If you’re looking for a free tool to help with your marketing efforts, you’ve probably tried just about everybody but you haven’t found what you’re looking for. With so many tools available to businesses of all sizes, it’s likely that you’ll end up choosing between two evils: either pay for a costly service or write your own poor-quality software from scratch. This article outlines some of the best free tools for small businesses that don’t want to sacrifice quality in order to save a few dollars. 

Marketing Automation

Marketing Automation, or MA, as it’s commonly referred to, is a grouping of software platforms used for automating the collection, analysis, and deployment of marketing data. While not all MA tools are free, many are offered with a free trial or other features that make them more affordable for small businesses.

Some of the more prominent and reputable MA tools providers include HubSpot, Marketo, and Pardot. If you’re looking to automate your marketing efforts and don’t want to pay a fortune, MA is a great place to start.

Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms are used for maintaining customer relationships and engaging with customers throughout their lifecycle. A CRM tool can help you manage your sales, marketing, and service efforts throughout the customer journey, from capturing leads to closing sales and making sure customers are always feeling cared for. Some of the more prominent and reputable CRM tools providers include Salesforce and Oracle Xcelium. Depending on your needs, you can choose between a free and paid version of these tools.

As with many other tools mentioned on this list, there is a free trial and/or basic version of CRM tools that you can access to evaluate whether or not this is the right tool for your business.

Website Analysis Tools

Website analysis tools can help you evaluate the performance of your website (or websites) and determine areas for improvement. The most prominent and reputable analysis tools providers include Google Analytics and WebTrends. These tools are essential for determining the strength of your web presence and identifying areas for growth.

You can use these tools to track the performance of your website and gain valuable insights into how visitors interact with your content. For example, you can use Google Analytics to track the performance of your website and gain valuable insights into how visitors interact with your content.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is, simply put, the practice of sending out promotional emails to past, present, and potential customers. These emails typically contain promotional offers, though they can and often do contain significant amounts of useful information as well. Some of the more prominent and reputable email marketing tools include MailChimp and HubSpot.

If you’re looking to automate your marketing efforts and don’t want to pay a fortune, email marketing is a great place to start.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing, or SMM, is a type of marketing that involves the use of social media platforms (such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) to grow and maintain relationships with customers. There are a variety of SMM tools available to businesses of all sizes, from free to premium versions. Some of the more prominent and reputable social media marketing tools include Hootsuite, Marketo, and Pardot. If you’re looking to automate your SMM efforts and don’t want to pay a fortune, it’s a great place to start.

Content Distribution Networks

Content Distribution Networks, or CDNs, help content publishers (bloggers) to distribute their content faster and more efficiently. In simple terms, a CDN is a network of servers that store and deliver web content, such as websites and apps, to end users. This network of servers is often located in different geographical locations which means the content is served from close by, resulting in faster delivery times.

CDNs are especially beneficial for large businesses that want to distribute their content worldwide. Hosting their content on a CDN can also be beneficial for businesses that want to retain direct ownership of their content while also ensuring it is available to all users everywhere worldwide.

Some of the more prominent and reputable CDN providers include Cloudflare, Incoplo, and MaxCDN. If you’re looking to distribute the content of your website, a CDN is a great place to start.

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the process of adding keywords to a website in order to increase the likelihood that a search engine will match those keywords with content when a user searches for those terms. The process of SEO can be quite complicated, but luckily there are tools that can make the process easier. Some of the more prominent and reputable SEO tools include Google Keyword Planner, SEOmoz, and Wise Lab.

You can use these tools to find and enter keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business. By doing this, you greatly increase the likelihood that your blog or website will be found when someone searches for those terms. For example, if you sell fitness products, you might want to SEO your blog posts for words such as fitness, boot camp, circuit training, etc. in order to have your content show up when users enter those terms into a search engine.

Pricing

Toolsets and apps that are free typically have limited features, lack polish, and require you to put in the time to learn how to use them properly. While there are a lot of benefits to using a free tool, remember that you’re still paying for the software and the data that it processes. When it comes to pricing, nothing is more important than transparency. Make sure that you, as a customer, know exactly what you’re paying for and what you’re getting — especially when it comes to free tools.

In some cases, free tools (such as web hosting) are provided with restricted features, requiring you to upgrade to a premium plan in order to access the rest of the functions. In other cases, free tools are “lite” versions that don’t even contain all of the features that the paid versions do. Make sure that you’re not being fooled by any misleading marketing claims or overly optimistic language when it comes to pricing for tools and apps.

Delivery Methods

Depending on your needs, you can choose between various delivery methods when ordering tools and apps online. Some of the more prominent and reputable delivery methods include Paid Dementia-Free Delivery and Express Shipping.

If you don’t want to run around looking for a seller who provides a reliable delivery service, you can take advantage of the many third-party delivery services that are out there. These services usually provide a one-stop shop for all of your delivery needs. Whether you need to have your packages delivered to your home or office, or would like someone to walk your dog for you while you’re busy working, these services can help.

Security

Lastly, make sure that you’re always safe when ordering online. If you’re going to be ordering tools and apps online, make sure that you have a secure connection and that your personal information is being stored and processed properly. The last thing you want is for your personal information to be stolen while you’re placing an order, especially if it’s information that you’ve carelessly shared (such as your SSN).

To recap, there are numerous free tools out there that you can use for marketing your small business. From the CRM to the SEO, you’ll find a tool that can help, whether you’re a B2C or a B2B firm. Remember to evaluate all of the tools that you consider using, as many have significant drawbacks. By understanding these pitfalls, you can ensure that you choose the right tool for the job.