A company’s website is no longer simply a fun place to learn more about them. Today, the website is virtually everything. People who visit your website should be able to learn about your company AND order and pay for merchandise, schedule appointments, ask questions, be educated, and more. To do all that, your website will need to be integrated with external software. Here are seven software integrations that just about every business website should include.
Advertising Software
Advertising on your website is a major source of revenue for many small businesses. If you have done everything right and have a large following, you are ready to seek out advertisers. There are many different options to choose from. The first decision to make is where to place the ads on your website. This will instruct you as to which advertising software companies to go with. You can choose to incorporate the ads into your webpage design with sidebars, you can go with pop-up ads, or you might choose in-text links. Each of these options has its pros and cons, but you should be able to find a format that works for you. While Google’s AdSense is a popular option, there are many others to look into, including AdToll, PeerFly, and AdBrite.
Chatbots
It is undeniable that AI is the number one timesaver of the era. While automation should never fully replace human connection when it comes to customer service, integrating chatbots into your website can save you time and money by filtering out the most common, generic questions and buying you a little time to make a personal contact with inquiring customers. Chatbots provide automated interaction with visitors to your site. AI is utilized in advanced chatbots to create a much more conversational and natural dialog. As your business grows, it can be nearly impossible to keep up with all of the inquiries that you get every hour of every day. A Chatbot can fill in, offer you a break, and free you up to prioritize the most critical requests.
Video Hosting
Creating video content for your website can pay big, and every business should get a slice of the pie, whether big or small. Video content boosts consumer confidence, attracts new customers, defines your business as an expert in your field, and helps in branding. When you are looking for a video hosting site, choose one that is easy to use, that can be Search Engine Optimized, that can be shared across a variety of platforms, and that has built-in analytics for video content feedback. Everyone knows about YouTube, which makes it a fantastic host. Other top business video hosting sites are Spotlightr, Vimeo, Wistia, and more.
Accounting Software
Accounting is one area of business that can truly benefit from automation. Not only can accounting be tedious and time-consuming, but it is more apt to suffer from human error than other tasks. Accounting software can streamline functions for better performance at your business. With accounting software integration, your online financial transactions will be initiated and recorded accurately and in real time. Integrated accounting software will allow you to utilize data from your website as well as all other accounting functions within your business.
Content Management Systems
When you include a blog on your website, you provide your customers with applicable, interesting, and helpful content which keeps them coming. You can also increase your visibility on internet searches by utilizing keywords within your blog. Some popular content management systems (CMS) for small businesses are WordPress, Magnolia, and Weebly. When choosing a CMS, make sure that it is user-friendly, highly customizable, and equipped with internal analytics for feedback.
Analytic Tools
To keep your website functioning at its best, incorporate analytic tools. Google Analytics is a great option. It provides a free way to track critical aspects of your website, such as number of visitors, the most searched-for keywords, and which parts of your website are successful or not. There are a handful of other great options for purchase that come with a wide range of functions. Mint provides instant feedback, Kissmetrics, Crazy Egg, and Chartbeat allow you to see exactly what your website visitors are doing while they are on your site, and UserTesting and Mouseflow provide you with direct input from people within your target demographic.
Website Protection
CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart) software protects your website from malicious bots that will do everything they can to take your website down. You may not know a CAPTCHA from its name, but you have certainly come across them. These are the picture and distorted text puzzles commonly used on websites to ensure that all visitors are human. CAPTCHA can do a lot to protect you and give your website visitors peace of mind, especially if you have payment services or collect personal information.
Your website can be one of the greatest tools at your disposal. Don’t get left behind. Empower your website with everything you need to streamline your business, automate tedious tasks, attract visitors, protect your site, and provide valuable feedback.