There are no two ways about it – running a business takes time. A lot of time. On top of completing all your regular work, you have to manage the business’s communication and online presence as well.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the growing amount of work that needs to be done for your business, do not fear. There are a plethora of handy time-saving tools out there just waiting to save you time. Let’s take a look at five of the best.
1. Website analysis: Google Analytics
Google Analytics should be your website’s new best friend. This platform from Google allows you to receive detailed statistics and analysis about your site – at no cost whatsoever.
Google Analytics pulls information from your site to tell you things like how many visitors you’ve had, where in the world they’re located, how long they stayed on each page, how they found you, and much more. You can integrate it with your social media platforms to get even more insight into your online presence.
So, how can this save you time? Tracking your site’s visitors and referrals can allow you not only to see which parts of your website are most successful, but also if (and how) your social media presence is driving people to your site. This will allow you to streamline and target your advertising and social approaches much more easily.
2. Social media scheduling: Buffer
By now, you’ve probably got the basics of Facebook and Twitter down. You’re posting great content and gaining likes, shares and followers. But maintaining your social media presence can involve a lot of time and effort.
That’s where Buffer comes in. It’s a scheduling tool that allows you to prepare posts for Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in advance. You simply set up the post and schedule it to go live automatically at a later time.
The benefits of Buffer are undeniable, and its capacity for saving you time is immense! Rather than dedicating time every day to maintaining your social media presence, you can spend a single block of time scheduling posts for the entire week – or however long you choose.
Buffer also allows you to reach your followers at optimal times of the day. For example, many people may be scrolling through their social feeds in the evening after work. So rather than waiting for the right moment every night, you can schedule evening posts on Buffer. Too easy!
3. Email marketing: MailChimp
Creating an email marketing strategy and building up a database of email contacts is an important step in every business plan. It can seem like a daunting task, but luckily, programs like MailChimp are here to help.
As well as allowing you to create and automate sending of newsletters and emails, MailChimp provides detailed analytics about open rates, click-throughs, and much more.
4. Paper communication: eFax
The fax machine might seem like an out-dated piece of office equipment, but in reality, the majority of businesses still use them. A lot of the time, it’s crucial to have a physical document rather than a digital one.
In those cases, a program like eFax can come in handy. Rather than fussing around with printing documents on your end, eFax allows you to send digital documents directly to your recipient’s fax machine via email.
5. Link-sharing: Bitly
This one may be simple, but once you’ve started using it, you’ll never go back. Bitly is a link-shortening service that allows you to turn long, awkward web addresses into much shorter, more manageable links.
On top of this, links shortened in Bitly can be tracked easily afterwards, showing how many clicks they’ve received and from where. And if you share all your links using Bitly, you’ll be able to view all these stats and details in one place.
Master these five tools and you’ll be able to save your business, time and money!