Business

What is www.doculicious.com ?

Doculicious.com is a web based application that offers a superior alternative to standard PDF downloads. Our application lets members design a PDF document using an online WYSIWYG designer, the system then creates a web form which can be embedded onto external websites or co-branded and accessed from doculicious.com. When someone completes the web-based form, they receive the completed PDF download, and we store the entered data into the members secure account.

The benefits of using Doculicious over a normal PDF download includes:

• Get notifications when someone completes a form.
• Set the notification email to attach the form data as a CSV and/or PDF file.
• Easily track, manage and process form entries.
• Unique tracking codes to match faxed or mailed forms to data entries.
• Form data can be downloaded as PDF or CSV.
• Removes the need to re-type or read messy, handwritten forms.
• Increases compliance by removing error-prone steps from a business workflow.
• Makes it easy for people to do business with you. Increase sales and client happiness.
• No need to change business processes.
• Create styles for a templates web form. Match them to existing site designs and branding.

Why was this site created ?

Doculicious was built as an alternative to offering normal PDF files that need to be downloaded, filled-in, printed, signed and then faxed or mailed back. We realise that many companies, organisations and Government departments require signed forms for their business, but feel that a better solution could be had. Doculicious was built to provide this solution both for the people who need to fill in the forms, and also for the companies who provide the form for their clients.

By using a doculicious PDF form instead of a standard PDF download, businesses make it simpler for their clients to conduct business with them by providing an easy way to complete their forms. They also streamline their own process and save time by having access to all the form data electronically before the paper has even arrived, allowing them to export, pre-process or followup on that information immediately. The signed paper form is still an important part of their business process, so each form can be configured with a tracking ID which can be searched on, so that when the paper form does arrive, it can be easily matched to the electronic data.

Doculicious provides tools that allow members to easily create PDF documents using an online WYSIWYG design tool. We aim to make it as easy as possible to create forms, so have pre-made templates that can be used directly or copied and modified, allowing non-designers/developers to create PDF forms. The site also provides statistics on how many times forms were viewed and downloaded. All entries made to a form can be saved and downloaded as CSV or PDF, or set up to email directly after a form has been submitted.

Who would use the site ?

The site can be used by anyone who needs a web form or PDF download. Web developers and designers would benefit greatly from the service, though the site makes it easy for anyone who requires a web form or PDF download to make one and embed it on their site.

What does it cost ?

Doculicious.com uses a freemium based subscription model with 6 levels ranging from free to $197 (USD) for the corporate based account. Each higher subscription level gets more active templates, more downloads and extra features such as being able to have entries emailed after completion, premium support and custom styles.

Who has created this site ?

The site has been built by Digital Carpenter Pty Ltd, an Australian company whose aim is to create innovative, Web 2.0 solutions for businesses and consumers.

Has the company received any funding ?

No. All development had been bootstrapped through personal savings.

What are the plans for the future ?

We are constantly working on improving doculicious and have a long list of enhancements that are currently in development, such as adding an API for programmatic creation of PDF files, adding more field types and validation, general usability enhancements like adding folders for templates etc.

Do you have screenshots ?

Front page

Embedded Example

Pricing

WYSIWYG Designer

Lately I've been reading about marketing and how to create a marketing plan. One of the things I've seen repeatedly stressed is to define the benefits that your solution has for your customers. Why should they use your application or service over somebody else's? I started to think about the benefits that the Australian Business Forms application gives it's users, such as the convenience and ease of use, the ability to save your progress and no handwriting of forms. However, there are other benefits that the customer can enjoy, ones that are not just a result of the specific problem the application is solving, but benefits inherited from the application provider, the startup: being agile, quick to market, and the ability to utilise the latest technologies, such as web2.0, which enables software as a service.

Many startup enablers and commentators, such as Paul Graham and 37Signals, often mention the ability of a startup to move faster than the big companies. Large companies are usually the slowest in adopting new technologies - A survey in December 2007 found that 55.2% of companies still use IE 6. This alone would make it hard for their employees to effectively use some new web 2.0 applications. Not only that: how often do these companies upgrade the software that they sell to you, their consumers? Once every 12-18 months or more. Then you have to upgrade your systems and processes, which brings with it a range of other headaches, such as ensuring the compatibility of the new version, the IT costs involved in new hardware, testing, support etc. Whereas during this time, a fast moving startup could be constantly adding new features and content to their web based product, and these things will just flow through to you - and they may not even raise their prices.

With people now talking about Enterprise 2.0 and how large companies are looking into ways that the new technologies such as cloud computing and social networking can help them, it's time for small businesses to use their size to get ahead and utilize the technologies that are out there now. Small businesses that don't have the IT budget to build applications themselves or utilize cloud computing, should be leveraging the agility and technological savvy of the web 2.0 startups that are out there, and thus gain these benefits by proxy. Not only do they get their problem solved, but they also get to move ahead in ways which their larger competitors may not take advantage of for years to come.