Top 12 Best Free Online Business Tools for Startups / Small Businesses (Year 2023)

Marketing and Social Media Tools at a glance ( Mailchimp, Hootsuite, Canva ).

For small businesses, having an online presence is vital. Email marketing campaigns can be created and automated with the aid of Mailchimp. Hootsuite makes managing social media for organizations easier by enabling them to plan and keep an eye on posts across many channels. Canva enables business owners to create attractive visuals for social media and promotional materials.

Mailchimp: Elevating Email Marketing

A flexible email marketing tool called Mailchimp enables companies to design, oversee, and evaluate email campaigns. It has a number of features that aid companies in connecting with customers, fostering brand loyalty, and increasing sales.

Key Features:

• Email Campaigns: Create eye-catching email campaigns with templates that are customisable.
• Segmentation: To communicate in a targeted and individualized way, segment your audience.
• Automation: Create email automation processes depending on user actions or timers.
• Analytics: Monitor email performance indicators including conversions, click-through rates, and open rates.
• Integration: Sync consumer data by integrating with e-commerce platforms and other technologies.

Practical Use Case:

Mailchimp allows a fashion store to deliver targeted emails to various client segments. For instance, they may send a “VIP Sale” email to their devoted customers and a “New Arrivals” email to recent shoppers.

Hootsuite: Amplifying Social Media Management

The comprehensive social media management software Hootsuite aids companies in streamlining their social media initiatives. From a single dashboard, it allows for the scheduling, publication, monitoring, and analysis of social media material across several platforms.

Key Features:

• Content Scheduling: Prepare and schedule posts in advance for various social media channels.
• Social Listening: To keep up with trends, track keyword mentions and social media mentions.
• Analytics: Monitor follower growth, engagement analytics, and other important performance data.
• Collaboration: Give each team member a specific task, and work together to handle social media.
• Ad Campaigns: Directly from the platform, manage and monitor paid social media campaigns.

Practical Use Case:

Hootsuite allows restaurants to plan postings about daily deals, offer behind-the-scenes content, and respond to consumer feedback on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Canva: Empowering Visual Content Creation

Canva is an intuitive graphic design tool that enables companies to produce eye-catching images, papers, and marketing materials without having to have substantial design expertise.

Key Features:

• Templates: Pick from a sizable collection of templates for presentations, flyers, social media postings, and more.
• Drag-and-Drop: Drag components, photos, and text onto the canvas to quickly alter templates.
• Stock Assets: To improve designs, access a variety of stock images, icons, and illustrations.
• Collaboration: Invite team members to work together in real time on designs.
• Brand Kit: Keep your branding consistent by storing logos, colors, and fonts for quick access.

Practical Use Case:

Canva is a tool that startups may use to design attractive social media posts, a polished pitch deck, and marketing materials for a forthcoming product launch.

You can improve your email campaigns, social media presence, and visual content creation, ultimately reaching and engaging your target audience more successfully, by adding Mailchimp, Hootsuite, and Canva into your marketing approach.

The possible operation of the subscription plans ( Mailchimp, Hootsuite, Canva ) is summarized below:

Selecting a pricing plan that fits your company’s requirements is generally required when signing up for marketing and creative apps like Mailchimp, Hootsuite, and Canva.

Mailchimp:

• Free Plan: Basic features including email campaigns and limited automation.
• Essentials Plan: Enhanced features for growing businesses, including email templates, A/B testing, and more.
• Standard Plan: Advanced features such as retargeting ads, custom branding, and more robust automation.
• Premium Plan: Additional advanced features like advanced segmentation, multivariate testing, and phone support.

Hootsuite:

• Free Plan: Basic features for managing social media accounts and scheduling posts.
• Professional Plan: Enhanced scheduling, analytics, and team collaboration features.
• Team Plan: More team members, advanced analytics, and compliance features.
• Business Plan: Customizable features for larger businesses, including enhanced analytics, team permissions, and priority support.

Canva:

• Free Plan: Basic design features with access to templates and a limited library of assets.
• Canva Pro: Additional features including unlimited access to premium assets, custom fonts, and advanced design tools.
• Canva for Enterprise: Tailored features for larger teams, including brand kit management, advanced collaboration, and priority support.

It’s crucial to go to the official websites of these tools in order to find the most recent details on pricing and functionality. Take into account elements like the quantity of users, the particular requirements of your business, and the necessary level of functionality. Consider both monthly and annual subscription choices to obtain the best deal for your company. Some products also provide discounts for annual billing.