Tools For Online Marketing That Will Maximize ROI

Tools for Online Marketing

The most profitable businesses out there today owe much of their success to the different online marketing tools.

Because the business industry has shifted to digital platforms and there is such aggressive competition in each industry, you’ll need tools for online marketing in order to gain an edge over competitors.

However, I know the struggle of finding the right marketing tools for your business – especially as a startup with limited resources.

You’ll be looking for online marketing tools that maximize Return on Investment and work well for your business needs, which is exactly why I’ve put together a list of all the digital marketing platforms and the best tools for those:

#1. Email

With this in mind, email is a great platform to invest in.

However, you’ll need automated tools to help you manage ever-growing subscriber lists, scheduling, and customization.

Here are the two best email marketing platforms that I’ve come across:

  •  MailChimp

MailChimp is currently one of the top email platforms in the US, with over 1 billion emails being sent out each day.

This partly owes to the platform’s reasonably priced monthly plans, but what really attracts businesses is the features that MailChimp has to offer.

It offers social media integration, customized templates, contact segmenting, autoresponders, service and app integrations, time-zone based sending, A/B testing and so much more.

The best part is that the platform constantly keeps introducing new features so that your business can take advantage and create a more seamless email campaign.

Lastly, MailChimp’s team is very responsive which instills business loyalty.

If you’re a startup, MailChimp offers a free plan equipped with basic features so it’s best that you go for this platform.

You can always upgrade later as your business expands.

  • InfusionSoft

InfusionSoft, the new platform developed by Keap, is a great tool for email marketing.

However, it caters to a niche market.

InfusionSoft is great for small businesses that have advanced sales and marketing automation needs.

Its primary goal is to help businesses grow.

If you fit within this niche, you should know that InfusionSoft is a bit pricey.

You’ll have to pay a one-time startup fee of $2000 and then choose monthly plans starting from $199.

However, it’s definitely worth the money. Many businesses and entrepreneurs including Neil Patel have seen amazing delivery rates with InfusionSoft.

Plus, it’s also great if you’re looking for a single platform for all your e-commerce and CRM needs as well – which also justifies the high initial investment.

#2. Social media

Social media platforms are the reason behind the survival and existence of many small businesses because they allowed these startups a cost-friendly, effective platform to market their brand and interact with customers.

These are the two best social media marketing tools out there:

  • Hootsuite

A key advantage of using these tools for online marketing is that they save time.

Time is money in business terms so its value is crucial.

Hootsuite allows you to schedule social media posts in advance; thus, saving time.

But that’s only the primary function.

With Hootsuite, you can also identify the right influencers, generate leads, use pre-written responses to engage with customers and reply to comments via your dashboard.

All in all, it allows you to organize your social media platforms effectively.

You must have noticed that brands like Macy’s, BMW, McDonald’s (basically all the leading brands from different industries) have begun to interact with customers in the comments section:

But with millions of comments under a single post, how can businesses manage?

That’s exactly what HootSuite and Buffer help you to do.

HootSuite is pretty light on the pocket since its plans start from $19 a month only.

You’ll have to upgrade or choose a plan depending upon the size and needs of your business.

  • Buffer

So Buffer offers the same features at HootSuite, just at even lower prices.

It’s pricing plans start from $10 a month, and you can use it to schedule updates for Facebook, Twitter, Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

You can check out its advanced features on the official website and compare them with HootSuite to see which works best for you.

#3. SEO

Search Engine Optimisation is another crucial element for success.

Without it, your brand has no online visibility which means its almost equal to being non-existant.

Thus, you need the right tools to master SEO:

  • Ahref

Here’s what Ahrefs can do for you:

  • Track keyword performance
  • Measure your social metrics
  • Perform backlink analysis
  • Analyze your content
  • Explore trending content
  • Measure your keyword positions
  • Keyword research

So basically, it’s an all-in-one SEO tool that allows you to optimize your content so that you’ll rank higher than competitors on search engines.

The pricing plans for Ahref start from $79 and go as high as $200.

This is an investment considering many of the SEO tools out there are free, but they won’t provide you with detailed and guaranteed reliable information that a paid platform will – so I’d say its money well spent. 

  • SEMRush

I have to admit, SEMRush is a pretty famous SEO tool.

It’s currently ranking among the top SEO platforms, with more than over $4 million users. 

Here’s the list of features that it provides for your business:

  • Organic Research
  • Organic Traffic Insights
  • Keyword Research
  • Backlink Building and Analytics
  • Rank Tracking
  • Site Audit
  • On-page SEO Checker
  • Search Engine Sensor

It is a bit pricier as compared to other SEO tools, but then again, it provides solutions beyond SEO:

The main goal of the platform is to help your business grow organically by optimizing your content.

Plus, it places quite an emphasis on analysis and tracking so that you can tell which areas need the most focus and improvement.

Check out this expert guide on How to master Search Engine Optimisation without having to rely on marketing tools.

#4. Analytics and tracking

An important part of a successful marketing strategy is measuring the performance of your campaign.

By doing that, you can pinpoint exactly what requires changes and how you can manipulate your strategy to increase market share.

Again, online analytical tools will not only aid you in doing that but also speed up the entire process:

  • Google Analytics

Here’s what a Google Analytics dashboard essentially looks like:

So basically what the platform is doing is giving you a breakdown on every activity segmented based on location and other demographic factors.

It sounds simple, but it can do wonders if you use it right.

Suppose you notice that a lot of your website visitors are coming through an ad on Facebook.

That means most of your target audience is active on Facebook which means that you should focus most of your content and marketing efforts there.

Plus, it’s absolutely free and it takes minutes to set up an account so it’s really something all businesses should be taking advantage of – whether big or small.

  • KISSMetrics

Some critics have begun to argue that Google Analytics is too simple a tool to understand the complex buying process that leads to the end sale.

That statement is, in fact, true.

There’s an entire marketing funnel from when the consumer first becomes aware of your product to the point where they make a repeat purchase on your website, and you need to be tracking the different factors that influence their decisions along the way.

One platform that can cater to these needs is KISSMetrics, founded and introduced by Neil Patel.

The aim of the marketing tool is to provide an in-depth product analysis without breaking the bank.

As I said before, by analyzing what’s working for your business and eliminating weaknesses, you’ll automatically be able to increase conversions.

Plus, with KISSMetrics you can carry out behavioral targeting i.e. targeting consumers based on their likes, dislikes and buying habits so that promotions are more effective and targeted towards the right customers who are likely to convert.

Lastly, with the famous 80-20 rule of business, companies need to understand that their small percentage of loyal customers bring about 80% of the profits which is why they should focus their efforts on them as well, and KISSMetrics will aid you in doing exactly that.

This marketing tool will cost you $120 a month or more, which is a bit expensive compared to other tools out there, but it’s a great investment.

#5. All-rounders

A lot of times, businesses want an all-in-one solution when it comes to tools for online marketing.

They’re willing to invest in a place that caters to every need and organizes everything in one place, and fortunately, there are a lot of marketing tools out there for this purpose as well:

  • HubSpot

With these 3 segments, HubSpot provides features and solutions for practically all your marketing needs.

This tool can handle your website, email, marketing, and analytical needs at a single platform.

If you’re a freelancer or a startup, it won’t cost you too much.

You can either get it for free or get the starter pack for $68 a month, but if you have a well-established business with complex needs, this will be a hefty investment for you.

At $1050 a month with the professional package, you’ll get access to all of the features of the platform.

However, I’ve done my research and most businesses are happy with the starter package.

The CRM Hub seems to be the most profitable investment for businesses, and many believe that the professional package is not worth the cost.

Overall, the platform is rated 4+ on most websites, so you can determine your marketing needs and invest in packages accordingly.

  • Crazy Egg

Crazy Egg is the perfect platform specifically for all your website needs:

Here’s what it can do for you:

  • Heatmaps and mouse recording
  • Analysis and reporting
  • Platforms and integrations
  • Targeting and personalization
  • Research and user feedback

The infamous heatmap offered by CrazyEgg basically helps you figure out why people are leaving your website; thus, effectively reducing your bounce rate and ultimately improving SEO.

Mouse recordings, on the other hand, are another unique feature that CrazyEgg provides that allows you to see each and every visitor interaction on your website.

This will generally help you analyze how long visitors remain on the website, the ease at which they navigate through it and other factors that can manipulate your future strategy to improve conversions.

The great thing about CrazyEgg is that you can get it starting only $24 a month, so it’s on the cheaper side.

Conclusion tools for online marketing

I handpicked all of the best tools for online marketing, and multiple for each digital platform so that you could choose one according to your business needs.

It’s extremely important to understand that each business is unique and you’ll never get success by following other brands or get tools that they are using.

Before you invest in any marketing tool, it is important to do your own research in detail and make sure that it fulfills all the requirements for your business.

With each platform catering to the customized needs of your business, your business will grow rapidly.

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •