With many professionals transitioning their businesses to the online arena, more online tools are becoming available that not only helps business attract clientele, but makes business transactions a lot easier for consumers to use.
Whether you’ve already started a business or planning on starting one, it’s definitely critical for new business owners to wear many hats in their business. By using effective tools, managing all your different roles and responsibilities can be a breeze.
If you’re new to the online business arena and have yet to find the appropriate tools for your online business, here’s a list of five of six must-haves tools that can help you build a better, smooth-running digital enterprise.
SizeUp
If you want to know how your business stacks up to the competition, consider using SizeUp. SizeUp is an online tool that is used to crunch millions of data points in order to get customizable reports and statistics on your business and your competition. This tool can be used to to measure data by region or industry, so be sure to use it to it’s maximum potential. The more informative data you can collect, the easier your business can adapt to its financial environment.
Host Gator Web Hosting
It’s difficult to find a web hosting service that not only is easy to use and affordable, but also user and customer friendly. According to an article on Forbes.com, Host Gator is one of the most popular website and online business hosting sites because of its great customer support, customizable site templates and useful services, making ideal for growing small to mid-sized online businesses. Try it out!
SBA’s Events Calendar
If you’re new to the business in world in general, then having an SBA (Small Business Administration) events calendar. The new SBA Calendar offers new business owners the opportunity to find business training seminars and classes within your area. All you have to do is enter your zip code or city and find events in your area. A few events that are most popular with business owners are have to do with starting, managing and financing a business. Learning new skills will definitely help you further develop your brand.
HootSuite
If you’re looking for ways to market your business through multiple social media channels, then HootSuite is worth looking into. With an increasing interest in social media, many companies are now focusing their efforts on social media management and marketing in order to engage with potential customers online. With Hootsuite, you can do just that, just a lot simpler and effectively. Hootsuite can link with multiple social media platforms as well as post on your behalf (according to your social media schedule and strategy). It also helps keep track of mentions and searches, giving you solid data on the effectiveness of your social media marketing efforts.
Brand.com
Sometimes, in order to make your customer’s online experience run a lot smoother, you have to gather feedback. One way to do so is by using sites like Brand.com, which can help you keep track of customer reviews and feedback, which can help your business adapt to your consumer’s needs.
PayPal
Almost everyone has a PayPal nowadays. Instead of making your customers spell out their credit card information when their purchasing your products or services, it may be better to look into adding a PayPal button onto your website. Complete with “Buy Now” and “Add to Cart” features, having PayPal on your site will definitely make shopping a lot easier on your website.
It’s critical for new online businesses to have effective tools in order to run their online business smoothly. Note that most of the tools that are of most to benefit are not only tailored to online business owners, but to customers as well. If you have yet to try out these must-have tools for online business, why not do so today? You’ll be well on your way to expanding your online business.