Taking Your Business Online? These 30 Amazing Resources Can Help
It may seem that the world, and therefore businesses, have been put to a halt. However, that really isn’t the case. Online businesses are thriving, more than ever, in the case of certain industries.Â
The purists – brick and mortar stores and companies are the ones being adversely affected during these tough times. The reason for that is because they lack a vital consumer touchpoint outlet – the Internet.Â
Mass consumption is very difficult to curb. Your consumers will often look for alternatives if one route is closed. This applies to necessities and even wants. For example, one of those thriving is the online fitness equipment industry.Â
This goes beyond just connecting with your consumers; it is about keeping in touch and engaging with your employees more effectively, as well. With the right tools and resources, even a distance of a thousand miles can appear insignificant.
Necessity is the mother of invention and luckily for us, all we need to is adapt it to thrive.Â
The Time To Be Online Is Now
Here’s a list of 30 amazing resources, each divided by steps that will help in taking your business online.Â
Get Online, Silly
The first step to getting online… is well, getting online. There are a few ways to do this and ideally, the more outlets you have at the beginning, the easier it is to identify the ones that work and the ones that don’t.
1. Facebook (+Business Manager)
One of the best free business and analytics tools out there, Facebook Business Manager acts as an all-knowing hub for businesses that are on the platform.
Our advice is to create a free business account on Facebook and put your products on the marketplace.
The step by step guide from Facebook makes taking your business online, a cinch. The Business Manager has a bit of a learning curve but, once mastered, can be a very powerful ally in these times.
You can learn more about your target market – from demographics to psychographics- than ever before.
Some alternatives: Twitter For Business, Google Analytics
2. Website Builder Expert
Taking your business online for the first time can seem very daunting.
- How does one build a website?
- How does it go online?
- How do I design it?
These questions are just an excerpt from a plethora of queries that arise when you decide to go online for the first time.
This website planning guide can also help you take your work online. The steps mentioned here should help you get acquainted with the idea of creating a business website.
Plus, they’ll help you get rid of any concerns you may have regarding taking your business online (and yes, they exist).
3. HTML5 UP
You may be acquainted with the tools required to build a website, but the time and resources to invest in one may be an issue. The challenging bit about taking your business online is it requires time (and a good chunk of it).
The good news, however, is that with resources such as HTML5, you can skip over the step of coding a website from scratch.
HTML5 UP provides responsive and customizable HTML websites for free. All you have to do is customize your website to your business’s needs. The framework really eases the pressure and gives you a great headstart.
4. Wix
If you want to build a website but cannot code, a good website builder is an answer. Wix, in this case, has beautiful templated websites that can be customized with a simple drag and drop feature.
It is very easy and intuitive to use. Even if you’re a total internet novice, using Wix will not be a challenge.
5. Dacast And YouTube Live
Excellent for educators who want to conduct live classes, Dacast lets you stream your lessons and host your video classes.
While most universities have arranged for a wide range of services during these times, independent educators and instructors need to invest in their own platforms.
YouTube Live is also an excellent option for conducting private, live classes or webinars and conferences. A key difference between these two platforms is that YouTube, while free, is restricted in its number of viewers for private classes, whereas Dacast’s cheapest option allows for 300 viewers.
All you need is a camera and maybe a microphone, and you’ll be back in business in no time.
6. Medium
Medium is a writer’s paradise. If you are a writer looking to take your work online, Medium is a phenomenal place.
Not only does it make for a great writing outlet to put your work ‘out there’ it is also a great destination to read about topics ranging from love to business, to psychology and much more.
Medium can also be used as a writing gateway for potential consumers to go to your personal blog or landing page to view your or your company’s content.
7. Shopify
Pure brick and mortar stores have been hit hard thanks to global lockdowns. However, selling on the Internet isn’t rocket science. Shopify makes the entire ordeal very easy.
Businesses simply need to list their products on the application. And with a few easy steps, you can integrate your newly made ‘store’ with a site you’ve made, or even website creators such as Wix.
Shopify removes the need to create your own eCommerce solution, so you can start selling as soon as possible.
The platform also tracks your sales, visitors, and how products have been performing. It’s like having your own online manager.
Starting Your Business Online? Build It On .Online!
Learn To Share Online
Sharing files, be it with clients or within your team is vital to any business. The resources below make sharing seem easier than sharing a piece of cake.
8. WeTransfer
WeTransfer has a free and paid version, the former being restricted to only 2 GB of data per transfer.
It is easy to look at and use – all you need to do is drag your files to the WeTransfer website, and voila! Your file will be ready to send.
It is worth investing in WeTransfer’s paid option if you work in industries such as media and design – that require large file transfers.
9. DropBoxÂ
DropBox is more than just a file storage and sharing application. Sure, the free account gives you 2 GB of data for free, but that’s really not why DropBox shines.
DropBox’s business plans allow you to share and collaborate with your teams seamlessly. This includes editing Microsoft Office’s files without going anywhere else.
Its ease of use is why DropBox should be a necessity when taking your business online.
Dress Design For Success
Your website/social media account’s design is how the world sees your business on the internet. It matters and it is one of the first things you need to pay attention to when taking your business online.
10. Unbounce
Your website’s landing page – the home page, in most cases – can create a first impression, which can either be impressive or bland. Therefore, it is vital.
Unbounce helps you create beautiful landing pages that can promote your consumers to explore the rest of your website and your products.
11. Canva
With Canva you can create beautiful Instagram posts, still adverts, logos, presentations, pamphlets, menus – you name it!
Canva’s premium plans give consumers access to a library of vast templates, pictures, and assets needed to make any creative look fantastic. They add on to Canva’s free library, which in itself is sufficient for online businesses.
12. Adobe Creative Cloud
Nine times out of ten, Adobe is the industry standard for any creative. The term photoshop has become synonymous with the concept of editing photos – not dissimilar to the Google and Xerox phenomenons.Â
Along with Premier, Illustrate, After Effects, Animate, and so much more Adobe Creative Cloud is a no brainer if you want to take control of your online creatives in your own hands.Â
Note: For pre-existing subscribers, Adobe has offered 2 months of Creative Cloud for free, during these times!
13. Behance
If making creatives is not your strong suit, then Behance is the answer. Also owned by Adobe, Behance is a hub for artists to share their still creatives and designs.
It is an online equivalent to a giant museum. You can view various kind designs and art and contact the artist to work with you.Â
Better yet, if you’re too busy taking your business online, you can simply create a job posting on the website and let the creators come to you.
14. BeFunky
BeFunky stands out as a design tool thanks to its partnerships with Unsplash, Pixabay, and Pexels – three stock image powerhouses, in their own right. Thanks to this, users get over a million stock images for free.
Along with being a fantastic design tool, this feature from BeFunky makes it an attractive option for online businesses looking to expand their online presence.
Make Top Picked Content
Content is important if you plan on taking your business online. Here are some tools that will help you out in that regard.Â
15. Imgur
Memes rule the Internet. Unlike a lot of things (such as direct mail) that were digitized into their internet counterparts, memes birthed on the Internet. They’re a vital part of online content marketing and humor.
Imgur is a very popular website for searching for meme trends and templates. Its meme generator is simple to use and will turn your business from internet averse to internet savvy, in no time.
16. Envato Elements
Video assets, such as ad films, promos, and explainers can help you effectively communicate with your online audience without having to make them read a lot. Envato is a powerhouse, in this regard with its wide libraries of stills and videos.
Envato Elements also offers editable digital assets, such as files supported by After Effects. So you’re not just limited by stock footage, you can expand to create your own. This one-stop-shop makes taking your business online as easy as pie.
Some alternatives: Pixabay, Shutterstock
17. Venngage
If you run a data-driven organization and are taking your business online, Venngage can help you create beautiful infographics. The easy to use interface is deceptive to how beautiful outputs it can produce, in the right hands. The free plan allows you to create five infographics.
18. Hemingway Editor
Written content, in the form of long-form blog posts, short social media updates, and much more are important when trying to connect with new and existing consumers when taking your business online.
Hemingway Editor is an excellent platform to make your communication as concise and to the point, as possible.
The app highlights syntax errors in your sentences, so you can cater to your readers in a professional and appropriate manner.
Some alternatives: Grammarly
Starting Your Business Online? Build It On .Online!
19. Pablo By Buffer
If you run a small business and are planning on taking it online, Pablo is a fantastic place to get content. All one needs to do is search and Pablo quickly finds beautiful images.
The best part about this resource is that it doesn’t organize resources by their type, but by their purpose. So you don’t have to worry about choosing between a pamphlet or brochure.
If your goal is online outreach or increasing website traffic, Pablo will create a structure for you to expand upon.
20. Artlist
Artlist is a music licensing website. It’s curated music and SFX is very user-friendly and trendy.
The website expands its large library regularly, and unlike many royalty based music licensors, works as a simple subscription-based service.
Some alternatives: YouTube Audio Library, Facebook Sound Collection
21. Fiverr
Fiverr’s services aren’t just limited to online businesses. However, taking your business online becomes that much easier thanks to the sheer number of creative freelancers listed on the website.
With Fiverr you can look for blog writers, video creators, photo editors, graphic designers, and much more. Most have their work samples on their Fiverr pages, so curation becomes easy.
While you focus on taking care of the business aspect, let the freelancers of Fiverr handle your other needs.
Make Social Media Management Easy
A new social media account requires management in terms of content, timing of posts and how the content is laid out. While the content aspect is covered above, we look at the other two in this section.
22. Instasize
Very specific in its purpose, Instasize is a simple smartphone application that lets you edit photos and videos and format them to make them just perfect primarily for Instagram.
However, the app does offer options for Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter as well.
One of Instasize’s most effective tools is also its simplest – it lets you resize assets to the right size for the social media of your choosing. It is very easy to use and can help you create beautiful content for your new social media account.
23. Preview
Taking your business online, and into social media can be daunting. Preview, on the surface, lets you edit your photos. However, its most powerful feature is acting as a planning and analytics tool.
Preview lets you schedule Instagram posts and also collects data to inform you about the best time to post – all from the comfort of your smartphone.
It is one of the best applications to use when starting your social media journey.
24. ManageFlitter
ManageFlitter (MF) is the Twitter equivalent of Preview.
Starting at $12 per month, the application lets you schedule posts at the right time for your account, as well as view the analytics of your account.
Before accepting Twitter’s request and removing the features, MF also had a comprehensive follow and unfollow feature that businesses could use to follow accounts relevant to them.
Despite this removal, the application is great for taking your business online and into Twitter.
25. Hootsuite
Managing multiple accounts right after taking your business online can be difficult. Tracking whether the right content has gone on the right platform can be easy to miss for newcomers, and even the trade experts.Â
Hootsuite eliminates the need to micromanage multiple social media accounts. It can help you schedule posts for multiple platforms, as well as use analytics to improve your business’s social media presence.
26. NewsWhip’s Chrome Extension
NewsWhip’s Google Chrome extension is an excellent resource to see how viral a video, a post, a link is. It works for Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest and is completely free to use.Â
A new online business could ideally use this to collaborate with influencers to promote its products and services or work with social media creators who have the ability to create trendy content.
27. CoSchedule
An effective, catchy headline is the gateway to the rest of your online content. It is vital to your consumer attraction, much like how a landing page is to the rest of your website being viewed.
CoSchedule’s free headline analyzer tells you just how good your headline is. This is invaluable information to businesses new to the online world.
Up Your Communication & Collaboration Game
Thanks to social media, individual communication hasn’t been entirely hampered. However, taking your business online entails that you step up your communication and collaboration game.
Establishing a uniform platform for your team members to work on is vital.
Research is important in this regard as this communication isn’t only limited to intra-organization, but also with members of your supply chain. These tools can help you up your team’s collaboration game.
28. Flock
Flock is a fantastic intra-organizational communication platform.
It’s video conferencing and integrations with applications such as Google analytics prevent the need to go on multiple applications for different forms of communication.
Flock is akin to a social media platform for business. It keeps everyone in check and can help prevent unnecessary confusion caused by a lack of communication.
29. Google Suite For Business
There is no better time to invest in the Google Suite for Business than now. The free tool is great in itself for communication, but the paid suite removes the cloud storage restrictions that come with the free suite, which is more important than ever for collaboration in these times.
Along with this, the paid suite gives businesses the ability to create business-oriented email ids, which can prevent potential communication errors.
Some alternatives: Microsoft Office 365, Zoho Office Suite
30. Known
Known is an open-source platform (yes, it’s completely free and user-run) that can be used to build a collaborative blog or create a platform on which users can create, post, or simply communicate.
It is an excellent application to use if your offline company is run by a small team and you’re taking your business online, together.
Known works very well with content-driven platforms, but can also be simply used to build a collaborative internal site for your business. It can be a great project that can be used to keep up with colleagues and employees.
So, When Are You Taking Your Business Online?
Difficult times can lead to opportunities that can help your business grow, as well as help the community. Adapting your business around the Internet can not only ensure survival during tough times but also ensures long-term success.
There are a plethora of resources available online to get you started. These 30 resources will get you on the right path and set up for business on the world wide web, in no time.
