Top 25 Online Business Tools Used by Entrepreneurs
Marshall McLuhan once said, “We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.” The quote is relevant to the present day digital marketers. If they want to rule the industry, they have to keep themselves updated with the latest tools. Today, the uncertainty in digital marketing is such that marketers can’t afford to ignore the technological advancement in the industry.
Did you know that there are nearly 28.8 million small businesses in the United States? With a number like this, most entrepreneurs are looking for a competitive edge. Online entrepreneurship is not as simple as people think. Similar to a brick-and-mortar business, online entrepreneurs have to take care of various tasks like company’s name registration, product development, getting business cards printed, human resource, etc. This the reason why you must stay organized throughout the entire process.
Today, many youngsters are leaving their full-time job and coming up with great concepts and ideas for their own businesses. It’s good to come up with this spirit and start something that can contribute to economic growth. But starting a new venture and making it successful is not everyone’s cup of tea. Today’s highly competitive business world throws many challenges to entrepreneurs. Fortunately, in today’s time, we have amazing online tools available to boost sales and productivity. The tools can also help app development companies in attracting potential investors and customers. Let’s talk about them in detail.
1. Hootsuite:
It is probably one of the first names people list when considering social media management. The tool allows its users to manage all social media profiles at one place. It activates your social presence with features such as automatic post scheduling, content management, and conversion measurement.
2. Adobe XD:
Before you start a project, you first create the visual representation of the project structure. This UX/UI design software application supports both vector designs and wireframing. The tool allows non-static interactions, mobile and desktop previews, feedback on designs etc. It also gives the control to select particular artboard size for starting a project.
3. Logo Maker Tool:
If you own a business then you must need a logo. A logo maker is a graphic design tool that helps companies to create unique and creative logos on their own. You can browse through thousands of icons, fonts, graphics and choose the one you like the most. You can also edit the features to create your own logo that is perfect for your business.
4. Web Design Proposal Tool:
When a client contacts a web designer for a web designing project, the first requisite is to ask the details. The client, in return, may ask you about the cost of the project. Depending on the details, the designer will propose. Not only he has to mention the development process but also convinces the client to finalize the deal. To make life easier, BeeWits has come up with this amazing tool that allows you to create impressive proposals within seconds.
5. CodePen Projects:
It has grown to the largest community in the world to test and showcase HTML, CSS and JavaScript code snippet. From past few years, it’s been functioning both as an online code editor and open source learning environment. Recently, CodePen has launched its own IDE (Integrated Development Environment) called CodePen Projects. It allows you to build websites within a browser. You can drag and drop the files, edit and rearrange them in separate tabs. You can also see the live preview of your work.
6. ARKit:
The tool comes up with the most advanced technology that has opened the doors of tons of opportunities. ARKit allows the developers build AR based app, the experience of which is far beyond 2D apps. The primary objective of ARKit is to lets the users manipulate the 3D objects by dragging them into the screen. An illusion of an image gets created. You can even track the real-time position of the objects.
7. GetResponse:
No matter what kind of business your run, promoting it through emails should be in your priority list. This is just a way to interact with the audience but it also helps businesses in generating more leads. GetResponse is an email marketing platform which offers tailored solutions to the companies. If you want to create newsletters with impressive graphics, build target subscriber lists, etc., after which it becomes the perfect tool for you. The delivery rate of this tool is considered to be the highest in the industry which is 99%.
8. Optimizely:
No matter what the size of the business is. This tool is suitable for almost all type of companies. This A/B testing tool allows enterprises to quickly learn more about audience, and experiment with designs and content. This can help them in making their websites and apps more effective, and improving their conversions on any platform.
9. Canva:
Want to produce engaging visual content? If yes, Canva is an ideal tool for you. It is both a web-based as well as app tool that allows businesses to create designs for social media posts, documents, business cards, brochures, blogs etc. as a pro. The tool can also be used by people who are not designers by profession. You can either upload your own images or choose from the templates.
10. Vimeo:
Sharing content through videos is very much in demand. More than 50% of the users want to see videos from brands. Vimeo is one of the leading video sharing platforms that allow users to host, share, and sell high-quality videos to millions of viewers. Vimeo is used more as a professional network. The community feels the content and discussions is useful as compared to YouTube.
11. Google Analytics:
Offered by Google, it’s one of the most popular web analytics services which help businesses to track the number of live visitors and the actions they are performing on the website. You can also do a site search; measure the ROI of campaigns, check which keyword has the most impressions, and much more.
12. Business Card Maker tool:
If you think that business cards are merely a small piece of paper that has no significance in today’s digital world, then this is far from the truth. Business cards are itself a great marketing tool that helps the businesses to make an instant impression and steal the deal. Building a professional card has never been easier. Fortunately, there is an availability of various online business card maker tools that let businesses to create an impressive and memorable design in a few minutes.
13. Powtoons:
If you are looking for a tool that can create compelling videos for training, and education purposes then Powtoon is the right choice for you. This simple and user-friendly tool allows its users to make presentations and short informational videos within a few minutes. It has thousands of inbuilt backgrounds, styles, and characters, which can be used by a drag-and-drop system. With Powtoons, making changes in videos is quite easy. To give your customers a professional experience, you can add voiceover to your videos.
14. Salesforce:
Give your sales team the authority to close deals like never before with one of the leading cloud-based CRM tool. The software saves the contact information of all the customers such as name, address, phone numbers, etc. It also tracks the activities of customers such as emails, website visits, phone calls, and much more. This way you can capture more leads, increase customer loyalty and retention. By using this tool, you can manage your business anytime anywhere.
15. Slack:
Fewer meetings, less internal emails — that’s Slack! It is a modern communication tool that aims to be a central platform to bring the messages of the entire team members together at one place. The tool comes up with unique features such as automated reminders, search capabilities, exchanging messages privately or in groups, audio and video call, file sharing, and much more.
16. Skype:
It is the world’s most popular telecommunication application for sending instant text and videos via the internet. It also allows its users to make mobile and landline calls at a competitive price. The call quality is brilliant for both video and voice calls. So if you want to use consistent and easy-to-use VoIP client, Skype is the best option for you.
17. Moz:
In the highly competitive marketplace, businesses want to come on the top of the search engines. But for that, they need to use proper tools. Moz is one of the best SEO tool providers for improving search engine optimization using both basic and advanced tools. By using this user-friendly tool, marketer can do keyword research, website audit, and can also built additional backlinks, along with others to improve their business ranking.
18. Zenefits:
Small and medium sized enterprises have usually budget limitations and cannot afford to have a dedicated HR. To reduce the workload, Zenefits has come up with a digital HR platform that helps businesses to manage their HR needs. Whether you want to send offer letters, sync employee details across multiple key systems or run background checks for new employees, these all can be accomplished effortlessly within minutes.
19. Shopify:
It is one of the largest e-commerce platforms which is designed for both beginners and experts to sell online, on Facebook, or in person. Whether you have single or multiple Shopify stores, the app is easy to manage and grow your business.
20. Sketch:
It is a digital design app used for UI, mobile and web design. With the help of powerful plug-ins and intuitive interface, designers can create stunning graphics. Sketch libraries allow users to share and update symbols globally. The designed images can be reused and improved anywhere and anytime. The simplicity of this tool makes it a perfect choice for beginners.
21. Dropbox:
Want to secure your business files? Or, want to share large documents or folders? If those were the tasks, Dropbox is a great option for you. It is a creative collaboration space designed to store all your work at one place. It is one of the leading file hosting services that has completely transformed the way work together.
22. Grammarly:
A well written error-free content helps in establishing a business as reliable and professional. Want to correct all your grammar errors and enhance your written document? If yes, go for this tool. It is an online application that identifies grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, and style mistakes which can only be detected and corrected by a professional editor.
23. Evernote:
It is one of the most popular apps that help companies to create digital notes. The notes can be a text document, a photo, a video, an audio file, or a web page. Store everything in folders and explore for a specific file with its search feature. You can export notes into different formats. Another advantage of Evernote is that it syncs well easily between multiple devices.
24. CJ Affiliate:
It is a global affiliate marketplace where you can find thousands of products to endorse and earn money. It is, therefore, a perfect solution for independent blog owners who look for affiliate programs. The best part of using this network is that it is easy-to-use and requires less training. Just signup for a free account and start exploring the dashboard.
25. Due:
It is a payment solution provider that helps small business owners to securely accept online payment across the globe. It is mainly popular for its innovative tools that can help businesses in tracking time and invoicing. Apart from this, it also gives automated reminders and multiple payment methods
Conclusion
In today’s highly competitive world, one of the biggest challenges is to stay on top of the industry. Small entrepreneurs generally want to do everything in-house in a low budget. But they lack in the expertise to accomplish many such works to their satisfaction. This is where these tools come handy to do a project in an organized and professional way.
Nisarg is the Business Development Manager at Nimblechapps, a top mobile game development company and has been with the organisation since its inception in 2014. He likes to update his knowledge on changing trends in technology and marketing and pens his thoughts regarding the same on various blogs and LinkedIn.