There are currently more than 2 million small businesses in Australia, with many more starting each day. With revenue in the Australian eCommerce market tipped to hit US$21,224m in 2019, it’s no wonder so many people are turning to online retail. With opportunity comes competition, and if you’re in the beginning stages of your business, there are a few must-have tools to help you get ahead. Let’s explore some excellent digital tools that can help you cut through with your eCommerce startup.
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MailChimp
An oldie but a goodie – this popular option dates back to the very beginning of email marketing. It provides self-service support, a free plan for small-volume retailers, and a widely recognised format many consumers will appreciate. All factors considered, MailChimp is the best way to get used to email marketing while your business is still in its infant stage.
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Google Analytics
Google Analytics is another free tool you should include in your digital marketing plan from the get-go. Take a few minutes and add the Analytics code to your company website. This will allow you to track all visitor actions and draw your conclusions.
Once you see where your traffic is coming from and why you can focus your efforts in the most relevant direction. Once you notice a surge after a recent social media gimmick or the use of specific keywords, you can pay attention to these areas and develop them further.
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Shippit
If you’re just getting started, your sales volumes are probably a little too low to take advantage of volume-based discounts. Using a cloud-based shipping platform like Shippit lets you leverage access to a wide range of carriers at rates you probably couldn’t negotiate as a small player.
Because all the hard work’s done for you, you don’t need to worry about complicated shipping rules or manually recording consignment numbers. Shippit has the smarts to find the best way of getting your orders from a to b, all while handling your tracking and order notifications.
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Trello
Have a freelance team but not sure how to manage it? If yes, it’s time to use Trello.
This smart tool will help you keep your whole team work in a unified manner by keeping projects under control. The result will be a lot of saved time, less frustration, and streamlined communication among your team members.
Emails between team members are still useful, but they can easily cause confusion. With Trello, you can share your ideas and posts in one go, then ask for feedback and input before releasing the content.
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Followerwonk
Marketing with social media is a must in this digital age. However, it’s not going to work properly if you don’t analyse your data correctly. Followerwonk might not be the best-known tool, but it’s an easy and effective option for your Twitter account.
This tool will compare accounts, break your follower list down, and match your activities to any ups and downs regarding followers.
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HubSpot
HubSpot helps your blog, attract traffic, close deals, create SEO-optimised content, and whatever it takes to enhance your marketing funnel.
With a lot on your plate in the early days of running a business, it’s a good idea to turn most of the work over to HubSpot.
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Hootsuite
We can’t talk about digital marketing without considering a posting schedule. Hootsuite will help you achieve this, saving time while making sure your content is taken care of.
It also works to identify relevant influencers, reply to any comments or mentions through a single dashboard, and utilise pre-written responses. With this tool, social media will become a lot less intimidating and more manageable.
Final words
These days, there’s a tool for everything. With options everywhere, it can be easy to get carried away, and instead of simplifying your set-up, you can end up overcomplicating things.
Start simple and make sure you keep track of what tools and platforms you’re using; adding too many plugins and logins can slow your site down.
