Today, the internet has made it easier than ever for anybody to start their own online business. Whether you’re selling products, services, or advertisement space for other businesses, there are plenty of different ways in which you can make some money from an online business, whether you are supplementing your regular income or want to make entrepreneurship your full-time job. The joys of an online business are that you may not even need to leave your home in order to make money; thanks to services like dropshipping and freelancers who can work for you remotely, starting a business today is much easier and far cheaper than it once was compared to the past. But there are some tools that you will definitely need in order to ensure that you’re getting the results and growth that you need. These include:
#1. Email Marketing Tools:
First of all, you’ll need to get the word out about your business and one of the best ways to do this is with email marketing. A good email marketing service software program, such as that offered by Sendinblue, will make it easier for you to automate your email campaigns and get in touch with the maximum number of people, without the need to do any manual work. Look for an email service provider like Sendinblue that includes mobile optimised templates, as an increasing number of people are now using their mobile devices to read and respond to emails. In fact, according to Campaign Monitor, it’s a staggering 53% of users – and that’s a number that’s only expected to rise.
#2. E-Commerce:
If you’re selling products or even services online, then getting the e-commerce platform that you use right is absolutely crucial for you. There are many ‘DIY’ e-commerce platforms that you can set up yourself such as Shopify, or e-commerce add-ons for popular software programs such as WooCommerce for WordPress. According to Merchant Machine, these are the best eCommerce platforms and providers in the UK.
Alternatively, you might want to consider having a developer create a custom e-commerce site for you, however, this can be a pricey option. With so many options available, it’s worth taking a look at the different ones and weighing up the options – look for features that are not only relevant to your business right now, but ones that will also enable you the freedom to grow in the future. For example, a plan with unlimited products is a great choice, as when your business expands and you add more product lines, you won’t need to worry about upgrading and paying more. Whether you’re using an ‘all-in-one’ hosted provider or hosting your website elsewhere, it’s crucial to ensure that you have trust signals like SSL certification and a responsive, mobile-friendly design as standard.
#3. Social Media Management:
Social media is a crucial factor for any business today, and it’s likely that you’re going to do a huge portion of your overall marketing on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The more you post across each platform, the larger your audience reach will be. And, social media is a very versatile marketing platform allowing you to upload written posts, shared links, photographs, videos, interactive polls, live video and much more, making it an incredible tool to have in your business’ box. But, keeping up with social media posting can be extremely time-consuming, so it’s worth investing in a tool that automates it and helps you avoid forgetting to post. Hootsuite, for example, is a very popular social media marketing tool that you can use to automate regular posts across all platforms. Using this you can prepare all your posts earlier and then set them to be posted at different times, allowing you to ensure a regular and predictable social posting schedule.
#4. Content Management Platform:
Last but not least, don’t forget about your content management platform. WordPress is a popular and reliable option that can also be used for an e-commerce website, but whether you’re using a different website platform or having a developer create your site, make sure that you add or take advantage of a blog feature. Content on your website is crucial for growth as a business, as it demonstrates your authority in the industry and shows readers that your brand is an authority in its niche. You can create your own blog posts or find writers who can do it for you – they could be remote freelancers who you pay per post or an employee who is responsible for keeping the blog filled with fresh content. The key to getting the most from your content management system is to create regular, interesting and original posts that will grab the attention of their readers and are very shareable on social media, allowing you to create more links back to your website and go towards boosting your ranking in Google search results.
These are just some of the tools you’ll need in your box when you start an online business. Are you using any, and would you recommend them?
