By Informi MembersStart marketing your business with these 3 tools5 Feb 2020 Starting a new business can feel like you’re on a seesaw. Whilst you’re focussing on one area, others can drop – because it’s all on you.When you’re the only one on the payroll, it can be hard to cover multiple areas at once (to the degree you’d like to), so we’ve rounded up the best business tools that will enable efficiency and growth from the get-go.Tool #1 Website buildersLaunching your website is an absolute business essential. Make this your number one priority.Which makes website builders our number one tool to ensure you work smarter, not harder, in your business.UK consumers were expected to spend £106.46bn online in 2019. This makes up 22.3% of all retail spend, a proportion that will reach 27.9% in 2023.Your website is your digital basecamp – it’s the place your marketing activity points back to, the platform that ranks in search results. It tells the world about your business – what you are, what you offer, where to find you, how to get in touch. It’s important to get right.Thankfully, the website builder boom in recent years has led to the creation of a number of extremely reliable, secure and user-friendly platforms that can help you launch your website on a small budget and at lightning speed.The best bit? You don’t need to touch one line of code (unless you want to!).You no longer have to enlist the skills of a website developer or spend hours figuring out domain hosting – simply set up an account and the builder will help you create a website that suits your style and business goals.Website builders like:WixSquareSpaceand Shopifywill help you secure a domain name, provide a vast library of templates to choose from, and offer a drag-and-drop approach to content and function population. Below, you’ll find some of the main things you’ll need to consider before building your website. Key tip: Invest in quality photos/images for your website & marketing with some of the money you saved by using a DIY website builder. While there are some decent royalty-free images out there, you run the risk of other businesses using them too. A quality library of images (branded and non-branded), including an eye-catching logo, will be the gift that keeps on giving.Key considerations before you create your website1. What’s the main aim of your website?Decide on this aim or goal, e.g. for customers to call your office and book an appointment, and then make it as easy as possible for your customers to complete this goal.2. Brand guidelinesEnsure the template style and functionality reflects how you want your brand to come across. You might not have time to establish official brand guidelines yet, but keep consistency in mind at this early stage.3. Room for growthDoes the website-builder have the features you need to expand with your business plans?4. IntegrationDo a quick check that the website builder you select integrates well with any existing accounts you currently have (and wouldn’t want to change) e.g. Mailchimp.5. Responsive designThe majority of website builders will ensure that your website design adapts to the device it’s being viewed on (mobile, laptop, etc). When you’re selecting a template, view its mobile version at the same time to ensure you’re happy with both presentations before populating with content.Tool #2 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systemsImagine being able to communicate with each of your customers in a completely tailored way – and it’s all automated. This is just one of the features of a CRM system.In a nutshell, CRMs are designed to improve your interaction with both current and prospective clients. They collect and analyse customer data, alongside automating marketing campaigns that are tailored to customer preferences and interactions with your company.These systems are an extremely powerful tool in your sales and marketing kit – they’ll streamline your sales pipeline and save you time liaising with, and retaining, customers.Here are some of the main CRM providers and a summary of their features: 1. Zoho CRMOverview: A popular choice for SMBs that want to get going with CRM quickly and affordablyA web-based CRM system that is highly customisableA great solution for tight budgets, looking for helpful dataGood scalability and integration with other softwareResponsive support teamRecently introduced Zia – an AI sales assistant, offering insights on trends, conversions, etc.Zoho MarketingHub also available, offering additional features such as website behaviour tracking, survey campaigns and a marketing plannerCost:Per-user/month:Standard: £10Professional: £16Enterprise: £30Ultimate: £85Free package worth trialling out the features but paid plan will offer more for your money if you’re planning serious business growth.2. HubspotOverview:HubSpot offers a completely free version of its CRM, making it a popular option amongst SMBsBasic features provided such as a clean, visual dashboard, company insights, deal tracking and pipeline managementSales, productivity and individual performance reportsIncludes tools that notify your salespeople the minute a prospect opens their email or visits your websiteFree meeting scheduling, live chat, email templates and click-to-call functionalityCustomisable and integrates with popular apps such as SalesForce and ShopifyAdd-on services for when your business grows e.g. Marketing Hub and Sales HubCost: FREE forever.Unlimited users, data and up to 1,000,000 contacts with no time limit or expiration date. Whether you’re a team of 1 or 1,000. Full pricing details.Starter, Professional & Enterprise pricing options per ‘Hub’ e.g. Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub if you want extra features.Starter: Starts at £42/monthProfessional: Starts at £330/monthEnterprise: Starts at £990/month3. SalesforceOverview: Coined the world’s no.1 CRM platform for business of all sizesMassive range of featuresGreat customer supportTrack sales journey, automateSingle view of each customerOne-click reportsGood scalabilityCan be integrated with 3,000+ apps. Secure mobile appSign up for a guided tourCost: Per-user/month, billed annually:Lightning Platform Starter: £20Lightning Platform Plus: £80Lightning Platform Unlimited: Request a QuoteTool #3 Email marketingIf used correctly, email marketing can be one of the most effective channels for promoting your business.Most importantly, it’s an inexpensive way to upsell to existing customers, convert leads and store data.There are a number of user-friendly email marketing platforms out there that allow you:to manage your data listscreate call-to-action emailspersonalise emailscreate email design templatessend campaigns and track themYou can also automate campaigns, so you can crack on with other areas of your business.Some of the most popular platforms include:1. MailchimpOverview:Free to use plans availablePaid ‘plans that grow with you’Easy to use including ready-made templates and drag and drop builderIntegrates well with website builders and social media channelsCost:Per-month plans:Basic: £0Essentials: £9.99Standard: £14.99Premium: £2992. DripOverview:Good integration with Ecommerce CRM data to personalise and automate marketing emailsMore than just email: Multi-channel touchpointsClear-cut revenue analyticsAdditional integration e.g. add or remove leads to Facebook Custom Audiences based on automation action triggers, sync with your Magento store, use Shopify store customer data to personalise your multi-channel strategies at scaleDrip REST API available to unleash even more ECRM if you/your coding friends want to ‘explore what’s possible’Comprehensive ‘Learn’ section including an intro course, guides and user manualCost:Per month plans:14-day free trialStarts from £36.72 – then subject to number of contacts in your account3. DotdigitalOverview:More than just email: SMS, push notifications, social and moreCreate, test and send data-driven automated campaignsGood integration options including Shopify, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Magento, as well as key business systems such as Ecommerce platforms and CRMsReal-time, rich insightsDedicated onboarding services for seamless migrationGlobal 24/5 support from expert techniciansCost:Per month plans:14-day free trialPackages: Accelerate, Amplify and Custom. Must request pricing packages directly via website submission formIn summaryJust getting started with marketing your new business, can be the biggest hurdle. But with a background in finance, not marketing, you can certainly be forgiven.Prioritise that website to establish your online presence. Next up, get your client list onto a CRM to start automating and structuring your customer touch points. And finally, we recommend getting an email marketing tool like Mailchimp. Compared to running a successful social media account, email marketing is a much smaller time commitment, but can be very effective.Let us know how it goesRead more on marketing your business:4 mistakes all accounting websites make – and how to fix themSEO basics to improve your websiteThe features every accounting firm website should have Informi is your essential destination for everything you need for running your own business from tips on your health and wellbeing to marketing and finance support.