Running a business in the year 2021 involves some sort of dealing with the digital world. Before the world was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, there were still many businesses that were running brick and mortar businesses. However, the pandemic gave such a push to the world that even the businesses who didn’t know anything about digital resources had to learn to survive.

So it can be said with certainty that many businesses were turned into rags while, on the other hand, they were turned into riches. Now businesses like Toys R Us and many popular stores like it closed their brick and mortar stores and went all online and created virtual stores.

Following the lead, many small businesses also took the opportunity and started running virtual small businesses. This most probably included tech stores, app building, software development, and cupcake business, etc. If I go on, the list will be endless.

Now let us take a look at five online tools that can help you run your small business virtually.

Tips to Help Run Virtual Small Businesses

• Webhosting Plan for Your Online Store

The first and foremost thing when you take your business online is that you create an online store. For this purpose, you need to have a proper online business plan which would include your Webhosting plans, domain names, web designs, product placement, product descriptions, etc.

Online or Physical, the business plan should cover every aspect. This is why you don’t take the business planning for your online store lightly. For this purpose, you can either outsource your business’s digital needs or hire an in-house web developer who can create a store for you.

Many websites can make a website for you according to your own choice, or you can simply start from scratch and build through a website developer. This developer is in short, will make your online store with which you are going to do your business.

• An Application for your Social Media Management

Once you have an online store, by which we mean a website ready, ready, the next step is to bring your virtual business to all the social media platforms as well. One great thing about social media platforms is that you can create a business account for free.

While a lot of digital marketing agencies will take care of your websites and charge you for it, even if you make it through WordPress, you still need to spend some on web hosting plans, etc. On the other hand, creating a store on social media site is completely free.

Websites like Facebook, Instagram, and or TikTok and Snapchat, etc., can be used to create online business stores as well. While all the sites were used for personal sharing and socializing but today, all the big shot corporations are even using it to connect to their customers, sell their products, marketing, and sales, etc. You can also use an application like Zoho and Hootsuite etc., to manage all your social media profiles from one platform.

• Software for Email Campaigns

Now many of us would think that having a website and presence on social media platforms is enough for your small business to flourish. However, there are still some age-old marketing online tools techniques that can do wonders for your business.

Do you know Sephora, Amazon, and even Wholefoods do email campaigning? This does not only create loyalty among customers but can also get you new leads. For example, letting your registered customer know about a sale coming soon would make your customers feel they know it first, and this would make them feel special and more likely to shop from you.

There are several software that you can use for email marketing; this software includes MailChimp, Mailmunch, etc. These emails are one best way you can use for communicate with your employees or customers. It’s a win-win investment for your small business.

• Application for Project Management

Working online comes with its own sets of challenges, and the biggest challenge is to work online as a team. Luckily today, we have a lot of software like Trello, Slack, google meets, schedule, etc., that can help you.

Each project management software has its own set of benefits, but essentially the purpose of all of it is that the team connects effectively and smoothly. The apps have bulletin boards and sales funnels which the teammates can keep updating. You can also create meetings and schedule reminders for them as well.

Project management tools have now been introduced in several niches as well, so if you are into construction, you can use the software accordingly, if you are into the FMCG industry, you can work on software for that, if you are running a small bakery store you can maybe you slack to communicate with each other for a sales order.

• A Shopping Cart Software

Last but not least, an online tool that is necessary for your online business has shopping cart software. This means that your online store has a call-to-action button at the end of each product with which you can add things to your cart.

Without this CTA button, you can probably do not have a point of having an online store. Now this cart will not only offer you an option of buying but only making payment for the products. 

This shopping cart option from Shopify or any other software you like will offer you various secured payment options as well.

Conclusion

Having a virtual store is more of a necessity today than an option. If you are not able to digitize your business today, unfortunately, you might suffer losses and be left behind, and the thing about virtual stores is that the trends are always changing.

So just keep in mind these five things; have a Webhosting plan ready for your website, have a social media presence for your business, install and coordinate using project management software, and last but not least, have a shopping cart software ready for your customers.

Oh, and don’t forget to use email campaign software that can keep your customers loyal and happy.