Leading website offers tips on buying business software

Capterra.com is pretty much an authority on buying business software this modern market and the site has some interesting tips on buying software that is critical to your business functions. 

A few months ago, Alexandra, a staffer with Capterra.com, wrote a piece on what buyers should look for in the companies before buying from them.  As important as the actual software is to your operation, we at LiveRez.com think it's just as important to have great support and know-how after a purchase.

Alexandra takes her five "must-haves" for buying software from Cyndi Brandt of Roadnet Technologies.  Here they are:

1. Experience

In all reality, you wouldn't buy vacation rental software from a company that has been busy writing video game programs for the last 10 years; that just wouldn't make sense.  Alexandra agrees.  "You need to know that if anything goes wrong you’ll have the resources you need to fix it quickly," she writes. "You’ll probably place a higher value on a software company experienced in writing, supporting and implementing software for businesses like yours."

We don't like to brag too much, but LiveRez founder Tracy Lotz has been in this business for 15 years and knows the ins and outs of the industry in a way that not many do. LiveRez, as a company, has produced hundreds of vacation rental websites and reservation systems.  That means there isn't a quirk or problem we haven't seen.  Suffice it to say that we've got the experience you need.

2. Financially Stable

If your software serves a vital role in the work you do, then you need t0 know you are buying from a stable company.  "This goes back to the previous point, that if the software will support mission-critical business functions then you need to be reassured that the software company itself isn’t going anywhere," Alexandra says.

As we mentioned under the previous point, LiveRez has been in this game for a while and is on stable ground.  We are definitely here to stay.

3. Industry Knowledge

You wouldn't let a new hire run your company, would you?  Why not?  Because that person doesn't have the intimate knowledge of your industry and your company that you and your management team does.  The same thing goes for your company's software needs.  You should work with company's that understand that challenges that you, as a business owner, face each day.  "Your business is unique and it’s your responsibility to make sure that you’ve explained your particular needs to a software company," writes Alexandra.  "Once you explained your needs, make sure that they can deliver.  Ask if they have customers similar to you and ask them to explain how their software works for those customers."

When interested parties first contact LiveRez, our business consultant discusses their needs and challenges on the first call.  If we don't have what you need, then we don't want to waste your time, but we have a feeling that we have something to offer everyone in the vacation rental industry.

4. A Solid Number of Customers

The marketplace has a simple way of rewarding good and bad businesses; great companies will rise and bad ones will falter and become just a memory.  Good companies are rewarded with loyal customers who return time and time again.  "There is no set number that is a good or safe number.  But something more than 100 should definitely make you feel comfortable," say Alexandra.

Again, we don't like to brag, but LiveRez has written hundreds of websites and we have many customers that tried our software on one property before expanding if to their entire real estate portfolio.

5. Excellent References

Would you eat pizza from the pizzeria in town that is getting a bad rap via word of mouth? Our guess is that you would find another place to eat.  It's no different in the world of vacation rental software; if the product is good people will say so.  "Find out what others are saying about the product regardless of how little it costs," says Alexandra. "Look for recent customer reviews from both new and long term customers."

That's partially what this blog is about.  We try to show you what some of our customers are saying about the work we do.  If you need more references, feel free to ask! Our business consultant will happily provide a list of customers to contact to ask about their experiences with LiveRez.

Our thanks to Capterra.com for providing the tips on buying software. Read the full article here.