Whatever stage your business is at you need a stack of apps at your fingertips to engage your audience efficiently and creatively.
One thing all start-ups know is that it takes money to make money. When you are trying to get your company off the ground, it seems like every tiny move you make comes with fees or charges. The great news for start-ups, especially web start-ups is that there are tons of great free apps and tools online that can make things run a lot smoother! Some of these apps save you time, some save you money, and some even make you money.
Checkout these six free apps that every start-up should be using!
Logo Creator
You can skimp and cut a lot of corners, but you aren’t going to make it without a logo. A logo is a prominent focal point of your marketing images. The truth is that you don’t need to hire an expensive graphic designer to create the perfect logo for your brand. You can easily do it yourself with a free online tool like www.logocreator.io. Your brand’s logo should be a reflection of your brand and a representation of what you brand is about. It is great if you can personally design this element so that it is authentic and tells your story.
Canva
Canva provides you with free online graphic design tools and templates. This will allow you to cut costs by doing lots of small marketing tasks in-house, such as designing social media posts and creating great graphics for flyers and newsletters. You can even use some of these tools to refresh images and graphics on your site. Using high quality templates will give your graphics a more professional look and help to build the credibility of your brand.
MailChimp
This is an awesome service that takes old school direct mail marketing and moves it into the virtual market place. MailChimp can take your email list and help you automate direct emails that will increase your brand awareness and bottom line. MailChimp does offer premium services, but the free service will work fine for beginners just getting started. Once you learn the ins and outs of email marketing, you will be able to make a clear decision on whether or not you think paying for the premium services would be a worthwhile expenditure for your brand.
Trello
If you are looking for a secure place online where your team can all collaborate on a project then Trello might be just what you are looking for! Trello allows you to build teams and create and share boards and lists with team members. It is great for organization and is a good tool to use if you have several team members working remotely.
SurveyMonkey
Just like its name implies, SurveyMonkey lets you make surveys you can use on your website or on social media. The importance of this tool, if used correctly, can not be overstated. Customer feedback is king! Anything that gives you better access to your customers and what their needs and preferences are should be considered priceless and used wisely. Aside from just the information this makes available to you, using surveys can create interactive social media which will help build brand awareness and brand loyalty as well.