Every small business owner is aware of the importance of digital marketing in the e-commerce era. With this exploding popularity, there is no shortage of online tools, software packages, and website add-ons that position themselves as essential for e-commerce success. As sorting through the muck can be difficult in an endless sea of products, keep reading as we help you discover 5 digital marketing tools every business must have. 

1. Analytics Suite

All of the marketing data that used to take brick-and-mortar businesses weeks to compile and analyze can be streamlined on the internet, served to business owners in easily digestible, actionable metrics. However, too few businesses incorporate an analytics suite when designing their website and if they do, they don’t take the time to learn how to use it. Some of the most pertinent marketing data revealed by modern analytics packages includes:

• Number of visitors to your site by day, week, month, year, etc.
• How visitors arrived at your site, whether by direct entry, social media link, or organic search
• The most popular keywords people used to find your site
• Demographics and interests of visitors
• How long visitors are spending on each page they visit

This is all powerful information that will allow you to spend your marketing budget more effectively and ensure that it is reaching the intended target. For example, you wouldn’t spend a ton of money placing an advertisement on a page people click on briefly and exit. Or if you are getting a lot of traffic from social media links, you can invest more heavily in your social content. While Google Analytics is the most recognizable name in the field of analytics packages, there are a multitude of other options that offer specific features that may appeal to your business. 

2. Where to Buy Software

One of the most challenging aspects of marketing in 2022 is how to navigate the lines between in-person and online commerce. While there is no doubt that consumers seek information online, and your business has likely crossed their radar due to digital advertising, the fact remains that not all businesses are positioned to fill 100% of orders online, requiring customers to go to an in-person vendor to complete the purchase.

As a result, high-powered store locator software is crucial for helping customers find the nearest place to buy. Some features of the best where-to-buy software include:

• GPS routing directly from the customer’s device to each store location
• Mobile compatibility for on-the-go customers
• Up-to-date stock information so that shoppers can see which locations have the quantities they need

As many customers land on your page with the specific purpose of making a purchase, not providing them with the most specific and accurate information for how to do so will result in a lost sale to a competitor.

3. Email Automation

Although there is no doubt that many marketing emails get lost in a sea of spam, email marketing remains the most profitable form of marketing–digital or otherwise–on the planet. There is simply no other marketing channel that gives businesses the power to directly reach a targeted customer like email.

However, taking the time to compose marketing emails–and remembering to send them out–can be a major chore for business owners who are tied up with other responsibilities. Fortunately, there are a number of email automation programs that you can add to your website that does most of the heavy hitting for you.

Quality email software will allow you to capture the information of customers who visit your site, compose specific email lists, analyze email engagement, reach out to customers on special occasions, and allow you to schedule automatic email disbursement. This helps ensure that the right customers are receiving marketing material specific to them on a regular basis.

Mailchimp is one of the most recognizable names in email software, but like analytics packages, there is no shortage of quality programs on the market. 

4. Digital Asset Management

In the internet era, there is a multitude of marketing outlets for businesses. From affiliates to salespeople, social media influencers to brand managers, there are just so many people out there that can serve in a marketing capacity.

While this gives businesses a potentially limitless reach, it does pose the possibility that a company’s brand can become watered down. If marketing partners do not have access to the correct materials to train themselves and distribute to potential clients, the lack of cohesion can create an identity crisis for the business. As a result, it is important that businesses invest in a marketing asset management tool to help keep all of their marketing resources under a central umbrella for easy access by marketing partners. By doing this, the business can enhance collaboration when making marketing content, guarantee instant access for marketing professionals for demonstrations, and provide up-to-date information on the strength of a current marketing campaign. 

5. Checkout Software

Although most businesses might not think about checkout software when discussing digital marketing, it is actually one of the most critical components in the field. Marketing is professionally defined as “any activity that facilitates exchange.” Therefore, no matter how great the branding, advertisement, and packaging, exchange will be thwarted if the checkout software is clunky. By investing in top-shelf checkout software for the company website, the business not only guarantees a seamless checkout experience, but the ease of use will likely lead to repeat business thanks to the positive shopping cart experience. 

5 Essential Digital Marketing Tools for Businesses

With the e-commerce explosion, there is no shortage of digital marketing tools that label themselves essential for online business success. To this effect, there are certainly some tools and programs that are more effective than others in helping businesses improve their profits. By choosing a top-shelf analytics suite, locator software, email automation, asset management, and checkout software, small businesses can feel confident that they have the 5 essential digital marketing tools to succeed online.

George is a freelance writer that loves sharing his experience and knowledge on website development and SEO. His work can be found on Building Product Advisor, a new construction industry resource.