Starting a business can be tough because there are so many tedious steps involved. However, with the right set of tools it doesn’t have to be a complete headache. Over the years, I must have started over 15 businesses, and have learned a lot about what works. For example, every time I’m thinking of starting a new business I’ll head over to the handful of tools I use to gather research on my niche. This information will guide my product development, content writing and marketing. Today, let’s look at something very special.
Let’s go over a handful of tools that I’ve used over the last several years to help me gather all the information I need to optimize. Let’s get started now. Your feedback and opinion will be greatly appreciated, and if you have any recommendations that would be awesome.
Google Trends
An amazing tool introduced by Google and has worked wonders allowing me to collect the data I need. If you’ve been creating online businesses, then you know it’s all about writing optimized content. This means you should include the right keywords that can generate a lot of buzz quickly. However, search patterns change because new things are always being introduced into the market. This is why you should have a tool that shows you the current keyword trends. For example, by typing in your main keyword into Google Trends, you’ll be able to generate what other related keywords are building up in search. This also gives you a graph or a complete outlook into the target keyword. So, how can you gain the most out of Google Trends. Here’s a strategy I use:
Head over to Google Trends and type in your target keyword. After, the tool will generate a list of other related keywords which are gaining popularity. Go through each one creating a list which you can then add into your content. Also, it’s a good idea to use rising keywords because you’ll get to implement them into your content before your competitors.
Buzzsumo.com
Amazing to generate some solid content idea’s, and can be used for keyword research. Why do I love to use this tool? It does the following which is important to generate some serious traffic. First, it provides me with a list of competitor content that has been performing well within social media. This content does well in search engines to because it’s usually full of value. Next, it’s a great tool to use to find out keywords that you can implement into your content marketing. Next, it shows you what’s missing in competitor content which you can then use in your content. By filling in the gaps, you can outperform competitors in search engines and social media. However, you need to know how to use the tool correctly. For example,
Always have your target keyword ready because this will initiate your search. Remember, you are looking for content based on your target keyword. You want to find competitor content to later improve to generate traffic growing your bottom line. Next,
I like to display results by highest social shares because this shows what type of content people love to read. Go through the first 3-4 results, and find ways to improve that piece of content. Look for images, videos, podcasts, etc that are missing. Implement these elements into your content.
Survey Monkey
I wasn’t a big fan of this tool, but it has worked wonders especially if you have a huge visitor base. For example, if I have 20,000+ people on my list then I can collect enormous feedback into the type of content they want to read next. It’s also a great way for me to find out what improvements to make to my website. All I have to do is setup an online survey using this tool, and send traffic through my list. You can have Survey Monkey host the form, or I can have a direct link embedded into my follow-up. However, it’s important you use this tool for the right reasons. For example, I’ve noticed there are two surveys which work best when resonating with readers.
First, ask them for feedback about content because you know that’s your driving force. It’s all about content and what value you can provide them. You have to be able to write content that they want to read. Next, website improvements because things can be very distracting which ca hinder people’s ability to read. This means the more distractions, the less they’ll engage with your content.
99Designs.com
A very simple tool and I love to use it to design logo’s, etc. You’ll setup a quick competition, and have hundreds of designers put together something special. It’s a great website because it gives you choice and options so you get something you EXACTLY want. However, the only thing is you have to have somewhat of an idea on what you want.
Everything else you need to know about the website can be found by visiting 99designs.com.
Ahrefs.com
I’m sure many of you have heard of this awesome tool. It’s probably the best all-in-one suite tool available in the market. With all the other advancements they have made in recent months, it’s becoming even better. Let’s look at why this tool is important when starting a business.
First, it provides you with a complete breakdown of all internal and external links pointing to your website. It will show you when they were first discovered, DA, and what page they point to. Next, this tool gives you a breakdown of your top content which I love because it shows you where to keep focusing. I’ll admit even though you are starting a business; this tool can still be used to research competition. In the end, their customers, links, and content topics can all be used to provide you with ideas. Next,
Ahrefs.com will give you with a great breakdown of the following:
Target keywords – Understand what keywords your competition are focusing on. Depending on competition you can use the same or find related ones.
Ad Copies – Gives insight into the type ads your competition is running. If you decide to invest into paid marketing, then this research will come in handy.
Other Competition – You’ll get a great breakdown into the type of other competition you’ll face in this niche. You can then use this tool to research them too.
Expired Domains
ww.expireddomains.net is a great website, and gives you complete control into finding high authority domains. Here’s the cool thing,
These domains were registered before and had some authority websites on them before. For whatever reason the website expired, but they still have enormous link juice. This means you’ll have an easier time ranking these websites once you get them going. However, just like every tool you use, it’s important you conduct research the right way. For example,
You want to find domains that don’t have enormous spam on them. Make sure the previous owner of the domain did things right, and built authority links to their website. If they did, it can harm whatever websites or business you start on that domain. With that said, you can use the tool Ahrefs.com which I discussed to find all the information you need. But, before I continue, here’s something else to keep a close eye on.
The domain you choose you want to ensure it’s as relevant as possible. Why? Since the recent Google updates “relevancy†is beginning to mean a lot more. If you choose a domain which was a complete different niche then you, then you’ll have a hard time ranking it. With that said,
Head over to Ahref.com with a list of domains your considering, and do the following. Paste each one into the search tool and skim through the following:
Top Content – This will give you a great breakdown of the previous content which was present on the domain. Look for relevant content that you are thinking about publishing on your domain.
External Links – This is very important because it shows you where links came from. Then go over each link looking for the type of website it was, and its authority. The higher authority, the better for you once you go live with your business.
Focus Keywords – This is a great indication of the type of keywords the previous owner focused on. You might want to do the same once you publish your website.
Final Thoughts
When starting an online business, you can really get ahead of your competition if you have the right tools available. Above I have listed a handful of tools that are amazing to give you that jump start. However, it’s more important that you know how to use them to get the MOST value. With that said, go visit each tool and get acquainted on how you can implement it within your business. Ask yourself this question: How can this tool help research what I need? Then, start setting up accounts on each of them. The good news is many of them are free so you can start using them right away.
Go through the list and start implement, but it’s also very important you do the following. Once you have implemented each one into your business start-up, it’s important you track data. Use tools like Google Analytics to help you collect data on which tools were able to give you the best results. Going forward, you can eliminate all others and use only those which help accomplish your bottom line.
Please provide your feedback and other tools you feel have helped you start out.