Category: Business

Top 10 Business Lists

  • Nextiva Review 2025 – Is the VoIP Solution Good for Business?

    Nextiva Review 2025 – Is the VoIP Solution Good for Business?

    We’ve road-tested Nextiva to see exactly what it’s made of, and analyzed its costs, features, and usability in this review.

  • Top 10 Best Online Accounting Software Programs for Small Business

    Top 10 Best Online Accounting Software Programs for Small Business

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    Online Accounting Software Programs can help you organize your business, from creating necessary reports for tax purposes to helping you keep budgeting plans.

    We review some of the best online accounting software programs to help you compare features and prices and choose the best tool for your business.

    Our Top 10 Best Accounting Software for Small Business:

    • QuickBoo s. Best overall online accounting software
    • Oracle NetSu te. Best for global enterprises and companies
    • FreshBooks – Best for easy-to-use invoicing and accounting
    • Zoho Books – Best for SME Business Owners, Bookkeepers and Accountants
    • 1-800 Account nt. Best for  mall and medium businesses
    • Patriot Software – Best for small businesses on a budget
    • Quic en. Best for  those who want to stick to a budget
    • Evident – Best for small businesses and sole traders
    • KPMG S ark. Best for  loud-based accounting
    • Finance Pal. best for  MEs

    Online Accounting Software Programs – An In-Depth Look

    • Best ForCloud-centric accounting
    • Price range $12.50 / month
    • Free trial or free version 30-day trial

    Quickbooks is a comprehensive accounting system with advanced staging scales for small businesses and organizations.

    The tool includes OCR-enabled expense receipt tracking and invoicing; users can add payroll functionality as an add-on. Not all features are available in mobile apps, but users can use them and hardware to process payments.

    Pros

    • Apps for iOS and Android
    • Project profitability monitoring
    • Easy hourly calculation with integrations

    Cons

    • There is no free level
    • Not all features are available on mobile devices

    • Best For-Enterprises and global companies
    • Price range$999+
    • Free trial or free version (Demos available)

    NetSuite is an excellent solution for global companies and enterprises that must manage large operations with many moving parts and have the human and financial resources to leverage NetSuite’s powerful platform to build the perfect ERM solution.

    Pros

    • Highly adjustable
    • Extremely powerful budgeting, forecasting and reporting
    • Complete solution (HR, project management, inventory, etc.)

    Cons

    • Complex to create and operate
    • It can be costly

    • Best For-User-friendly invoicing and accounting
    • Price range from $17 per month
    • Free trial or free version 30-day trial

    If you’re a business owner looking for a quick and easy way to invoice your customers, Freshbooks may be the easy-to-use option you’ve been looking for.

    Creating invoices and expenses with Freshbooks is as easy as clicking and typing into fillable document files. The system can also be expanded to support more than 500 clients.

    Pros

    • Expanded to over 500 customer accounts
    • Editing of clickable documents
    • Salary through integration

    Cons

    • There is no built-in payroll function
    • Cell mileage tracking at higher levels only

    • Best ForBusiness owners, bookkeepers, and accountants of SMBs
    • Price rangeFree-$60/month
    • Free trial or free version version and free trial

    Zoho Billing is an online accounting platform business owners can use to manage cash flow, track expenses, pay invoices, invoice customers, and accept payments. There are four pricing tiers (Free, Standard, Professional, and Premium), with more expensive plans containing more features.

    For additional functionality, Zoho Billing integrates with several platforms, including inventory management, customer relationship management software, and payroll services.

    Pros

    • Intuitive interface and elegant panel design
    • It offers a wide range of essential functions. Additional improvements are available.
    • Features grow with your business

    Cons

    • Payroll and inventory management features are missing
    • There is no specific plan for larger organizations

    • Best Small to medium-sized businesses that need an outsourced bookkeeping and accounting partner
    • Price range from $129/month (Billed annually)
    • Free trial or free versionNo

    Do you want an outsourced partner to handle your accounting and bookkeeping? If so, 1- 00 Accountant may be calling the right door.

    This company offers several pricing tiers to help users get the most out of the service. From those with basic accounting needs to those looking to prepare for an IRS audit, 1800 Accountant has a program for you.

    Pros

    • Audit preparation service.
    • Dedicated counters
    • Several levels

    Cons

    • No smartphone apps
    • There are no user-triggered integrations

    • Best ForSmall businesses on a budget
    • Price range$15-$25/month
    • Free trial or free version30-day free trial

    Patriot Software offers two online software products for businesses: Patriot Accounting and Patriot Payroll. Patriot’s accounting software comes in two versions and has a fixed monthly fee for unlimited users.

    Pros

    • Fixed monthly rate for unlimited users
    • An attractive interface that is easy to configure and use
    • Track assets, liabilities, wealth, income and expenses in one place

    Cons

    • No mobile app (although the website is mobile-friendly)
    • No third-party integration

    • Best ForThose looking to stick to a budget
    • Price range$31.19
    • Free trial or free version trial.

    Do you want to manage your finances? Quicken might be the tool you’ve been looking for.

    Pros

    • Huge integration library
    • Track all your expenses
    • Colour coded board

    Cons

    • Table options can be slow
    • No Windows Phone support

    • Best For-Small businesses and sole traders
    • Price range$20-$29 a month
    • Free trial or free version15-day free trial

    Founded in 2002, Neat is a cloud-based accounting system that helps you efficiently track expenses, send invoices, receive payments, reconcile accounts and prepare for tax season.

    Neat’s competitive advantages are its low-cost and intuitive mobile apps, which allow users to use the exact features available on the web version. The app also integrates with popular counting and email management platforms like QuickBooks and MailChimp.

    Pros

    • Free and personalized customer service
    • All data stored on Neat is protected by encryption
    • BBB Rating: A+

    Cons

    • Does not scale to large organizations
    • Available in the United States and Canada only.

    • Best For-Cloud-based accounting
    • Price range $195/month
    • Free trial or free version demo

    You’ve set your sights on an online accounting system, but an accountant would be helpful, too. With KP G Spark, there’s no need to delay his difficult choice.

    This cloud-based accounting system from one of the most trusted accounting and auditing brands is backed by its dedicated team and integrates with over 12,000 financial institutions.

    Pros

    • Accountant included
    • It works with more than 12,000 financial institutions.
    • A cloud-based tool

    Cons

    • Small support team
    • There is no free trial

    • Best For-SMBs
    • Price rangeCustomized per business
    • Free trial or free version-Free trial
    FinancePal is a leading accounting software for small businesses that ticks all the boxes. From bookkeeping to bookkeeping and tax compliance to online payroll services, FinancePal indeed covers the spectrum. 

    Not your average general business accounting software, financial assigns each business a personal accounting team comprised of trained professionals who have worked in business finance, tax compliance, and accounting. So you can rest easily knowing that your business consistently complies.

    Pros

    • Your dedicated accounting team
    • Custom pricing plans
    • Easy-to-use dashboard + many features

    Cons

    • There are no starting prices to compare
    • Does not work directly with suppliers.

    What You Need to Know About Accounting Software

    What is Accounting Software?

    Small business accounting software puts all your financial information in one place, making it easy to share data between teams or externally and saving your employees from double-entry or manual entry.

    The best accounting software for small businesses comes in two forms: desktop accounting software and online accounting software.

    What Features Should You Look for in Your Accounting Software?

    Below are some advanced features of the best accounting software for small businesses.

    Fiscal integration. Your accounting software should provide balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and any other special reports you or your accountant need to file taxes. The best accounting software allows you to take photos and save receipts on a mobile device, so they’re all safe for tax time.

    Payroll management.

    Business prospects. The be programs offer insights and business intelligence through easy-to-us ts and dashboards.

    You personalized invoices and receipts. Remember that every interaction with customers and service providers is an op y to promote your brand. Some AC printing software allows you to create custom invoices and receipts to make your brand more memorable.

    Multiple users: Depending on the size of your company, you may want to allow more than one user access. The accounting software programs offer multi-functional programs, giving your accountant access.

    Mobile support. You know when you might need to capture or access data from a mobile device. Most of the big names in accounting software offer free apps for iOS.

    Unlimited cloud storage. One advantage of online software is that all your data is stored in a database with practically unlimited capacity.

    Free support. If anything goes wrong, you’ll want to know that your software provider has your       Premium subscriptions, which usually include a dedicated account team.

    Scale: Accounting  e is perfect for rapidly expanding businesses that find manual records insufficient

    Easy to use. Last but not least, ease of use. Your outing and billing software should be simple enough for anyone on your team to lease a few hours.

    How Much Does Accounting Software Cost?

    Like most software-as-a-service, online software costs depend on the features and user access you need.

    Based on our research on top sellers, accounting software can cost anywhere from $12 to $300 monthly. Wage insurance is more expensive. It’s bundled into more expensive plans or costs $4 to $10 per employee per month as the need endures, and needles almost always cost extra.

    What is the Best Free Accounting Software?

    Believe it or not, f e   o t exists, and we’re not just talking about Excel or Google Sheets. The b   names in free accounting software include Wave, ZipBooks, and SlickPie.

    Free accounting software is a good choice for s l   r p i tors and small businesses that want to upgrade to spreadsheet programs like Excel and Google Sheets.

    Conclusion

    If you can afford to automate business administrative tasks, you probably should.

  • Top 10 Best Website Design Companies & Services For Business (2024)

    Top 10 Best Website Design Companies & Services For Business (2024)

    If you’re in business today, you need a website. It’s that easy. The first thing consumers will do when they hear about the Best Website Design Companies or see a product they like is go online to find out what information they can find about it. If you don’t have a website (aka web presence), those potential customers will move on to the next purchase that is most accessible to them.

    Therefore, to compete in the modern market, you need a website. And like any first impression, your website must be good. This is where design comes into play. A good website design tells consumers you are a professional, grabs their attention, and positively engages them. And thanks to website design services, you don’t need to know anything about design or coding to launch a professional and attractive website.

    Whether you want to do it yourself or prefer to leave things in the hands of professionals, the right web design company will give you the tools you need to create an excellent website for your business that matches your brand, image and commercial goals. The best website design services offer additional features like on-site SEO, social media integration, and e-commerce solutions.

    But your business needs you to be online and fast. Check out the best modern website design services that will get you a winning website in a few days.

    The Best Website Design Companies – An In-Depth Look

    • Price$10-$20
    • Service typeDIY, DIFM
    • Turnaround timeN/A

    Whether you’re looking to DIY or want professionals to take the trouble off your plate, Web.com is a good choice for businesses that need fast, professional website design. With easy-to-use online website design tools, even novice designers can create an attractive website in minutes.

    Web.com also offers professional web design for business owners who know nothing about design. A team of experts will create an eye-catching design to match your brand. They will also include important features such as SEO and PPC management, content, and social media marketing. All plans come with hosting, a domain name, and an SSL certificate, so your business runs as professionally as it looks.

    Pros

    • Affordable plans
    • An accessible DIY version can be ready in minutes.
    • An expert design plan gives you all the details

    Cons

    • Personalization tools are imprecise
    • Limited space for all accounts.

    • PricePer– quotation
    • Service-type website design, including graphic design, E-commerce, and UX consulting
    • Turnaround time project. Typically, in weeks.

    Does the thought of creating a WordPress website make your head spin? If so, Main Street Host may be your best port of call.

    With two offices in the US, this agency handles everything from WordPress design and implementation to SEO and PPC procurement. If you need a beautiful website today and want a team to do the work, this might be the agency for you.

    Pros

    • Graphic design and UX teams.
    • Shared/dedicated hosting included.
    • The online portfolio of previous designs.

    Cons

    • It is a small agency with two offices.
    • There are no international offices.

    • PriceFrom $10,000
    • Service typeWeb design
    • Turnaround time to 90 days

    Are you looking for a WordPress or Magento-based website on the Internet? Smart Sites is a design agency that has generated over $100 million in revenue through its portfolio of websites designed for its clients.

    Moreover, the team offers unlimited revisions to site builds before the coding phase begins, and those looking to put informational sites online can expect to have them up and running within 90 days.

    Pros

    • Unlimited revisions before coding
    • Information and e-commerce sites
    • Many customer testimonials are available

    Cons

    • Ongoing support is a bonus
    • US offices only

    • PriceFrom $29 per month
    • Service type automated site design
    • Turnaround time to 24 hours for updates

    29dollarWebsites is a tool that allows users to get functional websites on the Internet in hours. The tool can automatically extract data from business Facebook pages; changes will be updated on live sites in less than 24 hours.

    Hosting and a domain name are included, making it an all-in-one package for business.

    Pros

    • Hosting and domain included
    • Fast automatic updates
    • Custom and template pages

    Cons

    • It is easier to customize with a designer
    • Automatic updates are not instantaneous

    • Price-From $6,000
    • Service typeTemplate-based and fully customized web design
    • Turnaround time6-8 weeks and 10-14 weeks for fully customized sites

    Thrive Agency is a digital marketing agency with extensive web design experience for almost all types of websites, including e-commerce and ADA-compliant websites. Exceptional customer service and dedicated account managers make Thrive Agency a trendy choice among businesses looking for a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with a marketing agency.

    Pros

    • You can create affordable websites
    • Total customization possible
    • Two rounds of review

    Cons

    • There are no international offices
    • There is no free trial

    • PriceCustom pricing plans
    • Service typeFull-service DIFM, maintenance, pro
    • Turnaround time7-10 days

    We live in a digital world, and Hibu understands that. This web design brand uses innovative technology to create attractive websites for professional businesses. Simply put, these websites are built with features and technologies to make them work better, communicate better with Google, and increase their visibility. Now, that’s some clever website design.

    Aside from the genius behind the scenes, Hibu also does a great job on the front end. A team of talented designers, Hibu Website Designers, creates stunning website designs in about a week. In addition, this company is known for positive customer relationship management. The design and support staff have received high customer marks for being friendly, professional, flexible, and communicative. This is extremely important when it comes to a website design team.

    Pros

    • Smart Site technology for more optimized website design
    • Exceptional quality designs
    • Great review of communication and support.

    Cons

    • Price is offered on an individual basis only.
    • You don’t have a good eCommerce solution.

    • PriceStarting at $5
    • Service type it for me, full-service
    • Turnaround timeExpress 24 hours upwards

    Fiverr is a popular service that companies turn to when they want to outsource various projects for which they don’t have an in-house team or small jobs that aren’t worth the effort. With an extensive network of talented designers worldwide, Fiverr offers a wealth of talent for everything related to website design, including commercial use, source files, HTML/CSS conversion, and interactive mockups. Fiverr designers can also develop responsive designs for websites and mobile apps, which is necessary in today’s business world.

    Fiverr enables professional website design for all types of businesses thanks to its wide range of designer styles, talents, and skills. Did we mention that many projects start at just $5? With a pricing structure based on healthy competition, Fiverr allows business owners to get what they want at a price they can be happy with, too.

    Pros

    • A wide range of design options
    • Projects start at $5
    • Smart designer rating system

    Cons

    • No maintenance or DIY level options
    • Not all designers are as good as others.

    How to Choose the Best Website Service or Solution for Me

    How to choose the best website service or solution for me

    Who Are the Best Website Designers?

    Website designers come in all shapes and sizes. You can find a website design agency that specializes in responsive website design, which is great if you’re looking for mobile options. Alternatively, some websites focus on traditional, eclectic or attractive website design. The sky is the limit. And in the end, the best website design team or service is the one that delivers what you want.

    Of course, if you want to narrow down the options, there are a few features to look out for that will help you decide. When looking for the best website design services, ask about these features:

    • Price:

    It’s always a factor. Find out how much this website design costs. Website design prices can vary greatly depending on what you’re looking for, so ask questions. Is there a flat fee for your website design, or are there monthly payments? Are there additional costs for maintenance? What are the DIY pricing options? There are some very affordable website design companies, so you don’t have to spend much to get a lot.

    • Response time

    How long will this project take? If not under pressure, you can get a beautiful custom website design in less than two weeks.

    • Level of customization

    How much power do you have over the professional design process? How many round revisions are included in the price? Alternatively, how much customization does the DIY tool offer?

    • Current maintenance assistance

    Is this an option? Ongoing maintenance ensures that your content stays fresh, your website stays up-to-date, and you don’t have to worry about it.

    • Mobile Responsive

    One of the most important features for businesses today is to find out if website design services offer mobile-friendly websites.

    • Features of e-commerce

    Does the service provide you with e-commerce solutions for online sales?

    How Do You Design a Website?

    Designing a website is easier than you think. It starts with an idea, and then it grows. Even if you are not creative, website design services allow you to create an awe-inspiring design yourself. You can choose from hundreds of attractive templates if you’re doing it yourself. These templates already have all the elements built in. So you don’t need to worry about placements, columns, structure or colour schemes.

    Good website design services have many customization features. So you can choose your colours, add elements like images and videos, or change things to suit your needs. You can even include critical business management applications such as meeting scheduling and payment processing.

    DIFM (also known as Do It For Me) services, on the other hand, make the design process even simpler.

    Why Do I Need a Design Company for My Website?

    Creating your own website can be very easy for those of you who are great designers. You only need a website builder and some time to play with the designer or templates. But chances are, if you’re looking for design services, you doubt your design skills. The truth is, with DIY services like Wix and Squarespace, today more than ever, even a layperson can become a creative genius with just a few clicks. Drag-and-drop editors, huge stock photo libraries, professional templates, and built-in tools make it easy to look professional, even if you can’t draw a straight line to save your life.

    But let’s be honest. Even with these fantastic tools, there will be a qualitative difference between the website you create and the one made by professional designers and developers. There is a limit to how much you can improvise.

    So why do you need a design company to design you? In general, this is due to 2 reasons.

    1. You want to give your company the best possible start by creating the most professional first impression. Only an experienced website designer can achieve this.
    2. You don’t have the time or patience to dedicate to building your website. If this is the case, hiring a web design company allows you to have a modern, fully functional website without spending time and effort on it.

    Either way, the results will be the same. A successful website design costs something, and it’s worth every penny you spend.

    Where Can I Design a Website for Free?

    Are you not interested in paying a lot for design? Okay. There are plenty of free or low-cost website design services if you just don’t have the budget for anything else. Wix and Yahoo Small Business are two free, simple website design tools anyone can use to create a professional-looking website. They have many built-in features, including professional templates, simple editors, and online store options. If you go with a freemium service, you may be a little more limited in your features and template options, but you’ll get an attractive online store or portfolio website design without spending a dime.

  • Top 10 Best Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems & Software in 2023

    Top 10 Best Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems & Software in 2023

    Simply put, POS means Best Point-of-Sale. It’s the system where you call the customer, get paid for the transaction, and get paid sales taxes.

    A POS may be more complicated than a standard cash register, but hey, times have changed. Today, your typical POS system is fully equipped with all kinds of features and devices, including inventory tracking and reordering, customer retention programs, and employee management tools.

    To save you the trouble, we’ve put together this guide to help you find the perfect, reliable, feature-rich POS system for your business.

    Our experts have tested many POS systems and ranked them in the top 10 for quality, efficiency, speed, price and other essential features.

    After all the research, we can say what the best POS system of 2022 will be. Lightspeed is the best all-in-one POS provider today, suitable for all types of businesses.

    Our Top 10 Best Best Point-of-Sale Systems & Software in 2024:

    • Shopify. Best overall point-of-sale system
    • Toast – The best all-in-one for restaurant management
    • Lightspeed – The best complete POS system with professional features
    • Advantages of POS: Best for retail stores looking for advanced one-to-one selling features
    • TouchBistro – Best restaurant analysis and reporting features
    • Clover – Best overall POS system
    • Square: best for fixed rates
    • Flagman. the best in terms of affordability
    • SkyTab. best for comprehensive restaurant management
    • Oracle Netsuite. Best for large enterprises and retailers

    Compare The Best Point of Sales (POS) Systems

    POS systems evolve along with the technology offered by POS vendors. Of course, each POS brand fits different business needs.

    We’ve researched and narrowed down the 10 best sales systems for small business owners and growing businesses.

    Read all the details about the featured brands. You’ll be able to learn the basics about monthly software fees, contract lengths, integrations, and more.

    Then take a look at our comparison chart to help you make the best possible decision.

    Ultimately, you’ll learn more about the ins and outs of POS systems and optimize your customer and payment processing experience.

    A Closer Look at the Top 10 POS Systems

    • Price Range From $39/month
    • Best for businesses  looking to integrate their online and physical retail systems.
    • Mobile Compatibility: iPhone, iPad, and Android

    Shopify is one of the leading online retail platforms. They took that experience and created an easy-to-use retail POS system. If you already use Shopify for your online store, their POS system is a great option to provide your customers with a seamless in-person and online shopping experience. With a proven e-commerce platform, the Shopify dashboard lets you manage all the products you sell across all locations, linking in-store and online sales.

    The Shopify POS app works on both iPad and Android. You’ll need to purchase the card reader in addition to the barcode readers, printers, and cash registers you may need, but this helps lower monthly costs because the cost of the leased equipment isn’t included in your monthly bill. If you don’t want to sell online, the Lite package is a cost-effective way to accept card payments. Monthly subscriptions can be expensive if you want to unlock all the features on offer, but intelligent inventory management and multi-channel tools are worth the investment for larger businesses.

    Installation cost: $49

    Contract length: monthly or annual plans, two or three years

    Pros

    • Modern and easy-to-use interface
    • Integrates with your online Shopify store
    • Detailed analysis and reporting

    Cons

    • Higher-level plans are expensive
    • Additional hardware costs

    • Price range $0.00 – $165.00 per month
    • Best food industry services of every size
    • Mobile CompatibilityAndroid-based mobile Compatibility

    Toast is a cloud-based restaurant POS system provider with all the bells and whistles you could ask for. From an online ordering system to a loyalty rewards program, a gift card generator, and a detailed inventory management system, Toast has thought of it all. Check split, simple order cancellation and close day functionality only sweeten the pot.

    Unlike most POS systems, Toast runs on the Android operating system. What this means for the business owner is that the equipment is significantly cheaper to purchase and more versatile in terms of integration. Toast Go, the portable hardware version, allows servers to manage their tables, orders, payments and table tabs to place orders faster and more efficiently. Overall, Toast is a sleeker, smoother and more user-friendly POS system than most.

    Installation Fee: $0 to $799

    Duration of the contract. No contract required

    Pros

    • Outstanding features of the restaurant.
    • Neat Go hardware table for table management
    • Best customer service

    Cons

    • You have to pay more to get the cool features
    • Installation fee

    • Price range$99-$289
    • Best for-Retail and restaurants, all-inclusive
    • Mobile CompatibilityiPad, mobile extensions

    Lightspeed takes all of TouchBistro’s details and updates them for both retail and restaurant use. Therefore, you get interesting features like food management systems and interactive menus for the food industry. Lightspeed’s menu functionality is exquisite, providing high-definition photos, descriptions and prices for each item. You can also set up loyalty programs to reward repeat customers and a comprehensive CRM so you can track who comes and goes.

    Meanwhile, for retailers, Lightspeed offers many hardware options to improve efficiency and sales, such as scanners, printers, and electronic cash registers. The POS system also has sales reporting, merchant services, and an e-commerce platform. Plus, Lightspeed’s inventory management is real-time, so you can instantly let customers know if you have a certain item in stock.

    Installation Fee: N/A

    Contract duration: 14 months

    Pros

    • Many additional hardware options
    • Advanced features come with the basic plan
    • Easy-to-use and easy-to-learn visual interface.

    Cons

    • Calculating profit margin can be confusing
    • No confirmation was received when sending orders by email

    • Price rangeDepends on the partner
    • Best for assistance in selecting a POS system
    • Mobile CompatibilityDepends on the partner

    POS Pros is a popular platform that connects business owners with the best POS solutions for their needs. It has partnerships with about 30 popular brands, including Clover and Square. It offers industry-specific solutions as well as a selection of additional features.

    For example, the POS Pros team can help you set up a cash rebate system, and business owners can request cash directly from the business website. There are no set contracts, and overall, I find it an excellent option for business owners who need a little help choosing and implementing the right POS solution.

    Why did we choose POS Pros? POS Pros is one of the leading options for anyone who needs help choosing the right POS system for their business.

    Our experience. I loved how friendly the POS Pros customer service agents were. They really make it easy for business owners who require POS recommendations.

    Pros

    • Works with almost 30 partner systems
    • Provides industry-specific POS system recommendations
    • Friendly and knowledgeable customer service

    Cons

    • No proprietary POS solutions
    • Cancelling can be difficult

    • Price range-Bundles from $105
    • Best designed for all food industry businesses
    • Mobile CompatibilityiPhone, iPad, web-based

    TouchBistro is another good option for businesses of all sizes in the food industry. Whether you’re a food truck or run a full restaurant, brewery or nightclub, TouchBistro is POS software designed specifically for your industry. That means it comes with features to suit your needs, pressure points and customers. Food managers will appreciate details such as self-ordering for faster service, a kitchen display system for better and faster communication between waiters and kitchen staff, and a digital menu board for instant updates.

    In addition to the usual benefits such as reporting, analytics, and inventory management, these POS systems are fully equipped with features such as table ordering, restaurant table management, and menu management. Managers will also appreciate the scheduling features included in the TouchBistro hardware, as they greatly simplify staff management.

    Now, for a limited time, you can also save up to $7,000 on a new restaurant POS with TouchBistro.

    Installation fee from $0

    Contract duration: month to month

    Pros

    • Transparent prices and rates
    • Designed specifically for the needs of the food industry.
    • $0 commission on online orders, loyalty, bookings and more

    Cons

    • Not so relevant to the retail or apparel markets
    • Partially network based

    • The price range starts at $14
    • Best for expanding businesses in any retail or service
    • Mobile CompatibilityProprietary hardware, not compatible with iOS

    If you’ve had any experience with POS systems before, Clover will look familiar. This is because other POS software vendors even use this hardware, which should tell you about the system. Clover POS has all the features you’d expect from a POS system, including integrated payment processing, order management, and a customer management system. There are even marketing campaigns, loyalty programs and birthday promotions to help you grow your customer base. Clover also offers other tools such as shift management, scheduling, and activity logs.

    Of course, if you want to go all out, Clover has some great features, such as customer reviews, guest management, and a gift card generator.

    Installation Fee: $0 to $1,349

    Duration of the contract. No contract required

    Pros

    • There are tons of integrations to extend your functionality
    • Easy-to-use software and hardware
    • Many features are included in the basic plan.

    Cons

    • Android operating system is not as elegant as iOS
    • You may not use your payment processor

    • Price range starting at 2.5%
    • Best for SMBs that experience low-volume sales monthly
    • Mobile CompatibilityFully compatible with iPad and mobile devices

    Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, you’re already more than familiar with Square. It is arguably the most popular POS system on the market today, and it’s no wonder. Offering no monthly and impressively low fees, Square is a favourite of low-volume businesses looking to save money. You may pay a flat fee of 2.6%+$0.10 for swiped transactions and 3.5%+$0.15 for basic transactions. If you don’t know, those are excellent prices.

    Square isn’t just a cheap meal ticket, either. The iPad POS system is fully loaded with features such as an e-commerce platform, inventory management, and virtual payment terminals. Square is also mobile-friendly, comes with a developer API, and has tons of third-party integrations. While not a good choice for high-risk industries, Square is ideal for almost any other type of business, including home services, food service, and retail.

    Installation fee from $29

    Duration of the contract. No, pay what you charge

    Pros

    • Excellent reputation for quality and affordability.
    • Simple, flat rate pricing structure
    • No monthly fees and free chip readers

    Cons

    • It is not suitable for high-volume traders
    • Does not work with high risk areas.

    • Price rangeCustom rates
    • Best forPayment processing
    • Mobile Compatibility-Yes, Android and iOS

    Flagship is a leading merchant services provider known for advanced custom payment processing solutions. It offers solutions for businesses of all shapes and sizes, including online stores. Plus, it’s easy to use and trusted by over 25,000 small business customers.

    On the downside, Flagship’s native POS offerings are fundamental. However, they are a certified reseller of the Clover POS system, one of the best we’ve used. Customer support is limited to phone and online contact form, but the team is responsive and available 24/7 to help.

    Installation fee from $0

    Contract duration: Flexible

    Pros

    • Personalized pricing tailored to your business
    • A reputation as a leading provider of payment processing services
    • Linked to Clover POS

    Cons

    • Limited native POS capabilities
    • No live chat support

    • Price range from $29.99
    • Best forFull-service & quick-service restaurants
    • Mobile CompatibilityYes

     

    SkyTab is a great option for a POS system. It comes with state-of-the-art hardware, easy-to-use software, and plenty of features to keep your business running efficiently. With contactless payments via NFC and QR codes, secure payment processing, online ordering capabilities and customer management tools, you’ll have everything you need to run a successful food and beverage business. Additionally, SkyTab provides real-time information for reporting and analytics that can help you track your performance.

    • Price range-Starts from $999 per license + $99 per user per month + separate price per module
    • Best forMid-sized and large retailers
    • Mobile Compatibility-Yes

    Oracle NetSuite is a unified business management platform that includes several “modules,” including SuiteCommerce InStore, a point-of-sale solution. SuiteCommerce InStore gives your sellers all the tools they need to support and engage buyers. It includes advanced customer profiles, order and inventory management, and dynamic merchandising, allowing you to meet customer preferences at the point of contact.

    SuiteCommerce InStore connects your POS system with all your existing business systems, eliminating the need for integration between individual systems. Its touch tablet interface and responsive design offer easy-to-use digital tools on any device.

    Installation Fee: N/A

    Duration of the contract: from 1 year.

    Pros

    • A toolkit that helps sales associates help and engage buyers
    • Connects to your business systems by eliminating integrations
    • Available via the cloud, reducing your software costs

    Cons

    • POS is only available as a complete package
    • There is no free trial

    Our Methodology: How We Evaluated POS Systems

    When comparing the 10 best POS systems, we made sure to look at key features, pricing, contract length, mobile device compatibility, and built-in or cloud-based capabilities. We support credit card or gift card processing. Furthermore, we examine the strengths of POS systems and what kind of business they are best for.

    Our review process is extensive and includes POS experts. Writers and POS experts sign up for various services through brand websites or trusted third-party websites to access all possible dimensions of information. They visit service websites and sample contracts, contact sales teams and pay close attention to customer feedback. Ratings from independent agencies such as the BBB and newspaper publications play an important role in ensuring fair and accurate ratings. Our experts also try to use any type of free trial to improve the review process.

    The Types of POS Software

    There are four main types of POS software:

    Mobile sales software

    This program is cloud-based and comes as an app on your smartphone or tablet. It is usually supported by a receipt printer and credit card reader, but not as powerful as a full terminal POS system. It is ideal for sole traders such as plumbers or mobile food cart owners.

    Tablet POS software 

    The tablet version is similar to the mobile POS software but offers more features and capabilities. Tablet POS software can be used to manage large, complex retail businesses across multiple locations, including inventory tracking, employee time tracking, payroll, and accounting. It is compatible with many POS hardware solutions to form a complete POS system for any situation.

    Terminal POS software 

    Terminal POS software is fixed POS software with full administrative features. It can be cloud-based or on-premises. Terminal POS software is best suited for large retail or online stores, spas, malls, and other brick-and-mortar businesses.

    Self-service or unattended POS software 

    You’ll also find POS software designed for the unique needs of specific industries, such as restaurant and hospitality businesses, apparel retail, financial services, academia and education, and pharmaceutical POS software.

    Your POS software costs will vary depending on the type of software you choose. Mobile point-of-sale software, such as a smartphone app, can start at $50 per month, while more complex software can reach several hundred dollars per month. When you buy POS software, you usually pay the initial purchase price plus monthly or annual payment processing fees.

    Other factors that can affect the cost of your POS software plans include:

    • How many features are you adding?
    • Any hardware included
    • Number of integrations
    • Your operating system

    POS Systems Costs

    Point of sale systems vary significantly in price depending on the type and size of business you want to equip. Two costs to consider when looking for a POS system are the monthly software and installation fees.

    Monthly software costs range from $0 to $100+. Most paid POS software costs between $15 and $30 per month. Setup fees usually include software installation as well as the hardware itself. Paid POS systems don’t always have user limits, which means an unlimited number of employees can use the program to make transactions.
    Of course, there are “free” POS systems. This means that the hardware and monthly plans start at $0, but the business is charged every transition time. For example, a POS provider may charge 2% to 4% plus a few cents for card transactions or manually entered sales.

    Getting the Right POS Hardware

    POS hardware is the other indispensable half of your POS system. Having the proper hardware to match the activities and transactions you want to perform with your POS system would be best. The basic set of POS equipment consists of:

    • A printer to provide hard copies of receipts (retail stores, restaurants, and other brick-and-mortar businesses will likely need this)
    • A POS terminal or an iPad or Android tablet to run your POS software
    • Credit card reader
    • Cash register to keep cash transactions safe and recorded in your system

    Depending on your business, you may also need:

    • Additional tablets for servers to process payments at the restaurant table
    • A router to power your internet for cloud-based POS systems
    • A local server to host your local POS software
    • Food retail scales
    • Bar code scanners
    • Network cables to connect all your equipment
    • Additional kitchen printer
    • Self-service payment kiosks

    If you have long-term business plans and your requirements are likely to continue to evolve as your business grows, then a cloud-based POS system is probably the best option for you. On the other hand, if you have fixed needs or a small budget, it may be best to opt for a traditional POS system.

    The Benefits of a POS System for Your Business

    With a POS system, your business can retain more customers with a better, more targeted loyalty program and can also track inventory so you never run out unexpectedly. A POS system can help you make complex discount offers when needed.

    With the right POS system, you can also analyze sales history to identify correlations and seasonal trends in purchases, which can be helpful when you want to increase sales. You can also eliminate manual error by using barcode readers and automatic synchronization, and combat absenteeism with a more reliable employee tracking system.

    Other key benefits include improved payment security and the ability to drive more sales by accepting payments on the marketplace.

    Cloud-based POS systems vs. on-premise POS systems
    A cloud-based POS system stores data on remote servers and can be accessed online, while a traditional or on-premise POS system stores data on a local server and can be accessed via an internal network. Below is a breakdown of the critical differences between cloud-based POS and on-premise POS:
    If you have long-term business plans and your requirements are likely to continue to evolve as your business grows, then a cloud-based POS system is probably the best option for you. On the other hand, if you have fixed needs or a small budget, it may be best to opt for a traditional POS system.

    How to Choose a POS System Provider

    Choosing a POS system provider depends on the type of business you run, how long you’ve been in business, and the scale of your operation.

    Here are some questions, organized by category, that can help you choose the right POS system provider:

    Equipment and features

    • What features do I need?
    • What devices are needed to process payments?
    • What hardware do I need? If you need many products, a provider that includes hardware options along with software is a better option, but if you’re going to use your current iPad, you’ll need something else.
    • What types of receipts are generated?

    Point of sale installation

    • Does the POS system integrate well with my existing business applications?
    • Is it easy to set up and use? If it’s more complicated, do you offer training?
    • How good is the customer service?

    Costs

    • Do I want to save for a down payment or keep my monthly expenses low?
    • How does payment processing work? What type of equipment does the POS company offer?
    • Is the pricing plan transparent?
    • Are payment processes cloud-based or better suited for in-person transactions?

    Scalability

    • What analytics does it offer, and what metrics can you check? Make sure the package includes the package includes the things that are most important to you.
    • Does this POS system provide inventory management support, such as replenishment, warehousing, inventory and order analytics, or multi-channel tracking?
    • Does this POS system have integrations for e-commerce, email marketing, or social media? The OS system can provide real-time information to improve the customer experience.
    • Is it easy to scale as your business grows?
  • Top 10 Best Digital Advertising Platforms in 2024

    Top 10 Best Digital Advertising Platforms in 2024

    This is the World’s Best Digital Advertising Platform—a dynamic, ever-evolving landscape in which brands compete for the spotlight.

    These platforms are where the art of persuasion and the science of technology intersect, creating targeted marketing strategies to captivate the digital audience. They rant and pulsate with data-driven insights and creative potential.

    They drive digital marketing, transforming unprocessed data into refined strategies, much like a director transforms a screenplay into a cinematic work of art.

    1. Tiktok Ads

    TikTok has exploded onto social media, quickly becoming a hub for viral content. With 1 billion active users globally, mainly Gen Z and young millennials, TikTok offers a unique platform for brands looking to tap into the latest trends and youthful energy.

    The platform’s distinctive algorithm promotes highly engaging, creative content, Encouraging advertisers to go viral.

    TikTok Ads come in various formats, including in-feed ads, brand takeovers, hashtag challenges, and branded effects.

    The platform’s immersive full-screen format and short-form content generate high engagement, with users spending an average of 52 minutes daily on the app.

    TikTok’s creative and interactive ad formats and dynamic user base make it an enticing platform for brands looking to make a bold and memorable impact.

    2. Google Ads

    Google Ads commands the search engine advertising sector, holding over 92% of the global market.

    This dominance gives advertisers access to most internet users who turn to Google for their search needs.

    The platform specializes in keyword-based targeting, enabling ads to appear precisely when users search for relevant terms.

    This ensures that ads reach users with a high intent to engage or purchase, making the advertising more effective and cost-efficient.

     

     

    Besides search ads, Google offers display ads on websites, video ads on YouTube, and product-specific shopping ads, providing a comprehensive advertising solution.

    Its pay-per-click model, where advertisers pay only when users interact with their ads, adds to its appeal.

    The platform’s advanced analytics and a wide array of ad formats make it a versatile choice for businesses of all sizes seeking to maximize their online presence.

    3. Youtube Ads

    YouTube, with its over 2 billion logged-in monthly users, is a powerhouse in video advertising.

    The platform’s vast and diverse audience spends an average of 11.5 hours per month watching content, giving advertisers a fertile ground for engagement.

    YouTube’s ad formats are tailored for impact, including skippable and non-skippable video ads, concise bumper ads, overlay ads, and sponsored cards, each providing unique ways to capture viewer attention.

     

     

    The strength of YouTube Ads lies in their ability to offer the audience a more immersive and engaging experience, thanks to the video-based content—content that leads to higher engagement rates and potentially more effective advertising outcomes.

    YouTube presents an ideal platform for businesses seeking to make a lasting impression through dynamic and compelling storytelling.

    4. Bing Ads

    Bing Ads, often viewed as the underdog compared to Google, holds its own and has a significant presence in digital advertising.

    It taps into a different demographic by powering ads on Bing, Yahoo, and other partner sites, potentially reaching audiences overlooked by Google.

    This diversity can be a boon for advertisers exploring new markets or targeting specific niches.

     

    One of the critical advantages of Bing Ads is its cost-effectiveness. With generally lower competition and cost per click compared to Google, it offers a more budget-friendly option for small and medium-sized businesses.

    The platform provides a range of targeting and ad format options, allowing for tailored campaigns that resonate well with its unique user base.

    Best Online Advertising Tools with Clever Ads … The ultimate, free online advertising tools to launch and improve your digital marketing strategy.

    Try Clever Ads

    We earn a commission if you purchase at no additional cost.

    5. Amazon Ads

    Amazon Ads has emerged as a dominant force in e-commerce advertising. As the go-to online shopping destination, Amazon places products directly in the path of potential buyers, making it an invaluable platform for e-commerce businesses.

    The site’s vast user base and rich shopping habits and preferences data allow for highly targeted and effective advertising.

     

     

    Ads on Amazon can take various forms, from sponsored product listings to display and video ads.

    This versatility, combined with the platform’s direct link to purchase actions, makes Amazon Ads particularly potent for driving sales.

    Amazon offers a direct and impactful advertising channel for businesses looking to boost their online retail presence.

    6. Instagram Ads

    Instagram Ads, flourishing under the umbrella of Facebook’s social media empire, has become a sanctuary for visual storytelling.

    With over 1 billion active users, Instagram is a haven for aesthetically driven content. Content is a prime platform for brands with a strong visual appeal.

    The platform’s user base skews younger, with many users falling into the 18-34 age bracket, making it an ideal venue for targeting a youthful, style-conscious demographic.

     

     

    Instagram’s strength lies in its high engagement rates, fueled by its visually rich content. Contenders can leverage a variety of formats, such as image ads, video ads, story ads, and, more recently, immersive IGTV ads.

    The seamless integration of ads into the user’s feed and stories ensures a non-intrusive user experience, enhancing the likelihood of engagement.

    Instagram’s robust targeting capabilities, inherited from Facebook, allow for precise audience segmentation, from basic demographics to more nuanced interests and behaviors.

    1. Facebook Ads

    Facebook Ads reign as a titan in the social media advertising world. With an astounding user base of over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook’s reach is unparalleled, spanning diverse demographics globally.

    This platform excels in providing advertisers with sophisticated targeting capabilities.

    Advertisers can tailor their campaigns based on user data, including age, gender, location, interests (like hobbies and page interactions), and behaviors (such as purchase history and device usage).

     

     

    Facebook’s ad formats are equally versatile. They range from traditional photo and video ads to innovative carousel ads, which allow multiple images or videos in a single advertisement. The platform also offers story ads, capitalizing on the growing ephemeral content trend.

    Facebook Ads’ strength lies in its extensive reach and robust analytics tools, which provide deep insights into campaign performance.

    Its seamless integration with Instagram amplifies its effectiveness, allowing advertisers to reach an even wider audience.

    8. Linkedin Ads

    LinkedIn stands as the quintessential platform for B2B advertising and professional networking.

    With over 774 million professionals globally, LinkedIn provides access to a highly educated and affluent audience.

    This platform is particularly effective for targeting decision-makers and professionals across various industries, offering a more formal and business-focused environment than other social networks.

     

     

    LinkedIn Ads enable advertisers to reach their audience through sponsored content,  Content ads, dynamic ads, and text ads.

    The platform’s targeting capabilities are particularly suited for B2B marketing. It allows advertisers to segment audiences based on job title, industry, company size, and professional interests.

    This precise targeting and a contextually relevant environment make LinkedIn an ideal platform for businesses seeking to establish professional connections and drive thought leadership.

    9. Taboola

    Taboola has carved a niche as a leader in content discovery and native advertising.

    With a monthly reach of over 1.4 billion unique users, Taboola specializes in placing sponsored content on content-traffic websites and seamlessly integrating it with its organic content.Contentpproach offers a non-disruptive user experience, as the ads align with the user’s interests and the context of the webpage they view.

     

     

    The platform’s strength lies in its advanced predictive technology and a vast network of publisher sites, which include major news outlets and entertainment websites.

    Advertisers can use Taboola to drive traffic to their articles, blogs, videos, or product pages.

    The platform’s native ad formats are designed to complement the website’s content,  Providing higher engagement rates.

    Taboola’s detailed analytics and performance metrics allow advertisers to optimize their campaigns effectively, ensuring their content is the most relevant to the audience.

    10. Bidvertiser

    Bidvertiser is a unique player in the digital advertising space, offering a direct approach to advertisers and publishers.

    This platform differs from traditional ad networks by allowing advertisers to bid for ad space directly on websites, which can lead to more competitive pricing and tailored ad placements.

    Bidvertiser supports various ad formats, including banners, sliders, pop-unders, and smartlinks, catering to various advertising needs.

     

    One of Bidvertiser’s key advantages is its transparency and control. Advertisers can see exactly where their ads will be displayed and manage their campaigns with detailed precision.

    This direct bidding process can also lower costs compared to more prominent networks.

    Although it doesn’t boast the same high traffic levels as more extensive ad networks, its focused approach can be highly practical for niche marketing and advertisers looking for specific sites or audiences.

     

  • Top 10 Best Digital & Online Marketing Tools In 2023

    Top 10 Best Digital & Online Marketing Tools In 2023

    Simply put, the Best Digital and Online Marketing Tools make everything better. The right apps will increase productivity, reduce errors, and make almost all your work interactions and activities more accessible. So, are online marketing tools essential? Yes, we would say so.

    And today, there are a wide variety of small business marketing tools to help you gain an edge over the competition, better engage with your audience, and convert leads faster and more efficiently. Finding the right one to suit your business needs is a bit tricky.

    Fortunately, there are some proven apps that have made it to the top of the charts time and time again. If you’re looking for a way to make your business run better, your employees more productive, and your marketing campaigns more effective, check out the industry-recognized online marketing tools today.

    Top10’s Top Picks for Marketing Tools

    • Best forFreelanceemailmail marketers
    • Key uses-Email marketing
    • PriceFrom $20

    Constant Contact is a niche digital marketing solution. Ofemailmail marketing. That’s it. However, what you can do with temailmail marketing tool is enough to make any business consider this standalone option. CC also has other marketing tools, including contact management, analytics, and calendar management tools. emailmail is where it is. Constant Contact has everything you could want for email mail marketing campaignsmobile-optimizedimised templates, a drag-and-drop editor, and eCommerce solutionsmobile-optimizedimised templates, a drag-and-drop editor, and eCommerce solutions.

    Constant Contact also has excellent automation. You can send welcome emails to new customers, set email triggers based on customer behaviour, and automatically send reminders for abandoned carts. Constant Contact also allows you to create lists and segment contact-personalized sign campaigns.

    Pros

    • Segmented lists
    • Launcemailmail series
    • Complete communication management

    Cons

    • Without SEO
    • It gets expensive as your lists get longer

    • Best forEveryone
    • Key usesEmail marketing, lead generation, SEO
    • PriceFrom $0

    Hubspot is possibly the most popular digital marketing platform out there today. In addition to its quirky help videos and easy-to-follow website format, Hubspot has earned its place at the top by offering extremely professional, extensive and powerful tools for businesses. And the offering covers the entire spectrum from sales to marketing, customer service, CRM and more. So it’s not hard to see why so many companies choose Hubspot as one of the best marketing tools in the industry.

    Hubspot is delving deeper into its marketing solutions. You’ll find everything including Semailmail and social media marketing. But Hubspot takes things to another level. For example, you’ll get an SEO wizard that walks you through the entire SEO process, data-driemailmail marketing campaign tools, and social media monitoring tools built into your platform.

    Pros

    • Great and professional marketing tools.
    • A direct reply widget for social mentions
    • SEO assistant

    Cons

    • The plans have a big price gap.
    • Not enough SEO features

    • Best for-Email conversion
    • Key usesEmail marketing
    • PriceFrom $59 per month

    Campaigner is ideal for experienced marketing teams that use email campaigns to convert their audiences. In addition, an easy-to-use drag-and-drop mail editor helps you target specific customer segments with dynamic content blocks and use A/B testing and other experiments to optimize engagement rates.

    Their starter plan has more than enough features to allow you to personalize high-convert email campaigns, but it is limited to 5000 contacts. The Basic and Advanced plans serve up to 25,000 and 100,000 contacts, respectively, and provide tools such as e-commerce integration and automation workflows.

    Campaign’s main drawback is the limited tools for social media marketing and lead generation and the lack of SEO features.

    Pros

    • Advanemaicustomizationzation
    • Automation workflows
    • Experiments that include A/B testing

    Cons

    • Limited social media marketing
    • Limited third-party integrations

    • Best forA transactioemailmail marketing solution with SMS capabilities
    • Key uses-Email marketing
    • Price-Start for free and get emailsails per day

    Sendinblue is an affordaemailmail digital marketing tool, especially considering the number of features it offers. With the free plan, you can send emailsails per day and 4,emailsails per day. Sendinblue makes creating, optimizing, and sending email campaigns easy and combines SMS and transaction tracking reminders.

    Pros

    • The free plan includes emailsails per day
    • Comes with SMS capabilities
    • Easy creation and analysisemailmail campaigns.

    Cons

    • You may experience delays in sending and receivemailsails.
    • User experience needs improvement for starters

    • Best for Email marketers: lookimaximizeximize open rates.
    • Key usesImprovemailmail deliverability and open rates
    • Price$149-$1,190 per month

    If your main concern is improving email deliverability and open rates, InboxAlly is a great option. Its special algorithms make it a powerful tool for businesses struggling with losing emails to spam folders.

    If you’re looking for a more comprehensive digital marketing solution with additional features like automation and analytics, you’ll want to consider another platform. But that doesn’t stop you from using InboxAlly for a  long with it to ensure your emails are in good condition.

    Why did we choose InboxAlly? InboxAlly can complement your mailing list software by providing an additional way to improve email mail.

    Our experience. InboxAlly is pretty basic, but it improved email open rates.

    Pros

    • Improves ye email email deliverability of letters
    • Set and forget settings
    • Helpful and knowledgeable customer service.

    Cons

    • Missing additional features
    • ExIt is expensive or low volumes.

    • Best forEmail marketing
    • Key uses-Online marketers
    • PriceStarting at $10.50

    GetResponse is much more than your averemailmail digital marketing service. It offers a variety of features and services that will only increase your team’s productivity and profits. GetResponse takes things to the next level with webinar hosting, comprehensive customer retention management software, and dedicated IP addresses. As you move up the pricing ladder, GetResponse offers increasingly impressive services. Receive shipping advice, transactioemailsaiemailsails and a dedicated account manager to help you with troubleshooting and campaign advice.

    Of course, GetResponse also has the usual features you’d want to see in an email marketing platform. Features like autoresponders, landing page designers, automation templates, Facebook ads, and contact scoring and tagging will help your businessmaximizee and convert those leads into paying customers. Learn more about what GetResponse has in store for your business today.

    Pros

    • Premium features and services beyond the standard package
    • Autoresponders, email other campaign tools
    • Web forms, list builders, surveys

    Cons

    • GeIt gets expensive quickly if you want more advanced features
    • A/B testing could be stronger

    • Best local businesses, SMBs
    • Critical use of email marketing, lead generation, hosting
    • PriceA la carte pricing

    Just like Wix for website design, Network Solutions is an underdog’s best friend in marketing and business management. In addition to being the first domain provider to provide hosting services, website design and SSL certificates, Network Solutions has plans packed with uspropernline marketing tools susuch as emailarketing, PPC and social media marketing management. The SEO Optimizer is paexceptionallyetailed and includes tetestioptimizedages, tags and monthly consultation with an SEO expert.

    Network Solutions also has some key features that most local businesses won’t even know about. ThReputationanagement and on-page SEO can make the difference between success and a business that never goes anywhere. Network Solutionsspecializess in helping local businesses find and grow their audience.

    Pros

    • Excellent PPC campaigns
    • Monthly SEO consultation with a specialist
    • Advanemailmail marketing

    Cons

    • Pricing plans are not easy to understand.
    • The interface is not as simple as it could be

    • Best small to medium-sized businesses
    • Key uses-Email marketing
    • PriceFrom $0

    Mailchimp is a versatile, easy-to-use digital marketing tool service that allows businesses of all sizes to reach their target audience effectively. It offers a full suite of features, including airmail marketing, automation, audience segmentation, landing pages, and social media management. Creating visually appealing campaigns is easy with its intuitive drag-and-drop editor. The platform also provides detailed analytics and reporting, allowing users to monitor the performance and impact of their marketing efforts.

    Mailchimp offers various affordable plans for different budgets. Its easy-to-use interface makes it accessible to beginners, while advanced users can enjoy extensivecustomizationn options. With its powerful integration capabilities, Mailchimp seamlessly integrates with popular e-commerce platforms, CRMs, and other marketing tools, providing a streamlined workflow.

    Mailchimp is a reliable and effective marketing tool service that meets the needs of businesses that want to improve their marketing campaigns, engage their audience, and drive growth.

    Pros

    • UsUsefriendly interface and ease of use
    • PowerEmailmail Automation Features
    • Extensive integration options with other platforms

    Cons

    • Limited customer support for the free plan
    • Pricing may be expensive for high-volume shipments

    • Best forSelf-employed, small businesses
    • Key usesBusiness management, automatiemailmail
    • Price-From $19

    vCita touches more on the business management side of the marketing tools spectrum so that you won’t mess much with this company’s SEO. HowevervCita has some of the best marketing tools in business management in business management. With everything from lead generation and conversion tools to project management and CRM ememailarketing, vCita is a truly impressive option.

    One of the most prominent features you’ll appreciate is email automation. You can customize your campaigns to the latest design detail, then set up automation to make email campaigns run on their own. Create action emails, reminders, thank-you email sails, discounts, and more. vCita also offers social media marketing, website design, and a great online schedule.

    Pros

    • Extensemailmail marketing tools
    • An inclusive project management program
    • Contact management nonlinear agenda are included.

    Cons

    • Without SEO
    • No PPC campaigns

    • Best for companies that want to ememailutomation
    • Key usesEmail automation and segmentation
    • PriceFrom $249/month (Business Tier)

    If your business wants to grow and send personal emails to an extensive database, User.com is an excellent option. With User.com, all you need to do is drag and drop elements to create a Yeemail mail campaign, meaning no HTML or coding knowledge is required to get started immediately. Instantly automated campaign scheduling with User.com also means that you can set up certain conditions that, when met, will cause the Yeemail mail campaign to be sent whenever you want.

    Pros

    • Campaign monitoring in real-time comprehensive marketing solution
    • 14-day free trial

    Cons

    • The mobile app and web app are slow
    • Before setting up, auautomationyou need to plan your entire campaign flow.

    What Are Marketing Tools?

    Digital marketing tools are a broad category that covers a spectrum of valuable applications. Generally, the term refers to any software used to make your business run more efficiently and improve your marketing efforts. This can include th campaigns, analytics, project management, and much more, which we’ll get into in more detail in just a minute. As you can see, online marketing tools cover quite a wide range of tasks. Fortunately, many folks are free, and many paid apps combine some of these management functions into one service. So you ret your money’s worth.

    Who Can Benefit From  Marketing Tools

    All. It’s that simple. A quick look at the list below will show you how many different aspects of business management digital marketing tools can control. So whether you are a content writer, project manager, marketing professional, or any other dozen ofbs, you can earn a lot of money from these apps.

    No brand today does not benefit from marketing programs in terms of businesses and niches. There are now more specific marketing tools for small businesses that reduce functionality so you don’t feel overwhelmed by options and also lower the price for tight budgets. Therefore, the question is not who can benefit from online marketing tools but what are the right tools to helmaximizeximize your business performance.

    Types of Marketing Tools

    As we mentioned earlier, many different types of digital marketing tools are available today. The most common uses include software to help you manage the most important aspects of your business and marketing efforts, including:

    • Social media marketing
    • SEO:
    • El
    • Website
    • design
    • CRM:

    Below are examples of today’s best online marketing tools:

    • Advertising campaign applications such as Facebook Ads, Google Adwords, Bing Ads
    • Analytics tools such as Google Analytics and Yandex Metrica
    • Project management tools like Monday or Trello
    • Managing marketing campaigns on social networks such as Hootsuite or BuffEmailmail marketing such as MailChimp and Constant Contact
    • Sales and CRM software like HubSpot

    The Importance of Holistic Marketing

    The takeaway here is that digital marketing tools are not one application that performs one task for one set of use cases. On the contrary, it is a category of tools that covers a huge spectrum of functionality. A forward-thinking business will find and incorporate the right mix of online marketing tools for its situamaximizingmizing efficiency and distinguishing its marketing and business management efforts from task and project management software to yemailOrganizingnizing mail marketing campaigns, the best marketing tools is the wave of the future of business. So grab a board and hang ten.

  • Top 10 Best VoIP Providers & Services For Business 2023

    Top 10 Best VoIP Providers & Services For Business 2023

    Researchers at the University of Southern Indiana say businesses can cut communication costs by more than 55% using a VoIP provider system instead of a landline. Additionally, landlines require bulky on-site equipment and frequent maintenance, limiting agents to the local office, unlike VoIP systems.

    Cloud-based VoIP systems eliminate the need for local hardware, allowing users to make calls over the Internet. These networks are easy to configure, provide excellent call quality and have a wide range of communication capabilities. Each company offering this service has pricing plans, features and calling zones.

    We’ve ranked the top 10 VoIP providers in 2023 to help you make a more informed decision and determine which company best suits your needs.

    Our Top 10 Best VoIP Providers & Services:

    Our Methodology: How We Reviewed the Best VoIP Providers & Services

    We use the same comparison factors to provide fair ratings for each of the 10 VoIP providers listed in this review. However, depending on your business needs, some features will be more important to you than others. To evaluate and rank the best VoIP services for enterprises, we consider the following essential features of the Voice over Internet Protocol system:

    • Characteristics
    • Collaboration tools
    • Ways of communication
    • Queue and routing control
    • Analysis and monitoring tools.
    • Unlimited and international call coverage.
    • Supported integrations
    • Prices:
    • Easy to use

    Our 10 Best VoIP Companies & Services

    1.RingCentral

    RingCentral

     

    RingCentral MVP is a team-oriented UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) platform with built-in collaboration tools such as VoIP calling, SMS messaging, team chat, and video conferencing.

    The platform allows users to invite each other via email and create a personalized phone system with voicemail transcription, call recording, and adaptive interactive voice response (IVR) menus for self-service routing. You can also create dozens of team chat channels where members can message each other, send images, share files, and assign tasks with deadlines.

    H.D. video meetings host up to 200 participants and are supported by AI-powered tools. These include automatically generated information, background noise reduction, live transcription and collaborative artboards.

    According to Swanson Senior Director of Customer Service Emma Grotluschen, the RingCentral Contact Center enables your entire team to “improve” [their] customer service performance. He adds, “Report” ng capabilities help us continuously monitor and improve our performance, and with automatic call recording, our managers have tripled the number of calls they can review.

    Why w” chose RingCentral MVP? RingCentral MVP offers VoIP plans with a complete, shared UCaaS platform suitable for businesses large and small. All plans also allow unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada.

    Our experience. we loved how we were able to set it up in minutes. The RingCentral app was also easy to use and allowed our team members to interact instantly through a variety of mediums.

    PROS

    • Features of shared videos
    • File management features
    • International VoIP numbers

    CONS

    • The Essentials plan has a maximum of 20 users
    • There are no unlimited international calling options

    2. Vonage

    Vonage

    Vonage is a UCaaS platform that offers VoIP and SMS, live chat and video features.; These three features are becoming increasingly popular among younger audiences. Its enterprise communications platform has basic phone functionality and collaboration tools.

    Vonage’Vonage’sp, browser, and mobile apps come with standard calling features, including automatic attendant routing and call management tools such as hold, transfer, and call park. Multichannel business queues and inboxes are also available as add-ons.

    This serviceservice’sessaging allows individuals and groups to communicate easily. Video calls come with collaboration features like whiteboards with up to 20 participants, team chat, waiting rooms, and integration with calendar apps for scheduling.

    Headphones.com Strategic Partnerships Manager Kevin Peña says: “Since “oving to Vonage Business Communications, we have team members who work at home stations, office stations, or both, and they can access our VBC accounts seamlessly wherever they are. They can make or receive calls from a mobile phone as easily as a desk phone with a simple, easy-to-use interface that keeps calls, voicemails, and messages all in one place.”

    Why w” chose Vonage. Vonage Business Communications offers simple, easy-to-use VoIP features. Every plan includes Vonage Meetings with voice, video, and messaging collaboration.

    Our experience. we loved Vonage’Vonage’scollaboration whiteboards and team messaging. Its click-to-call desktop feature was especially handy for spontaneous communication.

    PROS

    • Auto-service functionality
    • There is no user limit on lower-tier plans
    • You can exchange live calls between devices

    CONS

    • No analysis
    • Charge extra for features included in competing plans

    3. Zoom Phone

    Zoom Phone is Zoom’s Zoom’shone system, not to be confused with its Meetings video conferencing app or Zoom One collaboration platform. Zoom Phone includes team chat and bundles with Zoom One to make collaboration more accessible and intuitive for remote workers. The Zoom app, available for desktops, browsers and mobile devices, combines all of the companycompany’snto one seamless interface, but it also only works with the Zoom Phone.

    This phone system is perfect for businesses that want an advanced phone solution without other means of communication. All three pricing plans have the same features, differing in terms of the limited calling area and call pricing structure: a pay-per-minute plan based on the U.S. and Canada, an unlimited calling plan between the U.S. and Canada, and unlimited national calling plans within the U—more than 40 different countries. Unlimited plans and add-ons allow you to make unlimited calls to 19 other countries. Local and toll-free direct dial-in (DID) numbers are available in several countries around the world.

    The Zoom Phone system provides access to an extensive library of advanced call centre features. These include unlimited queues, call groups (a group of phone extensions that share incoming calls), call distribution, voicemail transcription, call recording, routing through IVR, and device switching. While Zoom Phone doesn’tdoesn’te analytics, it does offer call centre monitoring with surveillance, intrusion, and supervisor monitoring. Chat and video functionality are standard but can be expanded to include Zoom One as a synchronous UCS platform.

    Why did we choose Zoom Phone? Zoom Phone has a wide range of advanced call centre features with unique unlimited global and domestic calling options.

    Our experience. We like that Zoom Phone offers affordable pricing plans and unlimited queues, but we wish it had queue analytics for more visibility.

    PROS

    • Unlimited domestic plans outside the U.S.
    • Add-ons for unlimited calls in 19 countries
    • Infinite call queues

    CONS

    • Advanced chat collaboration requires a Zoom One subscription
    • No analysis

    4.GoTo

    GoTo Connect is a unified communications platform and business phone system that uses VoIP calling, SMS, internal team chat, and collaborative video. It offers virtual phone numbers worldwide, and all plans support unlimited calls to more than 50 countries. This service lets you answer and make softphone calls from the GoTo Connect app on any device. You can also exchange live calls and customize call routing with a drag-and-drop dial plan editor to associate users, voicemails, and announcements.

    In addition, you can create call groups with specific routing sequences that can be organized into unlimited call queues. The highest-level Premium plan includes live queue analytics, a control panel with monitoring tools, and agent performance reporting.

    GoTo Connect H.D. video conferencing supports up to 250 participants via screen sharing and chat. It allows you to create and schedule video conferences within the system and link them to calendar applications. Want to start an unlimited one-on-one or team chat? You can do that too, along with file sharing, one-click buttons to join a call or video conference, and emoticons.

    Why we chose GoTo Connect: GoTo Connect has one of the largest unlimited VoIP calling areas on the market, covering more than 50 countries.

    Our experience. We appreciate that GoTo Connect includes unlimited queues and controller monitoring tools for greater visibility. We also like that the system can link scheduled appointments with many popular calendar apps, including Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, and Apple iCloud Calendar.

    PROS

    • Unlimited calling space
    • Orders of rings
    • Unlimited call queues

    CONS

    • The basic plan limits video conferencing to four participants
    • Plans are more expensive than some competitors.

    5. Dialpad

    Dialpad is an AI-enhanced UCaaS platform that offers VoIP phone, SMS, collaborative team chat, and video conferencing. Video conferencing is limited to 10 users, making this provider a great option for small teams.

    The phone system supports unlimited calls within the U.S. and Canada and international cloud numbers in over 70 countries. It includes routing and queuing features such as auto attendants, personalized call distribution, unlimited queues, and call groups.

    DialpadDialpad’st strength is its A.I. support. All calls have a real-time transcript with automatically generated call summaries that track key themes, sentiment scores, highlights and action items. Agents receive real-time A.I. training, while supervisors can access live queue reports.

    Dialpad meetings are limited to 10 users but have collaborative tools like chat, waiting rooms, and whiteboards. You can use the system to schedule meetings in built-in apps like Google or Microsoft 365 and invite any user to join without having to download the app. Keyboard chat allowseasy access to  file sharing and storage with a search function.

    Why did we choose Dialpad? Dialpad has a number of AI-enabled features, including agent training and automatically generated call summaries.

    Our experience. We love that DialpadDialpad’s conferencing is loaded with collaboration features like transcription and whiteboarding. We also believe that automatically generated call summaries help streamline the post-call process by making reviewing what was discussed during the call easy.

    PROS

    • AI support
    • File management features
    • Affordable plans

    CONS

    • Limited video conference participants
    • Small unlimited call space

    6. Grasshopper

    Grasshopper is a VoIP phone system that offers voice calls and SMS. The phone system itself, accessible through a mobile and desktop app, is easy to use.

    These service plans support unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada, and each includes a pre-set phone number limit that you can split between as many agents as needed. GrasshoGrasshopper’s payment structure works well for businesses that want to share multiple phone numbers through multiple extensions. However, all of your available DID numbers have U.S. area codes.

    In the Grasshopper app, agents can make calls and send SMS anywhere in the world. They can also access their voicemail by transcribing, displaying, or forwarding calls. Each agent can create a personal greeting that can be configured using the Grasshopper phone number extension to create an auto attendant routing system. These programs support anywhere from three to an unlimited number of extensions.

    With this service, you can send text messages worldwide and set up your phone system to send automatic replies to first-time callers, busy signal recipients, and more.

    Why did we choose Grasshopper? Grasshopper is best suited for those who don’t ndon’tultiple channels, collaboration, routing, or queuing. Their pricing plans also work well for businesses whose agents need to share phone numbers.

    Our experience. We found the Grasshopper app easy to use and appreciated the text messaging capabilities. Although setting up the IVR was confusing, the responsive and knowledgeable customer service team helped us finish it in less than 30 minutes.

    PROS

    • Voice mail
    • Shared phone numbers
    • Automated attendant routing systems

    CONS

    • It lacks video and chat features.
    • There are no international phone numbers

    7. Ooma Office

    Ooma Office is a VoIP phone system and UCaaS platform with all major communication channels: voice, SMS, team chat and video. The phone system supports unlimited calls in the U.S. and Canada, with per-minute rates anywhere in the world. Ooma also provides local and toll-free U.S. area code numbers.

    The Ooma Office app on desktop and mobile devices gives agents access to team messaging, voicemail, call logs, SMS, video, and basic call controls. It also allows you to participate in three-way conference calls and transfer, transfer, park, and divert calls between devices.

    Supervisors can create unlimited call queues, call groups, automatic call recording, and self-service auto attendant routes. Administrators can view live and historical call analytics to gain insight into contact centre activity and performance. Agents can share a single inbox when sending SMS messages, dividing responsibility for incoming text messages.

    Ooma allows for individual and team channel messaging, and its video conferencing supports screen sharing but lacks collaboration features.

    Why did we choose the Ooma Office? It offers a full suite of phone system features, such as routing and queuing. It’s a choice for teams that need a standard UCaaS capabilities platform.

    Our experience. From a controller perspective, we appreciate Ooma’s Ooma’s analytics and queue monitoring. We also like that agents can share voicemail boxes and that team chat is included in all Ooma plans.

    PROS

    • Routing and Queuing Functions
    • Advanced monitoring analysis
    • Team chat is included in all plans.

    CONS

    • No international numbers
    • Very few chat and video features.

    8. Phone

    Phone by Web.com (provided by Phone.com) is a cloud phone system with VoIP calling, SMS text messaging, and video conferencing. It is an affordable platform that offers bundled minutes and unlimited calling options.

    The Basic Phone by Web.com plan offers 500 minutes of talk and 1,000 text messages combined, while higher-tier plans support unlimited talk and text in the U.S. and Canada. These more advanced plans also provide useful routing features such as IVR menus, call queues, voicemail transcription, and automatic voicemail-to-email forwarding.

    Video conferencing supports up to 100 participants with no time limit. It has dynamic collaboration features such as document sharing, screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, whiteboards and breakout rooms.

    All three Phone by Web.com channels are included in every plan, but the best collaboration features, like call recording and breakout rooms, are only available in the Pro plan.

    Why did we choose Phone by Web.com? Phone by Web.com offers a cost-effective shared minutes plan for teams with low call volumes and access to video conferencing.

    Our experience. We appreciate that Phone by Web.com integrates video conferencing capabilities into all its plans without time limits. We also like that it supports international calling with virtual phone numbers available worldwide.

    PROS

    • Unlimited video length
    • Call queue functions
    • Whiteboard collaboration tools for video conferencing

    CONS

    • No team chat
    • Video conferences have a small number of participants

    9.VoxDirect

    VoxDirect is a VoIP phone system that specializes in voice and SMS marketing. While it does not include collaboration channels like video or team chat, it does offer text templates and settings to enable push campaigns, notifications, and other mass email use cases.

    All VoxDirect plans include one phone number for a toll-free, dedicated, or local VoIP number in the U.S. Subscriptions support unlimited calls within the U.S. and Canada and the ability to make international VoIP calls. Each plan has a predefined number of extensions and virtual receivers, allowing you to share numbers among several users and create a self-service customer routing system. During a live call, agents can record with one click and quickly transfer it. Vox’s uVox’sashboard allows you to manage multiple numbers simultaneously, customize the IVR, set up call recording, and access voicemail with transcription.

    The Text panel organizes all text-related tools and functions. It allows you to view your subscribers’ contact information and organize them into groups for various marketing or customer service purposes. You can also create and schedule text messages using text templates (for events, promotions, news, engagement, and notifications) to create drip campaigns and communicate with thousands of customers at once. When a customer responds to a bulk or automated text message, the agent receives the response and can move on to a one-on-one text conversation.

    WhyWeose VoxDirect, V:xDirect Bulk Text Messaging offers unique SMS marketing options such as sales and advertising templates, autoresponders, and scheduled text messages.

    Our experience. We found it easy to schedule text messages using VoxDireVoxDirect’sive library of SMS templates, which cover usage categories such as greetings, promotions, notifications, and standard autoresponders.

    PROS

    • Text templates for marketing.
    • Easily managed contact lists
    • Free and personalized numbers

    CONS

    • Limited call analysis
    • No chat or video

    10. Comcast Business

    Comcast Business Voice offers a VoIP phone system that you can use on any device (mobile or desktop). It has local numbers worldwide and the option to port existing numbers.

    Your Business app does not support text messaging, team chat, or embedded video. However, Comcast’s interface has useful call monitoring and routing tools, such as call ID and history, call hold and transfer, call forwarding, parking, retrieval, and waiting.

    With this service, you can create groups with specific call orders so that users are dialled in sequence until someone answers. You can also set business hours and forwarding rules, where each agent has a virtual voicemail inbox with a personalized greeting, transcription and one-click callback.

    Why we chose Comcast Business: Comcast Business lets you purchase SIP and PRI trunks to add phone lines or fully migrate to an on-premise VoIP system. Additionally, if your business is looking to transition from an old PBX system that connects your phone system to users via landline cables, Comcast can facilitate this transition.

    Our experience. Comcast Business made the transition from a basic landline phone system easy because it didn’t need us to learn a new interface or use new tools.

    PROS

    • Easy-to-use application interface
    • Variety of call controls.
    • Ring orders for groups

    CONS

    • No chat, SMS, video or analytics
    • No built-in IVR functionality

    How to Compare the Best VoIP Providers & Services

    To differentiate between the best VoIP providers, consider several factors such as your budget, collaboration needs, most used channels, call and message volumes, controller and call centre monitoring needs, and which destinations you call the most.

    Then, evaluate and compare potential VoIP service providers based on their features and price. VoIP’s important features are call distribution, auto attendant menus, caller ID, video conferencing, SMS text messaging, and file sharing.

    The following table outlines the vital features and methods you can use to help you identify which provider best meets your business needs.

    What Is VoIP?

    Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a telephone service that transmits audio data over an Internet connection rather than sending a signal over a traditional landline. VoIP is a more portable option because users can access their phone’s features anywhere with an Internet connection. These systems are typically used for:

    • Management of incoming and outgoing telephone calls in the call centre.
    • Participate in calls and video conferences.
    • Conducting distance learning courses.
    • Provide telehealth services
    • Call colleagues, friends or family who live in different countries.

    How Does VoIP Services  Work?

    VoIP works by converting the speakers into data packets and then sending them over the Internet to recipients anywhere in the world. A business signs up with a VoIP provider; its agents have access to a desktop or browser application that connects to the Internet. When the agent speaks on the Internet, the app transmits the voice data to the provider, usually located in the U.S. From there, the system sends the voice through an international chain of networks and servers until it reaches the recipient.

    If an agent dials a VoIP number, the call is transferred entirely over the Internet. However, if they dial a mobile phone, the VoIP data is converted to 4G or 5G mobile data before reaching the endpoint. When the dialled number is a landline, this data is converted to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) audio signal.

    What Is Business VoIP and How Can It Help Your Business?

    Business VoIP solutions use the same audio transmission process as regular VoIP, which involves sending data packets over the Internet. However, they are designed to meet your business needs.

    Many businesses prefer VoIP phone systems over traditional local PBX systems because they have more advantages, such as:

    • Quick setup
    • No hardware maintenance
    • Scale
    • More communication channels
    • Create a global trading presence
    • Internal collaboration options
    • Better customer service
    • Improving call quality
    • Agent mobility
    • Maintain a unified business identity with a remote workforce

    Another reason VoIP is so attractive is that it allows agents to collaborate more effectively, use workflow tools and A.I. support, and communicate with customers across multiple channels, all from a single app on any device they have internet or mobile access. Service.

    How to Internet Best Business VoIP Services

    Before choosing a VoIP provider, compare how well each meets your business needs. These steps will help you make a detailed comparison and identify the system best suits your needs.

    1. Consider your business needs. Determine your budget, desired features, preferred communication channels, the degree of cooperation required from agents, and the geographic areas you frequent.
    2. Compare the features of collaboration and multichannel. See what connection methods each provider on our list offers. Look out for their pricing plans, video conferencing and team chat collaboration features, and additional agent support tools like live call transcription or voice training.
    3. Rate unlimited calling areas. Review your call logs and volume to determine which destinations your agents call most often. If you make frequent international calls, contact providers with low global rates or unlimited calling areas to multiple countries.
    4. Determine the geographic presence you want. Consider where your customers are located and decide if you want to expand your reach in those areas. Look for a service provider that offers virtual DID numbers in the regions where you want to establish a local presence.
    5. Compare routing and queuing capabilities. Estimate the size of your call centre, including the number of agents, supervisors and departments you have. Determine if you must route incoming calls to multiple departments: sales, marketing, billing, customer service, etc. Then, compare each prprovider’service and queuing offerings, such as call groups, auto attendant menus, skill-based routing, and live queues, and analyze them for managers.

    Essential Features of VoIP Services You Must Know

    The most essential features of VoIP include multiple communication channels, call routing, IVR and automated attendants, call queues, analytics, call recording, and transcription. These features help your agents and administrators get the most out of your company.

    Communication Channels

    Most VoIP companies focus on Internet-based voice calls, while UCaaS platforms offer up to four virtual communication channels—phone, SMS, video conferencing, and team chat—as a single product. Phone refers to VoIP calls, SMS allows you to send and receive text messages, video conferencing will enable agents to participate in video conferences with customers, and team chat allows them to send individual and web chat messages.

    Call Routing

    Sometimes called automatic call distribution (ACD), routing occurs when you configure your phone system to route incoming calls to specific users according to preset routing rules. For example, self-service IVR menus allow customers to be directed to the correct user/department by selecting the option that best suits their needs. Skills-baConversely, skills-based(SBR), conversustomers based on the required skills on a call, matching them to an agent with the most appropriate skill set.

    Call Queueing

    When incoming phone calls reach a busy agent, call queuing places the customer in a queue based on call receipt. Agents can view calls in their queue and choose which to attend. Some systems also offer call groups, which allow multiple agents to share queues and responsibility for incoming calls.

    Analytics

    Statistics and metrics about your phone system performance and usage can provide insight into queue activity, agent performance, and call quality. Analysis includes reports, graphs, tables, charts, and data that can be sorted by specific historical periods.

    Call Recording

    Call recording allows you to record calls for storage, sharing and review. You can choose between automatic recording, where all calls are recorded, and on-demand recording, where only specific calls are recorded.

    Transcription

    Transcription, where artificial intelligence systems convert the audio of phone calls or voicemails into text or closed captions, allows these systems to identify customer sentiment, compile call summaries and offer training to live agents.

    Call Management Features

    Call control features, called ACD or call routing, allow you to configure your phone system to route incoming calls to specific agents according to your defined rules. (This feature is similar to our previous example, self-service IVR and skills-based routing.)

    Mobile Compatibility

    A VoIP phone system must be compatible with mobile devices, desktop computers and browsers. Typically, most VoIP features (such as analytics, call management, team chat, and even video conferencing) are available on all devices, including mobile platforms such as iOS and Android.

    Integrations

    A VoIP phone system must integrate with your company applications. Some VoIP providers, such as RingCentral and Dialpad, integrate with dozens of other apps, allowing you to use their features right inside the other apapp’saiapp’sacend vice versa. Useful CRM integrations include platforms like Salesforce, calendar apps like Google, and collaboration software like Slack.

    Collaboration Tools

    In addition to calling, many VoIP providers offer collaboration features that agents can access directly from a system application. These include team chat rooms (which allow users to create threads, share files and images, and assign tasks) and video conferencing (which use collaboration tools such as simultaneous whiteboards, screen sharing, and live polling).

    Additional Numbers

    VoIP providers usually include a DID number with each user registration. However, they also allow you to purchase more VoIP numbers. You can add numbers with area codes from anywhere in the United States. Some providers even have virtual numbers for different countries around the world.

    Video Conferencing

    Many VoIP providers offer video conferencing as a means of communication. Agents can join internal team video conferences for collaboration or send invitation links to customers. Each provider supports unique features, time constraints, and collaboration tools for video conferencing participants. Video conferences typically host up to 200 participants, last 24 hours, and support features such as chat and screen sharing.

    IVR

    An IVR, also called an automated attendant, is a self-service telephone menu that customers can use to communicate with specific agents within their company. Most VoIP providers allow you to create your own IVR menu using a conversation type or custom recorded messages to provide different options, such as “D”al ‘”‘” ‘fofor’S’les” and s” “n.

    Key Benefits of Using Business VoIP Phone Service Providers

    Key benefits of using business VoIP phone services include scalability, affordability, versatility, compatibility with multiple devices, excellent voice quality, advanced features, remote facilities, and worldwide reach.

    Scalability

    VoIP virtual phone providers allow you to switch system users in minutes, no matter where they are, without installing new phone jacks or desktop computers. This means that when your company wants to add or remove agents, you can do so with just a few clicks. In contrast, traditional in-house PBX systems require adding new physical phone lines and purchasing new equipment, making getting new users on board more complex.

    Virtual phone providers offer subscription pricing plans that are very flexible, allowing you to add and remove features just as quickly. You can also expand your business globally by purchasing VoIP numbers in countries outside of your local area. This scalability is not possible with fixed cable lines. VoIP also supports running multiple small businesses on a single account.

    Affordability

    VoIP systems are less expensive than traditional landline phone systems because they cost less to install, maintain, and modify. They also have more features and call options per dollar.

    Most VoIP pricing plans offer over 50 advanced features, including team chat, video calling, routing, and queuing, even with their most basic subscriptions, which typically cost less than $20 per user per month. These phone plans often include unlimited calls within the U.S. and Canada and do not require the purchase of additional equipment.

    Versatility

    VoIP phone platforms serve as more than just phone systems. They also provide unified communication services such as team chat, task management, drawing and brainstorming, call centre monitoring, and video collaboration. This allows you to control an entire team of users and business phone numbers worldwide from a single dashboard, making account management much easier.

    Quality

    Since most VoIP providers and devices support high-fidelity audio codecs, such as G.722 and the Opus codec, they offer a more comprehensive range of frequencies. This results in more precise and more natural sound quality than traditional landline calls.

    Business Features

    VoIP pricing plans offer several advanced business features. Lower-level plans typically include IVR menus, basic routing and queuing, team chat, video conferencing with up to 100 participants, voicemail transcription, and basic call logs. They also usually give you access to tools like call blocking and caller ID to help you avoid telemarketers.

    Mid-level pricing plans add more advanced multi-level IVR menus, collaboration capabilities in team chat channels, call recording, and call centre monitoring (allowing supervisors to listen to and join agents. They also include advanced analytics that provides insights, metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) on everything from queue activity to call volume to customer satisfaction scores, opening up a range of marketing use cases and customer service.

    Higher-end pricing plans typically include file storage, A.I. support, meeting summaries, live agent training, and advanced real-time queue analytics.

    Remote Working

    A VoIP phone system makes it easy to connect a remote workforce, even one spread across the globe. Although on-premises PBX systems do not allow remote users to accept a company number or area code, multiple users can share the same phone number and even call at the same time, regardless of location. This means agents can use your business phone number from their car, home, coffee shop, or even while on vacation.

    Internal VoIP system collaboration tools, especially team chat and video conferencing tools like whiteboards, also allow remote workers to draw, present, and exchange ideas as if they were together in person.

    Device Compatibility

    While traditional PSTN telephony requires a landline, VoIP users can call and send messages from any Internet-connected device, including computers, tablets, and cell phones. Almost all VoIP phone systems have a softphone feature that allows agents to make online business calls from any device.

    Global Accessibility

    Many VoIP providers include local and international toll-free numbers, and almost all also have virtual phone numbers with area codes throughout the United States. This means that you can establish a global presence no matter where your business is located. For example, if you do business in China or Italy, you can operate from a local number in one of these countries, creating a more familiar presence for your customers.

    Choosing the Right VoIP Company for Your Needs

    Choosing a system with the right features, capabilities, and channels is essential to meet your customer requirements and business needs. It will improve customer service, marketing, agent productivity ad, and internal team satisfaction.

    The following information will help you decide which service provider is best suited to grow your business.

    The Best VoIP Services for Call Centers

    Vonage is one of the best VoIP services for call centres because it offers call routing, queuing, analytics, and monitoring features. Vonage also provides ACD, call groups, call recording and a control panel. These features solve the problem of inefficient call centre routing, where customers end up with the wrong agent.

    The Best VoIP Services for Virtual PBX

    Some of the best virtual PBX phone systems are Ooma and Grasshopper because they offer high-quality audio, unlimited U.S. calling, and voicemail features. Both of these providers also offer call routing, administration, and basic control. Setting up voicemail services can be complicated with many on-premise PBX systems, but the process is easy with Ooma and Grasshopper.

    The Best VoIP Services for Law Firms

    GoTo Connect is one of the best VoIP providers for law firms because it includes call recording, SMS, voicemail, call transcription, and advanced call analytics with Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) and customer sentiment. Law firms need to track and record key details that their clients mention, and the above features support this.

    The Best VoIP Services for Hotels

    One of the best VoIP providers for hotels, Mitel offers call extensions, detailed call logs, routing, and analytics. These tools help hotel management manage momoniguests’ enamesmessdestinations and costs, effectively routing calls throughout the hotel as needed.

    The Best VoIP Services for Hospitals

    The best VoIP providers for hospitals, such as RingCentral and 8×8, include extensions, dedicated routes, and detailed call logs. In most cases, hospital phone systems do not require messaging, video conferencing, or collaboration features; They require widespread telephone use. Hospital callers are frustrated when they cannot easily reach the guest they want to get. These routing functions solve this problem.

    The Best VoIP Providers for Residential Use

    Top residential VoIP providers like Verizon and VOXOX offer high-quality audio, voicemail with transcription, reliable uptime, and unlimited calls within your home area. Residential users typically don’t have collaboration tools or multiple communication channels. Instead, they demand reliable services and high-quality voice messages from these providers.

    Types of VoIP Systems

    Hosted System

    A hosted VoIP system involves a third-party provider that manages your cloud-based phone system off-site. By doing so, your company does not have to monitor the IP PBX equipment or install updates. Instead, your provider runs the VoIP phone system for you. Hosted VoIP systems are best for small businesses due to their highly flexible pricing structure. (All providers on our list host VoIP systems.)

    On-Premise System

    An on-premises PBX system means you provide your voice-over I.P. service through an IP PBX or SIP trunk installed on your premises. Some businesses find that SIP trunking saves them money in the long run (compared to a hosted VoIP provider). Area systems are best for large businesses because they can use one hardware room to power the entire building.

    Managed System

    A managed system is a hybrid of a hosted and on-premise VoIP system. Your provider assigns an I.T. and VoIP specialist to configure and manage your local settings and Internet connection. A managed system provides significant flexibility and control over your VoIP network settings while freeing you from maintaining them yourself.

    A managed system works best for a large company because you have access to an expert who can fully dedicate his services to solving problems that arise.

    Does Switching to VoIP Save Money?

    Switching from a traditional PBX to VoIP will save your business money: lower installation and maintenance costs, a remote workforce without personal equipment, easy scalability, and a single company phone bill.

    Cordless Costs Less to Setup and Maintain

    Fixed systems require a sizeable on-site PBX system, phone booths, and desk phones for each agent, while hosted VoIP systems require none. You can set up a hosted VoIP phone system without buying new hardware.

    Users can access all VoIP features, such as calling, messaging, video and routing, using their own computers and mobile devices. Furthermore, your provider takes care of all maintenance and updates.

    Remote Workforce Equals Reduced Overhead

    VoIP makes it easy to support a remote workforce. You can assign virtual phone numbers to employees, allowing them to make calls, send messages, and handle all business issues remotely.

    By using a VoIP-enabled remote workforce, your company saves money on the costs associated with a private office: electricity, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and more.

    No Paying Through the Roof to Move or Expand

    VoIP services are flexible, portable and scalable, saving you money and hassle when your business changes locations, adds a new website or adds new users.

    If you change offices, your VoIP phone service does not change. Agents can keep their numbers and continue to use the same devices. Adding a new office location simply means acquiring new DID numbers from your VoIP phone company. These can be based on your new office or the area code of your choice. To add new users, you can simply purchase a new subscription with no I.T. installation or configuration required.

    One Communications Bill

    Instead of managing multiple communication bills, VoIP users pay for only one monthly subscription. This multi-channmultichannelon usually costs less than $30 per user per month.

    Calculating the Cost Savings of VoIP

    To calculate how much you can save by switching from a landline to VoIP, first add all your communication costs and overhead: devices, maintenance, electricity, monthly phone and texting bills.

    Next, decide which pricing plan fits your needs based on the features and channels you plan to use. The following chart will help you compare the costs of a traditional landline versus a VoIP phone system.

    *Please note that this is an optional accessory for VoIP users but a requirement for traditional landlines.

    *The cost varies by country. For both VoIP and traditional systems, cell phone calls are more expensive than landline calls.

    VoIP is the clear winner over traditional PBX when installation, hardware, feature, and call costs are considered. VoIP can save tens of thousands of dollars annually for large businesses.

    How Do VoIP Phones Work Compared to Landline Phones?

    While landlines use the PSTN to transmit audio over cables, VoIP telephony uses the Internet to send audio data packets.

    Landline phones must be connected to the PSTN via cables and jacks, limiting your office usage. After the call, the audio signal is routed through the cable through a series of global switches before reaching the destination.

    VoIP audio data is transmitted over the Internet to your company, which then sends the data to the recipient over a cellular network, the Internet, or a landline.

    More VoIP Providers We Reviewed

    In addition to the ten services lisInternete, we also reviewed the following residential and business VoIP providers:

    • Nextiva – Best Internet collaboration platform
    • Optimal business. Best for essential call control and three-way conference calling
    • Spectrum VoIP. Best for H.D. sound
    • CenturyLink Business. Best for identifying and blocking calls
    • OnSIP. best for call and queue management

    We Thought You Might Find These Articles Interesting

    • Solving VoIP problems. Ten effective solutions forms
    • VAT vs. IVR. Which is better for your business?
    • 10 Benefits of Choosing VoIP over PBX for Small Businesses

    Connect to Customers and Grow Your Business With VoIP

    Compared to traditional PBX phone systems, VoIP benefits your business in almost every way: easy setup, lower monthly costs, scalability, unlimited calls, multiple communication channels, and more.

    While many VoIP providers offer exceptional functionality, each has unique features and pricing plans. Consider your business type, call area and use cases and choose the provider that best suits your business needs.

    Our picks for the top 10 VoIP companies and service providers are RingCentral, Vonage, Zoom Phone, GoTo Connect, Dialpad, Grasshopper, Ooma Office, Phone by web.com, Vox Direct, and Comcast Business.

     

  • Top 10 Best Website Builders in 2024 – Stand Out with a Professional Website

    Top 10 Best Website Builders in 2024 – Stand Out with a Professional Website

    To grow your business, you definitely need the Best Website Builders, and not just any website. You want one that is beautiful, functional, and easy to navigate. A slow website that offers a poor user experience causes visitors to leave without looking back, according to Arun Arora, senior partner at McKinsey & Company.

    The good news is that you no longer need to hire a designer to create a brilliant website. You can do it yourself, even if you are a complete beginner. The best website builders are affordable, easy to use, have many visually appealing templates, and allow you to grow your online presence as your business grows.

    In this article, we will review and compare the ten best websites on the market to help you choose the one that suits your needs.

    Our Best Website Builders in 2023:

    • GoDaddy – Best Website Builder for Beginners
    • Web.com – Best for Design Flexibility
    • Squarespace – Ideal for image-heavy websites
    • Network Solutions: the best to connect quickly
    • IONOS – The best to open an online store
    • Jimdo: Best for those seeking guided help
    • SITE123: Best for creating a simple website
    • HostGator – Best for Business Owners on a Budget
    • Fiverr – Best for Affordable Outsourcing Services
    • Elementor – Best for WordPress Beginners.

    A Closer Look at the Top 10 Website Builders

    The GoDaddy website builder is a versatile option that caters to users of all levels. You shouldn’t have any problems using its intuitive editor, and there are plenty of additional tools to help you develop your website, from powerful marketing and online booking tools to an online store builder.

    GoDaddy has a great help centre and main user dashboard that allows you to manage all your GoDaddy products in one place. Its editor lacks design flexibility, the SEO tools are a bit basic, and there are only 22 templates available. But with its competitive price and wide range of tools, it stands out as a great option for everyone, from beginners creating their first website to advanced web admins looking to have an online store.

    Why we chose GoDaddy? Works great for mobile sites

    PROS

    • Easy to set up and use
    • Includes advanced marketing tools.
    • Integrations with eBay, Etsy, Facebook and more

    CONS

    • Can’t add custom code
    • Cannot export content

    Web.com is a US-based company that offers website development, domain name registration, and web hosting services to small and medium-sized businesses. It has existed since 1999, making it one of the pioneers in this field. Web.com’s website builder is intuitive and beginner-friendly (although it lacks customization options) and offers over 150 industry-specific templates to get you online quickly, even if you’re new to building websites. Websites.

    According to Abhishek Shah, founder of Testlify, Web.com’s strength is that it “offers a variety of services beyond website creation,” such as SEO and PPC, web security solutions, and hosting.

    Their plans include free hosting services, domain registration, and basic marketing features. Plus, with Web.com, you get free one hour of dedicated support from experienced web designers.

    Why we chose Web.com? We like that Web.com is simple and easy to use, making it a great choice if you want to get online quickly.

    Our experience. Web.com is a solid choice for beginners, although its editor can seem complicated until you get the hang of it. We especially liked the variety of templates available.

    PROS

    • Well-designed templates
    • Free images and stock photos
    • One-hour support from a web design expert.

    CONS

    • Limited customization options
    • There is no free trial

    Squarespace is one of the best options for a visually impressive website, thanks to its fantastic variety of templates. With Squarespace, you can access advanced SEO features, powerful eCommerce capabilities, unlimited bandwidth, responsive design, and more. It is one of the most expensive web builders but offers flexible pricing options with its personal and business plans.

    The intuitive and powerful Fluid Engine, Squarespace’s new and improved drag-and-drop editor, offers many customization options, simplifies website creation, and delivers incredible results.

    Why did we choose Squarespace? We were impressed with the quality of Squarespace’s templates and the variety of design styles. The patterns seem to have a unique structure.

    Our experience: The Fluid Engine editor is straightforward to use. Grid allows you to rearrange elements and even add animations. We could quickly switch between the desktop and mobile versions of the site and customize the design simultaneously.

    Read the Squarespace Review

    PROS

    • 100+ beautifully designed templates
    • All templates are mobile-responsive
    • Strong SEO and blogging features

    CONS

    • Only suitable for websites with a flat navigation structure
    • No phone support

    With Network Solutions, you can quickly set up a basic website. It offers a wide variety of templates, an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, a personalized email address, free hosting, and a domain name.

    However, Network Solutions’ pricing structure is not very transparent. While the first month’s subscription fee is quite affordable (starting at $2.95), consecutive months are significantly more expensive (starting at $14.95 for the lowest-level plan).

    Additionally, many customers are satisfied with Network Solutions’ technical support team’s efficiency and ability to resolve complex issues quickly. The quality of customer support was an important consideration for us when compiling this list. Business owners need speed and efficiency when it comes to technical issues, and Network Solutions offers just that.

    Why did we choose Network Solutions? Network solutions make creating websites simple, even if you are a beginner. This is a solid choice for small businesses looking to establish their online presence.

    Our experience: We liked that Network Solutions offers website development services. It has a team of web designers who can build your website for a fee (the price is not transparent, but you can talk to an expert to get a quote). After that, you can access your site from the standard editor to make changes if necessary.

    PROS

    • Easy-to-use editor
    • 150+ templates for different industries and use cases
    • Domain name, web hosting and SSL certification are included in all plans

    CONS

    • Unclear pricing structure
    • Limited customization options

    IONOS is a trusted eCommerce website builder aimed at small business owners. Creating a website with IONOS is very simple, even if you’ve never done it before. You can efficiently cross-sell and sell products on individual product pages to increase profits and get comprehensive abandoned cart recovery functionality (not all website builders offer).

    It’s easy to grow your business with IONOS and even sell on popular social networks and marketplaces like Facebook, Instagram, Google Shopping, and Amazon. Although it has a limited number of templates (we counted 19), they are all well-designed and built for mobile responsiveness.

    Why we chose IONOS: IONOS? IONOS is the best option to create an e-commerce store quickly. Their subscription rates (even for the premium plans) are affordable, especially for the first 6 to 12 months. After this period, subscription fees increase, but IONOS is transparent about its prices, with no unpleasant surprises.

    Our experience: The IONOS dashboard, or Presence Suite, is an intuitive system for managing your website and online presence. Furthermore, the website builder is designed for beginners, making it easy to understand.

    PROS

    • Powerful eCommerce features at a reasonable price
    • Mobile Responsive Templates
    • Track your competitors’ activity on Google and social media

    CONS

    • A limited number of templates
    • which is only ten pages with a top-tier plan

    Jimdo is a German web builder explicitly aimed at freelancers to empower and help them thrive. Jimdo founder Matthias Henze has dedicated his career to helping small businesses build an online presence because he believes that small business owners “are the backbone of our economy.”

    Small business owners who want help creating a website will find Jimdo Dolphin helpful. It is an AI-powered design assistant that makes the design process easy. In just a few minutes, he can create an essential website with industry-specific photos and content that he can customize later. This is an affordable option and even features logo designers.

    Why do we choose Jimdo? Jimdo is a great option when you’re looking to automate and simplify the website design process as much as possible. We were impressed with how easy it was to create our website with Jimdo Dolphin.

    Our experience. When we tested the platform, we were pleasantly surprised at how quickly we got everything up and running. We just had to answer a few questions about our business, the type of website we wanted, the pages we wanted to add, and our preferred style and colours. We even had the possibility of importing images from social networks. After that, Jimdo Dolphin gave us several web options to choose from.

    PROS

    • A quick and easy web design process
    • Good SEO tools
    • A forever-free plan is available

    CONS

    • Limited design flexibility
    • Email-only customer support

    SITE123 is one of the most intuitive and straightforward web builders, making it ideal for beginners. It’s a complete solution for all your website-building needs, including an intuitive no-code editor, free hosting, powerful SEO tools, and responsive templates.

    Creating an online store is also very simple. Since its e-commerce capabilities are limited, it may not be the best option if you plan to scale your business quickly. It will be beneficial if you look for an easy way to start selling online.

    We chose SITE123 SITE123 is a simple, beginner-friendly platform that can help you get your website up and running quickly. Plus, it offers a free version you can try before committing.

    Our experience Compared to other website builders we tested, SITE123 was probably the easiest to use. We had to choose the type of website we wanted to create, the name we wanted to use, and our favourite template.

    PROS

    Free version with 250 MB storage
    Hundreds of mobile-friendly templates to choose from
    24/7 live chat support and knowledge base with lots of tutorials

    CONS

    Basic customization options
    Unable to export your site

    HostGator is an affordable web-building solution with everything you need to get started: 200+ templates, an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, and robust email marketing tools included in all their plans. Depending on the plan you choose, you can get three, five, or ten email campaigns per month.

    HostGator’s editor is extremely versatile, especially considering its price. It offers two options: an AI-powered design assistant or a template, which you can customize yourself.

    Why we chose HostGator HostGator is an affordable option with great hosting. Their competent site builder (included in all plans) is ideal for building your website with minimal effort.

    Our experience We found the HostGator dashboard to be very easy to navigate, and you can even create your logo with their LogoMaker. While we found the customization options to be a little more limited with the AI-powered website builder, it’s still ideal if you want to launch your website as soon as possible.

    PROS

    • AI-powered design assistant included in all plans
    • Affordable introductory plans
    • Powerful marketing tools, including LogoMaker by HostGator

    CONS

     

    • No free plan
    • A limited number of products, except the premium plan.

    Marketplaces like Fiverr are invaluable resources for those looking for a custom-built website to help you find a talented web designer or developer. Fiverr stands out for us with its transparent pricing, excellent user interface, and how easy it is to find the right web design specialist.

    Here are some things to consider before hiring someone on Fiverr:

    • The type of website you want to create (for example, an interactive website, a large online store, a portfolio website, etc.)
    • Your specific needs and requirements
    • Your budget and deadline
    • Your preferences for the platforms and tools you would like the web designer to use (such as Adobe Photoshop, Figma, WordPress, or a website builder like Wix or Squarespace)
    • The services you need (responsive design, prototypes, etc.)

    Then, you head to the website design category and use the search engine to find the right person. Once you’ve shortlisted a few promising freelancers, you can check their portfolios, reviews, and the packages they offer to find the perfect candidate.

    Why we chose Fiverr: You can find professional web designers on Fiverr who can create anything to your specifications, usually at a very competitive price. You can also use Fiverr Pro to find carefully vetted professionals who offer stellar quality and service.

    Why we chose Fiverr: We found Fiverr to be easy to navigate. Select the type of service you are looking for and use the search engine and filters to narrow it down. Reviewing the top listings in a specific category was much faster than trying to sift through hundreds of listings in broad categories, such as website design.

    PROS

    • Global marketplace giving you access to talented professionals
    • Outsource website creation for a truly custom design
    • Easy-to-use search engine

    CONS

    • Quality may vary depending on the person you choose.
    • The custom layout is more expensive.

    Elementor is a popular WordPress page builder plugin with advanced editing features. It can be used with existing WordPress sites, making it an excellent option for minor edits without starting over.

    Additionally, Elementor has an excellent free version and several premium options at competitive prices. It is easy to use, offers excellent customization, and can be integrated with various third-party plugins and applications.

    PROS

    • It comes with a neat and feature-rich editor.
    • It offers excellent design flexibility across the board.
    • Works with all WordPress themes

    CONS

    • It can be not very clear to start
    • Requires a hosting account and WordPress site

    What is a Website Builder?

    A website builder is an easy-to-use platform that allows you to create and launch a website quickly, even if you are a beginner with no coding or technology knowledge. Most website builders feature an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, a selection of pre-designed templates that you can customize, an eCommerce suite, and SEO tools.

    How Do Website Builders Work?

    Website builders come with built-in editors that translate your design into code. These editors allow you to create your site, control its appearance, add different elements (photos, content, contact forms, and more), and create new pages.

    Most website builders have extensive template libraries. You can choose the design that best suits your brand image and vision from here. Then, you can customize it and add images and content.

    The Advantages of Website Builders

    Website builders offer many advantages for business owners who want to launch an online presence quickly without spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

    Ease of use: The website builders are intuitive, and you don’t need any CG or special tech skills to use most of them.
    Customization options: Site-building platforms typically offer a wide selection of professionally designed templates that you can customize to create a website that fits your vision.
    Affordability: Hiring a web designer can cost thousands of dollars. Website builders are a much cheaper solution, starting at just $1 a month for a builder like IONOS.
    Easy maintenance: Using a website builder makes maintaining and growing your website easy. You can create new pages, list new products, add more content, and change any design elements from the platform itself.

    How to Choose the Best Website Builder for Your Needs?

    5 Questions to Help Determine Your Website Builder Needs

    Choosing the best option depends on what you need. Here are five questions to help you decide.

    1. What type of website are you planning to build? (Portfolio, blog, online store, etc.)
    2. Will you sell products and/or services?
    3. What is your annual budget? Are you willing to pay more for the features you need?
    4. Do you need a platform with many customization options, or are you looking to create a simple website and launch it quickly?
    5. How comfortable are you learning to use a new platform?

    For example, let’s say you just launched your first clothing brand and want to create an online store quickly. You have no prior experience in web design, which makes you lean towards more straightforward solutions, and your budget is limited. In this case, look for a cheap, easy-to-use website builder with comprehensive eCommerce features like IONOS or HostGator.

    On the other hand, Squarespace or Wix might be a better option if you have a higher budget and lots of product photos.

    9 Key Features of the Best Website Builders

    The best website builders have a few things in common. These are the key features to consider when choosing a platform.

    1. A variety of quality templates: A good website builder will offer a wide range of high-quality templates to make creating a visually appealing site simple.
    2. Design flexibility: Website customization options are key if you want to create something bespoke that feels like yours.
    3. Adequate storage and bandwidth: Think about the storage space you need. Websites containing photos and text will probably require less storage space than those with many videos.
    4. E-commerce features: Pay special attention to the website builder you choose for your e-commerce store. Some fit better than others, especially if you plan to climb.
    5. SEO tools: Search engine optimization is crucial if you rely on organic traffic to grow your business. The selected website builder should provide the SEO features you need to be visible on search engines.
    6. Google Analytics integration: Google Analytics allows you to analyze your website’s performance and your visitors’ demographics.
    7. Third-party plugins and apps: To add additional features to your website (chatbots, forms, testimonials, etc.), you may need to use a third-party application. Make sure you choose a website builder that allows this.
    8. Mobile responsiveness: Almost 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices, so

    How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website?

    The cost of building a website varies depending on your needs. A simple website that you make yourself can cost $100/year if you choose the most budget-friendly tools and subscription plans. However, your annual costs will increase if you want to add an online store or third-party applications.

    For example, with the IONOS starter plan, a no-store site will cost $5/month for the first six months and $9/month thereafter. The store will cost $5/month for the first six months and $19/month after that.

    You need to hire a professional web designer to create a website where you control every design element. This can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the complexity, number of pages and your exact requirements.

    Do You Need a Website Builder?

    Website builders are ideal for hard-working business owners on a tight budget and anyone who wants to start a website and is willing to invest time and effort into creating it.

    Making Money From Your Website

    Try some of these standard options to monetize your website:

    1. Sell ad space: visitor attention is one of your most valuable resources, and you can monetize it by selling advertising space.
    2. Add products or services for sale: creating an online store is another way to monetize your website traffic.
    3. Join an affiliate marketing network. Affiliate marketing accounts for 16% of e-commerce sales, making it an important marketing channel for brands.
    4. Build a membership program: A subscription-based membership lets you easily monetize a loyal fan base.
    5. Launch an online course: Global revenue from online education is expected to grow by about 10% annually over the next few years, so now is the ideal time to get started.
    6. Publish sponsored content: If your website receives a lot of organic traffic, sponsored content can be a great way to monetize it.
      You can create almost any type of online presence with the help of a web builder, from a portfolio to a restaurant website, an online store, or a website for a school, university, or non-profit organization.

    What Types of Sites Can You Create with a Website Builder?

    • E-commerce platforms
    • Bloggers
    • Portfolio sites for artists or photographers
    • Websites for musicians
    • Non-commercial sites
    • Websites for businesses such as mom-and-pop shops, SMBs or enterprises
    • Daycare websites
    • Entertainment websites
    • Directory sites
    • Community forums

    In short, the possibilities are almost unlimited. Need more help deciding? Below, we’ll help you narrow your options and choose the website builder that best suits your needs.

    The Best Website Builders for Photography

    Squarespace and Web.com are two of the best website builders for photographers. Both make it easy to set up and manage a beautiful portfolio website quickly and easily, even if you know nothing about web design.

    The Best Website Builders for Small Businesses

    Look no further than Wix and SITE123, two of the best website builders for small businesses. Their editors are straightforward and intuitive, so you’ll have a professional-looking website for your small business in no time.

    The Best Website Builders for SEO

    Are you going to rely on organic traffic to grow your business? WordPress.com and Jimdo are two of the best web builders for SEO. They both come with all the SEO tools you need to get started, even without experience.

    Jimdo has its RankingCoach tool that gives you short SEO tasks to improve your website’s ranking, while WordPress.com has its Page Structure Editor to change how your website looks in search engines.

    The Best Website Builders for E-Commerce

    IONOS and HostGator are some of the best eCommerce builders. Both offer inventory and order management, easy online payments, and integrated shipping management.

    The Best Website Builders for Blogs

    When looking for the best blog website builders, HubSpot and Network Solutions are your best options. With them, you can create a solid online presence, publish blog posts and increase your content.

    Other Website Builders Worth Considering

    Our recommendations result from a rigorous research, review and selection process. While only 10 made it to the final list, we reviewed many more website builders, including:

    • WordPress.com – The best-advanced blogging feature
    • BoldGrid – Best for creating professional websites on WordPress
    • Weebly – Best Marketing & E-commerce Features
    • Zyro – User-friendly web design tools
    • Hibu – Best for Personal Digital Marketing Services

    Interesting Articles You Might Find Helpful

    • Ten first post ideas to introduce your new business on social media
    • Top 10 Best Wix Templates of 2023
    • 10 Best GoDaddy Website Templates for Artist Portfolio
    • 10 Web Design Examples for Party Rental Websites (+ Free Templates)
    • 10 Tips for Creating a Stunning Website for Your Daycare Business

    Creating a Website Is Effortless With the Right Website Builder

    Building a solid online presence is a must if you want to grow your business. For that, you need the right tools in your toolbox. And we can safely say that a web builder is the best way to create a professional-looking website and get online fast.

    We’ve exhaustively researched the best website builders and found that the ten listed here are the best options and cover many needs. Our comparison of the best website builders has something for everyone, from one-stop platforms like Wix to AI-powered web design assistants like Jimdo Dolphin.

  • Top 10 Best Web Hosting Services & Companies

    Top 10 Best Web Hosting Services & Companies

    Statista estimates that as of January 2024, there are more than “5.16 billion Internet users” in the world, meaning it is impossible to imagine a world without the Internet. To keep your business going, you need to find a way to capture the attention of all these users by creating a website they want to interact with. It all starts with Web Hosting Services & Companies.

    With dozens of providers, how do you choose one that fits your website vision? To answer this question, we scoured the market to find the best hosting deals on the Internet today.

    By paying close attention to product and pricing options, features you may need, and essential pros and cons, we’ve created a guide to help you choose the best web hosting service.

    Our Top 10 Best Web Hosting Services and Companies:

    • Bluehost – Best shared web hosting service
    • Hostinger – The best website hosting service for long-term savings
    • GoDaddy – Best for unlimited storage and bandwidth
    • IONOS – Best Affordable Hosting Plans
    • HostGator – Best domain host for heavy email use
    • DreamHost – Best for 100% uptime guaranteed
    • Web.com – Best for unlimited data
    • Online Solutions – Best for 24/7 chat support
    • HostPapa – Best for Small and Medium Businesses
    • A2 Hosting – Best hosting solution for large server count

    Our Methodology: How We Reviewed the Best Hosting Services

    Since several specifications, such as server space and bandwidth, must be considered, it can be challenging to make one-to-one comparisons. To compile our list of the best hosting sites, we reviewed all the features and compared them to their costs.

    For our main comparison chart, we’ve reviewed the features each web host provides at their most affordable level. However, if you are willing to spend enough money, almost all hosts will offer you what you need.

    Our methodology is based on the following factors:

    • Guarantees of availability
    • Server speed and load time.
    • Disk space
    • Bandwidth limitations
    • Reliability
    • Security features
    • Customer support

    The Best Hosting Services – An In-Depth Look

     

    Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosts for creating a WordPress (WP) website, thanks to its one-click setup process, robust CMS (content management system) platform, and multiple hosting plans.

    While the company offers other services, including shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and VPS (virtual private server) hosting, Bluehost’s reputation for simplicity and ease of use may be its biggest asset. They also offer an accelerated setup for WooCommerce, a popular e-commerce application powered by the WP engine. Security features like SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates and daily backups also add to its appeal.

    “I love Bluehost as a hosting platform,” says web strategist and trainer Wes McDowell. He also calls Bluehost “super reliable” and adds that it’s “straightforward to get [your site] up and running” with this service.

    Why did we choose Bluehost? Bluehost is one of today’s most versatile hosting providers. It offers a beginner-friendly setup process and various affordable solutions, making it a good option for customers with different needs.

    Our experience. We like the simple site design, navigation, and Bluehost’s emphasis on the WordPress product. These features gave us enough flexibility to create many different types of websites. Transparent pricing and product information make sorting options easy and discovering what’s best for you and your budget.

    PROS

    • Quick WordPress installation and configuration
    • WooCommerce online store hosting
    • Includes security features

    CONS

    • Limited disk space (10 GB)
    • Email addresses are not included

    Hostinger asks for the most extended introductory offer commitment on this list, but their prices are very affordable. The service is only $1.99 monthly for the first four years, after which the price increases to a reasonable $3.99/month. Hostinger’s 30-day money-back guarantee and 99.9% uptime guarantee also give you peace of mind.

    Although this offer does not include a free domain name, it does come with a unique email address. Additionally, users get 50GB of SSD storage and 100GB of bandwidth. Security features include SSL certificates, weekly backups, and DDoS protection.

    Why did we choose Hostinger? Hostinger’s four-year affordable introductory price gives you access to guaranteed uptime at a very affordable price. The user ratings and experiences we’ve reviewed on Trustpilot and the Hostinger homepage confirm that customers find great value in the service they receive.

    Our experience. The company’s customer service is very responsive. We received an answer to our sample question within 10 minutes of posting it in Hostinger’s live chat. However, we didn’t like that Hostinger had a countdown timer on its homepage. It seemed a bit of a gimmick.

    PROS

    • Affordable prices
    • Highly responsive customer service team
    • DDoS protection included

    CONS

    • There is no free domain name
    • Limited bandwidth (100 GB)

    While GoDaddy has gained widespread recognition for its extensive advertising efforts, its popularity can be attributed to factors beyond simple marketing. A stellar suite of security features, including SSL certificates, automatic backups, DDoS protection, and proactive malware scanning, sets it apart from the competition.

    The company also has a website builder for WordPress, which means you don’t need to hire an expensive designer to create a website. Instead, GoDaddy’s wizard gives you access to beginner-friendly tools to help you build your website. GoDaddy also has design services if you prefer to avoid creating a website altogether.

    Why we chose GoDaddy. As one of the most established and recognizable web hosting services, GoDaddy earned its place in the web hosting charts years ago. However, what gives them staying power is their competitive plans and superior security features. In addition, its robust range of e-commerce tools and resources provides additional support to strengthen and grow your business.

    Our experience. We like that GoDaddy includes custom domain registration and allows customers to search for domains from the home page. We also found many storefront offers and payment tools for this service.

    PROS

    • Strict security
    • Website creation and design services.
    • Free one-click WordPress installation

    CONS

    • The introductory price is slightly higher than others.
    • Email addresses are free for the first year only.

    IONOS is ideal for small businesses that need an online presence. At $1 per month for the first year of their Business plan, they have one of the most affordable web hosting deals on this list. They give you a lot for that low price: 99.9% uptime, unlimited bandwidth, 50GB of SSD (solid state drive) storage, five email addresses, advanced security features like DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) and geo-blocking, and redundancy.

    Web developer and HowExpert author Liz Kazanji says in her book Freelance Web Developer 101: “For simplicity, I recommend 1&1, now known as IONOS. I have found [their service] affordable and fully meets my needs.”

    Like the other web hosts on this list, IONOS offers WordPress hosting plans. However, they also provide standard web hosting, Drupal, and Joomla hosting options. Although the Business plan costs the first year, IONOS remains one of the best web hosting platforms on the market due to what it offers at this low price.

    Why did we choose IONOS? IONOS has the most affordable pricing options of all the products we reviewed. Plus, its comprehensive catalogue of web hosting services makes it easy to include it on our list.

    Our experience. We appreciate IONOS’s simple pricing structure and product selection. We also found the live chat helpful in learning more about the provider’s solutions.

    PROS

    • It is a very affordable launch price.
    • Plenty of storage space (50 GB)
    • The business plan includes five email addresses

    CONS

    • After the first year, the cost increases to $8
    • High traffic reduces performance

    HostGator is a smart choice for larger organizations that need multiple email addresses. This web hosting company offers unlimited email addresses with its plans. It also guarantees at least 99% server uptime and unlimited bandwidth.

    In his book WordPress in Easy Steps, Darryl Bartlett, a freelance web developer and technical writer, explains that “to install WordPress, you’ll need some online space.” He adds: “I recommend a company called HostGator. It’s very well priced, has a 24/7 support team, and is very easy to set up with WordPress.

    The $2.75/month introductory plan requires a three-year commitment, but the price doesn’t increase to the regular $7.99/month rate until the introductory period ends. In addition to standard shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and VPS, HostGator also offers reseller hosting for those who want to provide their hosting services.

    Why we chose HostGator: HostGator has won awards for everything from web hosting to customer service. We were impressed with their unlimited email addresses and even the most basic plans. Organizations with large staff will appreciate this feature since you can configure your email.

    Our experience. We appreciate that HostGator does not force you to pay for additional email addresses or use a third-party email provider. Instead, they keep the business in-house. We also liked that they offer some of the market’s fastest and most affordable hosting options.

    PROS

    • Unlimited email addresses
    • Long-term offers available
    • Award-winning customer service

    CONS

    • Only 10 GB of server space
    • The best price requires a three-year commitment

    DreamHost offers an extended 97-day money-back guarantee and 100% guaranteed uptime. This shows their confidence in their service, which should reassure even the most fearful consumers.

    The introductory plan includes a free domain name for one year but does not include an email address. Bandwidth is not metered, and there are no storage limits. There are also several WordPress website options, from basic hosting to dedicated WordPress hosting and cloud hosting options for those looking to publish web applications.

    Why did we choose DreamHost? DreamHost promises 100% uptime and compensation for any downtime. Plus, with a 97-day money-back guarantee, you can try their services and confirm if they can deliver on this promise.

    Our experience. We liked choosing between two unmanaged shared plans, three managed shared plans, four VPS plans, and nine dedicated plans.

    PROS

    • Generous guarantees
    • Different WordPress hosting options
    • cloud hosting

    CONS

    • It does not include email
    • Potentially confusing plan options

    Web.com is a simple service provider that offers shared hosting for WordPress and custom websites. While they don’t have dedicated hosting plans, VPS hosting, or reseller hosting, they provide a website builder for anyone who doesn’t use WordPress.

    The basic plan includes a free domain name for the first year and a business email. Web.com also claims a 99.9% uptime record but doesn’t guarantee it. Plans come with unlimited bandwidth, an SSL certificate, malware scanning, and a daily backup service for security.

    We chose Web.com because this web hosting solution is a stable and complete option with unlimited hosting. They give users free access to a drag-and-drop website builder and promise loading speeds up to 70% faster than their competitors.

    Our experience. We love Web.com’s website design and build options, with one hour of free web design support and pre-designed building blocks. However, we were slightly disappointed by the lack of technical details about their plans.

    PROS

    • Includes business email
    • Free domain for the first year
    • A free drag-and-drop website builder is available

    CONS

    • Email addresses have additional value
    • Lack of detailed technical information.

    Web.com powers Network Solutions and offers similar services. However, it provides the added benefit of fast, responsive, and helpful customer service.

    When it’s time to renew, Network Solutions doesn’t raise its Starter Plan monthly rates, which is a big incentive for potential customers. The plan includes 15 GB of storage and five email addresses. Additionally, Network Solutions guarantees 99.9% uptime but does not provide much information about bandwidth. Also, although the WordPress plans cost more, they include additional storage, email addresses, and a free domain name.

    We chose Network Solutions: Network Solutions is a solid option that does not increase rates after renewal. This provider also has excellent customer service and includes five free emails in its most basic plan.

    Our experience. When we contacted Network Solutions’ customer service team, they immediately connected us to a representative. The site offers a combination of live text and chatbot support. Their 99.9% uptime guarantee also gave us confidence that our site would be consistently available to visitors.

    PROS

    • The price remains the same after the upgrade.
    • Quick chat support with customer service
    • Includes five free email addresses.

    CONS

    • There is no free domain name
    • Bandwidth information for the starter plan is not available

    HostPapa is an exclusive web design and hosting service that puts a professional online presence within reach of businesses of all sizes. An intuitive drag-and-drop website builder lets you create stunning websites in no time. With plans starting at just $3.95 per month, it’s an affordable solution for anyone. HostPapa offers several hosting options, including web hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, reseller hosting, and even specialized e-commerce hosting. With more than 400 business applications, you can improve the functionality of your website. Enjoy free domain registration, ample storage, and unlimited bandwidth with every package. HostPapa enables businesses to thrive online with its cost-effective and feature-rich hosting services.

    We chose HostPapa mainly because of its versatile hosting options. With HostPapa, users have various options, including web hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, reseller hosting, and specialized e-commerce hosting. Whether you run a personal blog, an online store, or a growing business, HostPapa offers hosting plans designed to meet your unique requirements and ensure a smooth online presence.

    Our experience. HostPapa is great when it comes to uptime. They maintain an excellent 99.97 per cent uptime, which means your site is rarely down. While it’s impossible to have 100% uptime due to random issues and maintenance, HostPapa’s uptime translates to less than three hours of downtime annually. This high level of reliability is perfect whether you have a blog or an online store, as it ensures that your website is available to visitors frequently.

    PROS

    • Lots of features even with the basic plan
    • Softaculous with over 400 free apps
    • One-on-one training

    CONS

    • The back guarantee is not 100%
    • Some hidden fees

    A2 Hosting offers various solutions for individual and enterprise users. They offer hosting plans for WordPress (both managed and unmanaged), dedicated email, WooCommerce, reseller hosting, and even specialized software for nonprofits.

    Their basic shared hosting plan, suitable for WordPress or custom websites, starts at $2.99/month for one year. The plan includes 100GB of SSD storage, unlimited bandwidth, and unlimited email addresses. However, users must pay for the domain name.

    Why did we choose A2 hosting? A2 hosting has a lot to offer: tons of storage space, as well as all email. Emails and bandwidth you could ever need. Their plans include a comprehensive security package with SSL certificates, backups, malware scanning, DDoS protection, and two-factor authentication (2FA).

    Our experience. We appreciate the simple reporting that A2 Hosting uses to back up its claims with accurate data. This provider clearly describes its online methodology to show that it can offer large amounts of storage and reliable bandwidth.

    PROS

    • 100 GB SSD storage
    • Unlimited email addresses
    • Comprehensive security package

    CONS

    • There is no free domain name
    • The repair cost is a bit high.

    How to Compare the Best Hosting Services

    The comparison chart below captures some essential details to help you better understand the features of the best web hosts.

    Remember that direct comparisons are not always possible when evaluating each hosting provider’s details. The features listed here refer to the cheapest plan of each hosting service, but higher-level plans may include better features. For example, some hosting providers may provide a free domain name with higher-cost plans, not those listed in the box. Be sure to visit each web hosting service’s website for specific details on their other offerings.

    What are Web Hosting Services, and Which is Right for You?

    Website hosting services are the internet space on which your website storefront resides. If you have a website, it needs to be on the web, and these hosting services are the ones who put your website up and keep it running so that your customers can access it and see it when they type in your URL. The

    There are many types of hosting services for all types of companies. Some web hosting companies can do everything from building your website to marketing and sales. Other providers only provide space, infrastructure, technical support staff, and equipment so that you can create your website.

    Depending on your business model and size, you will choose a hosting company based on the factors described below. Once you understand the terminology, you can weigh the features and select the service that best suits your business needs.

    Exploring the Different Types of Web Hosting

    The larger or more complex the site, the more comprehensive a configuration package you need. The main ones are divided as follows:

    • Shared web hosting. Accessibility and simplicity

    Shared web hosting is the basic package that the services offer. Your website is on the same server as many others, so you share the server and other resources such as memory or CPU.

    Shared web hosting plans suit basic website needs such as emailing, file sharing, and entry-level e-commerce sites. They are the cheapest and, therefore, the brightest option for smaller or new businesses.

    • VPS hosting. balance between strength and flexibility

    A virtual private server is designed for your direct use, not a shared server. You may still be sharing a real server, but the service creates a virtual server, especially if it’s a shared VPS.

    That means all resources, from memory storage to processing power, are yours alone. This more secure and reliable option sets your site apart from others while maintaining accessibility.

    • Dedicated web hosting for maximum control and performance

    Dedicated hosting is on another level. In addition to having your server, dedicated hosting allows you complete control over your server. That means you have full administrative access and can set things up however you want.

    This hosting package includes features that may not be necessary for all types of businesses.

    • WordPress hosting – optimized for WordPress websites

    WordPress offers shared hosting plans that cater to more specialized customers. The servers themselves are optimized differently and have features that are particularly attractive for performance, such as faster load times, a WordPress installer, security features that work specifically with WordPress sites, and hosting of WordPress updates. This is useful for businesses that have websites built on WordPress.

    What Is Included With a Web Hosting Service?

    With a web hosting service, you’ll get tools to design your website, hundreds of templates, blogging and e-commerce features, email marketing, analytics and reporting, cloud hosting services, and more. Web servers centralize everything into a single service that will allow you to run your website online, keep it running smoothly, and keep your data safe.

    Web Hosting Pricing and Value Analysis

    Some choose web hosting companies solely based on price. While this is not a great strategy, you should consider the cost. The best providers offer plans for all budgets, and in some cases, signing up for longer subscriptions (rather than paying monthly) will qualify you for additional discounts.

    Also, leave some room to grow. Choosing a web hosting plan that meets your current website needs. But, with any luck, your site will grow and expand over time, and your needs may change. Since switching to a new web hosting provider is a hassle, consider one that offers a wide range of hosting plans.

    In most cases, more expensive plans include more email addresses. While this feature is not very important to some, it is essential to others.

    Should You Consider Free Hosting?

    Free hosting plans aren’t worth the money because they can create more problems than benefits by taking shortcuts and compromising your site’s speed, security, and scalability.

    With free hosting, slow performance times will affect your website’s SEO. Your website may not even appear on the search results page. Your website’s security can also be compromised, as free servers generally lack protection against cyber attacks.

    Essential Web Hosting Features You Need

    Hosting quality is affected by several important factors that need to be weighed in the decision-making process. Some of the most important factors include:

    • Uptime Guarantee – Ensure reliable website availability

    If you think about web hosting, you will hear the term uptime guarantee a lot. This makes a lot of sense, considering it is one of the most important factors when choosing a service. Uptime, the percentage of time a hosting service is up and running, will be guaranteed by various companies with a certain uptime percentage.

    This is important because you don’t want your website to be permanently unavailable or unavailable to your customers. Otherwise, why have a website? Having it available for a high percentage ensures that your nce can see and interact with your site more often.

    Quality brands like InMotion Hosting, HostGator, and Bluehost offer a 99%+ uptime guarantee, which is good for your business.

    • Load Time Optimization – Speed up your website

    To stay up-to-date, ensure your domain hosting service has fast loading times. A2Hosting will offer 360ml page load times, the fastest in the industry.

    • Customer Support – Reliable help when you need it

    Since having a problem with your website is trivial, you want to ensure that customer service is accessible, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. There is more on this below.

    • Server location: Choosing the right geo-server

    The number and location of servers are vital to your website’s loading and serving speed. The more servers there are, the faster the service will be, but where those servers are located will also affect quality.

    Depending on your location, look for servers in key locations near you, such as the UK, US, or Israel.

    • Email hosting. Manage email accounts with your hosting

    Email hosting is another way to extend your company’s reach online and provide dedicated email addresses for all your employees. Most web hosts have email hosting tools to help you manage accounts and communications from one place.

    Security Features to Look for in a Hosting Package

    In the US alone, 30,000 websites are hacked by malware every day. Many of them are small business websites that are under attack because they don’t have the cyber security protection that large company IT teams can offer.

    However, small business owners can still do more to keep their accounts safe. Check to see if your hosting provider offers any of the following, which can help ensure your account doesn’t become the following statistic.

    • Two-factor authentication (2FA). strengthening account security

    Also called multi-factor authentication (MFA), 2-factor authentication adds a second security credential to the login process. If you have a managed hosting plan, you probably know that cPanel is where your technical staff can manage your hosting accounts.

    • Free SSL certificates. Protect data transmission

    If your small business runs multiple domain names, it would be beneficial if your hosting provider offered free SSL certificates with your hosting package. An SSL certificate is a certificate authority’s (CA) guarantee that traffic to and from a website will be encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS).

    You may be more familiar with this as https:// instead of http:// before specific domain names. Using TLS gives your customers peace of mind that the data they send to and from your site will be encrypted on their local networks.

    • DKIM, SPF, DMARC – Improving email security

    Email spoofing is a genuine concern for any small business. To combat this, look for a host that offers three email authentication tools in their hosting packages: Sender Policy Framework (SPF), Domain Key Authenticated Mail (DKIM), and Domain-Based Message Authentication and Reporting and Matching (DMARC).

    These are created as DNS records in your cPanel, which means that recipients can see that the email your organization has authenticated is not the result of a scammer impersonating you.

    • Easy update manager. optimization of software updates

    A one-click installation manager and scripts means you can ensure that such cloud applications are updated automatically and regularly without asking your IT staff for help.

    How to Choose the Best Web Hosting Company?

    Without the best web hosting, your ability to run a successful website will be severely hampered. There is a dizzying array of web hosting providers competing for your business.

    How can you identify the best? Start by considering the following points:

    1. Bandwidth

    If your site contains many graphics, dozens of pages, and traffic, you’ll need unlimited bandwidth and disk space. However, there are unlimited programs that make life easier. If your site is simple and doesn’t generate a lot of traffic, you should be able to get away with less disk space and bandwidth.

    2. Compatibility

    Also, consider compatibility. In the excitement of looking for a web hosting provider, you might overlook one crucial thing: the type of operating systems supported. You don’t want to switch operating systems, so double-check this point before deciding on a provider.

    3. Reliability

    Reliability and affordability are essential features to consider when looking for web hosting. The best web hosting companies offer 98% and 99% availability rates, often called “uptime”. However, making such claims is easy, so be sure to see if they deliver on their promises.

    4. Security

    Security is also an important issue. Choosing a web hosting provider without knowing the security features available is a big mistake. Things like firewalls, daily backups, free SSL certificates, and user authentication should be included and easily accessible in the control panel.

    Exploring Additional Offerings Beyond Web Hosting

    If you have an online store, follow vendors that offer e-commerce solutions. Look for a content management system vendor if you want quick and easy updates. Make sure they also give you access to statistics about your site.

    Another feature you can look out for is how environmentally friendly the web hosting is. Data centres use a lot of electricity; nowadays, some web hosts run their platforms using green technology.

    Website Builders: Simplifying Website Creation

    A free domain for your website is more than just hosting; you need to have a website. Website builders help publish all images and information on the Internet without coding. They provide users with hundreds of easy templates to play with and edit. You can drag and drop content directly into templates and customize your site based on your industry.

    If you have little or no experience in website design, web builders can let you easily design the website of your dreams.

    Assessing Customer Service and Support from Hosting Providers

    Even if you’re an expert at creating websites, it’s good to know that help is available if you need it. Confirm that the web host you choose has 24/7 support, and ensure there are several ways to get support, preferably phone support.

    The most reliable providers offer email, phone, and online chat support support, giving you the most convenient option.

    The best support program includes customer freedom. Review the suppliers’ policies to ensure an explicit money-back guarantee if unsatisfied with the product.

    After narrowing your search to a few candidates, look for online reviews of each. Ideally, reviews should come from actual customers on review sites, not testimonial lists posted on web providers’ sites.

    It should be pretty easy to understand how a web host treats its customers from the word on the street.

    More Web Hosting Services We Reviewed

    If you think your web search is over, we have good news. Our web hosting experts have selected the top 10 brands featured and reviewed on this page.

    Check out these additional brands to get a better idea of all your web hosting options:

    • Clouds
    • Fat cow
    • Hibu
    • Jimdo
    • WordPress:

    Additional Articles of Interest

    With all this in mind, please look at these articles written by experts and find the best ways to manage your website online.

    • Best web hosting for small business
    • How do you choose a web hosting service?
    • 10 Tips for Determining Your Website’s Bandwidth Requirements
    • Our ultimate guide to shared web hosting
    • Best WordPress Hosting Services

    Conclusion: Making an Informed Decision for Your Web Hosting Needs

    Our picks for the top 10 web hosting services are Bluehost, IONOS, HostGator, Hostinger, DreamHost, A2 Hosting, Web.com, Network Solutions, rocket.net, and InMotion.

    As tempting as it may be to pick a quick web host and move on with your life, it’s better to take your time. By doing this, you can find a supplier you can stick with for the long term.

     

     

  • Top 10 Best Online Legal Service Providers & LLC Registration

    Top 10 Best Online Legal Service Providers & LLC Registration

    Gone are the days when retaining legal services cost a company thousands of dollars annually. Today, these same services are available at a fraction of the cost, with much more flexibility and the convenience of online processing. Online legal service providers offer even small businesses the ability to meet their legal requirements, stay compliant, and file essential documents on time, all while staying within budget.

    From membership-based services to networks of individual professional attorneys, there is a lot of competition in this field. Small businesses looking to save on legal fees often find solace in these online legal service providers. To do the same, ensure the service you’re signing up for is trustworthy. Look for a firm that offers the services you need, has competitive rates, efficient processing times, and offers essential legal educational resources.

    If that’s too much of a challenge, check out our recommendations for the best online legal service providers of 2023.

    Top 10 Online Legal Service Providers and LLC Registration

     

    ZenBusiness makes starting a business simple by providing superior products, services, and support at every step. This service uses technology and automated processes to give entrepreneurs a fast and affordable way to form and manage businesses. More than 50,000 new companies have already trusted ZenBusiness for their training in 2020.

     

    Its all-in-one platform keeps legal documents like EINs and operating contract templates easily accessible and in one place. As an added benefit, all ZenBusiness plans include their registered agent service, which meets all legal requirements set by your state.

    This, along with its 100% accuracy guarantee, makes ZenBusiness the best choice for business design. We’re sure they’ll help you get your business up and running in no time.

    PROS

    • Live support
    • 100% accuracy guarantee
    • Urgent and expedited submission options
    • Starting prices with no hidden fees

    CONS

    • There is no cancellation once per state.
    • Lack of application options for non-profit organizations

    Incfile was named one of the top 360 entrepreneurial companies in America by Entrepreneur magazine this year and lived up to the hype. The $0 starting point + government fees is a big plus, but the benefits outweigh this low price. Whether you’re forming an LLC, S corporation, another type of corporation, or a non-profit, Incfile has you covered d. All plans include name verification, article submission, one year of free registered agent service, online order tracking and free business tax advice. What’s more, there’s next-business-day processing and the promise of lifetime customer support, along with lifetime notifications, so you never have to worry about how, when, or where to submit something.

    If you’re just starting your new business journey, Incfile has business checklists for every step of the way, including business license requirements and getting started guides. The service is completely transparent, and you’ll always know what’s happening, what’s coming, when, and what to expect next.

    PROS

    • Online access to documents.
    • Lifetime alerts and customer support
    • Attractive prices

    CONS

    • Additional features require additional fees
    • Less informative for established companies.

    Here’s something you probably didn’t expect from a legal services provider. Inc Authority will help you set up your limited liability company or corporation free of charge. You read that right; Inc Authority offers this service free of charge. It comes with 5-point name verification, preparation and filing of all incorporation documents, registered agent service for the entire first year of your business, secure and affordable digital storage for all your initial documents, digital delivery, and trade current accounts. , preparation and filing of S-corp election form (Form 2553) IRS, INC CARE customer service by email or phone, tax planning advice and business financing analysis.

    Too good to be true? That’s the real de l. Inc Authority provides these services to you as a gesture of good faith. Of course, there are other paid services as we l. Complete Operating Agreements and Bylaws, Company Book of Records and Seals, Minutes and Resolutions of Preliminary Meetings, Ownership Certificates, IRS Tax Identification Number (EIN), Tax Inquiry, Business License Report, Website Domains, Business Loan Counselor and Registry at Dun. & Bradstreet t. are some services you can use with a paid plan.

    PROS

    • Ultimately, free LLC and corporation formation
    • One year of FREE registered agent services
    • On-demand upgrade options

    CONS

    • Customers should call to expedite show times and pricing.
    • It is not available for international companies.

    Swyft Filings is a leading legal services company that provides a wide variety of legal services for much less than it would cost to hire an attorney. Their basic plan, available for free, provides you with various legal services, including drafting articles of organization, filing with the Secretary of State, free organizer filing, online access to your incorporation documents, and customer support. Telephone Or email

    You’ll also receive a free 30-minute business tax consultation with an attorney and alerts from ComplianceGuard. This incredible array of services would cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars if you used traditional legal channels. More advanced plans include more services, including obtaining your federal tax ID number, as well as custom LLC operating agreements, special bank resolutions, electronic delivery of government documents, a personal digital corporate package, and business website and hosting service s. the plan s. free websites.

    PROS

    • Offers discounted registered agent services.
    • 100% satisfaction guarantee
    • Form a corporation or LLC for free

    CONS

    • Registered agent services not included in the LLC formation plan
    • Only in 2012

    Northwest Registered Agent takes the hassle out of it and provides jargon-free corporate, privacy and data security guidelines. The goal is to simplify business matters for everyone, including foreign business founders who want to apply for US-based companies. It’s here to help you fill in the blanks and get your business up and running without anything, especially paperwork and travelling.  p. It’s a convenient partner for new and existing businesses for annual reporting and company formation for LLCs, corporations, and nonprofits. If you use Northwest to register your business, you will receive free Registered Agent service for the first year. Each service offered is priced individually, so there are no subscription plans, and you’ll never have to pay for the services you need.

    You’ll also find excellent customer service for US residents and foreign business owners looking to open LLCs in the  S. Customer service agents are easy to reach by phone or email and have a shorter response time of up to 24 hours.

    PROS

    • Create a company and get one year of free registered agent service
    • Vital customer service from an in-house team of professionals.
    • A small business is acquiring small companies.

    CONS

    • No support for sole proprietors or associations
    • Lack of customer reviews (e.g. no Trustpilot reviews)

    For small and large businesses, LegalZoom helps anyone looking to form an LC. From tax returns, federal tax ID registration and business licenses to legal advice and assistance provided by independent, unaffiliated attorneys, LegalZoom offers various services at very affordable prices.

    PROS

    • Fixed rates
    • simple forms
    • A large selection of services.

    CONS

    • Not for international coverage

    Rocket Lawyer brings a modern twist to legal services. Rocket Lawyer offers companies overwhelmed and confused by legal issues a complete, well-explained and easy-to-use system to handle all legal requirements independently. Whether you need to draft legal contracts, set up a limited company, incorporate your business, or draft legally binding business agreements such as confidentiality agreements or liability forms, Rocket Lawyer makes it as easy as what you do. Online:

    And the best thing is that since you are doing it yourself, there are two main advantages. First, you get your documents right away. Immediately after filling in the data, your documents will be prepared on the spot and made available for immediate download, distribution, and printing. This is a moment of sensational recovery. Second, you’ll pay hundreds of dollars less for their services because you’ll eliminate traditional legal fees. This is a new era of business legal documents, so contact Rocket Lawyer today and see how easy legal services can be for modern business owners like you.

    PROS

    • Document protection connects you to legal protection
    • Lawyers call for quick and reliable answers
    • Instant creation of legal documents

    CONS

    • Submitting legal documents yourself
    • There are no prerequisites for attorneys

    Do you need help filing legal documents? Or maybe you’re still in the planning stages of forming your company and need to understand the different types of corporations and their benefits. Wherever you are in the process, one company can help you through it all: MyCorporation. MyCorporation has legal services to suit all business needs; from starting a corporation and everything related to it, such as articles of incorporation, bylaws, model minutes, and stock certificates, to more straightforward tasks like checking for a business name, MyCorporation is the e. for you.

    MyCorporation also has some handy business features. For example, you’ll appreciate the large document storage vault to keep confidential documents safe online, plus annual reports of the business location, current contact information, and business activity. Automatic updating makes these tedious but essential tasks a headache for the patient. Discover what MyCorporation can do for your startup today, and finally, start focusing on the things that matter to your startup.

    PROS

    • Over 20 years of experience with over 1 million customers
    • Insightful advice for new and emerging businesses
    • A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau

    CONS

    • The basic plan leaves a lot to be desired
    • There are no registered agent services with the basic plan

    MyCompanyWorks provides legal services for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the United States. If you’re starting a new business, you can streamline the filing process with MyCompanyWorks. You’ll also get a free domain name and one year of web hosting.

    For established businesses, MyCompanyWorks can ensure that your business is maintained when you purchase the Premium Service. This includes document management, solution management, and more.

    PROS

    • Submission date reminder alerts
    • Great for SMBs and entrepreneurs.

    CONS

    • No services for individuals or families.

    Legal Nature is your source for all fast, reliable and easy legal services. From limited liability companies and corporation formations to custom services like last wills, bills of sale, and even advance health directives, Legal Nature completes the entire formation process, from preparing the documents to contacting the state of your choice and submitting your order. The mobile-friendly service has a tremendous user-centric dashboard and works with multiple companies without restrictions.

    Legal Nature offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the services you receive, you will receive a refund, no questions asked. What’s even more impressive is that Legal Nature offers a 7-day free trial. You can use their services completely free for a whole week. This is an incredibly generous offer that you won’t find with other legal service providers.

    PROS

    • State filing deadlines and fees calculated for you
    • 7-day free trial
    • A+ BBB rating for safe and secure services

    CONS

    • There is not much free legal advice
    • No 24/7 customer support

    What Are Legal Services?

    You can think of legal services as an alternative to traditional law first. An online legal services website connects you with independent legal experts who offer personalized legal services as needed. d. If you don’t want to hire a personal attorney, a legal services website can help you find a qualified professional to help you apply for licenses, create contracts and file documents without the obligations or fees associated with traditional law firms. Legal services are primarily aimed at small business owners, although some also offer services for personal legal matters.

    Online Legal Services Pricing

    You may have noticed that prices for online legal services vary considerab y. The biggest variation is in the services included in the plan s. If the company offers registered agent services under the plan, it will be more expensi e. However, this service can come at a cost, as most businesses require some type of registered agent to be involved.

    In general, you can expect to pay between $80 and $150 for standard limited liability company services. The formation of corporations is a little higher. Here is a list of typical prices, although these prices will vary from company to company.

    How Do They Work?

    The process is simple, which is undoubtedlyessentialt. After submitting a form explaining the service you need, you will be assigned a specialist to discuss the details of this specific task. An attorney can research, complete, and file for you or provide you with sample forms and the guidance you need to do it yourself. The process varies depending on the task, but the goal is to reduce the legwork by either bringing in an expert to help you get started or getting guidance along the way to help speed up the process.

    What Services Do They Provide?

    Most legal services websites are geared toward the needs of small or startup businesses. Services range from LLC filing to contract drafting, charter research, trademark registration, and permit application.

    That said, there are online legal services that also help with personal matters and, as such, connect you with legal experts who specialize in mortgage settlements, immigration matters, power of attorney, household wills, and more.

    What Is an S Corp, C Corp and LLC?

    A business owner’s first choice type of business entity to open is a C corporation, an LLC, or even an S corporation (just for fun), which is not a business type. Here’s what you need to know about each entity.

    LLC

    A limited liability company is an attractive concept for business owners because it provides some personal financial protection against business crises and flexibility in taxation and management. It can be taxed as a sole proprietorship or multi-owner business, but business owners either avoid corporate taxes or keep their bank accounts separate. LLC owners are generally considered self-employed and subject to self-employment taxes. However, these owners cannot issue shares, and their businesses are not recognized outside the United States. In addition, the owners of these businesses are not subject to double taxation, so CEOs pay only personal taxes, which also saves them a lot of time filling out documents.

    C Corporation

    Like an LLC, it is a formal business separate from personal liability and personal assets. This structure allows companies to make money or form partnerships overseas, using investor funds to start the business. In addition, corporations must elect a board of directors, and the accounting and reporting requirements are much greater than in an LLC.

    S Corporation

    A small business corporation is not actually a type of business, but an IRS tax classification..In an S corporation, the corporation pays no taxes on its profits, so the company pays taxes only with respect to individual shareholde      is saves owners from the double taxation that C corporations often fa      corporations are also subject to slightly less frequent reporting, which is a benefit over the traditional tax classification of C corporation S corporation is subject to additional scrutiny by the IRS and is not good for companies seeking venture capital funding.

    How to Choose the Right Legal Services Site for Your Business

    Other services take care of the documentation themselves.

    No matter what you use the service for, you’re likely sharing sensitive information and dealing with important issues.

    How Will a Legal Services Site Help Your Business?

    First, legal services help you, the business owner, which in turn helps your business get off on the right foot and continue to thrive and gr       taking on difficult legal procedures like forming an LLC, analyzing licenses and permits, and researching statutes, a legal services website can eliminate setbacks that could otherwise stall the process, derail you from your business plan, and lead to fines and other violations. . bureaucrat ey can save you the expense of a personal attorney while freeing you up to focus on executing your unique vision and your business plan.