Articles
Look Bigger And Smarter Than You Really Are With These 7 Web Tools
Posted on September 5, 2014
I always get a kick when someone calls my office (read: calls my cell phone while I’m working on my couch) and expects a receptionist to answer the phone and transfer them to the company president. Er, no, that’s me. I buy my own printer cartridges, design my own website, and pretty much handle every aspect of my business. Ah, the life of the micropreneur.
But here’s my secret. I’ve gotten really good at finding Web tools that make it look like I have an army of people working for me. Here, I let you in on my most closely guarded secret tools. Use them to your advantage.
1. Canva
I struggled with design for years. I am not — in no way, shape, or form — good at design. Photoshop gives me a headache. But I can’t afford to hire a designer every time I want some fun graphic thingie.
So when I discovered Canva, I was skeptical that I could actually use it. But it’s really as simple as it claims to be. With it, I make graphics for my blog and for social media using templates and drag-and-drop features. I look like I know what I’m doing!
2. WordPress
I know, everyone’s got a WordPress blog, but what about a WordPress website? I transferred my site over to a nifty WordPress template ($50) just this week, and am super happy with the professional results. (Curious? Tell me what you think.)
I like how advanced the templates have become, and that I was able to modify this one and throw my Web copy up on the pages in under two hours. No HTML needed.
3. Nimble
I’m not a heavy user of CRM, but when I talk to a potential client, I like to log into Nimble and take notes. It’s cool because you can also link to people’s social profiles as well as see their streams. So if I see something interesting on their LinkedIn LNKD +1.11% profile while I’m in Nimble, I can mention it and look like I have an amazing memory. Score.
4. Spokal
I just started using Spokal, but already I’m impressed. It sets up a schedule of social shares of my content, helps me boost my Twitter TWTR +1.84% following, and lets me see what my competitors are up to.
5. Rapportive
I like connecting on social media with the people I do business with. I use the Rapportive plugin so I can view my contacts’ LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter profiles, and can connect with one click. It saves me a lot of searching on social sites.
6. FreshBooks
I used to track all my time spent on client projects in a spreadsheet. Ug, what a headache that was. But when I found out that FreshBooks has a built-in timer that will put your time directly into invoices, I actually switched from QuickBooks. It’s got other features that make my life easier, like letting clients pay with a credit card or Paypal directly from the invoice.
7. Hootsuite
Hootsuite gets a mention every time I write about productivity or other useful apps, and for good reason. I’m currently managing three different Twitter profiles through this social media dashboard, and can easily switch from one to the other without visiting Twitter at all. There’s a new cool “Suggested Content” feature that lets you schedule relevant content to publish throughout the week.
I’m always on the lookout for tools that will help me make my company look bigger than it is. What tools do you depend on?
Read more at http://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2014/09/02/look-smarter-than-you-really-are-with-these-7-web-tools/