead
Lead is connected with a partner
Lead pays a deposit
Partner receives 25% life-time commission

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Communication

The conversion process of a lead, what the different communication elements look like and what a potential customer should know.

‍Introducing SoftwareSupp

At this stage, it is crucial to present SoftwareSupp as an elite network of top developers. That is important because this is usually the first contact leads have with us. This message is the first information we convey, and it's also remembered the most. It's also a good practice to include information about gather yourself at this stage.

Premium service

Premium service is:

• top developers who are vetted and certified
• dedicated project manager/supervisor for the project
• reduced recruitment costs
• developers available on-demand: full-time, part-time, or hourly
• access to the platform and its resources, which they monitor on an ongoing basis and commission work you also have the opportunity to add your team to the project

Elite developer network

Experts who want to join the SoftwareSupp network must complete a verification and certification process. It involves verifying a freelancer's identity and skills, through techniques such as research, bank verification, portfolios, and certifications obtained directly from the developers of a given technology and passing the SoftwareSupp certification process, which confirms general knowledge as well as soft skills in communication.

Payments and hourly plans

SoftwareSupp's escrow balance is hosting by Stripe. It allows our customers to securely deposit their funds before paying for services provided. There are $300, $500, and $1000 plans available - payment is possible in every currency. Freelancers and clients are billed hourly each month based on reported hours, starting at $20/hour.

Project

Important issues:

• whom the lead is looking for - what kind of project to complete or skills arerequired
• the anticipated budget for carrying out the work
• deadline
• additional issues, e.g. a Polish client may expect a developer from Poland

Product

At this stage, there is a presentation of the product and a discussion of how it works. It should also be an explanation on how to start the project.

• Building the project specifications and setting up an account
• Buying a $300 plan to start
• Starting the work
• Discussing the product: what the project will look like, reporting the work, billing

Deadlines

It is also the summary stage of the meeting. It is essential to set a date with the lead to establish a start date for the project. It will give us, for example, an idea of when to send a follow-up to the lead. 

! It is a good idea to include this date in the email summary of the meeting

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A guide to reselling SoftwareSupport services for partners and sales

"Already more than half of the population work more hours remotely than in the office."

That's only one statistic from our brand new “State of Remote 2022” report, showing the current state of remote work and main trends in global remote hiring.

SoftwareSupport is an elite network of the best professionals in the world and we are happy to deliver a complete report on remote hiring exclusively to our customers, helping you adapt the way you hire and interact with workforce every day.

In this report you will find exclusive content about:
1. Remote work in numbers
2. Remote work vs COVID
3. Companies hiring remotely
4. Remote work categories
5. Remote work technologies
6. Remote work hourly rates
7. Remote work tools
8. How to contract remote workforce
9. Find remote work
10. SoftwareSupp remote work

To get the report, please:
1. Log in to your SoftwareSupp account or set up your project.
2. Schedule a report presentation with us anytime convenient for you by using this link.
3. Get the PDF version of the report by going to Messages -> contacting SoftwareSupp and getting report in the message.

SoftwareSupport is launching 2 new initiatives for SoftwareSupporters, freelancers operating in the SoftwareSupp network:

SoftwareSupporter Hoodies

SoftwareSupport is an elite network of the best professionals in the world and we are working hard on delivering top quality services for our customers everyday.

However​,​ in the days of the remote work​,​ we would like to support our customers​,​ employees and developers with something you can use to make your workday better​,​ going through another challenging project or solution in a much warmer atmosphere.

We are happy to deliver a free SoftwareSupporter hoodie specially for you. Please note that this is delivered free of charge. And currently​,​ this will be delivered exclusively to the first 30 customers​,​ developers and employees who sign up with the next batch planned later this year.

To get the free hoodie​,​ please use the below form and provide:

1. The address for delivery or self-pickup in Wrocław if preferable on your side

2. The size (currently we only deliver in M and L)

3. The email and phone number to be used in the delivery

Please sign up using the below form:

-> Sign up for SoftwareSupporter Hoodie

Remote SoftwareSupp Sprint

We understand the challenges of remote work​,​ so we decided to help you plan and execute on the projects with your customers by building “Remote SoftwareSupp Sprints”.

What does it mean?

It means that every Monday 10:30 am time CEST and every Friday 2:30 pm CEST time​,​ you can meet in the online room with other freelancers working on projects with SoftwareSupport for a 30-60 min session to:

1. Plan or sum up work.

2. Ask for help related to your work​/​project

3. Brainstorm the solution related to the work​/​project

+ get support from SoftwareSupp Core Team Member.

We see it as a perfect opportunity to meet other freelancers and to help you with any challenges you face on road to successful project completion.

Please note that participating in the “Remote SoftwareSupp Sprints” for now will be optional as the priority on your side remains delivering top quality service for customers and participating in customers’ sprints​,​ however​,​ we kindly encourage you to participate as we see it as a perfect opportunity to ensure successful delivery for the customers and to help you with any technical challenges or additional solutions designed for the customers.

-> Sign up for Remote SoftwareSupp Sprint (If you're an active freelancer, please reach out to your Project Manager for an invite)