With the end of the year rapidly approaching, small business leaders are solidifying their goals for 2020.
Whether you want to roll out a new marketing strategy, slay your sales quota, deepen your customer relationships, or expand your reach with new audiences, new technology can help you get there.
But no tool, task, or team exists in a vacuum. Integrative software makes collaboration and reporting easier, giving not just one team, but your whole company, an edge. Before the calendar turns, add these five complementary tools to your collection:
1. Vast Conference
Today’s business world is powered by remote work. A 2019 study found that over half of the global workforce works remotely at least two and a half days a week. With so many employees collaborating from afar, companies need a reliable way to keep everyone connected.
Video conferencing tool Vast Conference provides high-definition audio and video meetings that integrate with Outlook, Google, or Microsoft 365 calendars to increase convenience and minimize compatibility concerns. And because Vast Conference is a web-based application, users can join online meetings with just one click, with nothing to download or install.
2. ZQ Intelligence Behavioral Tracking
Luth Research’s ZQ Intelligence™ uses proprietary technology behavioral tracking. In other words to capture behavior-based digital insights from consumers’ PCs, smartphones (iOS and Android), and tablets. By integrating this unique digital perspective with survey and qualitative research, you are able to uncover the “why” behind digital activity. ZQ Intelligence is a single-source solution that delivers accurate, granular insights in your own dashboard or custom reports
3. Shopify
As e-commerce platforms proliferate, small businesses need an easy way to access them. Shopify helps retailers sell through online marketplaces, social media, and traditional point-of-sale systems. It includes marketing and analysis tools to show which channels are retailers’ top performers.
If you prefer to sell directly from your own site, Shopify makes that simple as well. Users can find a domain, design their site with drag-and-drop tools, and create a company blog. And because Shopify is an online platform, there’s no need to hire IT to keep everything up and running.
4. Animoto
Video is having its moment in the sun. Research shows that more than half of consumers engage with a brand after watching a related video on social media, a number no other type of content can match.
If you want to enter the video marketing game but don’t know where to start, Animoto is an excellent tool for amateurs. The web-based platform includes drag-and-drop templates and editing tools that, despite their simplicity, produce professional-level videos. Use them to boost your brand on social media or develop digital ads.
5. Hootsuite
Social media is one of the easiest, least expensive marketing tools that small businesses have at their disposal. But as new apps like TikTok and Twitch join the lineup, maintaining a presence on all the sites your audience uses is becoming more difficult.
To manage all your social media platforms from a single dashboard, give Hootsuite a try. Scheduling a whole week’s worth of social posts is not only more efficient, but it also makes creating a consistent experience for multi-platform users easier. Hootsuite also offers social media monitoring services so small business leaders can see how their company is being talked about online.
Ultimately, selecting the right software is about understanding your business model and goals. Invest in affordable tools that provide real value, and your business will be that much stronger in 2020.
