Software. You may not know much about it, but your company thrives on it. In fact, most small businesses can’t survive without it. That’s because the Internet has become such an integral part of just about every modern business. Here are just some of the essentials you probably can’t live without.
Shopify
Shopify is a small business software program that helps you manage your e-commerce store. Started in 2004, the company strives to make small businesses run more smoothly online by providing an intuitive e-commerce platform that’s reliable and robust. To date, over 70,000 online stores use Shopify as their platform. It’s pretty easy to see why too.
The company provides everything from themes and full customization to shopping cart interfaces and innovative online tools to improve the end-user experience. On your end, there’s no CSS of HTML limitations. If you need a designer to design your website, or you want a custom design, the company also provides designers to help you put together a website that looks professional and yet is tailored to your unique needs.
Email Marketing CRM
If you don’t keep in contact with your customers, you won’t have them for long. An email marketing and CRM system helps you send out metered communications via email. Autoresponders like Aweber and GetResponse have been around forever, but newer and more sophisticated players like Infusionsoft offer more in-depth and complex marketing systems built right into the email and CRM platform.
For example, if you’ve ever wanted to move a prospect through a complex sales cycle without having to do any manual work, Infusionsoft can do that for you. Did your customer open an email but not click on a link? Want to move them to a new mailing list where they will get different offers? You can do that with “trigger emails.” After the sale, why keep sending prospects the same email sales letters? With a robust autoresponder and marketing program, you can kick them over to a new email list after they’ve purchased something from you.
Some of this stuff gets pretty complex too. For example, you can segment your mailing list by age, send out multiple test emails (i.e. A/B split testing), and then adjust email frequency and even send out customized, specific, messages to prospects based on various actions they take or don’t take (i.e. when they open or don’t open an email, when they click or don’t click on a link in the email, etc.).
SEO Programs
SEO programs help simplify your on-site SEO. Don’t go crazy with these, because search engines, like Google, sometimes penalize websites for being over-optimized. However, a basic optimization of your website will help users better navigate your site. For example, basic SEO software would help you include keywords within your copy that users might be looking for.
It may also make suggestions for meta data that search engines use when displaying your site’s description in search results. An SEO program can also let you know when it thinks you’re keyword “stuffing” a piece of copy. Finally a good SEO program will help you find and fix broken links on your site.
Jack Bishop loves integrating technology with business practices. He enjoys writing about trends and innovations on business tech and small business blogs.
3 Types of Must Have Small Business Software
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