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Success in sales isn’t just about meeting quotas. It’s about fostering a culture where teams thrive, customers are delighted and growth is sustainable. Yet, many organizations struggle to strike the right balance between scaling their sales operations while ensuring the happiness and effectiveness of their teams.

So, how do organizations cultivate happy, scalable sales teams and strike the right balance for success? Some core elements contribute to a fulfilling and successful sales environment.

Related: Don’t Scale Your Sales Team Until You’ve Done These 4 Things

Defining “happy” in sales processes

All too often, when we meet with prospects, we encounter salespeople who feel overwhelmed by the pressures of their roles. The stress of meeting quotas and generating leads can take a toll on their well-being and effectiveness. Salespeople without clear direction and support from leadership cannot succeed. They may struggle to navigate these challenges effectively without guidance. Happiness in sales extends beyond hitting targets and growing the bottom line. Here are some of the competencies we’ve seen in happy, successful sales teams:

Individual/team effort and efficiency: How much effort does it take to get the deal done? Minimizing manual tasks and streamlining processes can help alleviate stress and improve productivity across the organization.

Transparency and support: Are sales reps given the direction and support they need to succeed and maintain traction? Obtaining clear guidance and resources from leadership is crucial to growth.

Sales cycle length: Is the sales cycle overly prolonged and unnecessarily complicated? By shortening the cycle through efficient processes and effective lead management, companies can reduce stress and increase success rates.

Leadership satisfaction: Are leaders equipped with the insights they need to make informed decisions? Having visibility into the sales pipeline and performance metrics is essential for effective planning and resource allocation.

Related: 4 Ways to Stop Getting Distracted and Start Hitting Goals

Addressing common sales pain points

We work across a very wide range of industries, everything from manufacturing, distribution, SaaS, finance, healthcare, environmental, professional services and a long list of many others. My company has visibility into multi-departmental and cross-departmental alignment (teams from 1 to 500-plus people), and let it be known — no two sales processes are the same, even when it is within the same industry targeting the same personas. The irony is regardless of size, there is this misconception that because an organization is large, they have everything organized, mapped out and process-driven. Simply put, that’s not always true. Think of it this way: more people, more moving parts, more risk — more room for error.

We see sales teams structure across territories, business development representatives (BDRs) versus account executives, and sales teams focused on channel versus direct, all of which influence the sales process, hand-off and efficiency for the likelihood to close. One of the best parts is because we are exposed to so many business models and processes, we get to see the best of the best and also easily identify how to improve someone’s process through automation.

When we get down to the root of the issue, many sales teams face common challenges that hinder their ability to reach their full potential. The most common ones we see are:

Sales and marketing misalignment: Miscommunication and friction between sales and marketing teams can lead to missed opportunities and finger-pointing, and no one wants that. Open dialogue and collaboration are key to bridging this gap.

Lack of transparency and reporting: Without robust reporting systems, sales teams may struggle to track progress and identify areas for improvement or clear trajectories for closing deals faster. Transparency in reporting fosters accountability and enables data-driven decision-making on both the marketing and sales sides.

Resistance to automation: Some sales teams resist adopting automation tools for fear of added complexity or a belief that it will replace human interaction. However, automation can streamline processes, free up time for more meaningful interactions with customers and focus on things a machine cannot do, like close the deal.

Strategies for scaling sales success

It saddens me to see talented individuals facing such challenges because they are good salespeople. There is something special about sales. I love their ability to connect with others, come from a place of help in the sales process, and sell collaboratively as a team. They have a super special people-focused gift, and I love to see them flourish and thrive in their roles.

The concept of success is to remove any frustrating friction points or manual tasks that suck the life out of that salesperson’s main focus, closing the deal. They are measured and paid for this. If you want to lose a great salesperson, watch them continue to miss quotas, become frustrated because they aren’t reaching their financial targets and leave to go to another organization. Things like updating properties in a CRM, manually adding a new lead, sending a reminder email without automation, follow-up documentation, enrolling them in your marketing materials, and so, so many other things that quite frankly distract and wear down a salesperson.

I’ve seen thriving salespeople succeed in one organization with structure and move to another and miss quotas monthly because they were not given access to the same tools. To build a happy, scalable sales team, organizations should consider the following strategies to keep everyone focused on the big picture —happiness.

1. Start with setting clear goals: As an organization, defining clear, measurable goals and regularly communicating them to the team is by far the most common misstep we see in organizations. Many times, it can seem like two organizations are functioning within one organization if this is not followed. Teams should break down larger objectives into smaller, actionable steps to keep everyone aligned and on track.
2. Openly embrace technology: Teams and individuals should leverage automation tools and CRM platforms to streamline processes, improve efficiency and enhance visibility into the sales pipeline. This is not designed to replace humans but to augment activity.
3. Encourage cross-departmental collaboration: Foster a culture of collaborative team selling between sales and marketing teams. By encouraging open communication, knowledge sharing, and alignment on goals and objectives, organizations can reach goals faster, with less stress and greater rewards. Some examples include adding infrastructure that encourages shared reporting, dashboards, and weekly alignment meetings across teams.
4. Invest in continual training and development: Organizations should provide ongoing training and development opportunities to empower sales reps with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. These can be done through internal resources or a third party. Training should not be one-and-done.
5. Prioritize personal well-being: It’s crucial to recognize the importance of work-life balance and prioritize the well-being of sales team members. Companies can do this by celebrating successes, providing support and offering resources for managing stress and maintaining mental health. It goes a long way in finding happiness inside and outside of work.

Remember, building happy, scalable sales teams requires a combination of clearly defined goals, effective ongoing communication, technological innovation and a supportive, open culture. Organizations that face addressing common pain points head-on and implementing proactive strategies can create an environment where sales teams thrive, customers are delighted, and business growth is sustainable (while still tracking up). It’s time to unlock the full potential of your sales team and drive success in the competitive marketplace.

The very definition of entrepreneurship implies many twists and turns. Founders start companies based on an idea, form a business plan around what they believe that concept’s future to be, press their foot down on the gas pedal and off they go. Along the journey, founders are forced to make many quick but impactful decisions with limited resources and foggy knowledge about how their outcomes will play out. Essentially, they are building the base of a house, having no idea what its roof will eventually look like.

Many of these early-stage decisions are foundational and become even more significant as the company itself matures. Due to arbitrary and self-imposed goals and timelines, founders may overlook critical components to building a lasting business. Haste can be met with regret later on in the company lifecycle, costing time, human and financial resources and, potentially, the company. In fact, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 10% of startups fail within the first year. However, that percentage increases over time, with an eventual long-term failure rate of 90%. Ultimately, the choices we make today could take years to manifest, and the results could prove detrimental.

Related: I Made These 3 Big Mistakes When Starting a Business — Here’s What I Learned From Them

Here are eight critical actions that founders overlook when starting their companies:

1. Properly forming their company under the right structure

There are multiple structures that companies can take early on, including an LLC, C-Corp and S-Corp. Each has its own advantages and limitations, and it is important that founders match their company structure with their financing and tax goals. For example, an LLC would be a structure amenable to a convertible note and consisting of private investors. To properly determine the best structure for their enterprise, founders should outline their investment strategy and consult an attorney versed in company formation.

2. Protecting their IP

Intellectual property should be protected at the onset of company formation and certainly before a product is launched in market. Companies should solicit an IP attorney to trademark the company and product names, logo designs and any defensible product designs. In addition, especially for technology companies, patents should be filed prior to product launch. While the costs may seem expensive, especially early on, IP can end up being the primary source of value for a company later on.

3. Creating a proper board of advisors

While the foundation stage may seem premature to acquire a board of advisors, it could actually prove advantageous and even critical. The reality is founders alone cannot cover all of the skill sets and experience bases needed to ensure a positive future outcome. Even at the earliest funding stages, “team” is a core component to investors betting on a company’s success. Advisors can fill in the skill gaps that are initially missing and serve as an important determinant of an investor’s choice to invest. Therefore, founders should assess their teams’ competencies and deficiencies and officially onboard advisors to fill in those experiences/skill gaps.

1. Determining the right financing strategy. It’s commonly assumed that venture capital is the holy grail of investment and that the most successful companies build themselves by securing VC money. VC money is great for certain companies, but there are also restrictions — once a company secures VC money, it then has external entities owning a good portion of its equity, and those entities subsequently have a strong say in the decision-making process going forward. Some companies may want to grow at a different pace than VCs would demand, resulting in a mismatch. As a founder, it is important to properly identify how success is determined for the company — asking yourself what growth looks like and how much of the company you are willing to part with in the long term.
2. Evaluating founding team dynamics and identifying the gaps. While advisors may fill in certain near-term skill gaps, the reality is they are not working full-time at the company. Therefore, it is important to identify current and future skill gaps among the founding/executive team, outline the roles that are needed to fill them and create a timeline to hire. Some may not be necessary until the next round of financing, and others may be immediate.
3. Assessing the current macro environment. While a founder may have the most innovative idea on the planet, the current macroeconomic environment may not be amenable to supporting it. It is important to review the broader macro environment with regard to receptivity to your product or service and the environment in general. For example, the market may be ripe for an offering, but the funding environment as a whole may have dried up. A realistic assessment will enable a founder to create a more realistic growth plan.
4. Paving their path to market. Founders can become so enamored with their product or service that they forget to assess how they will let others know about it. It is important for a new business to clearly identify its core customer target and its total addressable market to understand how much it will cost and how much time it will take to acquire those customers.
5. Determining their long-term commitment/investment. Jeff Bezos stated, “All overnight success takes about 10 years.” This could not be more accurate. Entrepreneurs read the shiny social media accounts of the companies that immediately skyrocket and experience a rapid hockey stick growth curve and expect that success, but success takes time. So early on, founders need to assess their own personal time horizons and determine how long they are committed to their endeavors. Part of this may be their own personal commitment, especially if they have a family. Part of it may be financial —as a founder, knowing your personal financial runway is critical. Hiring an outside executive coach and even a therapist can help to better navigate these life waters.

Related: Don’t Overlook This Crucial Business Function If You Want Your Startup to Succeed

John Wooden, coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team, who is considered the greatest coach in NCAA history, taught his players how to put their shoes and socks on in a very specific manner. When asked why, he stated, “The little things matter. All I need is one little wrinkle in one sock to put a blister on one foot and it could ruin my whole season.” Winning the entrepreneurship game starts with intention, founders doing everything they can to purposefully put themselves in the best position for success. Beyond that comes a bit of luck and a lot of fortitude, but it starts with proper preparation.

A recent report from the Charles Butt Foundation clearly indicates that many experienced and novice educators are leaving the profession due to a myriad of factors. For instance, today’s educators face strict scrutiny about what they teach, how they teach it and what materials they assign, especially in light of record-breaking book bans. Faculty and staff shoulder similar pressures in higher education where work life tends to be student-centered, team-oriented and results-driven, requiring employees to labor long hours, wear multiple hats, juggle competing priorities and go above the call of duty.

As if that’s not enough, reports show that approximately two-thirds of education professionals feel undervalued, unappreciated and underpaid, which compromises their sense of belonging at work (hereafter, workplace belonging) and leads to burnout. Consequently, they silently resign, stay with little motivation or leave the profession altogether.

In this article, we offer a perspective on workplace belonging, explain how it is linked to key outcomes in all business sectors and present several actionable steps or promising practices for recruiting and retaining diverse professionals, while also fostering belonging and success as leaders. This is particularly relevant for those who lead education at the K-12 and higher education levels, but may also prove useful to corporate leaders and entrepreneurs in business, government, medicine and technology, to name a few.

Related: The 3 Pillars Your Company Needs to Cultivate a Culture of Belonging

Workplace belonging — A primer

Workplace belonging refers to the sense of connection and acceptance employees feel within a work environment. It involves feeling valued, respected and included while also being able to fully participate and contribute to the organization, according to sources. Belonging is one of five essential workplace qualities that ensure workers’ psychological health and well-being, according to APA’s 2023 Work in America Survey. Figure 1 presents a visual summary.

Whether at home, school or work, a sense of belonging is a basic need, a human right. It’s a universal motive sufficient to drive behaviors — that is, people do something to satisfy their urgent need to belong. They may join a club (e.g., employee resource groups), go back to school, seek new employment or dye their hair blue. The weight of empirical evidence shows that belonging is context-dependent, meaning that its value and significance rely, in part, on the background or situation in which it is used for proper interpretation. So, though related, school belonging is not the same as general belongingness or workplace belonging.

When employees experience a sense of belonging in the workplace, it creates a positive work environment that fosters collaboration, innovation and productivity. Feeling valued and accepted allows individuals to bring their authentic selves to work, leading to increased engagement, cooperation, help-seeking (and giving) and commitment to their tasks and employing organization. On the flip side, lack of belonging is a top driver contributing to the Great Resignation, according to expert sources.

The Great Places to Work study discovered several positive outcomes consistently associated with workplace belonging. For instance, employees who rate higher on workplace belonging also tend to feel better about their jobs and work cooperatively with others. Four key results from the study that relate to the present topic include: (Employees who experience true belonging are…)

• 3x more likely to look forward to work

• 3x more likely to say their workplace is fun

• 9x as likely to believe people are treated equitably

• 5x more likely to stick around

Research has shown that a strong sense of workplace belonging can have significant positive gains, especially for education personnel. It can lead to increased job satisfaction and work-related happiness, which can result in higher productivity and lower burnout. It can also foster deeper institutional commitment, leading to less turnover, more stability and greater creativity and innovation.

In short, the key to workplace belonging is trust, and trust is defined as a foundational building block for culture. It depends, in part, on staff knowing your intentions, believing your commitments and understanding your behaviors. Boosting employees’ sense of belonging at work takes time, and thus, belonging is built at the speed of trust.

Related: How Leaders Can Foster a Sense of Belonging in the Workplace — and Why It’s Important

Ways to recruit, retain and regain employees

Building a culture of belonging requires a proactive approach from organizational leaders and managers. It involves creating an inclusive environment where every employee feels valued, respected and supported. Here are some strategies organizations can implement to foster workplace belonging for staff and broaden professional pipelines:

Cultivate psychological safety using a variety of evidence-based, proven strategies:

Psychological safety refers to feeling able to speak up freely, ask questions, make mistakes and take risks without fear of judgment, negative consequences or retaliation. Promising practices include active listening, open dialogue, “no-judgment” zones and creating “brave spaces” where diverse perspectives are celebrated though they courageously challenge the majority. When employees feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work, they thrive and flourish.

Offer equitable pay and financial incentives to help attract, (re)gain and retain diverse, talented educators and employees:

For example, ZipRecruiter reports the average teacher salary in Texas is $41,544, ranging from as low as $19,565 to well over $64,000, which means some public school teachers are paid less than a living wage. District leaders, administrators and policymakers must advocate for higher, more equitable pay for such teachers — it’s hard to feel like you matter and belong when you’re not compensated fairly for the work you do. Financial incentives like salary raises, relocation assistance, tuition reimbursement, paid time off and signing bonuses can go a long way in improving the perception of prospective staff.

Foster an inclusive culture of acceptance and respect to ensure staff can show up authentically and feel safe and secure at work:

By authentic, we mean freely expressing oneself without fear of judgment or pressure to alter one’s true identity to fit in. Leaders might consider creating ERGs for underrepresented groups, book clubs and/or offer training about positive workplace culture to ensure psychological and physical safety and security across and within teams.

Encourage employees to share their work with broader audiences:

We’ve both had times where excitement about sharing our work with broader audiences was viewed by “them” as far more personal than professional. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Teachers and other educators presenting at conferences, speaking on podcasts, writing op-eds and selling books benefit both the individual and the employing institution. Sure, these activities can help raise the visibility of the educator, and that makes a lot of sense. But they also improve the visibility and reputation of the institution.

For instance, after speaking at conferences, we’ve heard from prospective students expressing strong interest in our campuses. Worried parents have reached out on LinkedIn, excited to know that their student “finally has someone” they can depend upon. And as if that’s not enough, we both regularly get calls from colleagues who see this “good work” and, consequently, want to apply for jobs at our institutions, although neither of us has ever worked in HR. By engaging in public-facing work, employees become pro bono recruiters and ambassadors, representing the brand to their trusted networks.

With all of this in mind, we advise leaders to recognize the value of such activities when recruiting new staff, reviewing job applications and interviewing candidates who might bring much-needed transferable skills from broadcasting, non-profit, social media and other fields to the organization. On the other hand, in terms of retaining effective educators, we recommend encouraging and celebrating these activities by posting their work on social media, sharing it in monthly newsletters and highlighting it in faculty/staff meetings. These highly effective practices do several things.

First, they authorize engagement in such activities. Second, they signal the importance of this work and demonstrate that you see its connection to the mission. Lastly, they communicate publicly that this work is seen, supported and valued by leadership, thereby encouraging transparency and boosting one’s sense of belonging, which is a win-win for everyone.

Related: How to Create a Workplace Culture Where Everyone Feels Like They Belong

As consultants, we work with leaders across the globe. In a recent meeting with one of the largest online programs in the United States, we asked the leadership team to share advice they would offer other leaders to improve workplace conditions. They recommended:

• Creating healthy work conditions to reduce, if not eliminate, work-related anxiety and stress: Healthy employees are happy employees. Promising practices for promoting health and well-being at work include Zoom-Free Fridays, paid time off, mental health days and on-the-job wellness initiatives such as yoga, chair massages and walking meetings, just to mention a few.

• Acknowledging that educators and other staff manage various responsibilities from advising to assessment, planning to pedagogy: These responsibilities take a large amount of time and energy. There may be days when an email might not be answered within 48 hours, a call might not be returned on the same day or staff might take a day off for mental health reasons. While these situations are not ideal, they reflect the real-life challenges people face in balancing their professional and personal duties. Honoring the complexity of people’s lives begs a shift in perspective, one that prioritizes grace over guilt, patience over perfection.

• Taking time to pause and celebrate small wins: Too many leaders fall into the trap of celebrating individual or team success at the end of the project, missing opportunities to celebrate multiple milestones along the journey. Leaders can celebrate the journey through simple gestures such as a handwritten note to an employee citing specific examples of excellence, a letter nominating them for an award or a gift card to one’s favorite restaurant or store. These small gestures act as “fuel stations,” boosting morale, increasing confidence and keeping everyone motivated.

In today’s climate, K-12 and postsecondary educators face many challenges that can compromise their work, health and well-being. They are not alone, as most, if not all, of these issues challenge workers in other fields, too. Let’s be clear: Workplace belonging is an important part of the formula to improve efficiency, morale and productivity. To foster feelings of belonging, leaders must do the hard work, which requires prioritization and planning to satisfy people’s need to feel seen, supported and valued at work.

Remember: Belonging is not magic, but it can produce magical results. Presto!

This article was co-authored with J’Quen Johnson, Ph.D. candidate at the University of the Cumberlands and Director of Research at Do Good Work Consulting.

Did you know that, according to Vox, the average person spends around 45 hours per year just searching for something to watch? With so many streaming platforms and an overwhelming amount of content, it’s easy to fall into the trap of decision fatigue.

With this clever BitMar platform, you can significantly cut that time down. It’s a streaming content finder that brings everything you want to watch into one place—so you can stop scrolling and start streaming. But it’s not a gathering place for the paid apps you already have.

BitMar is an aggregator that helps you find free movies, TV shows, channels, and music from across the web—without any ads or sketchy sites. It brings you the best of what’s already available for free. While many are cutting the cable cord and relying mainly on free content, sifting through countless sites can be frustrating and time-consuming.

This service finds and organizes free content from across the web and delivers it in a user-friendly interface. Unlike regular search engines, BitMar is powered by Bing, but it goes beyond standard algorithms. You even have access to global content, which means you’ll be able to discover international shows and movies, too.

Its internal algorithms are fine-tuned to filter and target already-free streaming content only, whether it’s a movie, TV show, or music video. BitMar even allows you to enjoy YouTube content without ads—a feature you’d usually need to pay for with YouTube Premium.

Rest assured that BitMar operates completely within legal boundaries, adhering to copyright laws and fair use guidelines, the company says. You won’t have to worry about shady business.

Whether you’re a professional who needs background music while working or a movie buff looking for hidden gems, BitMar is the perfect solution to simplify and expand your streaming experience.

Get a lifetime BitMar Streaming Content-Finder subscription for just $19.99 (reg. $150) for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

HBO’s new documentary “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery” claims to have unearthed the identity of the elusive creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto.

The film suggests that Canadian Bitcoin Core developer Peter Todd is actually Nakamoto, though Todd called the claims “ludicrous.”

“I am not Satoshi Nakamoto,” he told the BBC.

Related: Jack Dorsey Showed Up to the Super Bowl Rocking a ‘Satoshi’ T-Shirt

Todd argues that the documentary could compromise his safety—Satoshi Nakamoto is potentially the 20th richest global entity, with a Bitcoin wallet worth more than $65 billion.

Crypto sites are also critical of the news. CoinTelegraph said the documentary is flawed with “contradictions and timeline errors,” noting that HBO seems to have taken it too seriously when Todd sarcastically remarks that he is Satoshi in the film.

Bloomberg reports that the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto has been a topic of investigation since at least 2011. A physicist named Dorian Nakamoto denied being Satoshi after Newsweek made the claim in 2014. The next year, the New York Times suggested it could be Nick Szabo, a computer scientist.

Related: Mark Cuban Says He’s Received ‘Multiple Questions’ From Kamala Harris About Crypto

Todd, meanwhile, isn’t the only person (jokingly or not) to say that they were the Bitcoin inventor: In March, a U.K. judge ruled that Australian Craig Wright was not Bitcoin’s creator after he proclaimed himself to be Satoshi Nakamoto.

In Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery is available to stream on Max.

In May, Melinda French Gates resigned as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and announced that she was dedicating $1 billion over the next two years to women’s organizations.

On Wednesday, part of that vision unfolded — French Gates launched Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million fund for non-profits supporting women’s mental and physical health across the globe.

“Women’s health continues to be an afterthought, and it’s impacting the health of our families, our communities, our economies,” French Gates said in a promotional video for the fund. “Thankfully there are so many amazing organizations around the world working to change that.”

^{Melinda French Gates. Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic}

Action for Women’s Health will help fund grassroots organizations tackling women’s health issues, French Gates explained. Each awardee will receive between $1 million and $5 million and undergo multiple rounds of review before securing the funding. Winners will be announced by the end of next year.

Related: Melinda French Gates Reveals Her Next Move After Leaving Gates Foundation: ‘Set Your Own Agenda or Someone Else Will Set It For You’

Here’s what the fund is looking for and how to apply.

Who Should Apply

Applicants must focus on women’s mental or physical health and meet four criteria: Be impactful, scalable, equitable, and feasible.

Impact, for example, is measured by the non-profit’s demonstrated contributions. A score of 1 would be no contributions and an ineffective, impractical approach while a score of 5 would be earned through examples of contributions, and an approach with proven effectiveness.

An organizational readiness tool is available to help applicants assess if they meet the requirements. The form goes through criteria like who can apply — individuals, for-profits, LLCs, and B-Corps are not eligible.

It also asks if the non-profit’s central focus is women’s mental or physical health and if they have at least two years of audited financial records, in addition to other questions.

How to Apply

Action for Women’s Health is now accepting applications, due by January 10, 2025. Organizations have to register their intent to apply by December 3, 2024.

Related: Melinda French Gates Says This Mindset Hack Helped Her Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Five years from now, 94% of marketers think that links will continue to be a ranking factor in Google algorithms.

However, many companies offering link-building services engage in questionable practices, such as selling links from manipulated or low-quality websites. These links can not only fail to provide value but may also harm the website receiving them. Therefore, it’s essential to exercise caution when hiring an external partner for link building.

So, here are a few key tips to help SaaS businesses get the maximum from their link-building efforts.

Related: 10 Powerful Link-Building Tactics for Boosting Your Website’s SEO

1. Take metrics with a grain of salt

It’s crucial to approach metrics with skepticism. Website owners often inflate numbers like Domain Rating (DR). You might see a DR of 70, but in reality, the website holds little to no authority in Google’s eyes. Of course, that’s not always the case. In reality, Domain Rating correlates with higher rankings

While metrics can be useful, especially when sorting through large lists of websites, don’t rely on them alone. Always look deeper into the site’s real quality.

2. Organic traffic for real keywords is key

Pay attention to the keywords a website ranks for. Ideally, the site you’re getting backlinks from should have organic traffic, which shows Google values it. More importantly, the traffic should come from relevant, industry-specific keywords. Some sites may rank for irrelevant terms like “celebrity news” despite being in a completely different niche — or worse, they may use fake traffic. Always ensure the keywords are a good fit for your business.

3. Get links from real businesses

The best way to determine if a website is worth getting a backlink from is to see if it’s a real business. Many sites exist solely to sell links and are often just link farms. Focus on acquiring links from legitimate businesses, as these are the ones that offer the most value.

4. Use internal links

Let’s face it — quality link building is hard. And if you find it hard to get backlinks to your service or landing pages, start by linking to your blog posts instead. Then, use internal linking across your site to ensure link equity flows throughout your pages. Without proper internal linking, you won’t fully benefit from the backlinks you’re building.

Related: Top 8 Backlink Strategies to Boost Your Traffic

5. Prioritize links to target pages

When building backlinks, your main focus should be on your money-making pages. Links to these pages are critical. If you’re working with an agency, ensure they are targeting specific commercial pages. Even if you’re only getting a couple of links per page per month, if they’re targeted, it’s highly effective.

6. Optimize anchors

Anchor text optimization is essential. From my experience, optimized anchor texts perform very well. If you’re hiring an agency, send them a list of preferred anchor texts along with your target pages, so they can focus on both elements.

7. Focus on do-follow links

There’s ongoing debate about the impact of no-follow links on rankings. While no-follow links have some influence, it’s hard to quantify. Based on my observations, they seem to be about 30-50% as effective as do-follow links. In a LinkedIn poll I conducted, 43% of participants believed no-follow links were 25% or less effective than do-follow. However, keep in mind that many respondents may not have had enough experience, so their opinions are just that — opinions.

8. Get listed on the top of listicle posts

There are countless “comparison” and “alternatives” pages for popular tools, generating significant search volumes. For instance, searches like “Canva alternatives” are common. If your product is in a competitive niche, you want to be featured as the number one option on these pages created by bloggers and websites. Not only will you gain valuable backlinks, but you’ll also get more clicks and recommendations as the top alternative, greatly boosting your link-building efforts.

This also creates a snowball effect. Future writers and bloggers working on alternatives for that specific tool will often reference existing lists. When they see your product featured prominently, they’re more likely to include it in their own lists, further amplifying your exposure and link-building efforts.

9. Outsource to the right company

According to some research, 56% of SaaS marketing departments utilize a combination of in-house and outsourced staff to reach their marketing objectives.

When selecting a company, make sure they specialize in link building for SaaS and deliver high-quality work, as word of mouth and testimonials can be very effective indicators of their reliability.

Related: How to Shake Up a Stale Link Building Strategy

In summary, while links remain vital for SEO, it’s crucial to prioritize quality over quantity. Focus on securing high-quality backlinks that directly target your key pages, using optimized anchor texts to make a meaningful impact. Your link-building strategy should align with your overall branding strategy to maximize effectiveness. By being selective and strategic in your approach, you can build a robust link profile that genuinely enhances your SaaS business’s online presence.

It doesn’t take a deep dive into statistics to figure out that when you’re comfortable at your desk, everything else just flows. Productivity rises, creativity blossoms, and the workday ultimately becomes more manageable.

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The town of Canton, Connecticut, population 10,124, has been trialing a four-day workweek for its employees for nearly a month — and so far, it’s been a success.

On September 16, the town’s non-unionized employees who work in the town hall, social services, and senior services began getting Fridays off.

“I wanted to find a work-life balance for my employees because I think that if you can take care of your personal items at home and you’re not worried about making appointments and taking care of your kids, etc, then you’ll be more laser-focused at work,” Canton’s First Selectman Kevin Witkos told WTNH News on Monday.

He added that town employees on the four-day schedule “love it” and “the feedback has been great” from residents.

Related: This Country Just Implemented a 6-Day Workweek for Employees

Town hall employees now work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and work an extra hour on Wednesday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Senior and social services employees’ new schedule is from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Administrators in the town’s Department of Public Works and Police Department are also taking part in the four-day workweek, per Witkos. The trial period lasts four months, until January.

Canton joins other Connecticut towns, including Plainville, Redding, and Mansfield in implementing a four-day workweek.

Related: Samsung Makes 6-Day Workweeks Mandatory for Executives

Meanwhile, Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor told Kevin O’Leary in July that the company implemented a 4-day workweek and they’re “very productive” within those four days.

“I love the fact that the people at our company have interests,” Taylor said.

Most people are willing to work more hours Monday through Thursday if they get Friday off. According to a November 2023 Gallup poll, 77% of the U.S. workforce are in favor of a 40-hour, 4-day workweek and say it would positively affect their well-being.

The four-day workweek has also had proven outcomes. In June 2021, 70 companies in the UK experimented with it for six months. The majority found that business productivity was about the same or slightly higher than it was with a standard five-day week.

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan told The Verge in June that AI can help cut the workweek to three or four days.

“Why not spend more time with your family?” Yuan said. “Why not focus on some more creative things, giving you back your time, giving back to the community and society to help others, right? Today, the reason why we cannot do that is because every day is busy, five days a week. It’s boring.”

Related: Can’t Afford a 4-day Workweek? Try a 35-hour One Instead