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12 Marketing Tips for your Small Business

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 03:00 PM PST

"Marketing." The word itself can cause pressure for entrepreneurs. As a small business owner, it can be all too easy to feel this way about marketing. You want to spend your time on your business, not on Facebook, and the hardest part is that you've never even used most of these social media platforms in the past! Don't fret; after you read this article, you'll be able to pick up some weapons to beat your competitors in this digital age. So, get ready to learn about marketing, and let's dive in.

Know your audience

Understanding who your customers are is crucial because you need to know how to target them. Think of your buyers as characters: if you were to create a customer-based fictional person, how would they be? Can you think of more than one individual? You can dig deeper by performing surveys and interviews to really get at the root of why people buy from you, but you need to also understand that not everyone is a future customer.

Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing means paying and encouraging influential people in your community to get the word out for you, instead of explicitly selling to your target audience yourself. Influencers are the best recommendations the company can have out there when it comes to social media users. Because micro-influencers have smaller, more niche audiences, you will most likely have to partner with more than one to achieve a sufficiently large scope. Having endorsements from more than one influencer is a powerful message, especially when you collect them on a simple campaign microsite.

The 80-20 rule for content

The 80-20 rule suggests that 80% of your success must come from 20% of your efforts. The rule applies for just about everything, including your content. It is possible to create content across a variety of platforms. Keep in mind that these metrics do not apply universally to all types of industries, companies or materials. Instead, it is a theoretical benchmark that should try to emulate most other companies. While we cannot fully control all aspects of popular content, we can base our content creation on careful analysis and where the existing content succeeds or fails.

Build and maintain your email subscriber list

By sending a weekly or monthly newsletter to provide offers to your subscribers, you can build and maintain customer relationships. You can also create and email video content. Just make sure that your content is helpful, insightful and trustworthy in order to develop your reputation, not deteriorate it. There are affordable tools that can do this for you if you don't have time to keep this list yourself.

Rely On SEO

Know when to rely on SEO. Every small business owner joining the digital marketing world has learned about SEO. It's still the best way to drive free traffic to your website. Did you know that something as basic as the name of your company could affect your search engine ranking? Businesses with a powerful keyword in their business name rank 1.5 spots higher than businesses with no keyword in their business name, according to Local SEO Guide.

Many small-time businesses waste their digital marketing budget on PPC advertising when they launch. Instead, try concentrating on a long-term SEO plan. Wondering how to write content to rank for your keyword? Check out how we utilize headings and keywords on our asset based lending page.

Practice your video skills

Yeah, it's weird to film yourself, and you'll hate to see your face and hear your voice at first. But it works. Initially, you won't be great, and that's all right! Start enhancing your camera appearance and editing skills and your content can exponentially increase in value over time. Creating video content provides an opportunity for people to connect you and your personality to the brand, and this content also performs better on most social media channels than static images or text. This also applies to live broadcasts!

Monitor and review

To assess whether your promotional efforts are producing the desired outcomes, such as increased sales, it is crucial to monitor and update your content regularly. To guarantee that your actions help your approach, you must update your marketing plan at least every three months. Make sure to review your strategy as your company develops, when you introduce a new product or service, when a new competitor enters the market or when a problem arises that affects your industry.

Claim your Google My Business (GMB) page

Research on mobile search engine usage shows that over 80% of consumers use Google for their online search queries. Google makes browsing very convenient and easy for almost everyone. After all, it's the go-to search engine. Google gives small businesses everything they need to answer consumers' questions, yet research shows that many don't even set up their GMB profiles. GMB gives you another tool to fish for more customers and review potential customers, as well as help via business marketing tools.

Tell a unique brand story

You can always rely on solid content. Good content comes when information is not just written because it's required, but when information is presented in a way that can be consumed by every person. It's like sharing your own life story about a unique brand that shows thoughts and feelings, a story that tells us something. Likewise, your brand should also have that special, specific story that makes people eager to know what your brand is all about.

Set aside a budget for paid advertising

If you create great content, but don't pay to advertise it, your total exposure will be limited to 2% to 4% of your potential audience. Why invest in creating quality content if you don't invest in getting it out there? Just a couple bucks a day can go a long way. Don't be afraid to create online product coupons and specials, and to pay for them to be seen! But be careful to not only rely on advertising with discounts or specials, otherwise your customers will come to expect them while they shop and your brand's reputation could be tarnished.

Maximize the use of your social channels

To leverage your current network of friends and family, incorporate blogs and photos from your company to your personal profiles. Build relationships with individuals with whom you want to do business or who can help your company grow. Like, comment and share your content on social media. Go and make some friends!

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

Having that first real breakthrough in a marketing campaign can be an exciting experience. Whether a piece of content goes viral or a social networking site helps you achieve an objective, it feels great when you can demonstrate proven success and count it as a credible revenue stream. Yet, just because you've found a good marketing strategy, you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket.

When you try to launch multiple campaigns at once, you will not only be overwhelmed, but you'll also find it difficult to assess which marketing campaigns have been successful. The worst mistake a new business owner could make is trying to handle everything at once with too many new social media accounts. But the lesson we want you to know for now is that less is more. Focus and consistency should be your primary goals when you just start to find a few ways to improve your marketing campaigns.

The Smart Way to Expand Your Business Abroad

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 10:00 AM PST

  • Professional employer organizations (PEOs) are professional recruitment agencies through which you can outsource your staffing needs.
  • PEOs don't just act as the regulatory umbrella for your staff members; they can also offer additional benefits to your overseas employees.
  • If you're looking to expand your business abroad using a lower-cost, lower-risk model, engage the services of a PEO.

As a successful business owner, it's only a matter of time before you start mapping out a plan for your expansion. As part of your market-entry strategy, you'll likely be weighing the pros and cons of establishing a branch or subsidiary overseas or incorporating your company in another country. With these options comes the hefty task of understanding and complying with local legal and commercial regulations, and likely, your obligations as an employer.

Thankfully, there's an easier solution for businesses that are looking to dip their toes in a new market without overwhelming themselves with major investments and a raft of foreign compliance requirements. If you're looking to expand overseas using a lower-cost, lower-risk business model, engage with a professional employer organization (PEO).

Editor's note: Looking for the right PEO service for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.

 

Expansion demands

Depending on the country you're targeting, there'll be a number of different legal entities (business structures) for you to choose from when expanding. Many of these will likely come with minimum capital investment requirements, along with legal, accounting and other obligations that your headquarters and senior staff overseas will need to keep on top of.

Businesses can be left quite vulnerable during expansion as they're heavily reliant on local experts to fully understand and meet their obligations in the new country. On top of this, it's a crucial period for establishing a client base and relevant industry contacts as well as for hiring the right people to support and nurture your investment.

This process is costly, and it can be even more expensive if wrong steps are taken or elements of local law are overlooked.

But businesses and their fledgling expansions have another option: working with companies known as professional employer organizations (PEOs) that can take on some of the burden and drastically lower the risk your company takes when entering a new market.

Engage with a PEO

PEOs are professional recruitment agencies through which you can outsource your employment needs. Through a "co-employment model," you can enter a new market before investing in a formal commercial footprint in the country such as a branch or incorporated company.

PEOs can support your business with the following services:

  • Recruitment
  • Onboarding
  • Paying staff wages and managing payroll
  • Making contributions under employment tax laws
  • Ensuring an agreed-upon level of employee safety
  • Providing staff compensation coverage
  • Complying with local employment law

This "co-employment model" means that a PEO will formally be the staff member's "employer of record." As an employer of record, the PEO assumes all employer responsibility for the staff member, while they undertake work for the hiring company. Your overseas team members will carry out their roles with your company while being brought into the structural fold of the PEO.

Lower costs and risks of overseas expansion

Why invest in a large-scale expansion in your new market – such as forming a branch or subsidiary – when you could start smaller and lower your risk profile?

Though local legislation can differ between countries, expanding businesses generally have a limited set of options for configuring their overseas operations. Available business structures (also known as legal entities) can include:

  • Limited liability companies
  • Foreign branch offices
  • Subsidiaries
  • Partnerships
  • Public corporations

Though establishing a formal local entity such as those mentioned above will add immediate weight to your presence in a new market, they can be a costly move for companies, especially if they don't succeed.

Build your market entry strategy around a micro-level investment by using a PEO's services. This is especially helpful for first-time expansions, and budget-sensitive SMEs. Having one or two senior sales representatives or other executives on the ground means you can still achieve fundamental expansion activities at a lower price. If your company chooses to withdraw from the market, the market exit process is quicker and the potential sunken costs of the venture are considerably lower.

Look after your overseas employees

PEOs don't just act as the regulatory umbrella for your staff members; they can offer additional benefits to your overseas employees too.

Your company may not be able to extend the same kinds of benefits to staff working outside the country where your headquarters is based. Likewise, your company's policies on human resources, health and safety, and risk management may not be easily transferable to a new country that potentially has very different local regulations on these matters.

PEOs can offer greater overall coverage for your overseas employee, adding significant value to a staff member's employment experience. This is especially true for smaller companies expanding abroad; a PEO's "big company benefits" can sweeten the deal for an employee or team working away from the company's headquarters.

Having local employment support means your staff can access helpful guidance and regular engagement with someone who is familiar with the surrounding area. Outside of learning about the specifics of their job with you, PEOs can be a point of contact for your staff members to get information about different environmental aspects of their overseas role.

PEOs can facilitate training opportunities for your staff that you may not otherwise have been able to offer. With the co-employment model, your staff can tap into such plans offered by the professional employment company.

A PEO may offer employee benefits such as health or dental insurance, which is enticing for prospective candidates. On top of that, their internal or corporate policies are compliant with local legislation. You can, therefore, rest assured that your employee is adequately supported and protected by the PEO.

Reduce turnover

Most business expansions start small and it can be an isolating experience for your first overseas team member. Once you've found the right person for the job, you want to implement the right strategy to retain them. Expanding your business is a critical procedure, and you need to find and retain the right people to support this process.

PEOs can often offer a support network that the hiring company can't, due to their established presence in the country.

This is an especially important advantage of partnering with a PEO. If your chosen country has a shortage in the skillset you need, you won't be able to easily or regularly find replacements for that position.

Consider the value a professional employer will add here. The organization's larger footprint and employee numbers in the country offers greater networking opportunities and social support for your staff member or team, ensuring your employees are engaged and supported, and reducing the risk of turnover during your expansion.

PEOs are a lifeline for expanding businesses

Expanding into a new country is a critical time for businesses. Companies have many things to contend with during this time; they must understand and comply with new and unfamiliar commercial, tax, employment and sector-specific regulations.

This exposes the company to varying levels of risk. If your business doesn't already have local experts on hand to advise you on best practice and next steps, you could quickly find yourself caught up in complications with local authorities over non-compliance.

Reduce the burden and stress on your business venture and engage with an experienced PEO. Not only can a PEO provide ongoing employment and payroll services, but their structure is an asset to retaining your talent and keep your expansion operations flowing smoothly.

Protect your business and support your overseas footprint by working with a PEO that can carry out the necessary activities to further your success in a new market.

Why a Small Ad Agency Makes Sense for a Growing Company

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 09:00 AM PST

When you're deciding which marketing firm to hire, it's easy to get caught up in the glamour of a big agency: the brand name, the impressive client list, the major wins and awards. What's not to like? The biggest, brightest, most storied agencies have it all – or so it often seems.

Just be careful not to be fooled by a fancy facade.

A growing company often makes the mistake of seeking a big-name agency to legitimize its brand, even if it doesn't get that agency's best team. When you get down to the nuts and bolts of ideation, production and distribution, big agencies are often less agile, flexible and collaborative than more modest players in the field. For small businesses, this is crucial to understand.

Where large agencies often require more time to execute your vision, their smaller counterparts are better able to test concepts and apply strategies in short order. This is because there are likely bottlenecks in the long chain of command at larger agencies. At smaller agencies, however, the feedback loop is much shorter.

To make the most of your marketing dollars, consider what a partnership with a small agency can offer. Many small agencies are diminutive in size only – with disproportionately large ambition. A smaller agency's ability to move quickly, tailor ideas to a specific audience and devote more resources to its clients often make it the better option for your growing company.

Editor's note: Looking for the right online marketing service for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.

 

Bigger doesn't mean better.

Consider that the United States Small Business Administration recommends small businesses (those with less than $5 million in sales a year) spend only 7% to 8% of its revenue on marketing and advertising. And, a recent study found that nearly 40% of small businesses spend less than $10,000 on advertising each year. Only 20% spend in the $10,001 to $50,000 range, while only 7% cross the million-dollar threshold.

That is simply not enough to command the full attention of the big boys of the agency world – especially when some of the biggest corporations in the U.S. are spending in the billion-dollar range. That means decisions big agencies make won't always be aligned with your business. Your budget is the most significant factor in capturing a big firm's attention and getting the service you receive.

It's not uncommon to see hundreds of companies on a big agency's client list, which means it's only logical that some of the more modest brands are receiving minimal attention. The small fish are never going to get the same level of service that the seven-figure crowd demands, and that means opportunities to speak with senior management will be few and far between. You'll be lucky if senior leaders even know you're on the roster.

But access to the highest level of decision-makers at an agency should be a priority in the relationship between a growing business and an ad agency. Because of their size, most big agencies simply cannot provide this. Small agencies can.

Small agencies are also less transactional and more engaged with "out of the box" ideas. The latter is especially important when you consider that nearly 60% of marketers believe that creativity is more crucial to marketing campaigns than data. That means you'll want a team you can trust to bring fresh ideas that can steer your brand in the best direction.

Keep in mind that experience isn't exclusive to the big firms. Plenty of smaller agencies have partners that can give you proven media advice. By going with a smaller firm, you can avoid the big agency handoff, where a 20-year veteran of the ad world transitions your account to a recent grad. If you have money, you might get the attention of the best partners. But if you need to grow, a big agency won't have the time (or the willingness) to get you where you want to go.

Plenty of evidence suggests choosing a smaller, more nimble agency over a bigger firm may be more beneficial for a growing business. If you decide the small agency route is right for you, these tips will help you make the most of that relationship: 

1. Ask the important questions. 

As you begin relationships with your agency partners, you'll surely have questions about how the give-and-take will work. That's a good thing. Don't hesitate to pepper them with probing questions that help you determine whether they're the best fit for you. How big is the agency? How many account people does it have? Who will be the senior contacts? Will you have access to the C-suite leaders? If so, how are they involved in the business?

Once you settle on an agency, you'll find that it will be easier to form working relationships with your partners at a small firm. That's a major departure from the larger agencies, where there might be three levels of account management. Remember, you want face-to-face opportunities with the people working on your campaign – along with access to the top decision-makers – in order to ensure that your voice is heard.

2. Consider what big-agency offerings a small agency might have. 

The big agencies will try to wow you with the bells and whistles. Just don't think that they're the only ones capable of providing those offerings. If you've been offered top-tier services from a larger agency (such as web marketing, graphic design, and results tracking), ask a smaller agency whether it can provide you with the same services. In many cases, it can.

At the same time, consider the kinds of things a smaller agency can offer that a big agency cannot. For instance, small firms can go out on a limb and take chances that might be harder to pull off at larger firms. They can test concepts with only minimal investment and watch the variables at work before projecting onto a larger scale. They can also take more risks without fearing negative publicity. If a venture goes sideways at a larger agency, many more people are likely to know about it. 

3. Take stock of how unique your needs are.

One of the greatest features of a small agency partnership is its ability to specialize. Take the case of search engine marketing firm Gauss & Neumann, which spent nearly a decade developing a proprietary tool that helped it meet the needs of clients. This tool gives Gauss & Neumann the capability to create search engine marketing accounts that feature nearly 10 times more keywords, helping it compete at the highest levels.

Take a moment to pinpoint your unique needs as a brand. Then, ask the agency how it will meet them. Often, smaller agencies will be able to offer analytics and creative services tailored to your business's specific needs. You might also find that smaller agencies can offer transparent media relationships that provide access to the highest level of media contacts, thus allowing insight into the agency's decision-making process. 

Don't be fooled by the big-name agencies touting their crowded trophy cases. There's much more to finding the right marketing partnership. Big agencies might be right for some, but for growing companies, they're often too inflexible and stodgy to maximize the relationship. Smaller agencies, on the other hand, are not only driven to deliver, but they're also more eager and able to adjust to fit your specific needs. When those agencies prove that they're able to give you everything you need and more, don't let them go.

Deep Learning and the Medical Research Industry

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 07:00 AM PST

The healthcare industry continues to be a major driver of the U.S. economy, with more than $3.5 trillion spent on healthcare in 2018 alone. Researchers believe that the industry will contribute more than $5.6 trillion to the economy by 2025 as well. 

Much of this revenue comes from the medical research field, which is responsible for improving drug research, disease diagnosis and treatment protocols. Major research companies are collaborating with software development services to integrate deep learning technology into their investigations. 

Deep learning promises to transform the way that doctors review medical tests and make diagnoses, helping them identify diseases and start treatment quicker. The technology will also help pharmaceutical companies develop life-saving drugs in a shorter amount of time. 

What is deep learning?

Deep learning is a niche in the machine learning field. Machine learning is an innovative branch of computer science that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and traditional science with mathematics and statistics to create a powerful technology that can learn from experience.

Major companies in the retail, banking and logistics industries are already working with software development companies and using the technology to save money, increase efficiency and plan for the future.

Machine learning is premised on the idea that computer engineers should be able to do more than just code a program – they should be able to teach computers how to write their own programs. Additionally, these "intelligent" computers should be capable of learning from past experiences to improve their skills and the quality of their predictions.

Deep learning takes things a step further by mimicking the structure of the human brain, which is layered, or "deep." It emulates this layered structure by creating a similar, artificial neural network with the potential to be even more powerful than cutting-edge machine learning software.

For example, the transportation industry is using deep learning to teach computers how to recognize images. The autonomous car startup Wayve.ai taught its cars how to quickly and accurately recognize road conditions by exposing the system to millions of images of roadways. Medical companies are using the same tactics to transform their own industry.

How deep learning is transforming medical research

This type of active learning is vital for the medical research industry. That's because computers can learn from new medical research and past performance data to improve the quality and accuracy of diagnoses.

Deep learning will transform the medical research industry by introducing more advanced data analysis into research efforts and by eliminating the need for a human expert with years of training.

This cutting-edge technology is also expected to reduce the time needed to make a diagnosis. Rather than spending several months or more going from specialist to specialist, patients will soon work with their physician to enter their symptoms and test results into a computer. 

The deep learning program will use data points from millions of other patients to produce accurate diagnosis months or even years before a human doctor could. This will help reduce patient anxiety and improve healthcare outcomes through early treatments.

Pharmaceutical discovery

The pharmaceutical industry is rapidly becoming a leader in deep learning adoption. Major companies, like Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Eli Lilly and more are building up their internal research teams and collaborating with software development providers to increase efficiency in their drug discovery processes. 

A major reason why deep learning is becoming so popular in the medical research industry is because of the massive amount of data that these companies possess, including research data, patient outcomes and more. This massive amount of information is key to producing accurate predictions, the biggest reason why the pharmaceutical industry is investing so much in deep learning.

BenevolentAI is an excellent example of this. The company has created a set of custom algorithms that search current and past medical research for clues about potential new drugs. In particular, the software uses the data to identify specific classes of drugs that may be useful for the treatment of intractable diseases. 

On the other hand, companies like Sophia Genetics are using deep learning to inform patients about their susceptibility to hereditary diseases, using specific genetic markers associated with cancer, heart disease, diabetes and more. 

Medical imaging

One of the biggest challenges that medical specialists face is accurately reading and understanding medical imaging. This is incredibly important since medical imaging is one of the key factors used to build a medical diagnosis, along with symptoms and blood tests.

For example, oncologists still struggle to identify cancerous cells versus non-cancerous cells when viewing MRIs and CT Scans. They look incredibly similar and a misread image can cause a late diagnosis with a corresponding bleak survival rate. That's one reason why cell biopsies continue to be so important to the field. 

However, medical research companies are changing this paradigm through deep learning. By exposing machine learning software to millions of stored images, along with the corresponding disease diagnosis, they are teaching these machines how to more accurately read medical images. 

IBM Watson is one of the leaders in the deep learning medical image field. The tech company's machine learning software is superior to many competitors because of the huge amount of data owned by IBM. The company has spent the past decade purchasing healthcare companies like Merge. As a result, it now has access to more than 315 healthcare data points.

Expect IBM to apply for FDA approval for its technology sometime in the next five years. It's clear from IBM public statements that the company is waiting to seek approval until its technology can do more than basic medical imaging.

Disease identification

One of the most important areas of deep learning research is disease identification. Research has found that at least 5% of medical diagnoses in any given year are incorrect. This impacts an estimated 12 million patients every year, resulting in 40,000 to 80,000 deaths. 

Medical research companies are using deep learning and AI to improve disease identification accuracy. The healthcare startup iQuity is a great example of the potential of deep learning. The company is using deep neural networks to improve patient outcomes and disease detection. It recently used its cutting-edge technology to improve multiple sclerosis diagnoses.

It started by collecting millions of data points from multiple sclerosis-related insurance claims in New York state. Its deep learning program was eventually able to accurately diagnosis the disease "at least 8 months" before physicians could make that assessment using standard medical technology. 

Deep learning promises to transform the way that healthcare providers diagnosis diseases and improve survival rates and quality of life by allowing doctors to treat diseases before irreversible damage has happened.

Looking forward

The global healthcare industry is expected to continue growing by leaps and bounds over the next decade. This is largely a result of increased access to healthcare in developing countries, the rise of lifestyle diseases throughout the world, and the development of new, novel drugs that can be sold at premium rates. 

Deep learning promises to revolutionize the medical research industry in several ways. It will help physicians better read imaging results and improve the accuracy of their diagnoses. In addition, pharmaceutical research companies will be able to produce more drugs with less monetary investment through machine learning.

Expect to see the number of deep learning medical patents increase dramatically as the industry's investments in machine learning and software development outsourcing begin to pay off.

Document Scanner Buying Guide

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 05:45 AM PST

Businesses are trading in their filing cabinets that are filled with files from who knows how long ago and using document scanners to scan and store their important documents. By using a document scanner for your business, not only do you save space, you increase the security of sensitive information, plus you have an electronic copy that will not be irretrievably lost. 

There are several different types of document scanners on the market and dozens of models within each category. By better understanding the different types of document scanners, you can choose the best scanner for your business. 

How to choose a scanner for your small business

Choosing a scanner might seem complicated at first. There are several requirements to keep in mind, as well as many different types of scanners to choose from. To help you choose the best document scanner for your business, keep the following factors in mind. 

What do you need to scan?

The type of scanner you select should be able to easily scan the types of documents you need to digitize and render a clear, crisp image. Are you scanning paper documents and receipts? Do you need to scan photo identification? Are you planning on scanning photographs? What you are scanning should be the primary consideration when selecting a scanner. 

Most document scanners are capable of handling paper records, receipts and photo identification with ease. To scan photographs, though, you'll need a scanner designed specifically for images. Photo scanners offer higher resolution and enhanced color, preserving the appearance of photographs when rendered digitally.

How many documents do you intend to scan?

If you plan on digitizing decades of paper archives, you will need a high-volume document scanner that can handle stacks of documents without much oversight or manual labor involved. High-end document scanners usually come with an automatic feeder that can digitize large amounts of paperwork without supervision, allowing you to create a digital archive and ditch the filing cabinets. [Interested in learning more about document management software? Check out our reviews and best picks.] 

If you only scan documents occasionally, though, you'll be better served with a cheaper model. There are portable document scanners that do the trick, as well as smartphone applications that leverage the camera on your phone to digitally recreate documents. 

Do you need optical character recognition?

Optical character recognition (OCR) is an advanced document management feature that allows your computer to easily read the text in your documents. OCR makes it easy to organize, search for and format your scanned documents. OCR is generally an industry-standard feature included in most modern document scanners, and it can be a huge timesaver for businesses. 

What operating system are you using?

It's critical that the document scanner you're considering purchasing is compatible with the operating system you use. Most document scanners work well with PC software, while fewer are available for Mac. 

If your business uses Mac OSX, ask the sales rep or the manufacturer if the document scanner you are considering is compatible. Most scanners can work using third-party drivers even if they aren't ready to go with Mac OSX out of the box, but third-party drivers can sometimes reduce functionality and hamper performance.

 

Editor's Note: Are you looking for a document management solution? Fill out the questionnaire below to receive more information from our vendor partners.

Common types of scanners

Isn't a document scanner just a scanner? Well, there's more to it, as it turns out. 

There are several different types of document scanners out there, and each type excels in different ways, depending on its intended use. 

Here's a closer look at some of the most common types of scanners you are likely to come across in your research. 

Flatbed scanners

These are the scanners you are likely most familiar with; they are commonly found in homes and offices. If you have a few loose documents to scan, they get the job done. 

These scanners have a glass pane for scanning documents. You place the document on top of the pane, and a moving belt slides a light from one side of the machine to the other, scanning your document. 

Some flatbed scanners are as thin as an inch for easy storage. Pricewise, there's a drastic range. Some flatbed scanners can be purchased for as little as $40; others cost as much as $5,000. 

Key features to look for:

  • Speed: Consider the number of pages the scanner can process per minute. Approximately 60 or more pages per minute is considered fast.
  • Maximum paper size: Not all flatbed scanners can accommodate documents that are bigger than the standard paper size of 8.5 x 11 inches.
  • Resolution: Flatbed scanners are known for exporting high-quality scans, but that is not universally the case. Check the scanners specs. A dpi of 600 is standard, but if you'll be scanning photos, you'll want a higher dpi. 

Sheetfed scanners

Sheetfed scanners pull documents in from a feeder tray and push them across an imaging sensor before exporting them to an output tray. If you have a lot of single-page documents to scan, some sheetfed scanners can hold a stack of documents and quickly scan them without user assistance. 

You can typically purchase a good sheetfed scanner for as little as $50. Some cost thousands of dollars, but unless you have a big business that will be scanning thousands of documents, a sheetfed scanner in the $100 to $200 range should work well and last a while. 

Key features to look for: 

  • Versatility: Add a flatbed scanner conversion kit for scanning smaller documents such as receipts, passports, bound media and photo identification.
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi direct functionality is ideal for larger offices where several people will share the scanner.
  • Speed: Like flatbed scanners, you need something that's fast, especially if you will be scanning a lot. 

Portable scanners

Portable scanners offer a compact option for digitizing documents. They are ideal for people who are on the go, be it traveling for business or working from co-working spaces. While portable scanners typically have a lower resolution than flatbed and sheetfed models, they are suitable for a range of intended uses, such as scanning receipts, invoices, drawings, etc. 

Key features to look for: 

  • Size: Unless the scanner easily fits into a backpack, don't waste your money on large, bulky units. With portable scanners, you want compact and light.
  • Scanning area size: Consider your scanning needs. A lot of portable scanners can accommodate standard paper sizes, which is a wonderful feature considering their compact size.
  • Cloud connectivity: Look for a portable scanner that connects to the cloud, as it will make your life a lot easier.

Additional scanners include drum scanners and photo scanners, which are ideal for photographers and graphic designers but not for the average office that has standard documents to scan. Quality drum scanners are very expensive. On the low end of the price scale, a good drum scanner typically costs $15,000. Low-end photo scanners can cost as little as $100, but if it has a built-in printer, the ink can get pricey. 

Another type of scanner you may have heard of is a handheld scanner. Handheld scanners aren't ideal for the typical office. They require the user to manually scan documents by dragging the scanner over a document. With handheld scanners, one little twitch of your hand can ruin your scan.

Adam C. Uzialko contributed to the reporting and writing in this article.

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