Ostratto - Blog | Ostratto #bestpracticeOstratto - Blog | Ostratto #bestpracticehttps://referencesite.dev.int.ostratto.com/blogs/tag/bestpracticeWed, 10 Sep 2025 05:46:22 +0200http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Case Study: Supporting High Quality Care]]>https://referencesite.dev.int.ostratto.com/blogs/post/case-study-supporting-high-quality-careOur approach in helping a specialised care provider modernise and excel using technology.]]>
BBcare10 is a care provider based in Gloucestershire, UK, specialising in bespoke support for young people and adults with complex care needs. With demand increasing for their highly sought-after care service, the aging technical systems and tools implemented at BBcare10 were inhibiting growth and limiting service capacity.

The initial meeting with BBcare10 was regarding a new, optimised website to be in-line with planned marketing efforts. Amongst the website design service it became clear other technical limitations existed in the business such as unreliable email systems, the use of mobile phone numbers as the main business enquiry numbers, the cumbersome use of paper shift-rotas and the general inability to easily onboard new staff.

BBcare10 at the time of initial enquiry were a team of 4. To date, we've seen them grow to a team of 18 - and actively recruiting.

The Task

With the demand growing for BBcare10's high-quality care service, existing systems were causing instability and limiting growth.


To meet the demands of required service, BBcare10's systems needed an overhaul. Systems implemented needed to be simple to maintain, reliable and scalable to meet the onboarding expectation.


Simple

As the team was expected to grow exponentially, it was crucial that any systems implemented were intuitive and didn't require substantial training before use.


Maintained

With team members being spread across the country and mostly mobile, it was key that any implemented solutions required little maintenance. Downtime means that patient care is harder to provide, which could negatively affect service quality.


Reliable

With one of the main pain-points of the current system  being that communication methods were unreliable, it was imperative that systems were available at all times with shift patterns operating 24/7, all days of the year.


Scalable

Although one of our guiding principles anyway, it was a certain requirement that everything implemented was ready to scale with the expected business growth at BBcare10.


Secure by Design

It was also vital that systems were secure by design. With sensitive client records being involved - all data needed to be strictly access-controlled and on a 'zero-trust' basis. All solutions were implemented with this at the forefront of importance.

Products Featured

Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

Website Design

Website Design services provided the business website, where staff as well as customers can access information.

View Product

Google Workspace

Google Workspace acting as the 'glue', was vital to ensuring communication across the business was efficient.

View Product

Zoho People

Zoho People, the feature-rich cloud-based HR system, provided the full staff onboarding process.

View Product

Vonage

Vonage enabled the business enquiry channel by providing a local landline number that diverts to multiple mobile devices.

View Product

Professional Services

Designing, implementing and maintaining the solution to requirements was all completed in-house by Ostratto.

View Service

Implementation

The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

Simple

By utilising Google Workspace, users were able to work, communicate and manage all in one place. Gmail being a 99.99% reliable email system meant that confidence was restored in customer communication. With Google accounts then utilised to authenticate across other systems at BBcare10, users were faster to onboard with only one account required to work.


Following initial workshop training completed with the team, future users were guided by each other. With Google Workspace already being natively intuitive, additional support requirements were minimal.


Maintained

Going one step further with the Google eco-system, Chromebooks were then deployed to all team members so that they could complete their shift notes out in the field, using a digital form securely accessible on the company website. Chromebooks being virus-free, regularly updated and managed centrally from Google Workspace meant the maintenance and security requirements were met with ease.


With the business website and HR system being hosted in a cloud-environment, security and feature improvements could be implemented with no downtime.


Reliable

A focus on using cloud-based systems resulted in ultra-reliable business systems that are centrally managed and updated on-the-fly with no downtime or scheduled maintenance to date.


Gone were the days of being uncertain whether an important email had been sent or recieved by it's recipient and gone were the days of team members being unable to effectively communicate with each other.


Scalable

As all systems were designed around Google Workspace, new user onboarding was possible within minutes. A new user would be deployed on Google Workspace and immediately they were able to log on to all business systems as well as utilise a BBcare10 Chromebook.


By utilising onboarding features within Zoho People, all required documents were automatically requested during the onboarding process, vastly improving time and resources and enabling business scalability.


Secure

With sensitive patient information being held within the business, it was key that data was audit-controlled and contained in a secure environment. With Google Drive being access-controlled, fully audit-tracked and highly available, it was a natural choice for data storage.


Chromebooks could be deployed for users quickly as well as easily moved between team members by simply logging into BBcare10 Google accounts. When a user logs out of a Chromebook, all local data is erased, ensuring important data is only ever held securely in Google Drive where audit control can be ensured.


Result

With the business county-wide at 18 team members and growing, BBcare10 now cares for over 30 regular service users providing over 320 shifts per month. Their technology investment has provided a drastic return which can be seen clearly in their ability to serve such a high demand whilst delivering exceptional care services.


The implementation of the correct systems and tools has resulted in BBcare10 vastly improving efficiency, communication, service capacity and onboarding times, ultimately enabling business growth.


Although initially only contacted for website design services, BBcare10 and Ostratto now work together on an ongoing basis to constantly improve systems and processes across the business.

Efficiency Improved​
​​

Staff Onboarding Streamlined
​​

Service Capacity Increased
​​

At Ostratto, we're fundamentally customer-success focused. This means instead of designing solutions based on our expectations, we focus on customer requirements and needs to ensure their success. In turn, we find success in shared success as our customers' trusted technical consultancy partner whom they can rely upon.


We solve complex business problems with cutting-edge technology, whilst keeping everything simple for our customers. Be sure to check out other examples of how we have helped businesses make their work, less work.

Chat with us today
]]>Tue, 09 Aug 2022 12:34:02 +0000<![CDATA[Case Study: Smarter Auditing]]>https://referencesite.dev.int.ostratto.com/blogs/post/case-study-smarter-auditingMistral's role in a national supermarket's service overhaul strategy required a smart auditing solution.]]>
Mistral Technical Services Ltd are a multi-discipline Consultancy/Management company based in Gloucestershire, UK. They provide solutions to clients across a wide range of sectors including manufacturing, retail and care.

The consequences of a poorly serviced retail estate for a national supermarket can be devastating: operational downtime, health and saftey issues, fines and - most feared of all - damage to the national brand. After decades of mergers, acquisitions and rapid estate growth, one of Mistral Technical Services' retail clients raised the need for an ambitious store audit involving over 400 stores.

The audit would provide crucial data on problem areas, suppliers and stores so that the client can improve their servicing efforts and ultimately bring all stores in line. Mistral had a large part to play with the role of supplying the valuable data over a 2 year span in a format that was live and actionable with priority assigned to more pressing issues.

The Task

To achieve a higher standard of service, the end client required detailed information on how servicing was being carried out, as well as how problem-areas that were requiring more frequent service (and more cost), could be best managed.


Mistral Technical Services Ltd was engaged to implement an auditing solution which would involve Mistral's auditors visiting the 400+ sites to complete audits on all technical retail components; to name a few, air-conditioning, lighting and refridgeration.


The data gathered through these audits then needed to be presented in an informational way so that the supermarket giant could take action and improve their servicing processes.


Live

Data needed to be live and active. This is so that actions that could be considered 'critical' (safety issues) can be carried out before an incident occurs. Waiting for a pool of data to be presented after 2 years wouldn't be sufficient and/or useful.

Accessible

The data provided by the audits needed to be accessible for stakeholders across the country and in a format that was informative and easily understood.


Actionable

Presenting the data in an actionable form was a key requirement. With over 400 stores being audited twice in a two year period, raw data would be massively labour-intensive to analyse and create actions upon.


Accurate

To produce useful, actionable information, the underlying data needed to be accurate and relevant, whilst still being simple to gather for the auditor in the field.


Products Featured

Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

Managed Devices

Deploying iOS devices in the field across the country was only possible after ensuring security and manageability.

View Service

Google Workspace

Google Workspace acting as the 'glue', was vital to ensuring communication across the business was efficient.

View Product

iAuditor

iAuditor, a cloud-based auditing solution, enabled the auditing teams to complete their inspections from anywhere.

View Product

Vonage

Vonage enabled the auditors to call ahead to the stores from a landline number without sharing their mobile numbers.

View Product

Ostratto Support

The auditors in the field can feel confident in knowing they are technically supported at all times.

View Service

Professional Services

Designing, implementing and maintaining the solution to requirements was all completed in-house by Ostratto.

View Service

Implementation

The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

Live

By adopting a cloud-based auditing solution, iAuditor, auditors use an app on their issued mobile devices to complete the audits. Sets of pre-defined questions provide multiple choice options, with the ability to add notes and photos as required. 


The data is then instantly available online with automations triggered when the answer to a question is deemed an immediate risk.


Actionable

To date, over 2,100 audits have been completed, resulting in more than 17,400 items flagged as issues.


Forming useful information from this amount of data involved creating specific dashboards and report outputs which highlighted key areas the end client is focused on.


Each audit also produces a written report automatically, for distribution to the relavant business areas.


Secure

With potentially-sensitive data being collected across over 400 stores, it was absolutey vital that all information was accessed securely, whilst still retaining the mobility that the solution required.


Utilising Google Workspace, all users accessing the data and auditing systems are authenticated at every endpoint. All of the team at Mistral use Google Workspace for their productivity needs already, so using their account to access the auditing solution is intuitive and seamless.


Combined with the requirement to use a company-issued device to complete the audits, the entire solution is inherently secure, yet simple.


Accessible

Stakeholders were issued their own logins, as well as a managed mobile device, so that they can review the live, incoming information as necessary.


Automated, live graphs and reports were created based on key data so that stakeholders would only see the information that mattered. I.e. Stores in the South West using a common refridgeration supplier were experiencing more fault call-outs than stores using a different supplier.


Accurate

Mistral Technical Services Ltd, with their extensive knowledge in the technical areas, were able to produce bespoke audit templates with mostly a 'yes/no + take a picture' response. This meant that each question was simple to respond to, and all responses included an image for reference.


Approaching the templates with a simple choice response meant that auditors could complete the audits efficiently, whilst the answers they chose held specific weighting in the overall audit score which would produce a highly accurate report.


Manageable

Building on top of the secure user management offered by Google Workspace, all auditors are also issued a managed mobile device.


The managed devices are geographically tracked, apps and features are managed and restricted centrally, and security measures such as strong passwords are enforced. The devices are consistently monitored for non-compliance with automatic alerts being sent to Ostratto Support for investigation.


By managing the devices centrally, all stakeholders can be confident using them in the field so that more time and resource can be spent on achieving the overarching objective(s).


Result

At the time of writing, 2,694 audits have been completed with 20,171 items flagged for review across 421 stores. A confirmed value of over £500,000 has already been recognised as a cost saving due to proactive identification of failing refrigeration systems resulting in minimal stock loss. The information provided by this cutting-edge auditing solution has resulted in massive service overhauls within the end client's operations, improving efficiency and reducing costs significantly by taking a proactive approach to service issues.


Although initially only contracted for two years, the auditing service is now into it's fourth year of operation due to it's incredible success. The service is now deemed a vital part of the end client's service plan with no intention of ceasing Mistral's input or the solution implemented by Ostratto.

End-Client Cost Reduction
​​

Efficiency Improved​
​

Contract Extended Indefinitely​
​

At Ostratto, we're fundamentally customer-success focused. This means instead of designing solutions based on our expectations, we focus on customer requirements and needs to ensure their success. In turn, we find success in shared success as our customers' trusted technical consultancy partner whom they can rely upon.


We solve complex business problems with cutting-edge technology, whilst keeping everything simple for our customers. Be sure to check out other examples of how we have helped businesses make their work, less work.

Chat with us today
]]>Sat, 16 Jul 2022 09:49:41 +0000<![CDATA[Business Systems Integration: Not just a 'nice to have']]>https://referencesite.dev.int.ostratto.com/blogs/post/essential-business-systems-integrationKeeping your business system's lightweight pays more than you'd think.]]>
Every growing business grapples with decisions around the best business system to manage its expanding operations. Proper planning of an integrated business management software system often takes a back seat to short-term revenue acceleration goals. And, as a consequence, various applications are installed at various points in time in various areas, resulting in business systems being spread across different platforms with different logins and well ...yuck. This creates process inefficiencies and software integration challenges.

This sort of issue is something we see a lot of at Ostratto when onboarding businesses that have been trading for a (sometimes little) while. The real question is: how did these problems arise in the first place and how can they be avoided?



The Convoluted System Landscape
It's easy to see how a rapidly growing company can quickly become entangled in a complex system environment.

When starting out, companies first install accounting software so that they can manage their bookkeeping. Then, in the quest to acquire more customers, companies then put in a standalone CRM system, along with separate systems for resolving customer support issues. Inventory management, order management and fulfilment systems soon come along in the form of additional software or even spreadsheets (you wouldn't believe what we've seen).


As growth occurs, many companies will open new office locations and embrace additional sales channels resulting in more sophisticated processes for e-commerce integration and recurring billing amongst others. Additional business software to support these processes can take the form of standalone applications from different vendors, in-house developments, or a variety of spreadsheet workarounds.


Businesses that evolve their systems over time in this manner can find themselves with a poorly planned infrastructure that handles short-term processes sub-optimally. This mess of systems is often referred to as a “software hairball”, a hairball that inhibits flexibility, productivity, and ultimately slows down the company's ability to grow.




John in the finance department, wondering which login 

he uses for his accounting software.  (Credit: unsplash)




Business Challenges
When high-growth companies become entangled a 'software hairball' challenges within business begin to arise. Here's five of the main issues that can hinder business growth when a business runs with disparate business software systems:

Wasted Employee Productivity
For a company to grow easily, every employee must be operating at optimal productivity. If the team is bogged down by inefficient and disjointed processes, it takes time away from their more important (profitable) tasks. Important processes such as order processing, invoicing, expense approvals, and fulfilment can take a lot longer to get completed, and are often prone to errors. 

For instance, your team may be spending hours manually re-entering order information into an accounting system, while other employees pull that same information from your CRM system for their order fulfilment processes and to calculate sales commissions. If any orders are cancelled in the meantime, your employees have to sift through mounds of data to reconcile this information again. Such labour-intensive and manual tasks reduce the agility that your company needs to grow.


Lack of Real-time Visibility
When software systems aren't integrated you often cannot easily get a view of business performance quickly. Reports showing performance across your finance, sales, marketing, service, and fulfilment departments really are crucial to giving you an overview of your company's operations and performance. 

It's easy to see why companies simply give up on reporting on a regular basis because of the amount of time it takes to source, extract and analyse this data. For the businesses that still produce these reports, countless hours are wasted trying to tie unrelated, error-prone, and out of date information together. Consequently, businesses either end up making critical decisions slowly, based on inaccurate information, or they make hasty and risky decisions off gut instinct.


Integration Complexity and Cost
With so many separate systems, an IT department wastes an enormous amount of time and money on integrating, maintaining, and acquiring new versions of these applications. Often when new versions are purchased, even more integration and maintenance needs to be performed for all the different versions of software to work together. Consequently, valuable IT time that could be used to make the business more productive is wasted, while maintenance costs skyrocket.






Increased Customer Churn
Customer acquisition and revenue growth are key pillars to your company's continued success. With fierce competition, it's essential that your company provide an exceptional customer experience or risk having customers take their business elsewhere. 

When customers are unable to quickly get information on their order status, can't get issues resolved in a timely manner, or frequently deal with products being out of stock, they will be less satisfied and less likely to continue purchasing from you. A set of separate, convoluted business systems which don't talk to each other, won't be doing your service any favours.


Advantages of Integrated Software Applications
To keep your business growing at the dramatic rates you have always aimed for, it is essential to have your business software applications integrated and seamlessly connected. The advantages of designing your systems in this manner yield tremendous cost savings and improved business productivity, including:


Process Efficiency Across Your Organisation
There are several key processes that you may encounter in your daily operations, such as order management, fulfilment, invoicing, cash collection, expense approvals, and financial consolidation to name a few. Automating such processes enables you to avoid new hires that would otherwise be required to manage these processes, and redeploy staff to higher-value activities to help your business innovate and grow. 

Significant IT Time and Cost Savings
With IT no longer having to maintain multiple systems as well as the various integrations between them, a significant reduction in operational costs can be expected so that IT time can be spent improving the business operations. 

Dramatically Improved Visibility
Real-time visibility is important in making informed decisions. When information can be accessed instantly from almost anywhere, without wasting employees are better informed and can make more accurate, faster decisions.

Accelerated Growth
With an integrated software system, expansion to multiple locations and additional sales channels can be accomplished a lot faster because of unified order and accounting management processes and data. Teams can upsell more efficiently to their existing customer base because of the improved visibility they would have.

User-Driven Innovation
Because process changes can be implemented quickly, everyday business users are able to apply their functional expertise to tailor processes and applications in a way that improves performance. Meanwhile, technical teams are liberated to focus on strategic works that can add value to the bottom line rather than just fight fires.



Parting Comments
Today, companies in virtually every industry are using sophisticated business software to fuel their growth but many are still struggling to keep up and manage costs effectively because of a hairball of disconnected functional systems causing process bottlenecks and employee productivity issues. 

Integrated business software suites are transforming how companies run, and enabling them to experience growth that takes them to the next level.

All products that Ostratto sell are designed to work together in harmony - it's what we call being 'lightweight' and it's one of our core principles. Get in touch with us today to see how we can simplify your workflows and make your business, smart business.

Let's Chat
]]>Mon, 06 Apr 2020 09:00:00 +0000<![CDATA[5 Tips to Balance Working From Home and Parenting]]>https://referencesite.dev.int.ostratto.com/blogs/post/5-tips-to-balance-working-from-home-and-parentingHow to manage the juggling act of working from home and still parenting.]]>
The average office-based worker may find the transition to working from home to be challenging enough. You’re surrounded by potential distractions, tempted by your fridge and comfy bed, and loneliness creeping in. Then you throw children into the mix, and it’s a whole new level of chaos.


Parents, if you find yourself suddenly at home with your laptop, your child(ren), and a calendar full of video meetings, take a deep breath and face the day with gusto. Here's five tips to help you maximise your productivity as a remote worker while also keeping your young ones happy (and quiet) during your workday.


1. Create a separate work space.
If your home is also your workplace, try and keep your work in a separate room. This will allow for a psychological, as well as a physical, division between your personal and work lives. This will also make it much easier for you to leave work “at work” at the end of the day so you can focus on your family.


If you’re not the primary caregiver on any given day and someone else is on hand playing that role, SHUT THE DOOR (if possible)! Retreat to your separate room and set up your remote office. Enjoy the distant hum of someone else attending to your children’s needs, and delight in the fact that you can simply pop in your earphones and get some quality work done!





2. Plan your day carefully. 
If you know your children are going to be at home when you’re working, be realistic about what you can get done - and when. Plot each workday out in advance and stick to it. Otherwise, you might start to feel like you’re going to lose it with multiple deadlines looming.


If you share your childcare with a partner or a childcare provider, plan to do your best work when your children are being looked after or entertained out of sight. If you can schedule some downtime throughout the day to spend with your kiddies, all the better. You might just go back to work feeling refreshed, while your children may also feel happy enough to give you some quiet time to get your work done (maybe).



3. Schedule some time for yourself.
Working from home while trying to balance childcare and family time can be exhausting. Make sure you give yourself some time to unwind. Sometimes this may mean scheduling a free block of time on your calendar so you remember to follow through, but that’s ok—this mental break is crucial for your sanity.


Tip: Try to incorporate movement into your break to boost your energy and ward off the dreaded afternoon slump—do some yoga, walk the dog, or, better yet, play with the kids. They’ll love being with you, and you’ll feel better about focusing on work for the rest of the afternoon. As a bonus, perhaps they’ll be ready for a nap afterward!



4. Be upfront about your predicament. 
No doubt many of you have been in the cringeworthy position of doing your best to conduct a work call with your little people wreaking havoc in the background. Some of you may have hit the next level of embarrassment—joining a video meeting only to have your children take the stage.


The best thing you can do in these situations is to be upfront and honest about your tricky predicament. You’ll find that most people on your call have also been there or will at least understand it’s not the easiest situation to be in. And as your son's or daughter's starts taking their crayons to your laptop screen while singing their ABCs at the top of their lungs, you might just find your rapport with colleagues or customers gets a little bit stronger. We’re all human, after all!


When all else fails and you feel like you’re really not going to have a constructive call, you can use a team messaging app, such as RingCentral, to let your colleagues know in real time that now is not the best time.



5. Be prepared for anything. 
As you’re well aware, anything can happen when children are thrown into what should be a professional and organised setting. Whatever it is that keeps your children distracted, keep it on hand as an emergency back-up: a tablet loaded with your their favourite games (I know the parenting gods will not be happy, but needs must), cartoons paused on your TV, sticker books, and lots of (healthy) snacks. Preparation is key!


Of course, none of the above matters unless you have the right technology. Click here to learn more about how Ostratto makes business collaboration effortless using the fantastic technology available today.
Get Started Now

Written in collaboration with RingCentral.

]]>Fri, 27 Mar 2020 12:44:04 +0000<![CDATA[DIY Website Design]]>https://referencesite.dev.int.ostratto.com/blogs/post/diy-website-designIt's become much easier for the non-techies among us to build a more-than-decent website. Just because you can, though, doesn’t always mean you should.]]>

Not so long ago, there would have been no question of hiring a pro to get website up and running for your business. It was only the quirky folk with severe acne and an energy drink drip-feed that could produce a website on the internet and it was often an expensive ordeal.


Thanks to the rise of online tools like website builders, it has become much easier for the non-techies among us to build a more-than-decent website. Just because you can, though, doesn’t always mean you should. It’s a decision worth weighing carefully, since for some projects a professional cannot be replaced by a tool.


Now I know what you are thinking. "Lew isn't this post going to be a tad biased since you offer website design as a service?" YES. It will be shamelessly biased. That being said, you can only hire a web design company if you can actually afford to. If you don’t have the money yet to hire someone, then designing your own website may be the only option for now. In many cases, having a basic website with helpful content is better than having no website at all. 


Anyways, let's get to it - a few points to bear in mind during the design of your website.


My desk is definitely this tidy.


Design

Design is not something you can pick up in an afternoon. (Maybe a few afternoons?) Without an understanding of design, you could get it wrong. Your competitors on the other hand, might choose to hire a professional web designer and avoid the mistakes.

It's about:
  • User experience
  • How it looks
  • How it makes people feel
  • How it makes people act
  • The character of your business
  • Your message to the world

You could end up saving yourself a lot of time and hassle by getting a professional to help you create something that looks well-designed and established.


SEO Knowledge
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an ever changing landscape. It's the constant battle to keep your website being found on search engines and most importantly to keep you above your competitor listings when potential customers search for your services. Search engines change their rules all the time and what worked last month might not work this month.

We've been helping clients with SEO for years and still (like a lot of aspects in this industry), we are learning more efficient ways to get the best result. SEO requires constant listening, watching and testing to see what’s changed with Google and the other search engines.

Some key technologies in the world of SEO:

These are the basic fundamentals of SEO and so if they look alien, either get reading or get in touch with a web designer. We plan to release an article soon with a quick overview of these technologies, so keep an eye out for that.


You are not your customer
You live and breathe your business everyday and it’s fair to say you know your customers. We like to think we’re the same.

The problem is that when you’re so involved with running the business, it’s sometimes difficult to see things from your customers’ perspective. It’s difficult to imagine what it might look like seeing your website for the first time, by a prospect for example. This is known as 'the curse of knowledge'.

That’s where a professional designer can help. They can see the things you’ve missed because they are looking from a different direction. Here are a few common mistakes caused due to this 'curse':

  • No prominent contact details
  • No clear call to action
  • No statement explaining succinctly what it is you do

Not every web designer will consider how your site will lead to more contact and sales because they may just be focused on creating a website for you. So admittedly this point you could look at as a possible benefit of creating your own website - you know what you want from it.

We are a little different. Here at Ostratto, your interests are our interests. Everything that comes out of our door is with our principles in mind, and they exist only to boost your business.


You might need help along the way
Building a website isn't a walk in the park. You might be able to pull something basic together with some guides and the power of YouTube but what happens if something goes wrong?

A web designer would take care of all this for you. You won’t need to fix anything or find answers to complex tech questions. We do everything for you. We've spent years educating ourselves on the technicalities of designing websites and have come across plenty of problems and solutions over that time. There’s not really any need for you to do the same.

However, that being said, here are some fantastic resources for web design tips:



The right tools for the job
Like any creative skill it requires a number of tools to ensure the job is done correctly. If you don’t have these tools and/or know how to use them, then you might not get the result you’re hoping for. Here are a list of tools we use to build successful websites:

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Google Search Console
  • Google Analytics
  • G Suite
  • Rank Tracking Software
  • Competitor analysis software
  • Landing page software

These tools can be expensive but they are necessary. Especially if you want to create high impact websites for users that perform well in search engines.

It took us a few years to learn how to use these tools and even longer to use them effectively.


LOTS of time
Learning to build a website from scratch can take a long time, especially if you aren’t very technical. Even if you’re using some super-simple website design tool you may need to do a lot tweaking to get it right. Not to mention all the image editing and resizing to make it look good and load quickly. You will also need time moving forward to update the website often to keep it fresh and looking professional enough to show to the world.

Time is money and whilst you’re learning how to build a website, you’re not managing or marketing the business.




Time - you are going to need it.


Your competitors
Even if you do have the time to create your own website, there is a high chance your competitor has paid a pro. If they have paid for a professional website to be designed and you haven’t, the likelihood is that theirs will work better.

If you are trying to stand out then you’ll want to a high quality website that looks better than your competition.


My tuppence
I know it’s tempting to try and design a website yourself, even more tempting when drag and drop software now looks so easy. Considering the points I’ve covered above, think carefully whether or not you have the time, the skills and the patience to create a showstopping website. Quite a few of our current clients have asked us to build their website after they tried to do it themselves.

At some point you’re going to have to pay a professional. It’s up to you whether you do it now or later.

Get in touch with us today for a friendly, no pressure chat about what we can do for you. And if we think you don't need to pay for a website yet - we'll tell you.

]]>Tue, 21 Jan 2020 14:37:07 +0000<![CDATA[2020: New Years Resolutions]]>https://referencesite.dev.int.ostratto.com/blogs/post/new-years-resolutions-2020It's a New Year. New or old business, we have you covered with some resolutions for 2020.]]>
The end of a decade! Can you believe it? Aren't we supposed to have flying cars by now? Or at least hoverboards? This year, and the past 10, have seen us through some pretty noteworthy stuff.

Let’s recall the launch of the first iPad and the inception of Instagram - yep, both happened in 2010!  There have been Royal Wedding(s), auditory surgery (looking at you, 'Gangnam Style'), and addictive apps (long live flappy birds). From the rise of AI and voice assistants to Beyonce’s twins and Tesla’s takeover, I think we can all agree - this decade has been kinda interesting. But with the end of another year, it’s time to say adieu to the 2010's and hello to our next ventures.


Letting bygones be bygones, we’re ready to drop into 2020 with a bang, starting with some goals. Forget hitting the gym more or writing a novel (although those are definitely worthwhile objectives). This year, we want you to commit to taking your business to the next level and actually reach your goal (with our help of course). 

Now is the perfect time to look ahead. Here are some ways you can resolve to grow your business in 2020.



A real life picture of me hovering into 2020

1. Build a Website 


The fact of the matter is, if you’re running a business in the 21st century, you need an online presence. Even if you have endless tasks on your business to-do list, prioritising the presence of your own web content is critical. Users (read: potential customers) need to be able to find and connect with you virtually - this is basic stuff fellow resolution-er.


Building a website to showcase your business doesn’t have to be a complicated or confusing task. And the how-to aspects of updating said website don’t have to keep you up at night.


Any business, small or large can, and should, have a website. Start with a game plan and determine your goals, then get in touch with us - we will get it sorted for you without breaking a sweat. And we will even show you how we did it (well at least the fun bits anyway) so that you can have a crack at updating it should you want to.


Want a blog that’s low maintenance (hey, we so get it - you have enough to do!)? We’ll help you keep things simple.

If you want some autonomy, but still would like a little hand-holding, you can get a simple but snazzy site up and running in a jiffy with our help. Or, you can be guided through the entire site-building process with our training services.

The choice is yours - power to you in 2020.


3. Get Serious about Email

Look. It's 2020 now, people are more savvy than they've ever been. In fact, 85% of adults think that a company’s website when viewed on a mobile device should be as good or better than its desktop website. That's quite a forward thinking view of website usage.

We've discussed this before. Your @live.co.uk or @gmail.com free email address is doing your business no favours. It looks unprofessional and you are going to be in a sticky one when you need to take on more staff who also need an email address.

Make 2020 the year you invest in a real business email system and set your business to scale freely. We will be happy to help you.






4. Try Out Some New Tools

A new year means new opportunities for trying things that are, well, new. The end of one year and the beginning of another can motivate you to run, skip, or hop out of your comfort zone and expand your range of skills and knowledge, in turn, empowering your business for growth. Start by experimenting with some new tools that help you build your business.

Here's a few 'out-there' ideas:

Looking for ways to make your business look more established? Get professional emails with G Suite and a professional phone system with RingCentral. We can get you set up today.

Looking for a way to best manage your business finances? Take a look at Zoho Books. We use it, love it and would be very keen to help you use it.

Want to build your own website? Check out Zoho Sites. It's super powerful yet still so simple, and we can help you from start to finish.

Want to boost your SEO in big ways? Easy. There are tons of tools for that and we can help you.

Want to open up your own e-shop? Let's chat Zoho Commerce, Zoho Subscriptions and Zoho Checkout. We’ll show you how.

Tying out new tools will help you become a more well-rounded and knowledgeable biz owner - an advantage that’s bound to help you build a better business in the new decade.






5. Improve Your Email Marketing

We've mentioned it many times before. We even just mentioned it, you know, about half a page up from here. Sure, it’s often overlooked if you’re not in a ‘90s Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks rom-com, but truth be told, email can be very powerful. How powerful? 

Well, a big 89% of marketers say that email is their primary channel for lead generation and email is still consistently ranked as the single-most-effective tactic for meeting their awareness, acquisition, conversion, and retention goals. This seemingly-archaic medium (which, FYI, was predicted to decline) is increasingly relevant for site owners looking to build customer relationships and augment sales.

And marketers aren’t the only ones with the hots for Email. 72% of consumers say email is their favorite method of communication with companies they do business with, and over 60% say they like to receive promotional emails every week from businesses.

So educate yourself: get smart on dodging the spam folder and providing valuable content that customers want to see enter their inboxes. Learn about the types of emails you should be sending your followers (like the increasingly prevalent email newsletter), set goals, work on building your ever-important email list, and start connecting with more of your customers in their inboxes. This is something we can even give you a hand with - just give us a holla.






6. Get Mobile-Friendly

OK, so maybe you are aware of this. But seriously, if you aren’t optimizing your site (and business generally) for use on mobile devices, you’re harming your presence.

Sixty-one percent of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing, and 40% will jump ship and visit a competitor’s site instead. What’s more, Google rewards mobile-friendly sites with better rankings. Ron Burgundy would say, "That’s kind of a big deal". sales, conversions, traffic, search engine placement, UX, responsiveness - all riding on mobile responsiveness.

Mobile rules e-commerce: during some parts of this past year, 79% of online shopping time is being consumed on smartphones, and that number is only predicted to increase. Not only are consumers using smartphones to search (more Google searches take place on mobile devices than on computers in 10 countries) and make purchases (69% of purchases were made by mobile users on one eCommerce platform), but they’re not letting mobile devices out of their sight: 55% of smartphone users admit they get anxious when they don't have their phone on them. There's even a name for the affliction: nomophobia, or "no mobile phone phobia."

Taking these numbers into account, you can see that mobile optimization affects nearly every aspect of your business, from brand building and traffic generating to establishing relationships with customers. Google will not be friendly in its rankings to sites that aren’t optimized for mobile, which harms your traffic-building efforts. You don’t want this. This is bad.





Having a website optimised for small screens is a 'thou-shalt' that simply has to be a part of your business commandments this year if you want a more successful business. The same goes for email formatting where over 66% of emails are read on mobile devices, your emails need to look great on a customers screen or they may just choose not to read them.

Start thinking mobile by taking a responsiveness test drive, working on improving your site’s load times, redesigning your site pop-ups, and making an app - if your business needs it of course.



7. Lose some (business) weight

Even the most successful companies have areas of their operations that can be streamlined. Staff, as we all know, is the highest cost to most businesses. Nothing beats the human touch in business but you'll be surprised which workflows can be automated by technology within your business. We are talking about the tasks nobody wants to do - the follow-up emails to leads, the monthly subscription payments you manually take, the backups of your data or even the VAT filing for your business finances. These are tasks that are easily automated...so why are you paying someone to do them?

Review your vendor pricing. There is no harm in shopping around to see if you can find goods and services at better prices – assuming that the quality and delivery are comparable. You'll often find that you aren't on the best deal compared to new customers (which makes no sense to us but we digress).

Let Ostratto do the heavy lifting - our partners have seen an average of over 40% savings in 2019 on their IT services. Your interests are our interests.


8. Remember to Breath

Running a business is no small feat. To give your best to your business, you need to resolve to achieve the a proper work/life balance. It can’t be all work and no play. You (or your employees) will burn out faster than those Christmas lights you still haven’t taken down.

When approaching the new year, set realistic goals, hustle hard to stretch yourself and make things happen, and then breathe. Taking care of yourself is crucial to the success of your business. Trust us.

Set boundaries for in and out-of-office hours and honor them. Automate any tasks you can, delegate responsibilities, and then unplug. Resist the temptation to 'just check' your inbox. Be intentional about stepping away from screens and/or your desk and engage in rejuvenating activities such as exercise. Make face-to-face connections and prioritize your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Remember: It’s OK to take off your business-owner hat and just have a good time. This doesn't necessarily mean a week break in Hawaii. A proper re-calibration of your priorities and work-life habits will help you be a better business owner and the small breaks you should take will pay you back. It's an investment.

At Ostratto, we love to succeed with you. In fact, we live for it. Whether your new year goals include boosting your bottom line, hiring a team, finding new customers or clients, or learning new entrepreneurial skills, we’re here to help you make them happen in 2020 and we would be honored to be part of your business success.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and business-booming new year!

Let's Chat
]]>Wed, 08 Jan 2020 11:04:25 +0000<![CDATA[Free email: It's not good business]]>https://referencesite.dev.int.ostratto.com/blogs/post/free-email-bad-businessFree email hosting and why it isn't good enough for any serious business.]]>
@gmail.com, @yahoo.com, @live.com, all touted as FREE email addresses. Great for a new business that wants to keep costs down right? Let's have a look at why your business should stay clear of a free email address.

With email communications being a key tool for your business, it’s important to make sure that your credibility surrounds that communication and that your email address is one that speaks 'professionalism'. After all, it’s for business.


When people see your Email address, if you have a Yahoo or Gmail account, you may be giving the impression that you are not as serious about your business as you should be. It's all about the perception, especially for a small business. Free email addresses definitely serve a purpose but when it comes to your business, you should steer clear of anything that takes away from your credibility and potentially detracts from your professional reputation.

"It's all about the perception, especially for a small business."


Let's dig into what exactly is 'wrong' about using a free email service for your business. All of these points are assumptions on the customers behalf and for the most part theoretical.


It's unprofessional

When people see an email account that is from a free service, they may assume that you are reluctant to spend money and therefore the products and services that you offer may not be of the highest quality. How people perceive you and your business is critical to the success of your business. Having a free email address may make those who are considering doing business with you think twice before they enter into a relationship with you. As easy way to remedy this is by registering your business domain name so that can have business emails. Our partners have confirmed to us that since using professional email addresses they have been treated as a much more established business than they did before. You may see that this will open up a large amount of new business opportunities for you and your business - and at such a small cost.


No domain? No business investment

Registering your domain name is very inexpensive and so if you don’t register yours, it will be seen as a direct lack of investment into the business. Customers may wonder where else money has been saved on your business. This of course also spreads to the perception that your products or services are of inferior quality.


Are you here to stay?

So you aren't investing in one of the most inexpensive purchases a business can make and so the question may come up in the minds of potential clients as to whether your business will actually be around in the long term.

The people with whom you do business need to totally trust that you will always work with their best interest in mind. It needs to be seen that you are willing to invest their hard-earned money so they the customer can trust that your business will be around for a very long time. Having a legitimate business email address and email system will help them to feel comfortable with that and it's a very evident investment into your business.


'Free' means 'No technical support'
When you are using a free email service, and your email goes down, to use a popular phrase "Who You Gonna Call?!” 

Well Google or Microsoft won’t be answering your phone call and millions of others when they are having problems. They would go out of business if they did that for free. With a true email hosting service, you will very often get technical support (you certainly would with us). So, if your email service stops working at that critical time, and remember in running a business communication is a top priority - you will be able to get the help you need.


It's not for a business
Although a free email address might be enough for your business now, it will definitely not be in time. The free email services offer a consumer-grade set of products and so the clever features offered in a business-standard email platform are immediately missed out on. Basic features such as mailbox sharing (instead of all using the same set of logins, read: major security risk) or even email deliverability authentication (this is a measure to ensure that your emails are actually delivered to your recipients and not to their spam folder).

Your business services need to be able to scale actively with your business success. You don't need the stress, and potential downtime, of having to change email services when you get busy - trust us.


You are missing out
Using your domain name in your email address is similar to how product placement is used in the movies to get people to remember that product even after the movie is over.

When you use your business domain name in your email communications, you are continually presenting your company name over and over again. It’s like free marketing. And if you don’t take this opportunity to market your own business, and you use a free email service like Gmail, you are essentially putting a sign for somebody else’s business over your front door. In other words, you are advertising for Gmail and not your own business. Granted Google appreciates the free advertising and they do offer some fantastic products, but you shouldn’t be doing that for Google. They have a much larger advertising budget than you likely do!

If your email has your domain name in the email address, you are cementing the name of your company into your potential customer’s mind. Do this over and over again and the customer will remember your company before any other company when they are about to buy your products or services.


A custom domain is a pretty cheap billboard...


In Closing

It's worth spending a small amount of money so that you can register your domain and so that the perception that other people have of your business is one of credibility and trustworthiness. 


It is also important to remember that nothing in life is really free. You may not always know when you sign up what the price is going to be. Generally the cost of a business email system is a lot less than the cost of a customer facing issues anywhere from deliverability problems to customer service problems (because your email has gone to your customers spam folder). The relationships that you share with your clients should not be short ones but should endure for a very long time - invest in your business email system to show that you will be around for a long time.



To find out more and to get started with professional email addresses, let's chat, we're all ears.
]]>Thu, 26 Dec 2019 17:42:28 +0000<![CDATA[How secure is your data in the cloud?]]>https://referencesite.dev.int.ostratto.com/blogs/post/how-secure-is-cloud-storageIs your business data safe in 'the cloud'?]]>

Cloud-based solutions are increasingly in business demand around the world. These solutions include everything from secure data storage to entire business processes. As we move more to cloud-oriented solutions, a new challenge comes into play: the 'security' of cloud storage. The question arises of where data is stored and more importantly, who has access to it. Here-lies cloud storage security - security measures that are implemented to protect data with the same (or often higher) level of sensitivity as would exist in an on-premise data storage solution.


Sounds great (yawn). Let's see what this actually means in real terms for your business data.


A recap on 'the cloud'

As we've covered before, cloud-based storage is an outsourced solution for storing data. Instead of saving data onto local hard drives, users store data on internet-connected servers. Datacentre's then provide a home for these servers to keep the data safe and secure to access. Businesses turn to cloud storage solutions to solve a variety of problems. Small businesses use the cloud to cut costs and big businesses use the cloud to distribute data more efficiently across the world. Any time you access files stored remotely, you are accessing a cloud - in simple terms anyway.


Email services are a prime example. Most email users don’t bother saving emails to their devices because those devices are connected to the internet most of the time.


Types of Cloud: Public, Private, Hybrid

There are three types of cloud solutions, each offering a unique combination of advantages and drawbacks:

  • Public Cloud: These services offer accessibility and security. This security is best suited for unstructured data, like files in folders. Most users don’t get a great deal of customised attention from public cloud providers unless you use more business-oriented options. This is your Google Drives and your Dropboxes. This option is affordable.
  • Private Cloud: Private cloud hosting services are on-premise solutions. Users assert unlimited control over the system. Private cloud storage is more expensive and more old-fashioned. This is because the owner manages and maintains the physical hardware.
  • Hybrid Cloud: Many companies choose to keep high-volume files on the public cloud and sensitive data on a private cloud. This hybrid approach strikes a balance between affordability and customisation.


The big question: how secure is cloud storage?

All files stored on secure cloud servers benefit from an enhanced level of security. The security credential most users are familiar with is the password. Cloud storage security vendors secure data using other means often not implemented in on-premise solutions such as:

  • Advanced Firewalls: Firewalls inspect traveling data packets (moving data). Simple ones only examine the source and destination. Advanced firewalls verify packet content integrity (what the data means). Clever algorithms then map the packet contents to known security threats and say yay or nay to data entering or exiting the cloud. A bit like a bouncer at your local club saying yes or no to guests based on previous experiences of having them trying to do snow angels on the dance-floor. You thought people would forget?     
  • Intrusion Detection: Online secure storage can serve many users at the same time and successful cloud security systems rely on identifying when someone tries to break into the system, both at the door and when inside. Multiple levels of detection ensure cloud vendors can even stop intruders who break past the network’s initial defences. To continue our club analogy, these are your bouncers inside the club monitoring the guests.
  • Event Logging: Event logs help security analysts understand threats. Analysts use this data to build a narrative concerning network events. This helps them predict and prevent security breaches based on known patterns of behavior. For example, bouncers predict incidents based on experience from other nights in the club.
  • Internal Firewalls: Not all accounts should have complete access to data stored in the cloud. Limiting secure cloud access through internal firewalls boosts security. This ensures that even a compromised account cannot gain full access. Although you've been permitted access to the club, you don't get into VIP unless you are known and trusted.
  • Encryption: Encryption keeps data safe from unauthorized users. If an attacker steals an encrypted file, access is denied without finding a secret key which will unlock the file and reveal the data contents. The data is worthless to anyone who does not have the key. Just the same as if you have no ID, you don't get into the club. Admittedly this analogy is running out of ground...
  • Physical Security: Cloud data centers are highly secure. Certified data centers have 24-hour monitoring, biometric security and sometimes armed guards. These places are more secure than almost all on-site data centers.

Remember

For a security system to be complete, users must adhere to a security awareness training program. Even the most advanced security system cannot compensate for negligent users.

Cloud Data Security Risks 
Security breaches are rarely caused by poor cloud data protection. More often than not, improving user security will make cloud storage more secure. Many factors contribute to user security in the cloud storage system, most of which focus on employee training:

  • Authentication: Weak passwords are the most common enterprise security vulnerability and it's not uncommon for users to write their passwords down. Multi-factor authentication can solve this problem. (MFA for next Prime Minister!)
  • Awareness: In the modern office every job is a cyber-security job. Employees must know why security is so important and be trained in security awareness. Users must know how criminals may approach a cyber-attack - this leads us onto the next point.
  • Phishing Protection:  Phishing scams remain the most common cyber attack vector. These attacks attempt to compromise user emails and passwords by 'fishing' their data. Ever seen that email 'your money has been locked, enter your details to unlock'? That's phishing. Using this data, attackers can move through business systems to obtain access to more sensitive files.
  • Breach Drills: Simulating data breaches can help employees identify and prevent phishing attacks. Users can also improve response times when real breaches occur. This establishes protocols for handling suspicious activity and also provides an apt time to give feedback to users on their security awareness.
  • Measurement: The results of data breach drills must inform future performance. Practice only makes perfect if analysts measure the results and find ways to improve upon them. Quantify the results of simulation drills and employee training to maximize the security of cloud storage.


Educate Your Employees

Employee education helps enterprises successfully protect cloud data. Employee users often do not know how cloud computing works. Explain cloud storage security to your employees by answering the most commonly asked questions:


  1. Where Is the Cloud Located? Cloud storage data is located in remote data centers. These can be anywhere on the planet (sometimes even underwater). Cloud vendors often store the same data in multiple places. This is called redundancy.
  2. How is Cloud Storage Different from Local Storage? Cloud vendors use the internet to transfer data from a secure data center to users. Cloud storage data is available everywhere.
  3. How Much Data Can the Cloud Store? Storage in the cloud is exponentially large, almost unlimited to us. In a 2013 study it was predicted that over 1 Exabyte of cloud storage is in use - this is over 1,073,741,824 Gb's of data or if written, 50,000 trees made into paper and printed. Local drive space is limited. Bandwidth – the amount of data a network can transmit per second – is usually the limiting factor.A high-volume and low-bandwidth cloud service would run too slowly for meaningful work.
  4. Does The Cloud Save Money? Most companies invest in cloud storage to save money compared to on-site storage. Improved connectivity cuts costs. Cloud services can also save business money in disaster recovery situations.
  5. Is the Cloud Secure and Private? Professional cloud storage comes with state-of-the-art security. Users must follow the vendor’s security guidelines. Negligent use can compromise even the best protection.



Cloud Storage Security Best Practices

Cloud storage providers store files redundantly. This means copying files to different physical servers placed far away from one another. In a traditional office a disaster such as a fire would result in lost data and consequently lost business. In the modern office this data is stored in the cloud, copied to multiple data centers located throughout the region. A modern office would be able to recover overnight.


Redundancy makes cloud storage security platforms far less likely to occur. Cloud storage vendors measure hard drive failure and compensate for them through redundancy. Even without redundant files, only a small percentage of cloud vendor hard drives fail. These companies rely on storage for their entire income and so take every precaution to ensure users’ data remains safe.


    This makes cloud storage an excellent option for securing data against cyber-crime. With a properly configured cloud solution in place, even ransomware poses very little threat. Simply wipe the infected computers and start fresh, all whilst data remains safe in the cloud.


    In closing: It's time to invest in Cloud Storage Security
    Businesses who invest in enterprise cloud storage need qualified cloud maintenance and management expertise. As a reputable managed security services provider, Ostratto can provide a full evaluation of your data storage and security needs today - just get in touch.

    Otherwise, thanks for reading and chow for now.

    ]]>    Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:23:44 +0000