The best tools can make your work easier, faster, and boost your productivity.
AI is here to stay. While many argue that AI will replace humans, I don’t completely agree. AI won’t replace us, but it will certainly change how we live and work. The best we can do is leverage these tools to improve our work and increase productivity.
That said, if one of your goals for 2024 is to start or grow your online business, this post is for you. I’m sharing essential tools you need to start, run, and grow your online business.
Some of these tools are AI-powered, while others are not. For clarity, I’ve categorized them by use.
Let’s get started!
1. Web Hosting
At the core of every effective online business is a quality web host.
Think of a web host as building your own house on your land, not a rented space.
Social media is great, but it’s a rented space. If you’re serious about starting an online business — whether it’s a blog, affiliate website, membership site, or you need a home for all your content. You need a quality web host.
There are many quality web hosts, and your choice will ultimately depend on your budget.
If you’re starting, Hostinger is a good option. When you buy Hostinger web hosting, you get a free domain for the first year.
You also get:
- Free Domain
- One-click WordPress install
- Free email
- Weekly backups
- Free automatic website migration
- Free CDN
- Unlimited free SSL
- 24/7 priority support via chat
- Free AI Website Builder
You can start with their shared hosting plan and upgrade as your business grows.
2. Design
Another tool you need for your online business is a versatile design tool. One that can handle all your design needs, from social media graphics to business flyers, banners, brochures, and videos, you need a tool that can handle it all.
This is where Canva comes in.
Canva is an easy-to-use design tool with a vast library of photos and templates. It’s an all-in-one solution, so you don’t have to source images or templates separately — everything you need is in one place!
Canva will help you simplify your work and save time on design tasks.
While Canva offers a free plan, upgrading to the Pro version unlocks even more powerful features.
3. Email Marketing
Marketing is crucial to running an online business, and email marketing remains one of the most effective forms. To get started, you need a reliable email marketing service.
An email marketing service lets you capture leads, collect emails, and nurture your subscribers — all in one place. It automates the process, saving you time and effort.
For those on a budget, I recommend MailerLite. It offers both free and paid plans, with automation features available in the free plan — something many other services don’t provide.
If you’re willing to invest more, ConvertKit is another excellent option. However, the free plan (newsletter plan) has limited automation features. You get access to more premium features when you subscribe to the paid plan.
Other noteworthy services that offer automation features include Brevo, Beehiv, and Mailchimp.
4. Editing and Proofreading
Running an online business involves a lot of writing — blog posts, social media content, email campaigns, video scripts, and more.
Even if you’re not a professional writer, it’s crucial that your writing is polished and free of errors. That’s where Grammarly comes in.
Grammarly is an AI-powered tool that checks your content for grammatical and punctuation errors, helping you improve your writing.
It analyzes tone, correctness, and other factors to make your content clear and professional.
Grammarly offers a free plan, with a paid upgrade for access to premium features.
5. Transcription
Let’s be honest, there are times when you don’t feel like writing or typing. You just want to speak your mind and have it ready for publishing. For those times, Otter.ai is a lifesaver.
Otter.ai is a voice transcription tool that converts your spoken words into digital text. Once recorded, all you need to do is edit, copy, and paste the text wherever you choose.
6. Project Management
As an online business owner, you juggle multiple tasks — from proposals and design to documentation, sales, meetings, and appointments.
To keep everything organized, you need a project management tool like Notion.
Notion allows you to manage all your projects in one place. You can share your projects with team members without leaving the app, and customize your dashboard to fit your needs.
Notion also comes loaded with templates for various projects and is AI-powered for extra help when you need it.
7. Payment
Your payment gateway is the link between your bank account and sales inflow, and it can make or break your business.
If you live and work in Nigeria, you know this is one of the biggest challenges, especially for online transactions involving foreign currency.
I recommend Grey for online foreign transactions. Grey allows you to make payments online in three foreign currencies: the dollar, the euro, and the pound
But if you need a payment gateway to accept payments (for a product or service), Selar is great if you reside in Africa.
For countries without online payment restrictions, PayPal and Stripe are great options for accepting and receiving money.
One piece of advice, though, choose the payment gateway that works best for your country.
8. Video Creation/ Editing
Video is the in-thing now, and if you’ve not started creating video content, you’re already late to the party. But there’s still space.
Two tools you can leverage for video creation and editing are Loom and Capcut. I’ll start with Loom.
Loom is great for creating explainer videos that only require you to record your screen. If you’re camera-shy and speaking in front of a camera scares you, this may be a great option for you. You can use Loom to deliver your video without showing your face.
CapCut is one of the easiest video editing tools, especially on mobile. It has evolved and can be used in a variety of ways. Whatever type of video you want to create, Capcut can help you achieve that.
Final Thoughts
While tools are great productivity boosters that can change your writing game, don’t forget that the greatest productivity booster is your mind.
Try it out. Pick a tool and see how it can improve your writing game.
