There are two most widely used open source CRM software - SugarCRM and vTiger CRM. There has been much altercation over the fact that vTiger will become the SugarCRM alternative in the CRM space. vtiger CRM was actually forked from Sugar CRM designed to create a fully open source CRM that would offer functionality comparable to salesforce.com. vtiger has undergone significant improvements over the years and is one of the leading CRM software now. Although vTiger shares several common features with Sugar, it includes a few propriety extensions. We decided to bring the two major open source CRM solutions face-to-face.

When comparing between Sugar CRM and vtiger CRM it needs to be taken into account that the later is designed to fit the small and medium organizations. Let's have an comparative overview before moving onto core competencies.

Sugar CRM offers wide ranging feature-set for business processes, focusing on marketing effectiveness, enhancement of sales performance, and providing executive insight into business performance. The CRM solution is a preferred choice for organizations of all sizes across a broad range of industries for its collaboration and administration capabilities to adapt how their company operates.  Sugar's mobile solutions translates to less downtime and greater productivity. With the Flexible Delivery Model, there are no constraints around deployment.   SugarCRM is based on the open source LAMPS platform: Linux or Windows, Apache or IIS, MySQL, PHP, and SugarCRM. Moreover, Sugar CRM integrates e-mail and calendar information with Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, and several additional email clients. This ensures that the company's  communications are centralized and always coordinated.

vtiger has been designed to manage Inventory Management activities effectively, including sales force,  marketing automation, customer support and service, and procurement. In vtiger the software such as Apache, MySQL, and PHP are integrated. The executables in vtiger are available for both Linux and WIndows operating systems. vtiger provides open source add-ons for Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla/Thunderbird, Microsoft Word, and Customer Portal. These make it more user-friendly for the end-users. The CRM software allows pre-sales and post-sales activities to be integrated in a single application.

1. Your Business is Open to the World 24/7, 365 Days a Year
Unlike your company's office that may be open from 8-5, Monday thru Friday, your company 's website is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There are many different time zones that may affect your business, which is why being on the web makes it time convenient for everyone.

2. It's Your Online Brochure / Catalog That Can Be Changed at Anytime
A website is easier, cheaper and quicker to update than print material. Its' capacities are almost limitless which allow you to provide users with more comprehensive information. This will save you money on printing and distribution costs as well.

3. Reach New Markets with a Global Audience
On the Internet, you aren't that local little business anymore. You have the potential to be seen by millions across the globe. Did you ever think your company would have the possibility of doing business around the world? Well, now you can. Without a doubt, the Internet is the most cost effective way to trade nationally and internationally.

CMS gives your organization complete control over your website

You will have the ability to update content, add pictures, links, news and even change or add more categories to your navigation bar! You will never have to worry about web developers' fees again!

What is a Content Management System?
A Content Management System (CMS) supports the creation, management, distribution and publishing of corporate information.

It covers the complete life cycle of the pages on your site, from providing simple tools to create the content, through to publishing and finally to archiving.

Generally, all the principles of design apply to any piece you may create. How you apply those principles determines how effective your design is in conveying the desired message and how attractive it appears. There is seldom only one correct way to apply each principle.

Balance
Try walking a long distance with a 2 pound bag of rocks in one hand and a 10 pound bag of marbles in the other. After awhile you’ll be wanting to shift your load around, putting a few marbles in the rock bag to balance your load, make it easier to walk. This is how balance works in design. Visual balance comes from arranging elements on the page so that no one section is heavier than the other. Or, a designer may intentionally throw elements out of balance to create tension or a certain mood.

Proximity / Unity
Observe a group of people in a room. You can often learn a lot about who is listening intently to another person, which are strangers, or who is ignoring who by how close together they sit or stand. In design, proximity or closeness creates a bond between people and between elements on a page. How close together or far apart elements are placed suggests a relationship (or lack of) between otherwise disparate parts. Unity is also achieved by using a third element to connect distant parts.

If you don’t hang around webmaster circles, you may not realise that HTML validation and CSS validation are controversial issues with some people. This article discusses some of the positions taken in these discussions to provide some perspectives on issues that have come increasingly to the fore in web development. Hopefully, the article will also provide a practical method that overworked webmasters can use to improve their website.

Some Background Information: What does Validating HTML or CSS Mean?

For those who are unfamiliar with what validating a web page (ie validating your HTML or CSS code) means, it basically refers to using a program or an online service to check that the web page that you created is free of errors.

In particular, an HTML validator checks to make sure the HTML code on your web page complies with the standards set by the W3 Consortium (the organisation that issues the HTML standards). There are various types of validators – some check only for errors, others also make suggestions about your code, telling you when a certain way of writing things might lead to (say) unexpected results.

Talk up your business - Wherever you go, talk about your business. And talk about your website. Tell engaging stories about how you helped your clients by building their business.

Go to online chat forums in your industry and post comments explaining tips and tricks of your trade or industry. Many people have gained valuable leads this way.