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Top 14 Tools to Improve Your Online Business

Top 14 Tools to Improve Your Online Business

We are living in a digital era where running a successful online business can be accomplished using the right tools. Online businesses vary from writing, marketing, e-commerce, or web design industry, each has its unique set of tools to get it up and running but we’ve gathered all the important common tools that have helped the biggest online entrepreneurs streamline their workflow and improve the business, regardless of the industry.

Online business comes with the risk of failing, so in order to make sure you got the major points covered from the start, you
need to put up a professional and clean front for your potential customers. These are the top 14 tools that you’ll need from the very start to boost your online business.

Online Marketing:

There are plenty of online stores but only those with a competitive edge are successful and stand out. With a precise online
marketing plan, you’ll easily be able to drive traffic to your online business. However, online marketing is a massive field with multiple categories like email marketing, social media, content marketing, etc. so we’ve gathered the best marketing tools.

Email Marketing:

1. MailChimp: Neil Patel, one of Forbes top 10 marketers stated that email marketing is used by more than 80% of B2B and B2C businesses. MailChimp is the most popular, free email marketing tool. This app is used by all the giant corporations worldwide; however, the free package is for businesses with less than 2000 subscribers and send less than 12,000 emails per month. For an online business, especially one under development, this is a great start and just what
you’ll need.

For more advanced automation options and to set delivery timings, you can upgrade to the $10/ per month package which is still
a great deal.

Social Media Marketing:

2. HootSuite: This handy tool combines the management of all social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. in one dashboard for centralized management. Updating each platform separately can be mind-boggling and time-consuming, HootSuite makes that easier. It allows you to schedule new content on separate platforms, post at certain times, set automated responses, and manage comments.

Since your target audience will mostly be on social media, this is a good way to get your business out there and set a strong online presence.

3. Buffer: Buffer is a clean and simpler tool to use for social media; it allows you to set a posting schedule and automatically publishes posts on different platforms. This smart app has a “suggestions” feature where it browses online for trending posts or articles to give you ideas when your mind goes blank.  So it won’t just post for you,
it’ll help you get post ideas too!

Content Marketing:

4. BuzzSumo: This is your go-to tool for delivering premium content to your readers. This smart search engine allows you to pull out hot topics and articles by searching with your main keywords or even a competitor’s website. BuzzSumo will give you a list of trending articles using your keywords and even show you the number of shares on social media. Get to know what articles are highlights on your blog, what topics to focus on, and what your readers like.

5. Moz: Formerly known as SEOmoz, this app offers inbound marketing and marketing analytics tools to help your website rank higher in searches and increase web traffic.

E-commerce:

6. Shopify: This app is the best way to build and manage your online store. WordPress may be the best for managing a blog (in any niche) but when it comes to selling products, Shopify is what you need. It offers store customization, inventory, payment processing, and more.

Project Management:

7. Asana: Asana is a web and mobile based software that is used to organize tasks and guarantee work efficiency, and the best part, it’s free! It has a basic free package limited to 15 users and there’s a paid package of $9.99 per member per month. With Asana you can set up separate projects, assign tasks to team members, and even set deadlines. It has a centralized, easy-to-use dashboard to view tasks and follow up on work progress. You and your team can leave comments
and share files, collaborating on tasks.

8. Trello:  This app is a digital marketing tool that includes project management and collaboration on ideas and posts. You create boards, lists, and cards that the whole team can add images, posts, or ideas on to the board. Trello is a fun and easy way to manage projects and brainstorm ideas.

Postal Mail & Email:

9.PostScan Mail: An online business usually means you don’t have a business address to advertise on your website or social media. However, customers, investors, and partners need you to have an address for credibility and business mail; this is where a virtual business address comes in handy. Postscan Mail gives you a premium street address and a virtual mailbox for as little as $9.95 per month to use for your business. With a virtual mailbox, you can log into your mailbox online to view and manage all your postal mail.

10. WiseStamp: Customize your emails by creating your own professional signature with this unique signature generator. With WiseStam you can get this service for free and add all your info like your image, email address, phone number, website, and Skype to your signature. For $6 a month, you can get more advanced options like social media integration and business cards.

Collaboration & File Sharing:

11. Google Drive: For a more enhanced collaboration with your team to share docs, sheets, or slides, Google has excelled in making this available and for free. It has up to 15 GB of storage space which is usually efficient for an online business, more space can be purchased.

12. Dropbox: Dropbox is another popular, web-based option that offers 18 GB of storage space with a starter package of $12.50.

Communication:

13. Skype: Skype is a worldwide communication solution no business should be without. You can contact people locally or internationally by text, phone, or video for free with just an internet connection.

14. Calendly: This isn’t your typical calendar where you record your meetings and important dates, with Calendly your clients or partners will be able to see your availability and set up meetings
when needed on their own.

These were a few online tools to maintain your business’s professionalism and give you a spotless reputation. Online companies like Amazon, Basecamp, and Evernote made it big, so what’s stopping you?

References:

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Shiwali jain

    March 16, 2019 at 11:25 am

    Hello Emma, Oh! wow such a great blog. This online business tools are lucrative. And it shows how to do online marketting, email marketting, social marketting etc. I really enjoyed while reading it. Thanks for sharing.

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