Top Online Tools for Small Business
Published 7th January, 2022
Starting a small business can be incredibly fulfilling and will in the long-run, hopefully, be a rewarding experience. However, it's also tough and requires determination. You need tremendous self-belief, and must be willing to put in the hours to make your startup succeed. In fact, this last factor is one thing that sometimes takes new business owners by surprise: the sheer amount of time you have to dedicate to getting your business up-and-running, and making sure that it stays on track.
Especially at the beginning of your business journey, it makes a lot of sense to view your time as a precious commodity, the same way that you would look at your financial resources. And so just as you try and find ways to save and maximize your money, you should do the same with your time. One way to do this is to look for tools that can assist you in the daily and long-term running of your business, saving you from having to either do too much yourself or hire additional staff.
Thankfully, as we now live in an online age, there are many applications and software products that you can access for free or at low cost, that can help to streamline your schedule and provide general assistance.
QR Codes
The QR in QR code stands for quick response and that gives you a big hint that these things are useful for speeding things up. You see QR codes around more and more recently, on websites, but also on physical materials such as menus, flyers and brochures. Basically, QR codes allow for a rapid, seamless interaction between customer and business, and--from the business perspective--are very easy to implement, saving you time.
You can go online and immediately make use of a free QR code generator, and you'll be good to go. What's more, it gives the right impression of your business (that you're up-to-date with current tech), and ensures that you're catering to demand, as increasing numbers of customers come to expect that there'll be an option to scan a QR code.
Website Builders
It's very rare to find a business nowadays that doesn't have at least a basic online presence, and in fact, a growing number of businesses are based entirely online and might have no physical premises beyond a mailing address. Add to that the fact that most people now begin their search for a new product or service by checking around online, and it's clear how important it is to have a standout website. It's very likely that your website will be the first impression that a potential new customer has of your business.
A few people might be able to code a good quality website themselves, but if that's not you then you're left with two options: splash out on a professional, or use a website builder. Thankfully, the latter option is looking increasingly good, and can save you a lot of money without a huge time investment. Website building tools nowadays are so intuitive and well-supported that you can easily have a fast, attractive website in place very quickly and cheaply. And while a little technical skill can ease things along, it's certainly not a requirement, as the trend for some years now has been towards tools you can use without typing a single line of code.
Customer Relationship Management
Abbreviated to CRM, customer relationship management is a technology to help build the best possible relationships with customers, and improve customer service, with the ultimate aim of increasing sales, retention, and profitability.
The most successful businesses have very high levels of brand loyalty and are expert at maintaining great customer relations. Whatever the size of your company, this will be done, at least partly, through personal care and an honest, professional manner, but it also pays to make use of any tech-based assistance you can get to optimize the customer relationship.
A CRM system manages and tracks customer data, including through social media and website channels, and gets to know things like a customer's preferences and online activity. That information can then be used to personalize customer engagement, creating a relationship that is more tailored to their individual requirements, and making sure that your communications and marketing are as efficient as possible.
Design Tools
As mentioned, it's important to have a good-looking website, and that extends to other areas of your business too. You need a great logo, and all your materials and content need to be on-brand and coordinated. It can't be over-emphasized how important visual presentation is, as it instantly communicates the character of your business.
Hiring a graphic designer is expensive, but there are now a wide range of design tool websites at your disposal. Some of these are free, others are very low cost, and they provide step-by-step assistance in generating all kinds of content and materials. They're professional and easy-to-use, can save you a lot of money without taking up too much of your time, and are one more useful tool in your suite of online assistance.