Start Your Business with these 10 Tools and Resources
One of the most difficult things you will ever do, but also one of the most rewarding things, is starting your own business. It is difficult because getting started is tough, especially if you aren’t using all of the tools and resources that are available to you. If you are planning on starting your own business, take some time to check out these and other valuable resources and tools that will help to ensure your success (as long as you use them, and use them properly).
1) E-Commerce – Your website is more than just a place where people can learn about your business. You will be selling from the site, so make sure that you have an awesome online store by using TicTail, which charges no monthly fees or extra checkout fees, and takes no money from your transactions.
2) Q&A’s – If your customers want to know something about products, services, etc., there should be an easy way for them to ask questions. You can use Pubble to set up a Q&A section on your website, and questions will be answered on the page that the questions are about. This is great if you are a retailer who wants to engage with customers.
3) Virtual Hosting – No matter how big or small your operation is going to be, you are going to need a telephone system of some sort. If you have employees and departments, this is even more important, and a regular phone system may not be what your business requires. This is where Virtual Hosting comes in. When you visit Virtual Hosted PBX, you will find reviews on the top phone systems, and learn which one is best for you and your business.
4) Logos – Once you have come up with a name for your business, you need a logo that goes with the name, and that people are going to notice and remember. This is where LogoGarden comes in. This is a free logo making tool that has loads of symbols, shapes, and more. Add text and choose your color combinations, and you’re all ready to go.
5) Blogging – Blogging is a great way to get your business noticed, and if you are just starting out, check out Sett. This tool will help you create your blog and customize it, in just a few minutes. It will even bring readers to you.
6) Websites – You are also going to need a good website that people are going to want to visit. Be careful when choosing a website builder, because they are not all the same. For a builder that has loads of great options and customizable templates, visit Wix.com.
7) SEO – In order to get your website noticed, you must utilize SEO, which is going to direct people to your website via keywords. By using Keyword Tool, you can find the keywords that are searched the most, and make sure that they are in your articles, blogs, etc. so you will come up high on Google searches.
8) Affiliation – Don’t waste your time signing up for all of those affiliate programs. Instead, let Viglink do it for you. All you have to do is let VigLink copy and paste a bit of code into your blog, and then it will convert your links into links that will help you earn money through sales.
9) Comments – You want to know what your customers think, and their comments are important. By using Disqus on your website, you can enable comments on posts and it will connect your content to the Disqus discussion community. You can even use the Promoted Discovery option to earn money each time your readers click on a sponsored article.
10) Live Chat – Customers love to be able to have live chats, especially if they have problems that they need to address. Get a conversation widget from Zopim that will let you and website visitors start chatting within a few seconds.
