1. My Business (By Google)
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Price: Free
Google’s My Business mobile app allows you to do most of what you need to manage your business’s web presence. Update business information (phone numbers, operating hours, etc), respond to reviews, and post photos and updates to your Google+ page. Currently, there are some limitations to what you can do on the mobile version, such as deleting pages and changing page settings.
2. HootSuite
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Price: Free
As most of us now know, social media isn’t just for kids and young folks sharing their lives and ambitions with the world. It’s an amazing marketing tool that is essential for most businesses. The problem is, there’s more than one social media outlet that you want to take advantage of.
HootSuite is an invaluable tool for businesses looking to manage up to five social media accounts from one dashboard. Instead of clumsily going from one social account to the next posting your information, you can do it all with a quick click from your HootSuite dashboard. Even better, HootSuite has a mobile app, so you can post your social media content efficiently and from anywhere on the planet.
It’s not just about the posting convenience. You have analytics to track your performance. You can even schedule your posts for specific times, which is important if you find that certain times of the day get you the best reach.
3. Buffer
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Price: Free for personal use, $10 a month for business needs
Similar to Hootsuite, Buffer is a social media management tool. It allows you to schedule content to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, App.net and Google+. While you can manually schedule or post immediately, what makes Buffer interesting is that you can also choose the “Add to Buffer” option, and it will decide what timing is best for your social media posts. The goal is to find the time(s) when you will get the most clicks and retweets.
When you pay for the “Awesome” level service, you have unlimited posts, support for as many as 12 social profiles, and the ability to have multiple people use the account.
4. Google Analytics
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Price: Free
Google empowers all business owners, big and small, to analyze an amazing amount of data related to their web presence. The amount of data you can analyze is too lengthy to discuss in this short review, but just know that Google Analytics gives you the ability to identify your target audience and develop an understanding of what makes them click.
5. Mailchimp
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Price: Free up to 2,000 subscribers (or 12,000 emails), unlimited emails start at $10 a month
Mailchimp is one of the most amazing tools a small business can have. The company allows you to send emails free to as many as 2,000 subscribers (up to 12,000 emails), which makes it a virtual no-brainer to use in the early stages of your growth. Mailchimp gives you this free service up to that threshold, and if you’re growing your bottom line as your subscriber base grows, by the time you reach 2,000 subscribers, their pricing structure should be easily integrated into your budget.
The Mailchimp mobile app allows you to do it all on the go: manage your email list(s), edit your subscriber list, send campaigns, and analyze reports. You can even create a campaign at your desktop, but wait for any sign-offs you may need from other people, then send it from your mobile phone. Or maybe you just want to analyze the performance of your campaigns while you’re out of the office. It is important to know that there are features only available to paid customers, such as delivery by time zones, but you get plenty of value for free until you are ready to make the leap.
6. Facebook Page Manager
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Price: Free
Facebook Pages Manager is an app that helps business owners or their social media staff manage as many as 50 Facebook Pages on their mobile device. You can easily access all of your Pages, respond to customers, post and update photos, get push notifications for activity or reminders, and view Page Insights.
7. GeckoBoard
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Price: Starts at $49 a month
Measuring Meaningful Metrics Makes More Money… All those “Ms” are simply a way to remember the power of analyzing and acting upon vital web metrics. You can do so with GeckoBoard. The GeckoBoard platform brings web analytics to another level. Monitor key data in real time from multiple sources in one location. Integrate Google Analytics, accounting software and many CRMs.
We live in a world where we no longer need to be bound to a desk to take care of business. Mobile business apps make it possible to take advantage of inspiration whenever and wherever it strikes. If you are always on the go, or find that inspiration hits before or after traditional business hours, there are plenty of apps that can help you get the job done.
Kevin Getch is the founder and director of digital strategy for Webfor.
