You might like…<\/h4>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/shared-150x150.png\")
<\/a><\/span>Shared Hosting<\/a><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/website-builder-150x150.png\")
<\/a><\/span>Website Builder<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n1. Backups for your on-premises documents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When was the last time you backed up the data on your work computer? If you don\u2019t know, it\u2019s time to automate your backups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use a paid service like Carbonite or a freemium tool like Microsoft One Drive or Google Drive for PC backup and sync. Whatever you choose, for the love of Snappy, set it up soon. (And if you\u2019re not regularly backing up your website, learn how<\/a> now.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Bookkeeping and tax preparation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you can only automate one task besides backups, make it your business accounting. Apps like FreshBooks, QuickBooks, and Sage can reduce your stress by keeping your records organized and helping you file your taxes correctly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best of all, while everyone else is losing their minds in early April, you can just'\u00a6 not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. IT support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You can\u2019t run an online business if you\u2019re stuck on hold with tech support for hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, if you don\u2019t already have a friendly local tech repair shop in your contacts, start looking for one now. Ask your friends and colleagues who they use, read reviews and call the ones that look decent to find out more about how they work and what they do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ideally, you\u2019ll find a shop that can: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Turn repairs around fast.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Send someone to you to solve emergency issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Show you how to keep your setup safe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Help you decide what to buy (or have them build for you) when it\u2019s time to upgrade.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
4. Payment fraud prevention <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your eCommerce platform probably comes with free built-in fraud protection, and it\u2019s probably decent but no match for sophisticated professional fraudsters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adding a third-party fraud screening service<\/a> to your store can reduce your fraud rates, stop your platform from auto-rejecting orders that are probably good, and figure out which of those iffy orders can safely be approved. Cha-ching! <\/p>\n\n\n\nLook for a service that covers the cost of any chargebacks that slip through and that screens every order. That way their AI engine learns the difference between your good customers and even very clever fraudsters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Paid search advertising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Running even a simple ad campaign takes time, and the keywords and targeting have to be right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By outsourcing your search ad campaigns to a PPC (pay-per-click) service like HostGator\u2019s<\/a>, you can save time and bring more new customers to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n6. Search engine optimization (SEO)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We love sharing SEO information with small-business owners<\/a>. And there are plenty of helpful apps to pinpoint the areas where you can improve your site, like SEMrush and SEO Check. <\/p>\n\n\n\nBut if doing your own keyword optimization doesn\u2019t fit your schedule, delegating it can help you reach new customers fast. HostGator\u2019s SEO Services<\/a> can build and run a custom SEO campaign and optimize your site so you don\u2019t have to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n7. Shipping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One of the highest competitive hurdles that small online businesses have to overcome is the cost of shipping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Major retailers get huge discounts from shipping carriers, and they have the resources to find the best deals for shipping different items to different places. For an SMB, comparison shopping for shipping can be tedious and may not deliver much benefit because you\u2019re still paying higher rates than the big guys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, there are several companies that help small businesses get the lowest possible rates. For example, HostGator partner Shippo<\/a> gives customers as much as 90% off the retail rates they would pay at the post office counter. <\/p>\n\n\n\nA good shipping app will also handle some of the tasks that make shipping such a time-suck, like double-checking addresses, generating return labels, scheduling pickups, and keeping your customers updated on when their stuff will arrive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s even a shipping app specifically for subscription box businesses. Pirate Ship<\/a> offers deep discounts on USPS rates and batch workflows so you can turn out as many labels as you need in one session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n8. Transcription<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Do you need transcripts of your interviews, meetings and videos for reference, marketing and accessibility? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some virtual assistants (see below) will handle this for you, but you can save time with an inexpensive AI-powered app like Otter or Temi that records and immediately transcribes your talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
9. Virtual assistant services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Email and managing your schedule can take up a lot of your work time, especially as your business grows. A virtual assistant service<\/a> can handle those chores for you, along with data entry, vendor research and management, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPricing for US-based virtual assistants starts around $25 to $30 per hour. Before you choose, get referrals, read reviews, and research your options with sites like VirtualAssistantAssistant<\/a>, which lists VA services by region, specialty, customer type and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTaking any of the tasks on this list off your to-do list can help you run your business better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/span>Shared Hosting<\/a><\/li><\/a><\/span>Website Builder<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n1. Backups for your on-premises documents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When was the last time you backed up the data on your work computer? If you don\u2019t know, it\u2019s time to automate your backups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use a paid service like Carbonite or a freemium tool like Microsoft One Drive or Google Drive for PC backup and sync. Whatever you choose, for the love of Snappy, set it up soon. (And if you\u2019re not regularly backing up your website, learn how<\/a> now.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can only automate one task besides backups, make it your business accounting. Apps like FreshBooks, QuickBooks, and Sage can reduce your stress by keeping your records organized and helping you file your taxes correctly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Best of all, while everyone else is losing their minds in early April, you can just'\u00a6 not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can\u2019t run an online business if you\u2019re stuck on hold with tech support for hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if you don\u2019t already have a friendly local tech repair shop in your contacts, start looking for one now. Ask your friends and colleagues who they use, read reviews and call the ones that look decent to find out more about how they work and what they do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, you\u2019ll find a shop that can: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your eCommerce platform probably comes with free built-in fraud protection, and it\u2019s probably decent but no match for sophisticated professional fraudsters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adding a third-party fraud screening service<\/a> to your store can reduce your fraud rates, stop your platform from auto-rejecting orders that are probably good, and figure out which of those iffy orders can safely be approved. Cha-ching! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for a service that covers the cost of any chargebacks that slip through and that screens every order. That way their AI engine learns the difference between your good customers and even very clever fraudsters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Running even a simple ad campaign takes time, and the keywords and targeting have to be right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By outsourcing your search ad campaigns to a PPC (pay-per-click) service like HostGator\u2019s<\/a>, you can save time and bring more new customers to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We love sharing SEO information with small-business owners<\/a>. And there are plenty of helpful apps to pinpoint the areas where you can improve your site, like SEMrush and SEO Check. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But if doing your own keyword optimization doesn\u2019t fit your schedule, delegating it can help you reach new customers fast. HostGator\u2019s SEO Services<\/a> can build and run a custom SEO campaign and optimize your site so you don\u2019t have to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the highest competitive hurdles that small online businesses have to overcome is the cost of shipping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Major retailers get huge discounts from shipping carriers, and they have the resources to find the best deals for shipping different items to different places. For an SMB, comparison shopping for shipping can be tedious and may not deliver much benefit because you\u2019re still paying higher rates than the big guys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, there are several companies that help small businesses get the lowest possible rates. For example, HostGator partner Shippo<\/a> gives customers as much as 90% off the retail rates they would pay at the post office counter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A good shipping app will also handle some of the tasks that make shipping such a time-suck, like double-checking addresses, generating return labels, scheduling pickups, and keeping your customers updated on when their stuff will arrive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s even a shipping app specifically for subscription box businesses. Pirate Ship<\/a> offers deep discounts on USPS rates and batch workflows so you can turn out as many labels as you need in one session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you need transcripts of your interviews, meetings and videos for reference, marketing and accessibility? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some virtual assistants (see below) will handle this for you, but you can save time with an inexpensive AI-powered app like Otter or Temi that records and immediately transcribes your talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Email and managing your schedule can take up a lot of your work time, especially as your business grows. A virtual assistant service<\/a> can handle those chores for you, along with data entry, vendor research and management, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pricing for US-based virtual assistants starts around $25 to $30 per hour. Before you choose, get referrals, read reviews, and research your options with sites like VirtualAssistantAssistant<\/a>, which lists VA services by region, specialty, customer type and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking any of the tasks on this list off your to-do list can help you run your business better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Bookkeeping and tax preparation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. IT support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
4. Payment fraud prevention <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Paid search advertising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Search engine optimization (SEO)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7. Shipping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
8. Transcription<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
9. Virtual assistant services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n