Remember when you had to get up super early to get ready for work? You had to travel a couple of hours every day. It seems like ages ago, doesn't it!
Gone are the days when you had to take long cab rides to and from the office. Remote work has become the norm. The whole office resides in your small, compact laptop.
The change to remote work was a rather quick one because of the pandemic. Initially, startups were struggling to optimize their workflow, as they usually thrive with rapid improvements and development.
Unlike corporates, startups require everyone to be a generalist and hands-on. But this became quite hard because of no human contact.
So how were startups able to adapt to this change?
The answer is quite simple. Startups made use of the tools available in the markets. They needed a fast video conferencing app, so they started using Zoom. They needed to share data and information, so they started using Evernote.
These kinds of tools helped to bridge the gap between people.
If you are part of a startup, it is essential for you to up your productivity game to beat the competition.
Let's look at some of the tools that can make your startup or online business more productive.
Google Analytics
This seems like a pretty obvious tool. But you'd be surprised by how many startups and online businesses delay its integration.
Even if your startup is not a website, you'll probably have a landing page to acquire customers. If you want to track how many users are landing on your page and how they interact with your page, you need google analytics.
Google Analytics is an essential tool to analyze your website traffic. You can figure out what strategies work better to drive traffic to your website.
Integration is also effortless. You have to add a couple of scripts to your code and watch the magic happen.
You get to know the basic demographic of the user and how they landed on your page. Based on this information, you can tweak your social media ads.
The best part of Google Analytics is that you get information about how the user interacts with the website. You get details such as how long the user stays on your website and all the pages a user navigates to.
You get four types of information about the user -
General user data pertains to the example mentioned above - how the user landed on the website.
Session data gives you details about how much the user is opening the website, counting each individual visit.
Pageview data gives information about the pages a user visits.
Event level data is game-changing. You can track button clicks, link clicks, video views, etc. You can change up your website and get instant feedback from google analytics.
Figma
This is the tool that has taken the world by storm. Figma is an interface design tool that you can access from any Linux, Mac, or Windows system. You can access it from the browser or download the desktop version.
While Figma is primarily used for designing the UI/UX for Website screens, it can do much more. You can use it as your all-in-one tool for logos, banners, covers, etc.
The biggest problem with remote work is inefficient collaboration. Figma tackles this issue with such grace that you feel like your colleague is sitting right next to you.
With Figma, you can see what your teammates are doing with shared files. Just like google docs, you can see who's online and even where they click.
It helps teams feel accountable for their work. They feel like they are working in person together.
If these were all the features Figma offered, it would still be a great tool. But it doesn't stop here!
The collaboration with Slack in March 2022 is revolutionary. You get notifications about particular files, projects, and teams in any Slack channel.
You can get a feed of all the comments your team mentioned you in. You can also customize Slack channels with updates for specific projects.
Design is a vital aspect of any online business, and Figma is the magic tool to make the best designs.
DevRev
For new businesses, "building in public" is essential. It allows customers to give direct feedback. But usually, the input is not received immediately. This is because it travels across many people before reaching the developers.
This is where DevRev comes into play. It directly connects the developer and the customer, a so-called DevCRM.
Big companies take forever to fix essential issues faced by customers. In most cases, the problems just become backlogs and are rarely fixed.
Even if the company decides to fix the issue, there are multiple barriers. Companies must manage data across GitHub code repos, project trackers, ticketing systems, and DevOps tools.
With DevRev, developers have their skin in the game. They directly connect with the customers and, therefore, get immediate feedback.
Suppose, as a user, you had a problem on sign up and the page refreshes when entering your details. You can't find solutions anywhere online. You've tried all kinds of things like restarting, refreshing, and maybe even praying.
Now imagine if you could directly contact the maker of the feature. Wouldn't that be the best way to solve the issue? If anyone can solve the problem, it is the maker.
All of this makes DevRev integral for your online business or startup. With the product and the customer at the center, everything runs like a well-oiled machine.
No hassle, only happiness.
Making the user feel valued is a sure way to beat the competition!
Trello
Trello is a tool that helps teams organize workflows, create deadlines, track tasks, and much more. It is a very visual tool and makes use of boards.
Boards allow you to see all tasks at a glance. Trello organizes everything in a fun way with lists and cards. You get to know all the work left, who's working on what, and the level of completion of every task.
Organization and planning are usually taxing. Trello makes all of this simple. It makes all the boring stuff like sales, research, and training exciting. Think of Trello as Notion on steroids.
Trello has multiple integrations such as Slack, MailChimp, GitHub, Google Drive, Salesforce, etc. You can use Trello in tandem with your other tools to become a productivity powerhouse.
Trello is easy to use, and the best part is that it is affordable.
Final Thoughts
New startups are chaotic, and the road to success is never linear. The tools above can help your startup get some organization and race away from your competition.
Top comments (1)
Love Figma I was using it before it even became popular.