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The Complete Guide to Designing Visually Stunning Content (Even If You’re Not a Graphic Artist)

Let’s face it: a picture really is worth a thousand words, but an image you made yourself?

Priceless.

Compelling images create a connection between you and your audience and help you build on that relationship.

They encourage discussion and shares.

In short, images convert.

According to Venngage, 64 percent of marketers say images are “very important” or “essential” to their marketing strategy.

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Yet, 40 percent of marketers use stock photos in their content.

While there’s nothing wrong with the occasional stock photo, businesses that want to stand out need to make the effort to create unique, stunning visual content.

The good news? You don’t have to drop thousands on a graphic design pro.

With the right tools and knowledge, you can create stunning visual content on your own.

In this guide, you’ll learn which tools are the best for creating the most in-demand graphics (like social media cover photos, infographics, and trendy header images) and basic graphic design principles to help your visual content stand out.

 

Graphic Design Tools to Create and Optimize Visual Content

You know you need to be able to create stylish, professional-looking results – but how do you do it?

Fortunately, there’s no shortage of tools offering easy-to-use graphic design platforms.

The best part is that there’s no graphic design experience needed to create stunning, share-worthy images.

You can simply drag and drop the elements you want to get surprisingly good results.

Even when you’re done, you can optimize the finished graphics to load fast and look great on any device; no designer necessary!

Here are a few of my personal favorites, along with the types of images you can create with them.

 

Tools to Design Your Own Graphics

Creating graphics doesn’t require a degree in visual arts.

Drag and drop editing tools make it easy to create infographics, blog photos, social media posts, and more.

Canva

This is a full-fledged graphic design program distilled into a simple, drag-and-drop platform.

It works right from your browser, so there’s no huge software download or complicated licensing scheme to wade through.

Canva lets you create a whole host of graphics and sizing and dimensions are already taken care of.

Create everything from flyers to business cards or social media images and infographics.

Use your own photos or browse Canva’s 1 million+ stock photo library where you can license images for as little as $1 each.

Simply choose a template as a starting point (or create your own if you’re feeling brave).

Then, customize your colors, icons, photos, and fonts to design your own perfectly built graphic masterpiece.

Beyond photos, Canva also has a fully stocked library of graphical elements and shapes that form the perfect backdrop for any image.

Simply search, drag and drop your way to an image you’ll be proud to say that you created.

A wide range of images and styles are available – ranging from social network graphics to collage-style images and everything in between.

The best part is most of Canva is free to use, apart from the photo licensing fees and added features.

So you can create as many graphics as you want without restrictions.

You can even log in using your Google or Facebook account – saving you from yet another password to remember.

 

PicMonkey

If Canva isn’t your jam, I suggest PicMonkey.

It’s a pretty similar platform, but slightly more in-depth.

If you want to erase backgrounds, add fonts, and even edit photos, it’s a great choice.

Top features include templates for different social media photos, photo editing, tons of graphic elements, and plenty of templates.

Like Canva, it is a drag-and-drop photo and graphic editor and pretty intuitive to use.

Pricing starts at $7.99 a month for their basic plan, which includes 1GB of cloud storage, video editing, tons of fonts, and premium effects, templates, and touch-up tools.

 

Tools to Optimize Your Graphics

Slow load times can clog up your site and eat up your bandwidth.

What’s more, every second your visitors spend waiting on your page to load is a lost conversion or a lost sale.

Fortunately, several resources can help you tame large images without the help of a graphic pro. You can even resize or rescale them in bulk.

 

Optimizilla

Drag and drop up to 20 images and quickly optimize them on the fly.

You can click/tap through the images and then use the slider bar to adjust the quality and compare the two files:

Optimizilla works with both JPG (photos) and PNG (logos and transparent images) formats since both of these file types tend to be larger in size.

All of the images you upload are automatically deleted after an hour and you can download the optimized versions selectively or all at one time.

Optimizilla is perfect if you have a limited number of images that need a size change and also tweak the quality of those images visually.

 

EWWW Image Optimizer

This WordPress plugin lets you optimize images fast.

The end result shows you how much space was saved, as well as the percentage of reduction.

It works with other popular WordPress image plugins too, like NextGen photo gallery.

If you don’t like how a reduced file size image looks, you can either re-optimize it with different settings or restore the original.

The plugin leverages several unique optimization utilities in one complete package.

Because each individual image format has different ways of conserving file size, each one has its own unique utility to compress images without sacrificing quality.

Even as a graphic designer-in-training, you can still be inspired by unique websites and graphic designs.

Trying to save them directly from your browser can be a download nightmare, though.

You end up saving a lot of extra scripts, content, and other junk that clutters up your hard drive.

What if you could just have a screenshot of the page instead?

 

Page2Images

This site takes a screenshot of any page for you or converts multiple URLs into images.

It’s great for saving images for inspiration and for creating more engaging how-to content.

Page2Images also lets you see what your site looks like on mobile devices via its mobile emulator:

If you’ve ever wondered how to get that trendy “my site on a smartphone” look – this is how it’s done.

It’s also a quick and easy way to tell whether or not your page is optimized for mobile devices.

If you’d like something beyond the typical computer screen and mobile device as your choices, check out:

 

PlaceIt

PlaceIt lets you drag and drop your site to a variety of smartphones, monitors, tablets, and other devices.

Don’t have a screenshot? No problem.

You can choose an image and enter your URL to have PlaceIt grab an image of your site.

Want to show a group of people interacting with your app? Done.

Want to show off your new smartwatch program? Easy.

From billboards to bus stations, Placeit lets you put your site anywhere.

If you need a more human touch, PlaceIt also includes headshots of people of all ages and in a variety of situations. You can even narrow down your search to a specific gender, location, job, and much more.

 

Data Visualization Tools

Good data makes a larger impact when it’s visually relatable. When people see the numbers in a tangible, interactive way, your mission and goals go from being abstract terms to meaningful information.

These tools make it easier to use data visualization to create appealing charts, tables, and graphics.

 

Chartblocks

A tool that helps you create colorful, full-featured charts.

Data can be imported from spreadsheets, databases, or even live feeds and every aspect can be customized.

The charts are designed using HTML5 and Javascript, so they’re optimized for mobile devices and can be embedded directly into third-party sites, like websites and social networks like Twitter and Facebook.

What’s more, the finished graphic can be saved in a vector format, meaning it can be resized to any height and width without a loss of quality or resolution.

A free plan is available that lets you create up to 50 charts as transparent PNG files.

The free plan includes up to 50,000 monthly views and your charts are viewable publicly.

Paid plans give you more monthly views and the ability to make charts private.

On the lowest-priced plan and the free plan, charts are branded with the Chartblocks logo.

 

Timeline

Timeline is an easy way to create an interactive timeline of events on just about anything.

The timeline can pull media from sites including Twitter, Flickr, Google Maps, and Wikipedia as well as video sites like YouTube, Dailymotion, and Vimeo.

It can also pull sound files from Soundcloud, letting you create a rich media experience that’s interactive and informative.

Using a Google Spreadsheet, you’d simply enter the data into the pre-made template, including major and minor events, dates, and associated media.

The Timeline then builds the finished product for you.

When it’s ready, you’ll get a finished URL that you can embed in your website, showing off a timeline with an associated media slideshow in a similar format to the example above.

 

Social Media Graphic Design Tools

Whether you want to create awesome images for Instagram or interesting social media profile photos for Facebook, there’s a social media tool for that.

Here are a few of my personal favorites:

 

Social Image Resizer

This web-based tool features a quick and easy way to take your existing images and resize them for use in just about any social media context.

You can turn images into icons (even favicons), as well as Facebook and Twitter images.

What if you need more social network-ready images beyond Twitter or Facebook?

 

Desygner

This tool helps you create images for a variety of social networks. In addition to Twitter and Facebook (both cover and profile photos), you can make images for use on Snapchat, YouTube, Tumblr, and Pinterest.

They offer a free plan with thousands of free images.

With these tools, you’ll never run out of unique professional looks for your social network pages.

Of course, now the question becomes – where do you find graphics?

There are plenty of stock photo sites online, but for those just getting started with graphics, there are also plenty of free (even for commercial use) images and photos you can use.

 

Where to Find Images for Visual Content

One of the biggest challenges to overcome when designing your own graphics is finding pre-made images that you can use as a starting point.

Fortunately, these sites will make finding images and icons for your projects (even commercial ones) as easy as searching and downloading.

 

Flat Icon

Flat Icon contains over five million icons and stickers to choose from.

These include all of the common computer-style icons (cursors, pointers, and the like) but also include icons of a variety of other things like people, objects, animals, and more.

Many of the icons are free to use with proper attribution to the author.

 

The Noun Project

An icon-illustrated repository of graphics depicting just about anything.

Anyone can volunteer and artists from around the world have created miniature works of art on anything you can imagine from summer camp to tattoos.

Just because you have all the tools at hand doesn’t necessarily mean you can create great graphics (although it certainly helps!).

That’s because none of them teach you how to actually design.

While the subject of how to design graphics from scratch is far more involved than this guide can cover, there are nevertheless a few basic principles to keep in mind.

 

Graphic Design Basics: Principles and Elements

There are six basic principles to graphic design. These apply whether you’re designing a logo for your website or a print brochure.

Graphics of all sizes and styles use one or more of these principles, so knowing them and how to apply them to your design will help you create the kinds of results you can’t wait to show off.

 

The Line

Lines are the building blocks of graphics.

They separate and create borders.

Thin, straight lines give the impression of a more corporate and professional look, while hand-drawn lines can show a more artistic, or even childlike flair.

These days, many websites trend toward segmenting content in large “blocked” areas, dividing each one with a line to keep the user scrolling.

Not only does this give you a visual separation, but it lets you transition from one thought to another without losing your visitor in a sea of content.

 

The Shape

Shapes can impart meaning.

Think about the octagonal STOP signs; you don’t need to see the word STOP to know what the sign is.

Or, the cross symbol that denotes first aid tells you that is a place to get medical help.

Shapes impact our world, our feelings, and how we interact with the world around us.

Sharp, angular shapes are seen as being more rigid and forceful, whereas gentle sloping or curved shapes have more of a feminine appeal to them.

Keep these points in mind when considering your target audience for your new design.

 

Texture

Textures create a wide range of design possibilities and still remain popular on web pages to this day.

From natural patterns like wood and leaves to background designs like paper or chalkboards, texture communicates a great deal about the page itself, even before you read a word.

If you’re looking to create a certain impression in the minds of your users, consider the available textures that lend themselves to that type of design.

 

Color

Color is one of the most important, but also one of the most overlooked, aspects of graphic design.

It’s important not just in logo and website design, but also in print.

Color and its various shades (see more on that under Color Values below) have very different meanings to visitors around the world.

Depending on language and colloquialisms, colors can impart feelings as well.

For example, many people associate “going green” with doing things that are good for the environment.

But when someone is “green” with envy, it can convey a sense of jealousy.

That’s why it’s important to properly balance color with other aspects of your page or design so that you create a positive association in the minds of your visitors.

Even if you’ve gone to great lengths to choose an appropriate color scheme, there’s still the shade, hue, and degree of lightness or darkness of the color that can change its perception.

 

Color Values

A color’s value is the intensity of its lightness or darkness.

For example, orange may be perceived as a color of warmth, friendliness, and confidence, but once lightened into more of a peach tone, can give off more of a feminine, comforting vibe.

Darkening a color can make it seem more foreboding or unapproachable.

Many corporate sites follow the “dark blue and grey” color scheme which, while it seems “safe,” can also be off-putting to consumers and make them feel as if the company is cold and uncaring.

It’s a lot to keep in mind, but having some basic knowledge of how colors affect your user and how you want your design to be visually perceived and understood can make a significant difference in how well it resonates with your chosen demographic.

 

Space

Space is the last of the graphic design principles, but it is certainly not the least.

You may have heard the term “white space” before – meaning the area of a page with no graphic elements or color.

Having enough white space on a page gives each individual element a sense of “breathing room.”

Having too much white space can make a page seem like the elements are floating all over the place with no real cohesion.

Like all of the other graphic design principles covered here, you need to carefully balance your use of space to avoid making your graphic look too cluttered or too empty.

 

How to Improve Your Graphic Design Skills

Once you have a firm understanding of the basics, you’ll want to branch out and try new things.

Even if your artistic ability ends at drawing a stickman (and a shaky one at that!), improving your graphic design skills is more about being observant and perceptive rather than having an amazing artistic ability.

 

Study Famous Graphic Designers

Having the tools and knowing the basic principles of graphic design will take you far, but one of the most crucial ingredients of a great graphic design is creativity.

Contrary to popular belief, creativity is not born, it is learned and made through practice.

What better way to practice and learn than by seeing what others have done?

For example, you may not have heard of a graphic designer named Paul Rand, but you’ve most certainly seen his work:

Largely self-taught, Rand’s best advice to aspiring graphic designers was that “you don’t have to be original. You just have to be good.”

Even if you weren’t familiar with the brand’s logo, Paul was determined that eventually, you would be.

One of his most famous corporate poster designs reflects that insistence:

 

Create a Swipe File

The best way to start is to look around.

Check out sites like Dribbble and Behance for design portfolios you like and then follow those designers so that you’ll get updates when they add new selections to their portfolios.

Create your own little “swipe file” of ideas, concepts, and images that you like.

Remember, even the most complicated designs can be broken down into their core pieces — shapes and lines.

When you learn the process behind the design, you can work on how to recreate it on your own.

If you like what you see, stretch your skills a little more and learn about filters and layers — core components of top-tier graphic design tools like Photoshop and Illustrator.

Obviously, I’m not advocating that you infringe on someone else’s copyright.

Everything in this guide is meant to walk you through the learning process to create your own graphics with no experience starting out.

Don’t be afraid to emulate those whose style you enjoy.

Over time you’ll come to refine it and create your own style.

 

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Feedback

It can be hard to ask for feedback on your work – especially when you’re just starting out.

You’re anxious.

Unsure of yourself.

Afraid of criticism.

We’ve all been there and experienced that.

Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.

However, instead of saying “What do you think about this?” ask “How can I make this better?”

People won’t want to openly criticize your work, so asking what they think is bound to get you some praise – but praise isn’t what we’re going for – we’re going for improvement.

Some feedback is well-meaning, but when put into your design, it would make the end result look terrible.

That’s okay, too. As the designer, you’re free to dismiss any or all feedback.

However, take the time to reflect on criticism before dismissing it.

Is something lacking from the piece?

Does it communicate the brand and message well?

Is it something that others would want to share on their own social media pages?

Remember, everyone was a beginner once.

Some may have more artistic or creative talent than others, but it’s not something that can’t be developed over time.

Taking the time to learn the skills behind great graphic designs will help you appreciate and admire the work that goes into them even more.

 

Visually Stunning Content: Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

 

 

Guide to Visually Stunning Content for Non-Designers Conclusion

As you can see, getting started designing your own graphics doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

A basic sense of how colors, lines, space, and other principles play together on a canvas is only the beginning.

Today’s most in-demand graphic designers spend years perfecting their skills and building upon these core concepts.

For the rest of us, however, the web has made it easier than ever to craft beautiful, interactive designs that don’t take an artistic touch.

If you want to build upon what you’ve learned in this guide, there are plenty of fantastic resources, portfolios, and graphic design tips out there waiting for you.

Have you tried out any of these tools? Which one is your favorite?

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25 Tools for Bootstrapped Companies

The good news is there’s plenty of free, freemium, or affordable digital tools you can use instead. These tools are often just as powerful as enterprise-level tools while helping you remain cash flow positive and maximize your runway.

You’ve heard the phrase to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, right? But what do we mean when we talk about bootstrapped tools?

Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps refers to succeed through your own efforts without relying on investments or help from anyone else. (Though the phrase’s meaning has shifted over time.)

Bootstrapped companies are those that grow through the dedication of their founders, rather than relying on cash flow from investors. Basecamp is a bootstrapped company, for instance. Apple isn’t.

Bootstrapped companies must focus relentlessly on sales, cash flow, and profit because they don’t have the luxury of VC investments to fall back on. They need to remain lean and keep costs to a minimum.

As a result, there’s no room in the budget for expensive enterprise tools. Luckily, there are a variety of bootstrapped tools that can help. Today I’m going to share with you some of my favorites.

What Are Bootstrapping Tools?

Before we dive into the tool suggestions, let’s talk about what bootstrapped tools are — and why the distinction matters.

Starting a business, even a bootstrapped one, is expensive. But you can’t build a great SaaS or e-Commerce company without the help of digital tools. Unfortunately, the best tools are often prohibitively expensive for companies on a tight budget.

The good news is there’s plenty of free, freemium, or affordable digital tools you can use instead. These tools are often just as powerful as enterprise-level tools while helping you remain cash flow positive and maximize your runway.

Planning and Project Management Bootstrapping Tools

If you’re serious about growing your startup, you’ll eventually need to put down the pen and paper to-do list and upgrade to a SaaS solution.

Wrike for Bootstrapped Companies

Wrike is a versatile and comprehensive project management tool, perfect for startups and businesses of all sizes. It has all of the features you’d expect from a SaaS project management tool, including Gantt charts, Kanban boards, briefs, and request forms.

Wrike also makes collaboration seamless with shared calendars, file sharing, and team reports time tracking.

Wrike is used by some of the world’s biggest companies, including Google, Airbnb, and Dell. It also integrates with over 400 other SaaS tools and software platforms like Salesforce, WordPress, Hubspot.

You won’t have to worry about the security of your data — enterprise-level security comes standard and everything syncs instantly to the cloud.

Wrike is free forever for up to five users. The professional version costs $9.80 per user per month for up to 15 users. If you need it, the business version costs $24.80 per user per month.

Other Bootstrap Project Management Tools:

Asana offers a robust project management package with features that vary by account level. Their free version includes unlimited tasks per team, projects in the board or list view, unlimited file storage, an activity log, and more.

Trello is a popular project management tool that offers a free basic version. Their free version offers 10 “boards” (project views) per team, unlimited “cards” (tasks), and 10MB per file attachment.

Paymo offers their lowest-cost plan for  $9.95 per user per month. With this plan, you can access features like task views, time tracking, project templates, and recurring tasks.

Microsoft Projects starts from $10 per user per month. It offers grid, board, and timeline view; co-authoring and communication on tasks; and project planning and scheduling.

Bootstrapping Tools to Create a Website

You can’t have a digital business without a website.

Even running an offline, local business can be challenging without a strong web presence. However, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on an expensive web design agency. It’s possible to build a website from scratch using an intuitive website builder.

Webflow for Bootstrapped Companies

One option is Webflow, which was labeled “the development platform of the future” by Smashing Magazine. It is a hugely capable website builder that lets anyone create visually stunning websites without a developer or designer’s help.

It comes with CMS and e-commerce capabilities, meaning you can turn the platform to any task or goal and integrates with tons of leading SaaS and web apps. Hosting is also built into the platform, so there’s no need to mess around with a separate hosting company.

It’s not just a platform for startups and solopreneurs, either. Webflow has built some pretty major websites, including Zendesk, Hellosign, and Dell.

You can use Webflow free forever, but you’ll want to play for a plan to get the most out of the platform. The basic plan costs $12 per month, and a CMS version costs $16 per month.

Other Bootstrap Website Builders

• Contact Contact is more well-known for email marketing, they also have a website builder that’s great for bootstrappers. You don’t need any SEO or developer experience to use it. Features include mobile responsive design, logo design, creating easy e-commerce websites so you can sell your products with minimal effort, and more. The Constant Contact website service is $10 per month.
• Squarespace helps customers create sleek and professional website design. You can also integrate some of your favorite SEO tools, have access to data analytics, and get help with your company blog. The cost of your account varies by which services you use. Squarespace offers monthly payments or a lump sum.
• HostGator costs only $3.84 per month for their cheapest package. For this plan, you have access to the website builder, a website hosting service, and 12 months of ownership of your domain name.
• WordPress is one of the most popular website builders. Their cheapest plan is $4 per month and includes free domain hosting for a year, no WordPress ads, and free email support.

SEO Tools for Bootstrappers

You need a strong SEO game, especially if you are a bootstrapped business that can’t afford to spend a lot on Facebook ads or other online advertising forms. But, you don’t need to pay a fortune for the right tools or even hire an SEO agency.

Ubersuggest for Bootstrapped Companies

My SEO tool, Ubersuggest, is perfect for anyone running a bootstrapped company because it’s free. Even better, it gives you all of the insight and advice you need to optimize the heck out of your pages.

You’ll get an overview of your domain and its strengths and weaknesses, a report of the top pages ranking in your niche and how to beat them, keyword suggestions with accurate search volumes, backlink data, content ideas, and so much more.

Even the tool’s premium version is cost-effective, starting from as little as $29 per month.

Other SEO Tools for Bootstrappers

• Moz: The free version of Moz has robust services such as keyword research, a link explorer, and domain analysis. It offers a pro version and a local version.
• Screaming Frog: Screaming frog’s free website crawler alerts you to technical SEO problems like broken links, metadata issues, and discovering exact duplicate content on pages.
• AnswerthePublic: AnswerthePublic is a tool that identifies content topic opportunities based on what people are searching for.

Each tool provides similar data and insight, but you’ll find these slightly more expensive than Ubersuggest. Moz, Ahrefs, and Semrush all start from $99 per month, for instance.

Bootstrapping Tools for Design, Stock Images, and Prototyping

Whether it’s a beautiful header image for your blog, great looking stock photos, or a banner for your new Facebook ad, having access to a designer is invaluable. It is also prohibitively expensive for most bootstrapped companies.

The good news is, you don’t need to outsource design to an agency or hire a full-time designer. Instead, use the following tools to create the designs you need.

ZeBrand for Bootstrapped Companies

While there are many free or cheap design tools out there, very few bring everything you need together in one place like ZeBrand. With ZeBrand, you can create logos, fonts, color palettes, inspiration boards, and whatever else you need.

There’s a massive library of high-quality photographs to use for free, too. The platform even provides Brand Coaches, on-hand experts who will help you create and execute your brand strategy.

The starter version of ZeBrand is available for free. The premium version is significantly more expensive at $399 per quarter, including brand coaching sessions.

Other Design Tools for Bootstrappers

• Canva: Canva is known for its design prowess. The free version has a robust collection of templates for users to choose from. With the paid version, you have access to designers, premium custom templates, premium fonts, and a background remover.
• Dribbble: Cribble’s primary goal is to connect users with graphic designers or creatives. Users are able to hire freelancers directly from their website.
• Crowdspring: In addition to designing logos and web pages, Crowdspring also offers a service that helps users find unique business names.
• Design Pickle: Design Pickle provides graphic design services on demand. Their work quality is great, but you’ll pay for it. Design Pickle is a pricey $499 per month.

Automated Email Software Tools for Bootstrappers

Are you still sending out email campaigns manually? Are new subscribers automatically added to your welcome email flow? Automating your email marketing can save a lot of time, but it can also make your business a heck of a lot more profitable.

Squeezing as much value as possible from your email list is essential if you’re bootstrapping. You don’t need to waste your money on expensive enterprise platforms, however.

HubSpot for Bootstrapped Companies

HubSpot is a freemium marketing automation platform perfect for every business, from a one-person startup to a 300-employee company.

Creating and optimizing automated email campaigns is easy once you get the platform set up — and you’ll be able to do it all by yourself. Personalization is included to easily create specific email marketing waterfalls for different types of users.

You can also A/B test your campaigns to improve open and conversion rates.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the HubSpot platform, however. You can also build landing pages to capture more email addresses, gate content that already exists on your site, and get a full picture of how every lead came into your CRM.

HubSpot costs just $45 per month for up to 100 contacts.

Other Automated Email Software for Bootstrappers

If you’re not a fan of HubSpot, consider:

• Marketo: Marketo has a wide range of marketing services, one of which is email automation. Marketo’s email solutions include creating campaigns quickly and easily, creating personalized emails, ensuring you’re targeting the right audience and tracking KPIs.
• Salesforce: Salesforce boasts they are the number one email marketing solution. Their product offerings include tailoring your emails for every step of the sales funnel, delivering engaging content to your email subscribers, and using AI tools to improve upon the process.
• Blueshift: One of Blueshift’s product offerings is an email marketing service. They intend to generate emails quickly, send emails that are triggered by user behavior and the sales funnel, and offer predictive segmentation.

Team Communication Tools for Bootstrapped Small Businesses

As your bootstrapped team grows, communication will become more critical. Emails, texts, and phone calls will only take you so far.

It doesn’t matter if your team sits in the same office or works across the globe; you need a SaaS communication tool to ensure you’re all singing from the same hymn sheet.

Here are some of my favorite bootstrapped communication solutions.

Slack for Bootstrapped Companies

It will probably come as no surprise that I highly recommend Slack as a bootstrapped team communication tool. Slack is the perfect combination of email, instant messaging, and voice calls, and it’s all available for just $6.67.

A limited version of the platform is available for small teams to use for free. What’s better than that?

Other Team Communication Tools for Small Businesses

If video conferencing is a more pressing need for your business, you may want to consider:

• Zoom became a household name during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since Zoom is free, friends and families use it to stay connected during the pandemic. Zoom is also useful for businesses. You can use Zoom for team meetings, chats, webinars, conference meetings, a phone system, and a marketplace.
• Microsoft Teams is another popular tool for communications. Its services include chat channels, video meetings, screen sharing, and more. Teams is a good choice if you’re already using Microsoft products.
• Skype was one of the first iterations of communication software. You can use it to chat to your friends via messenger or video chats, as well as make direct calls. Skype has not changed much since the early days, so it might be a great fit if you’re looking for something that’s budget-friendly with basic features.

 

Conclusion

So there you have it, that’s my list of the top bootstrapped tools for your startup.

Whether you want to get on top of your projects, improve your SEO, assess your competitors, or automate your email, there’s a tool that can help.

Which bootstrapped tool will you try first?

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