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Conducting surveys at the end of the year, or the beginning of a new one, is a tradition for many organizations. It takes a lot of work to write good survey questions , then design and configure it, send invitations, and conduct a survey, much less compile and analyze the results. If you usually dread surveys, there are a few ways you can turn them into more pleasing projects. The trick is to make some of the work happen automatically. One way to do it is to use Zapier. Zapier is an online tool that lets you connect SurveyMonkey to other apps and services that it doesn't necessarily connect to on its own. In this way, you can create automations, also known as Zaps, that do tedious tasks for you, whether it's copying and pasting data from one place to another or automatically sending emails to survey respondents thanking them for their time. In this article, I use SurveyMonkey as the example because it's one of the best survey tools on the market and one of the most popul...

Customer service is the lifeblood of a modern business. Seventy percent of consumers in the United States report spending more money—and preferring to do business—with a company that delivers better customer service. Conversely, 33 percent of consumers would jump ship to a new brand if they experienced just a single instance of bad customer service. The struggle for businesses is maintaining multi-channel customer support options—and that's where customer service software comes in. Here we're going to compare two of the most popular customer support apps on the market: Zendesk and Freshdesk . Common Features and What We Looked For Zendesk and Freshdesk share many similar features, benefits, and challenges. But when you dive deep into each, you'll figure out which is better suited for your needs. Do you prioritize ticket management or reporting and analytics? Will you focus on your knowledge base or emphasize live chat? Here are the key features we focused on in this s...

You looked for "Labs" in your Gmail settings and it's not there. What gives? Turns out Google renamed the section in settings to "Advanced.” Gmail's Labs used to be where a number of advanced features lived. The idea: Google would test features here and possibly fold them into Gmail later. Log into Gmail now, however, and you won't find the "Labs" tab in settings. Does that mean features like canned responses and auto-advance are just gone in the new Gmail? No, they're just under a new header. Click this tab and you'll see a number of the Labs features you know and love. A few labs were retired back in 2017 , but the best ones live on here. Here are a few highlights and what they do. See Multiple Inboxes on Your Home Screen Multiple Inboxes will show you a number of custom inboxes on your homepage—perhaps to see your starred and draft emails alongside your standard inbox. You can customize how many inboxes appear and control what sho...

Diagrams and flowcharts make the complex comprehensible. Flowcharts turn long workflows into easy to follow instructions; other diagrams allow you to get ideas across quickly and visually, such as when you need to create a floor plan or network diagram. Actually making flowcharts and diagrams is less easy, however, especially if you don't have the right tools. You can kind of twist word processors, image editors, or presentation software into a makeshift flowchart and diagramming app. You can also use a hammer to drive in screws–but the result won't be pretty. Sometimes it's worth investing in the best tool for the job, instead of improvising with what's on hand. In this case, that means dedicated software. What Makes Great Flowchart and Diagramming Software? The best apps for creating flowcharts and diagrams share five features in common: A variety of shapes to work with, including the standard options, such as ovals, arrows, rectangles, and diamonds. The best app...

Hi there! We're looking for a full-time writer for the Zapier editorial team. You'll join a team of expert writers who author in-depth productivity guides , business software roundups , and app tips read by more than 1 million visitors every month. If you're interested in helping readers find answers to things like the best apps to block distractions and help you focus , how to keep getting SMS notifications from Google Calendar even when Google is shutting down that feature , or how cognitive biases play tricks on your mind and how to overcome them , this job might be for you! We're looking for someone with a background in writing about productivity and software, focused on writing online as their career, and eager to join an app automation company with its mission to help everyone be more productive at work. Zapier is a 100% remote company, so you'll work from anywhere and manage your own time, plus we offer a competitive salary and benefits, including unlimi...

One of the best year-end tax-saving moves with cash-basis accounting is to maximize your deductible expenses now—but you only have until the ball drops on December 31st. A smart, sometimes overlooked way to do that is with annual software subscriptions. Not only is software you buy for your business deductible (consult your tax professional for full details), but when you purchase an annual plan you often save on the software cost itself–as much as 20% over the monthly cost. That's an easy way to lower your taxes and accelerate your business. But the clock is ticking. Which software should you go all-in on? Start by identifying your business goals for 2019, then find the tools that fill those needs and offer the best annual savings. Expert Advice: Accelerate Your Tax Deductions Under the 12-month rule you can prepay for up to a year of a service and still reap the full year-end deduction in the current year. Assuming an average tax rate of 40%, accelerating these payments i...

Bundles are back. For years, web apps prompted a great unbundling of software, with a focus on apps that did one thing well. That changed in 2018. Adobe added Marketo and Magento to their wide-ranging suite of apps, Microsoft acquired GitHub, and Google built the new Hangouts Team Chat to expand G Suite. Even newer apps got in on the game with Twilio’s SendGrid acquisition to add email to their messaging services bundle, and Slack consolidated their team chat lead by purchasing Atlassian’s HipChat and Stride chat apps. We’ve observed the same on a micro level. Zapier’s 1,300+ app integrations give us a unique view into the most productive businesses’ workflows. Each year, we check which apps are most popular and which are growing fastest in new business workflows. This year, two of our fastest growing apps are part of bundles—and our app "All Stars" are dominated by classic suites like G Suite and Facebook’s Business tools, alongside newer apps like ActiveCampaign and HubSpo...

Farm silos are designed to store large amounts of grain while keeping different materials completely separated. In business, organizational silos have the same effect: They prevent resources and information from being shared among departments and teams. No company sets out with the intention of building organizational silos. But by becoming familiar with the warning signs and taking action quickly when they start to form, you can help your company keep information and resources flowing freely. To an extent, silos are a natural outcome stemming from the nature of business. After all, it makes sense to cluster expertise in a classic departmental hierarchy divided by functional groups. Silos only become damaging when each department or team focuses on its core duties and functions to the exclusion of others. If collaboration is not promoted and encouraged, essential business functions can become fragmented. Silos in agriculture function to store and separate. Business silos prevent co...