Starting an online business can sometimes feel like you’re piecing together a thousand-piece puzzle without the picture on the box — decisions, tools, and platforms are scattered everywhere, leaving you to figure out how it all fits together. 

But you don’t have to go it alone.

We’ve carefully curated a list of ten essential tools and platforms, each one handpicked to streamline your operations, supercharge your marketing efforts, and keep your business running smoothly and efficiently.

Each tool is selected for its ability to cover everything from payroll and team collaboration to marketing, eCommerce, and analytics, ensuring your business has the support it needs at every turn.

And speaking of keeping things running smoothly, doola is here to guide you through the complexities of starting and managing a successful online business, offering expert advice and support every step of the way.

So, let’s dive into each of these tools, exploring their key features, pricing, and why they deserve a spot in your business toolkit.

1. Gusto Payroll: Streamline Your Payroll with Ease

Payroll is one of those necessary evils for any business. It’s complex, time-consuming, and, let’s be honest, not the most exciting part of running a business.

Gusto Payroll is here to make your life easier by automating the payroll process, ensuring compliance with tax regulations, and even handling benefits management.

🎯 Key Features:

Automated Payroll Processing: Gusto automatically calculates, files, and pays your payroll taxes, taking care of federal, state, and local taxes so you don’t have to.

Employee Benefits: From health insurance to retirement plans, Gusto helps you offer competitive benefits to your team, making your business an attractive place to work.

Time Tracking and PTO Management: Employees can clock in and out online, and you can easily manage and approve time-off requests.

Compliance Support: Gusto stays on top of changes in payroll laws and regulations, ensuring your business is always compliant.

Onboarding Tools: New hires can complete all their necessary paperwork online, streamlining the onboarding process.

✅ Pricing Information:

Simple Plan: $40/month base fee + $6 per person per month. This plan is ideal for small businesses that need basic payroll and benefits management.

Plus Plan: $60/month base fee + $9 per person per month. This plan includes more advanced HR tools, like PTO tracking and employee surveys.

Premium Plan: $135/month base fee + $12 per person per month. This premium plan gives you access to certified HR professionals for guidance.

2. beehiiv: The Ultimate Newsletter Platform for Creators

Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience, and beehiiv makes it incredibly easy to create, send, and manage newsletters that engage your subscribers.

It’s designed for content creators, entrepreneurs, and businesses looking to grow their audience and drive conversions through email.

🎯 Key Features:

Customizable Templates: Beehiiv offers a variety of templates that you can customize to match your brand, even if you don’t have design skills.

Advanced Analytics: Track open rates, click-through rates, and subscriber growth to see how your newsletters are performing.

Monetization Tools: Whether you want to offer paid subscriptions, include ads, or promote affiliate products, Beehiiv provides the tools to monetize your newsletters.

Subscriber Management: Easily manage your subscriber list, segment it for targeted campaigns, and ensure your messages reach the right people.

Integration with Other Tools: Beehiiv integrates seamlessly with platforms like Zapier, WordPress, and Shopify, making it easy to incorporate email marketing into your broader business strategy.

✅ Pricing Information:

Free Plan: $0/month with basic features and a limited number of subscribers. Great for those just starting out.

Scale Plan: $31.20/month, which includes advanced features and allows up to 10,000 subscribers.

Max Plan: $79.20/month, unlocking all features and supporting up to 100,000 subscribers.

Learn more: The 7 Best Newsletter Platforms for Creators: Your Ultimate Guide

3. doola: Simplify Business Formation and Ongoing Compliance

Starting a business involves more than just a great idea; it requires a lot of paperwork, legal considerations, and ongoing compliance.

doola simplifies the process of business formation, providing you with all the tools and services you need to set up and manage your company, whether it’s an LLC, C-Corp, or another entity.

🎯 Key Features:

Business Formation: doola helps you form your business entity, whether it’s an LLC, C-Corp, or another structure, with guided support throughout the process.

Tax and Accounting Support: Access bookkeeping and tax filing services, ensuring your business remains compliant with all financial regulations.

Registered Agent Services: doola provides registered agent services, ensuring your business remains in good standing by receiving and handling legal documents on your behalf.

✅ Pricing Information:

Formation Package: Starts at $297/ year for the basic package, which includes business formation and registered agent services.

Compliance Package: $167/month, which covers ongoing compliance monitoring and reminders for filing deadlines.

Tax Support: $1200 /year for IRS tax filing services

Related read: 10 Best Financial Tools for Freelancers in 2024

4. Shopify: Build and Manage Your Online Store with Ease

If you’re selling products or services online, Shopify is the platform you need to create a professional, fully-functioning eCommerce store.

It’s easy to set up, even if you don’t have technical skills, and offers a wide range of features to help you manage everything from inventory to payment processing.

🎯 Key Features:

Store Customization: Choose from hundreds of customizable templates that allow you to create a store that reflects your brand’s unique identity.

Payment Processing: Shopify integrates with over 100 payment gateways, including its own Shopify Payments, which allows you to accept credit cards, PayPal, and more.

Inventory Management: Easily manage your inventory, track stock levels, and set up alerts for when it’s time to reorder.

Mobile App: Shopify’s mobile app allows you to manage your store on the go, from processing orders to updating products.

Marketing Tools: Includes SEO tools, email marketing, and social media integration to help you drive traffic to your store and convert visitors into customers.

✅ Pricing Information:

Starter — $5 per month

Basic — $39 per month

Shopify — $105 per month

Advanced — $399 per month

Shopify Plus — negotiable, but usually costing around $2,300 per month

5. HubSpot: Your All-in-One Marketing, Sales, and CRM Platform

HubSpot is the Swiss Army knife of business tools. It offers a comprehensive suite of inbound marketing, sales, and customer service tools that are all connected through a powerful CRM.

Whether you’re looking to attract visitors, convert leads, or close deals, HubSpot has the tools you need to succeed.

🎯 Key Features:

CRM: HubSpot’s CRM is completely free and provides everything you need to manage your contacts, track deals, and monitor your sales pipeline.

Marketing Hub: Includes tools for email marketing, social media management, SEO, and content creation, all designed to help you attract and convert leads.

Sales Hub: Automate your sales process with tools for email tracking, meeting scheduling, and pipeline management, helping you close more deals faster.

Service Hub: Enhance your customer service with ticketing systems, feedback tools, and a knowledge base that helps your team provide top-notch support.

Integrations: HubSpot integrates with over 500 tools, including Salesforce, WordPress, and Shopify, ensuring it fits seamlessly into your existing tech stack.

✅ Pricing Information:

Free Plan: HubSpot offers a free CRM with basic email marketing, customer service, and sales tools.

Starter Plan: $50/month for two users, which includes more advanced tools for marketing, sales, and customer service.

Professional Plan: $500/month for two users, offering advanced features like marketing automation and detailed analytics.

Enterprise Plan: $1,200/month for ten users, which includes custom reporting, account-based marketing, and more for large teams.

6. Slack: Enhance Team Communication and Collaboration

Effective communication is the backbone of any successful business, especially if your team is remote or distributed.

Slack is a messaging platform that brings all your team’s communication into one place, making it easier to collaborate, share files, and stay on the same page.

🎯 Key Features:

Channels: Organize conversations by creating channels for different projects, departments, or topics, ensuring that discussions stay focused.

Direct Messaging: Chat with team members one-on-one or in small groups with direct messaging, making it easy to get quick answers and stay connected.

File Sharing: Easily share files, documents, and images within conversations, with everything stored and searchable for later reference.

Integrations: Slack integrates with over 2,000 apps, including Google Drive, Trello, and Zoom, allowing you to bring all your favorite tools into one platform.

Searchable Archives: All messages and files are archived and fully searchable, so you can easily find past conversations and documents when you need them.

✅ Pricing Information:

Free Plan: $0/month with limited message history and a few integrations. It’s great for small teams just getting started.

Pro Plan: $8.75 per user/month, which includes unlimited message history, more integrations, and additional features.

Business+ Plan: $15 per user/month, offering advanced security, compliance features, and enhanced support.

Enterprise Grid: Custom pricing for large organizations, with additional security, administration, and compliance features.

Dive deeper: 19 Tools To Manage Your Remote Business

7. Canva: Create Stunning Visuals Without a Designer

Visual content is essential for engaging your audience, whether you’re posting on social media, creating marketing materials, or designing a website.

Canva is a user-friendly graphic design tool that allows you to create professional-quality visuals, even if you don’t have a design background.

🎯 Key Features:

Drag-and-Drop Interface: Canva’s intuitive editor makes it easy to create designs, even if you’re not a design expert.

Extensive Template Library: Access thousands of customizable templates for everything from social media posts to business cards, flyers, and more.

Stock Photos and Elements: Canva offers millions of stock photos, illustrations, icons, and other design elements that you can use to create stunning visuals.

Brand Kit: Maintain brand consistency by uploading your brand’s colors, fonts, and logos, ensuring that every design aligns with your brand identity.

Collaboration Tools: Canva allows multiple users to edit and comment on designs in real-time, making it easy to collaborate with your team or clients.

Export Options: Download your designs in multiple formats, including PNG, JPG, PDF, and even animated GIFs, so you can use them across different platforms and mediums.

✅ Pricing Information:

Free Plan: $0/month with access to a vast library of templates and design elements. Perfect for individuals or small businesses on a budget.

Pro Plan: $12.99/month (billed annually) or $16.99/month (billed monthly). This plan includes advanced features like the Brand Kit, premium templates, and more storage.

Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for larger teams, offering enhanced collaboration tools, administrative controls, and brand management features.

8. Google Analytics: Gain Insights into Your Website’s Performance

To make informed decisions about your online business, you need to understand how your website is performing.

Google Analytics is a powerful web analytics tool that provides detailed insights into your website’s traffic, user behavior, and overall performance, helping you optimize your online presence and achieve your business goals.

🎯 Key Features:

Real-Time Reporting: Monitor what’s happening on your website in real-time, including the number of active users, their locations, and the pages they’re viewing.

Audience Insights: Gain detailed information about your audience, including demographics, interests, and behavior patterns, helping you tailor your content and marketing strategies.

Acquisition Reports: Understand how visitors are finding your website, whether through organic search, paid ads, social media, or referrals, so you can optimize your marketing efforts.

Behavior Analysis: Analyze how users interact with your site, including which pages they visit, how long they stay, and where they drop off, allowing you to identify areas for improvement.

Conversion Tracking: Set up and track specific goals, such as form submissions, purchases, or newsletter sign-ups, to measure your website’s effectiveness and identify opportunities for growth.

Custom Dashboards: Create customized dashboards that focus on the metrics that matter most to your business, providing a clear overview of your website’s performance at a glance.

✅ Pricing Information:

Google Analytics Standard: Free. This plan offers robust features that are suitable for most small to medium-sized businesses.

Google Analytics 360: Starts at US$ 50,000 per year Designed for large enterprises, this plan offers advanced features, additional data processing power, and premium support.

9. GoDaddy Website Builder: Build Your Website with Ease

Creating a professional and functional website is crucial for any online business, and GoDaddy Website Builder makes it easy, even if you have no prior experience in web design.

GoDaddy’s platform offers a straightforward, drag-and-drop interface that allows you to build and customize your website quickly, ensuring it reflects your brand’s identity and meets your business needs.

🎯 Key Features:

Drag-and-Drop Interface: GoDaddy’s intuitive builder lets you drag and drop elements to create your site, making it simple to design a website without any coding skills.

Mobile-Responsive Design: All templates and websites built with GoDaddy are mobile-responsive, ensuring your site looks great on any device.

AI-Powered Design Tools: GoDaddy’s builder includes AI-driven tools that suggest layouts, images, and content based on your business type, helping you create a polished site faster.

Built-In Marketing Tools: GoDaddy integrates marketing tools like SEO optimization, email marketing, and social media links directly into your website builder, helping you drive traffic to your site.

Customizable Templates: Choose from a wide range of professional templates that you can customize to fit your brand’s look and feel.

Integrated E-commerce: If you’re looking to sell products or services online, GoDaddy offers built-in e-commerce features, including payment processing and inventory management.

✅ Pricing Information:

Basic Plan: $11.99/month, which includes basic website building features, SSL security, and hosting.

Standard Plan: $14.95/month, adds advanced SEO tools and expanded storage.

Premium Plan: $19.95/month, includes email marketing tools and unlimited social media integration.

E-commerce Plan: $24.95/month, providing full e-commerce capabilities, including payment processing and product listings.

10. Mercury: A Modern Banking Platform for Startups

Mercury is a digital banking platform designed specifically for startups and tech-forward businesses. It offers a modern and intuitive banking experience that helps you manage your finances with ease.

With Mercury, you get access to a suite of banking tools tailored to the needs of growing businesses, from seamless account management to advanced financial insights.

🎯 Key Features:

No-Fee Banking: Mercury provides no-fee banking with no minimum balance requirements, making it an ideal choice for startups and small businesses.

Virtual and Physical Debit Cards: Instantly issue virtual cards for online purchases or request physical debit cards for team members.

Integrated Financial Tools: Mercury offers built-in tools for managing your company’s cash flow, including automated transfers, expense tracking, and financial analytics.

API Access: Developers can use Mercury’s API to automate banking tasks and integrate banking data into their own applications.

FDIC Insurance: Your deposits are FDIC insured up to $5 million through partner banks, providing peace of mind and security for your business funds.

Multi-User Access: Mercury allows you to add multiple users to your account, with customizable permissions to control who has access to different banking functions.

✅ Pricing Information:

No Monthly Fees: Mercury offers its banking services with no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements.

Free Transactions: Enjoy free domestic and international wire transfers, along with no fees for ACH payments or incoming wires.

Ready to Simplify Your Online Business? Let doola Guide You Every Step of the Way

Running an online business involves juggling many responsibilities — from managing payroll and marketing to building a website and ensuring compliance with legal and financial regulations.

At doola, we understand the challenges that come with starting and running an online business. 

That’s why we’re here to simplify the process of business formation, ensuring you choose the right structure, whether it’s an LLC, C-Corp, or another entity.

Our services don’t stop there — we also offer ongoing compliance support, bookkeeping, and tax filing services, so you can rest easy knowing your financial records are accurate and up-to-date.

Ready to take your business to the next level? Whether you’re just getting started or looking to optimize your existing operations, we’re here to help. 

Book a free consultation with us today, and let’s discuss how we can support your business formation, tax filing, and financial management needs.