SRS Computing | Blog

22 Must-Have Funeral Home Website Features for 2022

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 15:22:00 GMT

It’s 2022. If you haven’t realized it already, it’s time to understand the importance of your funeral home website for your firm and community. From making funeral plans and paying the expenses to expressing condolences and learning about coping with grief, your website can do it all and so much more.

Want to learn how? See how you can take your funeral home website to the next level in 2022 with these 22 must-have features.

Create the Ultimate Interactive Obituary Experience .
Give your families a space to grieve their loss, show their support, and honor their loved one with interactive memorial walls. With features for expressing condolences, posting photos, and sharing memories, everyone can heal and remember their loved one.
Make Ordering Funeral and Sympathy Flowers Easy with an Online Store.
By having an online store built directly onto your website, families can conveniently order funeral and sympathy flowers while visiting their loved one’s memorial page.
Spread the Word About a Loved One’s Passing Through Social Sharing.
With easy social sharing, you can let your families share their loved one’s obituary and condolences on social media to spread the word about their passing.
Support Families Through Crowdfunding Campaigns.
Another way to let families show their support is to have the option to donate to a funeral crowdfunding campaign directly on their loved one’s memorial wall.
Include Your General Price List (GPL) on Your Funeral Home Website.
Along with a breakdown of your products and services, you should include your GPL to be transparent with your families and build trusting relationships with them.
Let Families Pay Directly on Your Website with an Online Payment Center.
Many families want the convenience of online payments, so you can give them this with an online payment center for credit card payments and more .
Give Your Families an Easy-to-Navigate Design on Any Device.
No one wants to waste time finding what information they need, especially while at-need planning, so make sure your website is easy to navigate of any device.
Have Forms for Families to Easily Enter Their Information.
Instead of families calling your firm for everything they need, have forms that families can submit for preplanning, downloading resources, and more.
Put Your Contact Information in an Easy-to-Locate Spot.
If families want to call or visit your firm, don’t make it difficult for them to locate this information. Along with a Contact Us page, you should also include this information on your homepage.
Provide Your Community with Grief and Funeral Planning Resources.
Your website can be like an online library for families to learn about funeral planning and grief. For example, create a Resources page for your content and link to any other educational resources.
Help Families Grieve and Stay Informed Through Email Subscriptions.
Without any work required from your employees, let your families sign up for email subscriptions directly on your website, such as for grief support and obituary notifications.
Share Frequently Asked Questions with Your Community.
Many times, your employees repeatedly answer the same questions from families. To eliminate some of these repetitive questions, have a FAQ section on your website.
Post Useful Information on Your Website’s Blog.
Your firm’s website should have a blog for regularly sharing content about preplanning, at-need planning, personalizing a funeral, grieving, memorialization, and more.
Secure Your Website with a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate.
Giving your families a secure connection when entering sensitive information on your website is a must-have. To do this, your website should have an SSL Certificate.
Eliminate Spam Through Sophisticated Spam Filters.
Eliminate spam comments and messages with sophisticated spam filters. This way, grieving families don’t have the added pain of rude comments.
Develop an SEO Strategy to Get Found by More Families Online.
Make sure your website gets found by more families online by including things like meta descriptions for your webpages and keywords.
Design a Logo that Represents Your Firm’s Brand.
Your logo should be visually appealing and reflect your firm’s brand. If it’s been a while since you’ve revisited your logo design, it’s probably time to explore some new ideas.
Tell Your Families About Your Firm’s History, Employees, and Mission.
Your families want to know the people behind your firm and what you stand for , so make sure to include things like your firm’s mission to serve families, history in your community, and employee bios to help them better understand your goals.
Take Professional Pictures of Your Firm and Merchandise.
If your website photos are low quality, this can reflect negatively on your business. To prevent this, draw families to your firm by taking professional photos of your facility and merchandise.
Showcase Testimonials from Your Firm’s Client Families.
Give your community real-life examples of positive experiences families had working with your firm, whether they’re text or video-based testimonials.
Route Families to the Funeral Location Through Text Directions.
One way to make things easier for families is to have a tool directly on your website for sending directions to the funeral or graveside service right to their phones.
Integrate with Your Other Favorite Funeral Technology Solutions.
Lastly, your funeral home website should integrate with your other funeral technology solutions to save you time, such as your case management software and marketing automation software.

Take your firm to the next level in 2022 by upgrading to an SRS Website. Click h ere to book a free demo .

How to Take Your Firm to the Next Level in 2022

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 13:35:38 GMT

2021 was a revolutionary year for the funeral industry, but in 2022, it’s time to take it to the NEXT LEVEL.

If you haven’t already, now is the time more than ever to embrace the mobile revolution . With a little help from your technology solutions, you can meet your families’ needs anytime, anywhere while creating a faster and simpler process for your firm.

For the sake of time, we’ll focus on three important aspects of your firm:

Funeral Options
Business Management
Aftercare

2022 is already here , so there’s no time to waste. Let’s start with funeral options.

Take Your Funeral Options to the Next Level: Give Families Online Choices

Families want online options. It’s as simple as that. They’re used to it now, so they won’t settle for anything less. The pandemic showed them that a lot of their in-person tasks can be accomplished online in less time, such as:

Using an app to place your grocery order ahead of time instead of wandering the store.
Scanning your check with your mobile device and depositing it without ever leaving your couch. Or simply entering your credit card number online and pressing submit.
Having virtual appointments with your doctor, accountant, and other professionals instead of meeting in person.

You can apply these same concepts to the funeral industry. Instead of meeting with families in person for every task, some things can be done virtually, such as selecting their funeral options on your website through a pre-planning form, signing forms, collecting files, making the payment virtually , and meeting through video chat.

Of course, this doesn’t replace in-person meetings. The purpose of these features is to take tedious tasks like filling out paperwork and swiping credit cards to a virtual environment. This way, you can save in-person meetings for building more meaningful connections with your families.

So going back to the question, how can you take your funeral options to the next level in 2022? Give families more online choices. Instead of driving to your firm to pay for the expenses, sign a form, or give you documents, let them do it virtually in a matter of seconds. Not to mention that this is more secure than documenting things on paper.

Take Your Business Management to the Next Level: Say Hello to Case Management Software

Do you want to way to offer your families everything we’ve just covered and more all in one place? Say hello to funeral home case management software.

As the popular saying goes, behind every successful funeral director is a turnkey case management system. Okay, maybe people don’t go around saying that, but they should because it’s true. Without an organized and easy-to-access system, your firm couldn’t function.

But you can’t use just any system. Meet 9Online , the funeral industry’s elite management software. Instead of using third-party integrations that cost you more time and money, it has built-in features for signing forms electronically, collecting the payment virtually, communicating with families in a safe, virtual environment, and so much more .

Take Your Aftercare to the Next Level: Focus on Your Marketing and Website

Lastly, we can’t forget about aftercare. As you know, a family’s journey with grief is long from over once the funeral takes place. It’s something that they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives. Though this may sound daunting, you can make things much easier for them by focusing on how your website and marketing efforts can help them.

By building up your aftercare resources, it could even be the reason someone chooses to work with your firm over another one. For example, these are a few ways your website and marketing can improve your aftercare efforts in 2022 and beyond:

Share blog posts, guides, and other resources on your firm’s website .
Engage with families on social media through posts and ads.
Use email nurturing to further engage with them and provide them with grief resources.

We know this sounds like a lot, so that’s why we partnered with Growth Engine. It’s the first marketing automation software designed specifically for the funeral industry and you and your families’ needs. How cool is that? Click here to learn more about this platform.

Book a free SRS demo to learn even more ways to boost your business performance and better serve your families.

SRS Websites: Some of Our Favorite Website Designs From This Fall

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 13:34:53 GMT

Below are just a few of our favorite SRS Website designs from this fall.

Lighthouse Funeral & Cremation

Owner and Manager Tate C. Goodwin opened Lighthouse Funeral & Cremation in 2013. Today, they have several Michigan locations. On their new SRS Website, families can use E-Pay to make an online payment for their loved one’s funeral service expenses.

Donald Edwin Thompson Funeral Home, Inc.

The staff at Donald Edwin Thompson Funeral Home, Inc. in Clear Spring, Maryland walks their families through everything they need to know about funeral planning, from the flowers and caskets to the music and local accommodations. For even more funeral advice and grief support, they can visit the Resources section of their website filled with must-know information.
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Robert L. Synder Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc.

Robert L. Synder Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. has a rich history that goes back to 1870 in Sheakleyville, Pennsylvania. Today, the funeral home is still in the same location and has another location in Fredonia, Pennsylvania. On their Testimonials page , families can submit positive feedback after working with the funeral home.

Want more tips on requesting testimonials? Check out our blog post .

Anthony Funeral & Cremation

With locations in Rochester and Webster, New York, Anthony Funeral & Cremation offers a variety of funeral service types to meet families’ needs, such as Jewish funeral services and green burials. Their community members can visit their website to review their options.

Robinson Funeral Home

The brother duo Harry and Sherwin Robinson started Robinson Funeral Home in 1898 in Ostrander, Ohio. Today, the funeral home is located in Delaware, Ohio. On their Obituaries page , people can sign up to receive email notifications to stay notified about recent deaths in their community.

Synder Funeral Homes

Synder Funeral Homes has 15 locations throughout Ohio. The Synder family established their first funeral home in 1922, and it’s been family-owned for five generations. To make things easier for their families, they have a Digital Forms tab on their website with a vast collection of forms about everything from pre-planning to service prici ng.

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Our Top Marketing and Funeral Technology Tips Going Into the New Year

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 13:19:13 GMT

Senior Account Executive Alyssa Bouvy was a part of the marketing and funeral technology panel forum at this year’s Thrive Conference . For those who attended, we hope you left feeling inspired about what your marketing and technology can do for your firm in 2022.

If you couldn’t make it to the Thrive Conference, we want to share with you our top marketing and funeral technology tips going into the new year. Let’s start with technology.

Our Top Funeral Technology Tips Going Into the New Year

By investing in turnkey tools and updating your current ones, you can set your firm up for success in 2022.

1. Regularly Update Your Funeral Technology Solutions.
In case you missed our preview blog post of the Thrive Conference, Alyssa answered why it’s important to regularly update your technology. Her main point was that it’s easier to update your solutions as the upgrades come out versus updating multiple solutions at once and becoming overwhelmed. By making it a habit to regularly update your solutions, you’ll be less overwhelmed and have more time to learn the little changes along the way.

2. Invest in a Website If You Don’t Have One or Update Your Current One.
If you don’t have a website , we can’t stress enough the importance of it. It isn’t just for families to find you online. It also gives them ways to pay and sign forms virtually with third-party or – even better – built-in solutions, find grief resources, pay tribute to loved ones in an online environment, and so much more. If you already have a website, ask yourself if it can do all the things we just listed without needing third-party solutions. If not, it’s time for an upgrade.

3. Make Sure Your Website is Secure.
Speaking of websites, did you know more than 50% of users would leave an unsecured website? Comodo found that 51% of users would leave a website IMMEDIATELY if it isn’t secure. Don’t let this happen to your firm. Make sure your website is secure by having an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. This encrypts the data sent between your web server and browser so hackers can’t steal it. Along with having an SSL certificate, you should brush up on cybersecurity best practices, like creating strong, unique passwords.

Our Top Marketing Tips Going Into the New Year

Your products and services aren’t going to sell themselves to your families. That’s why you need a marketing plan to back you up.

1. Create a 2022 Marketing Plan.
The first step to finding new clients for your firm is to create a marketing plan for the new year. As Alyssa mentioned in our Thrive Conference preview blog post , creating a plan helps you decide which areas you need to focus on the most. Do you want to drive more traffic to your website? Do you want to expand your aftercare efforts? Once you know your focus, creating your marketing plan will be much easier.

2. Don’t Forget About the Value of Email Nurturing.
Social media is a powerful tool for finding potential clients, but don’t stop there. You need to continue to nurture them outside of social media, too. One way to do this is through email nurturing. For instance, after the funeral, you can send families follow-up emails to check in, send grief resources, and get positive feedback about their experience to use in your marketing.

3. Consider Using Marketing Automation Software.
Have you heard of marketing automation software? If you want to save time and find new clients, it’s worth checking into. In its simplest form, it lets you schedule your content in advance instead of publishing or sending it yourself. But there are more advanced solutions that gather leads for you. There’s even one specifically for the funeral industry called Growth Engine , which we partner with to make things even easier for your firm. It even integrates with your SRS Website so you can send families aftercare messages.

Meet the most elite funeral technology system in the industry. Book a free demo here .

Has Your Firm Thought About Offering Pet Cremation Services?

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 13:33:39 GMT

It's no secret that cremation rates are rising. The National Funeral Directors Association predicts that the 2021 cremation rate will be 57.5% compared to burial at 36.6%. If that doesn’t seem like a big difference, by 2040 they predict cremation will be 78.4% and burial at just 16.0%.

But when we say that cremation rates are rising, we’re not just talking about human funerals. The pet cremation business is also on the rise for many reasons, with two being:

More families own pets than ever before.
People consider their pets as part of the family, so they want to honor and give them the respect that they deserve.

This gives your firm an opportunity to reach out to a whole other market: pet owners. Like with human funerals, you can offer pre-need and at-need pet funeral planning, memorial products, and grief resources to help pet owners honor their pets while expanding your service offerings.

Many firms are already doing this. The Foresight Companies found that there are about 1.5 million pet cremations per year and about 1,000 pet crematories in the U.S.

Still on the fence about offering pet cremation services? Let’s look at some more numbers.

More Families Own Pets Than Ever Before

Many people from all age groups own pets, and those numbers continue to grow, especially since the pandemic. The Foresight Companies found that 85 million U.S. families own at least one pet , which is about two out of every three families. To break it down by pet type, the American Veterinary Medical Association stated in their 2017-2018 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook that:

38.4% of households own dogs
25.4% own cats
2.8% own birds
0.7% own horses

The Foresight Companies also found that 65% of all pet owners are Generation X or older . Gen X is between the ages of 41 and 56, so that means 65% of pet owners are at least 41-56, if not older. This means that your primary audience for preplanning is also pet owners, which is the perfect opportunity to increase preplans by encouraging them to prearrange for their pets at the same time.

As you know, preplanning can be an uncomfortable topic. To help you show your families the value of preplanning for themselves and their pets at the same time, you can share these key benefits with them:

It’s easier to make prearrangements for you and your pet at the same time while you’re already in the mindset of it, instead of doing it separately.
They can gain some peace of mind that their pet’s funeral arrangements are taken care of if they were to pass away before their pet.
They can give their pet the proper sendoff that they deserve.

People Consider Their Pets as Part of the Family

A whopping 95% of pet owners consider their pets as members of the family , according to The Foresight Companies . But are we really surprised? Just Google “pet as member of the family,” and you’ll find pages of articles supporting this.

The Foresight Companies also found that 45% of American pet owners buy their pet’s birthday presents , which further supports them as being part of the family. Again, just Google “pet birthday,” and you’ll find everything from pet birthday party supplies to how-to guides for showing your furry best friend how special they are to your family. (If your firm has an event center, you could even open this space up for pet birthday parties, too.)

They Want to Honor and Give Them the Respect That They Deserve

If families are willing to have birthday celebrations for their pets, then they’re also likely to want to have a funeral to honor them when they pass away. Rather than just having a cremation, you can provide services for having a funeral or memorial service. And don’t forget about aftercare. By having a collection of pet memorial products and grief resources, you can get your pet cremation business up and running.

Not sure how to make your pet cremation business stand out from the rest? Here are a few ideas.

Like with any type of funeral, find ways to personalize it. For pet funerals, you could surround the urn with their pet’s favorite toys, leash, and food bowl.
Offer personalized memorial products, such as a lock of fur or clay or ink paw prints.
Provide grief resources by compiling helpful articles and books related to the loss of a pet. Even better? Write your own articles and publish them to your blog.

Want even more ideas? We have an entire blog post about it .

Create Powerful Pet Funerals with a Little Help from Phoenix Pet Software

If you’re going to get into the pet cremation business, you need the right tools in your toolbelt to back you up. Say hello to Phoenix Pet — your elite crematory management software. This ever-evolving tool starts with our core SRS software. Then, it’s made even more powerful with cutting-edge features that let you:

Conveniently manage your pet and human cases in one system.
Quickly communicate with vet clinics through VetLink and strengthen those relationships.
Easily share data between your SRS Website and your SRS software to create one elite system.

Turn your pet cremation business into a reality with Phoenix Pet. Book a free demo to meet this powerful software.

Solve Your Marketing and Technology Problems at the 2021 Thrive Conference

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 13:53:44 GMT

As Selected and Kates-Boylston put it, it’s time for you to thrive, not just survive! That’s why these two organizations are hosting the 2021 Thrive Conference for Independent Funeral Homes on November 30th in Hanover, Maryland.

The 2021 Thrive Conference is jammed-packed with presentations on topics like embracing new technology and creating a marketing strategy. And our very own Alyssa Bouvy is speaking as one of the panelists in the third session that you won’t want to miss.

About the Session – Marketing and Technology Panel Forum

Make sure to attend session 3: Marketing and Technology Panel Forum – Your Best Marketing Plan Starts Here at 12:45 p.m. Senior Account Executive Alyssa Bouvy is one of the panelists sharing her experience and examples, as well as answering your questions about technology and marketing . She and the other panelists will go over topics like how to stand out from your competition, new technology to enhance your firm's business operations, and more.

Come prepared to the session with questions! In the meantime, we asked Alyssa to answer why implementing a marketing plan and new technology is important for your firm.

Why is having a marketing plan important for funeral homes?

Having a plan in place in any aspect is important to stay focused and remain on task. This can reduce costs and inefficiencies. Also, having a marketing plan in place is important to a funeral home because it allows directors to focus within certain areas. If your plan is to drive more traffic to your website, there are clear ways to achieve this.
Why is it important to regularly update your technology solutions?

Technology is constantly advancing. When you keep up to date with the latest and greatest, it prevents an overload of information later. It’s much easier to learn little changes and advancements along the way so you don’t have a total overhaul all at once. It’s also much more economical!

Five Fun Facts About Senior Account Executive Alyssa Bouvy

Get to know Alyssa ! Below are five fun facts about her that you might not know.

Alyssa is a Carlow University alumna with a Bachelor’s degree in business management and political science.
She has worked at SRS for about 8 years.
Before moving into her current role as a Senior Account Executive, she started in more of a back-end marketing role. Then, she quickly moved into sales and loves finding the most tailored solution to every client.
She’s an adventure seeker and is willing to try anything once.
When she’s not on a new adventure, you can find her reading a book while drinking coffee or wine.

Not attending the 2021 Thrive Conference? Schedule a free SRS demo here .

Mental Health: How to Take Care of You While Taking Care of Others

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 12:31:56 GMT

World Mental Health Day was on October 10th, but even though the day has passed, mental health is a priority year-round. It doesn’t take a day off and is important for everyone to make time for, but especially for those who are in a helping profession like you are.

As we head into the holiday season and busy time of year for funeral professionals, making time for your mental health is a must so you don’t become burnt out. Even when you’re busy, here are six ways to take care of yourself while taking care of others.

Taking Care of Your Mental Health While at Your Firm

When your entire profession is dedicated to serving others, it can be hard to make yourself a priority. But to give your families the best version of yourself, you need to take care of your mental health. Here are a few ideas.

1. Ask for help when you need it. If you try to take on too much, it will just lead to burnout and lower-quality work than you’re capable of. To prevent this, ask your coworkers for help if you have too much on your plate . It also may help to have brief weekly staff meetings where employees can share what they need help with.

2. Breathe. It’s that simple. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, stop and take a moment to take some deep breaths and relax. The next time you’re feeling stressed, check out these breathing exercises from WebMD.

Taking Care of Your Mental Health When You’re Never Truly “Off the Clock”

Since funeral directors don’t have a standard 9 to 5 job, it’s not as easy to take time for yourself when you leave your firm. Whether it be an evening visitation or a death call in the middle of the night, you’re on call 24/7. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t ever get to take time for yourself. These are a few ways to still take care of yourself while you’re at home.

3. Turn your phone off even just for a half-hour and go for a walk, read a book, or do another relaxing activity . We know the funeral industry is unique, so it’s hard to go completely off the grid. But it’s alright to take some time for yourself.

4. Reach out to your loved ones for support. Even if it’s just a quick phone call or video chat, talking to someone about how you’re feeling can help. You also may want to see a therapist who can help you better understand how you’re feeling and provide you with tools for coping.

Helping Your Coworkers Take Care of Their Mental Health

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s likely that your coworkers are, too. As you know, there’s only one chance to get a funeral right, so it can be a lot of pressure. If you suspect that your coworkers are feeling stressed, these are a few things you can do to help.

5. Ask if there’s anything you can help them with. Like how you should be able to ask them for help, they should be able to do the same. Oftentimes, they may not feel comfortable bringing it up, so by asking them, you can make it easier for them to get help with their workload .

6. Ask how they’re doing and listen to understand, not respond. Although you may not be able to help them directly with what’s troubling them, by checking in and listening to them, they may feel less overwhelmed and feel supported.

Book an SRS demo to see how our funeral technology suite creates less stress with its turnkey features that integrate to create one elite system.

Our Top Picks for Must-See Sessions at NFDA 2021

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 13:14:16 GMT

Are you attending this year’s International NFDA Convention & Expo? Visit us on the expo floor at booth #1245 to see what we’re offering.

When you’re not exploring the expo hall, be sure to check out the sessions. This year’s schedule has so many great topics that we thought we’d share our top picks with you. (It was hard to pick just a few sessions, so make sure you view the full list of sessions here .)

Facing the Judge: How Proper Paperwork Can Save Your Firm

Sunday, October 17th, 2:30-3:30pm (1 CE hour)

Presented by Michael Nicodemus, the Vice President of Cremation Service at NFDA

While you hopefully won’t ever need to deal with defending your firm in court, you want to make sure your paperwork is in order in case it does happen. In this session, you’ll learn about the importance of taking the time to make sure your documents are completed correctly.

Click here to learn more about this session.

Bonus tip from SRS: Not only should you make sure your documents are completed correctly, but you should also make sure they’re stored in an easy-to-access location. Rather than digging through filing cabinets for them, store them in one digital space with 9Online management software. Click here to learn more about 9Online.

Honoring Those Who Serve

Monday, October 18th, 7:30-9:30am (2 CE hours)

It’s important that your firm knows how to properly honor those who served their country. Especially since many families may not know what benefits their loved one is eligible for, so it’s up to you to help educate and guide them through the process. In the session, the presenters will go over the details of the Military Funeral Honors Program, such as:

How to determine who is eligible for military honors
The role of the honor guard detail
Ways to help make sure your families’ loved ones receive the proper burial benefits
Who can be buried at Arlington National Cemetery

Click here to view the list of presenters and learn more information about this session.

Bonus tip from SRS: You can help educate your families about veteran benefits and honoring their loved ones by sharing Facebook posts, sending emails, and more. With Growth Engine Marketing Hub, they have 25+ content categories to choose from, including one just for veteran content. Click here to learn more about our partnership with Growth Engine.

Final Acts of Care Following the Death of a Child

Tuesday, October 19th, 9:45-10:45am (1 CE hour)

While the passing of any loved one is difficult, the death of a child is devastating. It’s a heartbreaking experience both for the family and the funeral director who is working with them. In this session, you’ll learn some tips on how to make the process a little easier for everyone as the family plans the funeral and grieves their loss.

Click here to view the list of presenters and learn more information about this session.

Bonus tip from SRS: When families are grieving the loss of a loved one, your website can be a helpful resource for them. Things like having a dedicated page for grief resources and writing blog posts can help them as they cope with their grief. Check out this blog post to learn more about how your website can be a resource to your families.

Finding a Middle Ground with Cremation Families

Wednesday, October 20th, 8-9am (1 CE Hour)

Presented by Funeral Director Eugene Wagner of Wagner Family Funerals-Connelly Chapel

As cremation rates continue to rise, it’s important for your firm to provide your families with options. In this session, you’ll learn that there are more options than just direct cremation or a traditional funeral service. Funeral Director Eugene Wagner will discuss what he calls the “middle ground” of cremation service and how it can help you give families more options when choosing cremation.

Click here to learn more about this session.

Bonus tip from SRS: If you’ve worked with a family to create a unique cremation service to honor their loved one, they would make a great testimonial candidate. With their testimonial, you can show other families how a cremation service could work for them. To learn more about requesting testimonials, check out this blog post .

Swing by Booth #1245 to Take Advantage of Tradeshow Offers

When you make your way to the expo hall, swing by the SRS booth to chat with our team about what we’ve been up to lately and for a chance to win new technology for your firm:

Visit our booth during the convention to save 10%.*
We’re giving away a free iPad with every purchase.*
Calling all SRS clients. Stop by for your free gift.
Also pick up your bingo card to enter the Big Tech Giveaway. (Want to know what the grand prize includes? Just click here to see.)

*Conditions apply. Reach out for details.

Can’t make it to this year’s International NFDA Convention & Expo? Don’t worry, click here to see how you can still take advantage of tradeshow offers.

SRS Websites: Some of Our Favorite Website Designs from This Summer

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 12:32:58 GMT

We want to give a shout out to our incredible clients and their brand-new SRS Websites! Thank you for trusting SRS with your funeral home's website . We’re proud of every design and make sure they accurately represent your firm and provide you with the tools you need for success.

Below are just a few of our favorite SRS Website designs from this summer.

Metro Detroit Cremation

Metro Detroit Cremation in Troy, Michigan offers their families affordable cremation services to give them peace of mind while honoring their loved one’s life. Their seven step peace-of-mind online cremation process walks their families through what to do prior to, during, and after the cremation.

Peachtree Cremation Services

Located in Covington, Georgia, known as the Peach State, Peachtree Cremation Services has been serving their families since 2013 and look forward to continuing their legacy. On their website, families are welcomed with a cohesive design that includes peach imagery, complementary shades of pink, and their logo with a peach tree branch to show their pride for serving Georgia families.

Wagner and Walsh Funeral Directors

The employees at Wagner and Walsh Funeral Directors in Roscommon, Michigan, are knowledgeable about everything funeral related and are passionate about giving their families the guidance and support they need as they cope with their loss. In fact, their website makes funeral planning a little easier for families with their secure online payment center .

K. L. Brown Funeral Homes

Veteran-owned and operated, K. L. Brown Funeral Homes in Jacksonville and Anniston, Alabama first opened its door in 1978. Today, it’s owned by Craig Bodiford, who served in the United States Air Force. On their staff, they have a cute therapy dog Quimby , who is an Australian labradoodle.

Rush Funeral Homes & Crematory

Rush Funeral Homes & Crematory with several Louisiana locations, got its start in 1966. Today, they continue to serve their families with the compassion that they deserve. To help families through their difficult times, their website has a convenient, easy-to-use online planner , so they can begin the process in their home to feel more comfortable.

Schneider-Hall Funeral Home & Hall Funeral Home and Crematory

Schneider-Hall Funeral Home in Chesapeake, Ohio & Hall Funeral Home and Crematory in Proctorville, Ohio have been serving their communities for many years. On their website, families can visit their Testimonials page to read how their employees helped other families during their losses.

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Six Ways Your Firm's Families Benefit from Life Insurance Assignments

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 12:24:33 GMT

During the end of the year, it’s more important than ever to have life insurance assignments set up as a funeral payment option for your firm’s families. As you know, since there are more deaths during the winter months, your firm will be busier than usual. And if those deaths are unexpected, their families may not have a way to pay for the expenses up front.

With life insurance assignments as funeral payment, you can give them a way to pay for their loved one’s funeral. If you’re not yet convinced, here are six ways that your firm’s families benefit from life insurance assignments as funeral payment.

1. Keep Emergency Savings Instead of Using It Up.

When faced with an unexpected expense like a funeral, you don’t want your savings to be your first and only payment option . If your firm has the option to use a life insurance assignment as funeral payment, families can keep their savings for other expenses like medical bills, memorial funds, and other living expenses. Or with their life insurance assignment, depending on their policy’s worth, they can even get more than just the cost of the service assigned and use those funds to cover other expenses during the holiday season.

2. Eliminate Awkward Conversations About the Funeral Payment.

If a family’s loved one didn’t prepay their funeral arrangements, have funds set aside, or document where they want the funds to come from, this can be an awkward conversation among family members. The death of a loved one, especially during the holiday season, is already stressful enough, so families don’t need the added tension of deciding who is going to pay. By assigning a loved one’s life insurance policy to cover the funeral expenses, they can avoid this uncomfortable situation. This also means your firm wouldn’t have to bring up the topic if you were still waiting for the payment decision .

3. Pay for the Expenses All at Once Instead of Taking on a Loan.

Funeral financing is another payment option that lets families keep their savings. However, if they want to avoid having a recurring payment but can’t afford to pay the expenses all at once, then paying with a life insurance assignment may be right for them. With this option, they still get the satisfaction of knowing that the expenses are taken care of, and they don’t have to take on a loan if they’re tight on funds. Or if they would have some extra funds for a loan, they can use that for other expenses around the holidays instead.

4. Focus on Funeral Planning and Grieving.

Depending on who you work with for your life insurance assignments program, their team may handle completing the bulk of the paperwork and contacting the insurance company on your family’s behalf. This means that burden doesn’t fall on your families or staff, so you can spend more time making the funeral special. You also can dedicate more time to helping them grieve their loss and honor their loved one. Like we mentioned earlier, you’re extra busy this time of year, so any time that you can put back into your day is helpful.

5. Plan the Funeral That They Want Without Worrying About the Payment.

Using a life insurance assignment for the funeral payment means that your families can plan the funeral that they want to; they don’t have to choose things just because they cost less. Instead of feeling limited by their small budget, they can plan the funeral that meets and even exceeds their expectations. If they choose a funeral element, it should be because it’s what they think will best honor their loved one or what their loved one said they wanted.

6. Get Peace of Mind That the Funeral Expenses Are Paid For.

Lastly, not having to worry about how they’re going to pay for the funeral gives them the peace of mind that they need when going through one of life’s most difficult moments. With life insurance assignments, they still have their savings, no extra tension, can pay all at once, and focus on planning the funeral that they want to. They also can focus on honoring their loved one during the holidays and into the new year, instead of worrying about the funeral payment.

Life Insurance Assignments Have Never Been This Easy.

We partner with Tribute Insurance Assignments to offer 2-Minute Insurance Assignments. As the name suggests, our life insurance assignments program makes the process quick for you, as it typically takes two minutes to submit a claim, one hour to verify a policy, and 24 hours to receive the funds. It's also fully integrated with your SRS software to save you even more time, and your families get competitive rates, so they get peace of mind and more options.

Click here to learn more about 2-Minute Insurance Assignments.

Why Both Your Families and Your Firm Need Funeral Payment Options

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 12:43:18 GMT

Offering multiple funeral payment options isn’t just helpful for your families, but it’s also a smart business decision for several reasons. For your firm, it gives you more ways to get paid faster and stand out from your competitors. For your families, it gives them more convenient options and peace of mind.

Let’s go over these benefits in more detail below, as well as a turnkey solution that makes it easy to offer multiple options all from the same system.

Why Funeral Directors Need Multiple Funeral Payment Options

First off, offering multiple payment options improves your firm’s cash flow . In other words, it means more ways to get paid – and get paid faster. Instead of a family struggling to come up with the funds and putting off the payment, they can pick an option that works best for them and get your firm paid right away. This way, you’re not left wondering when you’re going to get paid.

For instance, these are a few payment options that your firm could offer your families:

Paying with a credit card in person, on your website, and through an email invoice.
Starting a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the funeral costs.
Submitting a claim to use a loved one’s life insurance policy as funeral payment.

Offering multiple options also can eliminate awkward conversations to remind the family that you’re still waiting on the payment. Bringing up topics like the payment can be uncomfortable for any profession, but especially for funeral directors, since you also want to be sensitive to their recent loss, so it’s a balancing act. But by giving them options, you can potentially avoid these types of conversations.

If you’re looking for a way to stand out from your competitors, offering several ways to pay may be a way to do that. By doing a Google search about your competitor and visiting their website, you can quickly learn what payment options they offer. Even if they do offer options like crowdfunding, that doesn’t mean that their solution is the best one out there.

For example, maybe they’re using a third-party crowdfunding service, which often means less control and more additional fees. But if your firm uses a crowdfunding platform that lives directly on your website , you can remain in control while saving time and money.

Why Your Families Need Multiple Funeral Payment Options

Paying for a loved one’s funeral isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation, as your families all have different financial needs to account for. While one family may be able to pay right away, another may need to raise funds or find another way to pay, such as through a life insurance assignment.

That’s why offering multiple payment options gives families the peace of mind they need while grieving a loss. Their entire world is upside down, so knowing that the funeral expenses are taken care of can give them some comfort. Death is an uncontrollable situation, but families can regain some sense of control by paying for the funeral with the option of their choosing.

Your families may also appreciate the option to pay for the funeral whenever and wherever it’s most convenient for them. Whether it’s directly on your website or through an email invoice, they can pay anytime, anywhere . No more finding time in their now even more busy schedule to drive to your facility and meet with your staff to submit the payment. Instead, they can do it virtually to put more time back into everyone’s day.

Get Everything You Need in One Easy-to-Navigate System

With E-Pay , you can offer your families multiple funeral payment options, including:

During the arrangement conference.
Directly on your website by simply searching for their loved one’s name.
Through an emailed invoice.
With insurance funds.
Starting a crowdfunding campaign directly on your SRS Website.

Best of all? We design our products to be hyper-focused on data fluidity to create a seamless process. This means no matter which payment method your families choose, the payments flow into your accounting in your SRS software , so you don’t have to manually enter it.

You don’t have to just take our word for it about how great our system is. See for yourself what David Lee Hernandez Jr., the CEO and Founder of Jersey Memorial Group, has to say about SRS:

“So, SRS has been a tremendous asset to my organization. I use the analogy that it’s the central nervous system, so the funeral directors input all of the data in there. The administrators are able to print all the various documents and contracts out of it. Our accounting team goes in there to get all the financial data and export the data into our financial software. I look at it from our reports and as a practicing funeral director, still use it on a day-to-day basis with the case management software, so the program has been a tremendous value and robust in not only be able to save time, but also eliminating duplicitous processes, so it’s single-entry data and then it goes across all of our other platforms, which is tremendous on my side.”

You can watch his entire video or read the transcript here .

Ready to revolutionize your firm’s payment offerings? Click here to book a demo to see how easy it is to start using E-Pay.

Six Ways to Spread the Word About Your Firm’s Funeral Payment Options

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 12:26:11 GMT

Offering multiple ways to pay for the funeral gives families options while giving your firm more ways to get paid. However, if your community doesn’t know about these options, then no one is benefiting from them.

If you’re not taking the steps to market these options, you may be missing out on business. Your payment options could be the reason a family picks your firm over your competitor. It could be the reason they plan the funeral they want instead of settling on options simply because they cost less.

To spread the word about your firm’s funeral payment options, check out these six tips for marketing them to your community.

1. Add Your Payment Options to Your Firm’s Website and Social Media Pages

The first step is to update your firm’s website and social media pages, so families who come across your firm online have all the information they need at their fingertips. On your website, you could create a webpage about your firm’s payment options. For the content, you could include brief explanations of each payment option, such as crowdfunding and credit card processing. Then, you could include a relevant link to a resource for learning more or contact information for reaching out to your firm for more information.

You also should add your payment offering to your social media pages. For instance, Facebook lets you add your services to your business page, so families can easily see what you offer. These will likely be briefer than your webpage content. You want to include a link to your firm’s website on your social media pages, so families can go to it to learn more, while you keep traffic on your website.

2. Write Blog Posts to Educate Families About Their Funeral Payment Options

Another way to spread the word about your payment options while keeping traffic on your website is to write blog posts. You’ll want to include calls-to-action on your blog posts, such as for downloading a related resource, filling out a funeral planning form, or contacting your firm for more information.

Here are a few blog post ideas to get you started:

Explain your firm’s payment offerings and how they work.
Provide tips for deciding which payment option is right for you.
Share the benefits of prepaying for a funeral.
Give a few examples of why you might want to start a crowdfunding campaign.

3. Promote Your Funeral Payment Options on Your Firm’s Social Media Pages

To reach more families in your community, you should meet them where they’re at, which is social media. Pew Research Center found that 72% of American adults are on at least one social media platform. For Facebook users, seven out of ten people use the platform daily.

On Facebook, you can create boosted posts and ads. According to Facebook, “a boosted post is a post to your Page’s timeline that you can apply money to in order to boost it to an audience of your choosing.” They’re still technically ads, but they're different from Facebook ads, as Facebook ads “are created through Ads Manager and offer more advanced customization solutions.” To learn more about the difference between the two, check out this Facebook article .

For example, your firm could share your latest blog post about payments and boost it. Or you could create an ad for your firm’s downloadable guide about payment options. To learn more about creating a boosted Facebook post, click here , and to learn more about creating a Facebook ad, click here .

4. Utilize Email Marketing to Further Educate Families About Their Options

Don’t just stop at social media; email marketing is another way to reach more families in your community. For example, an email newsletter is a great place to educate your families about funeral planning. You could send a newsletter that focuses on payments and link to your firm’s blog posts, resources, and other content you’ve created.

Once someone downloads your payments resource, you also could set up an autoresponder email. This could thank them for downloading the resource and share some other links, like to your blog posts, to further educate them about the topic.

5. Create Educational Resources for Families to Easily Download and Read

Creating downloadable resources not only educates families, but also lets you collect their contact information. This way, your firm can further nurture them with the end goal of turning them into a client family for your business.

Here are a few resource ideas to get you started:

Write a guide about the different types of funeral payments to choose from.
Create an infographic for choosing the right payment option for you.
Make a brochure that includes your payment offerings.
Work with an existing client family to create a case study. You could even pull quotes from it to use in your firm’s other marketing efforts as a real-life example.

6. Host an In-Person Event or a Webinar for Your Community

Whether it’s an in-person seminar or a webinar, you could host an event to educate your families about your funeral payment options. At your event, you could give everyone a copy of your payment options brochure. Or share the link to your funeral home’s payments webpage or another resource to learn more.

To spread the word about your event, you could promote the event on social media, send an email invitation, write a blog post, and add an update about it to your firm’s website. If it’s a webinar, you could share the link online afterward as well, such as by adding the video link to your firm’s website and blog.

To increase event attendance, these are a few ideas:

Provide everyone with a free meal.
Offer a discount to families who attend the event and then use your services.
Give everyone a gift as a thank you for attending your event.
Have a contest they can enter for winning a prize.

E-Pay gives your firm’s families multiple ways to pay for the funeral, such as directly on your website, during the arrangement conference, through an emailed invoice, with insurance funds, or by starting a crowdfunding campaign. Plus, we partner with Growth Engine , which makes it even easier for your firm to market your payment options to your community.

Want to learn more about these turnkey features? Click here to book a free SRS demo.

5 Things Your Firm Needs to Know About Online Reviews

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 12:44:55 GMT

Online reviews play an important role in your firm's online presence. Positive reviews can bring more families to your firm, while negative reviews could have them running in the other direction.

If you don’t think that internet users pay attention to reviews, you may want to think again. Per Bright Local’s 2020 Local Consumer Review Survey , people not only read them, but they can influence their decision to work with a business.

Below are a few key findings from this survey:

In 2020, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses.
After reading positive reviews, 94% of consumers said they’re more likely to use the business.
After reading negative reviews, 92% of consumers said they’re less likely to use the business.

If your firm gets a negative review, don’t panic. By having a plan for responding to them, you can show your community that you’re committed to providing the best services possible. We’ll go over how to respond to negative reviews below, along with other things your firm needs to know about online reviews.

1. Where People Go to Read Online Reviews and Leave Their Own Reviews

Before getting into the details of how to respond to online reviews, let’s go over some popular review sites that internet users leave reviews on.

According to Vendasta , the top three review sites that are for any type of business are:

Creating a Business Profile on Google serves many purposes and reviews are one of them. While it’s also a way for consumers to quickly find out your firm’s contact information, location, hours, and other basic information, people also can view reviews and leave their own comments about working with your firm. At a glance, they can see how many stars your firm has earned from your reviews.

You may be wondering what Facebook is doing on the list, since it’s a social media platform, not a review site. But if your firm has a Facebook page, Facebook users have the option to leave reviews about your business. Like Google My Business, users can see what rating your firm has on a scale of 0-5, with 5 being the best option.

Lastly, Yelp is a site whose main purpose is to provide their viewers with reviews of businesses. Like the two other sites above, users can browse a company’s rating, reviews, and basic information about the business.

To stay on top of your firm’s online reviews, you should manage your business profiles. To start managing your free Business Profile on Google, click here . To claim your free business listing on Yelp, click here . And if your firm doesn’t yet have a Facebook page, click here to begin setting one up.

2. How to Respond to Negative Reviews About Your Firm

If your firm receives a negative review, the first thing you should do is take some time to cool off if you’re angry or upset. However, it’s still important to respond as promptly as possible. If you take too long to respond, this may upset the reviewer even more.

When you’re ready to respond, as tempting as it may be, don't be defensive. Instead, apologize and keep the responsive positive rather than negative. This can be frustrating if you think what they wrote isn’t true but being defensive can reflect negatively on your firm.

Below are a few more tips for responding to negative reviews:

Take the conversation out of the public eye by suggesting that the reviewer reach out to your firm directly to find a resolution. Or you could message them yourself to ensure the conversation moves to a private space. Just make sure that you respond to the review, as well, so others who come across it don’t think you left them hanging.
Before pressing send on your response to the review, have another employee at your funeral home read your response to make sure it has a positive tone and isn’t defensive.
If you believe a negative review is irrelevant to your business or inappropriate, you could report it to be deleted. But don’t abuse the Report feature. Just because you don’t like what someone wrote doesn’t mean you can report it. This Yelp article does a good job of summing up when to report a review.

After following these steps, you may even find that the reviewer changes the review after working with your team on the issue. Even if they don’t change their review, other families can still see that you proactively responded to them.

3. How to Respond to Positive Reviews About Your Firm

Don’t forget about your positive reviews! Just because someone doesn’t have a problem to solve doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t respond to them.

If you’re not sure what to respond, below are a few tips to help you begin writing:

Thank them for sharing their positive experience working with their firm.
Share how you appreciate hearing feedback from the families you serve.
Express how it was an honor to pay tribute to their loved one.

Another thing to keep in mind when responding to positive online reviews is your firm’s search engine optimization . By including keywords from your website and your firm’s name, you can increase the chances of positive reviews showing up on the search engine results page. However, you should avoid using these keywords when responding to negative reviews, since you don’t want to increase the chances of families finding them.

4. How to Turn Positive Reviews into Opportunities for Testimonials

If someone leaves a positive review about your firm, they may be a good candidate for a testimonial or even a case study. You could reach out to them via a phone call, email, video chat, or even invite them to your firm to chat – whichever option they're most comfortable with. Just make sure to wait an appropriate amount of time after the funeral so they have time to grieve their loss.

Before reaching out, it may help to have a specific topic for their testimonial in mind. For example, if their loved one’s service had a unique element to it, it may be cool to feature it in their testimonial. Or if they utilized one of your newer services, their testimonial could help get the word out about it to others.

To learn more about requesting testimonials, check out this article .

5. Remember That Your Online Presence Is About More Than Just Reviews

Before we wrap up, remember that managing your firm’s online presence is about more than just reviews. Other things like having a well-designed website and active presence on your firm’s social media pages can show families that you’re a trustworthy business to work with for their end-of-life needs. You can even showcase your positive reviews on your site and social pages.

Have you heard about our latest partnership with Growth Engine? With this marketing hub, you can put the review process on auto-pilot through email and text requests.

Click here to learn all the other ways that Growth Engine can revolutionize your firm’s marketing!

[Statistics] What Your Firm Needs to Know About Marketing

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 12:29:10 GMT

Does your firm dedicate time to creating marketing content? If not, now is the time to start. By posting on social media, sending emails, and engaging on other platforms, you can reach more families in your community and turn them into potential clients for your firm.

But don’t just take our word for it! We’ve compiled some must-know statistics about marketing. This way, you can make educated decisions about what types of strategies make sense for your firm, while also getting a better understanding of why marketing matters for small businesses.

Social Media Users Who Follow Brands Are More Likely to Work with Them.

Per a report by Sprout Social , when people follow brands on social, these are some of the top actions they take:

91% of them visit the brand’s website or app.
90% buy something from the brand.
86% choose to work with that brand rather than a competitor of theirs.

As you can see, social media can help your firm get more website traffic and not only clients but repeat clients. It’s also a great 24/7 tool for families to learn more about your firm by reading your page content, engaging with your posts, asking questions, and more.

If your firm isn’t on any social media channels, Facebook is the one you should start with. That’s where Baby Boomers, your current target audience, are at — as Pew Research Cente r found 73% of people ages 50-64 use Facebook and 50% of people ages 65+ use it. And per Facebook , 200 million+ businesses are already on the platform. Instagram also is a good resource, as 90% of their users follow at least one business on the platform.

Your Email Open Rate Should be Between 15-25%.

Per Campaign Monitor , your average click-through rate (CTR) should be around 2.5%, and your average click-to-open rate (CTOR) should be 20-30%. Before we go any further, let’s quickly define these terms for those who are unfamiliar with them.

Your email open rate is exactly what it sounds like; it’s how many of your email recipients opened the email verses the number of emails sent. Your CTR is similar, but just for how many of your email recipients clicked on content within your email. Lastly, your CTOR is slightly different than CTR. While CTR is calculated with the number of delivered emails (not necessarily opened), CTOR is calculated by the number of opened emails.

So now that you know some basic definitions, why does this matter? Email statistics like these are important to know because they help you better determine how successful your email was at reaching your community. You shouldn’t just press send and forget about them. And if it didn’t perform as well as you hoped, you can make changes next time.

For instance, these are a few things you could test to learn more about your audience and try to increase your email engagement:

Edit your subject line text and/or length.
Change the day and/or time you send your email.
Switch up the copy within your email.

57% of Marketers Found New Customers Through Their Blog.

That blogging statistic is per OptinMonster , and these are a few other significant statistics they found for businesses who blog:

Businesses that have a blog get 97% more links to their website.
Businesses that blog receive double the amount of email traffic than those who don’t.
95.9% of bloggers promote their blog posts on social media, and 69% of bloggers use social sharing buttons on their blog posts.

As these statistics show, your platforms can work together. For this example, your business blog can get more traffic to your website, email, and social media pages, which means more potential client families who are coming your way! Your blog also is a great way to educate families about important topics and start building connections with them before they even come to you with their preplans or in their time of need.

Content Marketing Gets Conversion Rates Six Times Higher Than Other Strategies.

The above statistic is from Content Marketing Institute , which shows that content pieces like the ones mentioned earlier can work for your firm.

To summarize what we've learned, creating marketing content can help your firm:

Show that you’re knowledgeable about the funeral industry.
Educate families about important topics and your offerings.
Stand out from the firm down the road.
Build connections with families before you even meet them.
Find new clients.

Take Your Firm’s Marketing to the Next Level with Growth Engine.

We’re excited to say that we partner with Growth Engine . With this powerful, automated marketing software, your firm can stop letting families slip through the cracks. Instead, you can get access to a software that:

Publishes to Facebook.
Sends newsletters and email nurturing series.
Has a content library with 25+ categories, such as cremation, veterans, and grief & healing.
Tracks what topics your community is interested in.
And SO much more.

Ready to take your firm’s marketing to the next level? Let Growth Engine revolutionize your marketing on your behalf! Book a demo here .

SRS Websites: Some of Our Favorite Website Designs From This Spring

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 12:11:09 GMT

We want to give a shout out to our incredible clients and their brand-new SRS Websites! Thank you for trusting SRS with your funeral home’s website . We’re proud of every design and make sure they accurately represent your firm and provide you with the tools you need for success.

Below are just a few of our favorite SRS Website designs from this spring.

DuPage Cremations, Ltd. and Funeral Chapel

DuPage Cremations, Ltd. and Funeral Chapel in West Chicago, Illinois has been serving their area families for many years, and their staff is thankful to be an important part of the community. On their SRS Website, you can read just how important they’ve been in helping honor families’ loved ones. Their Testimonials page is filled with glowing reviews of their funeral home.

Hoover Funeral Homes and Crematory, Inc.

Located in Harrisburg and Hershey, Pennsylvania, Hoover Funeral Homes and Crematory, Inc. has a long history of serving their community that goes all the way back to the late 1800s. Today, the funeral homes are still owned and managed by the Hoover family. On their website, their online planner makes it easy for their families to preplan how they want to be remembered.

I rwin Chapel

Irwin Chapel in Granite City and Glen Carbon, Illinois has been serving their community for more than a quarter of a century. Although, their story of how they got started dates to the 1800s. To make things more convenient for their families who are from out of town, their website has a Local Services page filled with hotels, restaurants, and more.

Phillips Funeral Home and Cremation Services

Based in South Lyon, Michigan, Phillips Funeral Home and Cremation Services has been run by the Phillips family for six generations since 1889. Today, they’re proud to continue to provide their families with high-level service. On their website, families can conveniently pay for the funeral expenses online via E-Pay .

Bardel Funeral Home & Crematorium

Bardel Funeral Home & Crematorium with two locations in Winnipeg, Manitoba, got its start in 1894, making it Winnipeg’s oldest family-owned funeral home. On their blog , their families can learn about funeral planning, grief, and other helpful topi cs.

Kepner Funeral Homes

Kepner Funeral Homes with multiple Wheeling, West Virginia locations has been serving their community for more than 175 years. Today, the funeral home has members of the fifth generation of the Kepner family working at the business. To help support families as they grieve their loss, they can subscribe to a free grief email subscription on their Grief Support page .

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Tired of Time-Consuming Tasks Like Paperwork? Save Time with 9Online

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 12:31:50 GMT

Do you spend hours of your day filling out paperwork? Do you wish you could access your information anytime, anywhere, instead of just at your funeral home? Do you want a more secure way to store your data? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your firm needs a digital funeral home management solution.

But it can’t just be any funeral home management solution. To make sure your firm is saving time and has a fast, secure way to access your data, you need a software program that gives you everything in one place. If you use multiple online platforms for managing your cases, accounting, website, and other information, you’re still wasting time entering the same data in multiple places.

So, what’s the solution? Say hello to 9Online! It makes funeral home management easy, as it’s an all-encompassing system that lets you manage everything in one convenient place. From your preneed and at-need cases and your invoices to adding obituaries and making edits to your SRS Website, you can do all of this and so much more. Even better? It’s a browser-based system, so you can access your information anytime, anywhere.

Let’s break down some of the tool’s turnkey features!

Get Lightning Fast Preneed and At-Need Case Management with 9Online

With 9Online , you no longer need to be tied to one computer in your firm or to physical files in your filing cabinets. Now, you can be more portable than ever before! Whether it’s a preneed or at-need case or a new or existing case, you can manage them all in one place from start to finish, whenever and wherever you need to.

See an Easy-to-Digest Breakdown of Your Tasks for the Day

It’s time to ditch your paper planner and go digital! On your dashboard, you can easily view a timeline of your tasks for the day, so you can stay organized and make sure nothing gets missed. You can even automate the task creation process. Plus, you can see what resources are currently in use, such as an arrangement room or hearse, so nothing gets double booked.

Add Obituaries and Quickly Make Edits to Your Firm’s SRS Website

With 9Online, you can manage your website in the same place as the rest of your data. Since it’s fully integrated with your SRS Website, publishing obituaries is as simple as one click, as it pulls from the data you already entered. You also can make quick edits to your website on the go, whether you’re standing in line for coffee or at the cemetery for a graveside service.

Take the Funeral Planning Process Online with FamilyLink

Rather than waiting until the in-person meeting to gather information, you can start the process instantly with FamilyLink . Gather the vitals, obituary details, images, and more from families by sending them their very own private, secure link. This way, everything is in one easy-to-access place and ready to go when you meet with the family.

Collect Signatures From Families Virtually with E-Signature

Forms don’t need to be signed by hand anymore! Now, there are online solutions that conveniently integrate with your funeral home management software. With our E-Signature tool , it automatically stores the signed forms in VFiles, so you can access them in 9Online and don’t have to waste time manually uploading them.

Have a More Efficient Billing Process

Doing your accounting by hand increases the likelihood of errors, so say goodbye to time-consuming bookkeeping and say hello to a seamless accounting solution that’s built for your future. Instead of mailing out physical invoices, you can automatically send them via email through 9Online. Plus, payments made on your SRS Website flow directly into the platform.

Ready for your firm to become more portable than ever? Book a demo to see 9Online in action!

Five Misconceptions About Online Funeral Planning

Wed, 26 May 2021 12:18:20 GMT

There are several misconceptions out there about online funeral planning, so we want to set the record straight! By beginning the funeral planning process virtually, it can save you time and create a more efficient process for everyone involved.

Let’s go over a few online funeral planning misconceptions below.

1. You can’t get to know the family online as you can in person.

This is false, as the internet makes it easy to get to know families virtually. Through your website, social media, instant messaging, and even video chat, you can start to establish trusting relationships with families online. This way, when you meet with them in person, they feel like they already know you. They may even open up more when you meet with them in person since you’ve already been talking virtually and getting to know each other.

2. It isn’t secure to share personal information online.

If your firm is using the right tools, this is not true. For example, with SRS’ FamilyLink, you can send families a secure, private link for collecting vitals, images, documents, and more. SRS Websites also have SSL certificates, which means it protects your families’ sensitive information like credit card numbers. This way, they can submit a funeral payment through E-Pay or fill out a preplanning form with peace of mind that their data is safe.

3. Families would rather meet in person.

While some families would rather meet in person, there may be others that prefer the convenience of online funeral planning – as the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us. Along with social distancing, some other reason that families may prefer to meet virtually is that they’re from out of town or have a busy schedule. Whatever the reason may be, it doesn’t mean that they won't ever meet with your staff in person; it just means that some tasks can be handled virtually instead, such as collecting signatures via E-Signature .

4. It’s too difficult for families to understand online funeral planning tools.

With the SRS technology suite, this is false, as it’s designed to be easy to navigate even if someone isn’t tech savvy. FamilyLink has a super simple design, so families can easily upload or enter the information that they need to. SRS Websites also have an easy-to-use design, so families can quickly find their loved one’s obituary or fill out a preplanning form that walks them through the process.

5. It will take too much time to train my staff on how to use the online tools.

Not only is the SRS technology suite easy for families to use, it’s also simple for your employees to learn! Our knowledgeable staff is happy to walk you through the ins and outs of the tools. We also have several training documents that you can reference at a glance. Of course, like with learning anything new, it will take a little bit of time to understand everything. But once you do, you will be saving your firm and families more time.

Ready to see how SRS can make the online funeral planning process easier for everyone? Click here to book a demo.

Tips for Funeral Directors to Request Testimonials from Families

Wed, 19 May 2021 13:57:51 GMT

92% of consumers look at online reviews, per Vendasta , so they're a powerful tool for funeral directors. By requesting testimonials from your existing client families, they can help you find new ones. It’s a way to build trust with your community before you even meet them!

To help you get started, let’s go over a few tips for requesting testimonials from families.

How to Choose Which Families to Ask for Testimonials

The first step in getting family testimonials is to choose which families to reach out to. For example, these are a few situations where the family may make a good testimonial candidate:

The family posted a good review about your funeral home.
They expressed how they had a great experience working with your team.
Their funeral service had a unique element that would be interesting to highlight in a testimonial.

Once you have a list of potential testimonial candidates, you can decide how you want to reach out to them, which we’ll go over in the next section.

Ways to Reach Out to Families

To see if they’re interested, you can reach out to them via email, phone call, video chat , or invite them to your facility to talk – whichever option your team and the family prefers. Just make sure not to reach out too soon after the funeral, so they have time to grieve and process their loss. At the same time, you don’t want to wait too long after the funeral so it’s still fresh in their minds. So, reaching out a few weeks after the funeral may be a good starting point, but use your best judgment. Another good time to ask for feedback could be when you reach out after the funeral service with grief resources and any other aftercare efforts.

How to Ask for a Testimonial

The key to asking for a testimonial is to not directly ask for one. Instead, ask them for feedback on their experience working with your funeral directors. Then, if they give positive feedback, ask them if you can use it as a testimonial for your firm’s marketing.

Another option that requires little work for you is to direct families to your firm’s website for submitting testimonials. By having a form on your website, families can quickly and easily submit their feedback on their own time. With an SRS Website , you can have a testimonial page for collecting families’ feedback and letting potential client families read about other families’ experiences working with your firm.

How to Pick a Testimonial Format

There are several testimonial formats to consider, including written, audio, and video, depending on how you want to use it. The easiest method is written, especially if you have a testimonial form on your website.

But don’t rule out the other options! By hearing someone’s voice and seeing their facial expressions, it can take the testimonial to a whole new level. So if the family is willing, a video testimonial can add a lot of value to your marketing. If they’d rather not film a video, an audio recording would work as well – but if given the option to choose between audio and video, video is the best choice.

If you’re doing a video testimonial, it doesn’t have to be fancy! The family doesn’t even have to come into your facility to record it. They can just send you a recording of themselves from their smartphone or computer. Check out these video testimonial examples for some ideas!

Want to see how you can showcase your testimonials on your SRS Website? Click here to book a website demo!

Does Your Firm’s Website Have These Time-Saving Features?

Wed, 12 May 2021 12:40:28 GMT

When it comes to your firm’s website, you only get one first impression. Multiple studies found that it takes people just 50 milliseconds to form an opinion about your site. Things like having a responsive design play a huge role in people's opinions of it.

While the design of your site is extremely important, you can’t forget about its time-saving features. For funeral homes specifically, families need features for entering their vital information and making payments.

However, you don’t want these tools to create more work for your firm’s staff. Instead of reentering that information in your funeral home management software, you should take advantage of a system that automatically transfers the data for you.

Let’s go over some must-have time-saving features, as well as an all-in-one solution designed to save you time.

Gather Potential and Current Client Families’ Data Through Website Forms

Through pre-need, at need, contact us, and other forms, families can easily start the funeral planning process virtually. This saves everyone time, since you don’t have to collect that basic information during the arrangement conference.

With an SRS Website , it also eliminates time-consuming , repetitive tasks. Say goodbye to reentering that data in your software and say hello to an all-in-one system. When a family submits a form on your SRS Website, that data flows directly into your SRS funeral home management software. This way, all you have to do is view the information and follow up with the family as needed.

Collect the Funeral Payment Directly on Your Firm’s Website

By having a payment platform on your firm’s site, families can conveniently pay for the funeral expenses online. This way, you don’t have to schedule yet another meeting just for collecting the payment. Instead, families can make the payment on their own time from the comfort of their own home.

With E-Pay on your SRS Website, every single payment flows directly into your SRS funeral home management software. This way, you don’t have to manually enter that information yourselves. It also makes your bookkeeping so much easier and eliminates potential errors. Talk about a time saver! Plus, not only can families pay with a credit card, there’s also other options like crowdfunding and life insurance assignments.

Easily Edit Your Firm’s Website Within Your Funeral Home Management Software

Having the keep track of multiple logins and switch back and forth between accounts can be a frustrating and time-consuming process. Per Mavenlink’s 2019 State of the Services Economy Report , 73% of companies said they spend on average more than 1 hour per day navigating between their different apps.

Instead of managing your firm’s site separately, with SRS you can do everything all in one place! In Procession or the browser-based 9Online , you can conveniently edit your firm’s site. For example, instead of reentering the information for the obituary, you can use the data that you already entered for the case. Now, publishing the obituary is as simple as one click!

See for yourself how an SRS Website can save your firm time! Click here to book a free demo.

Our Top Five Virtual Meeting Tips for Funeral Directors

Wed, 05 May 2021 13:09:31 GMT

Virtual meetings have become the reality for many professionals, including funeral directors. They started as a way to practice social distancing, but now in some cases, they’re simply a more convenient option.

For example, if family members live out of town, they can still be a part of the arrangement conference virtually. Or maybe the family does live in town but has a very busy schedule, so they’d prefer to have a virtual meeting instead of driving to your facility. Whatever the reason is, it’s another service you can offer your client families to best meet their needs.

To make sure your virtual arrangement meetings are as productive as possible, we’ve come up with our top five tips! Check them out below. (Bonus, these tips also can apply to your firm’s team meetings!)

1. Create a Virtual Meeting Agenda and Stick to It.

Have an agenda to make sure the meeting goes smoothly. You can most likely follow a similar agenda as you would for an in-person arrangement meeting, but just make adjustments for virtual as needed.

It’s also a good idea to share the agenda with families prior to the meeting, so everyone is on the same page. Also, give them a time estimate of how long the meeting will take, so they can plan their day accordingly. At the beginning of the meeting, you can give them a brief reminder of the agenda and time frame.

If multiple family members attend the virtual meeting , make sure everyone has a chance to speak. Virtual meetings can make it difficult to signal that you want to talk, so one way to make sure that everyone gets a turn is to give each person time to share their ideas, questions, and concerns.

2. Turn Your Video Camera On.

Of course, nothing beats holding the grieving person’s hand or giving them a hug to show your support. While this obviously isn’t possible with virtual meetings, you can still comfort families through video chat. Along with your tone of voice, your facial expressions and body language play a huge part in families understanding your thoughts and concerns for their well-being. Seeing your caring smile can help give them the support they need during their grief.

Even though the meeting is virtual, you should still treat it as if it’s in person. Dress as you would for an in-person meeting. Also clean up your space that will show up in the video background. A cluttered background can make families feel more stressed, so make sure your space is organized . You also could hang an interesting piece of art behind you that isn't too distracting.

3. Turn Off Your Notifications.

It’s easier to avoid distractions at in-person meetings. Virtual meetings make it tempting to quick pop into your email to see if that invoice you’ve been waiting for was submitted or to check your management software to see how another client family’s obituary is going.

But these things can wait until the meeting is over, so your full attention can be focused on the meeting. To avoid multi-tasking, turn off your notifications so you’re not interrupted by emails or messages popping up on your device. You also could silence your phone and only answer a phone call if it’s an emergency.

4. Use the Mute Button – It’s Your Friend.

We’ll start with the more obvious use for the mute button, which is to mute your mic when you’re not talking. No one wants to be distracted by background noise. Even sounds like typing on your keyboard can be distracting, so mute yourself unless you’re talking.

Another use for the mute button that you might not have thought of is to signal to others that you want to say something. This way, everyone can see when your mic goes from muted to unmuted and knows that you want to talk next. (This is another way to make sure that everyone gets a chance to talk!)

5. Take Advantage of Portable Funeral Home Management Software.

With our browser-based funeral home management software – 9Online , you can access your data anytime, anywhere, and from any device. Whether you’re at your funeral home or elsewhere, you can easily fill out the case information with the client family.

You also can eliminate the need for additional meetings with its turnkey integrations. For example, instead of meeting with the family to collect the funeral payment, they can make the payment online via E-Pay. Or instead of meeting just to sign a few forms, this can be done electronically with our E-Signature tool to save everyone time.

Ready to be more portable than ever with 9Online? Click here to book a free SRS demo.

Employee Engagement Tips for Your Funeral Home

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:30:22 GMT

By showing your funeral home’s staff that you appreciate them, you can create a stronger bond among your team members. Simple things like complementing someone's work and asking about someone’s hobby results in a team that feels like family. Your employees also will likely feel more productive, confident, and happy.

Below are a few employee engagement tips for creating a comfortable work environment, as well as getting to know each other better!

Promote Open Communication

By promoting open communication, you can help your employees feel comfortable coming to you with any questions, concerns, or ideas. Listen to what they have to say and ensure them that they won’t get in trouble for bringing things up.

Another way to promote open communication is to send out an anonymous survey. If employees know that it’s anonymous, you may get more honest feedback about what’s working and what could use some improvement. Your survey could focus on what you can do to better serve your client families, as well as how to better work as a team.

Set Clear, Attainable Goals

All your employees should know and understand the goals you’re working toward. To make sure everyone is on the same page and happy with the goals, you should decide them together.

For instance, maybe one of your goals is to provide more out-of-the-box funeral experiences. To make this an attainable goal, create a plan with clear steps on how to make it happen. The first step may be to get your team together to brainstorm what out-of-the-box funeral experiences you want to offer. You may even want to send a survey to your community to see what they’re most interested in!

To make sure no one gets stuck, have regular check-ins to see how the goals are going. If something isn’t going as planned, you can make changes as needed.

Show Your Appreciation

Make sure your employees know how much you appreciate their hard work. Although they may be confident in their work, it’s still nice to get reassurance from others that you’re doing a great job. It can be as simple as telling them that you appreciate them or sending a message or hand-written note. You could even treat everyone to a catered lunch to say thanks for everything that they do.

Do Team Building Activities

With the right technology solutions, you can save your firm much needed time. And with this extra time , you can use it for employee engagement, like for team building activities. Now, we know that many people dread team building activities, but they can actually be fun rather than awkward if you choose the right ones. You could have everyone suggest an activity and put it to a vote.

Another idea is to do an activity outside of your funeral home, so you can truly get to know each other outside of work. Understandably, funeral directors may not have the time for a weekend getaway. Even just getting together for dinner or going for a group walk can go a long way. By getting to know each other better, you can work better together.

Start saving your team valuable time today! Click here to book a free SRS demo.

Funeral Payment Options Your Firm Can Offer Your Client Families

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:48:57 GMT

Now more than ever, families don’t just want funeral payment options; they need them. Whether they need a convenient online option or they’re tight on funds, there are many reasons for wanting funeral payment options. (The numbers don’t lie! Check out this article for some must-know statistics about online payments.)

Let’s go over some funeral payment options that you can offer your client families and what tools SRS has to offer!

Quickly Collect the Funeral Payment with Credit Card Processing

Credit card processing is an easy way to quickly collect the funeral payment, especially if you offer online options. Don’t limit your families to in-person credit card payments during the arrangement conference. While some families may prefer this option, others may want to pay online instead. They may feel more comfortable doing it from their own home, or they may have a busy schedule and prefer to do it on their own time.

With SRS’ E-Pay payment platform, you can give your families the options they need . They can pay for the funeral payment:

During the arrangement conference.
Directly on your SRS Website.
Through an emailed invoice.
Through FamilyLink.
By scheduling auto-payments for payment plans.

They can even split the payments, so multiple family members can chip in for the expenses.

If a family is tight on funds and needs an alternative payment option, life insurance assignments may be right for them – which we’ll talk about next!

Give Families an Alternative Funeral Payment Option with Life Insurance Assignments

Some families may not have the funds to pay for the expenses all at once. Or they may simply prefer to keep their savings for another life expense. Whatever the case may be, if their loved one has a life insurance policy, they may be able to pay for the expenses with a life insurance assignment. This way, they have peace of mind that the funeral payment is taken care of. Plus, it eliminates any potential family conflicts over who is going to pay for it.

SRS partners with Tribute Insurance Assignments to offer 2-Minute Insurance Assignments . It lives directly in your SRS software, so all the data flows together to save you much-needed time. The process to submit and verify a claim also is very quick! It typically only takes:

2 minutes to submit a claim.
1 hour to verify a policy.
24 hours to receive funds.

This takes the stress off of your families during an already stressful time of grief and loss. Plus, they pay the most competitive processing fees in the industry, and there’s no limit to the amount that they can request for immediate funding.

Help Families Raise Funds for the Funeral and More with Crowdfunding

Another alternative payment option that can help families raise funds for the funeral and more is crowdfunding. With funeral crowdfunding, they can raise money for memorial funds, college tuition for children, medical bills, and other living expenses.

To make sure your funeral home stays in control of the funds raised, SRS Websites come with a crowdfunding feature. With this feature, family and friends can easily donate to their loved one’s crowdfunding campaign directly on your SRS Website – which keeps traffic on your own website instead of taking them to a third-party crowdfunding site.

Families also can easily share the crowdfunding campaign to reach more people. This not only gets more donations, but it also gets more people to your funeral home’s website, so it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Ready to learn more about SRS’ funeral payment options? Book a free demo here .

How SRS Helps Families Funeral Plan Online

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 13:24:18 GMT

Does your firm have all the resources you need to help your client families funeral plan virtually? Tools for selecting funeral arrangement options, paying the expenses, signing documents, and submitting vital information for the obituary are all important parts of the online funeral planning process.

Another important question besides what tools you have is how they work. Do they save you time or create more work? For example, tasks like manually uploading signed documents and re-entering data in multiple places eat up your valuable time.

If you don’t have the tools you need or your current solutions create more work, it may be time for an upgrade. By switching to our platform, all your SRS solutions integrate, so your employees save time while making the process as easy as possible for families.

Below is a brief overview of SRS’ time-saving funeral planning tools.

Online Planner for Starting the Funeral Planning Process Virtually

SRS Websites come with an online planner for families to start the funeral planning process themselves. Whether it’s a preneed or at-need case, they can do it all for the comfort of their own home. They can preplan their own funeral, preplan a loved one’s funeral, plan for a loved one’s expected death, or plan for a death that has already occurred.

With a tool like this, your funeral home already has a clearer picture of what the family wants before you even meet them. But don’t just take our word for it! Below is what Jonathan Holloway, Director of Strategy and Licensed Funeral Director at Holloway Funeral Home , had to say about his SRS Website and its online funeral planning resources. You also can watch his video testimonial here .

“The website also allows for great features for starting plans online, which then deposit those arrangements right into the SRS holding tank. And it’s really been a great way for us to gather the information from families, whether advanced planning, at need, or imminent need, and allows us to then reach out to the family and begin making that relationship from the first step.”

Website Resources for Making Educated Funeral Planning Choices

Along with an online planner, SRS Websites also come with other resources to help families make informed decisions. There’s a webpage that explains why it’s important to funeral plan, as well as a page with a preplanning checklist. This way, families can learn the benefits of planning that they may not have considered. For example, preplanning relieves their loved ones of that burden while grieving.

The checklist helps families learn about the different decisions they need to make for the funeral. Then, they can bring any questions to the arrangement meeting. This saves everyone much-needed time, because you don’t have to start at the beginning. It also means you can focus more time on learning who their loved one was.

Online Payments for Conveniently Paying for the Expenses Electronically

Per Podium’s The State of Local Business Report , 84.4% of consumers chose a business because of their contactless services, like online payments. ( Click here to read more statistics about online payments!)

With E-Pay , your funeral home can offer families not just one but several options for online funeral payments. This way, they can avoid making a trip to your funeral home just to pay the expenses. One of the easiest ways for them to pay is directly on your SRS Website. They also can pay through an emailed invoice. The email includes a secure link for making the payment, and the information flows directly into your SRS software. Or if they’re tight on funds, they could use 2-Minute Insurance Assignments to pay for the expenses with a loved one’s life insurance policy.

Electronic Signature Tool for Collecting Signed Forms Virtually

Per Finances Online , it takes about five days to collect client signatures using paper and pen, while it only takes about 37 minutes to do it electronically. ( Click here for more e-signature statistics!)

Don’t make families come into your funeral home just to sign documents; it’s a waste of everyone’s time. With E-Signature , they can easily sign them virtually on their own time. Then, the signed forms are automatically stored in VFiles, so you can quickly access them when needed.

Turnkey Tool for Securely Gathering Vital Information Online

Whether it’s a preneed or at-need case, FamilyLink makes it easy to gather information about a family’s loved one. There’s even a checklist for assigning tasks to the family and a chat feature if you or the family have any questions. By collecting this basic information virtually, you don’t have to take up time during the arrangement conference.

See for yourself below what David Lee Hernandez Jr., the CEO and Founder of Jersey Memorial Group, has to say about FamilyLink. You also can watch his video testimonial here .

“[SRS has] a program called FamilyLink where we were able to simply get an email from the next of kin, send them an email, and begin to have this collaborative process with vitals, obtaining the vitals for the death certificate, obituary, providing them up-to-date pricing and quoting.”

Of course, there will always be a place for meeting with the family in-person to hold their hand and learn what made their loved one special. The purpose of online tools like the ones above is to save you time for the important things.

Are you ready to save time with SRS’ virtual funeral planning tools? Book a demo here .

How SRS Helps Funeral Directors Save Time for the Important Things

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 12:49:25 GMT

As a funeral director, you’re constantly busy. But are you spending your time on the things that matter or on tasks that your funeral technology could be doing for you?

Don’t create extra work for you and your staff. With SRS funeral technology solutions, you can eliminate time-consuming tasks with smart integrations. They integrate with each other, so you don’t have to repeatedly enter the same information. For example, if you edit an obituary on your SRS Website, it automatically syncs with Procession. Just make your edits once, and you’re done!

Let’s go over some more examples of how SRS takes tasks off your plates, so you can spend more time with your employees, client families, and your own families.

Access Important Information Anytime, Anywhere

Keep your funeral home in your pocket with 9Online! With this browser-based tool , you can easily look up information as needed. Whether you need to edit a case file or email an invoice, you can do this on-the-go from anywhere. It goes where you go, so you don’t have to be in your funeral home to look up the information on the computer that has the software installed on it. Instead, you have the mobility you need .

Collect Vital Information Virtually Instead of Scheduling an In-Person Meeting

Save time from having to meet with the family in person to collect the payment, signatures, or other vital information. While meeting with the family is important to get a better understanding of their loved one, it isn’t always necessary for basic tasks like the ones above. Those can easily be done virtually instead.

Funeral Payment

With E-Pay, there are many ways for families to pay for the funeral expenses online, such as directly on your SRS Website, through an emailed invoice, or with life insurance assignments as funeral payment.

Signatures

Instead of taking up everyone’s time to meet and get signatures from the family, do it electronically in a matter of seconds with E-Signature. What’s great about E-Signature is that they’re automatically stored in VFiles!

Vital Information

FamilyLink makes it easy to collaborate with the family virtually. They can work on the obituary, upload photos, and update any other vital information. Then, it’s all there in one place, and you don’t need to have a meeting to collect it. There’s also a convenient chat feature if you or the family have any questions.

Find New Client Families with Forms on Your Funeral Home’s Website

Let your funeral home’s website begin the funeral planning process for you! With lead-generating forms, families can easily submit their information. Whether it’s to make funeral arrangements, contact your funeral home, or download a free resource, like a grief guide or preplanning checklist.

With an online preplanning form, there’s no need to waste time collecting the basics during the arrangement conference. Instead, you can go into it already understanding what the family wants. Save that time for finding ways to create a meaningful funeral service for the family, rather than collecting information they can easily submit online.

What to Do with Your Extra Time

With all the time your funeral technology saves you, you can spend more time with:

Your Employees.

Show your employees that you appreciate all their hard work by treating them to a team lunch. Or to get to know everyone better, dedicate some time to team building activities.

Your Client Families.

Spend more time with your client families to learn what made their loved one special. This way, you can truly create a one-of-a-kind funeral service to honor them. You also can dedicate more time to your aftercare efforts, such as creating grief resources or following up with families more frequently after the funeral service.

Your Own Family.

Working in the funeral profession is a demanding job, but that doesn’t mean you should have to sacrifice your entire personal life. With the time your funeral technology saves you, you can spend more time with your loved ones, whether that means leaving early for a family dinner or taking a vacation. Since your software goes where you go, you can have peace of mind that you can access important information if needed.

Start saving valuable time today! Click here to book a free SRS demo.

SRS Websites: A Few of Our Favorite Designs from March

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:45:10 GMT

Below are just a few of our favorite SRS Website designs from March.

Lux Funeral Home

Lux Funeral Home , with multiple Michigan locations, started out as Moody Funeral Home in 1937. In 1980, the Lux family purchased the funeral home. Today, they’re proud to continue to grow and be a part of their community’s rich history. On their website, their families can conveniently pay for the funeral expenses online through their E-Pay payment platform .

Bryan-Lee Funeral Homes

With multiple North Carolina locations, Bryan-Lee Funeral Homes has been serving their area families since 1977. They’re thankful to part of their communities and look forward to many more years helping families honor their loved ones’ legacies. When visiting their website, families can learn about all the service types they offer, such as green burials and ash scatterings.

Leo J. Henney Funeral Home

Leo J. Henney Funeral Home in Carnegie, Pennsylvania has a long history in their community. In the early 1950’s, Leo J. Henney founded the funeral home. Today, they’re proud to continue to serve their families as a family-owned and operated funeral home. To make their families’ funeral decisions easier, they have their general price list on their website.

Buchanan Funeral Home

Located in Monett, Missouri, Buchanan Funeral Home has been serving their area families since 1950. Today, they pride themselves in serving “each family with unsurpassed compassion and care.” With their online planner, families can easily begin the funeral preplanning process from the comfort of their house.

The Amos Family

The Amos Family in Shawnee, Kansas is a family-owned funeral home. A few notable features about their business are that they have a crematory on site and a post-funeral reception area. On their funeral home website , they strive to accommodate families who live out of town, as they have a webpage with information about local restaurants and hotels.

Alta Vista Cremation and Funeral Service

Based in Pacheco, California, the staff at Alta Vista Cremation and Funeral Service is committed to serving their families with “dignity, respect, and compassion.” When viewing their website, families are greeted with the calming blue color scheme and nature imagery. For those who are currently coping with grief, this can help give them some comfort.

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Succession Planning 101: Who Will Take Over the Family Funeral Home?

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 15:05:03 GMT

Even if you don’t plan on retiring for several years, you should start succession planning as soon as possible. By planning in advance, you can avoid making decisions on the fly, as well as:

Be l ess stressed when the time comes.
Make sure everyone is in the loop.
Have a concrete plan in place.

To make sure your funeral home remains successful for years to come, even after you retire, check out these succession planning tips. We’ll cover tips for answering these three questions:

Am I keeping or selling my funeral home?
Who will be my successor?
When should I start succession planning?

Am I Keeping or Selling My Funeral Home?

When succession planning, this is the first question to ask. You should talk about it as a family and determine if anyone wants the family funeral business. Make sure that anyone who is interested understands all the responsibilities that come with owning a funeral home. You also can answer any of their questions or concerns.

It can be tough to hear if none of your children want to take it over but try to be understanding of their decision. You could ask them for more clarity about their choice. If they’re having concerns, you may be able to address them and ease their worries. Or they may just have other career aspirations outside of the funeral profession.

Deciding to keep or sell your funeral home is not an easy decision, so you should take your time with it. The best advice we can give is to keep communication open, so everyone can be honest about how they’re feeling.

Who Will Be My Successor?

After you’ve decided whether to keep or sell, the next step is choosing the successor. If you’re keeping your funeral home in the family, it can be a difficult choice if multiple family members are interested. To make the decision as fair as possible, you should talk with everyone individually to get a better understanding of their skills.

It also may help to get an outside opinion, so they can share their unbiased thoughts about who they think would be best for the role. A friend who also works in the funeral profession would be an ideal person to ask, since they know what skills are important for the profession.

It’s best to decide sooner rather than later, so the chosen family member can start shadowing you now. This way, they can get a better grasp of the position before they’re in the role. It also gives you more time to create training documents for them to reference.

If you decide to sell, you can consider loyal employees or other funeral homes in your area that you have an established relationship with.

When Should I Start Succession Planning?

If you take anything away from this article, it should be to start planning as soon as possible – even years in advance. Succession planning takes time, so you can want to make sure that you get it right.

If you’re keeping your funeral home in the family, planning ahead gives you time for a trial run. This way, you can see how they do on their own and address any questions or concerns that come up. Or if you’re selling your funeral home, planning ahead gives you time to negotiate a deal. This way, you’re not rushed into selling it. It also gives you time to consult a financial planner to make sure you sell it for what your funeral home is worth.

Don’t forget about your funeral home’s digital presence! Book a free demo to see how an SRS Website can save your firm time.

[Statistics] What Your Funeral Home Needs to Know About Online Payments

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 13:17:01 GMT

We’ve repeatedly talked about the importance of offering online funeral payment options to your client families. By offering convenient online options, your firm can earn extra revenue. While your families can funeral plan without worrying about how they’re going to pay for it.

But don’t just take our word for it! We’ve compiled some must-know statistics about online payments. This way, you can make more educated decisions about what funeral payment options make sense for your firm, while also getting a better understanding of why families want online payment options.

Check out these blog posts for more eye-opening funeral technology statistics!

Online Card Payments Increased By 20% Throughout 2015 to 2018.

Per the 2019 Federal Reserve Payments Study , online card payments increased by 20.5% annually throughout 2015 to 2018. This is significantly higher than the 5.8% annual increase throughout 2015 to 2018 for in-person card payments. However, in-person card payments during 2018 had a higher total than online card payments, with 86.1 billion in-person card payments and 33.5 billion online card payments.

But it’s important to keep in mind that these statistics are from before we started practicing social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll talk more about pandemic-related statistics in the next section.

84.4% of Consumers Chose a Business Because of Contactless Services.

This is according to Podium’s The State of Local Business Report , which also found that 53.3% of consumers are avoiding businesses without contactless services. Even after the pandemic, this trend is here to stay, as 80.3% of consumers who have used contactless services want their local businesses to continue to offer them in a post-pandemic world.

Contactless services like for payments are simply more convenient for families. Instead of making a trip to your funeral home, they can pay from the comfort of their home.

79% of Smartphone Users Made an Online Purchase in the Last Six Months.

Per OuterBox , almost 80% of smartphone users made an online purchase with their smartphone in the last six months. This doesn’t come as a surprise, since one in five Americans access the internet only from their smartphone.

That’s why it’s so important that your funeral home’s website has a responsive design , meaning that it responds to all device types. Having an excellent user experience is especially important when entering information for online payments.

In 2018, More Than 50% of American Adults Made a Payment on a Smartphone.

Pew Trusts also found that many people don’t trust mobile payments with protecting their personal information. They found that 53% of people who don’t use mobile payments think they’re not well protected, while 25% of people who do use mobile payments think they’re not well protected.

To ease these worries, your funeral home’s website should be SSL-secured . This means that sensitive data, like credit card numbers, are scrambled so hackers can’t steal them.

About 56% of Bills Are Paid Online.

That's about 8.2 billion bills, according to Yahoo! Finance . To break it down by generation, they found that these percentages of each generation pay their bills online versus by mail:

42% of seniors
52% of Baby Boomers
60% of Generation X
61% of Millennials

While younger, more tech savvy generations like Millennials aren’t your target audience now, they will be in the future. When it comes time for them to funeral plan, they’ll likely prefer to pay their funeral bill online versus in person.

To make sure your funeral home keeps up with the times, offer multiple options for online payments with E-Pay ! With this payment platform, families have many choices, such as paying directly on your SRS Website , through an emailed voice, or with life insurance funds .

Click here to try a free demo of E-Pay!

Video: See How SRS Helps This Funeral Professional Embrace Technology

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 13:46:50 GMT

Hear for yourself from one of your peers how SRS is helping funeral homes be more mobile and stay successful in the ever-changing industry. Jonathan Holloway – Director of Strategy and Licensed Funeral Director at Holloway Funeral Home in Salisbury, Maryland – shared how SRS helps his staff eliminate redundant tasks and better serve their client families online.

You can watch his video here or read what he had to say below.

Embracing Technology with the SRS Funeral Technology Suite

“I think one of the biggest challenges facing our team at Holloway Funeral Home has been the ability to embrace technology while creating meaningful relationships with the families that we serve. SRS has been an integral part of that and making sure that we have the tools necessary to our team in order to serve families well. In what we do, there’s one chance to get it right, and SRS really helps us to do that on the first time.”

Staying Organized with Barcoding

“Initially, we were drawn to SRS through the Barcoding. As our crematory operations grew in recent years, we depended more and more on that Barcoding system to ensure proper identity, chain of custody, and processing and caring for families that have entrusted their loved ones to us. From the time we go on a transfer to the time that we return an urn to a family or conduct a burial, that Barcode is important in what we do.”

Accessing Information Anytime, Anywhere with 9Online

“More recently, some of the features that we’ve taken advantage of include 9Online, where our directors are able to access SRS information from home and anywhere and on the fly. Having that information at their fingertips allows us to better connect with families and really allows us to an ease on an installation of we don’t have to install SRS on every single computer, so that’s a lot easier on our IT team.”

Receiving Family Signatures Virtually Through the E-Signature Tool

“Additionally, especially as we’ve gotten into COVID and more challenges in connecting with families through virtual arrangements, using E-Signature to collect documents has been a really easy way to connect with families and make the process of caring for their loved ones seamless. SRS has provided great instructions and an easy platform to do that with E-Signature. And even families that are maybe not as quite familiar with computers and technology can still perform the E-Signature with ease.”

Reducing Tedious Tasks with Their SRS Website

“We’ve recently also moved our website to SRS’ platform as well. We have four different websites including our pet services, that the website has allowed for ease of entry of information. Less redundant entry for our team. And allows to make edits on the fly with a really modern interface that’s easy to use by our team and the families we serve.

The website also allows for great features for starting plans online, which then deposit those arrangements right into the SRS holding tank. And it’s really been a great way for us to gather the information from families, whether advanced planning, at need, or imminent need, and allows us to then reach out to the family and begin making that relationship from the first step. The website allows for great revenue generation and connecting families for floral sales with some of the best florists in our area.”

Collecting Funeral Payments Online with E-Pay

“And finally, we’ve started to take advantage of SRS’ E-Pay, which is really important part of, of course, collecting that payment with ease. Being able to send electronic invoices to families for payment right through the system. Again, reducing entry and making it a lot easier on our accounting team as well.”

Looking Forward to the Years to Come

“We certainly couldn’t do what we do and experience the growth that we’ve had without the tools in our tool belt from SRS. With their support and training over the years, it’s allowed us to really implement a lot of the features that we depend on day to day with SRS. And so, we’re really excited about the features and hope to continue to utilize them in the years to come as well.”

Click here to watch Jonathan’s video testimonial!

Video: See How SRS Helps This Funeral Professional Serve Families Remotely

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 13:47:27 GMT

Hear for yourself from one of your peers how SRS is helping funeral homes be more mobile and stay successful in the ever-changing industry. David Lee Hernandez Jr., the CEO and Founder of Jersey Memorial Group, shared how SRS helps his staff save time and how it empowers them to serve families.

You can watch his video here or read what he had to say below.

SRS As the Central Nervous System

“Hi, my name is David Lee Hernandez, Jr. I’m CEO and Founder of Jersey Memorial Group operating funeral homes and cemeteries in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. So, SRS we’ve been with for years. In fact, my entire career over 20 years has been with SRS, specifically with Scott and Kim Simons, and it’s been really neat to watch the program grow as we grew, but the relationship that we have with both of them as well as a lot of their developers and their tech team has been paramount in us staying not only with SRS but continuing to grow as well.

So, SRS has been a tremendous asset to my organization. I use the analogy that it’s the central nervous system, so the funeral directors input all of the data in there. The administrators are able to print all the various documents and contracts out of it. Our accounting team goes in there to get all the financial data and export the data into our financial software. I look at it from our reports and as a practicing funeral director, still use it on a day-to-day basis with the case management software, so the program has been a tremendous value and robust in not only be able to save time, but also eliminating duplicitous processes, so it’s single-entry data and then it goes across all of our other platforms, which is tremendous on my side.”

FamilyLink and Social Distancing

“So 2020, there’s really still no words to describe what we went through, but in a relationship business, so much of what we do is in front of the customers and clients where when that was withdrawn, we really had to maintain that personal touch and with SRS and all of their different platforms within the system, we were still able to do that. So, they have a program called FamilyLink where we were able to simply get an email from the next of kin, send them an email, and begin to have this collaborative process with vitals, obtaining the vitals for the death certificate, obituary, providing them up-to-date pricing and quoting.”

Collecting Payments Virtually With E-Pay

“They also have a feature called E-Pay, so where the families were able to come in, typically we have a payment policy of services rendered by the day of the funeral, so that became a big challenge during COVID having families coming in. So, we were simply able to send them an E-Pay link and they were paying via credit card or check or ACH withdrawal, so that was tremendous, and that took a lot of pressure off of me from an ownership standpoint, our managers, because we wanted to obviously maintain the level of service and care for the families, but then the financial component is such a hard part to make sure that that’s all under wraps and taken care of.

One of the other features that they came out with that I was on them for years on was incorporating merchant services into SRS, so we got rid of all of the terminals across all thirteen of our locations. Not only did we have a terminal, but then we had to have a log and we had to have paper and ink and all of the things and there was always issues with reconciliations. And innocently, funeral directors perhaps we’ve run the credit card, so they did their job, but they didn’t go write down how much was taken. So, it was always a hunt and peck and figuring out on a bank rec where once SRS brought the credit card merchant services into the software, it absolutely eliminated all of that.”

Staying Organized with Tasks

“One of my favorite features in SRS is the Tasks. So, when we pick graveside service, we have an automated list of all of the tasks that are generated that are needed specific to a graveside service. It also has tasks that are specific to certain members on the teams. So, for instance, if a check is needed for the cemetery, that task automatically notifies our accounting team, funeral director puts in the cemetery name, perhaps the opening and closing fee or any of the fees goes automatically to accounting, accounting issues the check, and the check miraculously ends up in the file. And that’s one of those things that has not only kept an audit trail but has just simplified our processes within the funeral home, so Tasks have been a tremendous opportunity for us to streamline.

Again, my name is David Lee Herandez Jr., I’m Founder and CEO of Jersey Memorial Group and been a proud client of SRS for over 20 years and looking forward to the continued innovation and opportunity to grow my business through their platform.”

Click here to watch David’s video testimonial!

Is Your Funeral Home's Website Ready for 2021 and Beyond?

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 13:36:27 GMT

In 2021 and beyond, your online presence needs to be stronger than it’s ever been and that starts with your funeral home’s website. Your website should not only be a resource for your client families, but it should also make your employees’ lives easier.

So, how do you know if your website is ready for the present and future of funeral service? Let’s go over the benefits of an effective funeral home website for both funeral directors and the families you serve!

Benefits for Funeral Directors

Have Revenue-Generating and Time-Saving Features

First off, your funeral home’s website should be another source of revenue for your firm, such as through offering flower ordering and alternative payment options. Then, your firm can use your extra income for projects you’ve had to put on hold or didn’t have the means to do before.

Be More Mobile

In 2021, you should be able to manage your website anytime, anywhere. Whether you’re working from home or at the cemetery, you should have on-the-go access to it. Click here to see how SRS Websites and other SRS solutions are helping funeral homes be more mobile.

Offer More Services

Your website should also create an opportunity to offer additional services. This can include revenue-generating features like the ones mentioned above, or other services like purchasing your memorial products directly from your website.

Benefits for Your Client Families

Get a User-Friendly Design

Many families are viewing your website from a smartphone or tablet. According to Quoracreative , 80% of internet users accessed the internet from a mobile device in 2019. That’s why it’s so important to have a responsive design that’s easy for families to navigate.

Find Grief and Funeral Resources

Your website should give families the resources they need to grieve their loss. These can include funeral planning resources like an online planner tool and checklist. Additionally, you should have grief resources like an email subscription, helpful articles, and educational guides.

Use a Secure Payment Platform

Give families the convenience of paying for the funeral expenses from the comfort of their own home. With E-Pay , your families can do just that. They can pay directly on your funeral home’s website, which has a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate to ensure a secure connection.

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Make This the Year You Upgrade Your Funeral Home Management Software

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 13:42:08 GMT

If the importance of having up-to-date funeral technology wasn’t known before, the pandemic definitely made it clear. It isn’t enough to just have good enough tools in your tool belt. That wouldn’t fly for a repairman or construction worker and it shouldn’t for your firm either.

2020 taught us that to be successful in 2021 and beyond, we need the right tools to back us up. That’s why your firm should make this the year you upgrade your funeral home management software. Let’s go over what makes funeral home software great versus just good enough.

Good Funeral Home Management Software Isn’t Good Enough

Don’t settle for good enough when it comes to your funeral home management software. For your software to be great, it should check these three boxes:

Save your firm time and money.
Make your firm more mobile.
Give you turnkey tools right at your fingertips.

Save your firm time and money.

Instead of using expensive third-party tools, your firm can save time and money with a software solution that integrates with your funeral home website and other solutions. This means everything you need will be all in one place, rather than scattered among multiple platforms.

Make your firm more mobile.

You should be able to access your data at anytime, anywhere, rather than being limited to one computer in your funeral home. A browser-based software solution lets you work on the go , whether you’re working from home or at the cemetery for a graveside service and need to access a case file.

Give you turnkey tools right at your fingertips.

Finally, a great funeral home management software gives you tools to make things easier for your staff and the families you serve. For example, one robust tool is an e-signature tool that lives directly in your software. Did you know that by introducing electronic signatures alone, your business can save 55%-78% in administrative costs ( financesonline.com ) and an entire day’s work of time (MSBDocs )? This way, you can get back to doing what you do best.

If your firm’s current software solution doesn’t check all these boxes, we have a solution that can! Say hello to 9Online.

Have an All-In-One Solution with 9Online Funeral Home Management Software

You simply cannot find a solution like 9Online anywhere else. With this browser-based tool, data from your SRS Website, E-Pay, and other solutions seamlessly flow into your funeral home management software, so you can manage everything in one place. They all connect to one another, so you have an all-in-one solution to continue to grow your firm.

Don’t just take our word for it! Here is what a few of our clients are saying about 9Online.

“More recently, some of the features that we’ve take advantage of include 9Online, where our directors are able to access SRS information from home and anywhere and on the fly. Having that information at their fingertips allows us to better connect with families and really allows us to an ease on an installation of we don’t have to install SRS on every single computer, so that’s a lot easier on our IT team.” – Jonathan Holloway, Director of Strategy and Licensed Funeral Director at Holloway Funeral Home in Salisbury, Maryland

“SRS has been a tremendous asset to my organization. I use the analogy that it’s the central nervous system, so the funeral directors input all of the data in there. The administrators are able to print all the various documents and contracts out of it. Our accounting team goes in there to get all the financial data and export the data into our financial software. I look at it from our reports and as a practicing funeral director, still use it on a day-to-day basis with the case management software.” – David Lee Hernandez Jr., CEO and Founder of Jersey Memorial Group

To learn more about 9Online, click here to book a free SRS demo today!

Four Ideas for Reinvesting in Your Firm This Year

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 14:02:39 GMT

Are you not sure what to do with your firm’s extra funds? Don’t worry, we’ve brainstormed a few ideas for reinvesting in your business. Whether that means updating your facility or adding new employees, you can make sure your funeral home stays successful for many years to come.

Below are four ideas to get you started!

Update Your Firm’s Facility

Is your facility in need of an upgrade? Even small cosmetic changes can go a long way to make your facility feel like a second home to your families. For instance, add new furniture to your lobby to make sure your families are comfortable. Or reach out to local artists to create paintings or other artwork for your walls. You also can consider any structural updates, like adding an additional room or an event space. And don’t forget about the outside of your facility! Add some plants to make sure your firm’s exterior is welcoming, too.

Explore New Offerings to Add to Your Toolbelt

Do you want to offer more disposition choices, like cremation or green burial? Or do you want to expand your memorial product collection? To start, do some research and conduct surveys to see what end-of-life arrangements families in your area would be interested in. Also, see what services your competitors offer and determine what would make sense for your firm. It may help to do an audit of your funeral home’s merchandise to get a clear idea of what you currently offer.

Invest in the Latest Funeral Technology Solutions

By investing in the latest funeral technology, your firm can save time for both your employees and the families you serve. Through taking the funeral planning process online and eliminating tedious tasks like double data entry, it makes things easier for everyone involved. With SRS, your firm can do just that with our all-in-one funeral technology solutions . Your funeral home management software and website integrate, so you can access everything all in one place.

Don’t Forget About Your Firm’s Employees

While it’s important to invest in your facility and the services you offer, don’t forget about the people who make it all possible! As reinvesting in your business also means reinvesting in your people. To do this, show your staff how thankful you are for them. By giving them a thoughtful gift or planning a group dinner, you can show your appreciation for their hard work. You also can consider hiring additional staff members but think bigger than just hiring funeral directors. New hires can include accountants, student interns, and more!

See how an SRS Website and its all-in-one solutions can save your firm time. Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Self-Care Tips for Funeral Directors

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 13:43:02 GMT

While it’s important to focus on improving your funeral home and its technology solutions , you can’t forget about yourself. Without proper self-care, your stress may lead to burnout and compassion fatigue.

So, to take the best care of your firm’s client families, it all starts with taking care of yourself. We’ve come up with a few self-care tips for funeral directors to get you started!

Stay Active to Improve Your Mental and Physical Health

Exercising isn’t just for your physical health; it helps improve your mental health too! By staying active, you can relieve stress, improve your overall mood, reduce your risk of heart disease, and several other benefits.

Plus, there are many ways to stay active! No matter what your comfort level with exercising is, there’s something for everyone! For example, you can join a gym, try yoga, or sign up for a virtual class. Or, if being in a gym isn’t your thing, you can do plenty of exercises in your own home. Even better, get outside whenever you can! Whether it’s running or walking, both activities get you moving. You can even make it a group activity with your firm’s entire team.

Eat Healthy and Nutritious Foods

If you eat good, you’ll feel good and have more energy! Instead of grabbing junk food when you’re craving a snack, grab a healthy, nutritious alternative. Of course, it’s okay to treat yourself every now and then; it’s all about balance.

One way to encourage healthy eating is to provide your firm’s employees with healthy snacks. For instance, you can have fruit and granola bars available in your firm’s break area.

Spend Time with Your Loved Ones

To take care of your mental health, make sure that the people you surround yourself with make you happy rather than more stressed. Spend time with your loved ones, whether it’s a family dinner or calling a friend that you haven’t talked to in a while.

Don’t forget to take time for yourself too! Whether that means doing one of your favorite hobbies or taking a nap. We’ll get more into those ideas next!

Make Time for Your Hobbies and Interests

Take some time each day for one of your hobbies or trying something new that you’ve always wanted to do. It can be something relaxing like listening to music or writing your thoughts down in a journal. Or your activity can be something that’s more active like biking or fishing – then you’re staying active at the same time!

Unplug from Your Devices

To practice self-care, take some time away from your devices. This includes not checking your messages and unplugging for a little while. It can be for a short walk, reading a book, or another activity that doesn’t involve technology.

Take a Nap to Recharge

Don’t feel bad about taking a nap to recharge. Just make sure that you don’t nap for too long, or else you may end up feeling more tired than before. According to SleepFoundation.org , a 10- to 20-minute-long nap is recommended. By taking a nap, you can wake up feeling more energized and less stressed.

You also should make sure you get enough sleep each night. Per SleepFoundation.org , adults should get anywhere between 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

See how an SRS Website and its all-in-one solutions can save your firm time and reduce your stress! Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

New Year's Resolutions Follow Up

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 13:50:04 GMT

A few weeks ago, we wrote a blog post about planning your 2021 New Year’s resolutions . Since January is almost over, we want to follow up to see how your resolutions are going!

Did you know that around 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February? According to Forbes , these are the two main reasons that a resolution doesn’t work out:

There was no emotional commitment to the resolution.
The resolution wasn’t fully planned out.

To prevent your resolutions from failing, we’re sharing a few tips below!

Establish an Emotional Commitment to Your New Year’s Resolutions

To establish an emotional commitment to your resolution, you need to reevaluate why you made it in the first place. Why does it matter? Why is it important to you? You should be able to easily answer those questions. If not, it may not be the right resolution for you. Or you may just need to downsize it to make it more realistic. Remember that you have other commitments outside of your New Year’s resolutions, so keep that in mind when you’re creating them.

Oftentimes, your resolution benefits more people than just yourself. If so, that tie to your loved ones may be your emotional commitment to your resolution. Since it affects more people than only yourself, it makes you more emotionally invested in completing it.

For instance, let’s say you want to have more meals as a family. This resolution affects your whole family, not just you. Or let’s say you want to watch more educational webinars or read more industry-related articles . This goal affects your entire team, as you can share what you learned and bring new ideas to the table.

Fully Plan Out Your New Year’s Resolutions

For your resolution to be successful, you need to be as specific as possible. Depending on your resolution, this may mean coming up with smaller goals to achieve throughout the year that lead up to your main resolution.

It may help to write down your plan and share it with others. Talking about it helps you be more committed to it, as it’s easier to give up on it if no one else knows about it.

For instance, let’s say your goal is to practice self-care. This is vague on its own, so try picking a specific activity, such as reading or riding your bike. Then, choose a frequency to aim for. It could be to ride your bike twice a week or read a book for 30 minutes every night. If you find yourself easily accomplishing those goals, don’t be afraid to adjust them! For example, maybe reading for 30 minutes was too easy, so an hour per day would be a more challenging resolution.

Download our 2021 Holiday Wishlist to take advantage of exclusive deals on SRS products. The deals expire on January 31st, so claim them before it's too late!

Make This the Year You Offer Life Insurance Assignments as Funeral Payment

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:41:09 GMT

2020 showed us the importance of offering online funeral payment options. Staying safe and social distancing is a big part of it, as about 85% of consumers expect their local businesses to have more convenient communication and service options, according to Podium’s The State of Local Business Report .

In 2021 and beyond, online payments will continue to rise. Per the report , 8 out of 10 consumers want their local businesses to continue to offer contactless payments and other pandemic-friendly services even after the pandemic is over.

For your firm, online payment options can mean so much more than just credit card processing. Make 2021 the year you offer life insurance assignments as funeral payment!

Benefits of Life Insurance Assignments for Your Client Families

Only 41% of Americans would be able to afford an unexpected expense of $1,000, per CNBC . What about the other 59%? As you know, the funeral, medical bills, memorial fund, and any other expenses after a loved one’s passing add up to much more than $1,000. To help these families give their loved ones the sendoff they deserve, they need options like life insurance assignments.

By giving families this payment option, they don’t have to:

Drain their emergency funds.
Take on an extensive loan.
Rely solely on funds raised from a crowdfunding campaign.

Ultimately, life insurance assignments let families pay the expenses right away without draining their savings. It gives them peace of mind that the expenses are taken care of. So, at the end of the day, they can focus on healing instead of stressing out about the funeral payment.

Benefits of Life Insurance Assignments for Funeral Directors

By offering this payment option, your firm can grow your number of services and add another source of income. This means that the project you’ve been holding off on could be picked up again! Have you been wanting to host more webinars ? Or do you want to expand your casket collection? With that additional revenue, those dreams can become a reality.

If your firm keeps losing potential client families to the funeral home down the road, expanding your payment options can give you a leg up on your competitors. For the 59% of Americans who can’t afford an unexpected $1,000 expense, offering life insurance assignments as funeral payment may be the deciding factor in families choosing your funeral home over your competition.

The Modern Way to Process Life Insurance Assignments as Funeral Payment

Your funeral home can’t just work with any life insurance assignments company. Remember, it’s not enough to just offer multiple payment options; families want convenient online options. That’s why SRS partners with Tribute Insurance Assignments to offer 2-Minute Insurance Assignments . With our program, you can go paperless and be more mobile with an entirely electronic claim process.

But wait, it gets even better! 2-Minute Insurance Assignments is fully integrated with Procession. This means you can easily submit life insurance policies and generate forms directly in your software using the data you have already entered, so your employees aren’t wasting time with repetitive data entry.

Get your first insurance claim free! Download our 2021 Holiday Wishlist to take advantage of this exclusive deal and many other deals on SRS products. The deals expire on January 31st, so claim them before it's too late!

How Funeral Technology Can Help You Be Available to Families 24/7

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 14:22:36 GMT

Even while you’re sleeping or busy with another client, your funeral technology can help you help families. Technology has streamlined the communication process, so families can get the support they need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Let’s go over a few examples of how your funeral technology can help you be more available to families at any time of day.

Want to learn how your funeral technology can help you be more efficient? Check out this article .

Create a FAQ Page on Your Website to Answer Families’ Questions

With a frequently asked questions webpage, families can get the answers they need right away, even if it’s the middle of the night. This saves your staff time from repeatedly answering the same questions. Whether it’s a question about what to wear to a funeral or if you can have a visitation with a cremation service, you can provide some insight into all the things that are funeral related.

When creating your FAQ page, have your staff write down the questions they’re asked the most frequently and make sure to include those on the page. It also can help to put yourself in your families’ shoes. If you were funeral planning for the first time, what would you want to know? Once your page is live, make sure to tell your families about it and share it on your social media pages to spread the word.

Have a Preplanning Form on Your Website to Collect Their Arrangements

With a preplanning form, families can start the process themselves from their home. This saves everyone time in the long run, since you already have an idea of what they want when you first meet them. Instead of using the meeting to collect basic information, like if they’re choosing burial or cremation, families can submit that information on the form. This way, the meeting can be spent getting to know who their loved one was and brainstorming ways to personalize the service.

They also may feel less rushed starting the process at home. Instead of feeling pressured to make decisions, they can take the time to think about what they want. To help them make educated decisions, learn three simple ways that your website can be a resource to families.

Have a Payment Platform on Your Website to Collect Their Funeral Payment

With an online payment platform, you don’t have to schedule a meeting with the family just to get the funeral payment. People are busy with work, children, and other commitments. Some may not live nearby, and now as we’re practicing social distancing, we want to limit as many in-person meetings as possible. Having the option to pay from their house at any time of day gives families the flexibility that they need.

Your firm also is more likely to get paid on time by offering the convenience of paying online. You don’t have to worry about finding time to meet the family. Instead, they can pay the expenses with just a few clicks of a mouse or taps of a finger. You can even explore other payment options like crowdfunding or life insurance assignments .

Use an E-Signature Tool to Get Their Signatures Electronically

With an e-signature tool , it’s another way to save everyone time from scheduling a meeting to just sign a few documents. Instead of blocking out time for a meeting, families can send you the signatures you need virtually.

Not only is this more convenient for families, but it also saves your firm valuable time – even an entire day’s worth of time! Per MSB Docs , you add an entire day’s worth of work to your process if you collect signatures using pen and paper. By switching to an electronic signature tool, you can drastically cut the time it takes to collect signatures.

Our 24/7 Funeral Technology Solutions

With SRS, your firm can have all the tools you need in one place to serve your families 24/7. Our funeral technology suite includes all the tools above – funeral home websites with forms that flow into your funeral home management software and so much more. Did we mention that we created an E-Signature tool that lives directly in your software? This saves your firm even more time and replaces the need for expensive third-party tools.

Give your firm the gift of saving time! Download our 2021 Holiday Wishlist to take advantage of exclusive deals on SRS products!

How Funeral Technology Can Help Your Firm Be More Efficient

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 14:16:24 GMT

If funeral homes don’t embrace funeral technology, they risk becoming obsolete. Unfortunately, we’ve seen this happen to many firms over the years.

But by embracing technology, not only do funeral directors become the best version of their firm, they also can more efficiently create personalized funeral experiences that their families deserve.

Below are three ways your funeral technology can help your firm be more efficient this year.

Be More Mobile Than Ever with Funeral Technology

By embracing technology, you can have your entire funeral home in the palm of your hand. You no longer need to run to your funeral home and get information from paper files. You no longer need to get physical signatures from your client families. You no longer need to meet them in person to get the funeral payment.

Instead, you can go paperless and access all your data virtually. You can receive and process electronic payments and signatures and even have families make funeral arrangements online. With funeral technology, you can create a more efficient process for everyone involved.

Be Available to Your Client Families 24/7

Technology makes it possible for funeral directors to be more available to families 24/7. Whether it’s through an online private portal, phone call, email, or text, they can get the answers they need right away. There’s also a firm’s online presence to consider, which takes it to a whole new level. Online resources like your website and social media pages have streamlined the communication process, so families can get the support they need at any time of day.

Ultimately, there’s no replacing the personal connection when you can hold the grieving family’s hand. However, funeral technology paired with efficiency can give families peace of mind that someone is always there for them when they need it most.

Have Better Communication to Keep Everyone on the Same Page

When thinking of what makes or breaks of firm’s efficiency, the main contributor that immediately comes to mind is communication. Without effective communication, you can’t be as productive as you could be.

But when you introduce the right funeral technology solutions for your firm, you can improve your communication while also saving time . You can have better communication between employees and between funeral directors and client families. For example, an online private portal with a live chat feature can create a more efficient process for everyone. Instead of meeting in person, families can message their funeral director when a question comes to mind and get answers right away.

Give your firm the gift of saving time! Download our 2021 Holiday Wishlist to take advantage of exclusive deals on SRS products!

SRS Websites: A Few of Our Favorite Designs from December

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 14:01:46 GMT

Below are just a few of our favorite SRS Website designs from December.

Cox Funeral Home

Cox Funeral Home in Manchester and Hamilton, Georgia is family owned and operated. They’re proud to serve their community with compassion, dignity, and respect. When viewing their website, they make it easy for families to begin the funeral planning process. By clicking the Start Now button on their homepage’s banner image, they’re taken to their online planner.

Boeke Funeral Homes

Located in Hubbard and Radcliffe, Iowa, Boeke Funeral Homes has been in the funeral business for more than 100 years. They’re thankful to be an important part of their community’s history. To make things easier for their client families, they have an online payment platform directly on their website .

John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home

John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home in Meriden, Connecticut was founded back in 1890. With a century of service in the funeral business, they’re the oldest funeral home in their city that’s still owned by the same family. To help answer families’ funeral planning questions at any hour of the day, they have a convenient frequently asked questions page .

Landry’s Funeral Home

With several locations in Louisiana, Landry’s Funeral Home has been serving their area communities for many years. They’re committed to continuing their longstanding legacy of creating meaningful funeral experiences for the families they serve. To help families cope with grief , they have a Grief Support page on their website filled with resources.

Klingel-Carpenter Mortuary

Klingel-Carpenter Mortuary in Huntington, West Virginia has a long history in its community, as it was established in 1928. Today, the third generation of the Carpenter family continues the funeral home’s legacy. When a family loses a loved, they may not know where to start. That’s why they have a webpage that lays out everything families need to know.

Bucaro Funeral Home & Cremation Center

Located in Bloomingdale, Illinois, Bucaro Funeral Home & Cremation Center is family owned and operated, and the owner Frank Bucaro has been serving his hometown for many years. Families can see for themselves the positive difference they make in families’ funeral experiences by visiting their Testimonials page.

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

2021 New Year's Resolutions: Goal Planning for Funeral Directors

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 14:00:03 GMT

Have you made your 2021 New Year’s resolutions? The new year will be here before we know it! Even though the pandemic makes it harder to plan ahead, you can still create realistic goals for yourself and your funeral home.

When goal planning for 2021, it’s important to realize that these goals may change depending on what the new year brings. It’s okay to be uncertain. If you make your goals with a pandemic mindset, just know that you may need to tweak them as the year goes.

You also can create your goals with a post-pandemic mindset. This way, your firm will be prepared when things are more normal again. Or even better, create goals that are relevant now or in a post-pandemic world.

Below are some goal ideas for both personal and professional growth!

New Year’s Resolution Ideas for Funeral Directors

When thinking about what will be important for funeral directors in 2021, three things immediately come to mind: self-care, lifelong learning, and kindness. To practice these things, below are a few goal ideas:

1. Watch one webinar per month to expand my knowledge. (Check out our past and upcoming webinars here .)

2. Read four articles per month to learn new ideas. (You can start with our SRS blog !)

3. Practice at least one self-care activity per day.

4. Create a meal plan for each week.

5. Do two random acts of kindness per month.

New Year’s Resolution Ideas for Your Funeral Home

While it’s impossible to know what funerals will look like in 2021, we brainstormed some goal ideas that are relevant during the pandemic or post-pandemic:

1. Do an audit of your firm’s online presence and make note of what needs some work.

2. Do an audit of your firm’s equipment and technology solutions and make note of what needs updating or new items you need.

3. Show your appreciation for your employees by doing something special for them each month, like treating them to a free lunch or giving them a personalized gift .

4. Reach out to your community via a survey or by conducting interviews to get more insight into their funeral desires.

5. Make sure your employees have the training they need. For every task, such as updating your website , make sure at least two people know how to do it.

Give your firm the gift of saving time! Download our 2021 Holiday Wishlist to take advantage of exclusive deals on SRS products!

A Year in Review — New SRS Features and Resources in 2020

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 13:55:59 GMT

2020 has been a busy year! Here at SRS, we’ve been busy rolling out new products and resources to help funeral directors adapt to virtual funeral planning. As more families prefer the convenience of doing things remotely, these SRS features will make everyone’s lives easier.

Below is a recap of what SRS features and resources we released this year, as well as a look into exclusive deals for 2021 that you don’t want to miss!

Get Your Families’ Signatures Electronically with Our E-Signature Tool

Businesses who adopt electronic signatures get signatures from clients 80% faster, see a decrease in errors by 80%, see an 85% improvement in productivity, and see a 500% increase in customer loyalty. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved!

That’s why we released our E-Signature tool , so you can obtain families’ signatures electronically instead of scheduling additional meetings. We know that families are busy and may not have time for more meetings. And now as we practice social distancing, the less in-person meetings, the better. Even post-pandemic, this tool will remain a valuable solution for your firm.

With E-Signature, your firm has unlimited options – including sending unlimited forms, receiving unlimited signatures, and having unlimited users. We’ll build any forms you need for a small one-time fee, and they’ll be there for life. Plus, this tool is conveniently built into your SRS Procession software.

Be More Mobile Than Ever Before with 9Online

“ It’s more than just being able to use it on my iPad at home. It’s just being able to have access anytime is truly the main thing for me ,” said Walker Posey, Managing Director at Posey Funeral Directors.

" It’s definitely going to make my job easier...I don’t have to set up a computer every time we buy one or add a new employee ,” said Jamie Fahey, IT Supervisor at Altmeyer Funeral Homes.

These are just a few words that our clients shared about 9Online . With this browser-based software, you can access your data anytime, anywhere – giving your firm the freedom and flexibility you need. It mirrors Procession, so if updates are made to one, they’ll be available on the other. The updates are also done automatically, so you can say goodbye to lengthy, manual software installation and updates on multiple computers.

It’s also lightning fast, so you can get the information you need quickly. For instance, with this tool, you can easily view and edit your cases, have access to a more efficient billing process, and so much more!

Embrace the New Normal with Our Other COVID-19 Tools

In addition to our new E-Signature and 9 Online tools, our other SRS solutions can help your firm work as efficiently as possible as we practice social distancing, such as:

FamilyLink – By sending families their own secure link, they can update vital information, write the obituary, ask questions in a live chat, and so much more.
E-Pay – With this payment tool, you can accept credit card payments directly from your SRS software.
V-Files – Go paperless with V-Files! You can store all your pictures, videos, and signed contracts.
Online Arranger – Whether it’s pre-need or at-need arrangements, families can make them from their homes.
2-Minute Insurance Assignments – Since this tool is built into your Procession software, it’s a quick and easy digital process for everyone!

Make the Most of Your SRS Features by Watching Our Webinars

Did you miss any of our webinars throughout 2020? Don’t worry, you can watch them all on the Webinars section of our website. In 2020, we hosted webinars about FamilyLink, E-Signature, E-Pay, 9Online, and how SRS Websites integrate with Procession. By watching them, you can learn the ins and outs of these SRS features, how they benefit your firm and families, and insight from our team and clients.

We’re planning another exciting year of webinars for 2021, so stay tuned!

Take Advantage of Exclusive Deals in Our 2021 Holiday Wishlist

Three words come to mind when we think about where a funeral business should be in 2021 – flexible, convenient, and ahead. That’s why we created a 2021 Holiday Wishlist for funeral directors to see the SRS tools that will help you thrive in 2021.

Download our 2021 Holiday Wishlist to take advantage of exclusive deals on SRS products!

Our Top Three Tips for Funeral Directors to Prepare for 2021

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 13:45:45 GMT

2020 certainly didn’t end up being what anyone expected. However, we all learned a lot and can take that knowledge with us into the new year.

To help funeral directors further prepare for 2021, we’ve come up with these top three tips.

1. Follow These Cybersecurity Best Practices.

According to Cybint Solutions , the FBI reported a 300% increase in reported cyberattacks since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are precautions you can take to protect your data. One is to create strong passwords that use a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and characters. Also, avoid using well-known phrases. For example, passwords with your name or significant dates like funeraldirector1965 or examplefuneralhome1 aren’t secure passwords.

You also should watch out for suspicious content. Per Cybint Solutions, 95% of cyberattacks are caused by human error. This may mean clicking a link or opening an attachment that’s a virus. Some giveaways that an email is phishing are spelling and grammatical errors and overall strange language and formatting. A sense of urgency and too-good-to-be-true offers also are signs of phishing.

Hackers are getting sneakier, so you need to be extra careful. If an email appears to be from someone you know, always double check that the email address matches the name. When in doubt, it’s best to check with the person outside of your email to see if it's real.

To protect sensitive information, your firm’s website should have an SSL certificate. This protects the data sent between your browser and web server by scrambling it in a way that hackers can’t understand. Families also can easily tell if a website is secure by checking the URL. A URL with HTTPS is secure, while HTTP is not secure.

With a secure SRS Website , you can give families’ peace of mind when entering credit card credentials and other personal information.

2. Invest in Tools to Help You Work Remotely.

As a funeral professional, you’re constantly on the go, whether it’s meeting with the family or heading to the graveside service. As more things happen remotely, you basically need to have a portable office. Sounds difficult, right? But with the right tools, it doesn’t have to be!

It’s inevitable that the day of a funeral director can change at any moment. But by going into the day with a plan, you can be more productive. Instead of keeping track of everything in your head, write it down in a planner! Or, if you prefer a digital solution, there are many free planner apps to choose from. Some may even let you set up reminder notifications.

By investing in helpful gadgets, you can make the most of wherever your day takes you. For example, the last thing you need is your phone dying before a call with a family and no available outlets. By keeping a wireless charger in your bag, this is one less thing to worry about.

With V9 Online , your funeral management software goes where you go. Since it’s browser-based, you have the freedom to work from wherever on any device. Are you at home and need to access to client’s case? Not a problem! Or did something come up while you’re at your cabin? No worries! With V9 Online, you’re not restricted to one place.

3. Find Ways to Save Time.

By writing down the steps it takes to do a task from start to finish, you can see if there’s room for improvement. For example, write down the steps and estimated time it takes to complete a task. Then, see if any steps can be shortened or cut completely. Just make sure you don’t sacrifice the quality of the work with your changes.

If you’re manually completing tasks that could be automatically done by your technology solutions, it’s time to change your process! Invest in time-saving tools that can help you automate your funeral home’s processes! For example, instead of repeatedly entering the same information on funeral payment forms, your technology should automatically fill in this information for you after entering it once.

With 2-Minute Insurance Assignments , you just have to enter the deceased’s information once and the rest of the forms auto-populate with that data. We designed the entire claim submission process to save you time, as it only takes two minutes or less to submit a life insurance claim. Best of all? Your firm gets paid in as little as 24 hours. Talk about saving time!

Download our 2021 Holiday Wishlist to take advantage of exclusive deals on SRS products!

8 Holiday Present Ideas That Are Perfect for Funeral Directors

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 13:55:45 GMT

2020 has been quite the year to say the least, so everyone could use some extra holiday cheer. To end the year on a positive note, we’ve compiled some perfect holiday present ideas for funeral directors.

Whether you want something funeral-themed or the latest tech gadget, this list has something for everyone. Check out the holiday present ideas below!

1. Funeral Director Phone Case

What better way to show your funeral profession pride than with a phone case that goes where you go? There are a lot of options for different phone types. However, we like this phone case that says, “Funeral Director, because Miracle Worker isn’t an official job title.” Funeral directors truly are miracle workers, especially now as we navigate this “new normal” we’re living in.

2. Portable Device Charger

With more things happening virtually, the last thing you need is your device dying and not having an outlet to charge it with. That’s why a portable device charger is the perfect gift for on-the-go funeral directors. They even make chargers that work with multiple devices, like laptops, smartphones, and tablets.

3. Noise Cancelling Headphones

Whether you’re filling out paperwork at your funeral home or reading a book on your couch, noise-cancelling headphones are life changing! With a pair of these, you can get so much more work done or have some quiet time to yourself for relaxing.

4. “Keep Calm and Embalm” T-Shirt

Who doesn’t love getting a comfy T-Shirt as a present? There are many funeral-themed T-Shirts out there, but we enjoy this short and sweet “Keep Calm and Embalm” T-Shirt. It comes in fifteen colors, so you can pick your loved one’s favorite color.

5. “Embalming Fluid” Coffee Mug

If you’re looking for a more humorous gift, this coffee mug that says “Embalming Fluid” may be the perfect gift! It’s sure to bring a smile to the funeral director you gift it to. The travel mug is insulated, so the coffee will stay warm even if you’re outside at the cemetery.

6. Meal Subscription

Funeral directors are faced with difficult decisions every day, but one of them comes when they get home: “What should I make for dinner?” If you know someone who asks themselves this a lot, a meal subscription may be the perfect holiday present! There are several subscription services to choose from, such as Hello Fresh and Blue Apron .

7. Slow Cooker

Another holiday present idea for busy funeral directors is a slow cooker! After a long day of work at the funeral home and wherever your day takes you, the last thing you want to do is prepare a meal. With a slow cooker, you can simply add the ingredients before you leave, and when you get home, it’s ready to eat!

8. Mortician Tote Bag

If you want something practical, yet personalized, this tote bag is the perfect gift! It comes in two sizes for storing all your supplies and says “I am a Mortician. What’s YOUR Superpower?” on the front.

Give your funeral home the gift of a new website! Click here to set up a free demo.

Three Simple Ways Your Funeral Home’s Website Can Be a Resource to Families

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 13:29:53 GMT

Your funeral home’s website can do more than just provide your contact information and service options. While this information is important, with the right tools, it can be a resource to families, as well.

For families who are funeral planning for the first time, they may not fully understand their options. Or even if they have funeral planned, they may experience a new type of loss they’ve never dealt with before. To help ease their confusion and stress, your website can provide them with funeral planning and grief resources. This way, they can be more confident in their decisions.

Below are a few ideas to get your firm started!

1. Provide Your Client Families with Grief Resources

As all funeral professionals know, everyone experiences grief differently. The griever’s relationship to the deceased, the cause of death, and their personality type are just a few factors that play a role in grieving. To help your client families navigate their grief, your website can provide them with grief resources.

Creating a grief webpage is the easiest option. This way, all the information is in one place. To start, you can add links to relevant grief organizations, articles, and blog posts. You can even write some blog posts of your own! Grief has many subtopics, such as listing activities for coping with grief, sharing ways to cope with an unexpected death, and giving ideas for supporting a grieving friend.

With an SRS Website , your funeral home has access to several grief resources, including a blog tool, grief email subscription, and webpage filled with grief resources.

2. Give Your Client Families Online Preplanning Tools

By having funeral planning resources, you can save everyone time . To start, include a preplanning checklist on your website. This way, families know what to gather for the arrangement conference, and you can avoid delaying tasks because you don’t have the proper materials.

Also, like with grief, you can write blog posts about funeral planning. For example, to expand on your service options, you can write a blog post about the different disposition options you offer. You can include things like reasons someone may choose one option over another and basic explanations of how each process works.

With an SRS Website, you can take it to the next level with an online preplanning form. This way, families can conveniently start the process from the comfort of their couch. Then, when it's time for the arrangement conference, you already have something to start with.

3. Offer Convenient Online Funeral Payment Options

Your website also can be a place for making funeral payments. We’ve written a lot about online payment options, but that’s because it’s so important to today’s families. With the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s no longer just about convenience; it’s about staying safe. By offering credit card processing on your website, you’re also giving families peace of mind.

With E-Pay on SRS Websites, not only can families pay by credit card, they also can start a crowdfunding campaign or pay with a life insurance assignment .

Be a resource to families with an SRS Website! Click here to set up a free demo.

Online Security: Seven Ways to Protect Your Firm and Families

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 14:14:08 GMT

As more funeral planning turns virtual, you can’t let your guard down when navigating the internet. Per Cybint Solutions , since the COVID-19 pandemic, the FBI reported a 300% increase in reported cyberattacks. And that’s just the reported cyberattacks! This isn’t meant to scare you, but rather open your eyes to how serious it is to follow online security best practices.

"What are these best practices?” you may ask. Here are seven ways to protect your website and online accounts.

1. Create Secure Passwords for All Your Funeral Home’s Online Accounts

A lot of times, users aren’t doing everything they can to make their passwords as secure as possible. By now, you should know that strong passwords should meet the following standards:

Be on the longer side rather than too short and more easily guessed.
Be random rather than easily guessed phrases.
Have a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and characters.
Be unique to one account only and not used in multiple places.

However, there are more ways to further protect your online accounts, such as:

Setting up security questions with answers that only you would know. For example, a common security question is a family member’s name, but this can be easily found out. To make it more secure, consider using your nickname for them instead.
Sending a code to confirm it’s you when logging in from an unknown device.
Changing your passwords every few months.
Storing your passwords in a secure password management tool or in a safe.
Sharing your passwords only when necessary.

2. Be Cautious of Suspicious Emails and Messages

When you receive a message, always be cautious of what you open, click, and download. For example, these are a few common signs of what email phishing (scams that try to take your personal information) may look like:

Multiple spelling and grammar errors
Strange formatting and fonts
Sense of urgency or too-good-to-be true offers

However, phishing isn’t always this obvious. Hackers are getting sneakier, so the email may even include the name of someone you know. To make sure it’s from them, always compare the name to the email address. If it doesn’t match, it may be phishing. To be safe, always check with the person outside of email to see if it’s real. Your firm also can establish that you’ll never ask your employees for sensitive information via email. This way, if they receive an email asking for personal information, they’ll know it’s phishing.

To further prevent your staff from falling into phishing traps, educate them on ways to identify phishing. For example, team up with a security company or recruit your IT specialist to host a webinar. You can even open the webinar to your community, as they may be more vulnerable to phishing when a loved one passes away.

3. Protect Your Funeral Home’s Computers and Mobile Devices

To have online security, you need to secure the devices you access the internet on, too. This means installing security software on all your funeral home’s devices; McAfee and Norton are a few popular anti-virus software systems. You also should keep up with the latest updates for your devices, as these may include newer ways to protect your data. With more people working remotely, make sure your employees have access to the security programs they need.

4. Protect Your Funeral Home’s WiFi

Along with securing your devices, you need to secure your wireless network. To start, have a password secured WiFi for your employees and a separate Guest WiFi for your families and funeral guests. When working remotely, you should only connect to secure WiFi connections.

You also should encrypt the data sent through your WiFi with a Wireless Protected Access (WPA) encryption. If you have an older router, it might use Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption, which isn’t as secure as WPA, so you may want to invest in a new router with WPA.

Check out this FTC article for more tips on protecting your network.

5. Back Up Your Funeral Home’s Data

In case something was to happen to your data, you should back it up. If your firm uses our SRS software, you have nothing to worry about! You can have your files automatically back up to Virtual Files . And with SRS Cloud , you can securely store your information and access it anytime, anywhere, and from any device. We partner with Expedient Communications to back up your data. With our dual back-up system, if the Expedient site were to go down for maintenance, the secondary site would take over.

6. Regularly Check Your Funeral Home’s Online Accounts

To monitor your online activity, regularly check your online accounts so it becomes a normal part of your routine. For example, check your bank accounts often to make sure everything is in order and there are no suspicious charges to your firm’s cards. If you were to find something suspicious, it’s better to catch it right away before there's more damage done.

7. Have a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate for Your Funeral Home Website

With families entering credit card information and other sensitive information on your website, an SSL certificate is a must-have. To put it simply, this scrambles your data in a way that hackers can’t understand. To give you and your families online security, all SRS Websites have SSL certificates.

Have peace of mind with a secure SRS Website! Click here to set up a free demo!

How to Improve Your Funeral Home's Cash Flow

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 14:08:22 GMT

When a family is grieving a loss, it can be awkward to bring up topics like the funeral payment. But it doesn’t have to be! Along with finding ways to delicately bring up the subject, there are several other ways to improve your funeral home’s cash flow.

Below are few ideas to get you started!

Promptly Send Out Your Invoices

An easy way to improve your cash flow is to send out your invoices as soon as possible. If you don’t hear from a family by a certain date, have a follow-up plan, such as an email, letter, or phone call. Also, if you have additional fees for late payments, make those known to lessen late payments.

In addition to sending out your invoice right away, make sure the invoice content is clear and concise. The due date should be easy to find and not buried within the content. You also should clearly explain their payment options, such as paying directly from the emailed voice, on your website, or another option. By offering multiple options, you can make the process as easy and quick for families as possible.

With SRS, your families have multiple ways to pay , including through the emailed invoice, in-person, on your website, through an insurance claim, and through our most recent options: Family Link or scheduling auto-payments for payment plans.

Offer Your Families Multiple Online Payment Options

By offering convenient, online payment options, your funeral home will get paid faster. As we practice social distancing, this also is the safer option. For example, you can offer families online payments with a credit card. You also can take it a step further and offer additional payment methods like crowdfunding and life insurance assignments.

With multiple payment options, families can choose what works best for them, all while getting your firm paid faster. This way, you’re less likely to lose families to competitors because of a lack of payment options. Even if a family has little to no savings, they can use an alternative option.

For instance, with E-Pay , your firm can accept credit card payments and life insurance assignments as funeral payment. And with an SRS Website , you can start crowdfunding campaigns directly on your funeral home’s website!

Do an Audit of Your Funeral Home’s Merchandise

Another simple, yet effective idea is to do a yearly audit of your funeral home’s merchandise, such as caskets, urns, and memorial products. Find out what’s performing well and what isn’t. For products that aren’t selling, ask yourself if there’s a good explanation or if it’s time to discontinue it.

Once you get into the habit of doing yearly audits, you’ll have concrete data for comparing the current year’s sales with previous years. And with the extra revenue you earn from offering additional services like alternative payment options, you can consider investing in new merchandise.

Experiment with Offering Discounts and Exclusive Promotions

Everyone loves discounts and free things! By offering exclusive promotions, your funeral home can hop on this bandwagon, too. Below are a few ideas:

Offer a discount if people pay their invoice early by a certain date.
If you decide to discontinue a product after doing your audit, offer a discount on it.
Give families a free memorial product and a discount if they choose to purchase some.
If a family buys a certain funeral package, offer a discount on a memorial product.

Also, don’t forget to incorporate your offers into your sales and marketing plans! For marketing, share the offers on your website and social media accounts to make them more known to families. You also can bring up the promotions during the arrangement conference and give them a handout summarizing the offers.

Increase Your Prices – But Do Your Research First

In addition to offering discounts and promotions, you can experiment with the sale prices. However, do your research before increasing your prices. See what your competitors offer and consider your firm’s investments into the products, both time and money. If you find that the value doesn’t match the current price, experiment to see what families are willing to pay.

Ready to see how an SRS Website can improve your funeral home’s cash flow? Click here to book a free demo!

[Statistics] What Your Funeral Home Needs to Know About Websites

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 14:48:35 GMT

When it comes to having a well-designed website , there are many components to consider. From the functionality and the overall design to its security measures and helpful resources, all these features work together to create an exceptional user experience.

To give you a better idea of how much these website features matter, we’ve compiled some eye-opening statistics about websites. We researched the impact of responsive design , importance of security to users, trends in online payments , and so much more. Check out what we found below:

1. 94% of first impressions relate to your website’s design.

Per WebFX , your website’s design plays a major factor in people’s first impressions of your business. If a website has a mobile-friendly design, 74% of users are more likely to visit the website again. If you don’t have a responsive design that responds to all device types, people may go elsewhere. After a poor user experience on a website, 89% of people shop with a competitor instead. A poor experience can include the website load time, as 83% of people expect a website to load in three seconds or less.

2. 96% of Americans own cellphones.

According to Pew Research Center , 81% of those cellphone users have smartphones. This means that many people are accessing your website from their mobile device. One in five Americans access the internet solely by smartphone. So, if your website is optimized for desktop but not the mobile experience, you may be turning off potential clients.

3. It’s not just young adults who own smartphones.

Also per Pew Research Center , these are the age ranges who own smartphones: 96% of U.S. adults ages 18-29, 92% of U.S. adults ages 30-49, 79% of U.S. adults ages 50-64, and 53% of U.S. adults ages 65 and older. As you can see, even older adults have smartphones and may be accessing your website from it.

4. You only get one first impression.

According to three studies , they found that it takes users just 50 milliseconds to form an opinion about your website. That’s only 0.05 seconds to make a good first impression. You only get one first impression, so you want to make sure it counts with a well-designed website.

5. More than 50% of users would leave an unsecured website.

Per Comodo , almost 51% of users would leave a website immediately if it isn't secure. Browsers like Google Chrome make it easy to people to tell if a website is secure. By displaying warning messages, even your less tech savvy families can tell if a website is safe. According to Blue Corona , 84% of users would abandon their online purchase if their data would be sent over an insecure connection, and 82% of users won’t even browse an unsecured website. To make sure your website is secure, you should have an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate that encrypts the data sent between your web server and browser.

6. Ecommerce has grown by more than 30% in the U.S. this year.

Instead of the originally predicted 18%, eMarketer reported that the COVID-19 pandemic made this percent rise quicker than expected. Online payments were already increasing, but the pandemic certainly made it jump higher. Before the pandemic, online payments were about convenience. Now, it’s also about staying safe. We didn’t think we’d reach this level of online shopping until 2022. Even after the pandemic, families will want the convenience of online payments, so if your website doesn’t offer this, you may be falling behind.

Are you ready to work more efficiently with an SRS Website? All SRS Websites are mobile-friendly, secure, have online payment capabilities through E-Pay, and so much more! Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

How an SRS Website Can Save Your Funeral Home Time

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 13:18:43 GMT

Where does all the time go? One second, it’s 8:00 a.m. and the next, it’s already lunchtime! As funeral directors, I bet you can relate. We know finding time for your everyday tasks can be a struggle, so we want to help!

While we can’t create more time in the day (if only), we can share time-savings tips and solutions! Here are our top time-saving tips and ways your website can save you time .

Our Top Time-Saving Tips for Funeral Directors

1. Have a Designated Place and Person for Each Task.
Don’t eat up your time by tracking down a document or finding the right person to contact. Instead, have designated digital space for important documents and a person responsible for each task. For example, have a virtual home for all your marketing brochures and a person responsible for updating them. This way, your staff knows where to find them to give them to families and knows who to go to with questions.

2. Use a Planner.
Planners can make your life so much easier! Whether it’s print or digital, it can help you keep track of upcoming meetings and deadlines. If it’s print, make sure it’s small enough to put in your bag to take along to wherever your day takes you. For digital planners, there are many apps out there (some of them free!) that you can download right on your smartphone or tablet.

3. Don’t Stress.
Stressing about your tasks and upcoming deadlines will only make things worse. When stress takes over, that’s when even more time gets lost. To prevent this, know when you need to step away for a minute and relax. Then, when you return, you’ll be more calm and ready to go.

How Your Firm’s Website Can Save You Time

The answer to your problems may have been right in front of you all along: your website ! With time-saving tools, your website can help you accomplish more in less time.

For example, these are a few time-saving features your firm’s website should have:

Lead-generating forms for collecting families’ information
Integrations with your funeral software to eliminate time-consuming tasks
Resources for educating families about funeral planning

Does this not sound like your firm’s website? No worries, we have a solution for you!

Work More Efficiently with an SRS Website

Meet your new SRS Website! You may be wondering, what makes an SRS Website stand out from the rest? Its time-saving features create the ultimate all-in-one funeral home management tool, such as through its:

Variety of at-need, preneed, and contact forms to collect information on your behalf
Integrations with all your existing SRS solutions to eliminate double data entry
Funeral planning resources to reduce the amount of repeated questions

Are you ready to work more efficiently with an SRS Website? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Sneak Peek at the Brand-New SRS Office Space

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 14:45:34 GMT

For the past two years, Kim Simons has been hard at work developing and designing our new SRS office building. Without her vision, none of this would have been possible!

“I’ve put a lot of thought and time into our new space,” said Kim. “I wanted a workplace that would help us retain the great talent that we already have and help attract new talent in the future.”

“Not only did we want an environment that sparked creativity, we also wanted it to feel like a second home, to reduce stress and to achieve better work life balance,” said Kim. “To have a team that is motivated, productive and happy is the goal.”

We’re excited to announce that we’ve moved in! As we finish getting settled, here’s a sneak peek!

Notable Features of Our Brand-New SRS Office Space

The SRS office has all the standard features of a typical office and so much more! Individual work spaces are spacious, open, and airy. Our stand-up desks make a day of screen-time significantly more comfortable. To promote a healthy lifestyle, we built an on-site workout facility with Peloton bikes, ellipticals, weights, and even a steam room for releasing stress, which is Scott Simons’ favorite feature.

We also created an inviting outdoor space with a patio, grill, firepits, and swings. Inside the office, there are comfortable sitting areas, a fireplace, pool table, full kitchen , and a quiet library.

“All of these spaces provide us with excellent team building in a structured way, but it’s the everyday unstructured time with your team that is just as important and helps build cohesiveness,” said Kim. “We encourage our staff to take time away from their desks for breaks, to exercise, and in general, take time to refresh and reset themselves when needed.”

Thoughts from the SRS Staff on Their New Office Space

The SRS team is LOVING their new office! But don’t just take our word for it. Here is what a few of our employees had to say about the space:

“The only thing missing is bunks, if we had them I would never leave.”

“When I come to work, it doesn’t feel like walking into the office, it feels like home away from home, except the kitchen is much nicer than my house!”

“I’ve never been in a workspace like this before, it goes so far above expectations. I didn’t realize how much a physical work environment impacts motivation, attitude and overall wellness during your time at work.”

“Kim made our dreams come true. She brought us together to brainstorm what we wanted, what would make us happy and comfortable, and she made it all happen.”

“I absolutely love the huge windows and the light in our space. Our views are apple orchards and gorgeous old tree tops. It’s stunning!”

"The new office space is awesome! It's an open yet comfortable atmosphere which promotes collaboration across our different teams. Sometimes I forget I'm at work since it's so nice!"

Some Sneak Peek Photos of Our New Home

We’re still making some finishing touches to the SRS office, but we want to share a few photos of the building process and finished product!

Not only do we know how to design a cool office space, we also can design your firm a robust funeral home website. Click here to book a free demo!

“Stop By” Our Virtual Booth at This Year’s 2020 NFDA Convention

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 13:13:48 GMT

We can’t wait to see you at this year’s virtual NFDA Convention on October 20th-22nd! While the virtual NFDA Convention will certainly be different than what we’re used to, we’re excited to make the most of it.

By visiting our virtual booth, you can talk with our team, download resources, and learn how our SRS solutions are built for your firm’s future! Plus, you don’t want to miss out on our show special.

Don’t Miss Out on Our Show Special

Through October 31, 2020, your firm can get 10% ANY SRS management software. Yes, you read that right! You don’t want to miss out on the chance to get your SRS software at this discounted price.

Even though the convention ends on the 22nd, the expo hall is open until the 31st! So, don’t be shy and stop by our virtual booth to learn more.

Check Out What’s New with SRS

The SRS team has been hard at work to provide funeral professionals with the latest funeral technology solutions for their needs, especially as we adjust the new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below are a few of our latest products and updates!

9Online

With this web-based software , you have the freedom to work from wherever you want! You can log in using your browser of choice and build invoices, take payments, get electronic signatures with our new E-Signature tool , edit your SRS Website, and so much more. Plus, it mirrors Procession and integrates with your existing SRS software.

SRS Websites

SRS Websites are beautifully designed and skillfully built, so data flows between your SRS Website and SRS software. It also comes with turnkey features like one-click obituary publishing, ability to collect pre-need and at-need arrangements, send online flower orders to your local florist, and receive online payments.

Funeral Payment Options

With E-Pay , credit card processing is easier and faster than ever. Families can make payments in-person, on your website, by email, through an insurance claim, or now through FamilyLink. You also can now schedule auto-payments for payment plans.

“Stop by” our virtual booth at the NFDA Convention to learn more about the latest SRS products and updates!

Five Simple Ways Your Funeral Home Can Go Paperless

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 13:07:11 GMT

In today’s digital world, there are many ways to ditch the old-fashioned paper way of doing things and go paperless! Of course, paper materials still have their place, but there are ways your funeral home can cut back on its paper usage.

By cutting back your paper usage, not only are you helping the environment, you’re also creating a better organization system. Even the smallest changes can add up over time and make a big difference in going green and staying organized.

Below are a few ideas to help your firm get started!

1. Use Reusable Dishware Instead of Paper Dishware

Whether they’re for your employees, client families, or guests, invest in reusable dishware instead of paper coffee cups and plates. By having reusable dishware, it will help your funeral home feel more like a second home to families. Plus, if your facility doesn’t have a dishwasher, it only takes a few minutes to wash them by hand.

2. Send Documents via Email Instead of Faxing Them

Another way to save paper is to email your coworkers and client families documents instead of faxing them. Not many people use fax machines anymore, especially younger generations, which will soon be your target audience. Email is simply faster, more convenient, and greener.

3. Have Several Recycling Bins Throughout Your Funeral Home

When you do need paper materials, have multiple recycling bins throughout your facility. This way, your employees, client families, and guest can dispose of them properly. This is a super simple, but effective way to care for the environment.

4. Sign up for Electronic Billing Instead of Receiving Paper Bills

Today, most companies provide electronic billing instead of paper bills in the mail. If your firm hasn’t already, sign up for electronic billing instead of paper bills. Not only is it the greener option, it’s also more convenient and saves you time, especially if you enroll in automatic payments.

5. Take Notes Digitally Instead of on a Notepad

Whether you use a laptop, tablet, or notetaking app on your phone, there are many tools for taking notes digitally. With digital notetaking tools , it’s easier to access your notes and locate information within seconds using search functions. However, that doesn’t mean you have to eliminate paper notetaking completely. Even just choosing to take note digitally sometimes makes a difference.

SRS is here to help your funeral home be greener! With our E-Signature tool , there’s no need for printed forms. And with Virtual Files , you can securely save all your important files digitally. Click here to book a free demo and learn more!

SRS Websites: A Few of Our Favorite Designs from September

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 13:59:26 GMT

We want to give a shout out to our incredible clients and their brand-new SRS Websites ! Thank you for trusting SRS with your funeral home’s website. We’re proud of every design and make sure they accurately represent your firm and provide you the tools you need for success.

Below are just a few of our favorite SRS Website designs from September.

Porter Loring Mortuaries

Porter Loring Mortuaries in San Antonio, Texas was established in 1918 as a response to the end of World War I. To properly honor those who died in the war, Porter Loring, Sr. opened a new type of funeral home. Today, they’re thankful to continue to serve their community. When viewing their website, families are greeted with a calming purple color scheme. There's also a peaceful nature video that provides a sense of comfort.

Forever Faithful Pet Cremation & Funeral Care by Value Choice, LLC

To honor a pet who was more like family, Forever Faithful Pet Cremation & Funeral Care by Value Choice, LLC i s ready to help. Located in Woodbine and Rockville, Maryland, they’ve been serving their area families for many years. Under their Resources tab, families can find valuable information about grieving the loss of a pet and memento ideas.

Going Home Cremation & Funeral Care by Value Choice, P.A.

G oing Home Cremation & Funeral Care by Value Choice, P.A. is proud to serve the Baltimore and Washington area. Their goal is to make their funeral home feel like a second home to their client families. On their homepage, families can see their funeral package options and prices right away. Whether they’re interested in cremation or burial, they can explore all their options.

Eastern Shore Cremation and Funeral Service

Since 1883, the Holloway family has owned and operated Holloway Funeral Home. Eastern Shore Cremation and Funeral Service is a division of Holloway Funeral Home that’s located in Berlin, Maryland. With their Online Planner, families can conveniently start funeral planning directly on their website from the comfort of their couch.

The Healy Chapel

Dating back to 1854, The Healy Chapel in Aurora and Sugar Grove, Illinois is one of the oldest funeral homes in the United States. Today, their employees continue to honor their legacy by helping families memorialize their loved ones. With their E-Pay platform, families can easily pay for the funeral expenses online.

Sunwest Funeral Home

Sunwest Funeral Home in El Mirage, Arizona is a third-generation family-owned funeral home that has been serving their families for 30 years. With 10 funeral homes, five cemeteries, and two privately owned crematories, their families have many convenient options. On their About Us page, families can watch a video to learn more about their funeral home’s mission.

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Staying in Touch with Your Funeral Home’s Families is Easy with Prospect

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 13:15:47 GMT

With more funeral planning happening online, it’s more important than ever to stay in touch with your firm’s families. Want to touch base with the family to see how funeral planning is going? Or, want to share some valuable grief resources with them after the funeral? All this and more is possible with Prospect, our customer relationship management (CRM) system.

With this turnkey system, you can manage all the data you need in one place. Even better? It integrates with your current SRS solutions to create a truly seamless flow of data.

Let us help your firm take your marketing and aftercare efforts to the next level with Prospect ! Below are a few notable features of this tool.

With Prospect, Experience Data Fluidity Like You’ve Never Thought Possible

You don’t have time for tedious tasks like double data entry, so our system eliminates that time-consuming task! All our funeral management software modules (funeral home, cemetery, crematory, etc.) link to Prospect. This way, every single person’s data flows through all the programs.

It gets even better! Quotes are created based on your firm’s price list. So once sold, just simply click to send the client’s vitals and invoice to your SRS management system. And with V9 Online , you can access your data from any device anytime, anywhere.

See All Your Data at Once with Family Tree

You don’t have time to search around for the data you need. With Family Tree, you can see all the services a person has used in one place.

No matter how many services a client uses, you will have a single entry for that person. For example, if a client sets up preneed services, arrangements for cremating their pet , and purchases a grave, it’s all under that person’s entry.

Stay Organized and on Top of Your Tasks with Reminders

You’re busy people, so understandably, sometimes things may fall through the cracks. To prevent this from happening, stay organized with Reminders!

With this tool, you can create your very own customized to-do list. Do you want to send out an email blast to leads? Or, do you want to follow up with an aftercare contact? With this tool, it’s easy to communicate with your families. You can even receive reminders of your daily tasks.

Analyze Your Results and Develop New Strategies with Reporting

Don’t forget about one of the most important steps of marketing: analyzing the results. With this tool, you can see how successful your marketing and aftercare efforts are. You can view statistics, metrics, correspondence activity, and more on pre-set reports. This way, you can continue to improve your marketing and aftercare strategies.

See how Prospect can help your firm stay connected with your families by booking a free SRS demo !

How FamilyLink Can Help with Funeral Planning While Social Distancing

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 13:26:11 GMT

With funeral directors used to meeting with families face to face, funeral planning while social distancing has certainly been an adjustment. While video chatting has been extremely helpful, it’s just not the same as being with someone in person. But there are ways that you can make the most of this situation and the technology solutions available to you.

Since social distancing will likely be here for a while, we want to share some tips and solutions so you can make the most of funeral planning under these circumstances.

Tips for Funeral Planning While Social Distancing

To practice social distancing, it’s best to do as much as the funeral planning process online as possible. Whether that’s over the phone, with text messaging, via video chat, or through the features your funeral technology solutions provide. With the right funeral technology solutions, your opportunities are endless. For instance, you can allow families to start the planning process on your website, securely send you information, and even pay for the funeral.

Understandably, there might be some situations where meeting in-person is the best option, such as if the person doesn’t have access to the technology needed for virtual funeral planning. If you must meet in person, use your best judgement and follow safety procedures, like requiring everyone to wear masks and stay six feet apart. You also might want to put some sort of barrier between your staff and the family they’re meeting with.

Like what you would normally do before the COVID-19 pandemic , follow up with families via phone call or email. For example, you can check in with them to make sure the planning goes smoothly. And after the funeral, you can reach out to make sure they’re getting the grief support they need. Also, you can share funeral planning and grief resources on your firm’s website and social media pages. With more things happening virtually, families will be checking these pages more than ever before.

How FamilyLink Can Help with Social Distancing

We know that having less face-to-face meetings is easier said than done. But what if we told you there’s a solution that makes funeral planning while social distancing easier for everyone? With FamilyLink , it reduces stress for your staff and families.

With this tool, you can keep everyone safe while still collecting the information you need! By sending them a private, secure link, they can:

Enter vital information
Upload images and documents
Help write the obituary
Make online payments
And so much more!

Families can do all of this and more from the comfort of their couch! When using FamilyLink, you know that the information is secure and that everyone is in the loop. You can even have a checklist automatically generated for your families to make the process even easier!

Want to learn more about FamilyLink and other SRS solutions that can help with funeral planning while social distancing? Click here to schedule a free SRS demo today!

Benefits of a Responsive Website Design for Your Funeral Home

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 13:38:18 GMT

You’ve probably heard the term “responsive website design” before, but you might be wondering, “what does that even mean?”

Don’t worry, we’ll cover everything you need to know about a responsive website design in this blog post! We’ll discuss what it means, how it works, and why it matters for your funeral home.

A Responsive Website Design Defined

Let’s get right to it. In a nutshell, a responsive website design means that your website responds to the device that your families are viewing it from. Devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers all have different screen sizes, so the same website design that doesn’t respond to the device type simply won’t do.

More families are accessing your website from a mobile device, so you can’t just design your website with desktop users in mind and assume that’ll cut it. But you don’t just have to take our word for it. Below are a few statistics about mobile device use and responsive websites:

Per Pew Research Center’s Mobile Fact Sheet , 96% of Americans now own a cellphone, with 81% of those being smartphones.
Per CNBC , by 2025, about three quarters, 72.6%, of internet users will access the internet via just their smartphones.
Per Google , 74% of people who visited a mobile-friendly website said they’re more likely to return to that website again. They’re also 67% more likely to buy a website’s product or service when the website has a mobile-friendly design.
Also per Google, 48% of users said that if a website wasn’t mobile-friendly, it makes them think that the company doesn’t care about their business.

We know more than anyone that funeral directors deeply care about their client families. So, if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, don’t give your families the wrong impression! It’s time for an upgrade.

How a Responsive Website Design Works

Before we get into why it matters, we want to give you a little background information on how a responsive website works. To put it in other words, the website automatically adjusts on its own depending on what device it’s being viewed on.

For example, below is what our SRS company website looks like on desktop. In the second screenshot, you’ll see that several adjustments are made for smaller screen sizes like a smartphone, such as the menu bar being condensed into the hamburger-style icon. This way, users don’t have to pinch and drag the screen to find information.

Why It Matters for Your Funeral Home’s Website

By having a responsive design, families won’t become frustrated and go elsewhere if they can’t easily navigate your website. Instead, they'll be able to easily navigate your website, and mostly importantly, have a better obituary viewing experience. This way, families can easily find their loved one’s obituary, the service information, leave a condolence message, and more from whatever device they’re using.

A responsive design also improves your firm’s search engine optimization. Since search engines like Google and Bing prefer websites that have a responsive design, your firm may rank higher on search engine results pages. So, this means when a family does an online search for funeral homes in your area, you’re more likely to show up higher on that results page.

With a responsive SRS Website , your firm’s website will wow your families! To schedule a demo, fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Five Tech Tools to Save Your Funeral Home Time and Money

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 12:51:06 GMT

It’s no secret that as a funeral director, you juggle many tasks, especially with the new restrictions due to COVID-19.

To help make your busy lives a little less hectic, check out these time-saving tech tools! By saving your employees valuable time, you’re saving your firm money in the long run.

To check out five tech gadgets designed for on-the-go funeral professionals, read this article !

1. A Slow Cooker to Quickly Prep Hot and Healthy Lunches and Dinners

Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean that you can’t still have healthy and delicious meals! With a slow cooker, your dinner will be ready to eat after a long day of work at the funeral home. Or, it can make a quick and delicious lunch for during the day.

For example, this slow cooker is currently $31.49 with free shipping. With the 7-quart size, you can cook a hot meal for your entire family or your funeral home’s staff!

2. An Email Automation Tool to Schedule Your Firm’s Emails in Advance

With an email automation tool, you don’t have to manually send out your firm’s emails. By creating email lists and templates, you can easily create your emails and schedule them ahead of time. For instance, let’s say you want to send an email about your holiday remembrance program plans this year. Simply create an email list of the families you served during the past year, draft your email, and schedule the send time.

For example, with Mailchimp , there are multiple affordable packages to choose from.

3. A Heated Clothing Rack to Make Sure Your Work Clothes Are Dry

Your employees can make sure their work clothes are kept in good condition and ready to go for the day with a heated clothing rack. No more waiting hours for your clothing to dry! When you need to meet with a family or prepare for the service, you don’t have time to wait for your clothing to dry.

For example, this heated clothing rack is currently $54.84 with free shipping. It’s lightweight and has an on/off switch to make it simple to use.

4. A Robotic Vacuum to Keep Your Funeral Home Spotless

Keep your funeral home clean and ready to welcome your families with a robotic vacuum. This small, but powerful tool takes care of the vacuuming for you, so it’s one less thing to worry about.

For example, this robotic vacuum is currently $159.00 with free shipping. It has four cleaning modes, sensors to detect obstacles, and best of all, it automatically docks and recharges, so you don’t even have to remember to charge it!

5. A Social Media Automation Tool to Schedule Your Posts Ahead of Time

With a social media automation tool, you can schedule your firm’s social media posts in advance. Instead of having to manually post them, you can save time by sitting down and scheduling multiple posts at once. Talk about a time saver!

For example, with Buffer , there are multiple packages to choose from, and you can do a free 14-day trial to see how the tool works for your firm!

To see how SRS can help save your funeral home time, click here to schedule a free SRS demo today.

How V9 Online Seamlessly Integrates with Your SRS Software

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 12:56:59 GMT

With the release of 9Online, your funeral home can be more mobile and more portable. But, that’s not all! This revolutionary tool integrates with ALL your existing SRS software, so you have everything you need all in one place.

For those who are wondering what this means from Procession, don’t worry! It’s not going anywhere. Procession and 9Online simply mirror each other, so any updates made on one will be reflected on the other. It also seamlessly works together with your other SRS solutions, such as:

E-Pay - The Easy, Quick, and Smart Way to Process Funeral Payments

With E-Pay , no matter what funeral payment option your client families choose, the information automatically flows into your SRS software, so you don’t have to do a thing! Whether they pay directly on your SRS Website with a credit card or click the link in their emailed invoice, it’s all accessible in 9Online.

With 9Online, it’s easier than ever to create a new invoice. By choosing the appropriate category or using the search function, you can quickly locate your products. We also updated the Billing tab, so you can see all your vital billing information all in one place. To access your forms, simply go to the drop-down menu in the top-right corner.

E-Signature - Go Paperless by Collecting Families’ Signatures Online

With E-Signature, your employees no longer need to be present for the signing of documents! Instead, you can create and send an unlimited amount of electronic signatures on any device. They’re automatically stored in VFiles in your SRS software and accessible anytime, anywhere with 9Online.

Check out this blog post for a step-by-step walk through of how to use this tool!

Family Link - Collect and Manage Vital Information with Your SRS Software

With 9Online, you can easily access Family Link for gathering vital information, giving families to option to help write the obituary, adding images, and so much more. To invite family members, you can simply send them a secure, private online link. This reduces stress for both your employees and your client families.

SRS Website - Skillfully Built and Seamlessly Integrated with 9Online

Say goodbye to double data entry and say hello to your all-in-one SRS software for managing your SRS Website and more! In 9Online, you can easily edit your obituaries, and it automatically syncs with Procession, so you don’t have to make your edits more than once.

When families fill out forms on your website, such as for preplanning or funeral payments, the information feeds right into your SRS software. With 9Online, you can access this information from any device.

Task Manager - The Efficient Organization Solution for Your Firm

In 9Online, you also can use Task Manager to help your team stay organized. Having all your software and data in one place makes things easier, and with Task Manager, you can take your firm’s organization system to the next level. As some of our clients say, you’ll be busy SRS’ing, which means getting your tasks done faster and more efficiently than ever!

Click here to book a free SRS demo today and learn more about this revolutionary tool!

No Competitors Doesn't Mean No Funeral Home Website

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 13:14:51 GMT

Even if your funeral home doesn’t have any local competitors, you still need a funeral home website. This has become extremely evident now that social distancing is the new normal. Since families can’t come to your facility, they rely on online research now more than ever. But if your firm doesn’t have a website, they might not know that you exist.

Still not convinced? Here are three reasons why your funeral home needs a website.

A Funeral Home Website Makes It Easier for Families to Funeral Plan

Having a funeral home website makes it easy for families to start the funeral planning process from their own homes! On your website, they can explore your products and services to determine what’s right for them. This way, they can have a basic understanding of what they want before contacting you, which saves everyone time.

Don’t make families guess about the funeral costs. To build trust and make things easier, include your General Price List to give them an idea of the price ranges. With almost 70% of Americans being online shoppers, per an NPR/Marist Poll , they’ll appreciate your openness about this.

Additionally, with the right funeral planning tools, families can do much more than just explore their options. They can fill out and submit a preplanning form to start the funeral planning process! They can even pay for their funeral expenses online with a credit card or an alternative payment option.

A Website Helps Families Who Are Not From the Area

For family members who are from out of town, there are additional stresses like finding a place to stay, renting a car, and other necessary accommodations. You can help give them some peace of mind by having local information and resources on your website. For example, you can include the contact information for local hotels, rental car companies, restaurants, and more. They’ll appreciate the ease of getting this information, especially while grieving a loss.

With the right website features, families can do everything in one place! While viewing their loved one’s obituary , they also can order sympathy flowers. This way, even families who are from out of town can support local florists.

A Website Makes Your Funeral Home More Credible

In today’s online world, people simply expect businesses to have well-designed websites. With 62% of internet users accessing the internet from cellphones, per Quoracreative , a website with a user-friendly design is a must-have. This means that it’s easy to navigate on ALL devices, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

So, what’s the solution? Say hello to your new SRS Website! SRS Websites come with all the turnkey features mentioned above, including:

An online funeral planner for starting the funeral planning process directly on your website
The E-Pay payment platform, including credit card, crowdfunding, and life insurance assignments capabilities
An online funeral and sympathy flower store that families can conveniently access from a loved one’s obituary
And so much more!

Ready for a funeral home website or an upgrade of your current website? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Three Turnkey Updates That Come With SRS V9 Online

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 13:50:52 GMT

With the launch of 9 Online , we want to give you a quick overview of all the brand-new features. You still have access to the same turnkey features in Procession, along with some new updates. Procession and 9 Online work together, from anywhere, so your firm can be more portable than ever.

We listened to your feedback to make 9 Online the easiest to navigate system yet! Below, let’s go over these updates.

1. Navigating Your 9 Online Dashboard

When navigating your 9 Online dashboard, you see all your most important data right in front of you. This way, everything is easy to find and quickly access.

For example, we created interactive graphs for more visual learners. Now, you can see a clearer monthly or yearly breakdown of the numbers, such as for at-need cases. Just simply hover over the graph to see the numbers, as shown in the screenshot below.

2. Adding a New Record

When adding a new record, just click the “+ Record” button as you did before. On this page, you’ll see we laid everything out more thoughtfully. Now, you can more easily flow through all that information.

3. Viewing a Case

When viewing a case, the page now has brighter colors and larger fonts so it’s easier to read. We received feedback that the text was hard to read before, so we made sure to address that with 9 Online. Now, viewing a case is a much more user-friendly experience.

You also have access to everything you did before, like VFiles and FamilyLink. Within FamilyLink, you can easily show or hide certain documents from the family.

Client Tab

In the Client tab, the panels condense and expand to make it easy to navigate on any device. Just simply expand the sections you need to look at and condense the ones you don’t need at the moment.

Services Tab

To make it easy for new users to learn the system, we added icons along the top of the page. There also are pop-up messages for the icons, in case you need a reminder about what they do. These icons also help the page’s design be cleaner and easier to navigate.

Billing Tab

In the Billing tab, you can see all your vital billing information at a glance. In the top-right corner, you can simply click the drop-down menu to view any forms you need.

It's also easier than ever to add a new invoice. With the categories and search feature, you can quickly find your products. The search feature is another update our clients asked about, so we’re excited that this tool is now available!

Website Obituary Tab

With our SRS Website integration, you can easily edit your obituaries within 9 Online, and it will automatically sync with Procession.

Yo u can watch the video walkthrough of these features here !

Click here to book a free SRS demo today and learn more about this revolutionary tool!

To Stop Losing Website Traffic, Host Obituaries on Your Own Website

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 13:47:16 GMT

Is your firm missing out on valuable website traffic? If your funeral home doesn’t host obituaries on your own website, then this may be the case. But don’t worry, SRS can help!

Let’s go over why it’s so important to host obituaries on your website instead of a third-party website.

Website Traffic from Obituaries Helps Your Firm with Search Engine Optimization

Your website traffic from obituaries can turn into client families for your firm. This traffic also helps boost your search engine optimization (SEO), which can help your firm rank higher on search engine results pages (SERP). The higher your SERP ranking, the more likely potential client families will find and visit your website.

If your obituaries are on a third-party website, potential client families may never find your website. Or if they went to the obituary from your website, they may never return to it and visit your other pages. Instead of your firm benefiting from the website traffic, the third-party website does. By hosting the obituaries on your own website, you’re keeping the website traffic and potential client families.

Hosting Obituaries on Your Own Website Gives Your Firm More Control

If you’re using a third-party website, you’re giving away your control. By having the obituaries on your own website, your firm remains in control. This way, you can easily make any edits. You also can make sure they look how you want them to. For instance, you can make sure they match your firm’s mission and branding.

You also can make sure they have a responsive design so they’re easy to read on all devices. If the third-party website doesn’t have a visually appealing design, families may get frustrated, even though you have no control over this. Avoid this by having obituaries on your own website so you remain in control.

Hosting obituaries on your own website also mean YOU have control on your data, not the third-party website. This take away any fears of losing the information if the third-party website doesn’t back up the data or closes, which would be stressful for everyone involved.

Fortunately, there’s a technology solution available to you that will create a turnkey obituary experience for your families: SRS Websites .

SRS Websites: Built for Funeral Professionals and Their Client Families

With an SRS Website, you can easily publish obituaries to your own website with just one click! You already enter the obituary information in Procession, so the information is already there. With an SRS Website, publishing an obituary is as easy as sharing that data you already entered. Say goodbye to time-consuming tasks like double data entry! Your SRS Website seamlessly integrates with Procession, V9 Online , and your other SRS software solutions.

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

What Two SRS Clients Have to Say About V9 Online

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 12:49:37 GMT

You’ve heard from us about how excited we are about the launch of 9Online . We’ve worked hard to develop this brand-new tool that will make your firm mobile than ever.

But, don’t just take our word for it! We spoke with two of our clients who beta tested this tool, and they shared what they love about it.

What They’re Most Excited About with the Launch of 9Online

Walker Posey, Managing Director at Posey Funeral Directors, is excited to be able to use their SRS software across all his devices.

“I travel a lot. I’m on the road, so just having the functionality of having that access present anytime is really big for me,” said Posey.

Jamie Fahey, IT Supervisor at Altmeyer Funeral Homes, also is excited to use this tool on multiple platforms, such as Macs and Chromebooks.

“Also, it gives us the option to buy maybe less expensive laptops. You’re using it mostly for web stuff then [with V9 Online]. That’s huge for us,” said Fahey.

What 9Online Features Jumped Out to Them Right Away

While beta testing 9Online, Posey was pleased to see all the same tools he typically uses in his SRS software.

“From entering a case to looking up individual family members by name or whatever the case may be, all the things I normally do in SRS I could actually do with the new portal,” said Posey.

Fahey liked the functionality of the billing screen and being able to see everything all in one place, as well as the search tool.

“The search is actually really big for me. The way they’re named in our system starts with the part number, not the name of the casket. So that search for me is priceless,” said Fahey.

How 9Online Will Make Their Jobs Much Easier Than Ever

Posey said the faster loading will make his job much easier, as well as the mobility this new tool brings.

“I’m really excited...it’s more than just being able to use it on my iPad at home. It’s just being able to have access anytime is truly the main thing for me,” said Posey.

For Fahey, this tool will save him a lot of time with not having to install software on all their new devices.

“It’s definitely going to make my job easier...I don’t have to set up a computer every time we buy one or add a new employee, you know, going through the process of getting it installed,” said Fahey.

What the Launch of 9Online Means for Procession

With the launch of 9Online, we want to reassure our clients that Procession isn’t going anywhere. Procession and 9Online will mirror each other, so if we make updates to one, it will be available on the other. For example, our new E-Signature tool is available on both platforms.

Click here to book a free SRS demo today and learn more about 9Online!

Five Cool Tech Gadgets Designed for On-The-Go Funeral Professionals

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 12:53:04 GMT

Naturally, funeral professionals constantly work on the go with transporting bodies and organizing funerals and burials. Now, with social distancing being the new normal, you must work remotely more than ever before.

Whether you’re at the funeral home, your house, or another location, these tech gadgets make working on the go easier and more fun!

1. A Wireless Laptop Charger to Power Your Device When Live Streaming Funerals

A wireless laptop charger is perfect for funeral directors who are live streaming funeral services. The last thing you need to happen is your laptop battery dying in the middle of a service. By packing a wireless charger in your bag, you’re all set! This way, you don’t need to mess with tangled cords and finding an outlet to charge your device. Just make sure your wireless charger is fully charged before the service.

For example, this charger is currently $69.99 with free shipping and works with laptops, tablets, smartphones, and more!

2. Noise Cancelling Headphones for Concentrating on Your Work in Noisy Environments

Noise cancelling headphones are a must-have for noisy work environments. Is someone talking loudly on the phone with a client? Or is there noisy traffic or road construction outside of your funeral home? No worries! Just put on your noise cancelling headphones so you can concentrate on your work.

For example, these noise cancelling headphones are currently $48.94 with free shipping. They have a 30-hour play time and come in multiple colors.

3. A Cell Phone Camera Lens Kit for Taking Professional Product Photos

You don’t have to own a professional digital camera to take high-quality photos. With a cell phone camera lens kit, you can turn your phone into a digital camera. Use these to take photos of your funeral home, products, a loved one’s service, and more. Plus, you can put the small, portable kit in your bag, so you always have it with you if you need it.

For example, this cell phone camera lens kit is only $12.99 with free shipping and comes with multiple lens, protective covers, a universal phone clip, and a cloth storage bag.

4. A Smart Pen for Digitizing Your Handwritten Notes for Easy Navigation

Do you prefer to take your notes by hand? No problem! With a smart pen, this device captures your notes and turns them into digital ones. This way, you can easily navigate your now-digital notes and search for the information you need. Use it to take notes during your funeral arrangement conferences or while listening to an informative webinar.

For example, this smart pen is currently $120.49 with free shipping and comes with a compatible notebook.

5. An On-Demand Coffee Maker That Lets You Start Your Coffee From an App

If coffee is a must-have for your day, then this device may be right for you! A smart coffee machine lets you start your coffee with just a few taps in an app. Or, if you have a smart speaker like Alexa, just say a command to start your coffee. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

For example, this smart coffee machine is currently $89.99 with free shipping and works with Alexa, Google Assistant, iOS, Android, and more.

With V9 Online , your firm can be more mobile than ever! Click here to book a free SRS demo today.

Built for Your Future: Introducing SRS V9 Online

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 13:01:55 GMT

We’re so excited that the heavily anticipated day is finally here! It’s the launch of 9Online , ready to make your firm more portable and more mobile than ever. Our team has worked hard on this tool with one goal: create a management software without restrictions.

Now, the future of funeral management software can be yours! It’s the software sophistication you expect from SRS and so much more. 9Online gives you the flexibility and freedom you need, all with the turnkey Procession features that you love.

Let’s go over how this brand-new mobile tool can bring your firm into the future.

Be More Mobile and More Portable Than Ever Before

9Online is the portable and mobile software solution for funeral homes everywhere! Since it’s a browser-based tool, you can take it with you anywhere. You’re no longer confined to your office space. Whether you’re at your house, your funeral home, the funeral service location, or the cemetery, the software goes wherever you are. The robust tool also has an updated interface and the core functionality you need for funeral planning on the go .

With this mobile tool, working with families will be an easier process for everyone. Families will appreciate the mobility of this software, so you can funeral plan anytime, anywhere. For instance, some families may not be comfortable meeting in your funeral home. If they’d rather meet in their home, 9Online makes this possible!

Get the Flexibility Your Firm Wants with V9 Online

Not only does 9Online stay by your side wherever you go, it’s accessible from ANY device. Yes, you read that right. Maybe your smartphone is your go-to device. Or, you might prefer the convenience of a laptop. Or, maybe you’re more of a tablet person. Whatever your favorite device is, this software is compatible with all devices, including all Mac products.

With this portable tool, you can run your software wherever you want and on whatever device you choose. Now, you don’t have to be by your computer to access vital information. Simply grab your preferred mobile device, and you’re ready to go!

Have the Freedom and Data Security Your Firm Needs

The mobility and flexibility of this tool gives your firm the freedom you need. Since it’s browser-based, there’s no need to download software. It’s constantly live and constantly updating, so every time you open the software, you’re seeing the latest version. 9Online eliminates the need to initiate program updates on physical computers. It also has faster processing to save your employees much needed time.

Additionally, data security is always a top focus for our team. With this tool, your data security is stronger than ever. This way, your families can find comfort in knowing that you’re protecting their personal information.

Keep the Key Features of Procession That You and Your Families Love

9Online complements our flagship product, Procession . With this tool, the key features of Procession that you and your families love are more accessible than ever, such as:

A more efficient billing process
Easy access to view and edit your case details
Credit card processing for funeral payments
E-Signature for creating and sending electronic signatures on any device
Task Manager to help your team stay organized

Click here to book a free SRS demo today and learn more about this revolutionary tool!

SRS Websites Are Changing the Game with Procession

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 14:37:16 GMT

Your SRS Website and Procession software are the perfect duo. Together, this duo is changing the game! Your SRS Website FULLY integrates with your Procession funeral home management software.

With these technology solutions, your firm can be more efficient than ever before! Read on to learn more about these tools and how they seamlessly work together.

SRS Websites Are Beautifully Designed and Skillfully Built

SRS Websites are the mark of a new era! With our funeral home websites, we go beyond cookie-cutter designers to give our clients something that’s truly one of a kind. No matter your firm’s size or call volume, we can create something that’s tailored to you. Not only are the designs beautiful and unique, they’re mobile-friendly.

In addition to a beautiful design, your SRS Website comes with many robust features to save your firm time and keep your information safe. To protect your data and files, your SRS Website has SSL encryption. To help with online funeral planning, there are built-in forms, our flower store for funeral and sympathy flower orders, and that’s just scratching the surface!

Procession V9 Is Engineered to Exceed Expectations

We designed Procession V9 to save you time. With V9, there’s a smoother experience for navigating your dashboard to view tasks, notifications, and cases. There also are many customizable add-ons available to help your firm stay more organized, such as E-Pay for funeral payments, E-View for to-do lists and calendars, and so much more.

Coming soon, we’re excited to unveil V9 Online ! With V9 Online, your firm will be more mobile and portable than ever.

Together, SRS Websites and Procession Are Changing the Game

Your SRS Website seamlessly integrates with your other SRS technology, like Procession. This integration is like no other in the industry, since SRS Websites are managed and built DIRECTLY in Procession.

With this integration, everything is truly in one place. No need to enter the obituary data twice in your website and funeral home management software. Just enter it once and the information flows smoothly between all SRS solutions.

The information from submitted forms on your website also is sent to Procession for you to view, including funeral payments! Funeral payments on your SRS Website go directly into your Payments or Adjustments in Procession for the client’s invoice. Now, bookkeeping is easier than ever, and you can eliminate reporting errors.

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Take Your Work on the Go with Your SRS Software

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 12:52:37 GMT

Social distancing is here to stay for a while, so it’s more important than ever to be able to adapt and work remotely when possible. Not only is it safer for everyone during these trying times, it’s safer and more practical for protecting your firm’s sensitive data.

With your SRS software, your work goes where you go! It’s never been easier and safer to work on the go than with your SRS solutions. Let us show you how!

Below, let’s go over how your SRS software can help your firm be more mobile.

The Future Is Mobile

As we highlighted above, being mobile is safer and more practical for your firm. It’s very limiting and unsafe if all your vital information is stored and only accessible from one device in your funeral home. If something were to happen to that device, you would lose all that irreplaceable data.

That’s why your firm should use cloud technology to store your files . As you know, funeral planning takes you many places outside of your funeral home. Not only is it more convenient for accessing your information, it’s the smarter way to store files. In turn, it will make funeral planning easier for everyone involved.

But you can’t just use any cloud technology. With the right cloud technology solution, your data is safe and secure and integrates with your existing SRS software solutions. That brings us to our next point, SRS Cloud!

Access Your Files Anytime, Anywhere with SRS Cloud

With SRS Cloud, you have easy access to your files from any device. You’re no longer limited to files only being accessible from one device. SRS Cloud gives you the mobility you need that’s more practical and safer. Now, your information is accessible any time of day, from any location, and from any device.

You don’t have to worry about data loss, because the SRS Cloud is safe and secure. There’s a secure connection for data transferring and protecting your sensitive data. Your files also are backed up, so your vital information is safe.

Coming Soon: V9 Online – Built for Your Future

We’re so excited for the unveiling of V9 Online ! It’s built to make you more portable and mobile than ever before.

On July 15th, we’re having an exclusive virtual launch event! We’d love it if you could join us for the release of this turnkey tool. The seats are limited, so save yours today before they’re all gone! Can’t wait to see you there.

Click here to save your seat for the V9 Online virtual launch event!

SRS Websites: A Few of Our Favorite Website Designs from June

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 13:50:48 GMT

Downing & Lahey is based out of Wichita, Kansas. They have two facilities, the first built in 1963 and the other in 1999. With their new SRS Website, families can start the funeral planning process online. They have an online planner, checklist, tips, and more to help families funeral plan online.

Cremation Society of Illinois

The Cremation Society of Illinois is the oldest cremation society in the state of Illinois, with their operations beginning in 1983. Their website gives an extensive overview of everything you need to know, from online forms and virtual tours to a product overview and selection of resources about cremation, veteran benefits, and more.

Janssen Funeral Homes, Inc.

Janssen Funeral Homes, Inc. has locations in Anchorage, Eagle River, and Palmer, Alaska. They’ve been serving the Anchorage area for many years and look forward to continuing their longstanding legacy. Their homepage is beautifully and strategically organized to include must-have information and resources for families, such as obituaries and flower ordering.

Gray Mortuary, Inc.

Gray Mortuary, Inc. is based out of Pelzer, South Carolina. Its history goes way back to the early 1900’s. On their homepage, families see right away that they’re taking the necessary precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic . They have a message to their families about COVID-19 that includes what their funeral home is doing and resources to help educate others.

Affordable Burial & Cremation

Affordable Burial & Cremation is based out of Hamilton, Ontario. It was founded in 2003, and its founder started working in the funeral industry in 1969. Their website has a calming green and yellow color scheme that's reflected through the floral imagery in their logo and throughout their website.

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

The New Normal: Social Distancing with SRS Websites

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 13:55:35 GMT

This isn’t how any of us imagined 2020 would be going right now. However, all we can do is make the best of the situation we’re in. Since social distancing is likely here to stay for a while, SRS is here to help!

Online funeral planning doesn’t have to be complicated! SRS Websites have a responsive design so it’s easy to navigate for funeral planning while social distancing, along with these turnkey features:

E-Pay Payment Platform for Easy Online Funeral Payments

With E-Pay , your firm’s client families can virtually pay for the funeral with a credit card, crowdfunding campaign, or life insurance assignment. You can conveniently enter their credit card information directly into your SRS software, or they can pay from the comfort of their home by visiting your SRS Website. You also can send them an email invoice if you prefer this method.

For a life insurance assignment, you can process it as funeral payment with our entirely electronic claim process. Crowdfunding also is completely online, as families can donate to an E-Pay Crowdfunding campaign directly on your SRS Website.

Online Arranger to Start the Funeral Planning Process Virtually

Online funeral planning is our new reality. With our Online Arranger tool , it doesn’t have to be a headache for your firm. The tool makes things easier for everyone involved. Families get to brainstorm funeral ideas before meeting with your staff and have a better picture in mind of what they want from the funeral experience. This saves your staff time by not having to start from the very beginning.

Grief Emails to Get Daily Grief Support and Inspiration

Grief is already difficult enough, so it’s hard to imagine grieving a loss while social distancing. With an SRS Website, families have the option to sign up for grief emails for comfort and support. They’ll receive a daily email with inspiring messages that give them the hope and support they need during their grief.

Seamless Integration with Your SRS Software

SRS Websites seamlessly integrate with your SRS Software, so together, your firm has an unstoppable solution! For example, with FamilyLink, families can securely enter vital information needed for funeral planning. The brand-new E-Signature tool also makes it possible for families to sign forms electronically, eliminating the need for them to come into your firm.

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Funeral Home Websites Are More Than Meets the Eye

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 14:31:30 GMT

Your firm’s website isn’t just about the design. Even though this is important, your website needs many more pieces than just being visually appealing to complete the puzzle. It should have the information and tools that families need for funeral planning and coping with their loss.

So, what information and tools can help make a funeral home website a great one? Let’s go over them below and how SRS can help create the ultimate funeral home website experience for your families.

Your Firm's Website Design is One Important Piece to the Puzzle

Let’s start with the design. If your firm’s website looks beautiful but isn’t functional for navigation, it won’t work. On the other hand, if it’s functional but doesn’t look visually appealing, it won’t work either. Your website’s design and user-friendliness need to work together for success.

Your firm’s website needs a visually appealing design that’s easy to navigate. In other words, it should have a responsive design that responds to all device types. Whether families are viewing your website on a phone or computer, it will look beautiful and be functional. Therefore, they can quickly and easily find the information that they need.

Other Turnkey Funeral Home Website Features That Complete the Puzzle

In addition to being visually appealing and functional, your website should provide families with other robust features. Besides informing families about your service offerings, you can give them the tools and information they need for funeral planning and coping with grief .

For funeral planning, two must-have tools are an online payment platform and funeral planning form. Families want convenience and starting the funeral planning process online from their own home gives them that. An online payment platform also gives them the flexibility they need with their funeral payment options.

For grieving, your firm’s site can be the go-to grief resource for your community and beyond. For example, you can share links to reputable online grief resources. Or, you can take it a step further by offering a grief email subscription.

So, how can your firm most easily offer these features? SRS has the answer!

How SRS Websites Create the Ultimate Funeral Home Website Experience

With an SRS Website, you have access to all the features mentioned above and so much more. Together, these features complete the puzzle and create the ultimate funeral home website experience for your families.

With E-Pay, your funeral home can offer your families multiple funeral payment options: credit card processing, crowdfunding, and life insurance assignments. It also comes with built-in forms for starting the funeral planning process. To help families cope with their loss, they can sign up for the free grief email subscription that comes with your SRS Website.

Of course, SRS Websites also are mobile-friendly and beautifully designed to give families a memorable user experience. They’re also designed with funeral directors in mind, with convenient integration with your SRS software and other time-saving features.

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Is Your Funeral Home in Need of a Website Upgrade?

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 14:28:57 GMT

Imagine this: a potential client family is looking for funeral services in your town. They do a quick Google search and come across your firm’s website. After clicking the link, what would their experience be like? If they’re on a mobile device, is your website mobile friendly? Is it easy for them to find the information they want? Do you have the tools they’re looking for?

These are just a few questions you can ask yourself to determine if your firm needs a website upgrade. Below, let's go over five main questions to ask yourself.

1. Does your firm’s website have a responsive design?

A responsive design simply means that it responds to any device type, whether it’s a desktop computer, smartphone, or tablet. According to a Hitwise report , nearly 60% of all online searches come from mobile devices. So, you need to make sure users have a positive user experience, especially as more funeral planning happens online. For many, your website is the first impression of your firm.


2. Is your firm’s website easy to navigate?

This goes along with having a responsive design, which helps create a user-friendly navigation experience. To make sure your website is easy to navigate, it shouldn’t have too much content that’s hard to find. Too many tabs with cluttered, hidden information makes it confusing to navigate. You should be as concise as possible.


3. Did your firm make any important business changes recently?

This includes any changes that families should know about or that could influence their decision to choose your firm over a competitor. For example, this could be any renovations to your firm’s facility and additions to your product and service offerings, such as memorial products and green burial services. If so, you may be due for a website upgrade to reflect these changes.


4. Does your firm’s website help you find new client families?

It’s important to bring in website traffic, but you also need to convert that traffic into potential client families for your firm. One way your website can help with that is with lead-generating forms. They can be forms for beginning the funeral planning process, contacting your firm for more information, or any other calls-to-action.


5. Does your website give you and your families access to turnkey tools?

Lastly, your website can do so much more for your firm and families. For example, SRS Websites come with many turnkey tools, such as a grief email subscription and alternative payment options directly on your SRS Website, such as life insurance assignments and crowdfunding.

Ready for a website upgrade? Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to get started!

Did You Know SRS E-Pay Offers Your Families 4 Ways to Pay?

Wed, 27 May 2020 14:51:35 GMT

Yes, you read that right! With SRS E-Pay, you can offer your firm’s families FOUR ways to make a funeral payment.

Meeting each families’ unique needs has never been easier than with E-Pay ! With this tool, we strive to make the funeral payment process easier and more convenient for everyone.

So, what are these four funeral payment options? Read on to find out!

Funeral Payment Option 1: During the Funeral Arrangement Conference

Save time by giving families the option to pay during the funeral arrangement conference. You can conveniently enter the family’s credit card information directly into your SRS software. It creates a faster and more convenient funeral payment process for everyone involved.

Funeral Payment Option 2: Paying Directly on Your Funeral Home’s SRS Website

Families can conveniently make a funeral payment from the comfort of their own home by visiting your SRS Website . They can simply search for the last name of the deceased and instantly make a credit card payment from any device. They can even split the payment among family members, if needed.

With social distancing still in place, many families will appreciate this flexible online payment option. This way, your firm also can limit the number of families that need to come into your funeral home.

Funeral Payment Option 3: Clicking the Link in Their Emailed Invoice

If you want to email the family an invoice, you can conveniently include a link for them to make the payment. They can simply click and make the payment directly from the emailed invoice. Even better? The information goes directly into your SRS software, so there is NEVER any duplicate data entry needed.

Funeral Payment Option 4: Processing a Life Insurance Assignment Claim as Funeral Payment

For families who need an alternative payment option, 2-Minute Insurance Assignments may be the answer! Just complete a quick and easy online funding request in SRS Procession for Insurance Assignments. Then, claims are paid within 24 to 48 hours, so everyone gets paid as quickly as possible. The funds flow directly into your Accounting in your SRS software.

Learn more about how this turnkey feature can help with funeral planning while social distancing. Visit our support page to enroll in E-Pay.

Offer Families the Funeral Payment Options They Need with E-Pay

Wed, 20 May 2020 14:50:38 GMT

Today, we're living in a digital world and consumer expectations are constantly changing that revolve around that. Now, things that needed to be done in person can be done virtually and it's often the preferred option.

One of these things is payment options. With the internet and new technology solutions, online payments are no longer just a perk; they’re the preferred payment option. Consumers expect ALL businesses, including funeral homes, to offer online payment options. And this doesn’t just mean online credit card payments; families in difficult financial situations expect alternative payment options, as well.

So, what can your firm do to adjust to this shift in consumer expectations? Let’s look at some numbers and then at a turnkey solution that benefits your firm and families.

Research Shows That Many of Your Firm’s Client Families Are Hurting Financially

Whether it’s a depleted savings or an unexpected loss, there are many reasons families need multiple funeral payment options. However, you don’t just have to take our word for it. Statistics show that families are hurting financially more than ever before, especially with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic . Let’s look at a few:

Almost 70% of Americans have less than $1,000 in their savings account, according to GOBankingRates’ sixth annual savings survey . Of those respondents, almost half said they have $0 in their savings.
According to LendEDU’s survey , 63% of poll respondents are worried they'll run out of money in their accounts due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, 88% are worried they’ll run out of money in their bank accounts.

Why Families Expect and Need Your Firm to Offer Multiple Payment Options

Even for families who are financially secure, they may prefer having alternative payment options. Multiple payment options are no longer just wants; they’re needs, especially as more families do funeral planning online. With 57% of consumers preferring online shopping to in-person purchases, per Brizfeel , the funeral industry must adapt, as well.

Below are a few reasons why your firm’s families may need alternative payment options:

As mentioned in the section above, many families are struggling financially.
Online payment options are more convenient and let families practice social distancing.
Online payment options also save time for everyone involved.
Families may want to save their emergency funds and find another way to pay for the funeral expenses.
Ultimately, online payment options are the new normal in today’s digital world.

Give Families the Funeral Payment Options They Need with SRS E-Pay

So, what’s the solution? With SRS E-Pay , your firm can adapt to this shift in consumer expectations and offer families the payment options they need. There’s credit card processing, crowdfunding, and life insurance assignment payment options.

With credit card processing, you can easily process the payment directly from your SRS software. 2-Minute Insurance Assignments and E-Pay Crowdfunding also allow for online payments. You can process life insurance assignments as funeral payment with our entirely electronic claim process. And families can donate to an E-Pay Crowdfunding campaign directly on your firm’s SRS Website. Offering multiple online payment options has never been easier than with SRS E-Pay!

Learn more about how this turnkey feature can help with funeral planning while social distancing. Visit our support page to enroll in E-Pay.

4 Ways Electronic Signatures Improves Your Customer’s Experience

Tue, 12 May 2020 15:33:42 GMT

4 Ways Electronic Signatures Improves Your Customer’s Experience

Sometimes the smallest feature makes a world of difference for a customer. In the case of electronic signatures, saving that family the 45-minute drive to sign paperwork or giving them the space they need to review a contract privately can take the customer experience to a whole new level.

We've done the research on how customer's lives are changed by businesses offering electronic signatures instead of the traditional pen and paper method and we've outlined these for you below.

Here's the four ways electronic signatures improves your customer's experience:

#1: It Gives Them a Sense of Independence

You’re at a bank or appointment and they put a contract in front of you to sign. With eyes staring at you, you try to get this signed as quickly as possible from the pressure you feel so you skip over reading some of the fine print and sign it. It’s a pretty common occurrence, right?

Electronic signatures take the pressure off of the consumer.

For you, at your funeral home, the family is sitting inside the funeral home maybe with your staff looking at them or maybe not, but inside their mind, they’re experiencing the “I need to sign this document but I feel pressured to not take the time to read through it and just sign it”. Now, one solution you may have is to give them more time, possibly even alone. But that is missing the point of convenience in the 21st century.

What if your funeral home could send them documents electronically so they could read through them on their couch or at their kitchen table? Or maybe review them over Facetime with someone who couldn’t make it to town. By providing this option to families, you give them convenience and independence, with less distractions to confidently sign a document.

You may think it’ll take longer to get the signature but in fact, according to Finances Online , when collecting a signature from a client using paper and pen, the average time to collect the signature is approximately five days, compared to only 37 minutes when done electronically.

#2: It Makes Them Feel at Ease

With all of the technology available at their fingertips – think Amazon, Google, and even your own experiences as a consumer where you’ve walked away impressed with how convenient they made it – you're actually making them feel at ease.

By offering the ability to sign paperwork from afar, they no longer need to jump in their car or wait for UPS to deliver something. They immediately feel at ease and can take their time in a comfortable place to review and sign the documents. You can read more about this and other benefits in another SRS blog about what businesses get from offering electronic signing .

#3: It Gives them Confidence

With electronically signed documents, your customers have grown to expect this kind of service. They experience it in their everyday lives now, and it is not something unheard of. In fact, many have come to expect it and become annoyed when they feel inconvenienced by something that could have happened remotely.

Allowing them to sign documents electronically gives them confidence in having that document stored for years to come. Paper copies often get lost in the clutter and they need to pick up the phone or email when they realize they’ve lost it and need a copy – something consumers don’t want to do today. In fact, according to Finances Online , providing the service of electronic document signing decreases the “I lost my file” scenario by 66%!

#4: It Gives them Options

Just because your business adopts electronic signatures, does not mean every family will be forced to use that, unless that’s the policy you put in place. The beauty of technology is that it gives them options – and trust us when we say families are happy to hear that they have options.

Some families may be very appreciative that they do not have to drive 45-minutes to your location to sign paperwork or wait two days for it to be delivered. You’ll create an experience for that family that makes them say “wow, this is easy”, and those are the kinds of experience you want them talking about.

Other families may prefer to meet with you to sign this, and that is okay.

Another option (yes there is a third), maybe they want the paperwork sent to them so they can read through it all without the pressure of a timed-appointment and then they want to drop the signed copies off to you or come in and sign them at your location.

You see, options are what being in business is all about and the SRS team is here to give you the options that help you serve every family.

Curious what the statistics say about how consumers respond to electronic signatures and what this does for your bottom line? Check out this blog post from SRS here.

Want to learn more about the SRS E-Signature tool? Visit the dedicated webpage here to read more and watch a video explaining the popular features in more detail. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us or call us at 1-800-797-4861.

[Statistics]: What E-Signatures do for Your Customer’s Experience & Your Bottom Line

Tue, 12 May 2020 15:29:54 GMT

[Statistics]: What E-Signatures do for Your Customer’s Experience & Your Bottom Line

Did you know the e-signature global market is expected to reach $9.07 Billion by 2023? It is a fast-growing market which was born from convenience for consumers. We live in a world where technology cuts our time as consumers down and we have more things readily available at our fingertips. Look no further than Amazon, Google, and millions of businesses world-wide, which we will talk about below.

We’ve compiled a few eye-opening statistics of what businesses experience when they offer electronic signing of documents. We’re talking lower administrative costs, hours saved each day, faster turn-around time to actually get the signatures and most importantly the customer experience that consumers everywhere now expect. Take a look below:

Businesses who adopt electronic signatures:

1. Save 55%-78% in administrative costs

Studies show businesses that collect signatures electronically, instead of by paper, save anywhere from 55% to 78.62% on administrative costs. This takes into account materials such as paper and pens used, administrative personnel, shipping costs and subscription costs. To add to the administrative costs, according to MSB Docs , 41% of companies require signatures on more than half of their documents and 48% of businesses make three or more copies of their needed documents.

2. Save an Entire Day’s Work of Time

According to MSB Docs , businesses that use pen and paper to get signatures are shown to add an entire day to their work process. Switching to electronic signatures provides a more convenient alternative not only for the family, saving them from driving into the funeral home or waiting for documents to arrive, but also for the funeral home by cutting down on the time it takes to prepare, deliver and meet to get a physical signature.

3. Get Signatures from Clients 80% Faster

According to Finances Online , when collecting a signature from a client using paper and pen, the average time to collect the signature is approximately five days, compared to only 37 minutes when done electronically. You can see that allowing a family to sign documents electronically, from the comfort of their own home significantly improves the time it takes to get a signature.

4. See a Decrease of 80% in Errors

When comparing traditional ways of obtaining signatures to more modern, electronic ways of signatures, error reduction is an important factor. When a customer is able to sign a document electronically, businesses see a reduction in signing errors by 80% ( Finances Online ). This is likely due to the fact that electronic signatures can be re-done with a simple click if an error is made. If someone signs a piece of paper in the wrong place or makes an error, it needs to be re-printed.

5. See an 85% Improvement in Productivity

Businesses who adopt electronic signatures see an 85% improvement in productivity ( Finances Online ). A lot of this has to do with everything you are reading above – from reducing time on administrative tasks such as printing, shipping and organizing documents to setting appointments with clients. Electronic signatures are sent in a few simple steps, which reduces the time it takes for paperwork to be prepared, sent and signed.

6. See a 500% Increase in Customer Loyalty

There’s nothing worse than being a consumer today that is used to things being automated and instant, and having that experience broken. A lot of these conveniences shape what consumers have come to expect from businesses. Amazon delivers a seamless shopping experience with next-day delivery. Google delivers answers at our fingertips in seconds. Businesses allow customers to complete and sign paperwork at home, rather than sitting in long, unnecessary meetings. Make sure your funeral businesses is delivering the same experience consumers are living through today. If a family can review the contract and sign the paperwork from their home instead of having to get in their car and drive to you or wait days to receive paperwork – give them that option. With this electronic signing tool now in your toolbox, you can offer families a great, convenient experience. It’ll make them talk highly of you and shout from the rooftops about how easy it was working with you. Companies like Finances Online suggest you can even see an increase in customer loyalty of 500% just by offering such convenience.

Want to see other ways e-signature tools give your families a better experience? Check out ‘4 Ways Electronic Signatures Improves Your Customer’s Experience’ on the SRS Blog!

7. Prevent Files from Missing by 66%

We’ve all been there. We have a paper contract or important documents that we sign and file them away in a safe place, until we can’t remember where they are months or even years later. By moving to electronic signing, you put a digital stamp on the entire paperwork process. Families no longer need to physically file (and potentially lose important documents), but if they want to, they can print a copy. They no longer have to write or call you to get a copy at a later date. Electronic signing puts them in the driver seat and gives them a digital copy they can save in their inbox or on their computer to access at any time. According to Finances Online , providing the service of electronic document signing decreases the “I lost my file” scenario by 66%!

If this is the year for your firm to offer great customer experiences centered around convenience, providing the option of electronic signing of documents is a great start. It’ll help you reduce administrative costs, save multiple hours each day, get signatures faster and reduce errors that come with traditional methods. Be that funeral home that offers families more options and start using E-Signature by SRS today!

Want to learn more about the SRS E-Signature tool? Visit the dedicated webpage here to read more and watch a video explaining the popular feature in more detail. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us or call us at 1-800-797-4861.

Getting Signatures Has Never Been Easier Than with E-Signature

Mon, 11 May 2020 14:07:59 GMT

Are you tired of using costly third-party e-signature services? Do you want a solution that conveniently integrates with your existing funeral software instead of adding extra work? If you answered yes to either of these questions, look no further than our E-Signature tool!

With our brand-new tool , families can sign the forms you need electronically. You can send single or multiple forms to a family member or multiple family members with just one click. As we adjust to these challenging times, this turnkey tool helps everyone practice social distancing.

Below is an overview of how to use this tool to make funeral planning easier for everyone. For more information, check out our training resources .

Simple 10-Step Process of How E-Signature Works for Your Staff and Families

Step 1: Determine what forms need signatures and email them as PDFs or Word documents to SRS. If they’re already in Procession, you don’t need to send them; just identify them in the email.

Step 2: Open the case and make sure all the people who need signatures are identified. You can edit the staff information under Client and edit the family information under Family/Friends. For staff, you can save their signatures in your settings to streamline the process in the future. For family members, make sure they have emails listed.

Step 3: Under either Printed Materials or Billing, find the desired form in the drop-down menu. Then, click the e-signature button.

Step 4: Review and make any edits to the form. Note, any edits made here will NOT be reflected in Procession.

Step 5: Collect your staff signatures.

Step 6: Remove any unneeded signature fields by clicking the blue circles to deselect them.

Step 7: Send family members the signature request emails. Before sending, you can modify or reset the send list as needed.

Step 8: The family members receive the email with the link to sign it. Once they submit it, they receive a confirmation message.

Step 9: Signed documents are placed automatically in Virtual Files.

Step 10: Your funeral home gets a notification email that the signatures are complete!

E-Signature Gives Your Firm Unlimited Options with No Hidden Costs

As you can see, your options are unlimited with E-Signature. With this tool, your firm can send unlimited forms and emails and receive unlimited signatures from families, all with no hidden fees. This way, we can help you get the signatures as fast as possible. We also work quickly to build as many forms as you need, all for a small one-time cost.

Signed E-Signature Forms Are Accessible Anytime, Anywhere During These Challenging Times

With E-Signature, it’s never been easier to send signatures and access them. All signed forms are automatically stored in VFiles in your Procession software, which also can be accessed on Mobile.9. Additionally, they’re securely stored in the cloud, so they’re accessible anytime, anywhere.

Want to learn more about how E-Signature can help everyone during these challenging times? Email us at support@srscomputing.com.

How E-Pay Can Help with Funeral Planning While Social Distancing

Wed, 06 May 2020 16:24:46 GMT

Staying safe is the top priority during these stressful times. To protect your staff and families, your firm can offer convenient online payment options.

You may be wondering, is there an easy way to offer this while not creating a lot of extra work for your staff? The answer is E-Pay! With our payment platform , you can offer your families credit card processing, life insurance assignments, and crowdfunding campaigns as funeral payment.

Let’s talk more about how these features can help with funeral planning while social distancing.

Give Your Families the Convenience of Online C redit Card Processing

With E-Pay, you can easily process credit card payment right from your SRS software, via email invoice, or FamilyLink. Plus, there are no gateway or monthly fees, and the platform accepts ALL major credit cards. With the secure connection and social distancing in place, families can have peace of mind when making online funeral payments. And your firm can have comfort in knowing that you don’t have to wait around for the payment.

Offer an Easy, Quick, and Smart Option with 2-Minute Insurance Assignments

Submit a claim in two minutes with our life insurance assignments option! With 2-Minute Insurance Assignments , you can easily process life insurance assignments as funeral payments with our entirely electronic claim process. Thus, you can eliminate the need for families to come into your funeral home for the payment. It also saves your firm time, as our team can verify the policy in one hour. On average, most claims are paid out 24 hours after receiving a signed assignment.

Show Your Support with the E-Pay Crowdfunding Funeral Payment Option

Community members can show their support even while social distancing with funeral crowdfunding campaigns. The COVID-19 pandemic amplifies an already stressful time for grieving families. With E-Pay Crowdfunding directly on your SRS Website, friends and family can contribute to the funeral expenses. With many places still practicing strict social distancing measures, this is a great way for people to honor their loved one and show their support, even if they can’t physically attend the funeral service.

Learn more about how this turnkey feature can help with funeral planning while social distancing. Visit our support page to enroll in E-Pay.

Why Procession is the Funeral Management Software You Can Trust

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 14:59:41 GMT

During these uncertain times, one thing you want to be certain about is your funeral management software. Now more than ever, your firm relies on it to keep your information safe, organized, and easy to access from any device.

Does this not sound like your current software? Don’t worry, SRS has a solution just for you. With Procession, you can create a customized funeral management software system to fit your firm’s needs.

Don’t just take our word for it! Below is an inside look at how Procession can help your firm and make online funerals easier.

It’s Created by Funeral Industry Experts, For Funeral Industry Experts

The SRS team uses their knowledge and experience working in the funeral industry to make a trustworthy funeral software system. We know your most frustrating pain points and challenges, so we’ve designed our system to help you solve these. With this system, your firm will save so much time and be more organized.

Below are a few of its capabilities that can help you create smoother day-to-day operations:

Mobile application to conveniently access information anytime, anywhere.
Pre-need and at-need management all with one tool.
Financial Reports easily generated with a click.
Resource Scheduler to keep track of vehicles, visitation rooms, and more.

It’s an Ever-Evolving Product with Customizable Cutting-Edge Features

We’re constantly coming out with brand-new features, like Procession V9 . With the redesigned platform, users have a more enhanced experience and wider variety of add-ons, like E-Pay and Bar Code. With these new updates, you have even more ways to customize the system to your firm’s needs.

There are also several brand-new capabilities, such as Dashboard, SignNow, FamilyLink, and more. With these new features, families can submit vital information more easily and your staff can locate it more quickly.

Its Features Can Help Make Online Funeral Planning Easier for Everyone

Many of Procession’s features can help create a smoother online funeral process for everyone. For instance, with FamilyLink , families can enter vital information from their homes using a secure link, upload important documents, and so much more. They also can make online payments with E-Pay. Together, SRS solutions integrate to create one unstoppable funeral solution that’s simple, secure, and saves time.

Are you ready to get started? Email us at support@srscomputing.com.

How to Clear Your Cookies and Browser Cache

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 13:22:09 GMT

Since more funeral planning is happening online, it’s important to regularly clear your device’s browser cache and cookies. Now, you may be asking yourself, what are cache and cookies?

After you visit a website, information (cache) is temporarily stored on your device so it loads quickly in the future. However, it can fill up over time and cause problems with websites not displaying properly.

While cookies store information to track a user’s website activity. For instance, if you enter information to buy something on a website and it remembers that information next time, that’s thanks to cookies. However, cookies can fill up your device’s disk space if not cleared regularly.

Still confused? Don’t worry, let’s talk more about the importance of clearing cookies and cache and how to do it.

Why Clearing Your Cookies and Browser Cache Matters

Not clearing your cookies and browser cache can cause problems with your website displays and load times. For instance, let’s say you make changes to your funeral home’s website , but your cache is full. When you preview the changes, it doesn’t display properly and loads slowly. But when someone else views it, it looks correct and loads quickly. If it’s just your browser having these issues, then needing to clear your cache and cookies is most likely the problem.

How to Clear Your Cookies and Browser Cache

Most browsers let you clear cookies and cache by holding down the Control, Shift, and Delete keys at the same time. Don’t forget to restart your browser after clearing them, as well.

You also can clear them in your browser’s menu bar and edit your specific settings, such as how often and how much you want to clear. Since Google Chrome is the most popular browser , we’re sharing the steps for clearing cookies and cache in Chrome on mobile and desktop. These steps may vary slightly depending on your browser version and device type, but they all have similar steps.

Google Chrome on desktop:

In Chrome, select More in the top right corner.
Select More Tools.
Click Clear browsing data.
Pick your time range and make sure cookies and cache are both checked.
Select Clear data.

Google Chrome on mobile:

In the Chrome app, tap More.
Tap History.
Tap Clear browsing data.
Pick your time range and make sure cookies and cache are both checked.
Tap Clear browsing data.

Want to learn how SRS Solutions can help with social distancing? Email us at support@srscomputing.com.

Ways to Help Families Grieve While Social Distancing

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:15:06 GMT

Grieving from afar certainly isn’t an ideal situation, but it’s the reality during the COVID-19 pandemic. As your firm’s client families grieve while social distancing, technology can be a huge help. By sharing online grief resources with your community, you can help them find healthy ways to cope with their loss.

Below are a few ideas, as well as how SRS Websites can help with grieving while social distancing.

Have a Grief Section on Your Blog

A blog is a great resource for families and a great way for your staff to share their expertise. For example, you can create a collection of grief-related blog posts. Don’t forget to share them on your firm’s social media pages for more coverage, as well!

Below are a few grief-related blog topic ideas to get you started:

Tips for grieving while social distancing
How to help someone who is grieving from afar
List of online resources for grieving while social distancing
Grieving the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19
Q&A with a local grief counselor

Create a Grief Resources Webpage

Your firm also can share online grief resources on your website. These can be links to helpful articles, organizations, grief counselors your firm partners with, videos, podcasts, and any other useful tools for grieving from afar.

You also can create your own content! For instance, your blog posts can easily be repurposed into other types of content, such as an infographic, a video script, or a downloadable grief guide.

How SRS Websites Can Help

All the above and more can be accomplished with an SRS Website ! By making the switch, you can give your families the tools and resources they need now more than ever. Plus, your SRS Website conveniently integrates with your SRS software.

SRS Websites come with many turnkey features to make grieving online easier, such as:

A blog for sharing grief-related content while keeping traffic on your website.
Skillfully built webpages for sharing online grief resources with your firm’s families.
Grief email subscription that families can sign up for to get additional support.

Want to learn more about how an SRS Website can help with social distancing? Email us at support@srscomputing.com.

Tips for Organizing Your Firm's Digital Files

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 12:55:00 GMT

Organizing your firm’s digital files is even more important now that funeral planning is happening online. If you don’t have an organization system and a way to access important files from any device, your productivity can take a hit.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with these tips and solutions for improving your firm’s digital file organization!

Importance of Organizing Your Digital Files

By having an organization system, your staff can find important files quickly and efficiently. Not only will you save time, you’re less likely to lose important documents or make errors. Being organized and having remote access to digital files also means you can better serve your firm’s families. You can conveniently access information from any location and any device.

Does This Sound Like Your Computer?

Do you have a limited number of folders with hundreds of files per folder? When looking for a specific file, do you feel completely lost in your sea of files? If this sounds like your computer, then you need a new organization system.

Instead of wasting time searching for documents, have a system in place. However, it’s not enough to have organized files on your computer. If you can’t access these files from any device, you’re still very limited. So, what’s the solution?

The Solution: SRS Cloud

Meet your solution, SRS Cloud ! With this feature, your firm can stay organized while having easy access to your files from any device, all with a secure connection to protect sensitive information. Your files are all back up, so you don’t have to worry about losing vital information. This way, you’re not limited by only having access to files on one device. Limited access isn’t practical or safe, so let SRS Cloud give you the mobility you need to securely access your files anytime, anywhere.

Ready to get started with SRS Cloud? Email us at support@srscomputing.com.

How SRS Solutions Can Help During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 14:00:17 GMT

It’s a difficult time for everyone right now, but SRS is here to help. Many of our solutions can make the online funeral experience easier for both your firm and the families you serve.

Let’s go over how SRS solutions can help with social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FamilyLink

To keep everyone safe, FamilyLink allows the families you serve to funeral plan from their homes. With this tool, families can use a secure and private link to enter vital information, help write the obituary, add images, and upload necessary documents. There’s even a checklist automatically generated for families to make funeral planning even easier.

If you’re an SRS Procession V9 client, FamilyLink is free until April 17, 2020.

E-Pay Payment Processing

To practice social distancing, E-Pay lets families make funeral payments online instead of in person. With this secure online payment method, you can accept credit card payments directly from your SRS software. You also can use E-Pay Email Invoicing to instantly send individual invoices or all due bills electronically.

There’s also 2-Minute Insurance Assignments as a funeral payment option. Your firm can help families quickly and easily submit claims electronically, and you get paid in as little as 24 to 48 hours. The funds flow directly into your accounting through your SRS software.

Virtual Files

During difficult times like these, it’s important to have access to information anytime and anywhere and not be limited by printed paper files. With VFiles , you can go paperless and keep everything you need online. You can have access to all your pictures, videos, and signed contracts right at your fingertips without having to print a single thing. For your convenience, electronically signed documents are automatically stored directly in Viles.

New E-Signature Tool

With our new E-Signature Tool , families can conveniently and securely sign forms electronically. It turns PDFs and Word documents into ready-to-sign forms and eliminates the need for costly third-party services. Plus, it integrates with your existing SRS software to make funeral planning as easy as possible for everyone.

Other SRS Solutions

Another solution that can help during social distancing is our Online Arranger. With this tool, families can make funeral arrangements from their homes. They can do pre-need or at-need planning and can easily enter vitals, choose products, and more. To easily access this information, it directly saves to your SRS software.

We’ve also created a COVID-19 Tools page on our website filled with tutorial videos and how-to guides about how SRS solutions can help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, you can continue to check out our SRS blog for more informational posts.

Want to learn more about how SRS Solutions can help with social distancing? Email us at support@srscomputing.com.

COVID-19: Staying Safe and How SRS Can Help

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 14:17:57 GMT

As social distancing becomes more important during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the SRS team is here to help.

To make things a little less stressful for your firm, we want to share some tips and advice, as well as how our SRS solutions can help you operate with family and employee safety and sanitation in mind.

Tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The CDC has an in-depth webpage about COVID-19, including must-know facts, resources, and updates. We recommend that your firm’s staff members follow the advice and updates on this page, as well as share this vital information with your community.

A few tips that your staff members can practice and share with your community are:

Follow social distancing to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in your home every day.
Regularly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Practice self-care, such as by reading or exercising, to reduce your stress and anxiety.

Advice from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)

The NFDA has many resources about COVID-19 and how it’s impacting funeral directors. For instance, you can find information about how to handle transfers and embalming, guidance on having visitations and funerals, guidance from OSHA about workplace safety, and other crucial information.

Click here to see all their resources, but here are a few highlights:

It’s recommended you transport the body in a body bag and make sure to disinfect the bag with a product containing EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims.
Many states have rules regarding the number of people that can attend a gathering, so these are some options you can offer families:

Have a private viewing for immediate family members only.
Delay the funeral service until a later date.
Live stream the funeral service.

Some OSHA guidelines for employers who are potentially at risk of being exposed to COVID-19 are to evaluate the potential hazards and risk of exposure, as well as make sure all staff members are following the decided upon precautions for preventing exposure.

How SRS Can Help

We’ve created a COVID-19 webpage filled with tips and resources on how SRS solutions can help your firm practice social distancing. For example, with FamilyLink, families can use a secure link to enter vital information, help write the obituary, upload documents, and make payments online.

For SRS Procession V9 clients, FamilyLink is free until Friday, April 17, 2020. To learn more about FamilyLink and how other SRS solutions can help with social distancing, visit our COVID-19 webpage .

We’re also happy to announce the release of our new E-Signature Tool . With this tool, families can sign the forms you need electronically. It turns your PDFs or Word documents into ready-to-sign forms. Not only does it eliminate the need for costly third-party services, it conveniently integrates with your existing SRS software.

The SRS team is here to help you during this challenging time. Email us at support@srscomputing.com.

Join Us for Our Webinar About Using FamilyLink During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 14:35:08 GMT

We want to help keep you and your families safe during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, so please join us for our 30-minute webinar on Friday, March 20, 2020 at 12 p.m. EST. During this webinar, we’ll share how FamilyLink can help your staff have less face-to-face meetings, and you can even activate this tool for free! There is no cost to Procession V9 customers, and the tool can be activated within 24 hours.

Here’s a deeper look into how FamilyLink works and how it can help keep everyone safe.

FamilyLink and Social Distancing

Social distancing will become more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tools like FamilyLink will help you operate your firm with family and employee safety and sanitation in mind. This way, we can prevent the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible. Instead of meeting with families in person to gather vital information, you can easily use FamilyLink to gather this information virtually.

FamilyLink’s Cutting-Edge Feature s

FamilyLink lets you accomplish many of the items on the funeral planning checklist online instead of in person. It provides families with a personal, private online link for entering vital information, uploading images and signed documents, and reducing stress during an already difficult time of grief and loss. You can even have a checklist automatically generated for your families to make communication about funeral planning even easier.

With this turnkey tool, you can:

Invite family members to the portal using a secure link
Gather basic vital information from families online
Give families the option to write or help write the obituary
Allow families to upload necessary documents electronically
Allow families to make payments online with SRS E-Pay

See for yourself how FamilyLink can help keep everyone safe while funeral planning. Click here to sign up for the webinar on March 20, 2020 at 12 p.m.

Your Funeral Home Needs a Website. Here's Why.

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 13:16:48 GMT

Do you think your funeral home doesn’t need a website? You might want to think again. Every business, including funeral homes, should have a website. It’s not just a want by customers; it’s an expectation. Families in today’s technology-filled world expect all businesses to have a website. If you don’t have a website, they don’t consider you a credible business.

It isn’t just about your customers. Having a website also makes your staff’s duties much easier, which in turn, makes families’ funeral experiences better.

Still not convinced? Here’s how a funeral home website can help establish trust with your families and make your staff’s lives simpler.

Gives Families Access to Valuable Information

A website is a great place to put funeral planning and grief resources! Families aren’t funeral experts, so they may not even know where to begin. By having a collection of resources conveniently on your funeral home’s website, you can help make funeral planning easier. You also can help them find healthy ways to grieve.

They’re also more likely to plan with your funeral home, especially if you have information about your products and services on your website. Don’t be afraid to include your GPL, too! Then, they can get a feel for your funeral home before calling you or visiting in person. Having all this information readily available on your website establishes trust, which we’ll talk more about next!

Establishes Trust with Families

Having a website makes your business more credible to families. However, it can’t just be any old website design. For it to be trustworthy, you need to have a responsive design that responds to whatever device users are viewing it from. Most websites today have followed suit with this design trend, so if your website is behind the times, your trustworthiness can take a hit.

To further establish trust, have an SSL Certificate on your website to protect families’ sensitive information. They’re already stressed, so give them one less thing to worry about! By having SSL security , you’re protecting their passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal information.

Opens the Door to Cutting-Edge Features

Having a funeral home website opens the door to cutting-edge features for both your staff and families. Not only will it make your staff’s day-to-day tasks easier, it will help families funeral plan and find healthy ways to grieve.

Don’t just take our word for it! Here are a few of the cutting-edge features that come with SRS Websites :

Responsive design
SSL security
Grief emails
Seamless integration with SRS technology
Built-in forms
Flower purchasing
Payment center
Social media integrations
And so much more!

Together, SRS Websites and our other technologies deliver a simple, yet comprehensive software solution. For more information on SRS Computing, please call 800.797.4861. Or, to schedule a demo, call 866.375.8778.

What's Hurting Your Website's SEO and How to Fix It

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 15:05:23 GMT

Search engine optimization, SEO, can make or break your funeral home’s online presence. If not done correctly, it can hurt your search engine results page, SERP, ranking instead of helping your website appear higher on SERPs.

Don’t worry, just because it’s broken doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed! Here’s what may be hurting yours website’s SEO and how to fix it!

Non-Responsive Website Design

If your website isn’t responsive, you may not rank as high in SERPs. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, a responsive design means that your website responds to the device type that it’s displaying on. So, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or computer, the screen will respond as needed to create the best user experience possible.

No SSL Security

If your website doesn’t take precautions to protect against viruses and spammers, this can hurt your SEO, too. By having an SSL certificate for your website, it encrypts sensitive information. This way, businesses and their customers don’t have to worry about their data being compromised.

Slow Website Load Time

Not only do potential customers not like a slow website load time, it also can cause your SERP ranking to be lower. A good website load time is three seconds or less. If your website takes longer than this, one reason could be if you have large image or video files on your website.

Misspelled Text and Broken Links

This may not seem like a big deal, but search engines will find them and in turn, cause your SERP ranking to drop. It also may turn off potential customers if they find errors or broken links in your website content, so make sure you have multiple people proofread your text.

Spam Comments

Even if spam comments aren’t clicked on, they can still negatively impact your SEO. To try to prevent spam comments, make sure you only link to reputable sources in your website content and only approve comments that are relevant to your business.

Improper Keywords and Metadata

Metadata describes the data that is on your website. It’s what appears as your website title and description on a SERP. Having poor or no metadata hurts your SEO. While, keywords are used within your website content to tell search engines what the content is about and why it’s relevant. You should use your keywords a few times throughout the content, so it sounds natural and isn’t used too much or too little. Also, make sure your keywords are relevant, but not too specific.

SRS Websites and SEO

When you choose an SRS Website, we follow SEO best practices so your funeral home can rank higher in SERPs. With a responsive design, SSL security, and other best practices, your funeral home is in good hands with SRS.

Join Us in Las Vegas for Our Exclusive SRS Spring Training Event

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 15:22:25 GMT

Want to learn more about your SRS software and how you can make the most of all its robust features? Join us in Las Vegas for our SRS Spring Training event on May 14-15, 2020 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas! Our knowledgeable staff will be there to walk you through our products step by step and answer any of your questions.

We want to help your firm succeed, so we’re excited to meet you in Las Vegas! Register by April 1, 2020 to get early-bird pricing!

Here’s a more in-depth look at our SRS Spring Training event agenda.

Make the Most of Your SRS Software

Are you underutilizing your SRS software? Learn everything that your software can do for you and how it can streamline your firm’s process. Our solutions integrate together to create an efficient process for your firm, so our experienced staff will make sure that you understand how it works and are making the most of it!

Learn From Other Firms

Seeing real-life examples of our technology solutions in action can inspire ideas for your firm. Learn how other firms are utilizing our products to boost their productivity and profitability and how your firm can do this, too! The peer roundtables serve as a place to learn from others in the industry and share ideas.

Test-Drive Turnkey SRS Products

Want to try out new and existing SRS products to see how their features work? For those who learn by doing, we’ll let you do just that! Try the products out for yourself and learn tips and tricks for using them and their cutting-edge features. You can practice using existing features and even try out some brand-new ones, too!

Get Hands-On Training

We’re putting all of our experts in one place so your firm can learn everything you need to know about your SRS technology solutions and brand-new solutions that can help your firm, as well. Our most senior SRS software trainers will work with you in a small, hands-on learning environment to help you succeed.

Learn more about our SRS Spring Training event and register before it’s too late! To learn more about SRS and our funeral technology solutions, call 800-797-4861.

SRS Announces Exclusive Spring Training in Las Vegas

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 18:55:27 GMT

SRS Announces Exclusive Spring Training Event in Las Vegas

Wexford, PA | SRS Computing announced today their 2020 Spring training event in Las Vegas, NV.

This two-day event is being held on May 14-15, 2020 at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, NV and will feature hands-on software training, peer roundtable learning opportunities and other unique experiences. Space is limited to 150 seats.

“We held a similar event last year and the feedback was incredible. This year, we wanted to build not only an event but an experience where attendees could get hands-on training to be able to use more of their software. They will hear how other SRS customers in the room are successfully using the tools.” says Kim Simons, Vice-President of SRS Computing.

New to this year’s event are peer roundtables to allow all attendees to hear how others are using the SRS software features and seeing incredible successes. Attendees will also be able to test-drive new and existing software features with an SRS team member right there with them.

“The SRS software is capable of so much and many users only use a percentage of it. This event is designed to change that. They already have an incredibly robust program; they just need to know how to use it. With this two-day event, they will walk away with creative strategies to use the tools available to be more efficient and more profitable in their business. That’s the goal.” Says Simons. “The event costs a fraction of what it would cost for an SRS team member to fly to their location for training like this. We’re bringing a community of SRS customers together to get that training from us but also learn from each other. It’s going to be great.” concludes Simons.

To keep the event hands-on with attendees and interactive, space will be limited to 150 seats and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is now open with early-bird pricing on until April 1, 2020. Learn more about the 2020 SRS Spring Training event or register here: www.srscomputing.com/vegas.

About SRS Computing Software:

The industry leader for funeral home, cemetery, and crematory management software since 1999. Simplicity meets cutting-edge technology, unparalleled support, and the most robust Funeral Software Management and Website products developed for this industry. Together, SRS Websites and Procession deliver a simple yet comprehensive software solution. For information on SRS Computing, please visit srscomputing.com.

SRS Is Your One-Stop Shop for Funeral Technology

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 14:55:26 GMT

Introducing technology into your funeral home doesn’t have to be scary! At SRS, we’ve designed our funeral technology solutions to integrate together to create an overall smoother process for your staff.

We’re continuing to develop new solutions to help your funeral home take advantage of all technology has to offer for your firm. Our long-time products like Procession integrate with newer solutions like SRS Websites to make the ultimate easy-to-use funeral technology solution.

Want to dive into the modern era? Keep reading to see how your funeral home can continue to grow with our technology solutions.

Cutting-Edge Funeral Home Management Software

Our funeral home management software solutions offer something for everyone, whether you’re a funeral home, crematory, pet crematory, or cemetery. With Procession , regardless of your firm’s size or call volume, we’ll create a customized management system just for you. Some of the many cutting-edge features available with the system include record keeping for both pre-need and at-need clients all in one place, the ability to create a unique bar code for each case, and FamilyLink for families to privately enter vital information.

For crematories, there’s Phoenix and Phoenix Pet . With this system, you can keep track of both human and pet records all in one convenient place. There’s also InStone , the total cemetery management solution. With tools like Geographic Mapping to create a visual representation of your cemetery, you can easily see the status of each grave and track the data associated with it.

Cultivated Marketing Tool

We know how important it is to stay in contact with families long after the funeral service so we’re here to help. Aftercare has never been easier than with Prospect ! With this marketing tool, you can receive reminders for your daily tasks, create quotes for pre-need contracts, record all correspondence, and so much more. It works well as a stand-alone product, but becomes even more powerful when integrated with your other SRS technology solutions!

Secure Cloud Database

Keep your funeral home’s data secure, backed up, and easily accessible from any device with SRS Cloud . Having your staff’s and families’ vital information only available in one place is very limiting and unsecure. That’s why SRS Cloud safely stores your information so you can access it whenever and wherever you need to. Whether it’s from your smartphone, tablet, or computer, SRS Cloud goes where you go. Since SRS Cloud has developed layers of encryption on EVERY piece of data in your system, you know that your information is secure.

Beautifully Designed and Skillfully Built Websites

With our latest addition of SRS Websites , your funeral management software and your website can work together as one to create an unstoppable solution! With just a few clicks, data is easily shared between your website and SRS software. Talk about a time saver! In addition to this time-saving integration, SRS Websites have a responsive design and are skillfully built with features such as SSL security, flower purchasing capabilities, and an online payment platform.

Turnkey Payment Platform

With E-Pay Payment Processing , this technology solution takes your funeral home’s service offerings to a whole new level. Families can easily pay for a funeral with a credit card directly through your website from the comfort of their own home. There’s also the option to start a crowdfunding campaign or even pay with an insurance assignment .

Ready to make some changes? SRS Computing can help. We know technology — but we also know funerals. We can help you build a funeral technology plan that will benefit you for years to come. We have solutions for every type of need and every type of business, and we can help you find the solutions that work for you. Reach out to us today at 800.797.4861.

What Families Expect from Your Funeral Home's Website

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 13:25:07 GMT

Is your funeral home’s website giving families what they need? Or perhaps a better question to start with may be, what do your families need from your website?

Families come to your funeral home’s website for a variety of reasons, whether they’re grieving a loss, planning a loved one’s funeral, or preplanning their own. So, let’s cover what your funeral home’s website needs to meet and exceed everyone’s funeral expectations.

Their Loved Ones’ Obituaries

Families expect to easily find their loved one’s obituary, as well as the funeral service information. They’ll quickly get frustrated if it’s difficult to find. The NFDA found that most funeral homes have their own websites, so you’re missing out if your obituaries aren’t conveniently hosted on your own website.

Grief and Funeral Planning Tips

Many families also visit your funeral home’s website for guidance. They’re facing an unimaginable loss, and many for the first time, so they need reliable grief resources. Resources like grief blog posts, support group information, and grief book suggestions can all help families cope with their loss.

They also expect to find information on funeral planning. After all, you’re the funeral home, so if you don’t have this information, they might not see you as a reliable funeral source. And, if you want them to preplan, you need to tell them how to preplan. They aren’t the funeral experts, so it’s up to your funeral home’s staff to give them this information.

Your Funeral Home’s Products and Services

Like we just mentioned, families aren’t funeral experts, and many are funeral planning for the first time. They don’t know what their options are and common funeral terms may be confusing to them. Your website should explain your products and services in a way that’s easy for anyone to understand, despite their background with funeral planning.

Alternative Funeral Payment Options

Many families may not even realize there are multiple ways to pay for their funeral expenses. If your funeral home offers multiple payment options, make it known! Make sure your families can easily find this information or, better yet, give them the option to pay online so your firm gets paid faster and easier.

Your Funeral Home’s Contact Information

Your products and services information won’t do families any good if they can’t figure out how to contact you. In addition to a Contact Us page, make it easily accessible by including it in your website’s header and footer. Include your funeral home’s phone number, address, and email.

So, if your funeral home’s website doesn’t have these valuable tools and helpful information, what’s the solution? SRS has the answer!

Meet Your Funeral Home’s Website

Ready for an update? Say hello to your brand-new SRS Website s ! Our funeral home websites are skillfully built to include features like our E-Pay payment platform. They’re also beautifully designed to showcase your funeral home’s services and why families should choose you for their funeral needs. And that’s just scratching the surface of all the features! Some other noteworthy features are our grief email and obituary subscriptions, built-in forms, and seamless integration with all SRS solutions.

How to Boost Your Firm's Pet Funeral Services

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:39:57 GMT

Many families consider their pets a part of the family, so it’s important that you offer them services that honor their pet with dignity and respect. That’s why we’re sharing a few ways you can give families’ pets the unique funeral services that they deserve, while also making things easier for your firm.

Personalize the Funeral Service

Like with human funerals, you also can personalize pet funeral services to reflect the life a family’s pet lived. From the funeral flowers to the memorial displays, the opportunities are endless when it comes to personalization.

When choosing the funeral flowers, consider choosing flowers that the family had in their yard that their pet liked to roam around. You also can choose flowers based on their meaning, such as roses for love.

For the memorial displays, showcase their pet’s favorite toys. You also can include photos and other items like their leash and food bowl. During the funeral service, the family can each share a special memory with their pet or select a special song that reminds them of their beloved pet.

Providing a personalized service for a pet doesn’t just serve the pet, it serves the family — and helps build the relationship you have with them.

Offer Memorialization Solutions

By offering your families personalized memorial products, you can help them honor and remember their cherished pet, while also getting a little extra revenue for your firm. For example, you can offer clay or ink paw prints, a lock of fur, or memorial jewelry from their pet tag.

You also can suggest some DIY mementos, such as making a memorial photo frame or a collar-wrapped memorial candle. Or, share some special family tradition ideas, like having a remembrance dinner on their pet’s birthday or another significant date.

Provide Grief Resources

Through offering grief resources and programs, you can help families grieve the loss of their animal best friend. An easy way to do this is by creating a grief brochure to give to families at the arrangement conference. It can include healthy grieving tips, suggested pet grief books or blogs, memorial ritual ideas (like in the previous section), contact information for local grief counselors, and your funeral home’s grief programs.

For grief programs, your firm can start a pet loss support group in your community. Oftentimes, people may not take the death of a loved one’s pet as seriously as they should, so starting a group gives them a supportive environment to grieve their loss. Another idea is to host an educational seminar about the death of a pet or a remembrance dinner to honor families’ deceased pets.

Host Pet-Related Events

Planning events for your community is a great way to get the word out about your firm and meet families in person. You can do the same thing with events for pets or related to pets.

If you have a therapy dog, consider inviting people to their birthday party. Or invite your community to an event to make keepsakes for their pets that have recently passed. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Be More Efficient with Phoenix Pet and VetLink

Phoenix Pet is a powerful management software tool for your pet crematory. And when you combine it with VetLink, you can easily communicate with your local vet clinics! It’s the perfect turnkey system for communicating with vet clinics and strengthening those relationships. Even better? You also can invoice, track, and manage your pet crematory all with one tool.

Call 800.797.4861 to schedule a demo to learn more about the features of these robust tools.

5 Things That Make Your Website Less Mobile-Friendly

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:36:59 GMT

Are you providing the best mobile experience for your client families? According to a report by Hitwise, about 60% of searches are from mobile devices, which means it’s more important than ever for your funeral home to have a mobile-friendly website. Many things can make your website more mobile-friendly, while some things can hurt it. Below we’re sharing five things to fix in order to make your website more mobile-friendly.

Non-Responsive Design

When navigating your funeral home’s website, families shouldn’t have to pinch and drag to view all your website’s content. Your website should be responsive, which means it will automatically adjust the content to any device it’s being viewed on. So, whether they’re on their phone, tablet, or desktop computer, families can easily navigate and locate the information they're looking for.

Mediocre User Experience

Since most searches are from mobile devices, it’s important that your website’s information is easy to find on mobile. If families can’t easily find your service information, they will move on to the next funeral home. That’s why your website needs a user-friendly navigation menu and search bar that makes it easy for them to find information on your website.

Slow Website Speed

In addition to hurting your search engine rankings, slow load speed also has a negative impact on your mobile-friendliness. If your website takes too long to load on mobile, users will grow impatient and leave your website. Nowadays, people expect quick loading times and instantaneous information. Don’t let your website get left in the dust. Large videos and images can contribute to slow loading times. Your website host also is a large factor. Always use a reliable website host, so you can rest assured that your website will always be up and running fast.

Grammar and Spelling Errors

In order to build credibility and make your website more mobile friendly, make sure your website is free of spelling and grammar errors. These errors hurt your search engine rankings and make your funeral home look untrustworthy. For instance, if you have a mistyped price, families will be upset when they learn that’s not the actual price of your service. Before publishing any content, make sure to reread it and have a few other people look it over as well. You should also download a spell-check tool such as Grammarly

Hard-to-Find CTAs

Your CTAs (calls to action) should be visible if you want them to generate leads. CTAs are the actions you want potential clients to complete, so you can follow up with them later. For example, your CTA could encourage families to enter their email address to download a document or to fill out a form to request more information. Make sure it’s easy for them to enter their information on their mobile device, or they’ll quickly skip over your CTA, causing you to miss out on a new lead.

The Solution to These Problems

This all may sound a little overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! At SRS, we have the capabilities to build you a beautiful website that’s mobile-friendly. All our funeral home websites are responsive and designed with search engine optimization in mind, making it easier for families to find and navigate your website.

Call 800.797.4861 for a free website demonstration!

Offer Families Multiple Funeral Payment Options with E-Pay

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:27:54 GMT

It’s 2020; families expect businesses to have multiple online payment options, including your funeral home. They crave convenience, and many families cannot afford to pay major expenses up front, so they depend on alternative payment options.

In fact, per CNBC , a shocking 40% of Americans wouldn’t be able to afford an unexpected expense of $400. That isn’t even close to covering the cost of a casket, let alone an entire funeral service that’s typically at least $7,000.

As you can see, families don’t just want multiple funeral payment options; they need multiple funeral payment options. Plus, online payment options can extend even further than credit card processing. With the right solution, it creates opportunities for funeral crowdfunding campaigns and so much more!

So, what is the right solution? Meet E-Pay !

Your Solution: E-Pay

With our turnkey system, families can pay for their funeral expenses via credit card processing, insurance assignments, or crowdfunding. You can process credit card payments right from your SRS software or via email invoice or FamilyLink, and E-Pay accepts all major credit cards. With 2-Minute Insurance Assignment , you can easily process life insurance assignments as funeral payments with our entirely electronic claim process. And if your funeral home has an SRS Website , families can use E-Pay Crowdfunding to raise more funds for the funeral costs.

Don’t Wait Around for Paymen t

With E-Pay, there’s no more wondering when you’ll get paid. Instead of waiting around for the payment, you get paid right away. This way, instead of taking the time out of your already busy day to follow up with families about the funeral payment, you can let them focus on funeral planning and coping with grief.

Stay Ahead of the Competition

Don’t fall behind the times! If your funeral home doesn’t offer multiple payment options, families will find a funeral home that does. Show them you’re dedicated to giving them the best funeral experience possible to honor their loved one by giving them options.

Save Valuable Time

Our rockstar staff members work as quickly as possible while keeping our high-quality standards. For instance, with 2-Minute Insurance Assignments, we handle most of the paperwork needed, so it’s not creating more work for your staff. We know you’re busy people, so we’re making things easier for everyone involved.

Show Families Empathy

Families who have lost a loved one are supposed to be grieving, not stressing about the funeral payments. Give them the peace of mind that they need with E-Pay. By giving them multiple payment options, you’re helping create a positive and healing funeral experience.

Learn how this turnkey feature can take your funeral home into the modern era! Visit our support page or call us at 800.797.4861 to enroll in E-Pay and process your payments like a pro.

Why SSL Security for Your Funeral Home's Website Matters

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:23:31 GMT

Is your funeral home’s website safe? If you think you don’t have to worry about cybersecurity since you’re a small business, you might want to reconsider that thought. Per Cybint Solutions , 43% of cyberattacks are targeted at small businesses. That’s almost half of all cyberattacks!

The statistics out there about cyberattacks are alarming. But, don’t worry! By having an SSL-secured funeral home website, you can protect your staff and client families’ sensitive data.

For those who don’t know, an SSL certificate encrypts the data sent between your web server and browser to protect it. We’ll go over some more benefits of SSL security below.

Protect Sensitive Data

An SSL certificate protects your staff and client families’ sensitive data, such as credit card information, login credentials, social security numbers, and other personal information. This way, they can feel at ease when entering personal information on your funeral home’s website.

In addition to having an SSL certificate, there are a few other ways you can protect sensitive data. One way is to create secure passwords for all of your accounts. This means not making them something that’s easily guessed. You also should use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.

Another way to protect your information is to install a security software program on your staff’s computers. You also should always do the latest computer and browser updates because they might include the most recently updated tools for protecting your devices from hackers and viruses.

Boost Your SEO

An added perk of an SSL certificate is that it helps your website’s search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google favor websites with SSL security, so it can boost your search engine results page ranking and make it easier for new leads to find your website. Google also makes it very clear with its labeling on what websites are secure or not secure. An easy way to tell is if the URL address begins with https:// (secure) or http:// (not secure).

Give Families Less to Worry About

Families are already feeling all types of emotions when coping with the loss of a loved one. By having a secure website, they don’t have to worry about if their personal information is safe. They’ll be thankful that they have one less thing to worry about during an already stressful time.

Feel Safe with an SRS Website

When your funeral home chooses an SRS Website, you’re also choosing SSL security. All SRS Websites come with SSL certificates to protect personal information. Whether someone is paying for their funeral or simply filling out one of the many preneed and informational forms that come standard with SRS Websites, they’ll feel at ease.

Together, SRS Websites and our other technologies deliver a simple yet comprehensive software solution. For more information on SRS Computing, please call 800-797-4861. Or, to schedule a demo, call 866-375-8778.

Phoenix: Leading-Edge Crematory Management

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:12:27 GMT

Specialized services call for specialized software. That's why Phoenix was designed exclusively for crematory management. This leading-edge software makes crematory management easier than ever!

An Easy-To-Use Interface

With Phoenix, your workflow will be simple, streamlined, and successful. You don't have to be super tech savvy to use this cremation management system, and our experienced team is here to help your staff along the way!

Minimize Liability

When you use Phoenix with our Innovative Bar Code technology, you're improving your productivity and minimizing your liability. Staying organized is vital to avoiding mistakes, which makes your job easier and your client families happier.

Phoenix Pet — Offering Convenience

We also create software for clients who have pet crematories. This management software tool lets you invoice, track, and manage your pet crematory. If you combine Phoenix Pet with the Vetlink, you can find a turnkey system where you and the vet clinics in your area can communicate on one online system.

Seamless Integrations

Running a crematory isn't an easy job, so we're doing everything we can to make your everyday tasks more streamlined and productive. Both Phoenix and Phoenix Pet easily integrate with other SRS technologies, making your job easier than ever.

Interested in utilizing our innovative cremation management software? Give us a call at 800.797.4861 for a free demonstration!

New Year’s Resolutions to Make Your Funeral Home Tech Savvy

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:09:08 GMT

New year, new you. Is your funeral home ready to take your technology to the next level in the new year? Look no further than our cutting-edge solutions at SRS.

Whether you’re looking to update your funeral home’s software management system or website, we can take your funeral home’s technology solutions to a whole new level.

Here’s a look at how our solutions can help your firm achieve your technology goals in the new year.

Refresh Your Website Presence with an SRS Website

Is your website easy for users to navigate? Does it have a modern and fresh design? Is it protected with SSL security? If you answered no to any of these questions, then it’s time to update your website.

SRS Websites are beautifully designed, skillfully built, and seamlessly integrate with Procession, Phoenix, and more. They also include several extended features, including our E-Pay payment processing system, which we’ll dive more into later on!

Streamline Your Business with Procession

At the start of a new year, it’s important to reassess your funeral home’s business practices. Determine if there’s a better way you could be doing things to save time, money, and eliminate stress. Does your staff spend too much time on unnecessary tasks like double data entry? Do you wish you could create shortcuts to save this valuable time? If so, say hello to Procession.

With Procession, our simple, yet comprehensive funeral software management solution, your funeral home can streamline your process. No matter your funeral home’s size or call volume, our product will be perfectly tailored just for you. Plus, with the release of Procession V9, you can better organize your funeral home’s data than ever before!

Expand Your Payment Options with E-Pay

Does your firm offer your families multiple payment methods for their funeral expenses? If not, this is definitely a resolution to consider. Our E-Pay payment processing system is an easy, quick, and smart way to process funeral payments.

With E-Pay, families can pay for their loved one’s funeral expenses by credit card, crowdfunding, and life insurance assignment. Our system accepts all major credit cards, and there are no gateway fees, monthly fees, or fees for specific card providers! There’s just a small one-time set-up fee, which includes your card reader. And with E-Pay Crowdfunding and E-Pay Insurance Assignment, families can reach out to their community for support or use a life insurance assignment as funeral payment. Talk about an easy way to show your families support during their grief.

Are you interested in learning more about our robust technology solutions and how they can help your funeral home succeed? Give us a call today at 800.797.4861!

Procession: Engineered to Exceed Expectations

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:06:49 GMT

With the release of Procession V9, simplicity meets cutting-edge technology, unparalleled support, and the most robust funeral software management product developed for this industry. Our latest version of Procession takes technology in the funeral home to a whole new level, and here’s why.

A Smoother Experience

Version 9 of Procession has been completely redesigned for an enhanced and smoother experience. Now on your dashboard, you can view your tasks for the day, outstanding tasks, company notifications, and you can jump to cases more quickly.

Also, with mobile.9, everything you need to make the most of your day is right there at your fingertips. You can view dashboard displays of your calendar of events, lists of outstanding tasks, and financial call volume/profit analysis — all from your mobile device. And, you can instant message your families and edit the details of their records, too.

Saves You Valuable Time

You need software that’s easy to navigate and saves you time. With Procession V9, it’s easy to access your client families’ information and stay organized. Everything is clearly marked and organized in a way that helps you find information more efficiently. Never miss a beat!

Helps You Stay Organized

With Virtual Files, or VFiles as we call it, you can reduce your need to keep paper files! Along with reducing paper waste, you’re able to stay more organized. Instead of having a cluttered filing cabinet, you can store all your case files on your computer, making it easier than ever to reference them. Also, all electronically signed documents are automatically transferred into VFiles. You can add pictures, videos, and signed contracts into VFiles and have them backed up too!

A Wide Variety of Add-Ons

When you purchase the full package, you also can purchase all kinds of useful add-ons.

E-Pay makes it easy to accept credit card payments directly from your software, eliminate double entry, and automatically submit transactions to invoices and accounting.

E-View keeps you organized by creating a list of to-dos based on each case and sharing a calendar of services, visitations, appointments, and more. It even integrates with your personal Outlook, Google, and iCal calendars! Does it get much easier than that?

Bar Code makes it easy to keep track of the status and location of every person in your care. Throughout every stage of the process, scans update your software so that you know what is being done with each individual. They deserve your utmost respect and care, and our Bar Code technology makes that easier than ever to accomplish.

Trust Manager makes managing your preneed funds a breeze!

These are just a few of the innovative add-ons you can choose from. With SRS, the capabilities are endless, and we’re here every step of the way to find the solutions that make the most sense for your firm and the families you serve.

Brand-New Capabilities

This upgrade to Procession comes with many new developments, such as:

Dashboard
SignNow
FamilyLink
MortuaryLink
VetLink
Resource Scheduler

Are you ready to get started? Give us a call at 800.797.4861 for a free demonstration!

Existing customer? It’s even easier to upgrade! Call or email your account representative to schedule an account review and upgrade walk-through and we’ll get you set up in no time.

Why Professional Website Designers Make a Difference

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:02:22 GMT

When it comes to caring for grieving families and creating personalized funerals to honor loved ones, funeral directors excel. However, one thing that isn't a job requirement is to be good at website design — that's where professional website designers come in.

They Have a Knack for Design

Website designers have a passion for design, so they know what features, such as fonts and colors, complement each other and would look good on your website. A lot of user-friendliness relies on the font size and type, image quality and size, and text and background colors. They know what will be accessible for all users.

They Understand Website Layout

For a family to get the most out of your website, it needs to have a logical layout. No one wants to read huge walls of text, so our designers know how to lay out content in a coherent way. Content should be informative, concise, and non-repetitive to keep families engaged and to improve your search engine results ranking. Our designers understand this and will format your website with this in mind.

They Can Anticipate How Users Navigate Websites

Website designers know how important user-friendliness is, so they always use responsive website designs. Responsive websites adapt to any screen size, so families can view your website on any device. Now families can easily find information such as recent obituaries or the services you offer.

They Will Customize Your Website

Website designers are trained to build websites that are unique to each business, such as your funeral home. Your website should showcase all the things that make your funeral home special, and a professional designer has the tools and features to make your website one of a kind.

Let Us Help You

At SRS, we understand that funeral directors are the busiest people out there, and designing a website is no easy feat, so we make the website design process a breeze for you.

Our professional website designers are here to help showcase your funeral home's brand online. They know how to create a website that stands out to families and tells your funeral home's story.

Are you interested in getting a beautifully designed funeral home website? Give us a call at 800.797.4861 for a free demo of SRS Websites!

Redefining the Standard for Funeral Home Websites

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 14:43:19 GMT

We’re excited to announce that SRS is now offering funeral home websites! Our websites are the first all-in-one enterprise business solution, and they come with all the bells and whistles you expect from SRS products.

SRS Websites redefine the standard for funeral home websites and offer firms the chance to connect with families online like never before... and they seamlessly integrate with SRS Procession management software.

If you’re on the fence about getting a website for your funeral home or upgrading your existing one, we think these features will make it clear that SRS is the website provider for you.

Beautifully Designed

When you choose an SRS Website, you are choosing from an array of modern and clean designs. We want your website to stand out to families, so we go beyond cookie-cutter designs to offer you something that is truly one of a kind and beautifully designed with your firm in mind.

“Today’s consumers are savvy, with many beginning their relationship with a funeral home online, long before they ever pick up the phone or walk through the doors,” explained Kimberly Simons, Vice President of SRS Computing. “We want to help our clients tell the stories of meaningful lives through a beautifully designed website. For years, SRS has been a leader in management software. We felt it was time to offer a more complete enterprise-level solution for our customers by adding an integrated website platform to Procession.”

Skillfully Built

SRS Websites are skillfully built to scale and can be tailored for firms of every size and volume. They’re perfectly executed to not only save your firm time but also keep you front and center online to attract more families. Ultimately, they’re built with both your firm and families in mind to create an exceptional funeral experience.

Seamlessly Integrated with SRS Technology

Not only do SRS Websites look great, but they also work together seamlessly with other SRS technology to make life easier for those working at the funeral home. Most integrations work by sending information from one piece of technology to another, which doesn’t always work the way we expect. With Procession and SRS Websites, it’s not just an integration. Our websites are built DIRECTLY into Procession and are managed there as well, so data flows seamlessly between them.

Whether it’s publishing an obituary, processing an online payment into Procession’s accounting software, or gathering customer information with online forms, all that data is easily shared between all the SRS software solutions you use. SRS Websites also integrate with social media, making it easy to share obituaries.

“The addition of SRS Websites will help streamline a funeral home’s processes,” said Scott Simons, President and Founder of SRS Computing. “We’ve made it easier for our clients to serve families with the addition of a flower store, crowdfunding, and payment center all flowing directly into Procession. An SRS-powered solution is now truly a unification of your website and management system."

Mobile-Friendly

All SRS Websites are responsive, which means they adjust to any device they’re being viewed on — any kind of computer, any kind of tablet, and any kind of smartphone. That means every component on your website will scale in size and be easy to navigate.

Robust Features

The website platform offers a plethora of features to help firms meet the expectations of today’s digital consumers. Each website comes complete with a beautiful responsive design, SSL encryption to protect data, built-in forms, social media integrations, and so much more. Our websites also come with the option of adding a flower store, crowdfunding, and a payment center through E-Pay.

Even better? Our one-click obituary publishing lets you easily share the obituary information that you’ve already entered in Procession — eliminating unnecessary duplicate data entry. This type of feature is unheard of in the funeral profession, but the integration between SRS Websites and Procession makes it all possible.

Safe and Secure

Now more than ever it’s important to keep your data safe from hackers. Luckily for you, every SRS Website comes with an SSL certificate, ensuring all your data and your clients’ information is safe and secure. Your staff and client families will feel at ease when entering their personal information on your website, whether it’s for paying the funeral expenses, donating to a crowdfunding campaign, or simply filling out one of the many preneed and informational forms that come standard on SRS Websites.

Mark of a New Era

Ultimately, the release of SRS Websites marks a new era of funeral home websites. The integration between our management software and new website technology will offer funeral homes like yours a complete solution to improve operational efficiencies and the way you serve families.

Make the Switch

When you make the switch to an SRS Website, we’ll handle transferring over your existing website content, such as your obituaries and comments. We’ll also keep your existing website up while working on your brand-new website, so you’re never offline for your families.

Together, SRS Websites and our other technologies deliver a simple yet comprehensive software solution. For more information on SRS Computing, please call 800.797.4861. Or, to schedule a demo, call 866.375.8778.

Cyber Security Tips for Your Funeral Home

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 14:43:44 GMT

When families enter their personal information on your funeral home’s website, you want to make sure that their information doesn’t get into the wrong hands. By taking some precautions, your firm can protect important business information and your families’ personal information.

Have Strong Passwords

Having strong passwords for all your funeral home’s accounts and changing them every few months is a good way to protect them and your information. It might seem like a pain to change them that often, but it’s worth it if it protects your accounts from being hacked.

A common practice when creating passwords is to use the same one for multiple accounts, but we do NOT recommend this. Each account should have its own unique password that isn’t easy to guess. For instance, make sure to add some symbols and upper and lowercase letters to make your password more secure. And once you have strong passwords, make sure you don’t give these passwords away to too many people.

Protect Your Computers

To protect your computer from viruses and hackers, install a security software program on your funeral home’s computers, like McAfee or Norton. Also, always make sure to keep your computer and internet browsers updated to ensure that you have the latest virus protection updates.

Protect Your Network

Whether you use network cables or Wi-Fi, it’s important to have a secure internet connection. Utilize encryption and passwords or a virtual private network to keep your data hidden from prying eyes.

It’s also smart to create a separate guest network so that guests don’t have access to the same connection you use for business operations.

Watch for Threats

Hackers are out there every day trying to steal information, but there are ways to spot those threats and avoid them altogether. If you receive social media messages or emails from people or email addresses you don’t recognize, keep an eye out for these telltale signs that they have bad intentions:

Lots of typos, grammatical errors, or strange language.
Bizarre formatting like strange characters, overuse of colors, or lots of underlining, bolding, and italicizing.
A sense of urgency. Many say that you need to act immediately before something bad happens or an offer expires.
An email address that doesn’t match the name. Many hackers will copy the name of someone you know or even a trusted company, but checking the email address will show you who they really are. When in doubt, ask the person or company they are pretending to be if the message is legitimate.
Threats such as your account being suspended, files being shared with loved ones, legal action, etc.
Offers that are too good to be true, such as a large sum of money or an item of value.
Suspicious attachments or links. NEVER click on these if you have any concerns about their legitimacy.

The Solution for Data Security

With SRS Cloud, your data is safely stored so you can access it anytime, anywhere. With this prime website security solution, you are at ease knowing that your data is both safe and secure. Some of the robust features include developed layers of encryption, data backup on a secondary site, accessibility on any device with SRS Cloud, and many more.

Want to learn more about how to protect your data? Call 800.797.4861 for a demonstration of SRS Cloud! When families enter their personal information on your funeral home’s website, you want to make sure that their information doesn’t get into the wrong hands. By taking some precautions, your firm can protect important business information and your families’ personal information.

Cyber Monday: 50% Off SRS Websites!

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 14:40:25 GMT

On Cyber Monday (Monday, December 2) we'll be offering our brand-new SRS Websites at a 50% discount! Just call or email us on Monday to set up a demonstration, and you'll qualify for the promotion. You can also schedule your demonstration online here.

SRS Websites — Redefining the Standard

SRS Websites are the first all-in-one enterprise business solution, and they come with all the bells and whistles you expect from SRS products.

Like all of the other products in the SRS software suite, SRS Websites integrate seamlessly with Procession, which means you can avoid entering and updating data in more than one place.

SRS Websites also include E-Pay, our new turnkey solution for funeral payments! Families can make secure payments on your site, and those payments are automatically tracked in your accounting and connected to invoices on their case. Save yourself and your staff time and effort, reduce errors, and improve efficiency.

Beautifully Designed. Skillfully Built. Seamlessly Integrated.

Our talented designers know all the web design best practices, and will utilize that knowledge to strengthen your brand image online and help you really stand out to the families in your community.

Our websites also feature a modern, responsive design that adjusts to any screen your families are viewing it on. They are easy to navigate, so you can rest assured that your families will have the same great experience with you online that they would expect in person. Families can even pay their funeral expenses directly on your website in a secure, encrypted environment!

Learn More

Want to learn more? Request a free, no-obligation demonstration with one of our sales representatives on Cyber Monday to take advantage of this great deal! Give us a call at 866.375.8778 or click here to set yours up!

E-Pay: The Smarter Way to Process Funeral Payments

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 14:39:48 GMT

Enhance your payment process with E-Pay! E-Pay is an exciting feature that provides your funeral home with an easy, quick, and smart way to process funeral payments. With this cutting-edge payment solution, it’s another way you can create an overall seamless funeral planning process for your families!

Here’s why E-Pay is easy, quick, and smart for funeral homes to use!

Easy...

With E-Pay Payment Processing, you can submit credit card payments right from your software. Also, processing transactions can easily be done with our card readers. And, they are AUTOMATICALLY submitted to accounting and the invoice for a single-entry solution. Talk about an easier way for both your families and your funeral home’s staff to handle funeral payments! It’s skillfully built to be easy to use and automate steps wherever possible.

Quick...

Do you know how much time you’re wasting with external software? Time to change your process! With E-Pay Email Invoicing, you can save time and cut back on costs by instantly emailing all due bills and individual invoices directly to each family. It also offers you the flexibility to exclude certain invoices and print invoices with no email address on file.

When the Primary Purchaser makes a payment online, you will receive an email notification letting you know the online payment is received. You also can use FamilyLink to share invoice balances and collect payments. Now you can quickly send individual invoices for any case directly from Billing to multiple family members and review any transactions.

Families also can conveniently make funeral payments from their mobile devices. With E-Pay being located on your funeral home’s website, it’s quick and easy for them to find. After just a few taps on their device’s screen, the funeral expenses are taken care of. Then, it’s one less thing for the family to stress over and your funeral home doesn’t need to wonder when you’re getting paid.

Smart...

E-Pay accepts all major credit cards and accepts and submits all credit card payments directly from your SRS software. Even better? There are no gateway fees or monthly fees! Talk about a smarter way to process funeral payments!

Since all SRS Websites come with SSL certificates, your staff’s and client families’ personal information is protected. Families can feel safe and at ease when entering their personal information online for funeral payments.

E-Pay also gives families more options when paying for the funeral expenses. They can choose an alternative payment option, like E-Pay Insurance Assignment or crowdfunding, if they want a convenient way to raise more funds for the funeral costs.

See for Yourself!

Learn how our turnkey feature E-Pay can take your funeral home into the modern era! Visit our support page or call us at 800.797.4861 to enroll in E-Pay and process your payments like a pro.

The Importance of Better Technology for Funeral Homes

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 16:40:35 GMT

We live and work with technology by our side. It’s in our homes, our cars, our businesses, and in the palms of our hands.

And when it comes to technology use in business, it’s not something only large businesses embrace. According to a study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 84% of small businesses are using at least one digital platform to provide information to customers.

In 2017, Deloitte found that U.S. small businesses that embraced technology earned twice as much revenue and experienced four times as much revenue growth compared to the previous year.

But despite how far-reaching and permeating technology is in the business world, many of us still aren’t using it to its full extent. We’re happy sticking to the basic programs we know and have used for years, even decades, because it’s how we’ve always done things.

Change is uncomfortable — there is no denying that. Especially when those changes involve something many people in the funeral industry aren’t well-versed in, like technology. It’s hard to comprehend all the tools that are out there and how they might benefit your bottom line as well as the families you serve.

But that’s why we’re here — to guide you in your technology decisions and help you come up with a plan for your business. Below, we’ll cut through the clutter and go over a few things that you should be focusing on.

Security

In today’s world, we hear all too often about data breaches, hackers, and identity theft. With reward comes risk, and these are some of the risks that come with utilizing more technology.

And this isn’t just an issue for large financial corporations. Though we hear about those a lot due to their sensitive and far-reaching nature, small businesses are often a target for cyber attacks as well. And that’s because small businesses can be some of the most vulnerable targets out there, if they don’t have a plan in place to protect themselves.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Do we have secure, reliable backups of the data most important to our business?
Are our computers, networks, and accounts protected by strong passwords, firewalls, and other security software?
Is our website secure and encrypted to protect the information our families enter online?

User Experience

Technology was initially developed, and continues to be developed, to make our lives easier. But sometimes the best intentions fall short of their expectations.

When it comes to the user experience in a small business like a funeral home, there are two users to consider — your staff, and the client families you serve. It’s important to have a good user experience for families, because that’s an extension of your business and adds to the impression they have of you. And it’s important to have a good user experience for your staff so that they are more efficient and organized.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Is your website and other family-facing technology easy for them to navigate and use? What about on mobile devices?
Does your business technology suite make your staff more productive and efficient, or does it cause double data entry, inconsistency, and other hassles?

Efficiency

Technology should work for you, not be a hassle or chore. Good technology is built with the end user in mind — their processes, their goals, and their pain points.

Where most technologies fall flat with efficiency is in their ability to talk to other systems. A recent Capterra survey of more than 700 small and midsize businesses in the U.S. found that ALL respondents planned to allocate budget to four different types of business technologies: finance and accounting, cloud computing, data security, and digital marketing.

Off the bat, that’s at least four different technologies. And over time, it’s not uncommon for businesses to introduce new technology to solve problems as they arise. At some point, things get overwhelming — you have different tools for each business operation, none of them work together, and you’re not sure what to do to get out of this endless cycle.

Questions to Ask Yourself

What are all the tools we currently use for our business operations?
Of the tools we use, which are redundant? Which ones are barely used?
Do we have to enter the same data multiple times for all of these tools to work? Do any of them sync or integrate?

Think about your answers to the questions above. Where could you be making improvements? What’s most important to you in your technology strategy?

Ready to make some changes? SRS Computing can help. We know technology — but we also know funerals. We can help you build a technology plan that will benefit you for years to come. We have solutions for every type of need and every type of business, and we can help you find the solutions that work for you. Reach out to us today at 800.797.4861 .

E-Pay Insurance Assignment: The Modern Way to Process Claims

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 16:45:23 GMT

Processing life insurance assignments as funeral payment is now easier than ever with our entirely electronic claim process.

Say HELLO to E-Pay Insurance Assignment! With Insurance Assignment, you can enter numerous policies directly from a case using the data you’ve already entered for the deceased, family, and invoice, reducing paperwork and double data entry.

Even better? You can generate pre-filled forms, upload documents, review and manage all cases under one convenient report, and collect policy proceeds as little as 24 hours after submitting required documents. Yep, you read that right! Put more time and money back into your funeral home, and take the stress off the families you serve in the process.

The Numbers Don’t Lie!

It takes 2 minutes to submit a claim.

Our team can verify a policy in 1 hour .

Most claims are paid out, on average, 24 hour s after receiving a signed assignment.

Group life insurance policies, including FEGLI, payout in as little as 48 hours .

The average amount funded is $7,000 .

50% of families will request an assignment for more than the funeral bill to help with other expenses.

2-Minute Insurance Assignments

Quick Process

To process a claim, start by choosing an insurance company from the list provided. A total for all case invoices and the requested amount is populated, but you can modify the requested net amount to be more than the amount due…or even up to the whole policy value! Our software even calculates the family’s fee and populates the final assignment amount on ALL the necessary forms. Does it get any easier than that?

Easy Submission

Submitting the claim is the easiest part! The required documents generate and auto-populate with the case information and policy details that you already filled in. It’s just a matter of downloading the document, having it signed and notarized, and reuploading it. Done. We take care of the rest using a power of attorney and work directly with the insurance company to quickly process your claim.

Monitor Claim Progress

Don’t worry, it’s simple to check the claim progress and see where all your claims are in the process. All submissions and statuses are conveniently located in Reports. Here, you can see each individual claim at a glance and know exactly what we’re doing with it. Plus, you can call and talk to any of our highly communicative and approachable team members if you have questions about a claim. Just one more way we’re creating a seamless claim process for your staff and families.

A No-Brainer

Ready to stop re-entering data and waiting weeks, even months, to receive policy proceeds? Visit our website’s support page or call SRS at 800.797.4861 to enroll in E-Pay and start using Insurance Assignment today!

SRS Turns Twenty

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 16:47:04 GMT

Founded in June 1999 in the basement of their first home in Wexford, PA, President Scott Simons and Vice President Kimberly Simons of SRS Computing have grown their startup to a full-service management software company serving the funeral industry and over 5000 locations.

SRS Computing now provides seven products, custom to funeral homes, crematories, cemeteries, and more, and is continuously offering new features and solutions. Scott and Kimberly work endlessly to grow SRS Computing and their dream of serving the funeral industry, and have cutting-edge plans for the future.

Take a look back on the full history of SRS Computing published in August 2015.

Company Spotlight – SRS Computing

Scott Simons is the son of a 3rd generation funeral director. Many of you can relate to that statement and understand all that goes along with it. Add to that, his sister, brother, uncle, and cousin are also directors at Simons Funeral Home in Pittsburgh. Getting crowded, right? Now you are wondering, did he follow in his father’s footsteps? Well, no and yes.

Scott Simons is also the President and founder of SRS Computing, the industry leader in Funeral Home, Cemetery and Crematory Software.

Scott’s pathway to founding SRS Computing started in the late 1970’s when his father, G. Scott Simons, purchased an IBM ‘green screen’ personal computer with the intent of eventually replacing his office typewriter. Armed with DBase I, a very early database programming language, G. Scott set out to write his own management program. “I remember it took me 2 weeks to figure out how to move a period over two spaces on the receipt! It was the beginning of computers on the desktop and I was determined to make it work,” commented G. Scott. After 2 years and many frustrating hours, he created a program that could record cases, invoices, payments and write billing and receipt letters that would print onto the programmable typewriter. Hours of typing were saved and probably the first funeral home management software program was born.

“I told my father, ‘You’re lucky, you start these families along the first steps in their healing, but I see them when they are losing hope.’”

After college, Scott earned a Master’s Degree in Radiation Physics and was working at Johns Hopkins University teaching and treating cancer patients. “My mother died of breast cancer and I had a vision that I could make a difference in cancer treatment. I took my work very personally and enjoyed collaborating with some of the most talented physicians in the world. We used cutting edge science that I hoped would change patient care. Honestly though, it was depressing watching people struggling in the final stages of their life,” Scott stated. “I told my father, ‘You’re lucky, you start these families along the first steps in their healing, but I see them when they are losing hope.’”

“It takes a strong team and a passion to be extraordinary and we have both.”

In 1993, building on the programming he learned as a child and in college courses, Scott took the first version of what his father wrote and created an application using the ‘latest and greatest’ programing language, Visual Basic. “I wrote it in my spare time and it was fun to delve into the new technologies. I did it to help my dad because once Windows took over, his original program would be obsolete along with his data. It was my small contribution to the funeral home,” said Scott. “At the time, I never had any intention of starting a software business.”

In 1999, after ten years of physics, Scott decided to make a career change. He was accepted into Carnegie Mellon’s prestigious business school and in the same summer, started SRS Computing. “It was perfect timing”, explained Scott. “We used SRS as the model for every project – Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Accounting, Strategy – the guys in my group would give me ideas every night and I would put the ideas to work the next day. It was like having five talented consultants on staff with zero salary.”

“My wife Kimberly joined SRS in the first week after a miserable afternoon of making sales calls. I just wasn’t a sales person and she is tremendous. Kimberly is a huge reason for SRS’ success. She lets me focus on managing the technology,” Scott states. “It takes a strong team and a passion to be extraordinary and we have both.”

SRS’ attention to customer service is rooted in Scott’s family’s business. “Growing up in a ‘funeral family’, I learned what it takes to provide quality service,” Scott said. “I remember dad taking a death call during Christmas Eve dinner and someone asked why he had to leave right away. Dad said, ‘It’s Christmas for us, but for that family, they just lost their grandmother and we need to go.’” SRS prides itself in serving their clients in a similar way. “You can pick up the phone and talk right away to one of the programmers who wrote the code. We take care of most issues on the initial call,” says Adam Best, Senior Programmer at SRS for eight years. “We’ve built a great program, but it is only as good as the support.”

SRS Computing is driven by Scott’s generational mix of a century of funeral service and his constant drive to lead this unique software industry. In a proud moment, Scott stated, “I’m surrounded by wonderfully talented people and we enjoy what we do. I’ve modeled SRS’s service as a funeral director expects to be treated and give them exceptional tools so they can serve their families better. It’s as close to being a 4th generation funeral director as I’ll ever get.”

For more information, please call us at, 800-797-4861 .

Reprinted from American Funeral Director Magazine, August 2015, with permission of Kates-Boylston Publications. To subscribe to American Funeral Director visit www.americanfuneraldirector.com.

SRS Websites

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 13:47:42 GMT

Wexford, PA – SRS Computing announces today the release of SRS websites, which seamlessly integrates with the existing SRS Procession management software. This new offering redefines the standard for funeral home websites and offers firms the chance to connect with families online like never before.

Beautifully designed and skillfully built, SRS websites are built to scale and can be tailored for firms of every size and call volume. The website platform offers a plethora of features to help firms meet the expectations of today’s digital consumers. Each website comes complete with a beautiful responsive design, SSL security to protect data, built in forms, social media integrations and so much more.

“Today’s consumers are savvy, with many beginning their relationship with a funeral home online, long before they ever pick up the phone or walk through the doors,” explains Kimberly Simons, Vice President of SRS Computing. “We want to help our clients tell the stories of meaningful lives through a beautifully designed web site that integrates back into their business. For years, SRS has been a leader in management software. We felt it was time to offer a more complete enterprise-level solution for our customers by adding an integrated website platform to Procession.”

Not only do SRS websites look great, they work together with SRS technology to make life easier for those working at the funeral home. In just a few simple clicks, data is easily shared between the company’s management software, Procession, and the client’s SRS website. Whether it’s publishing an obituary, processing an online payment into Procession’s accounting software, or gathering customer information with online forms, all of that data is easily shared between SRS software and completed within the client’s system.

“The addition of SRS websites will help streamline a funeral home’s processes,” says Scott Simons, President and Founder of SRS Computing. “We’ve made it easier for our clients to serve families with the addition of a flower store, crowdfunding, and payment center all flowing directly into Procession. An SRS powered solution is now truly a unification of your website and management system,” concludes Simons.

Ultimately, the release of SRS websites marks a new era of funeral home websites. The integration between the company’s management software and new website technology will offer funeral homes a complete solution to improve operational efficiencies and the way they serve families.

Schedule a DEMO or call to learn more 866-375-8778.

About SRS Computing Software:

E-Pay Insurance Assignment

Thu, 09 May 2019 16:55:04 GMT

Insurance assignment is now easier than ever with our entirely electronic claim process integrated with your cases! Enter numerous policies directly from a case using the data you’ve already entered for the deceased, family and invoice. Generate pre-filled forms, upload documents and collect policy proceeds in 24 hours after submitting required documents. Reviewing and managing all cases is done under one convenient report.

E-Pay enrollment and merchant accounts are required to submit insurance claims. Visit our Support page or call SRS directly to enroll 800.797.4861

E-Pay Email Invoicing

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 13:50:42 GMT

E-Pay now simplifies invoicing and offers a secure and convenient online payment method for your clients. You can save time and cut back on costs by instantly emailing all due bills directly to each family.

Send all outstanding invoices for each branch from the report tab. Choose to exclude some invoices or print invoices with no email on file. Receive notifications when online payments are submitted. Quickly send individual invoices from the billing page of a case. Share invoice balances and collect payments from FamilyLink.

E-Pay enrollment and merchant accounts are required to accept online payments. Visit Support or call SRS directly to enroll 800.797.4861

FamilyLink

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 17:21:31 GMT

Provide a personal, private online link that enables family members to enter vital information that is needed prior to an arrangement. Reduce stress for you and your client as this real-time tool can be utilized in AtNeed cases.

With FamilyLink you can collect important data prior to the arrangement. Allow families to upload images saved in their case files, contribute to the obituary and even collect signatures on documents online!

Communicate with families through an easy to use online tool as well as have a checklist automatically generated for your families. All through a secure and private link!

Call in today to learn more!

2019 Conventions

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 17:57:40 GMT

Say hello to SRS at these upcoming events. Get to know the team, learn all about new features and how our software can offer your business organization, security and efficiency!

April 3-5 ICCFA, booth 1106

May 21-23 OFDA, booth 77

July 31-August 2 CANA, booth 22

September 24-26 Selected Independent Annual Meeting

October 28-30 NFDA, booth 870

Will we see you there? Let us know!

E-Pay Payment Processing

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 18:01:51 GMT

Easy. Quick. Smart.

Enhance your payment process with E-Pay! E-Pay is a new and exciting feature that provides you with the capability to accept and submit all credit card payments directly from your SRS software. Cut back on double entries, eliminate excess software and reduce your risk for errors. Processing payments is easily done by hand entry or with card readers and are automatically submitted to accounting and the invoice. All major credit cards are accepted and merchant accounts are required to process payments.

Visit Support or call SRS directly to enroll 800.797.4861

SignNow

Mon, 23 Jul 2018 17:15:00 GMT

Sign. Seal. Deliver.

Create legally binding electric signatures on any device. Families no longer need to be present at the time of signing. Send a document electronically to collect a signature! With SignNow, access to security, customization and integration features designed for convenient e-signature deployment are at your fingertips. SignNow’s range of extensive tools simplifies your workflow and automates paperwork processes.

Upgrade to V9

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 04:00:00 GMT

Version 9 has been totally redesigned for an enhanced and smoother experience

Just on our dashboard you are able to view your day-at-a-glance, tasks that are outstanding, company notifications and jump to cases more quickly!

New Capabilities

All our newest developments have been on version 9.

Dashboard
SignNow
FamilyLink
MortuaryLink
VetLink
Resource Scheduler

Many more! Call or email your account Representative today to schedule an Account Review and Upgrade Walk-through

Kimberly Simons: ksimons@srscomputing.com

Alyssa Bouvy: abouvy@srscomputing.com

800-797-4861

Resource Scheduler

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 17:23:37 GMT

Manage your business with Resource Scheduler!

Schedule staff, vehicles, visitation rooms..anything for each service! Automatically create schedules conflict free with graphs showing availability. Enhance communication with the Daily Schedule auto-emailed to each employee.

Notify staff of schedules. Have employee assignments pop up on their Dashboard!

Have the ability to add and edit Categories, Staff and Resources and assign Resources to Services.

Virtual Files

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 04:00:00 GMT

GO PAPERLESS!

Have a virtual filing cabinet where any scanned image and documents are saved directly to a client’s file! With VFiles, an electronic repository of every document is at your fingertips and easily reproduced. For the ultimate experience of a paperless system, electronically signed documents are automatically dumped in VFiles! Add pictures, videos and singed contracts without printing a single piece of paper. Automatic backup is offered through the SRS Cloud or Database Backup feature.

VetLink

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 04:00:00 GMT

Turnkey system where you and your vet clinics are strengthening communication on one online system!

Build and enhance your network of veterinarian hospitals and clinics. Servicing cremations just became that much easier! Give the ability to see the current status of each pet in your care through their personalized online dashboard. The case can even START at the vet clinic. Once entered, you are notified a pickup is pending. The entire process is shared/viewable from the beginning to the final stage when cremated remains are ready for delivery.

SRS Exclusive Training for Selected Independent

Sun, 11 Mar 2018 05:00:00 GMT

Our hands-on, small-group workshop, where our clients were able to learn the in’s and out’s of the SRS Computing software was a success! Whether clients were brand-new, or one of our many returning customers, this workshop was geared towards both learning the ropes and refreshing knowledge–perfect for increasing business productivity!

On our Facebook page, we have created a Selected Independent User Group. The purpose of this group is create a platform to encourage clients to network with one another. Feel free to join, share and invite members!

For more information contact:

Courtney Steinmiller

csteinmiller@srscomputing.com

Upcoming Conventions!

Sat, 10 Mar 2018 05:00:00 GMT

Catch us at an upcoming convention!

Where are you going to be this year? Tweet at as at @SRSComputing and let us know!

Conventions and Trainings provide you great opportunities to meet the team behind SRS! Come say hello, learn about newly released features and how we plan to make your life easier!

April 18-21 ICCFA – Booth 718

April 25-27 Selected Independent Management Summit

May 17-18 Exclusive Selected Independent Training

June 24-26 CFDA

July 25-27 CANA – Booth 47

September 20-22 IAOPCC

October 10-13 Selected Independent Annual Meeting

October 14-17 NFDA