It’s no secret that small businesses are looking for a competitive edge. What with how cutthroat being a small fish in a big pond can be, there’s always something we’re looking towards to make us more productive, improve efficiency, and (most importantly) create more sales.
However, not to worry, as we’ve compiled some of the top tools to use to help your business get thriving in no time:
Hostopia
Hostopia is a one-stop shop for most small businesses online needs. From your online presence and e-commerce to how your email comes off, Hostopia is a great solution if you’re looking for something that’s a comprehensive solution, so you don’t have to worry.
Buffer
If you’ve been aiming to post more on your company’s social media but haven’t found the time, then Buffer is the solution for you. The platform allows you to schedule posts and tweets, so you can get them all done in one sitting, as well as plan out your content goals ahead of time. Plus, this service additionally allows you to post when it’s most optimal for your business.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is the creme de la creme when it comes to website tracking. Their platform allows you to see not only going to give you insights into where (and how) traffic is getting to your site, but you can additionally set up goals that mark conversions. For example, if I’m an e-commerce clothing platform, I can set up to see where people are signing up for my mailing list, what pages they’re looking at, and if they made it to their cart. This information opens a whole window into how you can utilize SEO, as well as Paid-Per-Click ads into your digital marketing plans.
MailChimp
When it comes to email marketing, MailChimp has been the dominant force for the past several years. By providing pre-made layouts, detailed tracking reports, and automated messaging, they’ve successfully put themselves at the forefront of email marketing. And as Smart Insights notes, with an average open rate of 20%, email marketing can be a successful methodology to getting yourself in front of customers, with MailChimp easing the process.
SalesForceIQ
According to a survey conducted by Echo on Global Customer Service, two-thirds of consumers are willing to spend their money with a company simply because they provide exceptional customer service. And if your small business is looking to provide the best of the best, it might not be a bad idea to invest in a CRM like SalesForceIQ. Not only are they perfect for keeping track of current customers, but with potential leads and sales pipelines as well.
Dropbox
Dropbox is easily one of the most popular apps in the world. In fact, according to Statista, the cloud-storage service has over 500 million registered users, and it’s easy to see why. Dropbox makes it easy for your team to share files together and collaborate on them. With an incredibly intuitive design and access across multiple platforms, this is an excellent service to use to get the job done faster.
While being on social media is important, utilizing LinkedIn to grow your business through their professional network can be a smart way to meet others in your field. According to a survey by DemandWave, over 92% of b2b marketers are actively on LinkedIn, why? Because it makes networking easy.
Slack
Slack is a communication channel that lets your employees chat, send files, and aggregate data into the different teams of your organization. However, what’s made Slack grow 3.5x in the past year is that it’s not only cheap (actually, free for most teams), but it additionally eliminates the need to send pointless emails and keep track of threads. In short, Slack picks up the slack in communication.
MileIQ
While not something everyone considers, writing off the mileage you drive for works can be a pretty noteworthy tax write off. In fact, in 2016, the IRS put the standard mileage rate at $0.54/mile. That’s why having your business use MileIQ is so simple, as the app not only tracks your miles in the background but can separate them between business and personal travel via AI and machine learning.
Shopify
If you’re looking to set up an ecommerce platform for your website, look no further than Shopify. As over 400,000 businesses have made $34 billion using it, the online selling giant makes it incredibly easy to set up shop and start selling, with a robust arsenal of tracking and management tools as well. Plus, they make it intuitive to implement API’s into your processes as well.
Once you’ve started collecting money from all of these tools, consider opening a money market account. This will allow you to grow your money in a safe atmosphere and keep your small business growing.
