Every business’s goal is to gain customers, maintain good relationships with them, and build brand loyalty. Still, these things are easier to say than do and is what companies face on a regular basis. This is where online tools and free management systems become the best buddies of business owners or sales staff.

With the vast need for keeping customers, several companies have created helpful business tools. These software systems let you record buyers’ information and purchase status. Some even have additional functions like chat features, checklists, and inventory spaces. All these other amazing features may come in a bundle or single package depending on budget, of course. Still, it’s a good reference to know the options that are money-wise.

So to give you a head start and save up on the research, here are some of the best and free work tools you can try out:

Hubspot CRM

This CRM software is rightful to be the first mention on this list. It is effortless to use and removes all the technical knowledge required from users. With its clean layout, you can quickly see who are the sales agents that won deals or not. You can also merge your emails and even create direct email templates to your list of customer contacts. If at one point you are already an expert with Hubspot, worry not for the software has added features. Explore all the different functions with this simple and reliable CRM tool.

JustReachOut.io

Being able to do PR for your own business is an efficient way of getting the message out there. But one of the things that can hinder this is the budgeting. Good thing JustReachOut.io is available around the corner. This tool leads you right to the writers, press people, online sites that you can reach out to for media presence, all without the hit on your buck. It even has a direct email platform where you can quickly draft that email for press and send it. Now that’s contacting press in a jiffy!

Zendesk

To keep a steady relationship with your customers, every concern must be adequately addressed. If you wish to set up a proper customer service platform, Zendesk is just around the corner. This customer management tool assists businesses to set up a ticketing system. It also has a customizable dashboard and tagging option that allows you to maximize your reports. Build up a better customer support with Zendesk’s helpful features.

SurveyMonkey

Most of the time you need to know what your customers are thinking. It is also important to gain their feedback for improvement. With SurveyMonkey, you will be able to build survey forms that can benefit your business. Create an online form quickly with its easy-to-use platform and get statistics for the feedback. Never miss out what the customer wants to say.

Moosend

Once you’ve started gaining customers and recording their contacts, it’s best to keep in touch once in a while. Send them marketing offers, ask them how did the product go. Communicate actively by using Moosend’s email marketing tool. Create impressive email templates, add your enticing offer, and let your customers click that action button. All these and more are yours to try with Moosend.

I now have the tools. What’s next?

Now we’ve already laid out the top five free business tools that every company can try out. The decision-making process might take some time though if you wish to try out all options. Still, this is the best way to make sure you end up with the right process tool. Just make sure once you have chosen, you remember to do the right things when using these systems. Some of these are the following:

• Putting enough customer details for follow up on your CRM tool.
• Recording the proper social media trackers with social software.
• Adding proper email signatures to your email marketing campaigns.
• Organizing the tasks and deals to ensure proper sales reports.
• Check the report charts and give credit to the right employees.

Remember that the primary goal of having a software is to see how your customer relationships are growing. It’s best not to forget to also check on the growth of your business and what might be missing. With the right work tool, you can quickly see where you’re headed or what needs to be changed. This is even a better avenue for you to connect not just with customers, but with your team too. So get back on your seat now and start trying out the best tool for your needs. Who knows, you might just end up with the right software in the next minutes, right?

Originally posted on November 16, 2017 @ 9:25 pm

When you are full of ideas and feel like everything you’ve imagined is going to succeed, it may be tempting to quit your day job as soon as possible. However, you know that there are consequences in this big decision you are trying to aim for. A carefully constructed online business requires intensive research and analysis to be able to come up with a solid plan.

To help you start your journey to quitting your full-time job, or maybe you just want an online business on the side, here are the five essential steps you need to be doing first:

1. Search Google Rigorously

One search on Google will show you your fierce online competitors. Whoever ranks first is most likely going to be who you’ll try to compete with. A quick Google search also shows the brands that pay for ads, meaning, if they pay for ads, then some customers are willing to pay for their services or products too. While it will take a huge part of your day to do an intensive research, it’s going to make a difference in the future of your business.

2. Score Ideas on Amazon

Often, Amazon is filled with a bunch of products that have plummeted from the ground to success. Also, Amazon is full of consumer insights that you’ll uncover. Know what their pain points are, what they love, and what products do they need. So, if in case you have no product idea yet, you can score on Amazon the product that will most likely be profitable.

3. Search for the Best eCommerce platform

The eCommerce industry is not a tiny one. You being a future digital storefront owner, must select which eCommerce platform is best for you and your business. For example, if you sell clothes online, you’re going to need a platform that lets you show photos in different variants and styles without hassle. Aside from the platform itself, you should also consider what integrations and pricing it offers.

4. Use Ahrefs

Looking into Ahrefs can make or break your business idea. To stay on top of your game, use Ahrefs as your tool that can provide you with lots of insights. When you plug in here the keywords you’ll most likely use for your online business; you’ll be able to see how many competitors are ranking on the first page of the search engines.

Also, with the use of Ahrefs, you’ll be able to see what websites link to them and who they’re linking to the most. Are they getting most of their traffic from Pinterest? Then now you know what platform you’ll be using for paid marketing.

5. Browse Reddit

Known as ‘The Frontpage of the Internet,’ the Reddit community has been known to produce high-quality information that any online business owner can use. Subreddits like r/entrepreneur and r/smallbusiness has a lot of resources to use to your advantage. Some new business owners and marketers also use Reddit to gauge if their ideas are going to be profitable or not.

Final Thoughts

Even at a young age, one can develop their skills when they’ve been taught by like-minded adults. The first step into online selling business is knowing if your product or service is a good fit for the online world. It’s essential that you use a business-minded approach to this new venture of yours. Lastly, before you go and spend all your hard earned money on business cards, domain registration, and website creation, make sure that you’ve worked through all the five steps mentioned above.

Originally posted on August 29, 2017 @ 12:35 am