Cheap & Easy Tools for Building Businesses Online
SEO
Google Business Profile – maps + reviews = free SEO
Bing Places + Apple Business Connect – extra visibility, low competition
Craigslist – simple classifieds still pulling local leads ($5/mo campaign)
Yext - easy SEO and business listing placement, integrates with Google Business Profile and social media
Ubersuggest – keyword + SEO research
AnswerThePublic – discover customer questions to create SEO-optimized content
Social Media & Content Tools
Canva (free and Pro) – design, templates, print, scheduling
Later / Metricool – cheap social media schedulers
CapCut – quick video editing for Reels/TikTok/Shorts
Captions - App that autocaptions and uses AI to make videos
Repurpose.io – auto-distribute content across platforms
Eleven Labs to duplicate your voice in AI or have a huge library of realistic options
Taplio - LinkedIn growth tool
Opus.pro - for auto-clipping longform
Advertising & Promotions Tools
Meta Boosted posts → Direct to Message your account – cheap way to start conversations
Facebook Lead Ads ($5–10/day) – lead capture or click to call options
Groupon – run low-ticket offers to acquire new local customers
QR Codes – guerilla placements in gyms, cafes, campuses, flyers, business cards, billboards, even TV commercials
E-commerce & Selling Tools
Facebook Marketplace & eBay are easy online sales tools especially for used goods.
Square (free) – POS, invoicing, appointments
Stripe – easy online payments
Gumroad – great for selling digital products like ebooks and courses
Fanatics, Whatnot, TikTok Live - for livestreaming and interactive sales with gamification.
Fanatics is Ideal for sports cards, pokemon, or other live auctions
Community
Tradeshows, Charity Events, Chamber mixers – face-to-face networking
Discord - great for gamers, crypto communities,
Volunteer Sponsorships – snacks/drinks at events for brand visibility
Skool - great for building an interactive community while selling access to courses etc.
Teachable - great for hosting online courses
Facebook Groups – community reach when done authentically
Eventbrite – list and host events, builds email lists
Co-host workshops with other businesses – cross-promotion
Airbnb Experiences - if you offer a unique service that can be framed into an experience
Meetup.com – list/sponsor local gatherings
PR Tools
Local podcasts + radio shows – free guest spots = instant authority
(Podcast pitching tool)
HARO - help a reporter out - platform where journalists ask questions and need expert advice. Great for recognition, credibility and backlinks.
Local influencers – barter posts for product/service trades
Reddit - forget the tool but I’ll find it
Good organically if used organically
Automation & Workflow Tools
Zapier / Make (Integromat) – automate tasks between apps
GoHighLevel – all-in-one CRM, funnels, SMS/email
Trello / Asana / ClickUp (free tiers) – task/project management
Slack (free tier) – team comms, client comms
Google meets, whatsapp groups etc
Notion – SOPs, docs, internal hub
Sales & CRM Tools
HubSpot CRM (free tier) – manage leads and deals
ActiveCampaign – email + automations + CRM (more robust)
Mailchimp – email marketing
ConvertKit – simple email funnels for creators
Hunter.io - for email list building and cold emailling
Websites Tools
Shopify ($29/mo) - best for online sales if you intend to scale and build a brand
Linktree – all-in-one landing link pages
Squarespace / Wix - easy web builders that are mobile friendly
Carrd.co –quick very basic web builder (can launch a site in an hour
WordPress + Elementor – more flexible, still budget-friendly - requires more skill than others but overall the best for building a website
Webflow - for pretty sites - great for people with experience in graphic design. Not as intuitive for beginners
Customer Service & Retention Tools
ManyChat – automate Messenger/IG DMs & can connect to your website for chat
Calendly – free/cheap scheduling for meetings
AI Tools
Chat GPT
Anthropic
Jasper (for ad and landing page copy)
Gemini
