Business growth starts from within. When a small business dedicates time to improve internal processes, it has the potential to greatly increase productivity, effectiveness, and overall success. From marketing strategies to graphic design to organization, small business tools are available across the internet.
We know what it takes to run a small business because we are a small business. Hundreds of online tools are available at the click of a button, and it can be hard choosing which ones to use. Your time and money are valuable. You don’t want to waste resources on tools you’ll only use once. Luckily, many online platforms offer free services or free trials. We’ve put together a list of eight tools with some form of free plan or free trial to help your small business thrive.
Hootsuite
For: Social Media Management
Hootsuite is a social media management tool that integrates popular social media platforms all in one place. Built as a dashboard, Hootsuite allows you to schedule and plan posts in advance, manage your content, message with customers, and more. The platform currently has over 200,000 paying customers and is one of the leading social media management platforms in the industry.
Pricing
Free 30 day trial
Professional Plan: $49/mo
Team Plan: $129/mo
Enterprise Plan: TDB by Hootsuite and account holder
Moz
For: SEO and Keyword Research
Moz is an all-in-one SEO tool that provides keyword research, search engine optimization, inbound marketing, link building, and content marketing support. It is used to improve your brand’s search engine optimization efforts and online visibility. Moz manages a variety of SEO campaign tools in one platform, allowing you to take advantage of the educational videos and instructions on how to use them.
Pricing
Free 30 day trial
Standard Plan: $99/mo
Medium Plan: $179/mo
Large Plan: $299/mo
Premium Plan: $599/mo
Buzzsumo
For: Content Marketing and Research
Buzzsumo is a content marketing tool with quick access to popular industry content and research. Businesses can use the tool to create content, monitor their brand and industry, and discover growth opportunities. After entering a keyword or domain into the Buzzsumo search bar, small businesses are presented with content ideas and topics from around the world. Now, the platform also offers influencer search, topic-based social media feeds, content analysis, and more.
Pricing
Free 30 Day trial
Free Plan
Pro Plan: $99/mo
Plus Plan: $179/mo
Large Plan: $299/mo
Enterprise Plan: TBD by Buzzsumo and account holder
PageSpeed Insights
For: SEO and Website Speed Data
PageSpeed Insights is a tool developed by Google that reports the speed and performance of website pages. This tool reports the performance optimization of websites on both desktop and mobile devices. It also provides suggestions on how to improve page speed. Page speed is important because it not only affects search engine optimization, but your customers’ overall user experience as well.
Pricing
Free
Google Analytics
For: Website Data and Tracking
Google Analytics is an analytics service that provides data on website performance. When integrated within your website, Google Analytics tracks and reports on traffic to your website. The data collected provides insight into where the traffic is coming from, how they’re interacting with your site, where they’re leaving the site, and much more. Google Analytics allows businesses to better understand their customers and follow their website interactions and behavior.
Pricing
Free
*Google Analytics 360 is another plan option but is best suited for large corporations with a price point of $150,000 per year
MailChimp
For: Email Marketing
MailChimp is a customizable email marketing tool designed to help businesses grow and build an audience. With one of the highest return on investments in the marketing industry, email marketing has a higher engagement rate than even social media. MailChimp helps businesses design newsletters and track the results. Check out Grow Your Business with Email Newsletters to read more about the effect email marketing can have on business growth.
Pricing
Free Basic Plan
Essential Plan: $11/mo
Standard Plan: $17/mo
Premium Plan: Starts at $299/mo
Google Drive
For: Collaboration
Google Drive is a file storage service provided by Google. Google Drive allows teams to collaborate on documents, sync files into one cloud-based solution, and access information from any smartphone, desktop, or tablet device with internet access. Files can be edited in real-time and shared publicly or privately. Google Drive is the ultimate collaboration tool for working on and sharing files within your small business team.
Pricing
Free for 15 GB
Google One Plans
$2/mo for 100 GB
$3/mo for 200 GB
$10/mo for 2 TB
$100/mo for 10 TB
$200/mo for 20 TB
$300/mo for 30 TB
Canva
For: Graphics and Design
Canva is the perfect tool for small businesses looking to create digital graphics, pamphlets, posters, and other design elements. As a graphic design platform, Canva provides templates and suggestions for a variety of industries and topics. Very little graphic design experience is needed to create basic designs, and small businesses of all sizes can benefit from trying out everything it has to offer.
Pricing
Free 30 day trial
Free Plan
Pro Plan: $119.99/year
Enterprise Plan: $30/mo per person (min 25 people)
Online competition is becoming increasingly harder to compete with. By investing in tools to help your small business, you can create a strategy that is organized, innovative, and ultimately effective. Stay ahead of the game by implementing schedules and processes for your daily business activities.
Need help setting up these tools or too busy to manage them on your own? Reach out to us! We have a team of professionals working with clients to help their businesses succeed. Let’s chat about your online business strategies today.
Author’s Note: Pricing is accurate as of June 29, 2022. However, prices of tools and services are subject to change. Monthly and yearly payment options are available for some of the tools.