The development of cloud-based computer software has revolutionized the market, making software packages affordable even for the smallest of businesses. Cloud-based computer software is software that is accessed via an internet browser And do all a user needs is a computer with internet access and to pay a monthly licence fee for their chosen software program. These are also known as web technologies.

While every business has different needs, there are a few web technologies which every business should use.

1)    An online calendar – This can be accessed anytime, anywhere in the world. It is instantly updated and can be accessed by anyone in the company. An online calendar ensures that double bookings do not occur, as everyone can see who is doing what, when. If someone is travelling, then meetings can be scheduled on their behalf and they can view them at their leisure.

2)    Invoicing software – Every business needs to invoice their customers. Invoicing software produces professional looking invoices which can be emailed out to customers directly. It can be integrated with packages such as Sage and Quickpay and calculates VAT or sales tax automatically. It can also be used to manage payments and cash flow. Having easy to use invoicing software will ensure professional looking invoices which are produced on time to help cash flow issues.

3)    Web-based CRM – Customers are at the heart of any business, and managing your customer data base efficiently is a vital part. CRM stands for customer relationship management and is a software package which allows a business to form a holistic view of their customer database. Any transaction which takes place with a customer, regardless of department is entered against a central contact record. For instance, any sales calls, marketing activity such as emails or direct mail, customer service history and invoicing history are all viewable by all departments. This helps provide an overall view of your contacts and enables more meaningful communication with a customer. CRM systems also allow for reports to be created quickly and easily on a variety of different factors. Therefore if a marketing department want to conduct a campaign to people who have not bought anything in the past six months, then this information can be easily accessed, segmented and extracted. Web-based CRM software allows you to get to know your customers more, an therefore enabling more meaningful communication with them, helping organisations to up and cross sell.

4)    Web mail – Email is a cheap and fast means of communication. It is now used by most businesses. Having webmail means that you can send and receive emails easily. In addition you can have business mail to ensure that each email you send out on behalf of a company is branded.

5)    Business planning software – Every business needs to plan. They need to forecast sales, set goals, plan cash flow and identify where the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to their business lie. Business planning software makes this easy and is easily updated to reflect changes.

Web technologies can help with the tasks and functions that are common to every business. They can help make everyday tasks easier and give a corporate and professional feel to a business.

This article was written by Workbooks, leading supplier of web-based CRM software.