Employee monitoring is an integral part of any business model, whether remote or hybrid. It plays a crucial role in tracking employee activity and identifying any gaps in business processes. By leveraging employee monitoring softwares tools, businesses can enhance productivity, optimize performance, and eliminate inefficiencies, leading to a more streamlined workflow.
With the right software, you can not only monitor activities but also gain valuable insights that foster better decision-making and process improvements.
Today, there are many modern employee monitoring software that is used to streamline and regularize the activities of employees through comprehensive analytical data and reporting. Let’s find out the benefits of using this software and help you choose from the top 10 employee monitoring software in 2022.
Benefits of Employee Monitoring Softwares
Employee monitoring is a broad term that encompasses all that a company does to keep track of employee performance, assess behavior and improve any inefficiencies. Here are some of the top reasons for getting good employee monitoring software.
1. Enhanced employee productivity
Keeping a track of how employees spend time at the office is not an easy task. But with the right employee monitoring software, you can make this cumbersome task absolutely seamless and hassle-free by keeping a tab on all employee activities through regular monitoring and tracking.
2. Powerful evidence-gathering software
An employee monitoring software can be a piece of evidence in real-time if an employee needs to be told of his mistakes, with complete transparency.
3. Enhanced safety
Employees might violate safety regulations, both voluntarily or involuntarily, leading to serious complications. With a monitoring system in place, you can keep track of the safety issues in real-time and bring them to the fore immediately.
4. Better employee engagement and retention
Improving employee morale and engagement is a critical factor in reducing employee turnover. Having an employee monitoring software can give you visibility into the common signs of employee disengagement and you can make an immediate intervention to get the employee back on track.
5. Optimize business processes
In the era of remote work, it can be tough to identify redundant business processes. Having monitoring software can check on inefficient processes and ineffective uses of resources. They also track how well the productivity improvement software are working.
Best employee monitoring softwares
Now that you know the benefits of using employee monitoring software, here are the top 10 employee monitoring software that we recommend for 2022. Make them a part of your business model and you will see a marked difference in employee performance.
Hubstaff is one of the best SaaS tools for streamlined time tracking, team, and project management. It is ranked in the top few monitoring software as it can integrate with more than 30 apps and is available on different OS platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Chromebook, Chrome extension, Android, and iOS.
Its task management solution allows you to track your team’s time using in-depth timesheets, GPS tracking, and project management.
Pros
Online timesheet features save time and money
Excellent customer service
Thorough tracking features
Integrated task management platform
Cons
Payroll integration is clumsy as the navigation of the user interface is tough
Teramind offers a user-centric security approach to keep track of an employee’s digital behavior. It streamlines all the employee data to check for any suspicious activity and enhance employee productivity.
Its built-in remote desktop control (RDP), real-time alerts, and logs ensure regulatory compliance. It can take automated actions like blocking sites, lock-outs, and warnings to keep businesses safe.
It is ideal for all company sizes, from SMBs to large organizations and government offices.
Pros
Accurate time-tracking
Feature-rich
Records videos of employee activities
Cons
A little heavy on the pocket
Requires a minimum of 5 licenses
Requires a good connection to avoid any timeout errors
DeskTime is a simple and safe time tracking software that helps increase your company’s productivity and efficacy. It has a proven track record of improving employee productivity by 30% in the first few weeks itself.
This one-stop shop for employee monitoring shows you how an employee spends time online and offline, automatically calculating the costs on workers’ hourly rates. It also generates customized reports, plans time-offs, calculates overtime pay, and more.
Pros
Well-organized dashboard
Productive/unproductive categorization for a bird’s eye view of employee activity
User-friendly interface
Desktop screenshot option gives accurate information about employee’s work
Cons
Sometimes gets unresponsive with the need to restart the software
With more than 9,000 customers and 45,000 users of the free version, ActivTrak is one of the most used employee monitoring software. This award-winning software can be configured in a few minutes and offers complete visibility and analysis.
It is a robust monitoring software for any business that allows you to watch live the efficiency of an employee with all the data on a simple web page with statistics on every employee. Its ability to identify risks in a hybrid organization makes it stand out.
Clockify is an excellent employee monitoring software for small businesses with a free plan sufficient for small businesses that offer time tracking for innumerable users.
Its forte is easy setup with an onboarding checklist that helps users to get comfortable with the software. Its popularity lies in its easy scalability and the fact that you can cancel a paid plan at any time without losing data.
Pros
Tracks exact time spent on specific projects
GPS tracking to ensure employees work from their assigned locations
Seven-day free trial
Seamless and continuous customer support
Onboarding checklist to easy setup
Cons
No scheduling software
No PTO management feature for users to create holiday and time-off policies
Pricing
Basic: $3.99 per user per month when billed annually
Standard: $5.49 per user per month when billed annually
Pro: $7.99 per user per month when billed annually
Enterprise: $11.99 per user per month when billed annually
Time Doctor is one of the best monitoring softwares for time tracking with intuitive tracking software for a team of 20-500 employees.
It has the best leave features that give notifications if a person is still working on a task. Some other features that make it stand out include idle time reminders, browsing history, and breaks.
Pros
Simple to use
Automated payroll and timesheets
Detailed reporting
Payroll management integrates with PayPal, Payoneer, Wise, and Gusto
InterGuard is a comprehensive employee monitoring software to know precisely what all your employees are doing when they are not connected to the network. All the activities are logged, analyzed and indexed for playback, alerts and to check behavioral traits.
Interguard’s data loss prevention feature sets it apart from its competitors. It allows users to scan data in motion and at rest to check for any DLP policy violations.
Having won the Expert’s Choice Award in 2020, Interguard is a one-stop solution for comprehensive employee monitoring.
Pros
Data and file protection features
Employee investigation and auditing solutions
Easy to install
It can be installed directly onto the employees’ device
A single admin account can support multi-device monitoring of Mac, Android, PC, iOS and virtual machines
BambooHR is a popular employee monitoring software to create a quality employee and employer experience through automation and simple workflows. This all-in-one HR portal allows growing organizations to develop proper checks and procedures to enhance employee productivity and create good work culture.
One of its unique features is that it allows you to turn any document into a template with signature order and custom fields.
Pros
Easy integration with other systems
Interface is easy to use and navigate
Customer service is impeccable
Ability to onboard and offboard employees via different workflows and options
Cons
Some features are US-centric and hence, can’t be used in other countries
Mobile app does not have all the features of the web app
Timely is the world’s first automated time tracking app created for companies of all sizes. Till now it has helped more than 5,000 companies in 160 countries. Its automated timesheet admin allows teams to focus on the more important tasks.
It is ideal for appointment scheduling and business management for spas and salons with a capacity of up to 50 employees. Its forte lies in automatic invoicing, payments and partial reconciliation.
Pros
Gives access to the unlimited plan free for 14 days
Easy to use
Integrates easily with Google calendar, which avoids duplication
Workpuls is a simple and straightforward employee tracking software that gives better insights into your team’s workflow, productivity, and daily tasking. It has many reporting features along with real-time data that helps remote teams stay connected and productive.
Its Software Insights feature helps identify training needs after evaluating how different employees work. Another feature that stands out is the random screenshots it sends of employees every 5 minutes, where it captures the use of the keyboard and mouse too.
Pros
Seamless API integration
Customization of idle time outs as per employees work
Impeccable customer service
Reasonable pricing
Easy scalability
Cons
Email reporting is less intuitive
Pricing
Employee Monitoring: $8 per user per month
Time Tracking: $10 per user per month
Automatic Time Mapping: $15 per user per month
Enterprise: On request
Reviews
Capterra: 4.8/5
G2: 4.8/5
Conclusion
Now with the COVID-19 pandemic giving rise to the remote working option, it has become all the more difficult to keep a tab on employees. Hence, employee monitoring software is the best option for teams where all the tedious employee tracking processes are automated.
Keeping a continuous check on every single employee in an organization can be quite a task for managers, especially in a large organization.
In fact, most of these softwares have in-built intuitive and analytical features that help track employee productivity, improve employee engagement as well as assess and troubleshoot business processes.
So get set to be in the observer’s chair and check on your staff’s performance and efficiency without getting overwhelmed using any of these trending employee monitoring software. You will watch your business boom and employee morale and productivity blossom. So, wait no more, pick one of the aforementioned software and get the ball rolling!
5 Best SaaS Tools for Social Media Management in 2023
Social media is the new way to market yourself, be it a small startup or a big conglomerate. It is a great space to find new clients, get more traffic to your website and make your presence felt.
However, with so many social media portals available these days, it can be quite daunting to keep the light shining consistently on you on every portal.
Here is where a social media management tool comes in handy. These tools take the heat off you and allow you to be on top of your social media game from a single interface. Read on to know about the five bestsocial media management SaaS tools that are ruling the roost in 2022.
Benefits of SaaS-based social media management tools
To stand out on social media platforms, you need the right tools. Social media management tools are the one-stop solution for you to manage all your social media presence from one place. They make it easier to share and schedule content on social networks as well as respond to customers. They help teams manage one or more social streams. Here are some of the top reasons for making social media management tools a part of your marketing regime.
Time-saving
Having advanced tools that manage all your social media portals at one go helps save a lot of time to maintain a consistent presence.
Managing reputation
Social listening features in your social media management tool allows you to quickly respond to negative customer comments and resolve issues before they spread like wildfire.
Increased brand awareness
Having your content published across different media channels at once and during peak publishing times makes a prominent presence and increases brand awareness.
Audience insight
Social media management tools give deep insight into the target audience that helps make informed marketing decisions.
Best SaaS Tools for Social Media Management
Now that we know about the benefits of social media management tools, here are the top 5 tools trending in 2022. Make them a part of your social media performance plan and you will see a marked difference.
Hootsuite is one of the biggest SaaS Tools for Social Media Management that is used all across the world. This all-in-one platform lets you curate and schedule content, run social media ads and calculate your social ROI easily.
One of the most sought-after features of Hootsuite is analytics, though you need to have the most expensive plan for it. It allows you to understand social metrics with over 200 metrics to measure performance.
Pros
Monitor multiple accounts and keywords
Connect with more than 35 social networks
Bulk schedule of social media posts
Cons
Some of the analytical reports are at an additional cost
Free plans have restricted tools
Plans can get costly if you have many social profiles
Pricing
Professional – $25 per month
Team – $100 per month
Business – $600 per month
Enterprise – Customized solutions with pricing on request
Sendible is one of the most reliable social media management tools today that helps you expand your audience reach, get new customers and attain your social media goals using one platform.
One of the biggest advantages of Sendible is its price point. It gives more advanced features at a cheaper price point than any other app.
With more than 30,000 agencies, Sendible is undoubtedly one of the preferred social media management tools.
Pros
More integration features than many others
Interactive social media dashboard
Save 15% if paying for a year of management upfront
Cons
Does not allow promotion of posts before the scheduled time
Sprout Social is a robust social media management tool that manages the social media presence for brands and agencies of all sizes.
This one-stop location can manage everything linked to social media marketing- from curation, publishing to scheduling, reporting and analytics. Its USP lies in its advanced automation feature.
Pros
Well-organized dashboard
Smart Inbox feature for all connected profiles in a single, unified stream
Queue feature to automatically schedule posts on pre-selected time frames
Get a list of all followers through the Discovery feature
Buffer is one of the oldest social media tools that primarily schedules posts and supports the most popular portals like Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
It is the best budget option for small businesses and startups as it has a free plan that allows you access to three social channels. The best part about Buffer is its free browser extension that allows you to share content seamlessly.
Pros
Free 14-day trial
Works on all popular social media sites
Its free plans include a sleuth of features like optimization tools for hashtags, posting a scheduling tool and more
All plans have a browser extension, access to mobile app and the Buffer community
Cons
Free plan is limited to only three major social media players
Does not integrate with as many major platforms like its competitors
Social Pilot is the best social media management tool for small teams as its Small Team plan allows up to three users while most others allow only one user on their cheaper plans.
Its forte is powerful publishing, insightful analytics and easy collaboration. It works well for agencies with many clients due to its client management feature.
Pros
Allows you to cancel plan anytime
No credit card required
Allows integration with 75 social accounts at an affordable rate
Easy to navigate and clutter-free dashboard
Scalability is more affordable as you pay less to take one or more clients
Cons
Have to pay for a year upfront for the lowest pricing plan
Basic plan is not feature-rich
Pricing
Agency: $127.5 per month
Studio: $85 per month
Small team: $42.5 per month
Enterprise: Get a customizable plan
Ratings
Capterra: 4.4/5
G2: 4.5/5
Conclusion
Choose one of the top 5 social media management tools mentioned above to manage your social media posting, scheduling, monitoring, and reporting.
However, if you need expert help with creatives to post across different social media channels, instead of deploying in-house resources for the same, you can always opt for the subscription-based model with specialized platforms like Design Shifu, based on your specific requirements.
Not only will you be able to keep your marketing budget in check, but you also get the added benefit of requesting unlimited designs and revisions. Not to forget the 14-day, 100% money-back guarantee, which ensures you have nothing to lose!
Top 5 SaaS Tools for Project Management in 2023
A project management software, commonly known as on-demand software, helps businesses manage projects seamlessly through automation and advanced features like team collaboration, tracking, reporting, and more.
It helps with project planning, resource allocation, and change management easily and effortlessly and is ideal for collaboration and communication between project stakeholders.
Also, a SaaS project management solution is far more versatile than traditional project management software due to its cross-platform compatibility, scalability, and flexibility. Read on to know all about the best project management tools to incorporate into your business.
Benefits of project management tools
Before finding out about the best project management tools for your business, it is important to understand why they are so integral to any business. The key benefits of having a cloud-based project management system include:
Low costs
SaaS project management systems are usually subscription-based (monthly, quarterly, annual, etc), saving businesses from buying expensive software/hardware for setup, maintenance and configuration.
Most SaaS software is equipped with support and seamless updates, so internal IT teams do not have to spend time and effort to re-configure them.
Flexibility
The majority of the SaaS project management programs need only a browser and internet connection to work. Thus, teams can collaborate easily from anywhere with any gadget at any time.
Effortless project planning
Project managers spend most of the time on project planning, which eats into their time for actual execution. With project management software, you can get accurate AI predictions of project completion, figuring out constraints like scope, cost, and schedule in no time at all.
Balanced resource management
Resource planning is essential for any project. Project management tools have features that can easily spot resource restraints and give insights on when to have people on the team and how to use them to get the best results
Increased productivity
Project management software offers a central document repository that stakeholders can access. This helps optimize the decision-making process within the shortest time period, which in turn increases productivity.
With so many benefits, it is but natural for any enterprise to purchase SaaS project management software. To make it easy for you we have listed the top tools on the market below.
Basecamp is amongst the most popular project management tools available for businesses. It offers a layout similar to social media platforms where anyone can drop comments. Moreover, it allows seamless collaboration between different teams and notifies users about ongoing project statuses and updates via daily emails.
Features
Interactive message boards
Manages multiple users and project teams
In-app team collaboration
Project status and performance updates
Dedicated dashboard for clients
Desktop and email notifications
Pricing
Plans start from $99 per month. Prices are independent of user numbers.
This SaaS tool is an alternative to convention project management software and emails. It has the ability to integrate various features essential for project management on one platform.
Asana is yet another popular app that businesses use to streamline their workflows from end-to-end. You can do everything from seeing your plans to checking the progress and collaborating with your team on this single platform. Moreover, you can choose to organise work the way it works best for you; choose from lists and boards to calendars and charts. You can even browse prominent messages through the Smart Box feature and save excessive scrolling time.
Features
Bug tracking and reporting
Dashboard for project overview
Project timeline and roadmap display
Simple layout suitable for mini teams and small-scale projects
It is a flexible project management tool for teams to plan, collaborate, organize workflows and track progress in a simple and user-friendly visual format.
Features
Easy project management using cardboard
Generates infinite task lists
Facilitates quick and easy file and image sharing
Efficient list organization as per priority and dates
Hassle-free collaboration and communication
Pricing
Free plans for personal usage
Plans start from $9.99 per month per user for businesses
If you are looking for an optimal task management tool, Click Up is your go-to option. It has built-in features for managing different team sizes across versatile industry domains. It facilitates customization options for projects that require all operations in one place.
Features
Box, Board and List views
Easy commenting
52 features with customization option for every project
Simple hierarchy ensuring non-complex processes as the project expands
Productivity enhancement tools like ‘Smart Estimates’ and ‘Smart Search.’
Interesting design
Pricing
Premium plans at $5 per month per user
Free plans up to 100MB
Ratings
G2: 4.7/5
Conclusion
SaaS tools are the most efficient and affordable way of project management. They offer extensive benefits like fast scheduling, simple communication, dashboard features, task updates etc. These tools can organize the projects effectively, manage teams, project tasks and get a clear visual of your operations.
Selecting the right SaaS tool for project management is dependent on one’s business requirements and scalability considerations.
When it’s about Instagram marketing, the correct size of the image can be everything. Whether you’re posting an amazing picture, sharing an artistic Reel, or crafting a Story, knowing the size of the post on Instagram matters.
Instagram has swept the world off its feet ever since its launch. It has more than a billion users monthly as a part of its community. Marketers are hopping onto the platform to leverage the addictive scrolling behavior of users.
All thanks to its myriad ways of posting varied content types. Be it posts, Instagram reels, landscape videos, or stories, Instagram floods with eye-pleasing content. However, figuring out the perfect image size can be a menace.
But why does it matter to nail the image size on Instagram?
Although Instagram compresses your photos and videos, it is preferable to share them at an optimal resolution. That way, even after compressing, the quality of your uploads remains undistorted.
Before we walk you through this one-stop guide to all Instagram image sizes, here are 2 terms you know.
Aspect ratio: It is the width of an image to its height. For example, in the 4:5 ratio, 4 means width and 5 means height.
Size: Itis the number of pixels that constitute the width and height of any photo or video. For example, 1080px by 1920px means that the width of the photo is 1080px and the height is 1920px.
Note: Instagram uploads photos at the best resolution possible up to a width of 1080px. The width of any photo must be between 320px and 1080px. On the other hand, if the aspect ratio is unsupported, it will be cropped, which may cause quality loss.
Now that you know the basic dimension, let’s get started with the guide!
Ultimate Guide for Instagram Image Sizes
1. Instagram Post Size
Posts for Instagram can be square, vertical, or landscape. But prefer square photos as they are easy to upload. Instagram crops all posts to a square shape in the feed.
Instagram dimensions for all square posts is 1080px X 1080px in a 1:1 aspect ratio.
For landscape posts, the image must be 1080px by 566px in an aspect ratio of 1.91:1.
Instagram post dimensions for vertical images are 1080 px by 1350px with a 4:5 aspect ratio.
You should also keep the header sizing requirements in mind while posting on Instagram.
What is the best aspect ratio for Instagram?
Earlier, Instagram offered only the 1:1 ratio. Now, users can post landscape and portrait photos. The aspect ratio for the latter is 4:5, while for landscape photos, it is 1.91:1. If the aspect ratio of your post is unsupported, then the app crops it to fit a supported ratio.
Instagram image size becomes 320 pixels if it has a lower resolution. At a higher resolution, the sizes go down to a width of 1,080 pixels. Your photos and videos must fall within the guidelines to avoid cropping to fit a supported ratio.
Also, Carousel Posts on Instagram can be square, horizontal and vertical. You need to select your first photo or video, determining the aspect ratio for carousel photos and videos of your account.
2. Instagram Video Post Size
You can upload videos having the following size constraints with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 4:5.
Square and Carousel: 1080px by 1080px
Landscape: 1080px by 608px
Portrait: 1080px by 1350px
The ideal horizontal video size is 16:9 because that is the format that your smartphone records when rotated sideways. So the video will appear most naturally at its original dimensions.
The maximum size of your videos is 4GB and no more than 60 seconds long.
You ought to post stories on Instagram to start a conversation or interact with your target audience by promoting your stories as ads. You can even add hashtags, locations, user tags to make your stories visible to more viewers.
The ideal Instagram dimensions for stories is 1080px by 1920px with a 9:16 aspect ratio. You can only view the stories in portrait mode for 5 seconds in case of images and 15 seconds if it’s a video.
4. Instagram TV Post Dimensions
The dimensions for Instagram TV videos is 1080px by 1920px with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Vertical videos’ minimum aspect ratio for Instagram is 4:5 (portrait), and the maximum is 9:16. The minimum aspect ratio is 5:4, and the maximum is 16:9 for horizontal videos. The app crops the 1-minute Preview to a 1:1 square in a 9-grid.
The recommended dimensions for its Instagram TV cover photos is 420px by 654px or 1:1.55 ratio. Thumbnail images must be under 2MB, and image formats should be in either JPG or PNG. Currently, you cannot edit your cover photo after upload. So it is essential to get it right the first time.
5. Instagram Reels Specifics
Instagram designed Reels to be viewed vertically, on mobile, or full screen. You can opt for an aspect ratio of 9:16, shoot and edit directly on your phone for the best results. Instagram displays the video caption at the bottom of the Reel, so avoid adding essential visual elements in this section.
Conclusion
The fascinating new features on Instagram have opened up doors to promote diversified content and incredible ways to engage more with your followers. Following the Instagram dimensions for your photos, videos, or IGTV feed helps you create a lasting impression on your followers.
If you need a helping hand for this, take expert aid from Design Shifu. Get unlimited design requirements sorted at flat-rate pricing. Design Shifu ensures that your design is immaculate and stays a stand-out with a quick turnaround. Request a demo now.
26 Must-Have SaaS Tools For Businesses In 2023
Today, the market is flooded with a plethora of business-related apps and SaaS tools. As a result, businesses have a wide choice of advanced features, tools, and apps to choose from to streamline different business functions like marketing, HR, project management, etc. that are key to overall business success.
However, with so many SaaS tools available in the market, it only leaves businesses confused about which one to pick.
To make things simpler for you, we’ve curated a list of some of the best SaaS tools you can choose based on the purpose or business function where it will be used, and without having to worry about huge costs.
SaaS (Software as a service) tools have proved to be game-changers for businesses in recent years. They are essentially subscription-based online platforms that one can access over the internet through a cloud-based system to streamline various business functions.
Anyone can download and use SaaS Tools using a mobile device or over the web browser.
The best part is that they eliminate the need for installing complex and expensive software and hardware and give you the freedom to switch to the latest tools without making any long-term financial or contractual commitments.
Moreover, you don’t need to buy any license and incur huge costs, as the software rental includes a license and technical support, thus making it easier for even small companies or consultants to afford these tools and services.
Why should agencies, SaaS companies & small businesses use SaaS Tools?
From complete customization to lower costs, the advantages of SaaS tools are manifold and varied.
SaaS tools offer a wide range of benefits to businesses of all kinds and sizes, right from a large-scale company like an auto giant or a small startup in the field of digital marketing.
SaaS tools allow businesses of all sizes to use their cloud-based software and pay a limited monthly, quarterly, or annual subscription fee to use their service.
Most notably, it allows businesses to scale overnight. You simply need to upgrade the subscription plan, keeping in mind the scaling needs.
Lower costs
They offer huge cost savings as the costs are usually shared or part of a multi-tenant environment, where both the software license costs are much lower versus the traditional model.
Faster turnaround time
SaaS tools are installed and configured for a business. You can provision the server in the cloud in just a matter of a few hours and the application is ready for use. Thus, the time spent on installation and configuration is reduced and so are the issues that might arise for software development.
Scalability and integration
Mostly, SaaS tools are kept in cloud environments that can be scaled and integrated with other SaaS offerings. Thus, you do not need to buy new software or servers like in a traditional model.
All you have to do is enable a new SaaS offering and with server capacity planning, and whenever needed, you can upgrade or downgrade the plan based on your changing requirements.
Easy and cheaper upgrades
With SaaS, the provider will offer upgrades to the customers and do all the manual work needed for it at a much lower cost versus the traditional model that usually forces you to buy an upgrade package and install it yourself.
Data safety
Security is of prime significance when allowing a partner to maintain your sensitive data. SaaS vendors have the best practices in place with built-in stringent security and safety parameters. These have the expertise, understanding and proper implementation to build foolproof security systems.
Most of them have SOC2, an auditing procedure that ensures that a SaaS provider effectively secures the data of its clients.
SaaS tools for different functions
Now that you know all the benefits of SaaS tools, let’s get down to the main business of finding the perfect set of SaaS tools for your business. These tools have been segmented into different categories as per their functions. Each SaaS tool offers unique features for different functions like marketing, project management, business intelligence, and more.
SaaS Tools for Marketing
The main aim of SaaS marketing is to find and connect with potential buyers and convert them into leads. It also helps bring a product to the market, position it well and build awareness. Here are some of the best SaaS tools vendors segmented into different marketing categories to best suit your requirements.
Tools for graphic design
Whether you are a small business owner, digital marketing agency, startup, marketing or freelance consultant, having access to the right graphic design tools or software can be a gamechanger, especially in today’s digital world. A well-designed and comprehensive graphic design software offers control and flexibility, enhances efficiency and takes your creativity to the next level. Two of our top picks are:
Design Shifu is a popular flat-rate, subscription-based graphic design platform. It is a one-stop-shop for design agencies and small businesses to be able to meet all their design requirements such as designing flyers, event banners, social media posts, brochures, etc. at affordable rates.
You simply need to pick a subscription plan based on your requirements to get started.
Design Shifu offers some unique features that make it stand out and become one of the most preferred SaaS tool providers for graphic design.
Unlimited requests and revisions
Design Shifu offers unlimited design requests and revisions as part of its subscription plans. It is driven by the sole aim of ensuring 100% customer satisfaction.
Fast turnaround
Most of the requests have a quick turnaround time of a 24-hour period. Thus, you are assured of both creative content and swift results.
Flat pricing
Having a flat rate subscription fee ensures you are able to lock your marketing budget for graphic design, and therefore, avoid any worries over unexpected invoices from design agencies and freelancers
Dedicated and experienced designer
Every client gets a dedicated and experienced designer. In fact, all their designers are in-house with rigorous training offered by the company and no work is outsourced to a third party.
Customized dashboard
Customers get an intuitive and customized dashboard where all the designs and conversations are stored for easy access.
Continuous customer support
A dedicated team of professionals offers 24/7 customer support through a live chat facility.
Inclusion of source files
They offer editable Adobe+, JPG, PNG, PDF formats with each delivery.
No longer-term contract
They offer monthly contracts that can be canceled anytime. So you don’t have to worry about any long-term financial commitments.
Now that you know about all the features of Design Shifu. Let’s look at what makes it stand apart:
Design Shifu pros
Simple user interface
Unlimited design requests and revisions at no additional costs
Flat monthly pricing for a host of services
14-day, 100% money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the services
No lock-in period and long term contracts that make it tough to withdraw if your requirements are over or not met with
Design Shifu offers a monthly plan as well as a pay-per-request plan.
Pay per request – $29
Monthly limited – $99
Monthly unlimited – Starts at $299
Monthly unlimited plus – Starts at $499
Design Shifu ratings
G2: 4.6/5
2. Canva
Canva is yet another popular online platform for graphic designing. With numerous professionally made templates, it can get you to create and customize templates and share the designs in just a few clicks. You can create stickers, stunning videos, professional brochures and presentations with this easy-to-use software.
Key features
Animation
Artwork management
Asset sharing
Collaboration tools
Content sharing and management
Image editing
Video editing and sharing
Watermarking
Workflow management
Pricing
Pro – $7 per month up to 5 people
Ratings
G2: 4.5/5
Although Canva is a popular graphic design SaaS tool, it has some major drawbacks. Since the templates are available for all to use, it means you can not count on it to get unique and exclusive designs.
Moreover, you need to devote time and effort to customize the design yourself or deploy another resource in your team to do it.
Instead, by outsourcing graphic design to an expert, you can free your bandwidth and focus on your core job or business.
Tools for Content Management
These tools help create and manage a website using a human-friendly interface instead of working with code. It gives users powerful tools to efficiently manage large volumes of content with ease.
Hubspot is the ultimate tool to build a robust website, optimizing it for every device, bringing traffic to the website, converting more visitors, and expanding the business. This popular SaaS tool creates and edits blogs, landing pages, emails, and landing pages with just a few clicks.
Outgrow is an interactive content marketing platform that allows you to acquire, qualify, and activate leads through customized calculators, quizzes, polls and chatbots. It gives clients human-like assistance with customized solutions.
Key features
Myriad tools to enhance marketing such as numerical calculators, polls, chatbots, surveys, outcome quizzes etc.
All the layouts are optimized for conversion, engagement, multiple screen sizes, and shared rates.
Robust funnel analytics with conversion rate at each stage, detailed analytics for each user, selection and question-level funnel charts.
Pricing
Freelancer Limited – $14 per month
Freelancer – $ 25 per month
Essentials – $95 per month
Business – $600 per month
Ratings
Capterra: 4.9/5
G2: 4.8/5
Tools for Social Media Marketing (SMM)
SaaS tools are essential for social media marketing. They help businesses grow & monitor their presence on social media.
Zoho Social is a one-stop shop for social media management for businesses. It helps businesses manage different social media channels and monitor their social media presence, all from one platform.
Key features
Schedule posts and gives a preview of the scheduled posts from a single screen.
Create a posting schedule and use smart predictions to post content when the audience is most active.
Build a post pipeline using content curation tools like RSS and zShare browser extension
Accurate monitoring through a listening dashboard.
Live streaming of your social engagements in a dedicated space.
Analysis of brand performance using key metrics and customized reports.
Hootsuite is the horsepower that builds the social media presence for organizations around the world. It helps build the brand, strengthen the connection with customers and boost results through social media integration. It also gives certifications, training, and coaching to enhance social media prowess.
Key features
Manage all the social medial channels and monitor posts and messages
Plan upcoming campaigns
Interactive and customized dashboard
Content management
Social media integration
Survey/poll management
Reporting and analytics
Pricing
Professional – $25 per month
Team – $100 per month
Business – $600 per month
Enterprise – Customized solutions with pricing on request
Ratings
Capterra: 4.3/5
G2: 4.1/5
Looking for similar SaaS tools for social media management? Click here to read about the 5 best SaaS tools for social media management in 2022.
SaaS Tools for Project Management
SaaS tools are very important for project management as every business needs to manage projects effectively. SaaS project management applications offer a set of comprehensive tools to manage the projects from start to finish, from bug tracking, online chats to virtual meeting rooms, custom reporting, and more.
A powerful tool for team collaboration, Basecamp is the perfect solution for project management. It keeps teams coordinated at every level of the project management life cycle. It provides all the standard features like file sharing, reporting and scheduling.
Key features
Message board- Post announcements, pitch ideas, give progress updates and keep feedback on-topic.
To-dos – Make a list of work that needs to be approved, give due dates, assign items, and discuss.
Schedule – Subscribe to events in iCal, Outlook or Google Cal.
Docs & files – Share docs, files, spreadsheets, and images. Organize them into different folders.
Automatic check-ins – Create recurring questions on important tasks to know what’s happening.
Proofhub is a one-stop SaaS-based project management software ideal for all business sizes from different verticals. This project management and collaboration tool can fit any business setup enabling teams to communicate and collaborate seamlessly.
Key features
Collaboration tools
Commenting and notes
Discussions and forums
Due date tracking
File sharing
Gantt/timeline view
Create subtasks
Content management
Document management
Pricing
Ultimate control – $89 per month billed annually
Essential – $45 per month billed annually
Ratings
Capterra: 4.4/5
G2: 4.5/5
Looking for similar SaaS tools for project management? Click here to read about the top 5 SaaS tools for project management in 2022.
SaaS Tools for Human Resource Management
A SaaS tool for human resource management is a cloud software hosted by a third-party vendor, offered on a subscription basis. It is used for the management of HR-related transactions. The main focus of these tools is personnel tracking, recruiting, payroll, onboarding, training, and more.
BambooHR is an all-in-one HR SaaS platform that creates quality employee and employer experience. It removes all the complexities related to HR through simplified workflows and automation. It is ideal for growing organizations that want to get the most out of their employees and have a good working culture.
Key features
People data and analytics – Gathering, storing and analyzing employee data into a single, secure database.Powerful reporting and editing tools like employee records, workflows and approvals, and more.
Hiring – Applicant tracking tools to improve hiring.
On-boarding – Automates and eases out the on-boarding process.
Compensation – Collecting and tracking payroll data.
Culture – Creating a happy company culture through employee satisfaction and performance management.
It is a professional and easy-to-use solution to create professional-looking documents. It can convert all form response data into professional PDFs. It has many features and integrations that make operations seamless and fast.
Key features
Drag and drop elements needed in a document.
Automated process for a PDF document design every time.
Document sizing and orientation with a few clicks.
Customize documents to match your brand with background color, logo, etc.
Synchronize documents to cloud services like Google Drive.
Annotation
Create fillable PDF forms
Pricing
Free
Ratings
Capterra: 4.6/5
G2: 4.2/5
SaaS Tools for Business Intelligence
It is a delivery model for business intelligence where applications are used outside the company’s firewall at a hosted location and can be accessed with a secure internet connection. They are a must-have for all businesses as they offer vendor-backed security, flexibility and convenience.
Piwik is an open-source web analytics tool that gives intelligent insights on the website such as keywords used to reach your services, language they prefer, the website traffic and more. It is ideal for companies that process high volumes of data.
Key features
Analytics for web and mobile
Tag management
Single customer review
Privacy compliance
Pricing
Core plan – Free
Enterprise plan – Price on request
Ratings
Capterra: 4.7/5
G2: 4.7/5
2. Google Analytics
Google Analytics gives free tools to analyze data for your business and evaluate its performance in terms of content, product, marketing, etc. It measures sales and conversions and gives insight into how visitors use your site and how to get them back.
Key features
Customer segmentation
Customizable reports
Dashboard creation
Data connectors
Data import/export
Data visualization
Funnel analysis
Data management
Pricing
Free
Ratings
Capterra: 4.7/5
G2: 4.5/5
SaaS Tools for Team Collaboration
Team collaboration through SaaS tools is the need of the hour as it gives a simplified and single collaboration portal to get all your teams together, exchange and brainstorm ideas, review real-time progress to fulfill project requirements.
Microsoft Teams is a virtual collaboration platform that lets you create and join teams, post messages, chat, share files, and more. It also integrates with other services like YouTube to make collaboration more convenient.
Key features
Access Controls/Permissions
Annotations
Calendar management
Call routing
Chat/messaging
Backup and recovery
Auto framing
Audio capture
Agenda management
Activity dashboard
Pricing
Microsoft Teams is available as a part of Microsoft Office 365 subscriptions.
Premium – $5.00 per user per month (Pricing model- per feature)
Office 365 Business Essentials Plan – $5.00 per user per month
Office 365 Business Premium Plan – $12.50 per user per month
Time Doctor is the best in time tracking and efficient time management. It has an intuitive tracking software meant for a team of 20-500 employees where it can do session monitoring, screenshot recording, precise invoicing, project reporting and more.
Hubstaff is the best SaaS tool to fight inefficiency and work with streamlined time tracking, team, and project management. Hubstaff integrates with more than 30 apps to make your business run seamlessly and is available on different OS platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Chromebook, Chrome extension, Android, and iOS.
Key features
Time tracking
Geofencing
Online timesheets
Payroll software
Employee monitoring
GPS tracking
Online invoicing
Project budgeting
Employee scheduling
Detailed reporting
Mobile time tracking
Pricing
Desk Free – $0 for one user only
Desk Starter – $7 per user per month
Desk Pro – $10 per user per month
Enterprise – Get a customized plan
Ratings
Capterra: 4.6/5
G2: 4.3/5
Looking for similar SaaS tools for employee monitoring? Click here to read about the 10 best employee monitoring software tools in 2022.
SaaS Tools for Employee Training
SaaS employee training software is integral to all organizations as they help train new employees and enhance the skills of the present ones. They offer ongoing support and regular updates so that the employees get up-to-date training either in a class format or as self-guided instruction.
TalentLMS is the learning management system (LMS) for training employees and giving them proper guidance and support.
Apty has a great digital adoption platform that helps in the easy onboarding of employees. It can be used to create on-screen help to show users how to complete the tasks.
Key features
Product adoption
User on-boarding
User engagement
Product training
Business continuity
Remote on-boarding and training
On-screen guidance
Digital transformation
Pricing
Custom Plan: Price on request
Ratings
Capterra: 5/5
G2: 4.8/5
Looking for similar SaaS tools for employee training? Click here to read about the top 5 employee training SaaS tools in 2022.
SaaS Tools for Customer Support
SaaS software helps you offer continuous customer support to clients post-sale and develop a good support team to fulfill all post-sale needs. It provides a centralized system where you can track, prioritize, manage, resolve customer queries, and more in a simplified manner. It is an essential service for every organization.
Freshdesk is a virtual cloud-based support software, and also a ticketing system. With its wide range of intuitive features, Freshdesk offers impeccable customer service. The software works well for both small and large-scale businesses. You can automate workflows with it, collaborate with context and integrate with tools like Zoom for seamless remote support.
Key features
Ticketing
Collaboration
Automations
Help widgets
Reporting & analytics
Integration
State-of-the-art security through SSL certificates, IP and Network restrictions
Complete customization
Measuring and improving efficiency through curated reports, customer satisfaction ratings
Pricing
Growth – $13 per agent per month billed annually
Pro – $48 per agent per month billed annually
Enterprise – $76 per agent per month billed annually
Zendesk is one of the most robust help desk software programs with its prime focus on effective communication between customers and the support team. It offers support for automation rules and activates the response to many other help desk system events.
Key features
Ticketing system
Messaging and live chat
Voice calls
Reporting and analytics
Answer bot
Customer service software
Live chat software
Batch communications
Automated routing
Asset tracking
Pricing
Suite Team – $49 per agent/month billed annually
Suite Growth – $79 per agent/month billed annually
Suite Professional – $99 per agent/month billed annually
Suite Enterprise – $150 per agent/month billed annually
Additional Enterprise plan – $215 per agent/month billed annually
Ratings
Capterra: 4.4/5
G2: 4.3/5
SaaS tools for User Onboarding
Companies should invest in SaaS tools for user onboarding as it makes the process faster, easier, and automated. It is one of the most significant touchpoints for a business.
Userlane deploys and automates user onboarding processes with a few clicks. It offers an interactive step-by-step process, on-demand contextual support, and segmentation. It provides insights and measures changes in user behavior and maximizes their efforts.
Pendo helps companies meet the rising user expectations. It is the only portal that offers in-app messaging with strong product analytics and user feedback. It helps users combine quantitative and qualitative insights to make informed decisions that support customers through their on-boarding and training.
Key features
User on-boarding
Product engagement
In-app support
Feedback collection
User training
Employee productivity
Revenue growth
Churn management
Cohort analytics
Conversion tracking
Pricing
Free – On request
Team – On request
Pro – On request
Enterprise – On request
Ratings
Capterra: 4.5/5
G2: 4.5/5
SaaS Tools for Accounting
SaaS tools for accounting help businesses with their financial data. They also reconcile bank accounts and give valuable insights on financial reports for the seamless growth of a business.
Xero is award-winning online accounting software that connects your bank, bookkeeper, accountant and business apps. It efficiently manages the staff’s pay runs, timesheets, and pensions, reducing your time on admin. All the payroll information is updated into the accounts without any manual data entry, giving a real-time view of cash flow.
Zoho Books is online accounting software that lets you manage finances and expenses effortlessly. It manages your customers and invoices and keeps expenses in check. You can record, monitor and reconcile bank accounts and collaborate with your accountant in real-time. Zoho Books helps make informed decisions about finances.
Key features
Accounts payable and receivable
Billing and invoicing
Expense tracking
Data import and export
Electronic payments
Accrual accounting
Bank reconciliation
Compliance management
Pricing
Standard – $10 per organization per month billed annually
Professional – $20 per organization per month billed annually
Premium – $40 per organization per month billed annually
Elite – $66 per organization per month billed annually
Ultimate – $107 per organization per month billed annually
Ratings
Capterra: 4.4/5
G2: 4.5/5
Looking for similar SaaS tools for accounting? Click here to read about the 5 Best accounting software for small businesses and startups in 2022
SaaS Tools for Website Building
The SaaS model has restructured the way web designs get done and how designers and developers work. These tools help streamline the designing process creating aesthetically appealing websites.
Wix is a leading web development portal that helps build a magnificent online presence with simple cloud-based creation and management tools. It publicizes the brand, runs operations, and generates revenues. It also offers both client-facing and business management features.
Squarespace is a one-stop solution for website building. It offers award-winning templates for your website along with an online portfolio. It can customize the design to fit your business essence. It also offers powerful SEO tools to improve the overall ranking of your website.
Key features
Audio file management
Collaboration tools
Data security
Customizable templates
Drip campaigns
Conversion tracking
Channel management
Email marketing
SEO management
Website management
Pricing
Personal – $12 per month
Business – $18 per month
Basic commerce – $26 per month
Advanced commerce – $40 per month
Ratings
Capterra: 4.6/5
G2: 4.4/5
Conclusion
With technologies getting redundant faster than ever, the era of installing expensive software to facilitate different business functions is clearly over.
Instead, businesses want the flexibility to be able to choose the latest tools based on their changing needs or dynamic business environment. And this is where SaaS tools have proved to be a great bet.
There is no installation cost or hardware involved, and no specific experience or expertise is needed. All you need to do is download the ready-to-use tool, try its features and quickly subscribe to a plan you like to get started. Above all, you don’t have to worry about signing long-term contracts and committing to one tool for years!
So if you haven’t been leveraging SaaS tools to simplify different aspects of your business already, NOW’s the time to start!
5 Most Creative Digital Marketing Agencies & Alternatives in 2023
The most creative digital marketing agencies in 2023 aren’t just making noise—they’re rewriting the rules. In a post-pandemic world where over 59% of the global population lives online, standing out means more than strategy—it demands imagination. These agencies blend bold ideas with data-driven execution to create campaigns that don’t just get clicks—they get remembered.
And this is a great piece of news for marketers as they can reach out to their target audiences quite easily. But before that, you need to make sure you have a good dominant presence on the net.
Why? Because your potential customers will definitely do a background check and decide in your favor if your online presence passes the vibe check.
However, managing multiple platforms is a demanding affair. It requires proper engagement and interaction with your visitors and followers. You can either use multiple tools or hire pro marketers to look after your digital marketing ventures.
In order to create successful branding, you need to be a complete standout with out-of-the-box creativity. In this blog, we will reveal the top creative marketing agencies that will help you thrive your business online.
5 Creative Digital Marketing Agencies to Level Up Your Digital Game
1. LYFE Marketing
Price: $750-$1150 per month
Founded in 2011, LYFE Marketing is one of the top creative marketing agencies with a comprehensive market presence. They use the most relevant form of strategies suitable for your organization’s needs and requirements and help you meet your marketing and business goals.
From influencer campaigns to advertising, they can handle all facets of your social media marketing. They begin by developing a brand strategy based on your objectives and brand values. They also handle the production, delivery, and promotion of content across various social media platforms.
LYFE Marketing specializes in:
Social media marketing
Social media advertising
PPC management
Search engine optimization
LYFE Marketing has a trusted clientele that includes Clutch, Entrepreneur, SBA, Hilton, Domino’s Pizza, and many more.
2. SociallyIn
Price: $2500-5000 per hour
Founded in 2011, SociallyIn is a social media marketing design agencythat serves a diverse range of clientele from different industries. They are on a mission to create a long-lasting connection with people via a personal level of engagement.
SociallyIn assigns community managers to represent your brand on Facebook, keeping the page updated with new content and actively participating in conversations with your fans. They evaluate their efforts, including engagement and follower growth, at the end of each month. They even provide multilingual social media management in more than 36 different languages.
SociallyIn offers various services like:
Social media strategies
Customized content
Influencer marketing
Data analysis
Community management
Social media advertising management
SociallyIn has a large clientele that includes Toyota, UMI, and Moe’s Original A3C to name a few.
3. Joseph Studios
Price: $3350-$28500 per month
Founded in 2016, Joseph Studios is one of the leading digital marketing agencies that connects you with your potential customers by building a high level of engagement and brand loyalty. They mostly focus on creating organic growth for their clients by combining multiple channels for implementing their strategies.
Their successful marketing strategy backs up the idea that using an organic approach is more effective. It also favors natural, personal connections over interruptive advertising such as social media commercials and Google AdWords. Joseph Studios specializes in working with small and middle-market businesses. This organic marketing agency will steer your brand to success no matter what industry you’re in.
Joseph Studios mostly offers services in various domains such as :
Digital strategy
Social media
Search engine optimization
Content marketing
Email marketing
Influencer marketing
Public relations through press relations and reputation management
Joseph Studios has a comprehensive clientele base that includes Rolex, Delta, Genexa, Flock, and Focal.
4. Volume Nine
Price: $100-$149 per hour
Founded in 2006, Volume Nine is among the notable digital marketing agencies. Volume Nine offers value-driven customized campaigns for their clientele as per their unique needs and requirements.
They can assist you in achieving success with social media advertising, particularly on Facebook and Instagram. The team here can also assist you in learning these skills, which may be challenging for a novice. They can help you in running successful Facebook and Instagram marketing campaigns that fulfill your goals.
Volume Nine has expertise in various fields like:
Social media advertisement
PPC Ads
Search engine optimization
Content marketing
Social media marketing
Volume Nine has a large clientele that includes Backcountry, Remax, Helen of Troy, Lands End, Vail, and Vitamin World.
5. Firebelly Marketing
Price: $1500+ per month
Firebelly Marketing is an award-winning creative marketing agency with a mission to make brands generate more revenues via social media. Firebelly’s social media audit service is a wonderful place to start when figuring out what to do next with your social media accounts. It can be used to steer your future social media strategy.
Firebelly Marketing can help you with:
Social media audits
Social media management
Social media ads
Firebelly Marketing serves clientele from diverse industries and domains. The clientele base includes Netflix, Newton, Sony, Herff Jones, Guest Supply, Cisco, and many more.
If you are looking for a full-fledged marketing solution, these agencies are worth giving a shot. However, if you are in a tight spot and have already made a painstaking effort to onboard newer marketing resources, these might not be the best fit.
Also, not every company has a flamboyant budget to outsource every bit of branding. That’s why more people are walking away from traditional outsourcing that requires them to rely only on experts and hand them a lump sum amount based on contracts.
But what’s the solution? How can you ditch the old way and still continue to spread the word about your business in the market?
It’s 2022, and needless to say, there are tons of affordable subscription-based services and tools that can help you with lionizing your influence online. The best part is you only pay for what you need and downgrade/upgrade as per your pressing needs.
Pull up your socks and supplement your digital marketing activities with our favorite 5 picks.
5 Alternatives to Digital Marketing Agencies
1. Creatives & Graphic Design: Design Shifu
Price: $29 – $1917 per month
Founded in 2018, Design Shifu is a subscription-based flat-rate graphic design service that offers an intuitive dashboard to add daily design requests and give feedback on one end and highly skilled and vetted designers on the other end all of which come at a monthly subscription fee much like a Netflix for design.
Design Shifu is trying to bridge the gap between having a boutique graphic design agency on one end of the spectrum and freelance graphic designers that could be hired via freelance portals.
It is a one-stop shop for all your daily design requirements. Be it designing Books, Event banners, T-Shirt design, Flyers design, Logos, Webpage designs, GIFs, Car Wrapping, Social Media posts, Web Banners, Blog Images, Brochure design, Custom Illustrations, etc., Design Shifu has got you covered.
They offer multiple plans suitable for small businesses to early startups and even larger marketing teams to digital agencies. Some of the most enticing features include:
Unlimited requests
Unlimited revisions
24×7 availability
Slack integration
Dedicated and efficient designers
No long-term contract
14 days – 100% money back guarantee
Design Shifu has a large clientele that includes Bluehost, Salesforce, Pizza Express, Turing, Baskin Robbins, and HostGator to name a few.
2. Content Writing: ContentFly
Price: $375 per month (up to 4000 words)
ContentFly was founded in 2018 to help agencies tackle the issues of quality content creation. You get unlimited revision and royalty-free images to amp up your content. It is one of the top-notch digital marketing agencies that can even provide search engine optimized content to improve a brand’s visibility online. It has a simplified procedure to execute its services.
ContentFly can provide you with the following content types:
Blog and articles
Website copy
Newsletters and email campaigns
Social media posts
It has served clients from various domains like Opencare, Atomic Digital Agency, Weav, Twiz Media, Jobbatical, Videolind, etc.
3. CMS: HubSpot
Price: $50-$3200 per month
Founded in 2006, HubSpot is among one of the leading digital marketing agencies and also a developer and marketer that specializes in software products for generating inbound marketing sales and comprehensive customer service. HubSpot aims to provide various tools for customer relationship management, social media marketing, content marketing, and many more services.
Social media tools
Email tracking software
Free meeting scheduler app
Sales email automation
Ads software
Email marketing software
HubSpot and its services are trusted by companies all across 120+ countries. Some of the leading companies include Reddit, The Linux Foundation, Netlify, Avison Young, Loom, and Soundcloud.
4. Social Media Scheduling: Sprout Social
Price: $89-$249 per month
Sprout Social was founded in 2010 and is a globally leading social media management software for business. The Sprout Social helps business organizations to streamline and enhance the conversations with potential customers and prospects.
Sprout Social mostly functions in the area of:
Channel attribution
Competitive analysis
Campaign tracking
Keyword filtering
Real-time analytics
Assignment management
Some of Sprout Social’s customers include Edelman, Shopify, Havas, Evernote, Glassdoor, Vice, and many more.
5. SEO Audits: Semrush
Price: $119.95-$449.95 per month
Founded in 2008, Semrush is a global name in the field of search engine marketing and SaaS platforms. It is mostly used for keyword research and online data ranking as the platform collects information from Google and various search engines.
Semrush offers a vast range of tools and services and delivers the best solutions suitable as per the digital marketing needs and requirements.
Some of its key features include:
Keyword research
On-page SEO
Competitor analysis
Content marketing
Local SEO
Rank tracking
PPC keyword research
Semrush is trusted by leading global companies that include Tesla, P&G, Samsung, IBM, Walmart, Forbes, and many more.
Conclusion
When the time comes to create an authentic marketing drive, you have to think differently from every other competitor in your domain. If you are willing to get amazing results for your business campaigns, you should seek some professional help.
So while looking out for marketing aids to improve your organization’s branding, this list will surely be handy. Though most marketing agencies charge you a handsome amount of money, subscription-based services can help you save the day by providing affordable solutions. Choose what suits your needs right and get started.
11 Most Creative Business Card Ideas Ever!
In a world where attention spans are shrinking and first impressions count more than ever, handing out a plain old business card just won’t cut it. If you really want to stand out, you need to think outside the box—literally.
That’s where creative business card ideas come into play. From cards that transform into tools to designs that interact with your phone, these little rectangles are getting a serious upgrade. Get ready to be inspired by the 11 most creative business card ideas ever—because boring is officially out.
If you want your business card to leave a lasting impression on potential clients, start getting creative. In the world of digital dominance, we bring you the ten most creative business card ideas that can help you create the impact you desire and stand out among your rivals.
1. Bike Tool Business Card
This is an excellent business card that actually promotes the Broke Bike Alley’s business by doing some of the work physically. Broke Bike Alley advertises its repair services brilliantly through its creative business cards. This card features a range of tools to serve multiple purposes like spoke adjustment, bolt tightening, and bottle opener.
2. Cheese Grater Business Card
Although we would never want to have a cheese grater handy, this business card by Bon Vivant earns all the brownie points for innovation. These business cards feature a simple design that showcases the true passion of the business owner, Bon Vivant who is a cheese retailer. It instantly became a hit and did not take too long for its popularity to reflect positively on the company’s sales.
This is one of the perfect business card ideas and Design Shifu’s favorite. If you are a content creator, looking to get more business, this business card inspiration could do wonders. The QR code could be a link to your portfolio with socials and other contact details to solve the digital needs of the current scenario.
A transparent layout at the left captures the eye and attracts the creative attention necessary to hook people. It also allows you to experiment and manipulate the design according to your content niche. A content creator is always ahead of the trends, and this business card idea could become a trendsetter for you.
4. Meat Business Card
This is one of the award-winning business card ideas as it looks like meat, feels like a meat to the touch, and is in fact real meat! This business card integrates a chip that performs a user-specified function whenever it’s brought near an NFC-compatible smartphone. The designer chose the texture of these business cards to give a rustic and wild vibe to anyone who receives them.
5. NFC Business Card
MOO is a printing company based in the UK that came up with this brilliant idea for business cards.This business card uses a chip to trigger a user-defined function when near an NFC-enabled smartphone. Apart from transferring just the contact details, the holders of this business card can easily share videos, music, and so much more.
6. Music Business Card
This is one of the popular business card ideas that integrates dual functionality. It initially appears like a musical instrument with multiple keys. However, a closer look reveals you can also use it as a comb. Also, when the recipient runs their finger through the comb’s teeth, represented as musical keys, it plays a classic tune of the rock n roll era. This business card design received so much appreciation that it won the Ads of the World award in 2010.
7. Tire Tread Depth Gauge Business Card
This is a very simple design for business cards but a very effective one. It represents a tire tread depth gauge which can prove to be handy in many situations. The users just have to place this card at the tire tread’s center and determine whether they need new card tires or not by using the color-coded indicator at the bottom of this business card. This way it directly tells the user whether the tires of their car can perform efficiently and safely.
8. Solar Torch Business Card
A torch comes very handy during several situations in our lives. So, if a business card lights up your world, quite literally, you will not easily forget the business it promotes. The designer used this idea when creating the business card for Deqing Sun. This business card features a simple electronic circuit that makes the card act like a solar torch, reflecting the creator’s ingenuity perfectly.
9. Tattoo Removal Business Card
This next business card is from a tattoo removal clinic and that is exactly what the business card also does. This unique business card offers the user the opportunity to make a patch of their skin ink-free and with it comes the contact information of the tattoo removal clinic if the user likes what they see and wishes to get the tattoo removed permanently. It comes in a range of different skin tones to suit different recipients.
10. Caliper Business Card
This is one of the business card ideas that came up in 2009 gained a lot of traction among multiple recipients. The uniqueness of this card lies in the fact that it can be conveniently folded to form a caliper rule that can be used to measure a number of different items. It is cut into three sections using laser technology with one of the sections containing the instructions to fold the card to work as a caliper.
11. Fitness Trainer Business CardIdea
This is amongst the most creative business card ideas that showcase how the company’s services can assist your fitness journey. This card was created for a fitness trainer and this is clearly shown in the functionality of this business card. Here, an individual with a fat belly can be seen and this belly is cut out when the business card is separated from the center, signifying the essence of the business.
Conclusion
When it comes to designing business cards, you need to think out-of-the-box if you really want to create something unique and impactful. If you’re considering getting an unforgettably creative business card for your business too, but are falling short of business card ideas, you could seek professional help.
While boutique agencies could charge you a bomb for their services, subscription-based graphic design agencies like Design Shifu can help with a host of graphic design services on a budget. You can choose a plan based on your requirement and get the designs within 24-48 hours. What’s more, we also offer a money-back guarantee in case you aren’t satisfied!
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a business card creative? A creative business card is more than standard design using different materials, shapes, functions, or interactivity to make a lasting impression.
Are creative business cards still useful in the digital era? Yes! Even with the growth of digital networking, a well-crafted business card can be a strong first impression and a lasting brand touchpoint.
What can I use to make a creative business card? Innovative business cards can be crafted out of wood, metal, plastic, textured paper, or even out-of-the-box materials such as fabric or edible components—depending on your brand personality.
Can I create a creative business card on a budget? Yes! Creativity does not have to cost an arm and a leg. Smart design, simple ideas, or two-for-one cards can be innovative without costing a fortune.
How do I ensure my business card remains professional? Emphasize balance—balance creativity with clarity. Ensure key information (name, contact, brand) is legible, and the design is in line with your brand identity.
Where can I have creative business cards printed? There are a number of websites such as Moo, Vistaprint, and Jukebox Print that offer top-quality, bespoke business card printing with innovative designs.
10 Tips To Create A Business Card Design
Are you looking for successful ways to market your business? Business card design can actually be of great help since they can help expand your customer base to a great extent. Wondering how?… Well, you can include some pertinent details about your business on your businesscards and use them as effective marketing tools by sharing them with your existing as well as potential customers.
Why Are Business Cards Important?
Business cards are very useful, especially for small business owners since they play a major role in networking and marketing your products and services to your customers and other businesses. When you design your business cardsin the right way, you can create an everlasting impression on whomever you share them with.
A business card acts as the primary communication medium between you and your potential clients and, above all, is amongst the most affordable techniques of marketing. Since it is compact in size, it can be carried wherever you go and help you boost your brand awareness
Tips To Create Smashing Business Cards
To create an unforgettable business card design, you will need to include more than just your name and contact details. Although business cards are very small, there are plenty of ways in which you can make yours unique and impressive.
1. Target Audience
The very first rule in creating an impressive business card design is to focus on your target audience. The design must truly reflect what your target audience would want to see. For instance, if your target audience is designers, the aesthetics and elements on your business cards must clearly depict the same.
2. Industry
You need to pick the design elements like colors, fonts etc., that are clearly associated with your industry. The business card design must also be relevant to your business. For instance, if you are in the real estate business, you can reflect on your area of expertise by including a picture with a house on your business cards.
3. Keep The Text Legible
When you key in the information on your business cards, ensure that you do not shrink it so much that it becomes difficult to infer at the first glance. This often happens when businesses try to include too much information that isn’t actually required on their businesscards. So, while you might feel it is easy to read before printing it, it could end up looking cluttered and too small to comprehend once printed.
4. Follow Basic Design Guidelines
Since your businesscards are essentially a piece of printed material, they need to follow the basic design guidelines such as:
The color model needs to be CMYK, i.e., Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black.
The font size should be as minimum as possible but easy to read as well.
The main copy needs to be included at least 5 mm from the trim’s edge.
In order to get the best reproduction of the image, 300 DPI needs to be used.
5. Avoid Mistakes By Proofreading Before Printing
Before you proceed with printing your businesscard design, ensure that you check for errors. Check if there are any typos in the details you have provided on the card. Also, avoid making common mistakes such as making a straight border on all the sides of businesscards. This is a very common mistake and may result in some misalignment when your businesscard design gets printed.
6. Negative Spacing
Many recipients jot down certain information on your business card when you give it to them. This helps them remember how or why they got it from you. When you leave a lot of blank space in the business card design, it makes it convenient for such recipients to make notes. So, remember to add only the vital information on your card and leave a lot of empty space for this very purpose.
7. Make It Useful
Many business cards just keep mounting up in a pile and end up being recycled in the end. You can make yours more useful and draw undivided attention to it by making your business card useful. The best idea to do this is by making your business cards functional. For instance, you can make the card act like a holder for cell phones or something to keep the hair clips in.
8. Paper Quality, Thickness & Type (Matte/ Glossy)
Most commonly used papers include 14-point cardstock which is thick, 100 lb. gloss over, which is thin, and 16-point cardstock, which is the thickest. However, these days there are several upgraded ranges of paper available for business card design printing. The finishing of the paper, glossy or matte, depends on several factors like your target audience, industry, and the information you wish to include in the business card.
9. Consistent With Other Brand Materials
Prior to commencing the designing of business cards, you need to have the typography, brand logo, and color scheme in place. Your brand identity is based on these aspects. These things are vital and play a very important role in defining your brand. All these elements need to be consistent across the different platforms that you use for advertising and marketing your products and services.
10. Hire A Professional Printer
If you want a good start to your relationship with a prospective client and establish trust, you need to get your business card design printed professionally. When you cut back on the budget allotted to business card printing, you will end up with a shoddy-looking business card that wouldn’t have the same effect as a well-designed card curated by a professional.
Conclusion
Creating impressive business cards that actually leave an impact requires a lot of attention to detail. The above business card design ideas are sure to help you get a headstart. If you are thinking about investing in a professional graphic designer for your businesscards, you might want to consider a flat rate design service such as Design Shifu which offers a variety of subscription plans to choose from based on your requirement. Moreover, you get your business card design within 24-48 hours with unlimited revisions and a money-back guarantee!
6 Real Estate Business Card Templates
Real estate is an industry where transactions and interactions mostly take place face-to-face. In real estate, your business card shares contact info and shapes how clients remember and perceive your professional image.
Real estate clients often meet multiple agents and gather business cards before choosing the one they trust most.
A well-designed business card will set you apart from your competitors.
Before diving into the specifics of designing your real estate business card, keep these general tips in mind
Ensure your real estate business card is printed on high-quality paper, even if the design is simple.
Make your business card unique by adding a few colors and impactful fonts. Using a bold typeface on a bright background helps your details stand out and leaves a strong, lasting impression.
When it comes to business cards, a minimal design with simplistic features can do wonders for you. If you are not too creative, a minimal design is something to go for.
Include all digital information, such as your email address, website, and social media profile links, on your business card.
A roof represents comfort and safety in the clearest manner. The roof over your head is what keeps you warm during the winters, cool during the summers, and dry during the monsoons. Real estate business cards commonly feature a roof because it symbolizes home, security, and the property industry.
However, do not let that deter you from using this on your real estate business card. When used in the right way, a roof symbol on your card can help you in making the right impact. It’s a brand symbol which appeals to almost every family. The classic look of business card gives a sense of contentment and stability as well, which attracts prospective home buyers.
When it comes to real estate, the property you are selling is not the sole factor based on which the buyers make their decision. Their decision also depends on the location where the property is located and the amenities/facilities available in the vicinity.
Before designing your real estate business cards, survey what makes the location you’re selling unique and memorable. May it be a city, neighborhood, or a larger space, you need to know what makes that place unique and use that in your business card. Preferably, make a logo that represents this location to attract buyers.
Include cityscapes in your real estate business card to give it an impressive and professional look. If you are all about the excitement and modernism of city life, a minimalistic business card with a bold cityscape symbol can instantly strike the right chord with the buyers.
One of the best things about the skyline or cityscape symbol is that it is one of the very few logo designs that go very well on a real estate business card in both landscapes as well as portrait mode. Designers can use this symbol on both sides of the business card, giving them ample space to explore their creativity.
The thing about the real estate business is that it is ever-changing and its nature cannot be easily described. When you include every specific detail about your real estate agency on your business cards, you will need to redesign it again if and when any new changes are introduced. This would translate into an extra expense.
You can easily avoid this by keeping the information on your business card abstract, which is apt for the ever-changing real estate industry. This way your brand identity remains consistent in the competitive market of real estate.
An essential part of any real estate business is showing the properties that you are selling in the area. This would apply even when it comes to designing a real estate business card. Since it is a small piece of paper, you may wonder how you can include all property images on it.
Well, you can do this by first recognizing what you specialize in and then indicating that on your real estate business card. For instance, you can include an apartment, complex, commercial building, or any other symbol that represents a real estate category. This can work very well for you if you are involved in selling an unusual or unique real estate category.
How many times has it happened that you are back from a business networking event, you see the business cards you received but do not recall who gave them to you? If you do not want this to happen when you give out your business cards, you can include your own photo on them.
It will make your potential clients remember who you are and put a face to the name on the real estate business card by just looking at it. Apart from making it more personal for your clients, such business cards would also make you stand out since not many people use their photos on their business cards.
Conclusion
As a realtor, you would definitely want your business to be recognized everywhere. One of the ways this can be made possible is by designing unique yet effective business cards that represent your brand appropriately. Now that you have checked out all the impressive templates of business cards above, you can easily get started with yours.
In case you still need professional assistance for a custom design, affordable plans like the ones provided by Design Shifu can be of help. Our plans come with access to the best graphic designers, unlimited revisions at no extra cost, and a 14-day money-back guarantee. What more can you ask for!
6 Interior Design Business Card Templates
Are you working as an interior decorator or designer? If yes, you would certainly be looking at different ways through which you can get on the call list of your potential customers. One effective way to do this is by having your Interior Design Business Card designed to perfection.
Since you are a professional with functionality and aesthetics as your main domain, your business cards need to be visually stimulating as well, if you want them to work in your favor.
Why Are Business Cards Important For Interior Designers?
Here are a few reasons why having business cards is so important when you are in the interior design industry.
It is one of the best marketing tools at your disposal. Although SEO does a great job when it comes to marketing, nothing can beat the effect the action of handing out a business card creates.
You can create an amazing first impression while interacting with your prospective clients as your business card is an opportunity to showcase your design sensibilities and eye for detail, and get noticed.
Handing out a business card adds a certain personal touch and this is always better than giving out your contact details through the phone, where it is likely to get lost or forgotten.
When it comes to designing business cards, monetary worries often make small businesses hold back from getting the most appropriate business card. However, you no longer need to worry about budgeting problems since the interior design business card templates below can prove handy. Check out these six interior design business card templates if you are working in the interior design profession. They can be downloaded and customized easily as per your requirement.
Some colorful brushstrokes can do wonders to the way your interior design business card gets perceived by the receiver. Such a design works well for not just interior designers but also for people in other professions like hairdressers, makeup artists, and other creative industries. In fact, any profession that is more to do with creativity can make use of such a business card. You can use pastel color splashes for a more sophisticated look, or alternatively, opt for brighter shades if you want to give the interior design business card a fun look.
Square business cards draw attention immediately since they are smaller, quirky, and way more practical than traditional rectangle business cards. A minimal square business card with a gold embossed border would be perfect for interior designers. To match the gold border, the lettering at the back of the card can also be in gold. This would bring some uniformity and uniqueness to the business card.
Interior designing involves dealing with geometric shapes and sizes on an everyday basis and what better way to design your interior design business card than geometric patterns. Geometric shapes and patterns in different colors on a business card can give it an edgy look, thus making it stand out. However, while including geometric patterns in your business cards, ensure that you use not more than three different colors for the patterns as well as the text.
If you want your interior design business card to look crafty yet unique, you can opt for kraft paper business cards. They are perfect for small businesses since printing them is easy on the pocket. The design of such a business card is pretty simple. The uniqueness comes from the use of Sans Serif font and textured paper. Such a card is perfect for an architect or interior designer since it can be modified as per the user’s requirements.
For an extremely minimal and stripped-down interior design business card, you can opt for contemporary design business cards. You can pick a subtle shade like light green, gray, or even beige and pair it with an elegant font like Sans Serif. Another great thing about this type of business card is that it is not just limited to interior designing, and it can be used for individuals working in several other industries as well.
If the youthful and colorful designs from the previous templates are not something that you like, and you would rather design your business cards with stylish, luxurious, and fancy inclusions, then this is the right kind of business card template for you. If you are someone who specializes in luxury interior designing, the marble pattern business card is ideal for you. Try using pastel shades or more sober colors like grey, cream, beige, etc., for the marble pattern.
If any of the above interior design business card templates caught your eye, feel free to download them and use them to create your own customized business card. You can also check out the affordable plans on offer by Design Shifu and get an interior design business card custom-made as per your taste and requirements. These plans come with unlimited revisions at no added cost. Not to forget, there’s a 14-day money-back guarantee, just in case you aren’t satisfied!
