8 Tools Every Online Business Owner Needs

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When running an online business, whether it's big or small, staying organized and having the right productivity tools is essential.

The good news is that there are many tools, platforms and capabilities available to make sure you keep everything where it needs to be and move your business forward. Whether you are an established business or just starting out, you the need these eight things in your life.

Programs and Tools Every Online Business Owner Needs

The great thing about running an online business is that you have the potential to reach millions. However, to do so effectively, you need to have everything in place. Let's talk about eight tools and skills that will help you do your best.

1. Project Management Tool

As you grow and employ more people, a project management tool is essential. This is especially true if you have remote employees, which may be the case if your business is online. We're talking about tools like Slack, Asana, ClickUp, and Trello, just to name a few.

These tools help you manage your workflow efficiently and keep communications in one place. You can assign tasks to individuals and stay up-to-date on progress, without having to constantly check and find out what's going on. A tool like this is great for planning, as you see your current situation laid out in front of you.

In terms of sharing information, these tools are also useful. You can attach documents and files with included workflows, so everyone knows what they need to do. Overall, a project management tool should be one of the first things you download as an online business owner.

2. SEO knowledge

When it comes to standing out, SEO is the first aid in getting you there. If you don't know, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it's a way to ensure that your site ranks high in search engine results, especially Google.

When you create your website, write your blog, or create any marketing material, SEO should appear at the center of it all. It means using high-quality keywords naturally throughout your work so that when someone searches for that term, your site is more likely to appear in front of them. All you have to do from here is hope they click and buy whatever you're offering.

SEO can be complicated but it is very important to learn. If figuring it all out is too complicated, you can hire a freelancer with SEO experience to help you cover all the bases. It's definitely worth the extra cost to get this right. Read more about SEO in our article, here.

3. A Quality, Up-to-date Website

This may seem like a no-brainer but it's surprising how many companies don't focus on the basics. A high-quality, up-to-date website is very important to every online business. For comparison, if you had a brick and mortar store, you would want your store to be clean, easy to navigate, and full of attractive items, right? Your website is the equivalent of the internet.

Taking the time to design (or get someone else to design) your website means you're laying the groundwork right. However, it does not end there. Once you're live, it's important to update your site regularly, make sure all links are correct and working, and, as before, use SEO to keep your site as high-ranking as possible.

Also, if you find it difficult to design a website, you can outsource this task to a professional. However, you will find many website building tools that make the job easier.

☞ If you're looking to give your current website a makeover, or if you're looking for a new website built from scratch, we've got you covered! In our Creator Kickstarter program, we build a custom website for you from scratch. You can find out more about that here. Or, if you're not interested in a full training program, and want to build a site yourself, you can learn how to do that here.

4. Statistical Tools

Whether your business is established or new, you need numbers to see how you're doing and highlight areas for improvement. Google Analytics is a great option for this as it gives you all the information you need in one handy place. From how much traffic your site is generating to where that traffic is coming from, you'll have a lot of data to use.

The plus point is that compared to most analytics tools, Google Analytics is easy to use, perfect for new business owners. You can also divide traffic data into smaller or larger time periods, and search for trends and changes.

Overall, a powerful analytics tool, be it Google Analytics or another option, will help you understand how your business is doing and where you can drive change.

5. Regular Online Meetings

Many online businesses have remote employees, from one to several hundred. It's important to stay connected and communicate regularly to ensure the efficiency of your business. The project management tool mentioned above will help achieve this goal, but regular meetings are essential.

Zoom and other meeting software options, like Skype, are great for frequent check-ins with your team. Of course, this doesn't have to be the case, (otherwise, no one will get any work), but holding a common ground helps check and make sure everyone is on the same page.

Scheduling group meetings once a week, at the same time every week, is a good idea and allows everyone to fall into a routine. Then, prepare an agenda that keeps your team members informed of what's going on. You can also have Q&A sessions at the end, and go around the virtual room to allow anyone to raise a question or something they want to discuss.

6. Document Storage

All businesses have documents they need to keep safe, either for tax or legal reasons or to have something to refer to. Thankfully, the days of exploding filing cabinets are long gone, and they will never work for an online business anyway. When it comes to saving important records, using cloud storage and options like Dropbox is ideal.

If you have a team working for you, everyone can access files with a password, keeping everything secure and accessible only to those who need it. It's a good idea to regularly check your archive files to delete or archive any documents you no longer need, but remember that certain documents must be kept for a set period of time.

There are many cloud storage options to choose from, so it's worth checking out the different ones and finding the right amount of storage that fits your needs and budget.

7. Mail Marketing

Once you attract customers, you need to keep them. Maintenance is a very important part of the online business process and yet it is something that many businesses overlook. However, it is as simple as using email marketing.

When a customer buys something from you, make sure to collect their email address. If you have permission to do so, you can send them periodic updates about your business and products. This can take the form of newsletters, which are very effective in keeping the attention firmly where you want it.

MailChimp is a great tool for storing emails and creating newsletters to send to your contacts. A newsletter design tool helps you create attention-grabbing documents that keep your current customers interested, meaning you can look forward to an ongoing business process while trying to attract new customers at the same time.

8. Strong Social Media Presence

Finally, we have a no-brainer. Social media is very important for online businesses because you can connect with millions of people around the world and target new customers around the clock. Look for Facebook groups that fit your business niche and advertise your services, comment on posts, and direct attention to your business. Posting regularly on your social media pages is a great way to keep people informed and informed about everything you do.

It is important, however, to know where your customers hang out. Don't waste time developing a strong presence on X (formerly Twitter) if your customers aren't using that platform. Instead, focus on sites that are heavily invested in, such as Instagram or Facebook.

Developing and maintaining a strong social media presence takes time and effort, but it's more than worth the attention it gives. Of course, you hope that attention translates into purchases and repeat business, but it's a great way to connect with your customer base, help develop loyalty, and increase awareness about your niche.

In conclusion

Running an online business can often feel like juggling several balls in the air at once. That's why having a strong library of resources and skills can help you stay organized and avoid missing anything important. From developing a quality website to having a strong social media presence, the eight tools we've discussed in this feature will help you direct your focus and attention where it should be.

Maybe you already have a few, or maybe you need to look at some of the suggestions and use them. Either way, having a range of tools and skills in your arsenal helps you avoid your competitors identifying your weak spots and potentially sneaking in to take advantage.

The post 8 Tools Every Online Business Owner Needs appeared first on Goats on the Road.

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