eSellerate announced today that software vendors now have the ability to send shipping requests directly to Amazon Fulfillment. Software Vendors manage their Amazon account separately, but he tie-in is an interesting alternative to existing fullfilment methods. This marks eSellerate as the first of the software e-commerce platforms to implement this feature, will others follow suit, or has eSellerate delivered something unique?

"Normally, publishers selling physical products through eSellerate take care of all the fulfillment duties, from receiving shipping requests to shipping the products and marking the orders as fulfilled. As an alternative, we now offer the ability to integrate with Amazon Fulfillment, a service that enables merchants to outsource fulfillment of their products. Publishers who use this option can set up their eSellerate stores to send fulfillment requests to Amazon when orders require shipping. After shipping the items, Amazon sends "Your order has shipped" e-mails to the customers, and notifies eSellerate that fulfillment is complete. We then mark the orders as fulfilled." - eSellerate

This is a submission from Hunter Richards, who blogs about online accounting software and other systems for Software Advice.

Streamline business processes. Enhance workflow. Increase visibility. Do these really mean anything? Let’s face it – ERP, CRM, and accounting system vendors talk a lot of nonsense about their products. Inspired by Gartner‘s magic quadrants, I’ve decided to put this marketing jargon in its place. The quadrant below classifies the most common phrases, sorted by degree of overuse and lack of meaning. Hover your mouse over a given phrase to see my snarky comments.

Note that we find a lot of straight-up gibberish, a fair amount of creative garbage (my favorite), a little bit of acceptable marketing, and no helpful description whatsoever. No wonder the software selection process is so grueling. But hey, that’s what we’re here for – to dig through all the fluff. So, what methodology did I use, you ask? Well… it was purely subjective. Don’t like how I judged your favorite phrase? Leave me a comment.

This originally appeared on the Software Advice blog: A War of Enlightenment Against Marketing Jargon.

This season's upcoming software conferences are as follows:

Affiliate Summit East 2011
New York, NY
August 21-23, 2011
http://www.affiliatesummit.com/

WordCamp
Conferences several locations
Seattle, Washington, April 16, 2011
Atlanta, Georgia, May 6-7, 2011
Orange, California, May 14, 2011
Raleigh, North Carolina, May 21-22, 2011
http://central.wordcamp.org/schedule/

ISDEF Spring 2011
Independent Software Developers Forum
Kiev, Ukraine
April 22-24, 2011
http://www.isdef.org/en/conference/

Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2011
Los Angeles, California
July 10-14, 2011
http://www.digitalwpc.com/

Business of Software 2011
Boston, Massachusetts
October 24-26, 2011
http://blog.businessofsoftware.org/2011/01/business-of-s
oftware-2011-dates-announced.html

European Software Conference
London, England
November 19-20, 2011
http://www.euroconference.org/

SIC
Software Industry Conference
TBD - After 20 years the conference may not go ahead this year
http://sic.org/

News from both eSellerate and SWReg. Both of these Digital River software ecommerce platforms have sent notice that they will be rolling out new "Business Intelligence" reports come April 1st. As they've used that same name on both platforms could this finally be the start of some commonality between two of Digital River's many ecommerce platforms? We will find out soon!

Here's the note from eSellerate:

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We know you need quick access to comprehensive data and insightful reporting.  We also know that you need to spend your time on proactive efforts to increase your revenue.   Our new reporting system will do that—providing access to actionable data to give you increased insight into managing your business.  You will have more ways to look at trends in your business and take action to grow your sales.  Our goal is provide you with access to what you need, when you need it. 
 
While the new Business Intelligence Reporting will provide you with quick access to the data you need, we know that with any change, you may have questions about this new solution.  To assist you in the transition to the new Business Intelligence reporting happening on April 1, 2011, we will be here to answer any questions you might have.

iPortis, one of the e-commerce companies that software vendors use to sell their products have taken the unusual step on pulling the plug on their PayPal integration. We've all had customer service nightmares with big companies but it's not that often that these get reflected in business arrangements.

Here's what iPortis had to say...

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This message is to let you know about changes to our platform starting on February 13th at midnight (EST).

As you are aware, we offer your customers a wide range of purchase methods to make the purchase of your products as easy as possible.

Over the last 6 months, we have been working with PayPal to improve our relationship with them, as the level of customer service and support we have received from them over the last few years has been less than we would have expected, or hoped.

We have decided to move away from offering PayPal as a purchase option at this time until they are able to demonstrate they are capable of providing the level of service we require in order to provide you the best service possible. We will continue to work with PayPal going forward in order to possibly provide it as a payment option in the near future, and will keep you updated with our progress.

In order to continue to provide you the best service possible, we have recently launched a service option that will allow you to process PayPal orders through your own PayPal account, and leverage iPortis.com to provide a fill-service fulfillment option so that our system can create an Order ID number, registration codes, and use our reporting system as well.

To learn more about this service, please visit http://www.iportis.com/fulfillment.php

This is a guest post by Hunter Richards, who writes on the Software Advice blog.

When Bob Dylan sang, “The times, they are a changin’,” he probably wasn’t thinking about value-added resellers (VARs). But VARs should pay attention all the same. VARs have traditionally made money selling and servicing on-premises systems, but now cloud computing is poised to rain on their parade. VARs will need to adapt to compete in the times ahead.

Over the next five to ten years, opportunities to resell software and hardware will dwindle as more companies adopt cloud-based systems. Processes for software procurement, implementation, and training will change. VARs must change their current service offerings to be successful in this new market. Let’s examine what’s happening to VAR revenue sources.

Software Sales		Integration
Hardware Sales		Customization/Configuration
Installation		Training/Change Management

Software resale has comprised a large portion of VAR cash flow. But cloud vendors have adopted a consumerized sales approach, emphasizing simplicity in the purchasing process and selling directly to customers. Also, without the need for hardware set-up and other ancillary services, local resellers are less important. Resale opportunities will decline, but new opportunities will arise.

Hardware resale opportunities will also decline. With cloud-based systems, servers are no longer installed on-premises – so this revenue will vanish. Desktop computer sales will be fewer and far between. Because cloud-based systems require less memory and processing power than on-premises ones, desktops will require less frequent replacement and will be sold at lower price points.

Installation services will be less relevant. Cloud-based systems require no software installation, so this opportunity will not exist in cloud computing. Some installation services, such as installing desktop systems or a new network, will still be in demand. But in general, VARs will need to move away from this type of service toward other opportunities.

Integration services will decline, but the process will be gradual. Cloud-based systems require fewer points of integration and offer better control over how customizations affect integration, so cloud-based apps will eventually be easier to integrate than on-premises systems. That’s not to say that cloud-based systems are easier to integrate today, but we believe they will be over time.

Customization and configuration services will persist, but they won’t escape the need to adapt. VARs can’t customize cloud-based systems to the extent of on-premises solutions. Today, there isn’t a huge opportunity in customizing most cloud systems. It’s just a matter of time, however, before customization tools for cloud systems mature and demand for these implementation services grows.

Training services will change. A cloud-based system’s user interface (UI) is typically easier to use, so less training is required. For on-premises systems with more complex UIs, companies have needed training services from a local advisor – the VAR. But with the ease of new cloud-based systems, this will no longer be the case. Still, VARs can offer more sophisticated training to hold on to this revenue.

Adaptation and creativity are the keys to staying relevant in a moving market. Luckily, VARs have many opportunities to re-focus their business strategies.

The VAR Survival Playbook

In this evolving market, VARs need to offer more sophisticated services and embrace the coming changes to avoid being left behind. Partnership with a successful cloud vendor is essential, but vendors are finite. That’s why there’s a land grab going on. The strategic VAR will enter the brawl now and get to these vendors before competitors can.

The ideal cloud partner for the VAR will have three key attributes:

• a bright outlook such that their product will be in demand;
• plans to develop a VAR channel in addition to selling directly; and
• partner support in the form of software development kits (SDKs), co-marketing and training.

But the territorial victory of partnership is only the beginning of the cloud transition. Next, VARs should make five bold moves to gain a sturdy foothold in the market.

1. Specialize. Narrow your focus to a vertical market or application category, rather than defining your company by its geographic territory. Cloud vendors are still building up their core applications, so the industry-specific capabilities aren’t yet up to par with those of on-premises systems like Microsoft Dynamics and Epicor. Be the first to develop vertical extensions for a major cloud-based system, and learn to speak the buyer’s language. Alternatively, gain expertise with one application category, such as business intelligence or accounting.

2. Develop competency on a leading Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). You’ve probably learned at least one SDK for on-premises systems. Now you must do the same for new cloud products. Learn and specialize in the developer tools for a cloud-based platform like SuiteFlex (NetSuite) or Force.com (Salesforce.com). You can build your own applications and customizations, and then market them. You’ll build credibility in the eyes of both vendors and customers. The time is now to invest in cutting-edge skills for the future before it’s too late.

3. Make the cloud’s efficiency work for you. Just as the centralized nature of cloud-based software benefits customers, it can also benefit VARs. With cloud-based systems, there’s far less need to send staff to the site. Use the extra time to start an internal, centralized sales team serving a broader territory. You can become as good at inside sales – or better than – the ISV. ISVs respect sales machines. The same applies to service. Retrain your team to service customers remotely, such that they can serve multiple clients in a day.

4. Offer technology-enabled services. Because cloud-based systems are accessible anywhere, it’s easier to become a seamless extension of the customer’s organization. Offer business process outsourcing. Some core business processes – accounting, for example – are essential, but don’t offer competitive advantage. Develop internal competencies so customers can outsource these operations to you. If you’re a former accountant-turned-VAR, get closer to your roots. Apply your domain expertise to services like collections, procurement, and reporting.

5. Promote the cloud to your existing customer base. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. We’re entering a major platform transition – there will soon be an incredible shift to cloud-based systems. Get in on the action now and embrace it. Your biggest asset is your existing customer base, so help them transition to the cloud. Don’t try to sell against a secular trend. If your customers are unaware of the cloud, explain the benefits and sell cloud systems to replace on-premises ones. Keep pace with the new technology at all costs.

This is a guest post by Hunter Richards, who writes on the Software Advice blog.

If you've been to the Software Industry Conference (SIC) then you've doubtless seen Dave Collins. Dave's conference session where he asks willing volunteers to put their business cards into a hat, and then dissects what's right and wrong about their websites in front of the audience is now legendary; it should be, Dave knows his stuff! We caught up with him and asked some questions...


1) Dave you run SoftwarePromotions.com which has been promoting software for over ten years. Can you tell us a little bit about what you do for software publishers?

We help software companies to sell more software. We generally work with a two-pronged approach. We bring targeted visitors to their websites through Google AdWords, SEO and press releases, and then make sure that more of them convert into customers.




2) I know you're Google Adwords certified, but surely the rise of Facebook, Twitter and Social Networks have changed the game? How do software companies work with social networks, and is it effective?

The Social Networks have indeed changed the game, but only offer most software companies a limited number of opportunities with their PR, support, branding and reputation management. But the beauty of AdWords is that you're targeting the right people at the precise moment that they're looking for a solution. Customers don't go searching for software solutions on the social networks, they go to Google. And as much as people are singing the praises of social networking, few companies can actually point to them as a source of new customers. The likes of Facebook and Twitter have their place in a company's marketing strategy, but they won't produce sales.


3) You proudly tout 450 clients on your homepage, can you tell us a few success stories?

Our website contains case studies that show how we increased a company's monthly sales by 3090% in eighteen months, how we improved another company's conversions by 34% in a few weeks, and how we achieved top ranking results in Google for phrases bringing in hundreds of visitors a day with a 40% download conversion rate. Sadly, however, we can't talk about our greatest successes, as some of our clients wish to keep such information from their competition. I'd love to name the company that we achieved a 600% conversion rate improvement for... but we can't!


4) Given all the success I'm sure that there are things that don't work too. Some companies have very bad luck with online marketing and promotions. What have you seen fall flat?

Our failure rate is incredibly low, but under certain circumstances we simply can't produce the results. A company can have the greatest product in the world, but if no-one is actively searching for what it does, even the best set-up AdWords account can't hope to be effective. And sometimes unrealistic expectations can really curtail the chances of a good product. I understand that budgets are tight for small companies, but if you're hoping to see an AdWords account break-even within two to three weeks, you're going to be sorely disappointed.


5) There's a lot written about Search Engine Optimization(SEO), so let me ask a question I've always wanted answered. Can SEO experts really make a difference if I've already done the basics like put keywords in my titles, links and headers and added a meta description to my page?

Yes - without a doubt. A genuine and experienced professional in any field will almost certainly produce better results than an enthusiastic amateur. I don't write my own contracts, I don't file my own taxes and I don't service my own car. If the search engines have the potential to be a source of income for your business, why wouldn't you use an experienced professional to reap the results? For example you might well put keywords in your titles and links, but are you confident that you're targeting the correct keywords? An experienced SEO professional will know how to carry out the research, and how to balance between targeting, competition and demand.


6) What's the most effective way for a software publisher to get the word out to their fans, a blog, email newsletter, twitter or facebook?

The standard marketing reply fits perfectly: it depends. If you're just starting out with 20-30 visitors a day to your blog, then how many sales can you expect by blogging about your new product? It makes more sense to utilise gearing. Instead of trying to reach thousands of people directly, target the people with a far bigger fan base. Getting the attention of 1,000 people is relatively easy, but will produce little by the way of results while being very time consuming. Getting the attention of one key person can be much more difficult, but the results have the possibility of being exponentially better. Look at what we're doing right here. Getting interviewed by you today has the potential to reach more people than I can on my own.


7) What are your thoughts on things like link-exchange and online forums for software marketing, are these a things of the past?

Yes, they sailed past their use-by dates years ago. Natural link exchange is the backbone of the web, but artificially emulating it productively and profitably is difficult. And while forums can be useful for support and building a community, they're not going to be particularly successful at actively marketing your product.


8) You must have seen a lot of websites in your time, could you tell us what's the most common mistake that software sellers make on their website.

Focusing on what their customers don't care about. Too many software companies don't realise what their customers are looking for, and often don't know how to speak their language. There's a company in California that have a great piece of photo software. I use it for showing slideshows, for publishing to a private blog, for securely putting my pictures where my friends and family can access them, for automatically identifying people I know, for printing, sharing, editing my pictures and more. How do they describe it on their website? "Picasa is free photo editing software from Google that makes your pictures look great. Sharing your best photos with friends and family is as easy as pressing a button!". Beautiful.


9) It's easy to spend a lot of cash to get traffic for your site, but how do you recommend software developers get targeted visitors who are actually interested in their site?

Sorry to be predictable, but the answer is simply search engines; or more precisely Google. Seth Godin opened our eyes to the futility of interruption marketing - advertisements that try to disrupt what we're doing, yet many still don't get it. The reason why few (if any) software developers have made Facebook advertising work is that people go to Facebook to see what their friends are doing, not to buy software. But people go to Google to find solutions, information, products, services, images, ideas and more. Learn how to use Google and stop wasting your money interrupting people.


10) With the rise of free apps, online apps and open source software are the days of desktop software publishing numbered?

The price, license and means of delivery of an application are incidental to the solution. Free apps and open source are nothing new, and offer no threat to most desktop applications. If the product is better than the competition, it will prevail over them. Every new technology has someone ringing a death bell for the old - the fax machine to mail, the PC to the fax machine, the netbook to the PC and so on. Good solutions out-live good technology.


11) Do you see anything new in the industry that we should be aware of and looking into in the new year?

The 359th degree. We've almost gone full circle now, so I predict a surge in "back to basics" marketing. Email is becoming more popular again, after being apparently superseded by RSS feeds and then Twitter. But time-tested email just works, and an increasing number of companies are starting to realise it - again. Have you noticed how many companies are using MailChimp lately?

Stay ahead of your competition - go back to what you were doing years ago! It worked then and it works now.


Dave Collins runs SoftwarePromotions.com, and blogs at Blog.SoftwarePromotions.com