8 MUST-HAVE BROWSER EXTENSIONS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS
8th July 2020
There is an increasing demand for work to be done online for small business owners in 2020, whatever your business may be. From composing emails to creating content for your website, blog or working on your digital marketing, there’s a lot to be done - and any extra help that comes your way can really make a difference in terms of efficiency while you work.
This is where internet browser extensions can be a lifeline when you’re running your business. Browser extensions are small software applications that allow you to customise your browsing experience on your chosen browser.
Easily overlooked, these useful additions to your web browsing experience can help improve your work, save you time, and even motivate you; with each one bringing something different to the mix.
We’ve compiled a list of our favourite eight browser extensions, to help you streamline your workflow and get the most out of your time online:
Grammarly
Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge
We use this on a daily basis, in fact, for over 156 weeks - our new Top Dog badge is above! Grammarly proofreads and corrects as you go. There is a free and a premium version, and with Grammarly installed, you’ll be able to write clear, concise, and error-free copy wherever you are on the web.
Flagging mistakes as you write, the Grammarly extension offers suggestions to correct and improve your writing in emails, social media posts, documents and more. The paid version also checks for instances of plagiarism as well as ways to improve the readability of your copy.
RescueTime
Chrome, Safari, Firefox
Do you ever get to the end of your day and wonder where all your time went? RescueTime may be the answer, as this effective extension is designed to help you understand where your time goes online, each day.
By using RescueTime, it can help you build better digital habits by allowing you to set goals - and even block distractions if you opt for the premium version. Take back in control of how you spend your day online.
Pinterest
Chrome, Firefox, Edge
If you’re already using Pinterest as a business tool or even just for personal use, this free browser extension will allow you to "pin" or collect any image from the web directly to your highly visual virtual pin board. You can even categorise your pins and add descriptions as a reminder for why you bookmarked them in the first place.
Simply hover over the image you want to pin and you’ll be able to pin it as you go, making it even easier to collect ideas from the web.
LastPass
Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge
A leading password manager, LastPass allows you to securely store all your passwords from across the web – and then remembers them for you. All you need is one master password and you’re good to go.
By using LastPass, you will no longer find yourself locked out of accounts and endlessly searching for lost passwords, saving you time and hassle. It also adds an extra layer of security to your online business profiles.
Choose the premium version for even more options, such as the ability to store encrypted files and add multi-factor authentication.
Adblock Plus
Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge
Do you get annoyed by obtrusive ads on sites such as Facebook and YouTube? Adblock Plus is a free extension and is one of the world’s most popular ad blockers. By using this, it helps to speed up page-loading times (a Google ranking factor), reduce the risk of malware and computer viruses, and protect your privacy online.
Momentum
Chrome, Firefox
If you are looking to motivate yourself, personalise your browsing experience and stay focused, then this extension could be what you are looking for.
Momentum allows you to create your own dashboard, so when you open a new tab in your browser, you’ll see a calming imagery, an inspirational quote, weather updates, reminders, your to-do list, and more.
There's an affordable premium version well worth considering if you want to customise your dashboard by using your own photos, lists, your branding colours, widgets and more. If you want to try it out, the free version provides plenty of features.
Bitly
Chrome, Firefox
Do you do a lot of social media marketing for your business? If so, Bitly is a great extension to make use of. Bitly is a link shortener and can be used to quickly shorten any lengthy URLs in your posts – helpful when dealing with character limits or distractingly long web addresses – and makes your posts look smarter.
If you sign up for a paid plan, you can take this one step further and create branded short links. Another great feature allows you to use Bitly to monitor the engagement levels on the links you share.
Forest
Chrome, Firefox
Having trouble staying focused? Forest is worth a try. By helping you cultivate a pattern of time management that works for you, it keeps you away from distractions and encourages you to fully concentrate in bursts of 30 minutes.
How? Simply add any websites that you know you use to procrastinate to your blacklist, and then plant a seed in Forest. This seed will grow steadily into a tree over the next half an hour, but visit one of your blacklisted websites and your tree will wither away and die. Sign up for a paid account, and you can unlock different types of trees and additional features such as statistics and rewards.
Now it's up to you - start personalising your browsing experience
So there you have it, eight of the best browser extensions around to help you maximise your productivity and work towards greater business success online. This list is by no means exhaustive – we’ve barely scratched the surface of the extensions available for small business owners.
What works best for you and your business will entirely depend on your individual needs, but once you’ve found the right time-saving extensions for your company, you’ll be amazed at what a difference they can make.
If you are looking for a new website for your business, we’d love to work with you to improve your online presence.
When you choose it’seeze Leicester as your website provider, you’ll have access to a wealth of support, expertise and advice and local support to help you get the most from your online marketing.
To find out more and discuss your requirements, please get in touch today.
Tagged as: Online business
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