This is part 1 in an upcoming series about different values for specific industries relating to business file sharing features. This excludes Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and other personal storage solutions. There are many business-centric file storage and sharing applications available that offer similar features, but certain aspects will have more value depending on the industry of the business. We will go over them all and encourage you to add your thoughts in the comments below!
In this discussion we will explore how marketing and creative agencies value specific features of file sharing related to their industry. These service-based companies have an obvious need to send and receive digital files to clients. So what are 3 of the bigger values that agencies should consider when investing in a file sharing solution?
1 – Branding
Every agency knows the value of a strong company brand. After all, it is a service that most creative and marketing companies offer to their clients. So it should not be a surprise that having a fully branded file sharing solution is a top value for agencies. Companies should consider file sharing applications that offer customizations that include their logo, colors, website integration, domain mapping, and more. These are valuable places and items that clients (and potential clients) will see and interact with everyday. Branded file sharing is a value every service-based agency should consider.
What can be considered branding?
- Logo
- Colors
- Site Domain
- Links/Shares Domain
- SSL
- UI/CSS Customization
- Favicon
- Website Integrations
2 – Easy Client Access
Agencies should avoid any request for files or delivery involving instructions, or even worse downloading and installing new software. Agencies should seek solutions that are not only accessible through multiple protocols but also intuitive by design so they do not need explanation. Mobile access from any device is also a huge value and will continue to dominate access needs in the future. The overall ease-of-use and ability to access files without limitations is a definite value.
What are some questions to ask in regards to access?
- Can I use it on all my devices? (phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, etc.)
- Does my geographic location matter?
- Can I use more than a single protocol? (HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, WebDAV, etc.)
- Is the UI/UX intuitive so instruction is not required?
- Is there required software to install?
3 –Large File Handling
In the digital design and print industry that these agencies work in, huge files are commonplace. And videos that agencies produce can be enormous! Files so big that they cannot simply be delivered or received as regular email attachments. The ability to transfer large files is one of the main values of a business file sharing service. To receive and deliver big files on a reliable basis through a web interface is critical. The ability to use other methods such as FTP, HTML upload forms, anonymous link pages, and Microsoft Outlook add-ins for large file requests and transfers are also an added perk to have.
Besides email, what other ways can files be sent and received?
- HTML upload form
- FTP, FTPS, SFTP
- Anonymous URL from an application
- Password protected URL from an application
- Direct download URL
Those are 3 valuable features for marketing and creative agencies seeking business file sharing. There are plenty of other features that could be argued are more valuable, so let us hear about what you think. What are some values that you would look for in business file sharing (in relation to marketing and creative agencies)?