Digital Tools for Business Expansion and Development
Business owners have to tackle multiple tasks every day, which is already a challenge. Fortunately, technology comes to the rescue – modern digital tools can help increase your earnings, organize your schedule, communicate more efficiently, or conduct email marketing campaigns.
Below, we will discuss some of the top tools in each of these important business categories.
Teamworking and Communication Tools
Google Drive
This cloud storage platform from Google is one of the best solutions available. As an office tool, you can use it for file creation, collaboration, and sharing in real time across the world.
With Google Drive, you do not need to email every single document – you can share it with as many people on your team as you wish. Besides, the platform has a completely free plan with paid storage plans starting at just $1.99 for 100 GB a month.
Skype
Skype has been one of the most efficient tools for business for some time, and its features ensure it will continue to bring value to business owners. You can use it to communicate with team members and collaborate when you are on the go.
Aside from its renowned HD video calling available, Skype also allows you to set international subtitles for clients, record calls, share your screen, and use the program to call mobile phones or landlines everywhere in the world.
Slack
Business teams also need to communicate efficiently, so it’s important that they have software that ensures just that. According to many business owners, Slack is the best communication tool out there, as it integrates with every major project management tool.
It’s not only an office management tool, but also a useful communication channel for team members. With Slack, you are always aware of where your digital campaign is going.
Asana
If you want a tool to keep you updated and informed on your projects, you can use Asana. Asana is one of the most powerful task trackers and is very helpful at creating projects, organizing them, and assigning tasks with specific timelines.
You can also use this tool to schedule status updates and share them. When you set up a new project, Asana has plenty of templates for you to choose from.
Calendar Scheduling Tools
Doodle
Doodle helps you organize your calls across time zones. It also allows you to easily sort through individual schedules.
There are only two simple steps you need to follow when trying to reach people. First, use the program’s free trial and then upgrade to a plan that’s best for your business.
Calendly
Calendly is an automated scheduling software that helps you save a lot of time. It works with any business app and integrates your calendar securely. Embed your Calendly link on your website by using the free basic version first, and after upgrade to the paid version for more features.
Website Essentials Tools
Google Analytics
This free digital tool for business helps you understand your website visitors better. Google Analytics allows you to analyze your business data and evaluate how your content, products, and marketing perform.
When using Google Analytics, you can fine-tune all your future business strategies and gain insights on how to reach the right customers.
Yoast for SEO
This popular WordPress plugin helps you make your website search engine friendly. It’s free and features SEO solutions for optimizing and automating almost all aspects of your site. When it comes to content, Yoast makes it easier for you to conduct SEO and readability analyses.
It also helps you write SEO-friendly and engaging materials. You can also integrate social media account linking options with Yoast. Finally, this tool generates XML sitemaps that are ready for indexing and automatically updates when the website’s structure and content change.
Google Search Console
This free Google service helps you optimize your website for search engines, monitor the traffic of your website, and measure its performance. Google Search Console is also effective at troubleshooting your website’s presence in Google search results.
Your business team can also use it to assess whether Google can crawl or discover your website. It also fixes indexing issues and re-indexes updated content.
Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner helps you research keywords when you want to conduct new website campaigns, obtain historical statistics, or conduct traffic forecasts.
The data obtained can help you make decisions about budgets and marketing campaigns while also determining the keywords that help you increase search result rankings.
WordPress
You can use content management systems (CMS) to meet the different needs and goals of your business. WordPress is a flexible tool that handles content creation and manages different content types.
Unlike many other CMS options, WordPress is available for free. More importantly, it is constantly improved and updated to meet shifting user needs and changing internet culture.
Graphics and Design Tools
Typorama
Even if you don’t have design skills, you can still use Typorama to create complex graphics with the help of your iPad or iPhone. The software has 40 different typography styles you can choose from, features adjustment settings, and professional photo filters.
Its tools are cool if you want to customize designs, have sharing options, and resize your images. Typorama helps create great images for social media in seconds.
Canva
With Canva, you can sketch well-defined website wireframes and lay the foundation for the most beautiful designs. This software is easy to use and features many development tools and drag-and-drop features.
When using Canva, you can put together the cleanest and most effective wireframes. And, it can also create infographics, resize images for social media, and much more.
E-mail Marketing and Business Development
MailChimp
E-mail drives powerful ROI, especially if you run thought-through marketing campaigns. Since email marketing is all about personalization, MailChimp helps you engage your users and automate carefully segmented campaigns to send the most beautiful and effective branded messages to your audiences.
SignalHire
SignalHire is a recruiting, and contact lookup platform. It has millions of verified contacts in its professional database that can be searched by name, industry, company, job title, and many other customizable parameters.
So, you get a chance to reach out to all decision-makers in a specific organization, for example. And, if you would rather update your email database one by one, you can make use of the tool’s LinkedIn email finder – a browser extension for Chrome that pulls data directly from social media.
Bonus: Productivity Tools
Momentum
This Chrome extension allows you to keep a to-do list and display it on the new browser windows you open. It’s the best reminder of what you need to focus on. As a nice bonus, Momentum can send you beautiful quotes and pictures every day for extra inspiration.
Appsumo
This daily deals tool allows you to buy the best business software at 50 – 90% off. When using Appsumo, you can grow your business and scale it more efficiently. The best deals get to your inbox and help your business save time and money.
Buffer
With the Buffer social media app, you can schedule as many posts as you wish. This digital tool is essential for business growth because modern businesses can’t survive or thrive without social media.
While Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter dominate the social media environment, there are some other platforms with potential clients, too – and Buffer also works with new social “arrivals”.
These are some of the best digital tools for business expansion and development, but the right combination will surely depend on your business specifics.
Still, any of these tools can help you become more productive and optimize your business development. Plus, most come with a free trial – so you do not need to take our word for it, just go ahead and try them yourself!