Sometimes, I have the hardest time staying focused.
I know, I know – distractions are a common business complaint however, in my case, I can’t just shut my eyes and ignore the rest of the world. That’s because being distracted by new and shiny things is part of my job.
You see, in order to help my clients figure out what their businesses SHOULD be doing online, I need to stay up-to-date with all the things a business CAN do online.
To stay up-to-date, I spend a lot of time taking new online solutions out for test drives. Frankly, I can’t complain because I really, really like playing with new toys solutions (yeah, I’m geeky that way) so normally this is no biggie.
Over the next few months however, I need to focus on writing my book. Add client work to that and I won’t have much time left over for test drives (wah!).
That’s why I’ve decided to hand the keys over to you.
Below, you’ll find a list of some of the most promising, interesting-looking new and shiny solutions from my “Need to Test Drive” list. Remember, I haven’t taken these solutions for a spin, so they may be great or they may be complete duds – that’s for you to discover.
If you have, or do, try any of them, please share your experiences with us all in the “Speak Your Mind” section below.
Have fun and sorry in advance creating a new distraction for you! 🙂
New and Shiny Online Solutions for You to Test Drive
ShortStack – this is a solution for building custom Facebook pages, tabs and layouts including handy functionality such as forms.
Contest Manager – a solution that allows you to add a branded contest or promotion to your website or Facebook page.
So1o – a new project management solution for freelancers.
Ask Your Target Market (AYTM) – you can use this solution to conduct market research.
PipeDrive – you can use this for sales management and customer relationship management (CRM).
Assistly – a fully-featured customers support solution.
Wiggio – An online collaboration tool with tons of different ways to working together.
LivePlan – online business plan software with built-in advice and tons of examples.
JigsawBox – yet another way to sell your expertise online.
Tout – templatize (yes, a new word!) and track your e-mails.
FollowUp – E-Mail reminders and tasks to help you stay on track.
Bime – a business intelligence solution for creating and sharing data-driven dashboards online.
Kajabi – create your own membership site and charge for access.
Rypple – manage and coach your teams using a social media approach.
Weekly Link Roundup
Each week, I collect the 10 best posts that I’ve read and share them with you here.
These posts focus on small business solutions or resources online (or both!).
Enjoy!
Mister Rogers #Google Local Neighborhood Search Tips: Actionable tips on conducting a local marketing campaign using Google.
21 Twitter Tips From Socially Savvy Companies: This article is chock-full of actionable tips that you can use right away!
Social Media 2.0: My Next Shift: Who are the thought leaders and innovators in the social media space? Content creators! Learn more in this post.
How to Use Secret Facebook Groups to Enhance Your Business: Secret groups? I gotta’ get in on this! 🙂
How to Use Twitter Without Losing Your Mind: If you’re new to Twitter, this is a great starting-off point.
How to Filter Admin Traffic in Google Analytics: Super useful step-by-step instructions on how to make sure you are not included in site visit counts!
Is “stickiness” a thing of the past?: A very interesting look at the shift in how customers engage with you online and how that effects the meaning of your metrics.
More sales leads stem from websites, not social media (survey): This makes sense if you think about it…most often, social media drives folks back to your site.
7 Keys to Choosing an Effective Modern Marketing Agency: A handy checklist to use when you’re in the market for marketing help.
Shiny: The Firefly Guide to Producing More Creative Content: LOVE this take on the two types of creativity! I am definitely Zoe – how about you?
Great list, Matt!
I must disagree on one of your suggestions, though;
The business plan software—Tim Berry’s is the best.
1. He’s a great guy- and super-important to the small business community at large.
2. His software is the top-selling business plan software in the world
3. He contributed to my upcoming book
4. I have an affiliate page set up for it 🙂
5. I’m picky-otherwise I wouldn’t be an affiliate for Tim.
6. I hope you’re not Matt at The Franchise King®, now.
JL
Heya Joel – thanks for stopping by!
I agree with everything you say about Tim, which is why I was happy to feature LivePlan, his company’s new online version of their business plan software. 😀
-Matt
I knew that.
OY
JL
LOL. 🙂
We tried Wiggio recently, and I was less than impressed. The software refused to let anyone into our conference call, and we had to switch services on the fly to deliver our planned Q&A call. It’s got a lot of promise, but it’s useless if it can’t deliver.
Kirsten,
Thanks for sharing your experience!
You hit it right on the nose when you said, “it’s useless if it can’t deliver”. Hopefully, someone from Wiggio will see your comment and take action.
-Matt