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Software tools startups can use to boost growth and maximize efficiency

Leave a Comment / Digital Marketing, E-Commerce, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Development /

Startups have a startling failure rate of 90% so you need more than just an idea to ensure your business survives and grows. There are so many software tools available for startups and as a new business owner, you might get overwhelmed by all the options. With this article, you can narrow your choices by picking from the top game software tools. The emergence of Covid 19 highlighted the importance of a digital presence for your business, thanks to these digital solutions companies were able to connect with their customers while increasing sales. Here are things to consider before choosing software for startups ; Is the software easy to use? Is the pricing reasonable for you? Or do you have the option of a free trial or even a free basic version? Does the software allow you to share files with your team members? Can the software accommodate multiple users and accounts? Is the software compatible with other tools that you are already using? Are there video tutorials, live chat, or tech support to help a new user know how to use the software? SOFTWARE TOOLS PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS If you want things to be done effectively, a project management tool is a MUST. Project management tools ensure everything is working smoothly and effectively by keeping track of deadlines, progress, and day-to-day tasks. Todoist and Airtable are project management tools that complement each other well, Todoist is a to-do list manager, essential to any project. This easy-to-use software offers features such as task management, collaboration tools, filters, and activity history. It offers a free plan that allows five non-archived projects, 300 tasks per project,20 active sections per project, and five collaborators per request. Airtable is a project management software that allows users to attach files, set deadlines, and assign ownership. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to track data and create views suited for multiple applications. WEB DESIGN TOOLS Creating a website for your business is essential for your business, even if it is a simple website. It is a great platform to showcase your products or services. It also allows more interaction with your customers. With multiple website-building platforms, startups are spoiled for choice. Airtable is a free software that allows you to build your website quickly and easily, It offers themes and plug-ins to help customize your website making it look more authentic and professional Other website-building platforms are; Squarespace and Wix. E-MAIL COMMUNICATION TOOLS. Investing in email is the most effective way of getting ROI (Return on Investment ). It is a significant way to reach out to your target audience as you promote your services and products. For the long-term growth and success of your start-up, email marketing is a must. AWeber is an email marketing tool that offers a free plan for up to 500 subscribers. It allows users to send follow-up emails to subscribers after they sign up, and create beautiful, high-converting pages to capture leads, it also provides email templates to help you save time and stay consistent with your branding. Other Email marketing tools are; Mailchimp SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT TOOLS. Social media is a powerful tool, through social media you can reach a broad audience since location is no longer a factor. However, managing social media accounts is time-consuming and can be overwhelming. Hootsuite is a social media management tool that helps you manage all your social media platforms all in one place. It is free for up to three social media profiles. It offers features like posting and scheduling content, tracking social media analytics all in one place, and monitoring keywords and hashtags. Other social media management tools are; Buffer, Sprout Social, and Sendible. Have a look at our suggestions for Top 10 Best Free Social Media Management Tools CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT TOOL. As a start delivering excellent customer service should be one of your top priorities. A Customer Relation Tool (CRM) helps manage your customers\’ data and interaction all in one place. It will help keep track of your customers\’\’ sales thus showcasing the outcome of your marketing efforts. Using customer relation management software gives you a competitive edge. Zoho CRM is a great free option that offers features such as SalesIQ (live chat), automation, insights, and reports. It also involves many integrations, such as Google Suite, MailChimp, QuickBooks, and Zapier. ACCOUNTING TOOL. Accounting and bookkeeping are crucial parts of a start-up\’s success. With the rise of technology, start-up founders have opted for cloud-based accounting apps since digital accounting applications can import your transcripts in mere minutes Wave is a great free option offering invoicing, payments, and accounting features. It has a payroll feature that is only applicable to USA& Canada and integrates with popular apps such as Stripe, PayPal, QuickBooks, and FreshBooks. ONLINE FILING TOOLS. Digital filing applications have become more popular, they make storing and locating your files much easier. It also makes it easy for start-up founders to access their files no matter where they are. DropBox is a free online filing tool that helps you with your business files. It offers 2GB of free storage and is very easy to use. You can access your files from anywhere and share them with anyone with its mobile app compatible with all devices. Another online filing software is Google Drive it works the same as DropBox but it integrates with Google’s suite products e.g. Gmail, and Google Docs. WEBSITE ANALYTICS TOOL. Website analytics tools are essential for understanding your audience and measuring your marketing efforts. Google Analytics provides insight into your website traffic. It allows you to see where your visitors are coming from, what they’re doing on your site, and whether they converted to clients. Other Website Analystic Tools are Mixpanel, KISSmetrics, and Clicky. MARKETING AUTOMATION TOOLS Once your start-up has gotten off its feet and is now attracting and gaining more customers, it is best to start using a marketing automation tool, that helps you automate your marketing tasks such as e-mail marketing, social media, and ads. HubSpot Sale is

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10 steps on how to start an online business

Leave a Comment / E-Commerce /

Starting an online business in 2022 is easier than ever. Anyone can create one regardless of their entrepreneurship skills or background. But starting and maintaining an online business is still a lot of work even with a low entry bar. you must first look for a viable product or service to sell, then the technicalities of coming up with a sales plan, a manufacturing source, and how your customers will get a hold of the product. But even with some challenges, starting an online business is worth it. REASONS TO START AN ONLINE BUSINESS Online businesses have a lot of advantages and if you were wondering whether to start an online business or not, here are four major reasons to start one. It is extremely inexpensive A lot of successful online businesses have started with nothing but a smartphone, a few products, and a free website hosting service. You can start an online business with less than Kshs 5000 since you forego the price of rent, a large starting stock, and employees. So if you are just starting out your entrepreneurial career and you don\’t want to risk all your life savings, starting an online business is the smart move. The business can run 24/7 With an online business, you are not bound by your salary, you can choose the hours you want to work, and the success of your business is not dependent on the hours you work but instead on your productivity. This is perfect for people who have a job already and are looking for another source of income since they can run their businesses even after hours. The freedom to work on your own time, allows you to be able to focus on other things like your family and friends and also even be able to focus on other forms of income. You can work from anywhere Online businesses are not tied to any location or physical shop. This allows you to travel and work at the same time. As long as you have your phone or laptop and a stable internet connection your business will run smoothly even when you are not necessarily available. Major growth and potential The sky is the limit when it comes to online businesses since you are not bound to a location your reach is endless, and you can sell your products to a consumer who does not live in your area. When you focucomess on your customer reach and building your website you can grow your business exponentially. HOW TO START AN ONLINE BUSINESS After identifying the reasons why starting an online business will always be a good idea, let\’s now dive into how to start and maintain an online business. Identify your product. There are three types of e-commerce products one can sell online each with its advantages and disadvantages. Services Almost any service can be sold online, from recently you can consult a doctor online without having to go to the hospital. Services have a higher demand but since it\’s a business that will be heavily reliant on your time your earning potential is limited. Digital Goods These are products that clients can download on their devices. They include audio books, online courses, audio courses, etc Physical goods As the name suggests these are tangible goods that are manufactured, stored, and shipped to customers. There are a lot of tangible goods to choose from, some more profitable than others. Find your niche A business niche is your market or your target audience. This can consist of which gender you want to cater to, their financial status, and geographic location. Identifying these things helps you market your product following your client\’s needs. This also helps you identify if your business is viable or not, since having a product that your target audience doesn\’t need or can\’t afford only makes the process of having an online business even harder. Identify your competitors To make your launch into the online business world, you must analyze what your competitors are doing and use it as a blueprint of some sort to steer your business in the right direction. Learn online business laws Online businesses may assume that traditional business laws do not apply to them, but this is far from true. Even though online businesses require fewer licenses there are some legal technicalities you have to sort out. Source products to sell A business’s identity is reliant on its products one you have settled on the type of e-commerce product you want to sell, you now have the task of finding manufacturers and suppliers of your chosen product. You can choose between making your products, or finding an online supplier from sites like alibaba.com. Evaluate your product viability No matter how cool, innovative, or unique you think your product is, what matters is the viability of the product from a business standpoint. It is best to evaluate your products before making a large order. And to do so you must ask yourself these three questions ; Is there any other online business selling the product? Is the demand for the product sustainable or is it temporary? What is the profit margin?  Define your brand image and identity. Your brand is the overall essence of your business, you want your business name, website, and logo to be consistent with the same color palette, visual ideas, and images This presents a more professional and put-together look So as your work on your brand image and identity, you should focus on the following ; Logo Color scheme Page layouts Typography Graphics and photos Build your online store The shopping experience is one of the most important factors that make or break an Online store, the easier and more accessible it is, the more likely for customers to come back. To create the ideal shopping experience for your customers, you can check out Some e-commerce platforms like Jiji, Jumia, etc Marketing Once you have already set up your online store, it is now time

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Quick moving products to sell online

Leave a Comment / Digital Marketing, E-Commerce /

Quick moving products to sell online *DISCLAIMER* Business whether online or offline needs a lot of effort and good strategy to grow. Now that we have that out of the way, in your opinion what are most Kenyans into now? I bet the first thing to come to mind was clothing. Or was it alcohol? According to the E-commerce market report, there are 5 categories to be on the lookout for. Electronics & media(largest), fashion, furniture & appliances, toys, hobbies,& DIYs, food & personal care. Electronics account for 41% of the eCommerce revenue in Kenya, fashion 31%, furniture & appliances 13%, toys, hobbies & DIYs 8% & food and personal care 7%. Characteristics of the best E-commerce product. Unique and exciting. By setting yourself apart from your competitors, your business will generate repeat customers as well as a reputable brand. Take Miniso as a case study. They have affordable, unique products ranging from home decor to cosmetics and electronics. They cater to different needs at a reasonable price. Reasonable price. Most customers look at the quality and price of a product. When both are assured, the business is set to thrive when marketing strategies are applied. Scarce. The more unattainable a product is, the more valuable it becomes. Easy to store and ship. Convenience is everything nowadays. We get deliveries, be it groceries, food, beverages, or clothes. That’s why companies such as Jumia, Sky garden, and Pick-up mtaani came up. They offer affordable delivery options that fit your schedule. What are the top E-commerce products? Electronics. There is a wide variety of products to tap into in this category. Phones(Popular brands like Samsung, Tecno, Iphones, Oppo, Infinix, or Huawei), phone accessories, phone cases(Silicone), power banks, and camera lens kits or accessories (like tripods, ring lights, or handheld gimbal). With influencer marketing rising up, the types of equipment necessary to become a successful influencer would be in high demand.  In addition, the gaming and anime industries have been getting more buzz from youths. Venturing into CPUs, gaming components, computer hardware & software will be a good startup business. Fashion. Ex-UK thrift shops are on the rise. Brand names like Shein are now easy to buy thanks to APS and AliBaba. For AliBaba, bulk clothes and jewelry shopping has made it easier for small businesses to source global products. When it comes to fashion, some of the thighs you need to think about are; your target audience, demographic, delivery process, and payment process. Always keep in mind the customer journey should be seamless. Furniture and Appliances. The more technology advances, the more we evolve alongside it. Meaning appliances such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and smart TVs will be a common feature in most houses. Wireless technology is also a thing to consider when filtering the products to stocks for your business. For furniture, consider things like functionality, sustainability, color, and design. Beauty products. It’s no secret that we are becoming more aware of what we consume. The switch back to organic and eco-friendly products has made businesses also switch up and be more sustainable. That is why businesses like Buke, Sheth Naturals, and Glow Secrets are thriving. Between the 3 companies, you can sample local and global products that are cruelty-free and Vegan. Making your own beauty products like body butter is also one way to go about it. Businesses like Native Wave Media can build your website, digital marketing, and connect you to reputable branding businesses for your packaging. Home Gardening and Decor. Thanks to COVID, we now have hybrid and remote types of Jobs, which means we get to be more at home compared to the previous years. Coupled with the Eco-friendly movement, home gardening, and DIY decor ideas are booming, perfect for plant lovers and interior design fanatics. Items like decorative mirrors, pampas grass, macrame, or vases are good starter packs. Board Games. As a Kenyan, I love drinking games and stocking every type of game out there for different occasions if you catch my drift. My go-to games are card games, Jenga, Pictionary, Truth or drink, and flip a cup. What’s your go-to drinking game? DIYs. I’m always looking for new hobbies to try out by myself or with friends. Pottery classes, painting, candle and soap making, or upcycling my wine bottles. Everyone is always in search of a new hobby, so why not invest in them? Food. You can never go wrong with this item unless you are like me, a terrible cook and a foodie. For foodies, blogging and vlogging about it is a win-win situation. You get to sample delicious cuisines and cash in. As for the gifted chefs of this world, experimenting and pairing different dishes inspired by your life experiences or a movie can be satisfying and profitable, don’t you think so? Take a look at Shokudo, a fairly new Japanese-inspired restaurant. I love the fact they have vegetarian options and the bakery section is to die for! Go check them out, trust me the ambiance and the food will not disappoint. Summary. From the 8 listed produced, which is your main product? Will you capitalize on electronics since it’s the most significant moving product in Kenya? Or will you opt for DIY studios, food, or beauty products? Bear in mind, as we are becoming more environmentally conscious of our consumption, your business or business idea should be sustainable, unique, and affordable. By Grace Mwarania.

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Best Search Engine Optimization Services in Kenya

2 Comments / Design, Digital Marketing, E-Commerce, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Development /

Search Engine Optimization services are the steps taken by a company or individual offering Digital Marketing Services in a bid to improve your website’s visibility and rank on online search results.
This means that if your marketing agency offers you good Search Engine Optimization services (SEO) and someone searches online for products, services, or an article contained in your website, it should show up on the top pages of google, bing, or other search engines results

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