Online Tools to Help Start up Businesses

Online Tools to Help Start up Businesses

Online Tools to Help Start up Businesses

Starting and running your own company is extremely time consuming, and the day to day business of handling customer and staff queries can easily get in the way of that all important marketing that's needed to grow.

If this scenario sounds familiar, take a look at how online collaborative tools can save you time and generate extra interest in your company.

Social Media and Message Boards

Twitter. Forget about Twitter just being something celebrities use to pass the time when stuck in a lift or Facebook as a place to post your latest party snaps. If used correctly, they can be effective marketing tools. Ask your web designer to incorporate Twitter or Facebook feeds into your website. Once you have some followers a community of interested customers and contacts will emerge, and through this channel you can inform everyone of important information in real time as and when you need to, as well as build a profile as an expert in your field and at the same time, your brand.

Discussion Boards. Get your web designer to create an online message board. This will become a place where customers can come and interact with like minded individuals. You will also find that people will help each other, meaning instead of asking you questions, other people will post and answer them on your behalf. Before you know it, you could have an active and well informed pool of experienced advisers' indirectly saving you time on everyday customer service issues.

Internal Collaboration

If you employ a team of workers, internal collaborative tools such as intranet systems and networking platforms are a must. If there are channels for your employees to share information, you will find they will support each other without constantly seeking your input or approval. These systems can be extended as and when needed.

Gathering Information

Whilst collaborative tools and networking platforms are very important ways to get customers and staff interacting with each other, your web team can also help you build a list of potential customers without the expensive outlay of list buying.

Include a sign up mechanism such as a free newsletter, or an enquiry form on your website. This will allow you to gather a potentially huge database of information without spending any money or making too much effort.

Put collaborative tools and social media management high on your online to do list when starting out in business. They will really save you time when you need it the most.

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