If you are building an online business, you have probably heard the term “tech stack” a few times before. However, what is a tech stack, and what are some technology stack examples?
As a business owner and entrepreneur, the term can be intimidating because there are so many options as to what you can choose to leverage in your business!
It can be very easy to over complicate your technology – seeking the next shiny object, or to simplify too much and avoid necessary components.
In this blog, I’ll share with you my current tech stack and what tools I’m using to run an efficient online business.
As a result, I hope this guide will provide you with a new outlook on the latest tools and tech and banish your uncertainty and fear around what will make your business less of a headache.
Top Technology Stack Tools
Email Marketing and Automation: ActiveCampaign
I’ve now been using ActiveCampaign for my email marketing and automation for over 4 years – at first, it was because it was so quick and easy to get started. Now it’s because it offers advanced email campaign features and automations that allow me to create a customized user experience for all of my contacts.
Here are a few other reasons ActiveCampaign is my go-to email marketing and automation tool:
- ActiveCampaign has a built-in CRM so that I can keep track of new leads and deals in my sales pipeline.
- ActiveCampaign has deep data and API integrations that allow me to link my checkout tool (Spiffy Checkout) to my membership platform (ActiveMember360).
- Using trigger-based automations, I’ve created all sorts of workflows and automations to create more efficient business processes.
ActiveCampaign is an awesome tool to add to your tech stack because it can easily integrate with so many other tools. For more technology stack examples using ActiveCampaign, keep reading!
Ready to see it in action? Sign up for an ActiveCampaign free trial.
Website: WordPress with Thrive Themes ShapeShifter Theme
ThriveThemes is a suite WordPress themes and plugins that are focused on creating simple, scalable, conversion-focused websites.
ThriveThemes leverages an easy to use pager builder to create your pages from scratch, or using a pre-build sample page.
Along with the page builder, the ThriveLeads plugin allows you to create easy to implement opt-in boxes such as pop-ups, slide in and page ribbons.
ThriveThemes is a great fit for you if you are looking for a WordPress theme and plugins that are easy to set up and maintain.
Check out Thrive Themes today!
Project Management: Asana
Asana is a collaborative workspace tool that allows you to manage projects and tasks across internal and external teams. Asana has provided me the ability to keep my own team organized while also maintaining clear communications with my clients.
I love Asana because it keeps my team on track of large projects and tasks, reduces the number of project-based emails I receive, and allows me to easily adjust timelines and schedules.
Access Asana for free and start organizing your team today!
Appointment Scheduling: Calendly
2020 brought changes to my appointment scheduling process as I switched over from Acuity Scheduling to Calendly.
Although I still love Acuity Scheduling, I was looking to simplify and add tools that would directly integrate with my ActiveCampaign CRM. The switch from Acuity Scheduling to Calendly allowed me to eliminate the need for Zapier and track client appointments directly in my CRM.
While I am missing some of the features of Acuity Scheduling (like overriding blocked appointment times), Calendly has made calendar management even more simple.
(Read my comparison of Acuity vs Calendly here).
Start scheduling your meetings today – without all of the back and forth!
Webinars: Easy Webinar
In 2020 I launched my first webinar series while testing a few different platforms.
Due to the ease of setup, and tagging capabilities with my CRM ActiveCampaign, Easy Webinar because the clear-cut winner for managing both one-time and evergreen webinars.
Although I love the professionalism of Demio – it was a really tough decision.
(Read my comparison of Demio vs EasyWebinar here).
Easy Webinar is a great tool to add to your tech stack and also a great technology stack example when paired with ActiveCampaign for email automation.
Get a free 14-day trial of EasyWebinar to check it out for yourself!
Read This Before You Select Your Tech Stack
Before selecting any tool for your online business, always make sure you do your own due diligence to ensure that it is a good fit for you.
Selecting the best tool for your business up-front will save you money and time down the road!
