If you aren’t doing well in your business, check the tools you are using. Business owners are only as good as their tools. Succeeding in any online business requires the right business tools.
So, after committing to a period of research and communicating with business owners online, I have been able to put together a list of the best online business tools to give you speed, effectively manage your businesses, help you save money, and ultimately make your business more profitable.
These tools are put together in different categories, such as project management, communication, social media management/marketing, email marketing, market research, and much more, so that you will find it easy to discover business tools that connect to your own business(es).
What Are Business Tools
Business tools are the total controls, systems, methodologies, applications, calculating solutions, and much more that are employed by business owners to meet up with market demands, cope with the dynamics of the market systems, and improve their business performance among others.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon or other publishers I trust (at no extra cost to you). See disclosure for details.
There are various tools which can be used in different business departments. Examples are tools used for controls, processing, employee-related activities, planning, record, decision-making, etc.
So, whatever area your business may be centered around, the business tools I am about to share in this post will position you and your business(es) for quick success. In fact, you would wish you knew them a long time before now! Yeah..!
If you are ready, let’s begin!
The Best Business Tools For Entrepreneurs
A. Courses & Resources
The Niche Choosing Playbook is an eBook that lubricates your online business effort and puts you on a path for speedy success. The eBook reveals how you should correctly approach your niche, do proper niche research, avoiding burnout by targeting the best suitable niche. The eBook sets you on course to start earning your dream six-figures with just $13!
2. Blogger Outreach On Steroid (BOOS)
BOOS is an online course that would unveil working systems with authority bloggers that would turn your blogging aspirations into unbelievable realities. You will discover a huge number of ways to succeed with your online business. This includes how to find real influencers within your area of focus, how to connect to them the right way, crafting emails to become irresistible, what next step to take after receiving a response, the secret that profits your friendship and also paves way for several more with ease, and so much more.
Enroll with just $35 you will be opportuned to try the entire course for a complete 30-days! This is because the stuff works perfectly and is 100% risk-free.
It is time you stop dreaming about getting huge traffic from Pinterest and turn that dream into reality Te Viral Pin Pack. You will be able to create powerful pins that grab users attention, and receive rewarding click-throughs. The juicy part is that the pins are editable on Canva and are created to be different and attract huge traffic. With a purchasing fee of $17, you will be able to focus better on creating great contents for your blog and have no worries over Pinterest traffic.
B. Payment Processors, Accounts, And Finance
1. PayPal
If you need a safer and faster way to make payment or receive money online, then PayPal is your best bet. PayPal allows you to send or receive money from almost anywhere in the world for your online business. You will be able to safely link your local bank accounts, credit cards, Visa Debit cards to your PayPal accounts for your online transactions. The business tool also allows users to set up merchant accounts.
To begin, visit PayPal to sign up for free and set up an account. PayPal has got fair charges for users. If you are in the US, you will be able purchase for free with the site. And when you sell, charges per transaction is 2.9% + $0.30.
2. Stripe
Stripe has been able to change the way online transactions are made over the years. You will be able to make or receive payments online safely from over 25 countries. It is very popular among business owners who sell digital products.
Unlike many other transaction platforms with poorly regulated systems, and multiple hidden fees, Stripe receives a flat rate of 2.9% + $0.30 for every transaction. And it is one of the best documented payment processors available.
3. Square
Square receives 3.5% + $.15 on keyed transactions or 2.75% transaction fee for every swiped card. It has a suite of tools that are credit card readers, NFC readers, and chip card readers, a reliable solution for entrepreneurs who receive payments face-to-face from their customers.
Square has now been expanded into giving out an online store builder that looks just like Shopify. They also offer business owners a collection of email marketing tools, an app marketplace that helps users get their businesses streamlined, and appointment booking software.
4. Freshbooks
In just a few clicks, you will be able to do a lot with Freshbooks. The accounting software makes businesses run safely and fast. It also provides automated tasks such as time tracking, expense tracking, invoicing, payment acceptance, and organizing expenses among others. The juicy part is that you can access it securely from anywhere in the world since Freshbooks is cloud based.
Freshbooks makes receiving payment easy for a freelancer or service-based entrepreneur and also helps you to keep tabs on your outstanding invoices from your clients. As a new user, you’ll enjoy a 30-day free trial and access all their great business features. FreshBooks’ monthly fees begin at $15 with a period of free trial. It also has a free version.
5. Mint
Mint is one of the best finance business tools online. The web-based service is easy to use for managing your personal finances, paying your bills, tracking your credit store, creating budgets, categorizing expenses, and making even more budgeting decisions.
A large chunk of the services rendered by Mint is free for customers. But you’ll receive some fair charges when you wish to upgrade to their premium version. To subscribe to Mint will attract a monthly fee of $16.99. This fee also incorporates scores by Equifax and credit reports.
C. Communication Tools
Every business owner needs to communicate at some point, with the other members of their team, vendors, customers, and important players in their businesses. To do that, the best tools you need schedule and conduct your calls are listed below:
1. Skype
If you are not using Skype right now, almost everyone else is. With Skype, you will be able to make calls in-between Skype apps for free. You will also have access to other features such as instant messaging, screen sharing, and group video calls that work nicely on every device.
Skype is generally free. But if you intend to make calls to landline or cell phone outside of the app, you would need to subscribe for a monthly fee of $2.99.
2. Acquire
Acquire is very efficient for customer communication. It bridges that long gap between your business and your customers with its great features. These features are such as co-browsing, live chat, intelligent automation bots for giving answers to common questions and more. Over 12,000 companies currently make use of this tool to streamline customer communications, and the list includes multinationals like Audi, Samsung, Cigna, Lexus, and many more.
The app offers $40 with a minimum of 5 agents every month which goes for $200. That seems pretty high, but you’ll also be able to use individual features at varying prices.
3. Slack
Even though Slack is relatively new in the group chat world, it has become a very important messaging app used by a wide range of people and companies around the world. The app is a collaborative tool which is cloud-based and efficient in managing internal communication for distributed work-teams.
Slack organizes team conversations, gives every player in your business a shared workspace, and also erases the stressful hassle of going through a long list of email threads to be attached and thereby omitting vital information. There is the free version with great features. Standard plan however attracts $8 monthly fees, and $15 per month for the Plus.
With Google Hangouts users will be able to start voice or video calls, group chats, message contacts, and ultimately stay in touch with other members of their business team. Your conversations can keep going on anywhere you are and your chats can be synced from device to device.
Pricing for this communication tool starts at $5 for a storage space of 30 GB. And with double of that, you have access to unlimited storage space of one of the most affordable business tools around.
D. Tools For Email Marketing List Building, Landing Pages & CRM
If you do not have an email list yet, then you probably do not know what you are depriving your business of already. Your email list is your most valuable asset. Here are some of the best of email service tools and customer relationship management (CRM).
1. MailChimp
MailChimp has marketing automation tools with great features and are easy to use. The email tool can be used by pros and newbies at a price point anyone can access. MailChimp is a very efficient tool to be used by Fortune 500 companies.
MailChimp stays free forever for 2000 contacts and 10,000 emails. Their lowest price plan is the Essential plan, and it goes for $9.99 per month for 500 contacts and 500,000 emails. Standard plan is $14.99 monthly for 1.2million. And their Premium plan is $299 per month for 3,000,000 and more emails.
2. MailMunch
MailMunch is highly useful in generating leads and conversions. As a user, you will be able to have access to their ton of tools that make doing business easy and fast. Their customization options help make landing pages and creation of forms more personalized for your content readers. There is also a special feature of syncing in real time with your email service provider.
MailMunch also allows you to send email campaigns using their own app, create your own custom landing pages, and be able to split test forms. With just negligible minutes of installing the software, you will convert your visitors into long-term customers and subscribers. MailMunch doesn’t offer free trials like many other apps, but their pricing starts at a fair price of $12.00 per month. They also have a free version.
ActiveCampaign is a centre point between a functional customer relationship management and a topnotch email service provider. It can be used for marketing automation, email marketing integration, and CRM of small businesses. The app is very easy and simple to use.
There are four plans available for users on this platform. Lite is the cheapest, and it attracts a monthly fee of $15 per month. Plus goes for $70, Professional plan is $159 per month, and Enterprise attracts $279 monthly fee with all the features of the app.
4. ConvertKit
If you need a tool to manage your email list and auto respond to email messages, then consider ConvertKit. The app is user-friendly, and makes it easy to group your email subscribers so that only contents that are related to their needs are sent to them.
ConvertKit is used by several thousands of online business owners and content developers around the world. They have a price range on their plans which is largely based on the number of subscribers users have. Pricing begins at $29 a month for 1000 subscribers maximum. For up to 3000 subscribers attracts a monthly fee of $49, and $79 for 5000 subscribers.
5. OptinMonster
OptinMonster has features such as inactivity sensor, exit-intent technology, MonsterLinks, and much more. The tool can work on any of your webpage. And if you use WordPress, you will find their plugin very easy to use.
Since growing your subscriber base is very crucial to your business, OptinMonster allows you to A/B test different messages for the best and most effective mechanism to capture emails. And you can do all this without having special web development skills.
Their pricing starts at $9 for a month for all the basic tools for a single site license. To get their Plus plan with some more advanced features, you’ll be paying $19 for each month.
Thrive Themes focuses more on building conversion for your online businesses. It is a good option for WordPress websites. Their plugins are very effective and help to turn your website’s visitors into loyal customers or subscribers.
Grab your online business toolbox with an exclusive membership by subscribing for their services. Thrive Membership plan starts at $19 per month or $30 for a quarter. You will be able to use all their themes and plugins on up to 25 of your sites. Agency Membership goes for $49 per month (if you are paying annually), or $69 per month (for quarterly payment). With Agency Membership, you will be able to use their themes and plugins on 50 of your own sites including your clients’.
E. Tools For Market Research & SEO
As an online business owner, ranking on Google should be one of your goals. Your business will be open to a wide range of opportunities with SEO. There are great free and paid tools that help you achieve this essential goal. The best research and SEO tools right now are listed below:
1. Ahrefs
If SEO and link building sounds new to you, then you should consider signing up for the free version of Ahrefs to see how your website’s ranking metrics works. Ahrefs gives a wide range of data on backlinks pointing to your site, and also tracks a huge number of other metrics of your website.
Note that backlinks help to build your website’s authority on search engines, traffic rankings, rankings on Google search, and also your best performing contents and so much more. Ahrefs monthly billing: Lite plan is $99, Standard is $179, Advanced is $399, and Agency plan is $999.
2. SEMrush
SEMrush is one of my go-to tools for keyword research. It has become an integral part of my content marketing tasks. It has also grown over the years however to become a full-suite toolkit for digital marketers.
SEMrush has a wide range of usefulness to your business, and these include examining your competitor pages, checking out for backlink opportunities, doing a search volume on certain keyword or phrases ahead of the time you plan in creating such content, analyzing paid ads, traffic analysis, and drafting an outline on some competitive blog articles.
To subscribe for the Pro plan you will be paying a monthly fee of $99.95. Guru plan goes for $199.95 per month, and Business plan is $399.95 a month.
3. Buzzsumo
Buzzsumo is great for researching potential topics for your blog posts. The research tool also helps you see your competitor’s social shares of their blog posts for insight to the best decision on the social channels for individual topics.
Buzzsumo is a juicy platform to get great topics for your online business. This will save you from groping around the web creating unrelated contents. You will also be able to distribute your contents by finding key influencers to help, and discover opportunities to partner with sites in your field.
Their monthly billing: Pro is $99 per month, Plus goes for $179 per month, Large plan is $299 per month, and Enterprise stuns at $499+ each month.
When it comes to SEO, Yoast SEO is a legend. They have optimization plugins for pages and posts that earns them their reputation. You will be required to fill in sections for your focus keyword or keyphrases, meta title, meta description, and analyze your content with accurate recommendations to help your posts and pages rank on search engines. You’ll receive a greenlight for a job well done.
Yoast SEO is a necessity in your online toolbox. You can enjoy using the SEO tool for free with limited features. And if you want to use advanced features, you can buy Yoast SEO Premium at $89, €89, or £89 annually – this includes VAT for a year. With this premium subscription you will receive updates and support from them.
F. Tools For Graphic Designs
Graphic designing isn’t something you want to take for granted for your business. Quack designs can affect your traffic and overall business success. There are some online tools that would help you with stunning logos and overall designs. Here are some of my favourite apps:
1. Penji
Penji offers graphic design solutions to online business owners such as startups, bloggers, content creators, and agencies. Pricing on Penji begins from $96 per annum. They have a flat fee of $8 per month for Basic plan, Advanced plan goes for $20 per month, and University-Wide plans would require a direct contact with them.
2. Canva
Canva is a graphic design tool that is used by several thousands of business owners around the world. They have features that can be used for creating designs that can be directly shared across social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and many others. Get Canva Pro at $12.95 for a month, and $9.95 when you pay annually.
There are diverse images with different styles, backgrounds, templates, and fonts to pick from using Canva.
3. 99 Designs
This site is a marketplace with a great number of skilled graphic designers who are freelancers. Submit a task you want to get done, and you will be presented with multiple designers who would be ready to get your job done. You pay for the most preferred.
Adobe Photoshop has made creating photorealistic and manipulated digital art a possibility. They offer the ability to create 2D image manipulation, 3D image manipulation, image analysis, compositing, and video editing.
Photoshop goes for $9.99 per month for Desktop and iPad. You will also have access to a 7-day free trial to enjoy all their great features.
I use mailchimp for my emails and yoast for my seo and i can’t help but say that both tools are great…