Marketing

Every small business needs an email marketing plan to stay in touch with and update customers about new products, customer purchases, upcoming promotions, business changes, and more. You don’t have to be a marketing expert to create effective email campaigns. Get inspiration for your email marketing campaigns with the 20 best business email examples from the past year. 1. New Subscriber or Customer Welcome Email Arguably, one of the most important business emails you can send to a new customer or subscriber is a welcome email. As soon as someone opts in to receive emails from you or makes a purchase, it’s vital to send them a note to say thanks and welcome them to your brand. It’s a good opportunity to offer your new subscriber or customer a better understanding of your brand, a promo code for their next purchase, or information to make them want to do business with you. Plus, welcome emails have an average open rate of 68.59%, which is around three times higher than regular newsletters. Try this: Sending an automatic welcome message that makes them look forward to your follow-up email drip campaigns is easy when you use . The platform enables you to automate welcome emails with special offers for new subscribers, so you can set it up and get back to managing your business. Take advantage of the generous 60-day free trial to see how this email marketing platform helps you never miss a chance to welcome customers. 2. Cart Abandonment Email Example When a customer abandons their cart, it can feel like a missed opportunity. But it doesn’t have to be. Sometimes customers are just doing comparison shopping, or they forgot they were doing online shopping when they closed their browsers. A gentle reminder that they’ve left something in their cart is a great way to close the sale. Try this: Nudge a customer to complete a purchase using an app that monitors customers' abandoned carts. users can use to incentivize a purchase, send multiple reminders, and track even guest users’ abandoned carts to analyze why customers leave items behind. 3. Thank-you Emails A thank-you email is an easy way for a business to show gratitude to its customers, and there are so many opportunities to send these types of business emails. You can send one as a part of a welcome email, after a customer makes a purchase, or following a customer support call. Try this: Use an email marketing tool, like , to automate thank-you emails when customers hit certain triggers, like a purchase. 4. Re-engagement Emails Selling to an existing customer can result in up to a 70% success rate, while selling to a new customer has a 5% to 20% success rate. This is why re-engagement emails are so essential. If a customer hasn’t booked with you or ordered in a while, a friendly reminder your business exists could help. Try this: Even better than a simple reminder email is one with a discount or a promo code to entice repeat business. Use a tool like on your WordPress site to automatically create one-time codes for your customers. 5. Event Invite Emails From webinars to open houses, classes, company meetings, and VIP gatherings, regardless of what type of business you run, you may hold events from time to time. Event invite emails are an excellent way to let customers or subscribers know about it. When you send an invite, include a prominent call to action (CTA) to get readers to sign up or book the event. Try this: You don’t have to be a professional graphic designer to make an effective business email and grab your subscribers’ attention. Use a free graphic design tool like to easily create a professional-looking email invitation. 6. Reminder Emails Whether you’re sending customers an email about their upcoming itinerary, a rental, or an appointment they booked, it’s a good idea to send a reminder. Not only can this decrease no-shows, but reminder emails also allow you to reinforce brand awareness and create anticipation or excitement. Try this: Pick a set time to send reminders (such as sending one a few days before and a second reminder the day before the appointment or reservation) in your email marketing software and schedule an email at that time. lets you send scheduled emails based on a variety of parameters. 7. Review Emails One of the most valuable marketing methods is word-of-mouth advertising, and the internet equivalent of this is a positive customer review. Send a request to customers after they’ve purchased a product or service from you, asking for a review. Incentivizing participation can further increase your chances of getting a good online review, which in turn helps others find your business and choose it over your competitors. Try this: Complete your Google My Business (GMB) profile and then send customers a link to it asking for a review. Having lots of positive reviews on your GMB profile can move your business up to the top of results, which is especially helpful for local businesses. But be sure to give customers enough time to enjoy their product before asking for a review, or they may not have much to say. 8. Product Launch Emails Sometimes, one of the best ways to increase sales is to inform potential customers of new items or services—even if you aren’t selling them yet. Retailers, software companies, and service-based businesses can all use these business email examples to inspire them. Send business emails to create a buzz around a new feature or product that’s coming soon, or maybe even a seasonal item. This type of email also reminds customers about your brand and shows that you’re always working to improve and give customers what they want. Try this: Send customers to your site to learn more about a product (not only to inform them but also to gauge interest in your new offering). But first, make sure you’re sending your customers to a great-looking site. One of the easiest ways to ensure your site looks great, works well, and offers a great customer experience is to use . You don’t need design or coding expertise to create a professional, sleek website. 9. Referral Emails Growing your customer base doesn’t always feel like an easy task, but you might find that your existing customers are the best source of new leads. Asking your customers for referrals is an effective way to get new customers. And when tied to rewards or incentives, it’s also a proven way to generate leads and increase customer loyalty. Try this: Rewarding a customer for suggesting your business to a friend can be effective, especially if you target your most loyal customers and advocates. Consider using a tool like , which lets you create custom rewards for your referral program—and then connect it to your email marketing software to make it easy to send referral emails. 10. Rewards/Loyalty Program Email One of the best ways to earn repeat business from customers is to offer a loyalty program. The more customers shop with your business, the more rewards they earn. This makes it more likely for them to keep coming back. Whether you’re just starting one or want to remind customers your business offers a loyalty program, an email inviting people to sign up can be effective. Try this: not only offers an easy way to manage all your business emails and marketing campaigns, but it also integrates with multiple loyalty programs. These seamless integrations make it easy to craft emails to get more signups for your rewards program. 11. Promotional Emails One of the most popular business email examples is a promotional email since the top reason consumers sign up for brand emails is to receive special offers or discounts. Every promotional email should include something of value (percentage or dollar amount off), a limited time (to capitalize on the fear of missing out, aka FOMO), and a clear call to action (CTA). A CTA button “above the fold” or toward the top of the email works best. Try this: If you don’t have a marketing or graphic design department to create marketing and advertising emails, consider hiring a freelance professional from to create email designs for you. Fiverr is an affordable freelance marketplace where you see examples of their work and rates before hiring a professional for your project. 12. Conversation Follow-up Email Examples Here’s a completely different business email example that doesn’t rely on graphics or email drip campaigns. If you network regularly, you often meet people in or related to your industry and want to nurture that relationship soon after an event. Jot down a few notes about those who might fit your customer or referral partner profiles and exchange business cards to get their email address. Then send a follow-up email after the networking event to keep the conversation going. Try this: Use a customer relationship management (CRM) tool that offers a mobile app to take notes during a networking event, such as . You’ll be able to capture information about a person you met, including email address, name, and details about a conversation you have with them. It’ll make it so much easier to reach out with a follow-up email later. 13. Lead Magnet Emails A lead magnet email is similar to a promotional email, but is less sales-forward. Instead, this business email example is meant to nurture a lead. Lead magnet emails are best for a segmented mailing list of contacts who haven’t purchased from your business. The goal is to send them something valuable that fosters trust in your brand and creates intrigue about your business’ products or services. Try this: Use lead magnet emails to send links to downloadable e-books, whitepapers, landing pages, or blog articles with valuable information. Using a tool like makes it easy for you to create unique landing pages for lead magnets or nurturing, and then track the clicks to see if you’re offering the right content for your segmented audience. 14. Survey & Feedback Emails Survey emails are a way to gather information about your mailing list. Use this information to segment your list and target the right group with the right messages. If you run a software company that caters to small, medium, and large businesses, for example, you wouldn’t send all three groups the same messaging because they all have different needs and budgets. The same rule applies to retailers and service-based businesses. Try this: Send a survey to your customers to find out what they’re most interested in. You can easily create surveys with and integrate them with . Then send an email with a link to your survey to find out about each of your customers (and then segment based on their responses). Periodically sending customers a request for feedback, such as a customer satisfaction score (CSAT) survey, offers an objective way to find out if they’re satisfied with the particular products or services they purchase. A Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey is similar but is more about measuring brand loyalty and overall satisfaction. Either type is easy to capture through an email marketing campaign. Try this: Use email marketing software like to create short customer satisfaction surveys to gauge customer sentiment. Follow the business email example below by simply adding a link to your email's body. Alternatively, consider adding an NPS survey embedded in the email, which makes it clear that it’s a short survey. 15. Email Newsletters Many small businesses send periodic email newsletters with content curated for their audiences. Email newsletters don’t have to be long, and if you’re already creating content for your blog or social media, you can repurpose that content here. Use teaser paragraphs to get readers to visit your website to learn more, and keep the design simple to make it easy for readers to know where to click to read more. Try this: Consistency in timing and design is essential so subscribers know what to expect and can recognize your brand. makes it easy for you to create and save a newsletter template to save time. Simply pull up your template, change the content (but not the layout), and schedule your next newsletter. You can also easily create variants of your newsletter for different contact list segments. 16. Combination Content Emails We’ve already covered promotional emails and thank-you emails, but you can also combine any type of email with another for greater impact. For example, combining a thank you after a recent purchase with a limited-time promo code can immediately inspire additional purchases. Likewise, sending an incentive along with a cart abandonment email can be the catalyst to get your customer to finish the transaction. Try this: If you run an online store, use the Smart Coupons for WooCommerce plugin to generate promo codes, which costs $69 annually for one site. You can create various coupon types, including percentages and fixed amounts. There are also options to customize codes, create bulk coupons, and create an abandoned cart coupon to inspire those customers to come back. 17. Prospect Follow-up Emails When you send leads e-books, whitepapers, or other types of content to help prospects learn more about your business, it’s best to follow up. This type of business email doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Simply reference the previous content sent, thank them for their interest, and then include a CTA of some kind. Try this: Follow-up emails work best when you don’t leave an open-ended question via email. Consider using an appointment or meeting booking app like , which offers your recipient a couple of meeting time options and makes it easy for them to set up a time to meet with you. 18. Link-building Emails When you’re reaching out to request a backlink to your content or help with sharing it online, avoid cookie-cutter form emails. Take time to research the other site and find relevant content where it would make sense for them to add a link to your content. Tell them why their readers would appreciate your content, whether they link to it online or share it on their social networks. Try this: Use an email finder tool like to locate the email addresses of site owners you want to approach with a backlink or guest posting request. 19. Announcement Emails Not all business emails are meant to sell or promote— some are meant only to inform. For example, your customers need to know if you make any changes to your business, such as opening a new location or moving, hours of operation, terms of service, pricing, and so on. Informational emails can be simple, text-based, and include a link for more information. Try this: Although this business email example is usually text-based and for informational purposes only, it’s still a good opportunity to increase brand recognition. Simply include your logo at the top and in your email signature. If you need a new logo or help with business emails, use to find freelancers who can help at an affordable rate. 20. Milestone Emails You say you love your customers—so why not celebrate that love with a special anniversary email to remind them that you appreciate their business? You can include a special discount code, such as 10% off to celebrate a year as a customer (or 20% off for two years). This could encourage customers to stick with you even longer for a sweeter deal as the years go by. Try this: Stay on top of important dates with a customer relationship manager (CRM) system that integrates with your email marketing software like . Then use automation to set up triggers to send an email on their anniversary day or month with a limited-time offer coupon to show your gratitude (and encourage customer retention). Aside from celebrating your customer’s anniversary, here are other milestone emails you can send out: As you can see from the list of business email examples above, you’ll need a business email app as well as email marketing software to execute them. To find the best solutions for automated and mass emails, read our guide to the best email marketing software for small businesses. For one-to-one emailing, read our list of the best business email providers, including titans Gmail and Outlook, to see which offers the best features for your business email needs. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What do you write in a business email? Writing a business email is similar to writing emails with your personal account (though professional in nature) as it’s an email written to another individual. Every business email should include a compelling subject line, a polite greeting, concise body text, a clear call to action with a next step, and conclude with a professional email signature with your contact information (e.g., phone, email, and website). What is a good email opening line? A good opening line should set the tone for your entire email and make the right impression, like “It’s great to hear from you, X.” Include your recipient’s first name in the email opening as a proven way to increase the click-through rate (CTR). Your email opening line will depend on the situation and whether you want the message to be professional, informal, or a different approach entirely. What are some good closing lines for professional emails? “Thanks in advance,” “Thanks,” and “Thank you” are the email closing lines with the highest response rates, according to a study by Boomerang. These variations are found to elicit a response 1.3 times more often than using "Best," as the email closing line. Bottom Line Business emails can be sent for many reasons while keeping your brand top of mind, stimulating purchase decisions, and nurturing leads throughout the sales process. Get the most out of your marketing campaigns by automating various business emails with . It not only makes building email campaigns easy, but it helps you create more effective emails to help you drive more conversions and sales.

A strong brand enables you to attract and retain customers, stand out from the competition, and build trust and credibility with your audience. From creating a well-defined brand identity and consistently delivering on your brand promise to creating compelling, differentiated messaging, these eye-opening branding statistics will convince you to pay attention to your brand and invest in managing your reputation. 1. Branding consistency can increase revenue by 20% In addition to brand familiarity, customers want brand consistency, no matter where or how they interact with your business. Branding stats indicate that brand consistency can have a major impact on your company's revenues. The State of Brand Consistency report by Lucidpress found that consistent branding across all channels can increase revenue anywhere from 10% to 20%. Brand consistency means customers receive the same impression and experience when interacting with your brand regardless of marketing or communication channel. Familiarity through consistent experiences generates confidence among customers because they know what to expect. Think about how fast-food chains succeed: There may be places with better food, but people go to restaurants they know because of the consistency. This branding statistic shows that with brand familiarity and consistency in service, you can compete with bigger industry players. 2. 85% of companies have brand guidelines In the Lucidpress study, 85% of organizations reported they had brand guidelines. However, only 30% say they are enforced. As a result, 77% of brands end up with off-brand content. Inability to provide a consistent brand experience makes it harder to build brand recognition, and more challenging to connect with customers. 3. Brand love = loyalty, word of mouth, and willingness to pay more So I guess you could say it’s getting pretty serious. Researchers studying sport-related brands (e.g., Red Bull, Nike, Adidas, and so on) found that brand love produced three significant revenue drivers: loyalty, word of mouth, and willingness to spend more. Loyalty equates to return visits and future purchases, and word of mouth produces new customers.  When consumers are willing to spend more on a brand, it gives your business more freedom to raise prices or create upgraded versions of a product. In addition, it signals to the marketplace that your business is a non-commodity, meaning your product or service can’t be replicated elsewhere.  It’s easy to understand how sports-related brands can generate brand love. After all, sports are often seen as a reflection of the inner self, and tying a brand to a team a consumer loves, by extension, brings some of the feelings along with it. The takeaway for less emotionally charged industries is that you need to find out how to connect with some aspect of your audience emotionally, from cause-related involvement to creating points of personal connection.  4. Online communities create brand trust with 64.3% of women In studying the relationship between brand trust and online brand communities, researchers found online communities move the needle significantly in creating trust with consumers—in particular, with 64.3% of women and younger consumers (44.9% of people aged 18-22 years).  Still, many brands today don’t have online communities or forums, and some don’t even have an active social media presence for people to engage with. In addition to creating trust, developing online communities gives brands that all-so-important means of creating personal connections with customers, which in turn brings more word of mouth, loyalty, and increased brand affinity.  The good news is that in addition to getting more active in social media marketing, you can easily build your own online community with site builders like Wix. By simply signing up, customers can participate in member-only content, polls, and discussions, starting with the free site builder version. 5. 46% of consumers will pay more for trusted brands Software as a service (SaaS) company Salsify surveyed more than 4,000 consumers for its 2022 consumer research report. When asked to identify the factors that have driven them to buy the higher-priced option when comparing similar products online, 46% of U.S. consumers admit that they pay more for a brand name they trust. Here’s why it pays to build brand awareness: 46% of customers tend to buy from familiar brands. The more people recognize, appreciate, and believe in your brand, the more they buy from you. 6. Shared values drive 64% of brand relationships According to the Harvard Business Review, shared values are a driving factor in more than six out of every 10 brand relationships. Your brand must resonate with the target audience’s values and convey them in a way that forms connections between your company and customers. This branding statistic shows that every single experience and interaction counts—from the time a customer touches your brand to when they move on to other things. For instance, when it comes to technology, speed, coolness, and wow factor—that’s Apple. When you think of faith, family, great service, and tasty food—it’s Chick-fil-A. 7. Customers will pay 50% more for businesses making an impact Price isn’t always the bottom line. Many customers are willing to pay more to companies that align with their values. Thirteen percent of customers are willing to pay anywhere from 31% to 50% more to do business with companies they view as making a positive impact in the world. This is a really important branding statistic because a lot of people assume cheaper is always more competitive, but that’s not always the case. 8. Automation is changing the face of branding There is a new shift in acceptance in the use of automation for marketing—including branding and creatives. According to a survey by Bynder, OnBrand, and Vanson Bourne, around half of the 1,600 marketers surveyed in 2021 said that creative automation would help them meet output production goals since it can be used to create content more efficiently. The same survey also indicates that more marketers are now recognizing the benefits of using automation for branding. Around 50% of respondents said that automation would actually improve brand consistency. 9. Social media is the top driver of consumer brand sentiment  A 2022 study measuring the effect of digital marketing on consumer behavior found that the top three drivers of consumer attitudes to be (in order):  Social media Search engine advertising Content marketing  However, in terms of purchase intent, the study found that content marketing had the most impact, followed by social media, search ads, and email marketing. It’s interesting to note the study found that email marketing didn’t contribute significantly to either consumer attitudes or search intent.  One takeaway here is search ads are significantly contributing to brand sentiment. So, developing search and banner ads that closely align with your brand’s desired image and unique value proposition is essential. Second, content marketing becomes more important during the consumer’s consideration phase in deciding which brand to go with. 10. 69% of consumers will engage with your brand using chatbots Technology is expanding the number of ways customers can engage with your brand, from automation to online tools. When they come to your website, if they can’t quickly find the information they need, seven out of 10 are perfectly comfortable interacting with your brand and business via online chat per the 2021 State of Social report from NetQuid. These branding statistics clearly demonstrate that every aspect of the customer experience counts. Every touchpoint, from those within your control (like marketing materials, website, social presence—even your chatbot) to those outside of your creative process (e.g., reviews, online mentions, and so on) contribute to the perceptions that comprise your brand to the public. Establishing brand awareness is the key to getting leads into your sales pipeline for nurturing and offering the brand consistency that produces more sales, retention, and loyalty. The branding stats in the statistic below speak specifically to brand awareness. 11. Increasing brand awareness is a top priority Semrush asked 1,500 marketers from over 40 countries to indicate their top priorities in creating brand content from most important (1) to least important (8). In the State of Content Marketing survey, 45% of respondents ranked "increase brand awareness" as the number one priority, giving it top billing among the objectives listed. Brand awareness is the key to driving customers to your business and fostering loyalty. Creating a recognizable brand can help you attract new customers and grow your business. It can also make your brand more memorable and differentiate it from your competitors. Start by creating a strong visual identity for your brand and then consistently apply this branding across all of your marketing materials. 12. Marketers top concerns include brand engagement & consistency Responding to Bynder’s 2021 State of Branding survey, marketers identified their top concerns as follows: 26%: Engaging their audience on over-crowded digital marketing channels 25%: Might not be able to produce all of the creative and content requested 17%: Maintaining brand consistency 16%: Adding in-person events back into marketing strategies 15%: Post-pandemic messaging strategy 13. 41% of brands use influencers to increase brand awareness MeltWater’s 2021 State of Social found that four out of 10 brands would have employed influencer marketing by the year’s end. At 32%, both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) brands listed increasing brand awareness as their top goal for influencer marketing. For non-government organizations (NGOs), increasing brand awareness was also the top goal listed by 35% of marketers. 14. There’s more demand for brand content than ever before An overwhelming 85% of marketers said there was more demand for brand content than before the pandemic. This is compared to 9% who reported no change and 6% who said there was less demand for their content. More demand for content can quickly cause burnout, especially for small teams. For low-cost help producing content for your website, blog, or social media, turn to . You’ll be able to connect with freelance professionals who can help you scale up your content marketing plan affordably, with prices as low as $10 to $25 per project. 15. Content marketing drives 3x higher brand engagement Content marketing gets three times as many leads as advertising. It encourages brand engagement, leading to brand awareness, recognition, and recall. Investing in quality content, and especially personalized content, connects people to your brand’s voice and builds relationships. It costs less than pay-per-click ads, and it gets customers to trust your brand by providing useful information about topics that interest your audience. 16. It takes 5-7 impressions to produce brand awareness Customers won’t remember a brand after just seeing it a couple of times. People have to be exposed to a brand five to seven times to start recognizing it. It takes further consistent exposure over time for the brand to become familiar enough to remember it by name. This is why commercials and ads are so important. Even if people do not buy because they saw one specific commercial, they are being exposed to the brand. 17. You have 7 seconds to make a first impression Human beings scan their environment and form instant impressions. It takes just seven seconds for customers to make an instant decision whether or not they like and trust your brand. This brand stat shows that you need to make those seven seconds count by investing in quality branding, especially visual branding, which accounts for a good deal of first impressions. While branding can help make a positive first impression with a new potential customer, it also influences your brand’s connection with existing customers, as shown in the following statistics. 18. A loyal customer is worth 10 one-time customers Brand loyalty can be worth quite a lot. In fact, a loyal customer may be your best advocate, sharing your company’s information with many friends over time. Brand loyalty yields 10 times more than the profits you make on a single purchase. Word of mouth is the best marketing, and it usually comes from loyal customers. This is one of the branding stats that shows that cultivating, improving, and encouraging brand loyalty provides great benefits over time. If you need assistance when it comes to brand awareness monitoring and tracking your online mentions, you can use . 19. For 94%, transparency is key to loyalty People (whether consumers considering retail purchases or business buyers) want to buy from brands they can trust. They have various ethical issues that are important to them, and they want to support companies that have the same values as they have. No one wants to give money to sleazy companies that are ripping people off. Transparency was at the very top of the list of factors that would influence brand loyalty. In a survey of 2,000 customers, the study found that 94% will be loyal to a transparent brand, and 39% will change brands in pursuit of brand transparency. This brand stat shows that honesty really is the best policy for everything from pricing and operations to employee culture and corporate values. 20. Overdoing self-promotion will cost you followers Per the Unfollow Algorithm on BuzzStream, 45% of customers will unfollow a brand on social media if it spends too much time promoting itself. Remember that for the most part people are tuned into one station: “WIIFM” (an acronym that stands for “What’s in it for me?”). Create a customer persona, or an ideal customer, and think about how your brand solves problems for that ideal customer. Then, target your social media marketing efforts around that narrative and you’ll build a winning formula. Curious about what a customer persona is all about? Read this article on how to create a customer persona and download a free template. Branding statistics from a study conducted by Twitter and Market Probe International found that 72% of customers who follow a company on Twitter are likely to buy from that company. Instead of only promoting your products, offer information and engagement that will help your customers within your niche. Focus on making their lives better, and you will gain loyalty. 21. Most people follow 1-4 brands It takes effort to win customers on social media. Fifty percent of customers only follow one to four brands on social media, with another 26% following fewer than 10 brands. Getting into the coveted spot where customers are willing to have you show up on their feed is a competitive task. Again, it’s all about relationships. Brand stats tell us that customers want to feel they have a relationship with the brand. They’ll spend time with your brand, but only if you prove yourself worthy by offering content that is valuable to your customers. Brand recognition also plays a large role in bringing customers back again and again, as seen in the following statistic. 22. Influencer marketing is the top strategy for increasing brand recognition in 2022 In 2022, marketers are leveraging influencer marketing (34%) more than any other tactic, in part to counteract the diminishing impact of online ads (due to the increased use of ad blockers). This is followed by improving site visitor experience on mobile (33%), short-form videos (31%), virtual events (31%), and experiential marketing (29%) to build brand recognition and promote sales. The 2022 State of Marketing Trends (by HubSpot, Litmus, Rock Content, and Wistia) report also showed that the top channels being employed are: 44%: Social media 36%: Website/blog 35%: Email marketing 32%: Content marketing 30%: Influencer marketing 26%: SEO marketing 25%: Virtual events 23. 80% use social ads to increase brand recognition Only 20% of brand marketers don’t use social ads to increase brand awareness and recognition. For the eight in 10 using paid social, Facebook produces the highest return on investment (ROI) for 26% of marketers, followed by Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok (the new kid on the social media block). The top social platforms being used for advertising in 2022 are: 79%: Facebook 69%: YouTube 65%: TikTok 63%: Instagram 57%: Twitter 56%: Tumblr 49%: Reddit 47%: LinkedIn 43%: Twitch 42%: Pinterest 41%: Snapchat 24. 40% of customers will stick to private label brands Customers bought more private label brands than ever before in recent years. Fifty-eight percent of buyers switched to a private label brand when their preferred brand wasn’t available, and 40% of those said they will continue to buy the private label brand that they switched to. Private label brands are products manufactured by a third party and labeled with the brand of another. Many small businesses use private label brands to boost brand image and give customers a reason to shop at their stores. These “exclusive” products rely more upon brand image than product differentiation for sales. Small business owners can benefit from the positive impression that consumers have of private labels to build their own branded products. Nearly half—48%—of those who said they’d keep buying the private label brand they switched to said that price was a driving factor. 25. Signature brand color boosts brand recognition by 80% Visual branding includes choosing the color, logo type, and other aspects of the design of your brand. Among these attributes, it is color that boosts brand recognition by a whopping 80%. In terms of branding statistics, this indicates why choosing a good website color scheme is so important. For brand colors, blue and shades of blue are the most popular. Around 30% of brands include some shade of blue in their logo. In Western culture, color denotes things like security, trustworthiness, and seriousness. The color blue can even produce calming feelings. This is one reason why financial firms like IBM and Chase bank use blue in their logos. Branding helps ensure you are top of mind whenever a customer or potential customer sees your logo. Learn more about how to make a good website by reading our list of web design statistics. 26. Great customer service wins over 86% of customers Many small business owners complain that they can’t spend as much on branding as their larger competitors. This may be true, but it’s not always what you spend on a fancy new logo or an ad campaign that matters. A convincing 86% of the time, a great customer experience will turn a one-time client into a loyal brand advocate (Khoros). In addition, 83% of customers feel more loyal to a brand that has resolved an issue or complaint. Another branding stat offered by Salesforce Research indicates that 89% of people are likely to purchase again when their first brand experience was a positive one. Providing exemplary customer service throughout your company, for example, costs little or nothing. However, it yields extraordinary results when it comes to positive brand impressions. 27. Customers make decisions based on customer service reviews Customer service is a massive driving factor in customers’ decisions to buy again or not to buy again. Customers are also very likely to share their customer service experiences online, whether the experience was good or bad. Those reviews matter: 80% of consumers say they only trust brands with 4- to 5-star ratings. Only 13% will consider doing business with a brand rated 1-2 stars. An ongoing review strategy is also important as 85% of consumers say they only factor in reviews left during the most recent three months, and 40% don’t even consider those more than two weeks old. The most proactive approach for managing your brand’s reputation is to tap a top digital marketing agency like Hibu. Hibu’s experienced professionals will manage your online customer reviews as well as collect and share customer feedback, ratings, and reviews. 28. A 2% increase in customer retention can lower costs by 10% Customer retention, or keeping customers coming back to your business, lowers costs by 10% because you spend less on acquisition advertising. The better your brand, the more recognition your business receives, and the easier it is to keep it top of mind among your customers. Better branding leads to improved recognition and sales which, in turn, reduces the amount of money you must spend on advertising. It’s a virtuous cycle that starts with creating a great customer experience and welcomes customers with consistent values, products, and services. 29. 62% of customers share deals with friends Social media is an incredibly effective venue for word-of-mouth sharing about brands. Running deals on social media and asking customers to share your offer is an effective way to generate word-of-mouth buzz and get new followers and leads online. Make the most of this and similar word-of-mouth branding stats by offering deals and giveaways that require customers to like and share to get the deal. 30. 36% of brands want employee word of mouth Who better to endorse a brand than its employees? Thirty-six percent of B2B companies are or plan to encourage online employee advocacy to build a stronger brand reputation. The same is true for 21% of direct-to-consumer businesses and 18% of non-government organizations (Meltwater State of Social Media 2021). Social media, of course, is another highly effective way to build your brand, which is why your branding strategy should also carry over to any social media channels your business chooses to use. When building a brand on social media, it is import to consider the information in the following statistic. 31. Personalized ads are preferred by 48% of customers Many consumers, especially younger ones, have accepted that their data is going to be sold as the price for being online. As long as their information is getting collected and sold anyway, nearly half say they want companies to personalize the way they advertise to them, targeting their individual interests and lifestyles and bringing them products that will make their lives better. Still, this is easier said than done. The Bynder State of Branding report revealed that brand marketers sometimes find it difficult to personalize marketing and advertising content, citing these top brand marketing challenges: 25.7%: Creating personalized messages for the right audience 23%: Getting the right technology in place to support personalization 21.8%: Finding the right balance between personalization and brand voice Your audience doesn’t want to be bombarded with ads, especially for things they find irrelevant or uninteresting. They want your ads to be placed in their digital path at the right time, on the right channel, with the products they want to see, in ways that are useful, entertaining, and educational—not annoying. To do this, you’ll need to utilize the right data and lead management tools. In order to segment your customer base properly, use a top customer relationship management (CRM) platform like HubSpot CRM to collect and organize your data. Then use the platform’s native email marketing and ad management tools to put your ads in front of the right customers at the right time. 32. Effective use of social media can increase sales by 32% Stores with a social media presence make an average of 32% more sales than stores that aren’t on social channels. From engaging posts to real-time customer service (which makes you look trustworthy to potential customers), your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts can all help your business win customers and generate more revenue. For example, nearly eight out of 10—78% of U.S. consumers—have purchased from a brand they discovered on Facebook. For more information on how social media can boost your small business, check out our guide to social media marketing. 33. 73% of marketers think social media marketing is effective Today, customers expect to be able to engage with brands instantly, especially on social media. Customers also look to social media to see how companies handle customer service and whether they are responsive to customer feedback. Social media users share deals and reviews with each other. Sixty-eight percent of adults use Facebook, making it the most-used social media platform. And 73% of marketers believe that social media is either somewhat effective or very effective for their business. These branding statistics show just how important it is to invest in a winning social media strategy. 34. Choosing the right platform matters Few marketers are unaware that some social media platforms are better for building brand recognition and awareness with their target audiences than others. Fifty-five percent of business-to-business (B2B) marketers turn to LinkedIn compared to just 28% that leverage Facebook for brand building, per MeltWater’s 2021 State of Social report. On the other hand, Facebook is far and away the go-to social channel for building brand awareness for business-to-consumer (B2C) companies. Sixty percent of B2C companies use Facebook for marketing followed by 28% using Instagram, 6% using Twitter, and just 2% investing in LinkedIn as a marketing tool. Bottom Line Small business owners would be wise to invest time and effort into their branding. A strong brand with wide recognition can be worth millions, if not billions, of dollars. To build such a brand, begin with excellent service, which costs nothing except time and training to implement. A recognizable brand image, consistently deployed across all marketing channels, helps increase brand awareness. With the insights from these branding statistics, you can build a great brand that helps you retain more customers and reduce marketing costs. You Might Also Like… Your website is the hub of your online brand presence—check out the small business website statistics you need to know. We rounded up more than a dozen important ecommerce statistics for online sellers. If small business statistics are important to you, you’ll find more than 200 here.

A landing page is a dedicated web page people are directed to when they click on your ad or respond to a marketing campaign. The first step in how to create a landing page is identifying a single goal for the page and choosing a platform. Next, build a landing page with a compelling call to action, strong imagery, and simple web forms for conversions. Finally, launch your landing page and optimize it to increase lead generation and sales. drag-and-drop builder and landing page templates make it easy to build landing pages, even for beginners. It comes with the web forms you need to convert visitors, optimization tips, and best of all, you can build up to 20 landing pages for free. 1. Identify the Goal for Your Landing Page Unlike web pages, which often address multiple questions, you should identify one specific goal when you create a landing page. The goal is the action needed to get the visitor to take the next step in the customer journey and to move them through your sales pipeline’s stages. To identify the goal for your landing page, think about the one action you most want the visitor to take. Some common examples of landing page goals are: Subscribe Call your business Book a demo or sales presentation Download a digital asset Buy a specific product or service Come to your location Make a reservation Sign up for a free trial Request a consultation or follow-up Landing pages can be used for several purposes, from building contact lists and generating leads to getting appointments, converting product sales, and more. Also, they can be tied to various types of campaigns (e.g., email marketing campaigns, paid social ads, Google search ads, remarketing ads, and so on), and multiple campaign types are often in play simultaneously. For example, a company selling ski equipment may have Google search ads running while also using remarketing display ads to re-engage past site visitors. The same company could also choose to run email marketing campaigns to their contact lists and place social media ads to reach more members of their target audience on social channels. In this case, a single landing page with the company’s most popular items could be used to generate sales. In other cases, such as a software platform with a longer buying cycle, multiple landing pages might be needed. Google ads might be used to generate product brand awareness, whereas remarketing ads and email would be used to reach prospects in the sales funnel's research or consideration stages. 2. Choose a Platform You can create dedicated landing pages on your own website or on third-party platforms like or . Some of these platforms fall among the best website builders or have similar page-building tools, allowing you to quickly and easily design high-converting landing pages without having to know code. Likewise, if you have a website, you may be able to add dedicated landing pages to it directly without the need to use an additional platform. If you need a platform to create a landing page, we recommend the platforms below. HubSpot is our top pick—you can build up to 20 landing pages for free and do so on a custom domain branded to your business. The process of how to create a landing page on each one will be slightly different, but all have intuitive page-building tools with drag-and-drop editing and the elements you’ll need (e.g., forms, buttons, and so on). Best Platforms for Landing Pages (by Use Case) *Customer relationship management 3. Build Your Landing Page Your landing page’s goal will determine what content and assets (forms, images, maps, tools, buttons, pop-ups, chatbots, and so on) the page will contain. At a minimum, a good landing page will have a clear and persuasive call to action (CTA), copy in the form of headlines and product or service descriptions, supporting media, and a web form or button (e.g., “buy now”) to facilitate conversions. For more inspiration and ideas, check out our article on landing page examples. They include several types of landing pages, calls to action, and content. 4. Launch (or Update) Your Campaign Once your landing page is built and published online, the next step is to create and launch the campaigns you will use to drive traffic to the page. If you already have campaigns in place, link your landing page to your ad, marketing email, or other types of sales or marketing campaign. That way, when someone engages with your campaign asset (advertisement, email, website link, QR code, etc.), they will be redirected to your landing page. 5. Optimize Your Landing Page to Increase Conversions In addition to knowing how to build a landing page, it’s important to know how to optimize your landing pages. In the page-building stage, optimization includes on-page elements like using search engine optimization (SEO) keywords in your page’s headlines and copy, technical aspects like hosting with SSL security for HTTPS data encryption, and ensuring fast page loading through image and media optimization. As soon as your landing page goes live, monitor its performance, starting with conversion rates. Like everything in marketing, landing pages need to be continuously tweaked and optimized. The data you gather from analytics tools available in your landing page platform, ad platforms, Google Analytics, and so on will give you insights as to where and how you can improve your marketing efforts. As you make changes, apply them one at a time and then wait for a set period of time (such as a week or a month) to determine whether it made an impact before making another change. Large changes—like copy overhauls or switching your call to action—will obviously impact your campaign, but keep in mind that small changes can also make a difference. Changing your landing page’s colors, fonts, and even button shapes and sizes can also improve conversions. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How much does it cost to create a landing page? If you already have a website, the only cost to create a landing page may be your time. There are also free platforms for creating landing pages, including top website builders like , , and as well as email marketing software like . Alternatively, you can outsource landing page creation to freelance professionals at for as little as $5 or pay anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars with professional agencies. How can I create a landing page for free? The best way to create landing pages for free is on . With HubSpot, you can build up to 20 landing pages for free on your domain with the added benefit of strong SEO, free SSL security, and robust reports. In addition, you can leverage its other freemium tools for contact list building, management, and lead nurturing. Other ways to build free landing pages include email marketing platform and free website builders like and . How can I create a landing page without a website? Hosting landing pages on your website is optimal for a seamless branded user experience (UX) and the SEO benefits that your site gains with additional traffic. But you can also create landing pages without a website. Dedicated platforms like and have advanced tools for increasing conversions. Free and paid website builders like and , and an email marketing platform can all also be used to create freestanding landing pages. Bottom Line Landing pages are web pages where viewers “land” after clicking on your web banners or responding to other sales and marketing campaigns. As you follow the steps above, make sure your landing pages are clutter-free and easy to navigate, include compelling content, and express a solid call to action to watch your conversions soar. You can easily create high-converting landing pages for free on . It has an intuitive, no-code page builder and advanced tools for lead generation and engagement, along with guides and tutorials to ensure you learn how to build a landing page that converts.

The jewelry industry is bursting with an estimated value of $332.6 billion by 2026. Those using the most effective jewelry marketing ideas will secure a larger share of the market—and the good news is most don't require you to spend a fortune. To promote your jewelry business, here are 22 jewelry marketing tips to gain brand awareness, increase website traffic, and drive sales—including ideas for selling jewelry online and marketing on social media. Looking to get away from third-party platforms that take a portion of your sales? Build your online jewelry store on in a matter of hours, with ecommerce plans starting for free. Jewelry Marketing Ideas to Increase Website Traffic Your website acts as your small business’ primary point of contact and information online. It’s also your best chance of acquiring new customers in the digital world, which is why high website traffic is a key indicator of your brand’s success. Below are jewelry advertising ideas to increase your website traffic, from using paid social ads to garnering Google Reviews. 1. Use Facebook Ads to Find New Audiences Facebook advertising is a little different from search engine advertising. Instead of keyword searches, it capitalizes on users’ tendency to scroll through their news feed. As they scroll, ads pop up between posts from friends or pages they’ve liked. Ads are targeted and placed based on a user’s browsing habits, interests, what they “like” on the platform, and a wide variety of demographics ranging from location, gender, and age to job title. After creating a Facebook business page and ad account, add Facebook’s retargeting pixel to your website—it’s a line of code that needs to be placed in your site’s footer. Then you can set up event tracking to see when someone goes to your site and your target audience (such as demographics and location), and then choose the type of ad you want to display and your budget for advertising. Learning how to advertise jewelry on Facebook may be more technical than you want to deal with, or you might need to stay focused on making jewelry instead. In that case, turn to a top social media marketing agency like . Get started by setting up a free consultation to learn how they can increase your sales and return on ad spend. 2. Improve Your SEO for Better Ranking on Google Success in ranking relies heavily on creating high-quality content that inspires readers who visit your site to click on a call to action (CTA) to purchase your items. Ranking higher can increase your sales, as more site visitors may convert to customers after discovering your content in online search results. If your website isn’t generating organic traffic that produces sales, it’s a good idea to reassess your site to find out what it needs to rank higher on Google. 3. Hire an Affordable Marketing Expert You might find that you’re not only the owner of your jewelry business, but also the designer or buyer, customer support, tech support, and, of course, the jewelry advertising ideas expert and executioner. Many small business owners try to do everything themselves, but that might not be the best course of action for long-term success. Try handing off some of the responsibility to the experts if you’re having trouble figuring out your marketing strategy. is a full-service marketing agency that can help you build a smart website that gets found in online searches and maintain your online reputation. It can also manage your digital jewelry marketing campaigns and generate more site visitors for your business. Get your free custom quote. 4. Add & Manage Business Directory Listings In a perfect world, the “build it and they will come” adage might work, but it isn’t, so it doesn’t—that’s why effective jewelry advertising ideas are needed. Whether you run a brick-and-mortar store or an online shop, listing your business in online directories gives customers more ways to discover your business. It also improves the search engine optimization (SEO) of your website. As Google is the top name in online search, starting by setting up a Google Business Profile is essential. Plus, it’s free to use and includes your most important info: name, address, and phone number. You will often also be able to add other info, such as your website, hours of business, and sometimes even reviews from previous customers. Find the online business directories that are most relevant to your business and add your listing to each one. Keep track of which directories you listed your business in and update all listings when changes occur. For example, if you change your brand name, site, or phone number, you must change it on every directory. 5. Get More Online Reviews Having a lot of positive customer reviews on Google benefits any jeweler, from large franchises to small, independent jewelry stores. When users search for a jewelry shop, the top results on Google will be a few paid ads followed by organic search results, which will be made up of local jewelry stores. One contributing factor to an organically high rank—and more positive brand awareness—is happy customers leaving good reviews. You can get more reviews on Google to help market your jewelry business simply by asking customers for reviews as part of each transaction. Once you’ve completed a sale, ask a customer to leave a review on Google. Follow up with an email or a postcard with a link, a quick response (QR) code, or instructions on how to leave a review. When a review is left, it’s a good idea to respond to help increase brand trust, whether the review was positive or negative. 6. Create Business Cards for Networking Events Business cards are one of the most well-established marketing materials for jewelry businesses. They’re especially useful when you attend networking events. Business cards offer an easy and professional way to pass along your contact information to an interested retailer, a possible partner, or a future customer. The content on your card can go beyond your business name and website. For instance, including a time-limited or first-time customer discount code on the back of your business card encourages leads to visit your site and make a purchase. A great jewelry marketing idea is to simply wear your own products wherever you go, and keep a handful of business cards on you in case people inquire about them. Creating your own business cards is easy, thanks to premade templates from most printers. Browse through the business card designs here to get inspired to make your own for your shop. When you’re ready to design and buy, is the best place to print business cards. It’s affordable, offers more than 7,000 templates to get you started, and you can choose from various unique materials for your cards, such as plastic or magnetic. Jewelry Marketing Tips for Brand Awareness & Engagement Gaining brand awareness and engagement are the first steps to acquiring new customers and increasing sales for your jewelry store. Fortunately, the digital world offers countless opportunities to get the word out about your business and get more customers interested in your products. From creating a brand story to getting press coverage, keep reading for jewelry advertising ideas to increase your brand awareness. 7. Create a Brand or Product Story Emotional selling is an excellent way to market jewelry, especially since jewelry is often purchased as a gift for a loved one. In "How Customers Think: Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market," author and Harvard Business School professor Gerald Zaltman claims 95% of purchasing decisions are made in the subconscious mind. Tying emotion to a brand or an item has proven to increase sales in many businesses, according to the book. Because jewelry isn’t a necessity, convincing a person to buy a luxury product often comes down to selling them a story and showing them why they want it. A compelling brand story can generate brand loyalty and motivate customers to purchase. Sell rings related to love or friendship, or necklaces to celebrate a person’s individuality—and write that story. Emotional storytelling can be done with photos, graphics, and words. If you aren’t sure how to start writing the story of your business or your jewelry products, consider hiring a professional writer or photographer to help. You can find affordable freelancers to help you write your brand story or create story-telling graphic designs at , a freelance marketplace, starting from $5. 8. Get Local Press Coverage Local businesses have an edge with local media. Getting a story on the local news comes down to finding the angle that would make a local newspaper or TV station interested in covering your news. Even something simple like “local hometown person celebrates grand opening of jewelry store” could be enough. All you really need is a newsworthy angle that will capture readers’ attention. Writing a press release isn’t complicated, but you might want to rely on a press release service like for distribution to ensure it hits the news desk at multiple outlets. You’ll also want to prepare your store or product release for incoming jewelry sales and new business that could follow after a story is published. 9. Connect With Retailers to Promote Your Jewelry Exposure for any small business is worth its weight in gold—if it’s with the right audience. One idea to market your jewelry is to get a top retailer to notice your line. A partnership, even if it’s just for a limited time, can put a relatively unknown jeweler in front of thousands more eyes and get engagement from potential leads. If you already have connections in retail, reach out to your contacts and ask for an opportunity to pitch your line to a retail buyer or for a referral. Otherwise, consider attending events to network with many different retailers to find the next great thing. 10. Leverage Video Content on Social Jewelry is one of the most eye-catching products you can advertise—perfect for today’s video-centric social media landscape. Whether for Instagram story ads or TikTok videos, create video content featuring your jewelry products for social media. With the right optimization, the algorithm can pick up your video and get it in front of the right audience. Some examples of video content for jewelry are simple modeling videos, testimonial videos, or packing videos. Unsure of how to get started on your jewelry video ad? Hire professional videographers and video editors via for as low as $5. Jewelry Marketing Ideas to Boost Sales Getting your leads to convert is the final stage of the customer journey and is your best indicator of success. From digital marketing tactics like referral programs to on-ground methods like selling at trade shows, here are jewelry promotion ideas to boost your sales. 11. Work With Local Retailers to Sell Jewelry In-store Trying to snag a collaboration to sell in top retail chains is a fantastic jewelry marketing idea, but it might be a long shot. An easier option for small jewelry store businesses is to approach owners of local small independent retail shops. They will be more willing to sell your products at their store if you make it easy for them to stock your products, though you may also have to give them a percentage of sales. Put together a pitch that includes reasons why the store would benefit from selling your products. Your online sales history is a big selling point; if you can show that your product sells and brings in new traffic, you’re more likely to land a spot in a retailer’s store. Moreover, having your jewelry on display also helps attract potential customers. The idea is to make it easy for the retailer to carry your products while driving brand awareness and recognition. Working with local retailers is just one great marketing idea for jewelry shops—consider these other local advertising ideas to get your brand on the map in your town. 12. Get Repeat Business With a Loyalty or Referral Program You love all your customers, of course, but you are likely especially smitten with your most loyal customers—the ones who return again and again to buy jewelry from you. Customer retention is worth its weight in gold, and it’s far more affordable to retain customers than acquire new ones. A loyalty or referral program is a great way to show your appreciation and keep customers coming back. To implement this jewelry marketing idea, use loyalty program software that integrates with your website and other software, such as your point-of-sale (POS) system. These programs help you capture information about customers for future email marketing campaigns and automatically reward customers for repeat business. Affordable options include and . 13. Sell at Local Fairs or Trade Shows Local fairs are excellent venues for small businesses to stand out and connect with customers in person, especially if you’re marketing handmade jewelry. Scour your local community for any upcoming fairs or trade shows in your area, and get in touch with the organizers about becoming a vendor. If you don’t have a physical location yet, local fairs also make for great testing grounds to assess your business’ supply and demand. They also allow you to get to know your customers on a personal level, which you can use to improve your future business decisions. 14. Give Limited-time Offers on Special Occasions Jewelry always make for excellent gifts, especially on special occasions like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. If you haven’t already, take advantage of these special dates to drive sales by offering limited-time promotions in the days leading up to those occasions. Whether it’s a 25% discount, a free gift, or a shipping coupon, limited-time offers are a tried-and-true marketing strategy to get people to convert. When planning your marketing strategy, mark the dates with special occasions in your digital marketing calendar for the best results. Plan your limited-time offers ahead of those dates so you can organize and execute your campaign promotions accordingly. Ideally, your limited-time offers should be up and running days before those special occasions, and your marketing promotions should start days even prior to that. These promotions can include email marketing campaigns, social media posts, in-store posters, and more. Best Ways to Sell Jewelry Online The jewelry industry is expected to increase by over $60 billion in 2026—and a large part of that is due to its steadily growing ecommerce sector. The internet offers several opportunities for jewelry stores to expand their market reach and increase their sales. Whether you have a brick-and-mortar store or are selling exclusively online, keep reading for some of the best jewelry advertising ideas to sell jewelry online. 15. Build a Website Optimized for Search Regardless of where you sell your jewelry, it’s vital to have a small business website for customers to find your jewelry, your story, and where they can purchase from your business. Plus, ecommerce-friendly site builders like and make it easy for you to avoid third-party platform fees when selling jewelry online. They also make it easy to build a website in just a few hours, even for web design beginners. Using a top small business website builder like lets you easily create a professional and mobile-optimized ecommerce website, starting for free. We recommend using Weebly’s free plan to build your jewelry website. Then opt for the Professional plan, which costs just $12 per month, to connect a custom domain and start building your brand’s presence online. 16. List & Advertise on Third-party Platforms While your website is your business’ primary digital storefront, there are several third-party ecommerce platforms to reach new customers and increase your sales. From to and more, these sites already have a defined, active consumer base that you can easily tap into. Etsy is best known as a marketplace for handcrafted products, so it’s an ideal platform for marketing handmade jewelry. The process of how to sell on Etsy is easy. First, sign up for an account, set your shop preferences, name your shop, add items and pricing, and then set up payment preferences. You can even customize your shop if you’d like. Keep in mind that you have to pay Etsy minimal fees for listing each product and whenever you make a sale. Poshmark is a platform most known for fashion, accessories, and beauty products, with a consumer base across the United States, Canada, and Australia. Like Etsy, you’ll simply need to create an account, upload photos of your products, and make sales directly on the platform. Finally, Handmade by Amazon is Amazon’s platform catering specifically to crafters and artisans. It connects you with customers around the globe. Alternatively, you can build your own brand and website using , and forgo the third-party platform fees. While it doesn’t offer the advantages of an already engaged audience, its native tools and features are ideal for jewelry marketing. 17. Use Email Marketing to Entice Your Audience to Purchase When it comes to online marketing for jewelry, email marketing can be a low-cost and effective channel to promote your products, which is why it’s one of the most effective marketing ideas for small businesses. Unlike social media, emails have the benefit of allowing one-on-one communication with your customers. This creates a more personal experience allowing for focused, long-form communication and CTAs leading to your website. There are many ways you can use permission-based email marketing to increase jewelry sales. Send a monthly newsletter to keep your subscribers abreast of what’s new and include links to product pages or let them know about upcoming events or sales. Send timed email campaigns to lead up to a big sale or holiday specials. Use email to reach out to customers who haven’t visited in a while to re-engage them. From newsletters to drip email marketing, is one of the best email marketing software platforms for small businesses. Starting at $99.9 per month, it’s an affordable and easy-to-use option, with over 200 templates to get you started. Finally, it allows for seamless integration with , so you can add your Shopify products to emails for easy CTAs. 18. Curate Relationships With Influencers to Market Your Jewelry Social media marketing is a viable jewelry marketing idea, but it may not be right for everyone. If you aren’t all that comfortable photographing yourself wearing your jewelry or your social media skills aren’t great, there’s another way to tap into the market. Consider working with Instagram influencers and other social content creators to get them to promote your jewelry. Start by creating a relationship with an influencer that fits your jewelry line’s aesthetic or your brand’s views, values, or story. Follow them on social media, interact with their posts, and show your interest in what they have to say. After you develop a relationship, pitch a collaboration. You will need to pay them, just as you would with a model or an actor, and you can expect them to wear your jewelry in public, get photographs or shoot videos with your products, and (hopefully) create a buzz about your jewelry. Jewelry Marketing Ideas for Social Media These days, many of your consumers spend a significant amount of time on social media, making it a lucrative platform for marketing your jewelry business. However, a challenge with social media is that it’s highly populated—you’ll likely be competing with thousands of other brands, all vying for customers’ attention and interest. Below are some tips and ideas on social media marketing for jewelry. 19. Take High-quality Photos for Pinterest One of the best social media platforms to use for visual items like jewelry is Pinterest. Pinterest users often search for specific items or use broad terms and then discover items they didn’t even know they wanted. They might pin those items to boards for inspiration, or even purchase items directly from a Pinterest post. To be successful selling on Pinterest, take good photographs of your jewelry, create eye-catching graphics, and post your content with the right hashtags and keywords. For example, if you exclusively sell flat-back earrings, you could use keywords like “flat-back earrings” or “earrings to wear with headphones” to attract a specific audience. If you want to aim for a broad audience, use keywords like “silver jewelry,” “gold jewelry,” and “earrings.” Most importantly, as mentioned before, Pinterest is visual, so your posts need to look great. You can use , a free online graphic design tool, to create graphics that are sized right for Pinterest (and other social media sites). Plus, you’ll get access to free templates, graphics, and stock imagery. Learn more in our article detailing how to use Pinterest for business. 20. Create a Social Media Contest or Giveaway Everyone loves getting something for free, and it’s a way to market your jewelry business that mostly costs you just time and a single piece of jewelry. An online giveaway or contest includes rules you have to follow based on the social media platforms you want to use, so be sure you read through any requirements before you launch a contest. First, you need to figure out what you want to get out of your giveaway or contest. You can use this marketing tactic to get more site visitors, more followers on social media, exposure on a platform you’re new to, sales, or possibly just brand awareness. Create a plan for the launch, graphics for the giveaway, and a budget for advertising. 21. Use the Right Hashtags on Instagram Instagram is a social media site known for being a visual platform. Using Instagram as a jewelry marketing channel is similar to using Pinterest. You can include text with each post and multiple hashtags to increase your exposure on the channel, but it’s your imagery that will pique users’ attention and generate engagement. Use the right hashtags on Instagram to ensure you get your jewelry in front of the right Instagram users. Start by doing research on Instagram to figure out where your jewelry fits. Create a running list of the hashtags you want to use with each post, and make sure they’re relevant. You can’t include a link to your jewelry website or product links in a post, but you can on your profile, so make sure you keep your profile updated with pertinent info. To leverage this platform, learn how to sell on Instagram in seven steps. 22. Feature User-generated Content (UGC) One of social media’s best benefits is its ability to easily interact and build communities with your customers. A good way of benefiting from this is by featuring user-generated content (UGC) on your social media page. User-generated content is similar to user reviews in that they act as social proof for your brand—when potential buyers see other customers using your products, they are more likely to make a purchase. Featuring UGC on social media also fosters a sense of belonging among your existing consumer base, which helps foster brand loyalty. Being featured on a store’s official social media page makes customers feel special, incentivizing them to choose your brand over others. Generating UGC from your customers can be as simple as encouraging them to take photos of their products after purchasing, and sharing them on social media with a specific hashtag. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How do you attract customers to buy jewelry? Attracting customers usually requires a combination of jewelry marketing ideas. For example, a search-friendly website can bring organic traffic (and sales) from online searches. Getting people to subscribe to emails blasts through landing pages, social media, and digital advertising allows you to nurture leads over time to become customers. Other avenues include selling on third-party platforms, collaborating with local retailers, and joining fairs or trade shows. Is a jewelry business profitable? Just like any business, selling jewelry can be profitable if you price your pieces appropriately, stick to a budget, stay on top of finances, and use proven marketing strategies. In addition, use a point-of-sale (POS) system with inventory management features that shows which items sell well and which ones don’t so you can stock the right items. Implement a combination of the jewelry marketing ideas above to drive brand awareness, increase sales, and grow a thriving business. What is jewelry markup? Jewelry markup is the amount (usually a percentage) a wholesaler or retailer adds to the cost of the jewelry they purchased to resell. Generally, the range of markup on jewelry is two to three-and-a-half times the cost, or a 100% to 350% markup. Larger brick-and-mortar shops tend to increase prices significantly because they have to carry a large inventory and have more overhead than small jewelry shops or online jewelry stores. Bottom Line You don’t have to use every jewelry marketing idea on this list to attract customers and sell more jewelry. Instead, use the ideas that make the most sense for your business, whether you run a small local jewelry shop or an online store. Regardless of the type of jewelry shop you have, a well-designed website provides a solid online presence for customers to find your business, even if you sell through online shops like Etsy or Shopify. (owned by parent company ) is a top ecommerce website builder that allows you to easily build an online store to showcase your jewelry beautifully. It’s easy to use—even if you have zero site design experience—and you can get started for free, so there’s no risk in trying it.

Learning how to make a Wix website is simple. Set up an account and follow the prompts to choose your website elements. Then organize your website’s functions via your Wix dashboard, choose a template, or let Wix generate one for you. Using Wix’s website editor, customize your theme, pages, and content. Lastly, review and double-check your site’s menus, pages, and content, choose a plan, and publish your site. To learn how to build a Wix website, watch the following Wix tutorial video or follow the step-by-step instructions below. 1. Create an Account to Build a Wix Website The first step in how to make a Wix website is to visit and click on “Get Started” on the homepage. From there, you will be prompted to log in or create a Wix account. You can make a small business website via Wix’s website builder for free, but for advanced features like ecommerce or to get a free custom domain, you’ll need a paid account. Wix has plans starting from $16 with hosting and a free domain and SSL certificate or full, robust ecommerce for online stores, restaurants, hospitality businesses, and more from $27 per month. For a full list of Wix’s prices, read our comprehensive Wix review. Once you have a Wix account, you’ll be able to make an unlimited number of websites. However, keep in mind that you’ll need to purchase a plan for each one individually to upgrade it to a premium plan. You can build unlimited free sites, however. 2. Choose Your Website Elements has several website elements prepared to make the process of building a website easier for you. On the following screen, you can answer Wix's questions and choose the kind of website you’re creating, along with the site elements you want to include, from an online store to a blog. While it isn’t mandatory to answer these questions, they can help Wix provide you with better options for building your website. These features can also be added later on in the process. 3. Set Up Your Website via Your Dashboard In the following screen, you’ll be prompted to either set up your website’s settings and analytics via your dashboard, or to design your website’s interface. In the latter option, you can design using one of Wix’s professionally made templates, or have Wix create a website for you via their artificial design intelligence (ADI). We recommend setting up your website first via your dashboard to ensure you have all the website elements you need before you start designing. If you choose to start setting up your website, you’ll be directed to your website dashboard, where you can organize the functions of your website. For example, if you’re building an online store, add your products and set up payment and shipping options. Your dashboard will also show marketing features such as search engine optimization (SEO) tools, email marketing functions, paid ads, and your website analytics. Your dashboard will also differ based on the kind of website you’re building. For example, if you’re building a portfolio website instead of an online store, you’ll see prompts to add your projects instead of your products. Whichever kind of website you’re building, you’ll simply need to click on the tabs, upload your images, and edit your details. Once you’ve inputted all your info and website functions, click “Save” in the top right corner. 4. Decide Which Wix Website Editor to Use Next, you’ll start designing your website interface. To do this, you must decide whether to use the Wix ADI or the standard Wix website editor. From your dashboard, click the “Design Site” button in the upper right-hand corner. You’ll be directed to a page with an option to design your website using a template or to let Wix design one for you. With the ADI option, you will be presented with a few website design options. All you need to do is select which you prefer most, and the ADI will automatically prepare a live website for you. You can also still customize your site via its drag-and-drop editor. If you select the option to build a Wix website using Wix’s standard Editor, you will start by browsing and selecting a template from over 800 options. This offers the most design choices, and you can still build your site quickly. This is because Wix templates come with prebuilt pages and premade section blocks, often with multiple variations. You won’t be able to select a template on the ADI from among Wix’s 800 category and industry-specific templates. You can, however, customize the elements and pages of the template Wix generates for you via the site editor before publishing it live. Unfortunately, you can’t switch from the Editor to ADI, though you can find your site’s history and restore a backup. 5. Create Your Template & Build Your Wix Website No matter which editor you choose, the process of how to make a website with will be fast, code-free, and easy. But the editing process differs slightly based on which website editor you choose. Wix’s ADI will automatically prepare a template for you in minutes, which you can then retroactively customize via Wix’s drag-and-drop editor before publishing it. However, with this option, you won’t be able to choose which template to use. On the other hand, the standard Wix Editor is a true drag-and-drop editor, where you’ll choose from one of its 800-plus templates (or start with a blank one). You’ll then build your website by dragging elements onto and around your page to where you want them to appear. There are also premade content blocks you can point and click to add to your site, and many have multiple variations, so you can choose exactly the design style you want. With either option, you’ll need to make certain tweaks to create a Wix website customized to your business’ needs. The main things to change are your website’s structure (by adding or removing pages), your header and footer, the content on your pages, and your small business website’s features through native and third-party applications. Now that you’ve chosen a template or had the Wix ADI generate one for you, the process of how to build a Wix website in terms of editing pages and optimizing your site will be the same. Keep reading to learn how to create a Wix website using the drag-and-drop editor to edit details and sections of your website before publishing it. The following instructions apply to both a Wix website made with a template and one made through Wix’s ADI: 6. Review Your Site & Optimize It for Search Once you’re happy with how the site you built on looks and functions, go over everything again to see if you’ve missed anything. Use our website basics checklist to ensure you’ve set your small business website up for success. Some crucial things to double-check before launching your Wix site include: In addition to the settings you control, you can enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that Wix is the best website builder for SEO. It automatically adds structured markup to help search engines index your site and compresses images to speed up site loading and ensure a good user experience. You can even create a free Semrush account and research the best keywords for your website from the Wix dashboard. Want to make sure your Wix business website is fully optimized to be found online? Find out all you need to know in our step-by-step guide for building a strong SEO content marketing plan. 7. Launch Your Wix Website (& Opt for a Paid Plan) The last step is to hit the “Publish” button on the top right corner of the screen in the editor. However, on the free plan, your site will display Wix ads, and your domain name will use a subdomain and look like yourname.wix.com—not professional enough for a business. To connect an existing custom domain or get a free domain name for a year, invest in a paid plan. Wix Pricing & Plan Features *With annual billing; monthly billing is also available at a higher cost Notably, the Business Basic plan is one of the best ecommerce site builder plans available. It includes ecommerce, online ordering and reservations, appointment scheduling tools, and abandoned cart recovery. It also has niche features for restaurants, creatives, fitness professionals, and more. However, if you’re only looking for professional branding, Wix’s Pro plan offers all the essential tools at affordable prices. For these reasons, building a Wix website is one of the best ways for a startup or small business to start building an online brand presence. Another reason to choose Wix is that it tops our list of the best small business website builders, best site builders for SEO, and—if that weren’t impressive enough—the best free site builders. It’s one of the best drag-and-drop site builders for beginners who want to build a professional-looking website without having to learn WordPress or master complex coding. If you are looking for more options, check out our list of the best Wix alternatives. For example, Wix doesn’t offer free ecommerce websites like Weebly, and you’ll need a Business Plan to get appointments, unlike GoDaddy, which includes them starting for free. Learn more in our review of Wix vs GoDaddy. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Is it hard to make a website on Wix? No, it’s not hard to make a website on for small businesses. There are step-by-step guides throughout the process, and it's even easier to create a Wix website if you opt to let artificial intelligence (AI) build your template to start with. The editing tools are intuitive, and drag-and-drop functionality and prebuilt content blocks make it easy to build pages and fully customize the look and content of your website. Is Wix permanently free? Wix does have a permanently free plan. However, free sites are hosted on Wix subdomains (e.g., yourbusiness.wix.com), which isn’t professional. It detracts from your branding and can hurt customer perceptions about your business. It’s also poor for SEO, making it far less likely that your website will rank on Google. If you do use the free version of Wix to start with, upgrade to a paid plan as quickly as possible so you can connect your own domain. Does Wix own your domain name? No, doesn’t own your domain name if you opt for a paid plan. If you use Wix for free, your domain will be a Wix subdomain like mybusinessname.wix.com vs a branded business domain name like mybusinessname.com. Wix’s paid plans come with a free domain the first year, but to ensure you have full control over your domain, register it independently with a top domain registrar and then connect it to your Wix site. Bottom Line Now you know how to use to make a website in just seven simple steps with a starting cost as low as $16 per month. If you’re looking to publish a website as quickly as possible, the Wix ADI is perfect for you. For the best customization in the market, use the standard drag-and-drop Wix Editor. Both provide a professional-looking website with valuable features through Wix’s native tools and third-party apps.

Google Workspace’s business email app, Gmail, is arguably the most popular email software for small businesses. Gmail’s features for business email include productivity tools, integrations, and time-saving keyboard shortcuts and templates. Using these features involves some of the Gmail tips you can follow, along with organizing your inbox with labels, using filters, and so on. In this article, we explore the best Gmail tips and tricks for business email users. and Gmail are the most-used business productivity, communication, and collaboration software in the U.S. Find out why it tops our list of the best business email providers and get started today for just $6 per user, per month. 1. The Gmail Dot Trick The Gmail dot trick (or Gmail period trick) is a technique that allows you to create multiple accounts on a website with a single email. This loophole exists because Gmail wants to prevent mistyped emails from going to the wrong email address. A few websites that also have this feature (meaning you can’t use the Google Dot Trick on them) are Facebook and Twitter. The Gmail trick behind it is that it leads websites to think you are inputting different business email addresses by adding periods “.” to your original email. In reality, Gmail automatically omits dots in an email, so it will still send messages to your original email address. For example, an account made under your.business@gmail.com will still receive messages from the website in the original yourbusiness@gmail.com. You can use variations of your email address to create multiple accounts on websites to your business’ advantage. Using a Gmail Dot Trick generator helps you maximize your email address for this Gmail address trick. 2. Time-saving Gmail Templates Gmail templates are a handy feature that allows users to save a message template to insert into future emails. This is especially useful for business emails since it streamlines sending similar emails to multiple recipients, such as sales cold calls or follow-up emails. For example, you can set up an email template to answer customer FAQs or a follow-up email template for your coworkers. To access this time-saving Gmail feature, enable templates in Gmail. Do this by going to your Gmail settings, clicking on the Advanced tab, and enabling the Templates feature. At the bottom of the menu, click the “Save Changes” button. Once you have enabled templates on your Gmail, start creating your own templates. Save them by composing a new email, typing the content, and saving the draft as a template. Simply click the three dots on the bottom right-hand corner of the window and select “Template” once you’re ready to save it. 3. Add Emails to Google Tasks Google Tasks is Google’s digital version of a to-do list. There are downloadable apps dedicated to Google Tasks, but you can also access Tasks through different apps—including Gmail. On the desktop version of Gmail, users can add emails as tasks within their inboxes. This helps keep track of important events or tasks sent through emails, or even as a reminder to respond to emails during specific times. To access Google Tasks on Gmail, click the small arrow button on the page's bottom right. You might need to pop open the right sidebar first using the pullout arrow at the bottom right of the screen. You should now be able to see a blue-circled checkmark, which is the way to access Tasks in Gmail. This will display the side panel where you can find shortcuts to different apps and add-ons. Finally, creating a task is straightforward. Select the “Add a Task” button and input the necessary details. One of the more helpful Gmail features for tasks is the ability to drag an email into the task list. This automatically creates a task using the information inside the email. You can also assign starred tasks, create subtasks, or create new lists on the Google Tasks sidebar. 4. Chat or Meet From Gmail As far as top Gmail features overall, Google makes communicating and working with your team seamless on Google Workspace. Google Chat can be accessed directly from the left sidebar of the Gmail inbox—allowing business email users to streamline internal communication through instant messaging. There is also a Google Meet section on Gmail that allows you to create or join meetings directly from the Gmail site or app. Although using the Google Chat or Meet sections of Gmail can already boost your email productivity, you can also take it a step further by adding bots to Google Chat. To add a bot to your chats, go to “Add Bots” and type or select the bots you want to add. Finally, click the “Add” button. 5. Gmail + Trick The Gmail + trick (also known as +1 email trick) is a practical Gmail tip for creating “sibling” accounts of your primary email. By adding a + sign followed by recognizable keywords, you can create an unlimited number of personalized email addresses with the same inbox. For example, if you use your email yourbusiness@gmail.com to register for something work-related, you can use yourbusiness+work@gmail.com instead. If you search “yourbusiness+work” in your inbox, you can easily pinpoint all the work-related messages. You can create countless variations of emails with the Google email + trick, depending on how you want to filter them. 6. Enable Smart Compose Similar to how auto-fill features work on Google’s search engine, the Smart Compose feature in Gmail offers suggestions as you type your emails to make the writing process faster, easier, and more error-free. This feature is already turned on by default when you start using Gmail in . Smart Compose is available for English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese content. You can also turn on the Smart Compose personalization feature to get personalized suggestions that are based on your writing style. To turn on Smart Compose personalization, go to Gmail settings by clicking on the gear symbol in the top right corner of the window. Scroll down the General tab to find the “Smart Compose personalization” Gmail feature, then tick whether you want to turn it on or off. 7. Organize Messages With Labels Labels are one of the best Gmail features for organizing your inbox. Similar to email folders, labels group emails together depending on their content or recipients. However, labels provide more flexibility as multiple ones can be used for a single message. For example, an email can be labeled as “Work” and “Leads” at the same time—allowing you to hone in on more relevant messages when you need them. Labels can be accessed with the arrow icon on the left sidebar of your inbox. To create a label, you have two options. First, you can create a new label inside a specific email by clicking on the “Label As” icon. Secondly, you can select the “Create New Label” button from the left sidebar of your inbox. Labels have plenty of versatility in organizing a Gmail inbox. They can customize the names, colors, and visibility of existing labels, as well as create nested labels within higher-level categories. 8. Gmail Tips & Tricks for Scheduling Emails Scheduling emails to go out at specific times is one of the most essential Google email tips and tricks to use for business email. You can schedule emails with either a business or personal account, whether on a desktop or the mobile app. To schedule your emails, type out the content of your email and click the drop-down icon near the send button instead of sending it outright. Choose “Schedule Send” and the date and time you want for your message. Gmail’s built-in scheduled emails allow you to set a specific date and time for when to send your email. You can schedule it up to 49 years in advance. Once you set it up, you can still update or delete the scheduled email as long as it hasn’t been sent out yet. You can do so by going to the Scheduled section of your inbox on the left sidebar. Having this Gmail feature ensures that no matter when you prepare your emails, your email client will receive them comfortably during business hours and days. In addition, it can be used to set up a series of emails, such as writing a cold email for sales lead generation and follow-up emails that can be scheduled to go out afterward. 9. Add Custom Email Signatures Branded email signatures make your business emails more professional and recognizable. Gmail features custom email signatures of up to 10,000 characters. These are automatically added at the end of your emails as a footer. You can have different email signatures for different types of emails you want to send out. To create a professional email signature on Gmail, head to the settings page by clicking on the gear icon in your inbox's top right corner. Select “See All Settings” and scroll down through the General tab to find the Email Signature section. Add an email signature, name it, and customize it the way you want it. Once ready, scroll down and click the “Save Changes” button. If you need inspiration for your email signature, check out our list of 25 effective email signature examples. Find out what makes them work and how to recreate your favorite version. 10. Free Up Space With Email Search Filters One of the more popular Gmail tips and tricks you might use often is to utilize Gmail’s search filters so you can find messages easily. A lesser-known use of this trick is filtering emails that take up a lot of space or include large attachments so that you can declutter your inbox and free up space more efficiently. Gmail’s search options can be accessed with the filter icon () on the right end of the search bar. Clicking on this icon will open a drop-down window where you can fill out the fields to search for specific emails. You can click “Create Filter” or “Search.” The size of the emails you want to declutter depends on you. Simply fill out the fields in the Size section. Click the “greater than” tab and input the size you wish to search for. A common choice for decluttering one’s inbox is removing emails greater than 10MB. Once the list of emails comes up, select and delete them. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How do I get the best out of Gmail for business email? To get the most out of Gmail for business email, take some time to explore all of the native Gmail features available inside the Settings tools. Use templates to save time and set up email handling rules to block junk mail or flag emails for follow-up. Then check whether there are integrations available for other business software that you use, such as customer relationship management (CRM), accounting, marketing, and other business apps. How do I use Gmail like a pro? To use Gmail like a pro, start by registering a business domain name when setting up your account or from top domain registrars like and . Next, create a custom email signature to increase brand awareness and conversions through clear calls to action. When writing emails, use a free spelling and grammar checker like in addition to the Smart Compose feature in the list of Gmail tips and tricks above. How do I make my emails look professional? To make emails look professional, use a branded domain name and email signature. Avoid spelling errors, jargon, and overuse of symbols or emojis. Keep your subject lines and messaging to the point to show that you respect the recipient's time. So that email format and content are always at their best, develop templates for specific purposes like lead generation or follow-up replies. To get started, learn how to write a sales email in seven steps. Bottom Line Gmail provides hundreds of features and tools to improve email productivity and communication with internal and external parties. Add-ons through integrations and Gmail’s native features are some of the things that make the app a top email service pick for business email. Incorporate these Gmail tips and tricks in your process to save time, speed up workflows, and get the most out of this powerful email tool. With a range of powerful apps and in-depth integrations, is the top email and productivity suite for businesses of all sizes. It provides excellent collaboration and productivity tools that work seamlessly with your Gmail account.

Choosing between Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 is challenging, as both offer comparable office software and pricing. Google Workspace is used by more U.S. businesses for its easy-to-use tools that facilitate real-time collaboration in today’s work-from-anywhere world. But don’t count Microsoft 365 out—its apps are more robust for those wanting to increase productivity at scale through automation and its advanced tools. (formerly G Suite): Best for small businesses that want to easily collaborate with stakeholders. Good for international businesses wanting native translation tools with distributed or remote-hybrid teams. (formerly Office 365): Best for companies that want apps with advanced features, administrative controls, higher storage, and security. Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace Deciding Factors Pros & Cons of Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 Still undecided? Each section below offers more in-depth information about Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace to help you choose. Cost Winner: It Depends plans start at $6 per user, per month, as do those of . However, the two base plans are not totally comparable. Microsoft 365 includes more storage (1TB) in the lowest-plan tier compared to Google Workspace (30GB) and higher video conferencing limits (300 participants vs 100 with the Google office suite). As far as the base tier goes, the edge for affordability goes to Microsoft for higher inclusions. Both providers have mobile and web-based productivity apps, but Workspace users can access all the base tier's features. Microsoft 365 users need to upgrade to get desktop apps with all available features—though admittedly, these include advanced features across nearly all apps that aren’t available with Google Workspace. In all but the base plan, Workspace offers slightly lower prices for comparable plans and apps and twice the storage (although MS365’s office suite comes with more apps overall in upper tiers). Also, Workspace plans are all month-to-month, whereas Microsoft’s office suite subscriptions are billed monthly with an annual commitment. All things considered, we decided Google Workspace wins the battle regarding cost in upper-tier plans. Google Workspace Monthly Cost per User Business Starter: $6 standard pricing for business email, 30GB of cloud storage, and Google’s suite of office apps: Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Chat, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Keep Sites, Forms, and Meet with 100 participant video conferencing Business Standard: $12 to add cloud search, 2TB of storage, increase video participants to 150 and the ability to record, and archiving vault Business Plus: $18 to add enhanced security (Vault and endpoint management), eDiscovery, and retention, increase storage to 5TB per user, and hold video calls with up to 500 participants, including attendance tracking Enterprise: Get S/MIME encryption, improved video conferencing with noise cancellation and livestreaming, unlimited storage, and enhanced support and security Free trial: 14 days Microsoft 365 Monthly Cost per User Business Basic: $6 for 1TB of cloud storage, OneDrive, 300 participant video conferencing, and web and mobile versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as Microsoft Teams, Exchange, SharePoint, Bookings, Planner, Forms, and Lists Apps for business: $8.25 for desktop-installable apps for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, and Outlook, 1TB of cloud storage, standard security, and 24/7 phone and web support Business Standard: $12.50 to add desktop versions with premium features, webinar features like attendee registration and reporting, and additional apps Access and Publisher Business Premium: $22 to get advanced cyberthreat, phishing, and ransomware protection, device management and security, and premium administrative, information technology, and additional apps Azure Information Protection and Intune Free trial: 30 days Takeaway: Both of these office productivity suite powerhouses offer similar apps and plan features for about the same price with a cost low enough that both made our list of the best cheap email hosting providers. The best choice for your small business comes down to which apps you want to use, how your team works, and what you want to spend. Choose if your team needs to collaborate on documents and presentations or you want the best software for a distributed or hybrid workforce. Alternatively, is better if you need sophisticated features in office apps, want apps Workspace lacks (like Publisher or Access), or want more advanced business email tools and security. Plan Features Winner: It Depends Both of these software titans offer similar features, including cloud storage, business email, and mobile apps. The biggest difference between the two is that Google’s cloud-based ecosphere is built for collaborative teams, whereas Microsoft users get more apps and features, plus more administrative controls. Google Workspace Plans at a Glance Microsoft 365 Plans at a Glance Takeaway: For straightforward, all-inclusive plans, choose . For advanced security, higher participant limits, more video conferencing features in the base tier, and more full-featured office software and business email, is the better choice. Ease of Use Winner: Google Workspace Both and have the benefit of feeling familiar to most users. Google Workspace comes with Gmail's familiar look and feel, while Microsoft 365 builds on the software many business users have known for years. If you’ve never used either, Google Workspace may be less intimidating and more intuitive. To some degree, this is because, for the most part, its features aren't as advanced as those of Microsoft’s office software. However, for many small businesses, its features are more than enough. Ease of Use: Google Workspace Google typically chooses function over form, which sometimes means its design isn’t quite as pleasing to the eye as Microsoft’s applications. However, the positive trade-off is that Google Workspace’s features work seamlessly behind the scenes. For example, documents created in Google Docs are automatically saved in your Google Drive. You don’t even have to name a document first. It also constantly autosaves your work in the background, so your files are always updated. Microsoft users can also autosave documents, which requires first saving them to a synced folder or the user’s OneDrive file. Google Workspace also tends to focus on the core activities that users need most, so it doesn’t suffer from feature bloat as much as Microsoft 365. As such, Google Workspace apps don’t have some of the advanced features you’ll find in Microsoft’s office suite, like the ability to save images as pictures and basic graphic editing tools. Ease of Use: Microsoft 365 Microsoft Office (now 365) has the benefit of a longer history, which is perhaps why it tends to try to be everything to everyone. Microsoft packs in every feature it can think of, sometimes at the expense of the user experience—although heavy users may appreciate this aspect. It’s also really easy to integrate other apps into Microsoft menus, making for a cluttered (and thus confusing) interface. The browser and mobile app versions, on the other hand, are simpler in design and focus more on putting the most important tools within reach. With that said, heavy users may prefer the more feature-rich desktop versions of Microsoft apps for the same reason. Takeaway: Regarding ease of use, it boils down to familiarity. If you and your employees are more familiar with the user interface of one of these solutions over the other, that’s probably the best investment to make. However, if Google and Microsoft apps are both unfamiliar, has a lower learning curve than . Business Email Winner: Microsoft 365 There’s no question that Gmail and Outlook are the two top business email providers available today. Both make it easy to set up email on your domain and integrate seamlessly with other office productivity apps so you can communicate, collaborate, and share documents from any software application. However, and Outlook are far more full-featured, giving them the edge for business email use. Outlook Business Email Outlook, Microsoft 365’s business email client, has a send limit of 5,000 per day and a 50GB storage limit (higher than the 30GB with Gmail). This limit is separate from your overall cloud storage, which means your email attachments aren’t taking up space in OneDrive. On the other hand, if email storage space is important, unlike Google Workspace, you also can’t tap into your full cloud storage (1TB) for email. It’s easy to set up Microsoft business email on your domain with Outlook and to sync and manage emails on multiple devices. You can also import other email addresses into Outlook to manage everything from one app. Where Microsoft 365 truly shines, though, is in its email feature set. The combination of robust Outlook features and Microsoft’s security beat out Gmail and Google. Outlook has advanced email handling and routing rules, time-saving automations, the ability to create reusable templates and “Quick Parts,” and more third-party integrations. Microsoft 365’s Outlook business email is also better for larger organizations. It allows for advanced user permissions, which is essential if you have administrative personnel managing multiple calendars or need to manage conference room bookings. Gmail Business Email users get 30GB of mailbox storage and can easily set up Gmail for business email on a custom domain and import other email addresses to manage everything in one place. Gmail allows attachments up to 25MB, though you can share files larger than that directly from Google Drive. You can send up to 2,000 emails per day and receive over 86,000 daily. While we gave the win to Outlook, Gmail has some pretty impressive features for business email too. Translation features are native, making it easy to do business across borders. The interface is also less cluttered and offers essential features like the ability to create a professional email signature and set up basic mail handling rules. Collaboration and communication are also easy, as you can launch a Chat, Meet, or Space right from the menu. If you’re looking for specific email functionality or want more information to help you decide, read our Gmail vs Outlook review. Takeaway: Outlook is the clear winner when it comes to business email. It’s more full-featured for small business users and provides more mailbox storage. Office Productivity Suite Winner: Microsoft 365 and Microsoft 365 software suites have apps for creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Both offer browser-based versions, as well as iOS and Android apps. Both allow users to work offline and sync changes later—although Google Workspace saves your work in real time, whereas Microsoft 365 users could risk losing some work if they don’t first save a document to OneDrive or a OneDrive-synced folder on their device. However, office suite users can subscribe to the Business Standard, Apps for Business, or Premium plan to get desktop versions of apps and the advanced features that come with them. In addition, Microsoft 365 includes apps Google doesn’t, like Bookings for appointment setting, Publisher to create marketing materials, the database and data visualization tools that come with Access, and in the Premium tier, Azure Information Protection and Intune. Microsoft also has basic graphic editing tools lacking in Google Workspace. For example, you can paste an image or graphic into a Microsoft app, right click, and then save it as a picture on your device. PowerPoint has more advanced graphic editing tools, and with all but Business Basic, Publisher offers additional graphic design and editing tools that Workspace apps don’t have. But the argument isn’t totally one-sided. A big advantage for Google Workspace users on collaborative teams is the ability to collaborate on documents simultaneously. Microsoft 365 users can’t do this, so it’s something to keep in mind when choosing between Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 office productivity software suites. Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint office apps, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, are available as desktop software, browser-based apps, and mobile apps. Like Google Workspace, new documents, changes, and edits made offline are automatically saved and synced to the cloud (for files and folders syncing to OneDrive) once you’re back online. As with Outlook, comparing Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 isn’t apples to apples. Workspace has a simpler interface, whereas Microsoft apps have advanced features, such as integrations and automations, which are not as readily available with Google’s apps. There are also many more templates available to Microsoft office users since the software has been around for so long. Google Docs, Sheets & Slides All of Google Workspace’s apps for document creation, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, are browser-based with mobile app versions. This means all Google users can access all the apps and features available, regardless of plan tier. However, there are no true desktop versions, so you generally need to be connected to the internet to create and edit files. With Google Workspace apps, you can mark files for offline access. This enables you to continue working on a file even if you lose your internet connection. Your changes are then automatically updated the next time you connect to the internet. Another advantage of using Google Workspace on desktop devices is that because the software is cloud-based, it doesn't have the constant updates that Microsoft 365’s desktop apps require. Takeaway: has the edge over in the apps department simply due to how much is available to users regarding templates and advanced niche features, like charts and image editing. However, those prizing ease of use may prefer the cloud-based apps Google offers, especially since all features can be used on desktop devices, so that users enjoy all features available, regardless of plan tier. Collaboration Tools Winner: Google Workspace and are both built around team collaboration and include great tools for video conferencing, team live chat, and easy document sharing. However, Workspace wins as multiple people can collaborate and work on the same document, spreadsheet, or slide deck simultaneously. Collaboration on Google Workspace In addition to working on projects simultaneously, from anywhere, Workspace users can do so without having to save files, email links to each other, and keep track of versions. Revisions happen in real time while allowing you to see what changes have been made and accept or reject them. You can even set permissions so that only specific people can edit documents, leave comments on them, or view them. In addition to team collaboration, this also facilitates secure sharing with outside parties, such as sending a proposal to a client that allows them to view and comment, but not edit, the document. Collaboration on Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365’s collaboration advantage lies in its widespread use throughout the business world. Sales agents and teams can send a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or PowerPoint presentation to clients outside the organization with the confidence they can be opened and read at the other end. It also offers more advanced features than Google Workspace, such as built-in artificial intelligence (AI) services to help users create more polished documents. Microsoft users also enjoy higher video conferencing limits in lower tiers, with 300 participants compared to 100 or 150 on the first two Google Workspace tiers. As with Workspace, Microsoft 365 users can set document permissions to protect files. However, they don’t allow other users to add comments (view or edit only), which limits collaboration within documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other projects. Also, to be shared, files must first be uploaded to OneDrive (or saved to a file that syncs to the user's OneDrive). Takeaway: We’re calling this one in favor of , especially in light of today’s distributed and remote-hybrid workforce needs. Companies that work closely together on in-house projects will find Google Workspace the best option to get the job done, hands down. Likewise, sales-oriented companies often find it easier to share presentations and proposals with prospective clients using Google Workspace. However, business users who frequently collaborate with people outside their organization benefit from prevalent use in the business world. Also, those needing higher video conferencing limits in lower plan tiers may prefer Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace, as will those in larger organizations who need to grant admins the ability to manage multiple calendars. Customer Service: It’s a Tie Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 offer 24/7 phone and web support to business plan subscribers. Each also offers access to robust self-help knowledge libraries and community support forums. Google and Microsoft both cater to businesses, and their customer service for these types of users is excellent. Google Support administrators have access to 24/7 phone, email, and chat support in 14 languages. For users, support is available through Google Help, their online knowledge base for self-help. Google is known for having helpful support agents and resolving issues quickly when you need a real person. Microsoft Support also provides live phone and email support to business customers. In addition, Microsoft has extensive training materials, including self-help guides, how-to videos, and a searchable knowledge base. Microsoft is known for paying attention to its business customers, and Microsoft 365 support is no different. Takeaway: When it comes to deciding which company provides better customer service, it’s too close to call. Both have support teams available by phone and online around the clock, and also offer self-help documentation so users can troubleshoot issues themselves. In the customer service arena, the winner is a draw. Customer Reviews of Google vs Microsoft Office Suites Google Workspace The most commonly mentioned reason users love is the ease of collaboration and how intuitive the software is to use. Customers also say they enjoy how tightly integrated everything is, and how they can work anywhere and still have access to all of their files. One negative review said that the admin panel is less straightforward than it could be, and sometimes hard to navigate. Microsoft 365 customers say that because the software is so widely used, it’s easy to create, share, and open documents created by other businesses or customers. They also like the advanced features found in the apps, like real-time editing suggestions. However, one area that users review negatively is the amount of space (memory) the Microsoft 365 desktop apps take up on desktop computers. Takeaway: Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 each have loyal fans and followings, which are borne out by generally positive online customer reviews. How We Evaluated Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 In terms of Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 (formerly G suite vs Office 365), both are full-featured office productivity suites with the tools your small business needs. Each has solid, reliable solutions for the things you and your team do on a daily basis, like email, cloud storage, communication, and creating and sharing different types of documents. To determine which is better for small businesses, we evaluated Google vs Microsoft office productivity software suites based on the following: Cost (and value for the money) Ease of use Browser-based functionality Productivity suite features Collaboration tools Administrative controls and security Customer support and reviews Extensive firsthand experience using both software suites in real-world workplace settings Given all of the information above and our own expertise using the software, we can’t make a blanket statement about which is best for small businesses. We outline the top reasons to choose each below. When to Use Google Workspace Go with if your team needs to be able to collaborate heavily on documents and projects. Its cloud-based software is ideal for today’s distributed and hybrid-remote work environments and collaborative teams. Another reason to choose Google Workspace is its ease of use. Your team will save time learning and using the software without navigating through complex menus to find the basic tools they need to produce professional documents and communicate internally and externally via chat and video meeting apps. When to Use Microsoft 365 is the best option for businesses that frequently collaborate with people outside the organization and for larger operations prizing admin controls. Its apps have more advanced features, security, premade templates, and more video conferencing capacity in the first two plan tiers. Microsoft 365 is also better for teams wanting to save time with automated workflows and companies needing a higher level of security, such as HIPAA compliance. Best Alternative to Microsoft Office vs Google Suite: Zoho Workplace is a cloud-based suite of apps with a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and email client, along with chat and video calling tools. Paid plans range with tools comparable to Google and Microsoft office suites that cost $3 or $6 per user, monthly. It’s an affordable alternative, and it also integrates tightly with Zoho’s comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) system and other native apps. Bottom Line Choosing between Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 comes down to the features and capabilities that are most important for your businesses. For the easiest document collaboration and the ability to create and access all of your documents wherever you work, is best. If your business needs advanced features and security, then office productivity and business email apps are better for your small business.

The right website colors can improve legibility, site visitor experience, and brand recognition. Although choosing a website color scheme may seem intuitive, there is a strategy behind it that includes understanding color concepts, determining your brand’s identity, and exploring color palette tools. With this information, you can confidently choose the best color scheme for your website. 1. Understand Basic Color Concepts Ultimately, when making a small business website, design success is rooted in understanding how people may perceive it. Learning color concepts such as color theory, color schemes, and the psychology of colors allows you to choose the best option to communicate how you want your brand to be seen. Three color concepts that are essential to understand include color theory, color schemes, and color psychology. We review them in detail below. Color Theory Color theory is a set of principles that guide the use of color. Often used by designers, color theory provides a logical structure that can be used to create harmonious and meaningful designs. Although the use of color theory is prevalent today, it might surprise you to learn that color theory is based on a systematic and scientific approach to human perception dating as far back as the 1600s. The color theory was developed by Sir Isaac Newton. He was the first to study the science of colors by experimenting with prisms and sunlight. From there, he was able to define colors as human perceptions of wavelengths, which led to the visible spectrum of color. Newton categorized these visible colors into three groups: Primary colors: Red, blue, and yellow Secondary colors: Green, orange, and purple Tertiary colors: Red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet These colors make up the color wheel. The primary colors cannot be created by mixing any of the other hues. The secondary colors are created by mixing the primary colors, while the tertiary colors combine a primary and a secondary color. Artists, designers, and other creatives use the color wheel to develop color palettes. By splitting the color wheel in half, you can see the separation between warm colors and cool colors. Both are associated with specific feelings, impact, or culture, which are discussed further under color psychology below. Color Schemes Color schemes are a combination of colors derived from the color wheel. Just like how individual colors convey meaning and personality, the relationship between each color also conveys a message. Although several website color schemes are used in a design, these top four color schemes are worth discussing to help inspire your website colors. Color Psychology The foundation of color psychology is that colors affect humans on an emotional level. Color psychology delves into feelings, emotions, and ideas evoked by using certain colors. As people view colors, they consciously and unconsciously associate them with different meanings, influencing their actions. Here are a few examples of colors and the general associations that go with them: Yellow: Youth, happiness, creativity, and optimism Blue: Trust, peace, confidence, and security Red: Passion, energy, love, and power Green: Health, nature, wealth, and abundance Orange: Comfort, fun, warmth, and positivity Purple: Relief, luxury, sophistication, and royalty Pink: Gentleness, femininity, sweetness, and playfulness Black: Mystery, power, elegance, and luxury White: Cleanliness, sophistication, purity, and simplicity 2. Determine Your Brand Identity Color is a critical visual component of brand identity. In fact, color alone accounts for up to 90% of a consumer’s first impression. Since your business website will be the home of your brand online, it should effectively convey your brand identity. Once you’ve got a good grasp of different color concepts, now would be an excellent time to bear down on how you want your brand to be perceived. The first question is if your business already has an established color scheme. If yes, these colors must be incorporated into your website color scheme. Next, look into the products or services your business offers or the industry which your business falls under. It helps to find the most commonly used colors for large companies within the same niche as they have already put in the resources to find effective color schemes for website design. You can use this as a guide on how to pick a website color scheme that will fit your brand. 3. Explore Relevant Color Tools Even with all the information on the science of color and branding, people can still find it difficult to pinpoint colors for their website. Using a color tool makes this process faster and easier. Without a color tool, it would likely take a few tries to jump between certain color schemes until you find one that suits your brand characteristics and is implemented in the website the way you want. Numerous color tools are designed to create color schemes for websites, but these three tools provide a good mix of functionality and ease of use. 4. Choose Main, Secondary & Accent Colors This step marks the beginning of your decision phase. With the color concepts, branding, and tools ready, you can now put them into practice and create a website color scheme for your business. So that you have enough options to make your site’s design stand out visually while remaining cohesive, choose at least three colors: the main color, a secondary color, and an accent color. Examples of Website Color Schemes Before putting your newfound knowledge of color into practice, explore these existing website color schemes and scope out the competition to help perfect your process. We made sure to compile the best website color scheme examples from actual small business websites. Use this list to your advantage to find your brand's ideal color scheme. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How many colors should a website have? It is ideal to have three colors in a website color scheme so that they can be used strategically in the website design. The 60/30/10 rule is a popular guideline for creating a good business website. In essence, it uses a primary color for 60% of the website, a secondary color for 30%, and an accent color for 10% of the website design. If three colors don’t seem enough, try to experiment with different variations of the same hues. What is a good website tool for choosing color themes? is one of the most popular and effective website tools for creating and sharing color themes. It has various tools that break down color theory and guide users to create perfect color harmonies. There is a rich community of designers and creatives who share website color schemes and inspiration with Adobe Color, all for free without a subscription. What is the best background color for a website? White is the most popular background color for websites. It works well with any other color you may use on your website, makes reading content on the page easier, and is generally free of distractions. With that in mind, there are also plenty of neutral colors that can be good alternatives as a website background color. Bottom Line Color is a crucial aspect of web design and branding, so choosing a website color scheme requires intent and strategy. By understanding the intricacies of color, you can make an informed decision to communicate the brand message and site visitor perceptions you want to convey. For affordable help picking colors for your website, turn to graphic design, branding, and web design experts at . With pricing starting as low as $5, you can get expert help building a color scheme for your website, branding, and all of your small business’ marketing materials.