With more and more business being conducted on the web, choosing the right online productivity tools to facilitate communication and organization is an important part of running a well-managed business.
10 Effective Online Productivity Tools for Business
Businesses large and small can benefit from the efficient use of time by employees at every level. Business books, other publications and online tools can all help to increase productivity. Consider the tools reviewed below to help you capitalize on every opportunity.
1) Trello
Trello is a free online productivity tool that allows users to manage projects through an online ‘card system’ either for their personal use or as a team. It fits individuals who work in creative or design fields as it maximizes their efforts without using a lot of physical space. The application makes it easy for any user to track what they are working on, share files or images and manage work against deadlines.
Source: trello
2) Evernote
This is an organizational tool with the ability to compile thoughts and tasks in a single file. It automatically syncs this information across all your devices and it offers a collaborative feature with coworkers if you upgrade to the premium business version. It can be ideal for managing employees when you are away from the office.
3) Notes (Mac)
This is a document editor with the ability to create, edit and save documents in different formats. It is mainly featured in IBM Lotus Documents, Presentations and Spreadsheets.
4) Toggl
The Toggl time-tracking tool allows users or teams to track time spent on specific projects with the click of a button. Just identify your project, start the timer and stop it when you’re done. The tool lets you switch between tasks easily and also run reports to stay on top of productivity. The basic version is free and full features are available for a small monthly fee. Available for Apple, Android and Desktop use.
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5) GoToMeeting
Connecting with colleagues working in different locations or with co-workers who are even at home sick can be achieved easily using this application. GoToMeeting also features the option to hold conference calls with a video feature. It conveniently brings teams together in spite of geography, providing easy collaboration, which can be particularly important to marketing teams.
6) Google Analytics
Google Analytics is an online productivity tool that provides a free account and monitors the performance of your integrated website or blog. It gives the real answers to whether your SEO campaign is working or not. Creating a Google Analytics account takes just a few minutes and gives great insight and measurement of your website performance.
7) HootSuite
This application is a social media scheduling tool that helps users manage future publishing. Its highly reputable security options can secure your logins, profile and permission levels within your organization. It also has the option of engaging multiple team members with whom you share your workload.
8) LastPass
We all have multiple passwords for the many online tools we use. It’s safe to say that everyone has forgotten or lost a password at some point. LastPass goes to great lengths to ensure you have highly secured passwords, which are safeguarded in one place. This way, the user does not have to remember all his/her passwords as the data is encrypted locally and can only be accessed locally via your mobile device. This application is very helpful for web designers, for example, who may have a lot of personal data to manage and access on behalf of multiple clients.
9) Followerwonk
This tool features Twitter analytics by providing data about your followers, their locations and how often they ‘tweet.’ It also has the option to find and connect with individuals who are considered thought leaders or those producing trending content in different niches. It has a super-actionable visualization that compares these social graphs.
Source: followerwonk
10) Pocket
This is an application suitable for busy individuals who have an interest in many niche industries. It can be installed via your PC or mobile device and you can easily ‘add to pocket’ the pages you need to read at a later date. This can save professionals lots of time, as they are able to capture several blogs or posts while on the move. Pocket has the ability to save all kinds of files ranging from news, videos, music, html and .pdf documents.
Find What Works for You
Different online productivity tools will work for different professionals and industries. Go ahead and take one or all of the tools above for a spin to help you find the right mix of solutions that will contribute to greater efficiency for your business.
For additional help in developing or perfecting your business approach, check out our free e-book, “How Chickens Can Transform Your Business,” below.
