business outsourcing Archives - Offshore Staffing Services in the Philippines

Critical Outsourcing Trends For Businesses in 2019

Business News, Outsourcing in the Philippines / By DBOS

Outsourcing and offshore companies, despite being considered as a huge risk-laced investment was proven tough. Withstanding decades since its founding date, outsourcing trends today and have undoubtedly become the norm. It reshapes the global industry and has been growing efficiently, without any trace of stopping soon.

This year, a few market analysts predicted that it would be a bumpy phase for the outsourcing industry, however, it did not show any sign of slowing down. Since the market is growing, business outsourcing companies should fasten their pace and keep up.

Here are the five areas in outsourcing that we expect to evolve throughout 2019.

Robotics

Dubbed as the future of outsourcing trends, robotics is expected to raise a massive impact this year. Its main role is reported to be for automating basic and repetitive office tasks. These include; generating reports, collecting information from existing documents, extracting and sorting information, and other basic stuff. Various domains like banking, finance, insurance, healthcare, legal service, and more are the recipients of that data processing. But before its implementation, the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has to be trained and practised thoroughly for a long time.

Cloud Technology

The evolution of IT services has brought cloud computing today. Research says that it has already redefined the role of numerous IT functions. These include; help desks, tech support, data centre operations, and more.

Small-to-medium sized businesses are now hosting data online, as reported from Gartner’s latest survey. And although filled with a few drawbacks and data security issues, it still attracts more attention nowadays. However, some businesses are still apprehensive in completely relying on cloud-based services. This year, we expect cloud technology to be more popular.

Data Security

Protecting the digital data, such as those in a database is an IT responsibility. More so that data theft has been a great issue for businesses who outsource their IT needs. Therefore, cybersecurity has been a genuine issue for the department ever since. Though it does not happen more often than not, prevention is still better than cure.

Internet of things (IoT) refers to describe the network of devices that talk to one another over the internet, thus, making it susceptible to cyber-attacks. A recent study carried out by HP found that 70% of IoT devices had “serious security vulnerabilities”.

Numerous industry experts predicted that 2019 will be a bumpy road for the business outsourcing industry. Various outsourcing trends will continuously progress and bring some significant changes. To keep up, the industry must also take huge steps. Nevertheless, the unbudging outsourcing industry still kept its pace to advancement.

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Telesales Isn’t Dead—and Here’s Why

From an outsider’s perspective, telemarketing seems like an outdated form of selling your products. Today’s technology has forced the marketing industry to take great strides when it comes into advertising. From large LED screens playing video ads 24/7 situated in busy city streets, to subtle digital marketing techniques to help give target consumers a gentle nudge towards buying more goods, selling stuff through the phone is perceived to pale in comparison: it’s a marketing method almost as old as direct selling itself.

But today, call centres are still in demand because telesales still works. Despite the persistent misconceptions surrounding phone marketing, outsourcing telesales can still make a huge impact on your business.

It’s the least annoying form of advertising

Almost every time you go online, there’s always that pesky pop-up ad begging you to click on them. Even when you’re watching a video on Facebook or Youtube, or when reading an article, the average reader will have to go through a few hoops in order to dodge an incessant barrage of either static or video ads. Ads have gone from a necessary evil to a regular nuisance, and audiences are trying to actively avoid it. According to a poll, telesales is ranked as the least annoying form of advertising as only 4% of the total respondents have voted against it. This means that when conducted properly, telemarketing is less likely to be ignored by a target audience compared to other forms of endorsing sales.

Phone marketing strengthens human connection

Since telesales is conducted through voice calls, prospect consumers experience a more intimate approach. Customers were found to respond more with telemarketing because of the human interaction factor, affecting the perceived sincerity and personal touch of the transaction or session. According to recent studies, when making big decisions for large purchases like a car, insurance, healthcare, or the like, customers prefer calling businesses personally and talking to a real human being. Because of this, telesales is one of the business processes that are not currently in danger of being replaced by AI. This trend in customer behaviour also makes outsourcing telesales very ideal, as international agents from countries like the Philippines are well regarded because of their positive personalities and empathy towards their customers. Having a strong and experienced team of telemarketing can do wonders in helping to further develop your business.

Outsourcing telesales generates leads

Though there are several different ways to perform lead generation, telemarketing is among the most efficient method. Offshore telesales promotes better brand awareness and provides greater market insight. A significant chunk of the call centre industry specialises in performing outbound sales through offshore telesales. According to relevant statistics, outsourcing lead generation is ranked to be 43% more effective than in-house due to expertise and experience. Hiring an offshore staff to generate leads for your company stacks up numerous advantages on your end, as not only will you get better results, outsourcing also allows you to save money while efficiently improving your cash flow.

These are only among the many reasons why telesales continues to play an important role in business until today. Though times are changing, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all traditional practices are rendered defunct due to technological advances. Telemarketing isn’t dead, and it isn’t showing any signs of dying out anytime soon.

Looking for highly-skilled telemarketers to boost your company’s sales? Check out our staffing services to see which of our outsourcing services is the best fit for your business’ needs.

4 Major Reasons Why You Need to Outsource Your Customer Service

Call Center Philippines, Customer Support Service Outsourcing / By DBOS

The quality of customer support can make or break a business. Bad customer service can often lead to an unsavoury reputation and drive potential clients away. Hiring competent personnel capable of handling any form of customer support is quite difficult: there are so many factors to consider when deliberating prospects like the employee’s personality, patience, and adaptability. Partnering with the right BPO company can help you bypass this challenge, and outsourcing might just be the answer you’re looking for.

Outsourcing makes finding the right agents easier

A fully functioning staff of professionals sounds like a dream but it can be made into a reality by hiring offshore teams. Outsourcing customer support to countries like the Philippines is a convenient solution as Filipinos are well known for their hospitality, patience and empathy towards customers. BPO companies help connect you with the right people to handle every aspect of customer service. Whether it be for live chat support, community management, or telesales, outsourcing allows you to tap into a wide market of talents for a fraction of the cost.

The wages you usually pay for one in-house staff member can already get you two or even three offshore agents, as labour costs are lower in developing countries. Since outsourcing significantly lowers your expenses than hiring in-house staff, it makes assembling an offshore customer support team as affordable and a viable option for businesses of any scale.

An offshore team automatically offers multilingual support

One good way to maximise the advantages of outsourcing is to partner with BPO companies in a country where you can also get clientele. That way, your offshore team can cater to a wider audience they can communicate with: customers within their country who speak their native language, and international customers they can talk to in English.

Outsourcing customer service improves cash flow

Not only is outsourcing helping you save money due to cheaper labour costs, but it also helps businesses grow by increasing profits. Customer care boosts revenues as it improves general metrics like first-call resolution, average handle time and customer satisfaction. Happy clients are more likely to give great feedback and make recommendations to their family and friends which can then bump up your sales. Maintaining customer satisfaction through live chat support or other means helps stabilise your income generated from sales, subscriptions and other services your business offers.

Multi-channel support is made possible and easy

One of the most impressive features of outsourcing customer service is that you can reach your clients and patrons through more channels. Whether it be through video chat, VOIP calls, live chat, social media and many more. Call centres often train their staff’s flexibility and capability in handling multiple channels for customer care, ensuring you only get qualified employees to be part of your company. Unlike with hiring in-house staff, you no longer need to buy additional equipment or software to accommodate for multi-channel support. Seat fees and set-up fees are already included in payment packages when you outsource, and these are used to equip your offshore staff with the latest tools to help them effectively perform their jobs.

Efficient solutions don’t have to be expensive. If you are looking for ways to expand your business but don’t want to overspend, outsourcing your customer service department can be a wise option. It eliminates a lot of hassle yet introduces numerous advantages you can benefit from.

Want to get started on outsourcing? Check out our services to see which options are a perfect fit for your business’ needs.

What Are Personal Virtual Assistants?

Offshore Back Office, Virtual Assistant in the Philippines / By DBOS

As the outsourcing industry continues to grow, more and more virtual staffing options are becoming available for startups and small to medium enterprises. One such example would be virtual assistant jobs which are steadily rising in demand right now.

Virtual assistants can help you free up a lot of time from your schedule, and they can vary from self-employed professionals to agencies specialising in offshore staffing. Most VAs charge by the hour, making it very ideal and cheaper than hiring in-house: you only pay them whenever you need them, and you can save money on allocating other resources such as extra office space.

Huffington Post discusses further what a virtual assistant can do for you. To read the full article, click here.

Graphic Designers vs. Web Designers: What’s the Difference?

Outsourcing in the Philippines, Web Design / By DBOS

A lot of people often confuse tasks between graphic designers and web designers, resulting in job mismatch and conflicts in the workplace. Laymen would think such roles are interchangeable, as both fields usually work with the same tools and software in designing. In many cases, graphic designers are burdened with responsibilities more fit for a web designer, and vice versa. Though both jobs are geared towards art and aesthetics, there are a lot of differences between both fields.

What is Graphic Design?

Graphic Design is the art of translating ideas into any form of visual communication. Graphic designers are often tasked with creating a layout for promotional materials that will then be used for digital or print distribution. Their work is often based around typography, use of space, colour and imagery. While writers relay a brand’s message through their careful choice of words, a graphic designer transmits a specific impression of the brand through visual stimuli.

What is Web Design?

Web Design utilizes the same visual principles of Graphic Design but is confined to the elements or totality of a website. Unlike graphic design, web design has restrictions like the size of the screen they are putting their content in and is geared towards different goals. Web designers need to cooperate with a team or a web developer in order to fully build a working site. Web designers are also limited in making their designs fit a certain coding language to be used in creating the website.

What are the differences between the designers?

Aside from knowledge in visual composition, web designers are required to know how to code. This is crucial because they need to gauge their design’s compatibility with the coding language the rest of the web development team is using. A background in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is necessary to perform a web designer’s job.

Additionally, web designers need to take into account the optimisation of their design. They need to make sure that the aesthetics of a website doesn’t hinder its loading time and performance. Because of this, web designers often rely on image compression and other shortcuts that could help a page load faster without sacrificing visual quality. Web designers also optimise for mobile viewing and make sure their design stays good when viewed on different screens.

On the other hand, graphic design covers more mediums and can vary between print and digital media. CMYK is usually the preferred colour mode for most graphic designers as it is optimal for printing, while web design uses RGB.

Similarly, as with any industry, clashes can emerge between experts in the Graphic Design world and the Web Design world. For instance, a Graphic Designer might look down on their Web Design counterpart, thinking that web media is of a lower calibre than print media. Web Design experts alternatively, may get annoyed with Graphic Designers who don’t understand the intricacies of the coding side of Web Design.

Despite the differences between both roles, graphic and web designers are equally important. Visual media comprises a very significant chunk of advertising, and to better reach your audience, you’re going to need both. As established in another article, great design can affect your business.

Are you looking for a way to improve your website’s interface or revamping your promotional materials? Check out our web design and graphic design services to see which ones fit your business needs!

How Great Design Can Affect Your Business

Outsourcing in the Philippines, Web Design / By DBOS

Enticing visuals capture attention, but there’s a difference between creating a smart design and being tacky or overdoing it–and most companies struggle drawing the line between these traits. Visual appeal is often brushed aside in the corporate setting, especially when planning a budget. While not all, entrepreneurs cut costs on spending for aesthetics and assume it’s not a priority. This usually results in businesses relying on freelancers to do the designing, thinking that a project-based designer will cost cheaper. The reality is, when it comes to art, quality means everything. Here are a few reasons why investing in a regular designer is worth every cent:

Effective web design establishes your brand’s credibility

Have you ever researched a prospective business partner and found their website off-putting? Company websites are seen as a business’ shopfront, and must always aim to create a positive first impression. If you want to attract potential customers and partners, a polished website can establish your credibility and create a favourable user experience to your site visitors. In-house web and graphic designers can sometimes charge highly for their creative services, but rest assured that hiring professionals are worth every cent. It’s also important that you hire the right people for the job, as web and graphic designers both do different tasks but are often confused as interchangeable when they are not.

Colour Psychology and Colour Theory is real and artists know how to use it

Though it’s not yet an exact science, the proper use of colours can impact a viewer’s mood and behaviour. Colours carry an emotional and cultural significance that can be incorporated in the multimedia design and make it more efficient or in line with the aesthetic goals. Especially when setting up your brand, a specific colour scheme can be used to reach your target audience better. For example, you own a hat shop for men and you want to expand your business by franchising in China, it’s best not to make a logo featuring a man wearing a green hat–this has cultural connotations in that country, and wearing a green hat in China actually means that their wives have committed adultery! Your target audience will perceive your brand as rude or offensive. There are more nuances when it comes to using colour, and expert designers know how to properly utilize colour symbolism in creating logos, websites, and other peripherals.

Half of your message can already be conveyed through design

Whether it be for graphic design, logo design, or a website design, adopting the fundamentals of art in creating a layout can be used to communicate with your target audience. Considering the following examples below:

The differences in colour use, contrast, shapes, and typefaces can be used to convey a variety of messages. Trained professionals are equipped with the knowledge on how to “speak” design: visual art is like language, in a way that it can invoke a specific impression and harmonize it with the intended message. This is most important in logo design, as logos consist of a huge chunk of branding–it is considered as your business’ “face”.

Scrimping on your budget for design can subject your marketing materials to unforeseen circumstances, causing it to fail. I’m not saying that freelancers aren’t capable of creating great output, but rather, underpaying outsourced designers and freelancers can get you a substandard design that is likely to fail in conveying your brand’s message.

If you’re looking to hire highly-skilled artists & designers but still wanting to save, your best bet is to hire an offshore designer. You’ll get the same quality of output as an in-house artist but for lower wages and costs. Check out our services to see which options are the best fit for your business!

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