Starting and growing an online business presents both immense opportunities as well as unique challenges in today's digital landscape. While ecommerce and internet-based business models open up global markets and new ways to generate revenue, crucial business operations from website building to accounting must be handled primarily through software tools.
Choosing the right software can enable entrepreneurs to more efficiently run their online businesses, serve customers across the world, and outpace competitors. However, the multitude of solutions now available across every business function, from email marketing to graphic design, makes identifying and integrating the best tools an overwhelming task.
This comprehensive guide covers the top software tools in key categories that entrepreneurs rely on to start, manage, and grow thriving online businesses:
Table of Contents
- Website Builders
- Email Marketing Platforms
- Accounting & Invoicing Software
- Project Management Systems
- Graphic Design Tools
- CRM Platforms
- Appointment Scheduling Software
- POS Systems
- SEO Tools
- Document Creation Tools
- Password Managers
- Prototyping Tools
- Testing & Feedback Software
- Virtual Phone Systems
- Conclusion
Website Builders
A quality website serves as the foundation for any successful online business by establishing credibility, attracting customers, enabling ecommerce, and generating leads for future sales. Rather than hiring web developers to code new sites from scratch, many entrepreneurs now leverage website builders to quickly launch on a budget:
Popular Website Builders
| Name | Best For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Wix | Custom Design | $14 - $39 per month |
| Squarespace | Simplicity & Style | $12 - $46 per month |
| WordPress.org | Flexibility & Add-Ons | Free (self-hosted) |
These drag and drop website builders allow entrepreneurs with no coding skills to choose from professionally designed site templates, customize colors and fonts, integrate ecommerce functionality, publish mobile-responsive pages, register domain names, and host the final site. Most offer free basic plans or trial periods so businesses can get online for little to no money down.
For entrepreneurs who envision custom designs or advanced features beyond what's available in off-the-shelf templates, hiring a web development agency may be preferable over DIY site builders. Those running successful Shopify ecommerce stores may also leverage Shopify Experts to build tailored storefront websites.
Email Marketing Platforms
Email marketing represents one of the most cost effective yet highly converting digital marketing channels available today. Software platforms like MailChimp and Constant Contact make it simple for entrepreneurs to:
- Design attractive email newsletters and promotions
- Segment contacts into targeted subscriber lists
- Automate multistep welcome/nurture sequences
- A/B test different email content
- Track opens, clicks, shares, and purchases
This vital data then provides insights to further optimize campaigns and tactical offers over time. Integrations with ecommerce platforms like WooCommerce even enable sending targeted transactional emails when customers purchase online.
Here are the stats on the top self-serve email service providers:
| Platform | Free Tier | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | 2,000 Contacts | From $9.99 per month |
| Constant Contact | 60 day trial | $20 per month |
| ConvertKit | - | $29+ per month |
Paid plans offer increased contacts, automations, reporting, and integrations over more limited free tiers. For online coaches, consultants, authors and freelancers managing their own customer email lists, ConvertKit specializes in creator-centric email marketing.
Accounting & Invoicing Software
Managing cash flow and finances represents a vital business function, but one that often gets deprioritized by entrepreneurs focused on sales and marketing. This proves even more true for online business owners lacking brick and mortar retail sites where purchases involve swiping credit cards.
Instead, web and mobile applications now provide the accounting infrastructure to not only bill clients but also automate tasks like:
- Generating, customizing and emailing professional invoices
- Tracking income and expenses across bank accounts
- Running financial statements
- Supporting online payments
- Managing taxes and year-end filings
Top Accounting Software
| Platform | Pricing | Strengths |
|---|---|---|
| Quickbooks Online | $25+ per month | Industry standard for small businesses |
| Xero | $9+ per month | User-friendly dashboards |
| Freshbooks | $15+ per month | Specifically for freelancers |
Additional capabilities like inventory management, payroll, budgeting tools and data integrations provide further value. When assessing solutions, online entrepreneurs should consider which features best align to their business model and growth stage.
Project Management Systems
Juggling multiple projects involving different tasks, team members, and deadlines simultaneously proves challenging even for experienced entrepreneurs. Project management software like Asana and Basecamp provides online businesses centralized platforms to:
- Breakdown major initiatives into task lists
- Assign activities to specific individuals
- Set due date and reminders
- View project timelines and track progress
- Manage day-to-day communications
Common toolsets across leading platforms include project overviews, file sharing, time tracking, custom reporting, and automation through project templates. For entrepreneurs managing client work, the ability to provide online access to tasks, schedules, and deliverables keeps external teams updated in real time.
Sample Project Management Platforms
| Platform | Free Option | Paid Upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| Asana | Free version for up to 15 users | Premium plans from $13.49 per user per month |
| Basecamp | 30 day free trial | $99 per month flat rate |
| Trello | Unlimited personal boards | Business class $17.50 per user per month |
Comprehensive integrations also connect these systems into broader toolsets. For example, marking emails in Gmail as completed automatically logs task completion in Asana projects.
Graphic Design Software
While not a strict requirement, having professional visual assets like logos, images, and graphics strengthens an online brand and presence. However full-scale design projects can overwhelm lean entrepreneurial budgets, especially when validating new business ideas.
Instead DIY graphic design platforms like Canva provide templates, fonts, illustrations and editing tools to create quality graphics on a budget such as:
- Social media posts
- Blog banners
- Marketing flyers
- Presentation slides
- Packaging prototypes
- Infographics
- Reports
Canva offers a straightforward drag and drop interface even for non-designers while integrating premium stock photos and elements through Getty Images and Shutterstock partnerships.
Advanced users on Adobe Creative Cloud platforms like Illustrator or Photoshop can further customize final outputs. Understanding the right balance between do-it-yourself solutions vs hiring freelance designers provides the highest return on investment as online businesses scale production values with revenue growth.
CRM Platforms
Transitioning contacts acquired through email, social media, and website traffic into happy, repeat customers represents an immense challenge for ecommerce brands and online service providers. Customer relationship management (CRM) software centralizes client interactions to enable businesses to:
- Organize contacts into searchable databases
- Log communications through integrated phone, email, and messaging
- Record customer purchase history & interaction notes
- Segment users & personalize marketing
- Analyze metrics on acquisition, churn & lifetime value
| Platform | Free Option | Paid Upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| HubSpot CRM | Free version for basic contacts/deals | Premium tiers for marketing automation, service, sales |
| Zoho CRM | 15 day trial | From $12 per user per month |
| Pipedrive | 14 day trial | From $15 per user per month |
Evaluating both end-user experiences alongside reporting/analytics needs
Appointment Scheduling Software
For consultants, freelancers, and agencies selling time and expertise online, managing customer bookings can quickly spiral out of control across phone/email channels. However, integrating appointment scheduling software enables automating this process:
- Customers select openings on live calendar
- Confirmation emails with meeting details
- Payment processing via Stripe/PayPal
- Zoom/video call reminders
- Analytics on scheduling effectiveness
This self-service model reduces administrative overhead while providing better customer experiences. Some popular options include:
| Platform | Free Option | Paid Upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| Calendly | Free for basic features | From $8 per month |
| Acuity Scheduling | 30 day free trial | $15 per month |
| ScheduleOnce | Free for individuals | From $8 per month |
Scheduling tools integrate into Google Workspace, Office 365 and email marketing platforms along with CRM systems like Salesforce for small businesses and enterprise adoption.
POS Systems
Transitioning a brick and mortar store online requires integrating point of sale (POS) systems to manage checkout, payments, inventory, reporting and other core functions through tablet devices and cloud-based software. Top solutions like Square POS and Shopify POS provide:
- Centralized inventory across online/offline
- Customer profiles & purchase histories
- Robust reporting on sales, traffic, bestsellers
- Accept payments via cards, mobile wallets
- Integrated accounting
- Manage staffing, payroll and commissions
POS system pricing often runs around 2.5-3.5% transaction fees alongside hardware costs for tablets, printers, scanners and cash drawers. However monthly subscription plans around $60 per month provide cheaper alternatives without hardware lock-in. Getting requirements right during vendor selection helps maximize ROI on these core small business infrastructure investments.
SEO Tools
Gaining organic traffic through search engine optimization allows online businesses to tap into valuable visitors without paying ever-increasing Google and Facebook advertising bills. While mastering SEO best practices proves essential, software like:
- SEMRush
- Moz Pro
- Ahrefs
Provide data to inform optimization strategies including:
- Keyword research
- Backlink analysis
- Site audits
- Rank tracking
- Competitive intelligence
- Content gap analysis
Free browser extensions like MozBar and SEMRush also supply quick domain authority and rank data. When just starting out, entrepreneurs can stick with these before investing in paid tools providing more advanced reporting and insights as sites grow.
Document Creation Tools
Beyond core website pages and blog content, online businesses regularly need collateral to solidify brand positioning and close deals like:
- One pagers
- Whitepapers
- Case studies
- Proposals & quotes
- Reports & presentations
Rather than expensive Microsoft Office subscriptions, Google Workspace and Office 365 provide reliable cloud-based collaboration and editing tools for real time co-creation across teams:
| Tool | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Google Docs | Real-time editing Commenting Version history | Free - $20 per user per month |
| Microsoft Word | Document formatting Reviewing Sharing | From $5 per user per month |
Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint enable creating polished presentations together. For more advanced publishing, graphic design platforms like Canva integrate these popular formats to produce documents optimized for both web and print.
Password Managers
Between website logins, software accounts, API keys and WiFi networks, online businesses easily accumulate hundreds of passwords to remember and protect. Trying to track credentials across Excel sheets and sticky notes proves not only inefficient but also major security risks waiting to happen.
Password managers like 1Password and LastPass provide encrypted digital vaults to control access and share credentials across teams:
- Generate secure, random passwords
- Auto logins on sites
- Sync across devices/browsers
- Secure document storage
- Role based permissions
Alongside rock-solid encryption standards, top tools enable two factor authentication (2FA) for additional protection. Some even integrate single sign on (SSO) to further streamline access management as companies scale tools and users.
Prototyping Tools
Validating ideas with functional software prototypes enables collecting user feedback before investing months of engineering resources into potential dead-end products. Thankfully no-code platforms like Webflow empower entrepreneurs to mock-up web/mobile applications themselves:
Key Features
- Drag and drop UIs
- Animate interactions
- Frontend logic
- Link screens together
- Integrate 3rd party tools
- Publish live sites
Additional integrations with Sprinklr, Marketo and Segment also make Webflow viable for enterprise landing pages, promos and campaigns. While coding frameworks still power complex custom software, no-code tools let non-technical founders prototype to answer questions early.
Testing & Feedback Software
Even if product ideas resonate based on prototypes and landing pages, translating visits into informed buyers involves systematically optimizing experiences. Session replay tools like Hotjar record actual user interactions including:
- Mouse movements
- Scrolling
- Clicks
- Form analytics
Website polls then gather first hand preferences on proposed changes before developers invest deeply.
Integrating client review generation platform Grade Us then prompts happy customers across channels to leave ratings and testimonials offering credible validation for prospects on the fence. Together this software toolkit empirically guides online experience iterations and experiments to drive results.
Virtual Phone Systems
While email and messaging prove popular contact methods, phone calls still lead higher ticket services and B2B sales. Answering every ring also distracts entrepreneurs from business-building priorities. Virtual business phone services upgrade call experiences for only $25 a month without expensive hardware investments:
- Toll free & local numbers
- Call routing flows
- Voicemail transcription
- CRM integrations
- Real-time analytics
Growing businesses needing dedicated 1-800 numbers and unlimited calling tap affordable voice over internet protocol (VoIP) providers like RingCentral, Nextiva, Grasshopper, and OpenPhone. Some virtual phone systems even assign individual phone numbers to distributed team members to maintain professionalism.
Conclusion
This guide just scratches the surface of transformative software tools allowing entrepreneurs to start, manage, and grow online businesses from anywhere. New automation and AI-driven innovations emerge constantly across operations like accounting, HR, risk mitigation and customer support. Leveraging the right solutions empowers small teams to punch above their weight competing amidst an increasingly noisy digital economy.
Technology alone cannot replace thoughtful strategy and execution. However, combining software scalability with human creativity has enabled one-person online businesses to transform into global brands leading markets. The only real question is where to start on your journey.
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