Freelancer’s Growth Manual: 18 Strategies for Client Attraction & Loyalty
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If you are running or planning to start an online business in 2025, then this is a must-read for one simple reason:
What worked well just 2 years ago may not yield the same results anymore.
In online marketing, the only thing constant is change. If you don’t adapt to the latest trends, you are bound to fail in 2025.
That’s why we’ve compiled this guide of best online business tools in 2025. Our team has carefully reviewed picks, which means our views are based on personal experiences and extensive use to help you make smarter decisions.
Our selection criteria was focused on platforms that excel at data analysis, customer relationship management (CRM), seamless integrations, and the ability to leverage AI for personalized marketing and support.
We have broken down these tools into the following categories:
E-Commerce Platforms
By 2027, e-commerce is projected to grab a 41% share of retail sales. US Retail online sales have already exceeded $1.0 trillion in 2023. If you are in the retail industry, now is the time to sell online. To do so, here are three platforms ready to transform your online experience:
WooCommerce
Leveraging the power of open source, WooCommerce offers extensive customization and control for online stores. It is the most popular plugin that transforms WordPress websites into powerful e-commerce shops. Paired with Rapyd Cloud, this is a match made in heaven for online stores determined to deliver outstanding user experience each and every time.
Key Features:
- Open-source platform, highly customizable with themes and plugins
- Wide range of extensions for various functionalities (subscriptions, bookings, memberships)
- Flexible product management and secure payment gateways
- Built-in SEO optimization
- Integration with WordPress.
Why does it matter in 2025?
WooCommerce will see further development in headless commerce solutions, allowing for more flexible front-end development, improved API integrations for seamless data exchange, and enhanced security features to combat evolving cyber threats.
Unlike other platforms where you have to buy individual subscriptions for each store, with Rapyd Cloud, you can run multiple stores in one cloud hosting account. This makes WooCommerce extremely cost-effective compared to Shopify and other platforms.
Users: 8+ million
User Reviews: 4.5/5.0
Shopify
Shopify has become a household name among online store owners as the most affordable and easiest way to start and launch a business with no required knowledge of coding. It provides a complete e-commerce solution, encompassing everything from website building and hosting to payment processing and order fulfillment. Whether you’re into dropshipping, wholesaling, or just want an online store with all the bells and whistles, then Shopify is an option made for you.
Users: 4.5+ million
Reviews: 2.3 stars on Trustpilot
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop website builder and customizable themes
- App store with thousands of extensions
- Integrated payment gateway (Shopify Payments, Stripe, Paypal, 2Checkout, and many more)
- Inventory management and shipping integrations
- Marketing tools (email marketing, social media integration)
- Analytics dashboards and 24/7 support.
Why does it matter in 2025?
Shopify’s focus will likely be on enhanced omnichannel capabilities, integrating online and offline sales seamlessly, advanced AI-powered personalization, and augmented reality (AR) shopping experiences.
BigCommerce
If you already run a well-established business but want enterprise-like features, then BigCommerce is for you. It is similar in nature to Shopify with its drag-and-drop online store-building experience.
Key Features:
- Advanced product catalog management
- Multi-channel selling (Amazon, eBay, social media)
- SEO tools, analytics, and reporting
- Integration of multiple payment gateways
- Enterprise-grade security alongside
- Zero transaction fees
Users: 90,000+
Reviews: 1.4 stars on Trustpilot
Why does it matter in 2025?
BigCommerce will presumably focus on further enhancing its headless commerce capabilities, providing advanced APIs and developer tools, improving internationalization features for global expansion, and leveraging AI for marketing automation.
Marketing and Content Creation Tools
In a cutthroat competitive world, growing an online business is impossible without utilizing the right digital marketing tools that help increase your visibility, raise brand awareness, and generate sales.
Let’s shed light on some of the best online business tools for digital marketing, that your money can buy.
HubSpot
A marketing automation platform designed for medium to large businesses, you can use HubSpot to track leads, automate sales, and manage business relationships through proactive inbound marketing. Here are the key features and 2025 predictions:
Key Features:
- CRM
- Marketing automation (email marketing, workflows, lead nurturing)
- Content management system (CMS)
- Social media management and SEO tools
- Landing page builder
- Analytics dashboards and sales tools.
Users: 205,000+
Reviews: 2.7 stars on Trustpilot
Why does it matter in 2025?
HubSpot will likely focus on integrating AI into its platform for enhanced compliance with GDPR, UK GDPR, and several other compliance laws and tool kits. This will allow businesses to focus on expansion and reducing legal complexities as they scale.
Jasper
An AI-powered tool, Jasper helps marketers and writers overcome writer’s block and generate all sorts of content, from marketing copy and blog posts to social media updates and product descriptions. It works similarly to ChatGPT and Gemini, with the caveat of hundreds of templates for digital marketers that they can choose from to generate content. While other generative AI content tools are good for generalized assistance, Jasper specifically focuses on creating content for digital marketing teams.
Key Features:
- AI-powered content generation
- Multiple templates for different content types
- Tone of voice customization
- Plagiarism checker
- Integration with other marketing tools.
Users: 70,000+
Reviews: 4.1 on Trustpilot
Why does it matter in 2025?
Jasper and similar tools will become even more sophisticated, with improved natural language processing (NLP) capabilities and the ability to generate more complex and nuanced content. If you have a big marketing team and need to speed up content writing efforts, then Jasper could be a valuable addition.
Mailchimp
Evolving from an email marketing platform, Mailchimp is a full-fledged marketing automation suite that is extremely easy to use. It’s a popular choice among digital marketers and entrepreneurs looking to reach their targeted audience without hassle. For small to medium businesses, Mailchimp offers an array of marketing automation features, providing quality results at affordable prices.
Key Features:
- Email marketing campaigns
- Audience management and segmentation
- Marketing automation workflows
- Landing page builder
- Analytics dashboards
Users: 11+ million
Reviews: 1.3 on Trustpilot
Why does it matter in 2025?
In 2025, Mailchimp will work on improving its AI features for better segmentation and targeting, allowing business owners to make more granular data-driven decisions.
Project Management and Collaboration Tools
Efficient teamwork is the backbone of any successful business. The following tools will help you to streamline workflows, automate tasks, and utilize time productively. Fun fact: these are also the same tools that we at Rapyd Cloud use!
Trello
Using a visual Kanban board system for project management and task tracking, Trello allows you to effortlessly collaborate on any project through boards, lists, and cards. It comes with a free plan and great UI/UX, making it easy for you to drag and drop tasks.
Key Features:
- Kanban boards with lists and cards
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Task assignments with due dates
- File attachments
- Integrations with other tools and mobile apps.
Users: 50 million+
Reviews: 3.3 on Trustpilot
Why does it matter In 2025?
Trello will focus on enhancing its automation capabilities, providing more advanced workflows and integrations with AI-powered task management tools. However, these features are only available on premium and enterprise plans.
Slack
As a popular web-based communication platform, Slack is used by businesses of all sizes. It allows for better collaboration with teams by organizing information into different channels. You can assign each channel with a new project to track its progress. Although it has paid plans, the free plan provides features sufficient for most businesses. In general, Slack provides a more casual approach to internal communication than Skype or Teams, making task management easier than ever.
Key Features:
- Channels for organized communication
- Direct messaging and file sharing
- Integrations with other tools (Google Drive, Trello, Asana)
- Voice and video calls
Users: 38.8+ million+
Reviews: 4.5 on Capterra
Why does it matter in 2025?
Slack will continue enhancing its AI-powered features for message summarization, sentiment analysis, and automated task creation. It will also tweak its search function, allowing you to interact with it as a team member.
Discord
Originally popular in gaming communities, Discord facilitates real-time interaction through text, voice, and video chat within organized spaces called servers. Over the years, it has become the go-to tool for businesses to improve their communication with customers in a more informal way than using emails and help desk support.
Key Features:
- Servers and Channels for organized communities
- High-quality voice and video chat
- Direct messaging and file sharing
- Screen sharing and streaming
- Bot integrations for automation and moderation
Users: 200 Million+
Reviews: 4.7 on Capterra
Why does it matter in 2025?
These days, customers are more likely to engage with businesses that have informal and open channels of communication to resolve problems.
Customer Service and Support Tools
The way you respond to your customers is often the most critical differentiating factor between your business and the competitors. From timely resolution of queries to providing educational content, everything is connected with how well you serve your customers. Here are some customer service and support tools to help you along the way:
Zendesk
Zendesk provides a comprehensive customer service platform with tools for ticketing, live chat, and knowledge base management. It is one of the most powerful options on the market with multiple features and excellent customer support even as you grow your business. Its suite of workforce engagement management tools allows businesses to streamline workflows and improve business productivity.
Key Features:
- Ticketing system
- Live chat and knowledge base
- Customer portals
- Reporting and analytics
- Integrations with other tools (Salesforce, Shopify) and mobile apps.
Users: 200,000+
Reviews: 4.1 on Capterra
Why does it matter in 2025?
Zendesk has already become an AI platform for businesses to deliver world-class customer support. It is likely to further invest in AI to improve its services for clients.
Zoho
Similarly, Zoho also offers a suite of business applications, including a customer service platform with tools for ticketing, live chat, and knowledge base management. Its competitive pricing makes it an affordable option compared to some other platforms like Salesforce or Zendesk, specifically tailored for small to medium-sized businesses. However, it has fewer customization options compared to Zendesk.
Key Features:
- Ticketing system
- Real-time support and self-service options for customers
- Dedicated space for customers
- Insights and reporting
- Integrations with other Zoho apps and third-party tools
Users: 100 Million+
Reviews: 4.2 on Trustpilot
Why does it matter in 2025?
Expect Zoho to enhance its AI capabilities and make more budget-friendly options for businesses of all sizes.
Website Performance and Analytics
Understanding website performance and user behavior is crucial for building and growing a solid online presence. The following tools allow you to do just that.
Google Analytics
One of the best online business tools, Google Analytics, provides detailed insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversions. This is a free tool provided by Google and should be used by every website owner for a detailed website traffic analysis. Now at its fourth generation (GA4), it uses event-based data instead of session-based (and all sorts of things) to provide better insights into how users interact with your website.
Key Features:
- Website traffic analysis
- User demographics and behavior
- Conversion tracking
- Custom reports and integrations with other Google products (Google Ads, Google Search Console) and mobile apps.
Why does it matter in 2025?
With every product that Google has in its arsenal, Analytics will keep on getting updates throughout the year, providing clearer and better insights into website traffic and user behavior. AI is also going to change the way you notice these behaviors.
Ahrefs
A complete SEO tool, Ahrefs helps businesses improve their search engine rankings. As one of the most popular and premium solutions, it offers every possible advanced feature for website owners to make data-driven decisions. From competitor insights to actionable key steps, Ahrefs is like having your own dedicated digital marketing manager.
Key Features:
- Keyword research
- Competitor and backlink analysis
- Site audits
- Rank tracking
- Actionable steps to improve SEO
Users: 49,000+
Reviews: 4.5 on Gartner
Why does it matter in 2025?
For its premium members, Ahrefs keeps on adding powerful functionalities such as paraphrasing, content generation, and a whole suite of marketing intelligence software. In 2025, it will likely invest more in AI-enabled features to allow business owners to make more quality decisions.
Semrush
Semrush is similar to Ahrefs but focuses on a more comprehensive suite of tools, including SEO, paid advertising, social media management, and content marketing features. This makes it great for businesses looking to leverage paid marketing platforms for the best ROI, whereas Ahrefs is suited for organic reach, site audits, and backlink tracking.
Key Features:
- Keyword and advertising research
- Competitor analysis
- Site audits
- Rank tracking
- Social media management
- Market explorer
Why does it matter in 2025:
If you are looking to expand your reach in paid marketing, then Semrush provides premium tools at your disposal. However, do note that at the time of writing, there are no free plans.
Users: 1.1+ Million
Reviews: 4.5 on G2
Rapyd Cloud
Rapyd Cloud provides scalable, reliable, and powerful cloud hosting infrastructure, ensuring website uptime and performance. We cater to a variety of needs, including WordPress hosting, and offer a platform for businesses to host dynamic websites with content that requires scalable resources – all without compromising your budget.
Key Features:
- High availability of infrastructure
- Scalable resources
- Superb security measures
- Various hosting options (including optimized WordPress hosting) and APIs for integration.
- 24/7 Managed WordPress hosting support
Users: 10,000+
Reviews: 4.8 on Trustpilot
Why does it matter in 2025?
Shared hosting does not work anymore for hosting dynamic websites. With our experience in the cloud hosting industry, Rapyd Cloud is constantly investing and evolving its infrastructure to ensure superior user experiences and provide you the best managed WordPress hosting experience.
Why These Tools Are Game-Changers for 2025?
There are three major reasons why the aforementioned tools should be part of your tech stack:
- Scalability: By automating processes, businesses can handle increased demand without significantly skyrocketing overheads.
- Improved Customer Retention: Through personalized experiences and exceptional customer service, companies can build stronger customer relationships.
- Enhanced Productivity: By streamlining workflows and improving communication, teams work more efficiently and deliver better results.
Wrapping it up
Ready to take your business to the next level? Explore the power of Rapyd Cloud and discover how it can transform your online business.
What are the best e-commerce platforms for online businesses in 2025?
Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce offer varying degrees of flexibility and scalability to suit diverse business needs.
Which marketing tools are essential for effective campaigns?
HubSpot, Jasper, and Mailchimp provide powerful tools for marketing automation, content creation, and campaign management. The choice boils down to your requirements. Mailchimp is ideal for small to medium businesses given its price points, whereas HubSpot is more suited for large enterprises.
What are the top project management tools for teams?
Trello and Clickup streamline workflows, improve communication, and enhance team productivity.
Which tools are best for collaboration and communication?
Slack is a powerful platform for real-time communication, file sharing, and team collaboration. Many businesses are also relying on Discord for a more informal and personal connection with their customers.
What are the best tools for customer service and support?
Zendesk and Zoho enhance customer satisfaction, improve response times, and streamline support processes.
What are the best tools for website performance?
Google Analytics, SemRush, and Ahrefs provide valuable insights into website traffic, user behavior, and infrastructure reliability. Rapyd Cloud helps you to get the traffic you always wanted by providing reliable, scalable, and top-notch cloud hosting services.
