While many of us work for a company and have a boss, most Americans would like to be our own boss. Thankfully, it is easier than ever to start a business, largely because of the internet. Online businesses can be started with little more than your computer, a bit of hard work, and a good idea. Of course, like any business, it can take a lot to succeed when it comes to your online business.
However, there are some tools that can help. Whether they help you create apps, organize your finances, or build better customer relationships, they can be very valuable. This article is going to look a little more closely at some must-have tools for your online business.
Microsoft PowerApps
Apps can be incredibly helpful for small businesses of all shapes and sizes. There are hundreds of different apps out there, helping you do everything from onboarding employees to simplifying communication. While you might think that developing these apps can be a hassle, that doesn’t have to be the case. PowerApps by Microsoft allow you to affordably and easily create a range of different solutions for your company. If you want to learn more about Microsoft Governance, be sure to check out the link as it can be a helpful resource.
A Social Media Management Tool
With more than 4 billion people using social media, it is very important for your company to be active on social media. It is a great way to engage with your customers, answer questions, market your product or service, and reach new customers. Instead of handling everything manually, consider using a social media management tool.
These can help you manage multiple accounts, schedule tweets, monitor keywords, analyze the results of your posts, and do so many other things beneficial to the growth of your company. They make completing these duties and tasks much quicker and efficient, as well. These tools can also keep you up to date on how you are performing on social media as a company and where there is room for improvement. Some of the best options in this space are Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social.
CRM Software
Managing and building relationships with customers new and old is very important for your online business. One of the best ways to stay on top of these relationships and making sure they blossom is by using CRM (customer relationship management) software. This software can make it easier to communicate with customers, learn about them, and even help create sales reports. These tools can act as a centralized database for all of your sales and customer-related information and data.
It makes it easy for you to gather information, view reports, and generally keep tabs on all the different customers your business has. These tools can be particularly valuable for the easier movement of people throughout your sales funnel, going from a lead to a full-fledged customer. This software can also help your service agents collaborate with each other, and can help you find ways to retain and engage customers. Some of the most popular options are Salesforce, Hubspot, and Zoho.
Accounting/Finance Software
Dealing with finances is crucial to the success and health of your business. You need to keep track of invoices, monitor your sales and costs, calculate profit, and handle the payroll of your employees. While you could outsource it to a third-party company or hire accountants, the easiest and most affordable option is to simply use some accounting software.
These tools can automate many processes, show you comprehensive financial reports, reduce human error, and save you a lot of time. They make data entry a breeze, can reduce your costs, prepare you for tax time, and help organize finances to make better business-related decisions. There are several examples of this type of software, and some of the best are Quickbooks, Freshbooks, and Wave.
Helpdesk Software
One of the most important parts of any business, online or otherwise, is keeping your customers happy. Among the best ways to do this is to offer good customer service. You should be able to quickly, easily, and correctly deal with customer problems and requests. Handling this all manually can be challenging, which is why many companies will use helpdesk software.
This helps you organize customer requests, and deal with them in a timely manner. These pieces of software can also help you identify potential problem areas in your service, and identify the right ways to improve them. The sheer data that can be provided by these pieces of software is incredible and can be very beneficial. This software will also prevent tickets from being lost, to ensure everyone gets the help they need. Zendesk, Freshdesk, and HappyFox are among the best and most trusted solutions in the space.
Project Management Software
Managing projects is an important part of any company. While physical businesses can have meetings or easily check in on progress in person, the same isn’t true for online businesses. A piece of project management software can let team members from all over the world collaborate on projects.
These tools can allow for instant communication, file sharing, editing documents, leaving notes, and many other important aspects of working on projects with others. Without this software, it is very easy for confusion to arise or for some people to feel left out. They can help projects get finished more quickly, and with fewer errors or confusion. Trello, Slack, and Asana are all commonly used by teams looking to create a hub for the management of their products.
SEO Tool
SEO (search engine optimization) is all about helping your business rank higher on search engines. The more people that find your company or website in their search results, the more potential customers you have. Using an SEO tool can not only improve your SEO efforts but also let you track them over time and see a ton of important analytics and data.
The reporting can often be customized and these tools can often help you choose the right keywords and help optimize your content. They can assess your site or online store, to make sure it’s helping you get the most clicks possible. These can save you a lot of time and money compared to manually assessing your current strategy. The visualization of data and numbers is another major benefits people get from these tools. While there are many out there, options like SEMrush, Majestic, and Ahrefs are among the most popular.
Cloud Storage
When you run an online business, you will likely have a ton of files and documents that you need to save, edit, and share with others. While you could store these on your own hard drive, there is a better way. Using cloud storage can keep your files, information, and data safe, while also making them easy to access from any device.
This type of tool has become incredibly popular in recent years, as more online businesses and remote teams have been created. They perfectly blend the idea of convenience, along with safety and security. Many are also very affordable and are consistently monitored to make sure no threats or issues will materialize. Dropbox, OneDrive, and IDrive are good options to consider.
Any or all of these tools are a great option for your online business. They can help save you time, money, and make your job as a business owner much easier. Be sure to try out a few and see which works the best for your needs.