300+ Online Tools for Small Business Success

Adapt to Thrive: Small Business Survival Gear Amidst the COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has, without a doubt, disrupted numerous businesses to detrimental effects. Most business owners have temporarily or permanently closed down in compliance with directives from the government and health authorities, consequently leading to a downward spiral in revenues, among which small businesses seem to bear the brunt.

Nothing is more urgent now than adapting and evolving, namely incorporating the right methodologies into your business model.

Establish an online presence

One sure-fire way of staying afloat and flourishing during this pandemic-ravaged period is building an online presence. It's been proven that businesses with online profiles have an advantage over others without one.

For small brick-and-mortar stores, a good way to start is setting up virtual stores to sell their products. They can do this by choosing an eCommerce platform like Shopify, Alibaba, and BigCommerce to sell wares. In particular, Alibaba has organized programs like the Super Consumer Growth Accelerator Program to help small business in America struggling with the effects of COVID-19. Artisans, designers, and smaller marketplaces can make use of online stores like Etsy and Bonanza.

To get a firmer hold of the market, you may wish you to localize your online presence. This helps you focus on the local market rather than compete with bigger brands on global marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.

A good way of doing this is creating pages on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media spaces with wide coverage. Using these pages, you can advertise to your local market what you sell or the services you provide. Seeing that 51% of Facebook and 64% Twitter users are most likely to buy products from brands they follow speaks to why you need to create a page and establish an online presence. For 93% of marketers , social media marketing has helped their businesses gain more exposure.

Some of these platforms have also designed new programs to help small businesses. For example, to alleviate small businesses' struggles during the coronavirus outbreak, YouTube made it possible for small businesses to create video content for free while Facebook launched Shops.

Partner with other small businesses

Networking is paramount to growth during this period. Consider collaborating with local businesses to develop marketing bundles and cross-promotional plans that can help increase your ROI.

You can also consult digital marketing companies to assist you in analyzing customer demographic and data to help you channel your marketing efforts properly

Should you be in the hospitality niche and can no longer house people in your small corner because of social distancing principles, why not negotiate with parking lot owners to see how feasible it is to use their properties.

Diversify and modify existing business models

Keep an open mind and be ready to incorporate ideas you never thought you might at one time consider. Take, for example, converting your pub to a makeshift marketplace. This pub can contain groceries, fashion wear, or towels, among others, while customers can place orders from the comfort of their home using a mobile app or an e-commerce site.

If you offer services like barbing, bartending, or any other, you can opt to host live sessions and online classes, teaching these skills to people. All admitted students would pay some money to get the knowledge you are passing on to them.

Benefits of Utilizing Online Tools for Small Businesses?

Improves productivity

Small businesses can better manage their affairs using productivity software and tools. These tools promote time management and help small teams work smarter towards achieving the set goal. Some of these tools include spreadsheets and product management tools. Scheduling apps like Appointy used by more than 65,000 users worldwide is also a very helpful tool for creating appointments with clients and potential customers

Increases reach

Leveraging on social media platforms can help small businesses increase their reach. Using these platforms, you can get leads geographically distant from you. This is especially useful if your target demographic is young people as a report suggests that 90% of this demographic use social media networks.

Cost savings

Branding is a lot cheaper online than physically. Using logos, flyers, and banners will save you a lot while reaching more people than branding shirts, caps, or signposts would. That is why every business owner needs to start utilizing online tools in running their businesses.

Key Considerations in Choosing the Right Online Tools for Your Small Business Success

Brand mission

The mission of your brand may dictate what kind of tools are essential for your business. If your goal is to increase conversions, for example, you may want to focus on online tools and marketing strategies that can help you convert your leads. If your goal is to let people know more about your brand, using social media automation platforms is ideal for you.

Understand what your business lacks

The right online tool for you depends on what your business needs. Regardless of how powerful a tool is, it won't help you achieve success if it does not address a particular problem your business suffers.

For example, if you have problems scheduling clients, you might have to use a booking management software program or an automated scheduling tool. If you have issues with payment cheques, you may consider using a payment platform like PayPal or Stripe.

Conclusion

The uncertainty that came with the coronavirus pandemic is very disturbing and frightening for many small business owners. Many entrepreneurs have now been forced to take drastic steps to stay afloat. Only business owners willing to adopt online tools are touted to get through these trying times. Using the right online tools, entrepreneurs can still make as many profits as they used to and possibly more. Other benefits they stand to gain are a better collaboration between team members, a wider reach, cost savings, and improved productivity.