When it comes to running a business online, it can definitely seem like the sheer amount of tools and technology available is very overwhelming, but the good news is that it can actually be pretty simple to run your business without getting stressed out over the technology side of things.
In this post we’re going to share with you some of the tools and systems that we think could really benefit your business and make life easier all round.
Email marketing:
For online business owners, email marketing is a must and it’s one of the most powerful and effective tools you’ll ever have at your disposal. If you use it correctly, then it’s truly one of the best ways to make money over and over in your business. However, finding the right email marketing tools for your business can be somewhat confusing and overwhelming if you don’t really know what to go for, since there are so many options out there seeming like they all do the same thing.
It’s definitely advisable to take some time to look around at the platforms available and see which one suits, not only your business but your budget too, and to help you gain a deeper understanding of how each one works because although they do have similar features, they’re not all exactly the same.
Payment processor:
If you run a business, then the assumption will be that you hope to make money from it, so for that you’re going to need a way of collecting payment information from your clients and helping them feel secure about handing over sensitive payment details to you as well. There are lots of different solutions out there depending on the type of business you have, so whether you use something online like Stripe or PayPal or even a sale card reader, you definitely have a lot of options out there to make this an easy process for you.
CRM tool:
Having a solid CRM tool for your business will be one of the best things you can add to your tech toolkit. It will be the place where all of your contacts, leads and sales opportunities are stored and this will allow you to keep track of all potential opportunities in your business and see where each lead is in the sales process and what type of communication you’ve already had with them. Again, there are lots of different softwares online, so whether you go for a CRM like Copper or something more like HubSpot, it’s really going to depend on your business and the best one that suits your needs and your budget.
Project management software:
It doesn’t matter if you run a huge team within your company or if it’s just you, but having a way to manage all of your projects in one place is really going to save you so much time and stress when running your business. So make sure you have a good project management software that can keep you on track, so that you don’t end up overwhelmed and stressed or find yourself running around looking for information in various places.
Scheduling tool:
If you run a business, then you’re no doubt going to be having appointments with people on a regular basis — whether it’s clients, potential team members or other colleagues — so it’s important that you’re able to keep these appointments without losing out on opportunities and instead of sending emails back and forth that can be lost easily. One of the best ways to do this is by having a scheduling tool set up and linked to your calendar so that you can easily book calls and appointments according to a schedule that suits you and that works easily for your needs.
Cloud storage:
One of the risks of having a computer as your main source of digital storage is that you could end up losing everything if the computer breaks or is stolen or simply crashes when you’re in the middle of writing something that you haven’t backed up. That’s where cloud storage such as Google Drive and Dropbox come in. They will help you overcome this problem by backing up everything you need that’s important; whether it’s your blog content or important contracts, and even if your computer is lost or broken all this can be accessed from any device or location if you have cloud storage in place.
Graphic design tool:
Whilst we’re certainly not suggesting that you’re going to become a graphic designer all of a sudden, if you’re running an online business where you create a lot of content, such as online courses and marketing material or even if you’re just trying to bootstrap things in the beginning, then it’s a good idea to look at online graphic tools such as Canva and PicMonkey to help you create stunning designs for all your projects. Later when you can afford it, you can outsource this, but these tools have been designed to provide great graphics to business owners who are not good at designing, and thanks to their range of templates you’ll have lots of choice when it comes to creating something that fits your brand.
Good web hosting:
If you run an online business, then having a website is pretty much a must-have in most cases, so you’re going to need somewhere reliable and fast to host that site, and although there are now so many web hosting companies to choose from, it’s important that you find one that matches your needs and your budget, but that also helps you get fast and reliable hosting as your business grows and you need to add more things to your site without slowing it down.
We hope that this post has been useful in helping you see just what kinds of tools are out there to support you in your business and how they can help you automate things without being overwhelming and confusing to you.
Photo by Marek Levak from Pexels
