Beyond the Search Engine, there are SmartThoughts for your
Association Nonprofit Software
It’s a fact. Many consumers take the typical path of going to their favorite search engine, Google, Yahoo, or BING to start their process of “Window Shopping”. For most nonprofit executives, the job of reviewing software options is delegated to a staff member. And, searching on the internet for software options is where they will likely begin the search process.
Here are some staggering facts which accentuate that point:
B2B buyers are anywhere between 57%-70% through the buying process prior to engaging with a partner vendor about their products.
Some 35 percent of B2B pre-purchase activities are performed digitally
Data worldwide is growing 40 percent per year
The Perils of Search Engine Software Selection
What does this mean for a nonprofit software executive reviewing software options?
This means you need to be cautious and understand that your staff may be relying to heavily on search engines to select your nonprofit software solution. “Searching” may be a good starting point, but it shouldn’t be the only source for finding a software solution which will ultimately be the foundation for serving the needs of your member and donors well into the 21st Century.
The overwhelming data and plethora of nonprofit software options needs to be sifted and analyzed alongside your requirements to determine the proper fit. In fact, the last review of Association Management Software vendors, we tallied up 100 organizations which purport to be providers of a solution.
Wow! No doubt there are many association management software options and there are even more who provide donor management systems.
It’s easy to fall into the search selection trap with the workload of many small staff nonprofits today. Time is usually of the essence for most staff executives to get a solution. And, reviewing requirements, setting goals, and the demonstrations of software options can take a considerable amount of time. For most staff members charged with finding a solution, the software selection process can be frankly a distraction to performing the fundamental high priority job functions which they are responsible for day in and day out.
The outcome for this approach is usually an ill advised decision or no decision which can extend the process out for months and even years before a true solution is found.
We have a decade of working with solid and reputable software vendor partners in the nonprofit market.The odds are we can work with your staff in short order to discuss various technology providers available on the market today and lead you on a better suited path than randomly going through the “Search Engine Selection process”.
Give us a call, It’s Free!
Until then, keep SmartThoughts in mind.