Due to the global pandemic’s restrictions, one thing became clear – if your business is not represented online, it might as well be deemed non-existent. However, moving your business online takes much more than creating a website and organizing your business’ workflow via group chats.
In this article, you will find a list of 6 tools that will help you manage your business online, ranging from a cloud PBX for internal communication and platforms for secure online payments to chatbots and services for automated email campaigns, among others. Once you finish reading this article, you’ll get a clear understanding of things you need to make your business operate online.
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A Cloud PBX
In different contexts, a PBX, or Private Branch Exchange, is a telephone exchange system that connects your business with other entities via phone lines. The difference between a cloud PBX and the traditional PBX is that the former eliminates the need for physical hardware.
The cloud PBX allows your business to easily manage phone calls and voice messaging from any computer or mobile device connected to the internet. It also provides you with the ability to customize your phone extensions and access flexible calling features like call recording, call forwarding, and voicemail.
If you want your business to communicate with clients and vendors via phone lines, a cloud PBX is an efficient solution. If you are looking for ways to transfer your files safely check this website https://www.goanywhere.com/solutions/cloud-file-transfer.
An Online Payment Platform
Online payment platforms allow your business to accept online payments in exchange for goods and services without handling sensitive data.
When it comes to online payment platforms, there are two major types: hosted payment pages and transaction gateways.
Hosted payment pages are websites that the payment platform’s provider hosts. Transaction gateways, on the other hand, are software applications that are installed on your own server.
There are multiple types of online payment platforms you can choose from. Some of them include PayPal, Stripe, and Braintree.
A Sales Management Tool
A sales management tool is an essential tool if your business is in the B2B industry and you want to organize your sales team or structure your client pipeline.
Sales management tools help you manage sales leads, allocate leads to sales reps, track sales performance, create sales reports, and much more. You can also use a sales management tool to implement automated sales processes, like pre-qualification of leads and automatic follow-ups via email and calendar reminders.
There are many different sales management tools available online, and you’ll surely find one that perfectly suits your company’s needs. Some examples include Salesforce, Zoho CRM, and Deskpro.
A Secure File Sharing Platform
In the era of technology, sending files through email attachments is not a safe practice. So, unless your business is sending large files that require a lot of time to send and receive, you should look into using a secure file sharing platform instead of email attachments.
This is where a secure file sharing platform comes into play. A secure file sharing platform allows you to send large files in exchange for a service fee or free of charge, depending on your needs. It keeps the files stored safely in an encrypted environment, allowing you to access them whenever it’s convenient for you.
A Business Automation Platform
A business automation platform is a software that automates repetitive tasks that require manual intervention. This type of software allows you to automate processes like scheduling meetings or emails, managing tasks, creating reports, etc. Not only does this save your time and effort, but also helps you improve productivity and manage workflow more efficiently.
There are different types of business automation platforms available online, such as email marketing automation, customer relationship management (CRM), project management, business process management (BPM), and accounts payable automation. The best thing about business automation platforms is that they allow you to set up processes based on specific triggers and rules. For example, when a new lead registers on your website, the software will automatically schedule a call with the lead’s contact person to qualify the prospect and determine whether further action is required. This saves your business a lot of time and effort in the long run.
A Chatbot
Chatbots are becoming more and more popular these days because they offer many benefits for your business compared to traditional methods of communication such as email or phone calls. Chatbots allow you to interact with customers directly from your website or mobile app without redirecting them to another website or app. They also allow you to provide customers with immediate assistance without resorting to live support agents who may be unavailable at the time of need.
The Final Word
Moving your business online is a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. Even though most businesses nowadays have some sort of digital representation in the form of a website or social media page, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they operate online 100%. If your business isn’t represented online in a way that ensures 24/7 availability and adaptability, then it might as well be dead in the water. Moving your business online takes a lot of work and requires a lot of time and effort to succeed – so be prepared for it!