If you’re a small startup that doesn’t have a big budget, then joining a combination of free and paid platforms can give your business the results it needs. This list includes some of the best-known platforms for small businesses. These big name platforms work with startups and help them grow their businesses.
Google My Business
This is a great platform for small businesses that depend on local traffic. Getting started by creating a verified business account on Google is free and easy. Once you have an account, you can link your address and contact information, hours, location, reviews, and website to your Google search listing.
Most customers use Google My Business when it comes to finding specific products and services. Encouraging reviews on your Google My Business page can increase your Google search rankings. The more positive reviews your business has, the more customers you’ll attract.
Patreon
Patreon is an excellent platform for small businesses to get started making money. If you’re a creative or artist, doing what you love for a living is like living the dream. A better way to do this is to connect with the fans who love your work as you work on making your dreams become a reality. Patreon is a funding platform lets fans and creators work together by providing unique and exciting content.
Like a Chenoa Fund, this online platform allows you to market directly to your fans. As an exchange, they’ll support your creative efforts. All you need to do is create a free Patreon account and ask your fans to subscribe to your premium content by donating a small amount each month. This provides you with a steady flow of work as well as a steady stream of income.
Kickstarter
Unlike Patreon, Kickstarter is not about long-term funding. It’s about providing funding for the inception of ideas. While Kickstarter wasn’t launched with small businesses in mind, it has helped bring great ideas into fruition, allowing aspiring entrepreneurs to develop into small businesses.
While Kickstarter is available to anyone, each project must be approved by the site itself. Asking for funding for an upcoming project will work more in your favor rather than asking people to fund your next business venture. Once your project is approved, you can set your financial goals and time period to achieve those goals. If the goal has been achieved or exceeded, then you’ll receive the funding for that project.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an e-commerce platform that turns your WordPress site into an online store. Since it’s an open-source program, it can be made however you want it. But this could take some knowledge of HTML and CSS. WooCommerce is ideal since it’s free and you’re looking for a way to monetize your website.
This plugin offers a wide variety of features. You can use it for integration with over 400 apps, manage your inventory and shipping, and upload products. While the plugin itself is free, WooCommerce’s cloud-hosting feature is a paid feature that only works with PayPal or Stripe. Without a developer, you can get your online store up and running quickly and easily.
Shopify
Like WooCommerce, Shopify is one of the easiest ways to launch an online store. It is the perfect option for small business owners who are interested in the e-commerce industry. This e-commerce platform is a drag-and-drop builder which includes cloud hosting, customized themes, customer support, integrations, inventory management, payment gateways, and shipping rates. However, Shopify will charge you a fee if you don’t use their payment gateways.
Small business owners should join the Shopify Basic plan since it includes the features, options, and tools that you need for your business to succeed. This e-commerce platform allows you to focus on other tasks instead of the back office tasks and other work that can hinder your process.
There are plenty of options to choose from. You don’t have to get started with all of these platforms. Choose one or two that match your niche or industry. Research review listings to determine where your customers are.