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Automation & Digitalization

Automation and digitalization in freight forwarding

Sales Automation Software - Quotiss

ROI of Sales Automation Software in Freight Forwarding

Automation & Digitalization, Sales Automation, Simplicity & Efficiency / By

In this article, we will look at the actual numbers: how much can you grow your business with sales automation software in freight forwarding?

 

At Quotiss, we talk a lot about how crucial it is to simplify the freight rate management in general. But we also emphasize the importance of automating every transactional sales activity to free up the time for actual selling.

Combining the two will help you boost the sales efforts and grow the bottom line, and there is data to support it.

It is also true, that you can grow your business without sales automation. But that doesn’t mean that you should. Why wouldn’t you make sure that every process in your company is optimized towards growing your business? Especially, that the competition is fierce.

 

ROI of Sales Automation

 

Return on Investment (ROI) is the benefit resulting from an investment. To calculate your ROI you need to know two things:

  1. How much you are investing
  2. How much you earn from it as a result

There are two main reasons why measuring the ROI of sales automation software matters:

  1. Automation of sales drives more sales
  2. Sales reps are often overworked, and investing in automation of their routine tasks can change that.

When it comes to sales automation software, money spent (or money that could be spent) is pretty easy to calculate. However, calculating an accurate number for money earned (or costs reduced) is much harder, because the software itself isn’t directly generating new income or making sales for the company. Therefore general sales automation ROI indicator basically isn’t possible – we need to look at a group of elements to see the full picture.

The core elements for financial return in the sales support teams are usually:

  • Time to prepare and send a freight quote (sales automation software means instant freight quotes)
  • Accuracy of a freight quote (sales automation software means 100% accuracy and no manual errors)
  • Follow up on deals (the software will automate the follow-up and save time and money on daily operations)

 

Great Customer Experience as a Bonus

 

Many people think that the only way to grow their business is to find new customers, but often, the best source for growth is the existing customers. And for them, the quality of sales support and customer service matters the most.

In research on actual customer transactions published in the Harvard Business Review, researchers studied thousands of customers and found out that customers who had the best past experiences spend 140% more compared to those who had the poorest past experience.

This means, that we can identify an additional element for the sales automation ROI: Customer satisfaction (sales automation software provides consistent excellence in customer experience)

 

The Dollar Value of Your ROI

 

It all boils down to making more profit from direct sales activities, once all transactional tasks are automated. More deals are closed-won as a result of the sales automation software implementation (the time freed up by automation is spent on actual selling).

Now that you have identified the metrics and factors that you can use to measure the impact of your software investments, you can calculate the actual ROI in USD. Click this link to open the Quotiss ROI calculator.

You can make it all work for your company. Investing in the right sales automation software you make sure that your sales people are delighted to work with you, your customers have a better experience and it also serves your company’s financial goals.

 

Quick-Start with Sales Automation – Quotiss Software

 

Click here to register your company online. We’ll activate your company’s profile and help with the initial settings and user onboarding. You can start uploading your freight ratesheets and quoting freight instantly from Quotiss on the same day we sign the deal.

The Best Freight Rate Management Software: 4 Unique Ways To Use Quotiss

Digital Freight, Instant Freight Quotes, Online Freight, Sales Automation / By

A totally biased article on why Quotiss is the best freight rate management software for small and medium-sized freight forwarders.

 

At his previous corporate sales job, Quotiss CEO Marcin Zarzecki had never had practical software to send instant freight quotes to his clients but he knew it was crucial to be fast and efficient to achieve his sales targets.

He tried using the corporate tools, but they were not efficient and more so, added complexity to his sales routine. Then he tried good old Excel & Email combination, but that was lacking basic automation. Then he tested some of his own ideas, based on Excel templates automated by a moderate homemade macro. It was overwhelming.

The recipe for success is simple: you’ve got to create a million freight quotes yourself to feel the pain => become an expert in the field => find a solution => test & analyze => remove 90% of complexity => digitize => create Quotiss.

This is the principal moment where Quotiss is different from other startups in the field:

If no one at the C-level of your company ever quoted a freight rate, you can’t claim to be a freight automation startup.

Rather than provide a vague comparison list of freight sales automation platforms, we’re breaking down how our clients use our software to grow their business and how it could work for you too.

 

4 Unique Ways to Use Freight Rate Management Software

 

We’ll save you the time of describing the basic features. Quotiss rate management software includes all the essential functions a freight forwarding business needs.

With the shift to remote work due to COVID-19, we see the increasing interest in the software that can boost sales in freight forwarding. And businesses that never even heard of sales automation software are finding Quotiss. They’re using it to help them collaborate easier and work through quote requests as a remote team.

Below, we will list the not-so-obvious benefits of Quotiss that you can use to boost your sales:

 

  1. Automate Marketing & Communication

You can use our powerful quote distribution engine to streamline and target your marketing message directly to the clients. Group and segment your customers by using custom #hashtags to create mailing lists.

 

  1. Enhance Follow-up on Quotes

Did you know that Quotiss shows the exact date & time when your client opened the freight quote that you’ve sent? Use this data for a targeted follow-up with your customer!

 

  1. Use Sales Dashboard

Your sales performance stats are LIVE. Know your average margins per segment, know your win rates per sales team, know how many sales leads each team generates. Make informed business decisions.

 

  1. Monitor Quotiss Weekly Trends

Clients who’ve been using Quotiss for freight quote distribution since day one, show significant growth in the number of sent freight quotes since the beginning of the lockdown. We started sharing the weekly statistics of sent quotes on our LinkedIn page. Follow us to be up to date with the sales activity trend across the industry.

Would You Like a Quick Start with Quotiss?

 

Click here to register your company. We’ll activate your company’s profile and help with the initial settings and user onboarding. You can start uploading your freight ratesheets and quoting freight from Quotiss on the same day we sign the deal.

freight ratesheets

Freight Forwarding in the Time of Corona

Digital Freight, Automation & Digitalization, Online Freight, Sales Automation / By

In just one month our world changed so much, that it will never be the same again. The majority of the offline activities switched to online: meetings, events, education, entertainment, wellness, shopping. Those businesses that were not online are either pivoting or closing down.


The Impact on Carriers

How does coronavirus impact the transportation of goods? At the moment there are no strict limitations on cargo transport. So what is causing the chaos in the supply chains?

The global transportation market is fueled by the supply-demand principle. What we see on the market now, illustrates it perfectly.

At the time of uncertainty, people tend not to spend their money unless they have to. So they save, preparing for the hard times ahead, buying only food supplies and other things to keep their basic needs covered.

When the demand goes down, supply follows shortly. As a result – hundreds of blank sailings from Asia to Europe and America. We do not know yet how deep into the red zone the carriers will get, but we should get the idea pretty soon.


The Impact on Freight Forwarders

Freight forwarding companies are in a much better situation compared to the shipping lines. They don’t have heavy fixed costs allocated into the long-term assets, and their business model is more flexible and agile.

In simple words, freight forwarders operate the model of ‘Buy Cheap and Sell with a Healthy Margin’. This model allows making money regardless of supply-demand fluctuations on the market, as long as they can offer tangible benefits to their clients.

These days, efficiency becomes a very strong competitive advantage for forwarders. Since there is less cargo on the market, it’s important to win as many bookings as possible.


The Best Strategy to Boost Sales for Freight Forwarders

Transparency and efficiency of the sales process become very important.

  • Easy access to freight rates

When sales teams are remote and work from home, they have to have easy access to freight rates. MS Excel file with rates on the shared office drive is the opposite of ‘transparency’.

  • Instant freight quotes

Salespeople need a simple and fast solution to send freight quotes to clients. The more quotes they send, the more bookings they win. This is simple math.

  • Follow up on open deals

It’s not enough just to send the quote, someone needs to do the follow-up and close the deal – is it won or lost booking? Many quotes get lost without the proper tools to follow on the progress.

  • Know your numbers

Being flexible and agile is the best strategy in times of uncertainty. Sales managers need access to numbers in real-time. They can monitor sales performance and win rates to be able to set the right direction for the team and adjust when needed.

 

Sales teams in freight forwarding companies can be very efficient with the right set of sales automation tools. Quotiss software could be the right solution to digitize your sales process. You will increase your sales productivity without increasing headcount. When your business is driven by efficiency, it directly impacts your company’s bottom line.

Contact us and go digital today.

How to Boost Sales in Freight Forwarding?

Freight Rate Management, Instant Freight Quotes, Sales Automation / By

How are you doing with delivering on your sales targets this month, this quarter, or this year? No matter what is the current status of your sales pipeline, it’s essential to fill it up with the business opportunities on a regular basis.

 

Most opportunities in freight forwarding start with a freight quote request. Quoting freight rates can be a devastating experience for the sales team because the effort is rarely rewarded with the actual booking placed by a client. In fact, according to the industry statistics, on every 100 quotes sent, there is a 5%-10% chance of marking that deal as ‘Closed-Won’. No wonder, salespeople are so depressed by this routine task.

There are 2 solutions to this problem:

  1. Make the freight rates irresistibly low and boost you win ratio – obviously, not too healthy for the bottom line results;
  2. Fix the quoting process and make it effortless (even enjoyable!) for the salespeople.

Keep Your Sales People Motivated

 

A good salesperson is golden for any business, and it is especially true for the traditional, relationship-driven freight forwarding. These special relationships bring enormous value when it comes to keeping customers loyal and satisfied. Great salespeople love business development, but they hate the administrative work. Making the routine tasks easy for them will boost their performance, and as a result – will increase sales.

 

Keep Your Customers Satisfied

 

How long do your clients wait for freight rates? Just being faster than your competitor may help to get the deal closed. Sometimes, rate requests from potential clients are left unanswered just because it takes so much time to prepare and send a quote. To keep your customers loyal and satisfied, you need to make their work and life easier. Responding faster with the perfectly tailored freight quote, which contains all necessary information for the decision-making, will definitely help to achieve customer success.

 

Keep Your Management Informed

 

There is a lot of frustration in the freight forwarding business caused by the limited access to the information. It is very difficult for the management team to know how many freight quotes have been sent to the clients today, this week, or this month. And nearly impossible to analyze freight margins inside those quotes. Instead of relying on unstructured and often biased data, sales managers should be able to monitor their sales teams’ performance in real-time – this way they can be more proactive and secure more deals.

 

Get an Extra Sales Boost

 

Quotiss is a sales automation software for freight forwarders. It enables your sales team to generate perfect custom-made freight quotes in seconds. Quotes are emailed to your customers directly from the system and synced with your company email server.

On top of quoting automation, Quotiss has much more to offer:

  • Quotiss simplifies and automates carrier contract management for procurement teams,
  • Quotiss stores your most accurate database of customers and prospects,
  • Quotiss builds client history with a full archive of sent quotes,
  • Quotiss provides extensive sales analytics,
  • Quotiss automates marketing and communication,
  • Quotiss ensures all freight quotes are made in a unique company format and design,
  • Quotiss makes it extremely easy to handover clients internally and onboard new salespeople in the organization.

Moreover, it’s very intuitive – it takes just 1,5 hours of training, and salespeople can start using it immediately.

Contact us today and learn how Quotiss can help you boost your sales!

 

freight ratesheets quotiss

How to Simplify Freight Ratesheets in 2020?

Digital Freight, Freight Rate Management, Freight Ratesheets & Tariffs, Sales Automation / By

Three years ago, I wrote a blog post about the complexity of freight ratesheets distributed by the shipping lines to the market and the problems they create. This year, it remains one of the most popular posts on the Quotiss blog.

Turns out, a lot of logistics companies are still looking for ways to simplify and digitize their freight rate management process. So, I decided to study the changes in the industry of the last 3 years and update the article.

 

Ocean Freight Rates Online

 

The biggest step in the digital direction has been taken by some shipping lines – they finally started to offer instant freight quotes online.

Maersk Line, Safmarine, Hapag Lloyd, CMA CGM, and a few other carriers now offer ocean freight rates online. These rates are no longer some random unusable indications – they are workable, and ‘bookable’.

It became possible with the personalization of the inquiry. Each person (company) needs to register and create an account on the carrier webpage. The algorithm checks the company profile and knows what rate level to offer. The rate obtained online is the same rate that would come via email request. The online rate is faster. The choice is simple.

It’s, of course, very good news for the industry, and this trend will continue with more carriers offering their (workable) rates online.

The downside, however, is that each carrier is developing its own platform for online freight quotes, making it difficult for the freight forwarders to compare the offers. A person has to open each carriers’ webpage, enter login / password / shipment details into different forms on several platforms to choose the best rate.

It is also more difficult for tech companies to integrate the spot rates, as they have to integrate each platform separately.

 

What About the Freight Ratesheets?

 

Well, here nothing changed much in three years. Freight forwarders still receive large Excel files with freight rates, spend their days analyzing and maintaining their ‘own’ Excel files with the selling rates. Even the largest global freight forwarding companies struggle to set up an electronic exchange of buying rates with the shipping lines.

Wondering, what about the online freight quotes? Well, online spot rates are good for spot shipments. The majority of the world’s cargo is moved on contracts, which are negotiated individually and are not available online. The progress is not there yet.

 

What About the Digital Freight Forwarders?

 

Freight forwarders get access to more and more digital tools each year. There is a big interest in digitizing the customer interface: offer online freight quotes, online bookings, online tracking, etc. All these customer-facing digital initiatives are very necessary, but hardly possible without digitizing the back office of the freight forwarder.

It’s not possible to offer online freight quotes if your selling rates are maintained in Excel. You run a big risk of low data accuracy, which can cause financial loss and/or reputational risks.

It is necessary to start from the basics – automate and digitize your freight rate management internally, and after that integrate your automated freight quotes online.

 

Sales Automation Software for Logistics

 

Quotiss software could be the right solution to digitize freight ratesheets using a simplified upload mechanism. Quotiss is a practical tool, which automates all kinds of freight ratesheets in a smart and simple way. All freight rates from all suppliers in one place, available instantly to everyone in the organization.

With Quotiss, you can increase your sales productivity without increasing headcount. When your business is driven by efficiency, it directly impacts the company’s bottom line.

 

Would You Like a Quick Start with Quotiss?

 

Click here to register your company. We’ll activate your company’s profile and help with the initial settings and user onboarding. You can start uploading your freight ratesheets and quoting freight from Quotiss on the same day we sign the deal.

Are Freight Rates 100% Safe in the Cloud?

Automation & Digitalization, Digital Freight, Logistics Software / By

In the previous article, we’ve listed the numerous benefits of using Software as a Service for freight rates management and why it would be one of the best solutions for your freight forwarding business nowadays.

The first and most important question is always about data safety. You literally have to trust with all your sensitive commercial business information to your software provider. You need to be 1000% sure that your freight rates are safe and secure.

Let’s look at the safety and security risks of cloud computing, and compare them to the most popular business solution used by the Freight Forwarders for their internal freight rates management and sending freight quotes to their customers.

 

Excel Spreadsheet is King

 

There are no official statistics as to how many logistics companies are using Excel as their main tool to manage their commercial information, but it is safe to assume that it is around 90% of business globally.

The majority of the freight forwarders manage their freight rates in Excel internally and use MS Word or Excel to distribute their rates externally. The benefits of keeping and managing your commercial data in Excel are quite obvious: it’s (relatively) free of charge, it’s available, it’s simple, it’s familiar. When it comes to the risks, we have covered them extensively in the article called “Freight Forwarders Deserve Better Tools”, which speaks for itself.

This ‘spreadsheet madness’ in the industry is led by the shipping lines. Historically, over time the pricing structures got so complicated, that it was not possible to translate it into the digital language. Hence, Excel spreadsheets are all over the place.

freight rate excel

How Safe are Your Freight Rates in Excel?

 

The answer is it is not full-proof, even if you use password protection and own discs for storage. Here are some tips for you to be safe and secure:

  • Always upgrade to the latest version of MS Excel when available;
  • Save your files as “.xlsx”, not “.xls”;
  • Choose strong passwords to protect your workbooks, sheets, cells;
  • Choose safe storage places;
  • Backup your data regularly.

The Cloud Software Alternative

 

Cloud-based solutions for business are in high demand right now, and the trend is growing fast. These solutions include everything from secure data storage to entire business processes.

Email is a simple example. Most users don’t save emails to their devices because those devices are connected to the Internet. Any time you access the emails stored
remotely, you are accessing a cloud.

The cloud is simply a collection of servers placed in massive complexes that are owned by some of the world’s largest corporations: Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple have all invested huge sums in creating homes for our personal and business data.

The end result is a service that is convenient, portable, and reduces the need for expensive hardware in our offices. That important business email from your partner is easily accessible on all of your devices, no matter where you are.

How Secure is Cloud Storage?

 

All files stored on secure cloud servers benefit from an enhanced level of security. Cloud storage security vendors do not just rely on password protection, but secure
data using other means as well.

Some of these include firewalls, intrusion detection, action logs, encryption, and advanced physical security of the data centers.

When it comes to cloud data ownership, the contract between the company providing the storage service and the client has a clear distinction that the provider has the right to store and process the data but the ownership is retained by the customer at all times.

The end result is a service that is convenient, portable, and reduces the need for expensive hardware in our offices. That important business email from your partner is easily accessible on all of your devices, no matter where you are.

How to Apply Blockchain Technology in Logistics? TradeLens explained.

Automation & Digitalization, Digital Freight, Freight Rate Management / By

In the previous article, we’ve started the topic of Blockchain – what is blockchain technology, how it works, and what are the main benefits. We hear a lot about the blockchain application in the financial industry – everyone knows the digital currency, Bitcoin. Now let’s see how the same technology can be applied to shipping.

 

What is TradeLens?

 

Blockchain became the buzzword in the logistics industry in 2018, when Maersk Line and IBM announced the partnership project called TradeLens which was established to build and apply the blockchain to the world’s global supply chain. Over time, the project became actively supported by other organizations, and at the moment there are about 100 players who agreed to participate in building the common industry standards. 

 

Who is part of TradeLens?

 

The list of TradeLens partners now includes:

  • Shipping Lines: Maersk Line, Hamburg Süd, MSC, CMA-CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE and PIL
  • Freight forwarders: Agility, CEVA Logistics, DAMCO, etc
  • Ports and terminal operators: Singapore, Hong Kong, Rotterdam, Halifax, Bilbao, naturally the global APM Terminals, etc
  • Beneficial cargo owners (BCOs)
  • Customs authorities in the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Australia, and Peru

This accounts for approximately 250 marine gateways worldwide. This sounds like a lot, but in reality, is just a small share of the global logistics map.

 

How does TradeLens work?

 

The core idea of the TradeLens platform is to promote the efficiency and security of global trade, ensure transparency, and boost innovation across the industry. All of that via blockchain-enabled technology.

Many processes for transporting and trading goods are expensive, in part, due to manual and paper-based processes. Reducing the cost of documentation will ultimately affect the transportation costs, and consequently, reduce the price of the goods that appear on the counter. Replacing the unreliable and outdated information exchanges, the platform transparent collaboration across the shipping supply chain ecosystem. 

The main projected benefits of blockchain:

– Data transparency and reliability

– Time-saving on data collection and processing

– Increased safety and security

– Cost reduction (due to the above) 

 

Will TradeLens work?

 

“Expanding digital collaboration is critical to the evolution of the container shipping industry,” said Martin Gnass, Managing Director of Information Technology at Hapag-Lloyd. 

TradeLens was launched to help modernize the world’s supply chain ecosystems. And we believe that the only way to ensure sustainable innovation in shipping is to have ALL industry players to adopt the same technology solution and become inter-connected. Blockchain seems to be the best technology to ensure that. But there is a long way ahead until we see that enough industry players have joined the cause to get the real benefits for the connected global commerce. 

Think of it this way: when your container is shipped from Rotterdam to Nairobi, then every single party on the way, including the customs in Mombasa, has to be connected to blockchain to ensure transparency and safety of the shipment.

Also, when we speak about blockchain applications in shipping, we consider the operations and documentation processes. 

At this moment, it is not clear if the TradeLens solution will be used in the freight rate management or applied to other commercial processes in shipping – as this is sensitive data that is not openly shared between competitors. Especially, with Maersk Line being at the top of this blockchain pyramid, it is doubtful that this technology will be used as a sales automation tool.

Why Is There So Much Hustle Around Blockchain?

Automation & Digitalization, Digital Freight / By

Blockchain is a technology created as a modern XXI century alternative to the transactional market reality. The increased risk of fraud and extortion has pushed the IT community to develop a secure transaction system. It turned out to be a business disruption from different points of view.

The beginning of blockchain popularity was directly related to Bitcoin – the virtual currency. However, it soon became apparent that blockchain has many more applications and can serve as an effective security shield for any business transactions, including transactions related to online freight.

 

How does the Blockchain work (in very simple words)

 

Let’s take a look at a very simple example:

Imagine that you have a shared drive with your colleagues in the office. You just saved an Excel spreadsheet with the list of your company’s transactions there and shared access with your colleagues. 

Your colleagues now can open & review the file you’ve shared. They are also free to add new information, but they can’t make any changes to the data which is already there. The result is that the information is open and shared with the group of authorized peers, but at the same time, it is also protected from any manipulation. This is how the blockchain works, in short.

 

Why is it called Blockchain?

 

The technology is called ‘Blockchain’ because it consists of a chain of blocks. Each block represents a piece of data. Blocks are connected in chronological order and are linked to each other.

 

How does the Blockchain really work?

 

There are a few things you should know about the Blockchain:

  • No data manipulation is possible

There is no central authority to control or manipulate the data. This allows for data exchange to be made directly with third parties.

  • The data is crypto-safe

Cryptography is used for the security services

  • Deleting the data is not possible

Once the block is added, it’s there forever – again, no manipulation possible.

  • Consensus

All the parties involved have to validate the data in the block. No one is in control means that everyone is in control.

In the next post, we will cover the possibilities for blockchain application in logistics software and sales automation tools. 

Stay tuned!

The Future of Technology in Freight Forwarding

Instant Freight Quotes, Automation & Digitalization, Digital Freight, Online Freight / By

The progress in technology development doesn’t stand still, constantly improving user experience in every field – no exception for the freight forwarding industry.

Everyone is talking about the application of digital technologies in logistics which has to revolutionize the business, and many industry players are getting lost in the amount of information on the subject.

At the same time, nobody wants to miss out on the next ‘UBER’ that will disrupt the traditional industry with the brand-new business idea based on the brand-new modern technology.

We have prepared an overview of the ‘hyped’ technologies, using simple words. Below you will find the list of the hottest trends when it comes to the future in the logistics industry.

 

The Blockchain in Freight Forwarding

 

Blockchain became the buzzword in the freight forwarding industry in 2018, when Maersk Line signed the contract with IBM and started working on developing the common platform for the world’s supply chain called the TradeLens. 

Since the start, more and more players who represent different supply chain sectors have been joining the initiative, making it the largest collaborative project in the industry since Inttra. However, some big companies are concerned about Maersk sitting on the main chair and enforcing the rules on everyone else and are naturally hesitant to share their data with the competitor.

You can read more about the blockchain and its applications in logistics in our articles.

 

SaaS and Cloud Technology

 

Cloud Computing is about placing and storing your data in a virtual space, a.k.a. a cloud. This technology is very popular among private users. Think of Dropbox or iCloud on your iPhone. In the business world, companies were required to buy, build, and maintain their IT infrastructures despite the exponential costs. Until the SaaS. 

SaaS (Software as a Service) has a lot to offer to the business. If it’s used properly, it can help save money, time, and human resources. But what about data safety? Usually, SaaS companies use Cloud platforms from large service providers, such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc. making it the safest possible storage space.

You can read more about SaaS (Software as a Service) and Cloud Technology in our articles.

 

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT)

 

Over the past several years, the logistics industry has started to invest in Artificial Intelligence solutions. The AI includes intelligent transport & route planning, supply & demand planning, sales automation tools — but this is only just the beginning. 

Internet of Things (IoT) means connecting to the Internet any item equipped with sensors and communicators, with the ability to control it automatically and remotely.

From last-mile delivery robots and smart ports, to warehouse automated systems and business optimization software, AI and IoT are already making a difference in logistics. In addition, 5G opens up fundamentally new possibilities, including broadcasting data at a speed of 20 GB/s.

Shippers, carriers, suppliers, and consumers can all expect to benefit from these logistics technology trends in the 2020s.

We have prepared a number of articles about the future of technology in freight forwarding. We will cover the hottest trends and their potential application to logistics and freight rate management.

Stay tuned!

How to Choose the Right Freight Software?

Automation & Digitalization, Digital Freight, Logistics Software, Sales Automation / By

Is there anything in common between choosing a freight software for your freight forwarding business and choosing a hotel for your holiday? 

 

Imagine, you make plans for a long weekend, about to book yourself a nice hotel. Most likely, first, you will go to an online platform that offers a selection of deals. Then you would apply some filters to define search criteria. The most common criteria would be price, location, and convenience (in the order of your personal preference). Once you have a shortlist, you’ll definitely look at the reviews before making the final decision.

We usually trust the opinion of people like us who have already tested the service/product we are interested in: friendly advice or input by an independent reviewer from a trusted source.

 

Another example: you want to download a mobile app to edit pictures from the App Store. There are more than 1000+ options there, which one would you choose?

Usually, the description given by an app developer will not be trustworthy enough. You will look at the ranking and the review score, maybe read a couple of user reviews to make sure this app is what you really need. Obviously, advice from a friend works well too.

85% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Excellent or bad reviews on the hotel’s page can be the deal maker or breaker when you compare the available options. We are ready to trust and oftentimes even pay more to stay in the hotel with a rating of 9 out of 10.

Would you follow the same selection process when you choose the right freight software for your business?

 

From Hotels and Mobile Apps to Freight Software?

 

In the same way, as there are platforms to review hotels and mobile apps, there are platforms to rate B2B software. Nowadays, leaving a review online has become the best way to express your satisfaction level with the service or product. We no longer live in a world where the brand is in control of what to communicate to its audience – users now have the ability to broadcast and amplify their voice with one click. A great motivation for vendors to get better in customer service.

Review platforms want businesses to use them. And businesses want to use review platforms too. It all comes down to trust.

Scummy companies can hire fake reviewers to praise products and boost sales. Unfair competition can result in a number of 1-star reviews left by the people who never used the product. Most review platforms have guidelines prohibiting reviews that don’t reflect true business transactions.

 

Have You Heard of Capterra?

 

Capterra is one of the well-known platforms for business software rankings. Every product is categorized based on many parameters: industry, functionality, convenience, and price. This allows for easy comparison.

Capterra ensures that each reviewer is verified. Either by connecting to their LinkedIn profile or by collecting their credentials and consent to follow the portal guidelines. If a user didn’t provide their credentials, the review will not be published.

In today’s highly competitive marketplace, you have to be sure which software you trust to make your business more efficient. Many software companies can promise you digitization, cost reduction, and quick profit growth.

By looking through independent reviews of business software, you can learn the real feedback from the real users:

Learn how Quotiss can help your business and improve your efficiency from our user opinions on Capterra.

 

Quick-Start with Quotiss Freight Software

 

Click here to register your company online. We’ll activate your company’s profile and help with the initial settings and user onboarding. You can start uploading your freight ratesheets and quoting freight instantly from Quotiss on the same day we sign the deal.