Online subscriptions for small business owners

Getting back to basics: Breaking down online subscriptions for small business owners

Running a small business requires a variety of subscriptions. However, what you need to pay for can become overwhelming, and the number of subscriptions can quickly get out of hand. This can leave you with the overwhelming feeling that you’re in a maze and can’t find the exit. 

Following is a list of the general subscriptions needed, broken down by the fundamental areas of running a small business, including marketing, accounting, communication, and operations.

BREAKING DOWN MARKETING SUBSCRIPTIONS

Email marketing

Depending on your subscribers, lead magnet/s, how many EDMs you send, and sales funnel, you may or may not need to pay for email marketing tools such as Mailchimp, MailerLite, Active Campaign, and HubSpot. Again, this area requires research to find the best fit for your business. The important thing is to check what’s included in your package and what features you’re using and see if you can downgrade your subscription.

Social media scheduling

There are many social media scheduling subscriptions on the market. Depending on your channels and how often you post, most businesses can use Meta Business Suite for scheduling on Facebook and Instagram, which is free. You can also schedule LinkedIn posts for free without paying for a subscription. Alternatively, a free subscription, which we’ve seen good reviews from fellow small business owners, is Metricool.

Websites

Many of the questions we receive from clients and the cause of feeling overwhelmed revolve around websites and the different expenses that come with them. The following is a breakdown of website expenses and some paid and free options. 

Tip: see if bundling your domain registration, domain hosting, and website hosting will reduce costs. 

Domain registration
For example, GoDaddy, Crazy Domains, MelbourneIT, and VentraIP. Domain registration is reserving your website’s unique web address (domain name), such as www.example.com. It involves choosing a name that isn’t already in use and registering it with a domain registrar. Domain registration is an annual fee, and there are no free versions. 

Domain hosting
For example, VentraIP, GoDaddy, SiteGround, and Bluehost. Domain hosting enables your website to be accessible on the internet. It involves storing your website’s files on a server so users can visit it by typing in your domain name (`www.example.com`). The hosting provider manages the server’s hardware, software, and networking, ensuring your website is available and performs well. There are no free versions for domain hosting, and this is one service where you may save money by paying annually instead of monthly. 

Website Hosting
Website hosting provides the technical infrastructure and resources needed to publish your website online. It involves storing your website’s files, images, and videos on a server so that people can view your website when they enter your domain name. There are a few free website hosting service providers; however, I wouldn’t recommend them as they have limitations in terms of being free services. Popular website hosting providers include WP Engine, GoDaddy, SiteGround, and VentraIP. Website hosting is another service that saves you dollars by paying annually. 

Website builder
Website builders are an online tool that easily allows you to create a website without needing any coding skills. Website builders come with various templates and pre-designed layouts that you can customise to fit your brand’s look and feel. They also include features like built-in hosting, domain registration, and various plugins or widgets to enhance functionality, such as contact forms, e-commerce capabilities, and social media integration. Popular website builders include Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, and Shopify. Consider paying annually instead of monthly if you’re using a website builder. At the time of writing this article, if you’re using Squarespace, you can save 27% if you pay annually.  

Content Management System
A Content Management System (CMS) is software that allows you to create, manage, and modify content on your website without knowing how to code. It provides a user-friendly interface and tools for adding, editing, and organising content like text, images, videos, and other media. A CMS typically includes features like templates for consistent design, plugins for added functionality, and a content editor for making changes quickly. The most popular CMS is WordPress. It’s the CMS we use, and best of all, it’s free! There are also a few other CMS options.

What’s the difference between a content management system (CMS) and a website builder, and do you need both? I hear you ask.  You don’t need a separate CMS if you use a website builder. Website builders are like a one-stop shop. The difference is that a CMS manages the website’s content, and you can add a theme to the CMS. Website builders focus on providing the tools to build the website, including a frontend visual interface and built-in hosting. 

CMS page builder
If you use WordPress as your CMS, you can use a paid page builder like Divi or Elementor for easy installation and increased features. You don’t have to use page builders for your CMS, but their features enhance your website. Page builders also fulfil the need for a theme, so you don’t need to worry about adding a theme. 

Website theme
Website builders, CMSs, and page builders have free themes. Premium themes can be purchased; however, hundreds of free themes are available. 

Form builder
Depending on your business type, the information you’re collecting, and if you’re collecting payments, you may or may not need to pay for a form builder for your website. Before paying for a form builder, ask yourself why you’re collecting the information and what you will do with it. Form builders are one area that will require research to find the best solution for your needs. There are too many options to go through here; however, this article from Zapier may assist you. 

SEO
Is a must for your website, but that doesn’t mean you need to pay a subscription fee. Yoast, Semrush, and Neil Patel have loads of free tools we recommend you use and maximise before paying for SEO tools. You will gain the most value from your paid SEO tools by utilising the free tools first.

BREAKING DOWN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SUBSCRIPTIONS

Once you’ve made your money (and lots of it), you need to manage it. We’re Xero converts, and it’s one subscription we’re happy to pay for. Other popular accounting software paid subscriptions include Quickbooks and MYOB. If you’re considering accounting software or switching, we recommend checking in with your accountant first, as many accountants have software preferences, and some will only deal with one.

If you feel you’re not at the point of needing accounting software, you can manage your income and expenses via a simple Spreadsheet. You can do this for free using Google Sheets or the free Excel web version.

BREAKING DOWN OPERATIONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

Productivity software and cloud storage

There are free versions of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 for emails, document storage, and productivity software such as Word and Excel.

We recommend paying a subscription to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for a custom professional email. We prefer Google Workspace for ease of use; however, we also have the paid desktop Microsoft suite version, as the Microsoft web versions don’t have all the Word and Excel functionalities we like to use.

Whether you choose Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, it comes down to personal choice. They both have the same functionalities. Choosing between Google and Microsoft is similar to choosing between Apple and Samsung. People tend to have a personal preference for one or the other.

Work management

Depending on the size of your team, there are free and paid project and task management tools, such as Asana, Trello, and Monday. Streamlining task delegation, recurring tasks, systemising processes, and keeping your inbox free from internal emails is an investment in your business worth paying for. If it’s just yourself, Asana has a great free version that will keep you on track and all your tasks in one place.

BREAKING DOWN COMMUNICATION PLATFORM SUBSCRIPTIONS

Team communication

Depending on the size of your team, Slack has a great free version for internal communication to help reduce the number of internal emails. For video calls, utilise Microsoft Teams or Google Meet as part of your productivity software subscription.

Client communication

For client communication, you can again use Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. However, a paid Zoom subscription may be your best friend if you’re after sophisticated meeting transcripts that include an automatic meeting summary

STILL FEELING OVERWHELMED?

If you’re still feeling overwhelmed about your subscriptions, please get in touch. We can assist you with getting back on track, researching the best providers for your business needs, and setting up your systems.

FURTHER READING

If you’d like further information on strategies for managing your subscriptions and reducing costs, read our blog Subscriptions: How to manage, maximise value and minimise subscription costs