Today’s online businesses thrive on digital tools that streamline business processes. There are countless business applications for managing marketing teams, customer interactions, cloud integration, sales team support, workflow management, and more. Those small businesses that fail to embrace digital tools early on risk losing out on potential customers necessary to survive, especially as more consumers turn to online services due to COVID-19. The best practice for any budding entrepreneur is to utilize the right digital tools that enhance business processes and opportunities for growth.
Virtual Private Network
One of the best practices for an online business is to utilize cloud services for all important documents, from project files to customer information. Services such as Google Drive and Dropbox can safeguard your backups and allow you to grant access to users for collaboration. One of the biggest threats small businesses face is cyber-attacks from phishers, hackers, and other cybercriminals. A Verified Private Network (VPN) lets you create a secure network connection on a public network. Using a VPN is a safe, economical way to keep your business and your customers protected.
Data breaches, ransomware attacks, cyberterrorism, and other cybercrime can compromise business and customer data. MonsterCloud is the leading cybersecurity company comprised of the best cybersecurity experts in the industry. The leading authority in cybersecurity and ransomware offers customers a cybersecurity platform that keeps them protected. Their renowned ransomware removal experts perform prevention services to prevent cyber-attacks on small businesses, mitigation services that provide a response plan in the event of a cyberattack, and ransomware removal and recovery services, including 24/7 data recovery.
With so many positive MonsterCloud reviews, a record of outstanding customer service, and features on news sources such as Fox News and PRNewswire, cybersecurity from MonsterCloud is the smart way to prevent cyber threats.
Project Management and Communication Tools
You’ll need a way to keep track of all your business goals and business projects while managing a remote workforce. Project management platforms such as Trello or Wrike are cloud-based tools that help you efficiently manage workflows throughout the lifecycles of projects. These tools give valuable insights into project progress and help you manage workflows. Using a communication tool such as Slack makes it easy to keep track of conversations with team members, share files, and integrate with other business applications.
Email and Social Media Marketing Tools
The key to building a successful online presence is to send the right message to potential customers while deepening the customer experience through email marketing and social media marketing. Platforms such as MailChimp or Constant Contact make it easy to design, send, and review the results of email newsletters. Email marketing tools give insights on which customers opened emails, what links they clicked, and which customers should receive a follow-up offer.
Building a social media presence requires regular posting, engaging with readers, responding to customer feedback and questions, and creating quality content that shows your authority in the industry. A social media management tool such as Hootsuite lets you schedule posts, monitor feeds, interact and engage, and view analytics in a centralized dashboard.
You need to use a business application that will naturally streamline customer communication. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an effective way to manage new leads, build customer relationships, and manage the sales process. Configure One is a leader in CPQ solutions that feature native integration with existing business applications to prevent data synchronization issues.
The CRM platform covers a range of functionality, including ERP, CRM, SFA, and PLM. CRM integration gives you a single workflow to manage the entire sales process and unparalleled efficiency that results in better customer service, lower sales costs, and reduced errors. You can keep all product and customer information unified in one place for full transparency, and real-time visibility helps you identify issues before they happen.
Utilizing business applications and digital tools in the infancy of your small business is the smart way to scale up to your competition. Simplifying business tasks, improving workflows, and keeping remote workers connected is important to business growth and success.
