Online business is definitely booming, and ecommerce stores generate billions in revenue each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Additionally, an increasing number of brick-and-mortar businesses are opening up online shops to reach a wider market. What brick-and-mortar business owners are learning when they venture online is that the internet is a whole new frontier, with a whole new set of rules. Search engine ranking, website analytics, online order management, and ad revenue all come into play to make the lives of online business owners more complicated and often more profitable.
Let’s say you sell construction supplies, and you’ve had a brick-and-mortar store for the last two decades. If you decide to open up an online store in hopes of reaching new customers, you’ll most likely need to build a website, get some shopping cart software, market your online store, manage your online orders and inventory, and improve your online visibility. If you don’t do all of this well, you can’t expect much business to come your way, especially because there are a number of competitors online who also sell construction supplies.
In short, running an online business is a lot of work, especially for business owners who are used to primarily operating offline. Fortunately, there are oodles and oodles of apps and online resources that make the life of an online business owner easier. Here are a few of the top smartphone apps you should check out if you want to be able to run your online business more effectively on-the-go:
1. SEO Search Ranking
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This iPhone app helps you keep track of your ranks for targeted keywords on search engines. If you want to see if your SEO efforts are paying off in terms of how your site ranks for certain keywords, SEO Search Ranking is the app for you. Unfortunately, there’s not currently an Android app that lets you check your site’s rank for specific keywords. However, WebRank SEO is a very useful Android app that gives you access to your overall website ranking on various scales and gives you a snapshot of your backlinks and pages indexed. So, Android users definitely don’t have to be kept in the dark when it comes to the progress of their SEO campaigns.
2. Dashboard for Google Analytics
This Android and iPhone dashboard app lets you monitor your website traffic, page views, and conversions. Additionally, Dashboard for Google Analytics calculates a website performance index that helps you keep track of your website’s performance in terms of traffic on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
3. jumpStock
If you’re managing inventory and online orders, jumpStock is a huge help. This app allows you to always know what’s in stock and what you need to order, and you can even use it to easily and efficiently order more of whatever you need from suppliers. Think of it as a little procurement software. If minimizing inventory and maximizing profit is your goal, jumpStock will help you accomplish it.
4. Zoho CRM Web App
If you’re already using Zoho for your CRM needs, you’ll love this mobile web app for iPhones and Android devices. It gives you instant access to all the information you need about leads, accounts, contacts, and tasks, and it even lets you create, modify, and save new records of customer information right from your phone.
Launching a business online can be one of the most profitable things you’ve ever done. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the most difficult. So, arm yourself with the right tools, such as business process automation, and apps to increase efficiency, and remember to disconnect from your phone and your online business every once in a while!
About Brandon Leibowitz
