Using Cloud-Based Tools to Boost Your Online Business
Running a successful online business isn’t easy, so what cloud-based tools are other businesses using to boost their online sales and productivity?
There are more than 100,000 Internet-based retailers that make $12,000 or more annually in the United States alone, according to Forbes.
With the worldwide website count topping one billion, it takes some know-how to keep your online business from being lost in the white noise of the cyber world. Web and cloud-based tools can make customers’ experiences positive, earning your online business a place in their hearts as well as Google’s indexing software.
Cloud-Based Storage
One of the fundamental benefits of global Internet technology is a nearly infinite capacity for storage. Cloud-based storage systems are attached to most smartphone packages and cable Internet bundles. Cloud storage is more than some off-site storage area. Apple is using its free cloud as a solid marketing tool to bring in more customers. They allow automatic photo sharing between Mac and iPhone users but not to non-Apple users.
When creating your cloud platform strategy, use it for something bigger than storage. Make it a place where your customers can share information, access forms, and gain a huge volume of information.
Customer Care
Maintaining the customer’s experience is the top priority for a successful online business. Customer service in our Internet world has become a very social event, forcing the smart business to stay on top of consumer opinions and complaints. Cloud-based call center software lets small businesses manage the customer experience without breaking the budget. They will give the customer a choice of IVR or mobile services, SMS, email, and chat, using a scalable platform that’s cost efficient for the business.
The bottom line: these cloud centers let small businesses perform like the big boys without needing to maintain in-house customer service staff.
Accounting Anywhere
One of the advantages of being an online retail business owner is that it offers a level of mobility and freedom. With the right support, work can be done just as easily at a coffee shop as in an office.
Accounting is one of those places where customer function and owner independence cross. A good system for an online retail business must link point-of-sales information and customer purchasing with solid management reporting and financial activity. PC Magazine ranks Freshbooks as the best cloud-based accounting software of 2015. It has the ability to handle payroll, CRM integration, and project/task management anywhere that you have Internet.
More recently Cloudwards has created an interactive post that ranks the best fitting accounting software and solution to fit a businesses specific needs. Click Here to View.
For an online retail store, finding the right accounting solution that can help keep a running inventory based on your customers’ purchasing habits is essential and these solutions can help.
New World of Education
Consumers are looking for information as much as they are searching for deals. Your good product may be the key to making money but fresh information will keep them coming back to your site. Creating instructional videos on YouTube is a low-cost way to generate instructional videos. Incorporate a high-end educational module like Mindflash that uses scalable cloud technology so you can also offer certificates, training, and very specific education, making you an expert in your industry.
All-Important Marketing
As an entrepreneur, everywhere that you go, your marketing follows, so use portable, automated marketing software to continually expand your business. Forbes touts Marketo as one of the best cloud-based automation software for marketing. Marketo integrates lead management, social media marketing, and sales into one, smooth platform that is accessible anywhere that you have web access.
