It’s almost impossible to establish a business nowadays without using the internet. Communication with staff, suppliers, or clients is usually carried out via email or other work-specific programs. Today’s chief go-to for research is Google—the library of modern times. The dominance of online programs and apps is slowly but surely taking over.
While there’s a lot you can do online, some tools are handy for businesses. By knowing the tools available through the internet, you can manage your business more efficiently, help it grow faster, and be able to protect it.
Here are five online tools you can harness to help you run your business.
1. Online File Backups
Anyone who’s worked with a computer long enough knows the pain of losing files (or at least the fear of losing them). You dedicate several hours to a particular project to have all your work gone later. It’s excruciating, and no one should go through that stress.
For this reason, learning how to backup your files is crucial. Losing work documents isn’t the only risk but also losing client files, company data, and more. It’s significantly worse when you lose files you can never replace or restore (i.e., actual receipts, financial records, etc.).
Backing up your files on flash drives and hard drives might be the easiest thing to do. However, you can automate the process using online backups. Services like Google Drive and Dropbox can safely store your files online. You can even do real-time backups with Microsoft’s OneDrive, ensuring that your saved files are always the latest version.
You can also use these services to share files with your staff, ensuring that all the work done in your company is backed up and protected. So, you should look for the best file-sharing and backup service if you want to secure your business’s files.
2. Ad Blockers
Online ads are designed to do many things. When you click on them, they can take your information, specifically target you based on the data taken, and nag you with selling pitches.
Worse, clicking on an infected ad or merely visiting a site that has a corrupted ad can infect your computer with malware. And believe me, you do not want malware anywhere near your phone, tablet, or computer.
Plus, even without the risk of malware, ads can be plain annoying. They can disrupt your work and get you to sites you never wanted to be in. Some can even make your office desktops vulnerable to pornographic links and content.
Thankfully, there are ad blockers readily available. They are software products that block internet ads. Most come at affordable prices. Some can be a little pricey (but offer more features), while others come entirely free. Several options can keep your devices and people safe.
Here’s a quick fact: Ad blocking has had a marked economic impact in the U.S. A study assessed an increase in business revenue loss from roughly $3.89 billion in 2016 to 12.12 billion in 2020.
3. Private Browsing
Many websites use tracking technologies to monitor your visits. For example, if you’re buying an airline ticket, the travel or airline website usually checks the information based on your browser and adjusts its prices accordingly.
So, if you’re visiting the airline page for the second time, it’ll probably give you a higher price than when you first saw it.
It’s where Private Browsing comes in. Also called “incognito mode” or “private window.” It’s a feature that prevents your activity data from being saved on your device, ensuring that you’re anonymous to the website you visit (unless you log in on the page or leave personal information on it). Simply put, the feature ensures your device doesn’t keep a record of the web pages you visit.
Incognito can be helpful if you’re checking your bank account or doing a personal search on your business computer. It makes sure what you search stays private from people around you so you can browse with no worries.
In any case, it’s a better alternative to manually deleting things from your browser history. That can get pretty tiring.
4. IP Address Tracking
These days, many business processes happen almost entirely online—from professional services like SEO optimization and social media marketing to ordering prototypes and mass production of your products. That means you no longer need to meet someone from the other side of the world just to get things done.
However, that also means you’re more vulnerable to scams, especially by people pretending to be someone they’re not.
That’s why you should do your due diligence before you pay someone for a service. One manner you can do so is to track the IP address. This action allows you to check the actual location of the person you’re talking to.
For example, you must mass-produce a product you’re selling. However, since you’re supplying the product to your national government, it restricts you from ordering parts from Country A.
So, if you’re in talks with a potential supplier who claims they’re from Country B, you can use an IP tracker to confirm that information. Learning to track IP addresses can help protect your business and ensure that you don’t encounter any problems during your projects.
5. Link Shortening
Links are your source of transportation in the online world. They can be a lengthy string of random letters, or they can be so much more.
A shortened link, in itself, is okay. Taking a long URL and making it a short, safe-looking link is an excellent step, especially if you share these links with clients. However, shortening a long URL is not your only option.
Short links can give you detailed statistics, track where visitors come from, and much more. Some link-shortening services specialize in the type of link service they provide; they give it for free or offer great pricing plans for premium features.
Online Tools Give Business an Extra Boost
With the internet becoming a permanent fixture in modern times, it’s nearly impossible to run a business in its absence. The web isn’t just for entertainment. Instead, it’s a means you can use to help your company thrive more at the same time, protect it.
With the tools discussed in this article, you can browse online confidently to ensure that your business is equipped to face the changing times.