With the New Year’s celebrations having come and gone, it’s important that businesses prepare for the challenges that lie ahead after the champagne runs dry and the celebratory confetti is swept off the floor. Not only is the start of a new season time for heartfelt introspection, it’s an opportunity to evaluate what direction you will be taking your company this year and the tools you will use to help reach your goals.
In order to ensure you are well-equipped for the coming months, Business-Software has gazed into our crystal ball to give you a list of the top 10 business apps you’ll need to make 2015 as big of a success as possible, no matter what the future brings.
The Classics
These apps have proven themselves as the tried-and true-essentials. Well-tested and proven by past performance, the following solutions are expected to remain relevant going forward — allowing you to feel confident adding them to your arsenal. As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
EchoSign
For businesses dependent on completing and securing signatures, EchoSign allows you to sign documents from anywhere at any time. With legal standing around the globe, EchoSign ensures that you’ll be able to officially close deals with your partners quickly and securely. Readily available on web browsers and mobile devices, this handy tool has already secured its place on many a company tool belt.
Evernote
Evernote allows you to take down text, photo and audio notes to access later from any device. More than being just a virtual notepad, Evernote will organize your business life by customizing to-do lists that help you track tasks, attach snapshots, share ideas and more. In our fast-paced world, effective task management can prove indispensable for productivity.
Dropbox
Saving to your hard drive is so 2011! Dropbox has been increasing office productivity for years now by syncing all types of files in the cloud, making them accessible from multiple devices and to all relevant team members. With drag-and-drop efficiency, saving and distributing important documents has never been easier.
Scanner Pro
Scanner Pro from Readdle touts a simple yet much-needed service: the ability to create professional-looking PDF documents through your smartphone’s camera. With a quick snapshot, Scanner Pro automatically focuses, stabilizes and borders your photos to create a PDF that can be sent to a client or instantly uploaded to services like Dropbox.
LogMeIn
Sometimes we make it all the way to the office only to realize that important file we needed was left behind on our home computer. Fortunately, with LogMeIn you can gain complete access to all of your computer’s files, guaranteeing that you’ll never have to take an embarrassing drive back home to retrieve your forgotten documents.
Not only can you view, share and sync files, but you can also remotely access programs and stream HD video or audio directly to your phone. For those who work in multiple places, this complete and consistent service can become an invaluable asset.
Google Drive
Google Drive is Google’s wildly popular ecosystem for online storage functionality. Drive allows users to store pictures, writings, designs, drawings, recordings, videos and whatever else your business might need to be archived and readily accessible. Sharing files with the right people is easy on Drive, meaning sending out time-consuming emails containing multiple attachments can become a thing of the past.
Drive also seamlessly incorporates Google’s other popular apps like Docs, Sheets and Slides, enabling you to produce content on the fly without having to worry about how your work is going to reach those who will eventually need to see it.
The Up-and-Comers
These more recently released apps haven’t proven themselves as industry leaders quite yet, but have been impressive so far and are poised to continue being influential come 2015.
TrackMaven
Digital marketers trying to make a difference can oftentimes find themselves overwhelmed with inconsistent data on their competitors. Stepping up to the plate to simplify this complicated process of gathering competitive intelligence is TrackMaven, which offers a much-needed fresh perspective.
Instead of relying on a variety of sources in order to see what your competitors are up to around the web, TrackMaven combines data across paid, owned and earned channels to deliver the most accurate information. Use this data to figure out what marketing techniques are working across your industry and what aren’t, so that you can narrow your own strategy and hit one out of the park.
Mailbox
Email accounts can quickly become cluttered and hard to manage. Mailbox, the newest and most promising email management app, allows you to organize all of your email accounts from a single location. This new take on email focuses on a simple, easy-to-use design. With just a few swipes, Mailbox will quickly clear unwanted messages and prioritize your emails exactly the way you want them. Additionally, Mailbox will learn from your actions over time in order to automate functions such as email archiving, taking another burden off your back.
Quip
Quip is a collaboration and productivity app designed from the ground up to support teams. With a mobile-centric focus, Quip allows users to collaborate on documents and spreadsheets through its engaging layout and built-in chat functionality.
Interestingly, if users make changes to cell values or formulas in spreadsheets within a word processing document, the numbers are automatically updated in the text. And that’s not all. Quip is expected to continue rolling out additional compelling features in 2015, including presentation software capabilities, meaning the best is still yet to come.
Google Analytics Mobile App
Performance monitoring of your website is critical to understanding your business. Until 2014, the only way to view the all-important analytical data from Google on mobile devices was through third-party applications, which generally did not perform satisfactorily. Finally, Google has answered the call with its own robust mobile app for Google Analytics. Getting this analytical information on the go can now be as accurate as going straight to the Google Analytics website, allowing you to have a more complete understanding of your website from anywhere your phone receives service.
Hopefully this list gives you a leg up on the new year. If you’re still undecided, go ahead and take a look at our blog post on the top business apps for iPhones for more great business mobile app options.
[Image courtesy of GANZIK]