Online Business

Best Tools for an Online Business: Build a Lean Stack

A framework for choosing website, funnel, email, checkout, course and automation tools.

Core principle Start with the customer journey and business requirement, then choose the smallest stack that supports it reliably.

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The six jobs your stack must cover

Most small online businesses need some combination of a public web presence, lead capture, email, checkout, delivery and measurement. Some also need scheduling, CRM, communities or affiliates. Define the jobs before evaluating brands.

When to use specialists

Use a specialist when a capability is central to differentiation or revenue and the all-in-one version creates a material limitation. Examples can include advanced CRM processes, sophisticated analytics, highly customized learning experiences or complex ecommerce.

When to consolidate

Consolidation is attractive when your requirements are conventional and the cost of maintaining integrations is higher than the benefit of specialist depth.

A practical shortlist

For an integrated route, compare all-in-one marketing platforms. For the merchant this site monetizes, see Systeme.io features and pricing.

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