Running a digital agency is a challenging job. Between client meetings, project deadlines, and team management, it's easy to get lost in the whirlwind of tasks that demand your attention. But you can simplify your workflow, impress your clients, and boost your team's productivity—all with the help of some ingenious digital tools.
In this article, we'll introduce you to a curated list of the best tools for digital agencies. From project management and communication to social media and email marketing platforms, we’ve gathered them all to help you become one of the best digital agencies out there.
Table of Contents
1. Project Management Tools
Project management tools help teams plan, execute, and monitor projects from start to finish. They offer a centralized platform where managers can assign tasks, track progress, and manage resources, ensuring that projects are completed timely and within budget. For digital agencies, these digital tools are indispensable for juggling multiple client projects, coordinating team efforts, and delivering high-quality results on time.
1.1. Trello
Trello is a visually focused project management solution that organizes tasks and projects using boards, lists, and cards. Its drag-and-drop interface allows teams to transfer tasks through various project stages easily.
Key Features
- Boards and lists: Create boards for different projects and lists within those boards to represent various stages or categories.
- Cards: Use cards to represent individual tasks, which can be enriched with labels, checklists, deadlines, and attachments.
- Collaboration: Invite team members to boards and assign tasks directly within cards, facilitating real-time collaboration.
- Third-party integrations: Trello supports third-party integrations like Slack, Google Drive, and more, allowing for a seamless workflow.
- Notifications: Real-time notifications keep team members updated on task assignments, due dates, and other changes.
Pros
- Real-time collaboration: Trello updates in real-time, allowing team members to work simultaneously without disrupting the project flow. Any changes are instantly visible to all members.
- Ease of adding members: To invite new team members to a project, just enter their email addresses.
- Responsiveness across various devices: Trello works seamlessly across laptops, smartphones, and tablets. It ensures that team members can manage projects effectively, even on the go, regardless of their devices.
Cons
- Lack of advanced features: Trello doesn’t provide advanced project management functionalities like time tracking, Gantt charts, and in-built reporting tools.
- Scalability concerns: While Trello's simplicity is one of its strengths, it can become a drawback when managing multiple projects or large teams, as the platform may not scale well with increasing complexity.
- Dependency on third-party integrations: Trello often requires third-party integrations to extend its capabilities. This can raise compatibility issues and incur additional costs.
Pricing
- Free plan: $0
- Standard plan: $5 per user/month
- Premium plan: $10 per user/month
- Enterprise plan: $17.50 per user/month
1.2. Asana
Asana is a robust project management tool that helps teams plan, organize, and track work in one visual space. It offers a range of views, including lists, boards, and timelines, to suit different project management styles.
Key Features
- Project management: Comprehensive tools for planning, executing, and tracking projects from inception to completion.
- Goals and reporting: Align team tasks and projects with company objectives and monitor progress through real-time data analytics.
- Workflows and automation: Create custom workflows to automate routine tasks and processes, improving efficiency.
- Resource management: Allocate and track resources effectively to ensure optimal utilization and project success.
- Asana intelligence: Utilize AI-driven insights for better decision-making and project optimization.
- Third-party integrations: Seamless integration with popular third-party tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams.
- Admin and security: Robust administrative controls and security features to protect data and ensure compliance.
Pros
- Easy to use: Asana has a simple design that helps you find what you need quickly. You can even use colors to organize your projects better.
- Helps focus and prioritize tasks: Asana shows you all your weekly tasks in one place, letting you know what's urgent and what you should work on first.
- Easy teamwork: Asana lets team members chat, share files, and see who's doing what. This makes it easy to work together and stay on the same page.
Cons
- It can confuse new users: If you're new to Asana, all its features can initially feel overwhelming.
- One person per task: You can only assign a task to one person, which can be a problem if more than one person needs to work on it.
- Too many features for simple projects: If your project is small and simple, Asana's many features can make it feel more complicated than it needs to be.
Pricing
- Basic plan: $0
- Premium plan: $10.99 per user/month
- Business plan: $24.99 per user/month
2. Communication and Collaboration Tools
When choosing a digital agency, clients weigh many factors before deciding on the best candidate. One of the most important elements they consider is the agency's ability to communicate consistently and transparently. After all, great ideas are born from great teamwork, which is only possible with clear, consistent communication.
Communication and collaboration tools serve as the digital meeting rooms for all types of digital agencies. They offer platforms where team members can have real-time conversations, share files securely, and assign and track tasks effortlessly.
2.1. Slack
Slack is a popular messaging app designed to improve team communication and collaboration. It offers channels to organize conversations by topic, direct messaging for one-on-one chats, and various integrations with other tools.
Key Features
- Channels: Create topic-specific channels for projects, teams, or anything else that helps you stay organized.
- Direct messaging: Send private messages to individual team members for quick and confidential discussions.
- File sharing: Easily upload and share files directly within conversations.
- Third-party integrations: Connect Slack with other tools you use, like Google Drive, Asana, and more.
- Search functionality: Find past conversations or files quickly with Slack's powerful search feature.
Pros
- Real-time teamwork: Slack makes it easy for teams to talk and work together in real time. Features like quick messaging and file sharing help everyone stay productive.
- Improved organization: Slack uses channels to separate conversations about different topics or projects.
- Works with other tools: Slack allows you to integrate many different tools and apps and do different kinds of work all in one place.
Cons
- Too many messages: Because everyone can talk in real time, you might get too many messages and notifications, making it hard to focus on your work.
- Requires Internet: Slack needs a good internet connection to work.
- Can be complex for new users: If you're new to Slack, all its features can feel confusing. You might need some time to learn how to use it well.
Pricing
- Free plan: $0
- Pro plan: $7.25 per user/month
- Business: $12.50 per user/month
- Enterprise grid: Inquiry
2.2. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a tool for collaboration that allows your team to stay organized and communicate in one central location. It's part of the broader Microsoft 365 suite, making integrating with other Microsoft applications easy.
KeyFeatures
- Channels and chats: Organize conversations into channels for different projects or topics. You can also have private chats.
- File storage: Store and share files securely within the platform, with easy access for all team members.
- Video conferencing: Hold video meetings directly within Teams.
- Microsoft and third-party integrations: Connects seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as third-party apps.
- Task management: Create tasks, assign them to team members, and track progress without leaving the platform.
Pros
- All-in-one solution: Microsoft Teams lets you chat, video call, and manage tasks in one place, making it convenient.
- Microsoft apps integrations: If you already use Microsoft 365, Teams integrates smoothly with those apps, making work easier.
- Secure file sharing: Teams offer safe ways to store and share files, which is excellent for working on important projects.
Cons
- It can be overwhelming: Teams has many features, confusing new users or those used to simpler apps.
- Limited outside integrations: Teams works best with Microsoft apps and offers fewer integrations with non-Microsoft tools.
- High cost: You need a paid Microsoft 365 subscription to unlock all features, which can be expensive for smaller teams.
Pricing
- Microsoft Teams Essentials: $4.00 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6.00 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50 per user/month
3. Content Management Systems (CMS)
Whether blog posts, videos, or interactive web pages, digital agencies need a reliable way to manage and publish content. That's where Content Management Systems (CMS) come into play. A CMS enables you to produce, manage, and update website content without specialized technical skills.
3.1. WordPress
WordPress is one of the world's most popular CMSs, powering 43.1% of all websites on the internet. Known for its ease of use and flexibility, WordPress is a go-to choice for digital agencies looking to build and manage websites without extensive coding skills.
Key Features
- Themes: Choose from thousands of pre-designed themes to quickly set up the look and feel of your website.
- Plugins: Expand your website's functionality with SEO, social media integration, eCommerce, and other plugins.
- WYSIWYG Editor: A user-friendly “what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG)” editor lets you see how your content will look as you create it.
- SEO Tools: Built-in features and additional plugins help optimize your site for search engines.
- User management: Easily manage multiple users with different roles and permissions.
Pros
- User-friendly: WordPress is easy to use and doesn’t require coding, which makes it great for people who aren't tech-savvy.
- Highly customizable: With many themes and plugins, you can make your website look and do almost anything.
- Good for SEO: WordPress has good built-in SEO features to help your content visibility; you can add even more with plugins.
Cons
- Security risks: Because it's so popular, WordPress is often a target for hackers. You'll need to take extra steps to keep your site safe.
- Can Get Expensive: While WordPress is free, some themes and plugins are not. Costs can add up, depending on your chosen plan and add-ons.
- Updates can cause issues: WordPress updates often, and sometimes updates can cause issues with your site performance.
Pricing
- Free plan: $0
- Personal plan: $4 per month
- Premium plan: $8 per month
- Business plan: $25 per month
- Commerce plan: $45 per month
- Enterprise plan: starts at S$25,000 yearly.
3.2. Wix
Wix is a cloud-based CMS known for its drag-and-drop website builder that powers over 7 million websites worldwide. It provides a variety of templates and customization possibilities, making it simple to create distinctive and visually appealing websites without code.
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop builder: Easily create and edit your website by dragging elements onto the page.
- Templates: Choose from many professionally designed templates to get started quickly.
- Wix ADI: An artificial design intelligence tool that helps you build a website by answering a few simple questions.
- App market: Add extra features to your website through Wix's extensive app market.
- SEO tools: Built-in SEO features to help your website rank better in search engines.
Pros
- Easy to use: The drag-and-drop interface makes creating a website simple, requiring no coding knowledge.
- Lots of features: Wix offers many features and apps to add to your site.
- Flexible design options: You can create the website you imagine with many templates and customization options.
Cons
- Limited advanced features: While Wix is great for basic websites, it may lack the advanced features that more complex sites need.
- Not easy to switch templates: Once you choose a template, it's hard to change it later. You'll have to start from scratch.
- Pricing: You'll need to upgrade to a paid plan to get more features.
Pricing
- VIP plan: $24.50 per month
- Unlimited plan: $12.50 per month
- Combo plan: $8.50 per month
- Connect Domain plan: $4.50 per month
4. SEO and Analytics Tools
SEO Tools help improve your website's visibility in search engine results. They analyze elements like keywords, backlinks, and website structure to give you insights into how well your site is optimized for search engines. Analytics Tools, on the other hand, help you understand user behavior on your website. They track metrics like page views, bounce rates, and conversion rates, providing valuable data that you can use to make informed decisions.
SEO and analytics tools are essential for any digital agency that aims to offer a comprehensive digital marketing service. These digital tools help optimize a website and measure the effectiveness of various digital marketing strategies.
4.1. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a popular analytics tool for understanding how users engage with your website. It provides detailed statistics and analytics of web traffic and is an essential tool for marketing. Digital agencies often rely on Google Analytics to measure different marketing strategies' effectiveness and gain insights into user behavior.
Key Features
- Traffic analysis: Understand where your website's traffic is coming from—search engines, social media, or direct visits.
- User behavior: Track how users navigate your website, what pages they visit, and how much time they spend on each.
- Conversion tracking: Set goals to measure how often users complete specific actions, like purchasing or filling out a form.
- Real-time reporting: View real-time data on how many people are on your site, what pages they view, and more.
- Audience insights: Get detailed information about your audience, such as age, gender, and interests.
Pros
- In-depth insights: Google Analytics provides comprehensive data, helping you understand your audience and how they interact with your site.
- Customization options: You can set up custom reports and dashboards to view the metrics that matter most to you.
- Free to use: Besides being completely free, like many other Google tools, Google Analytics provides many features suitable for small to medium-sized businesses.
Cons
- Complex interface: The platform can be overwhelming for beginners due to its many features and data points.
- Data accuracy: While Google Analytics provides a lot of data, it's not always 100% accurate. Ad blockers and browser settings can affect tracking.
Pricing
- Google Analytics is completely free.
4.2. SEMRush
SEMrush is an all-in-one SEO and digital marketing tool that provides SEO, PPC, content, competitive research, and social media solutions. It's a popular choice among digital agencies for its robust features that help optimize online visibility and discover marketing insights.
Key Features
- Keyword research: Find the right keywords to target for SEO and PPC campaigns.
- Site audit: Analyze your website to identify SEO issues and get recommendations for improvements.
- Competitive analysis: Research your competitors' strategies in organic search, paid ads, and link building.
- Content analyzer: Evaluate the performance of your online content.
- Traffic analytics: Understand your audience and their behavior on your site.
Pros
- Comprehensive tool: SEMrush is a one-stop shop for all your digital marketing needs because of its many features.
- Competitive insights: The tool provides insights into your competitors' strategies, helping you stay a step ahead.
- Data accuracy: SEMrush is known for providing accurate and up-to-date data, making it reliable for decision-making.
Cons
- Steep learning curve: The tool's extensive features can be overwhelming for beginners, requiring time to understand how to use it effectively.
- Limited Free plan: The free version is quite limited, and you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan to unlock its full potential.
- High cost: SEMrush is on the expensive side, which might not be suitable for small agencies or individual marketers.
Pricing
- Free plan: $0 (but quite limited)
- Pro plan: $129.95 per month
- Guru plan: $249.95 per month
- Business plan: $499.95 per month
5. Social Media Management Tools
Social Media Management (SMM) tools help businesses manage their social media accounts more efficiently. These digital tools schedule posts, monitor social media engagement, and measure ROI, all from a single dashboard.
For digital agencies that manage social media accounts for multiple clients, these tools are not just a convenience but a necessity. They save time and offer valuable insights that can drive smarter marketing decisions.
5.1. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a popular SMM tool that manages multiple social media accounts from a single dashboard. It supports a variety of social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Hootsuite is beneficial for digital agencies that need to schedule posts, track social media engagement, and generate reports for multiple clients.
Key Features
- Post scheduling: Plan and schedule your social media posts in advance across multiple platforms.
- Analytics: Get detailed reports on how your social media content is performing.
- Team collaboration: Assign tasks, approve posts, and manage your team's workflow.
- Social listening: Monitor mentions of your brand or keywords across social media platforms.
- Content curation: Discover and share relevant content to keep your audience engaged.
Pros
- Time-saving: Hootsuite's ability to schedule posts in advance helps you save time and maintain a consistent posting schedule.
- Multi-platform support: Manage multiple social media accounts on different platforms from a single dashboard.
- Comprehensive analytics: The tool provides in-depth analytics to help you understand your social media performance.
Cons
- Complexity: The dashboard can be overwhelming for beginners, with multiple tabs and options.
- High cost: While Hootsuite offers a range of features, the pricing can be high for small businesses or individual users.
- Pricing
- Professional plan: $99 per month
- Team plan: $249 per month
- Enterprise plan: Custom
5.2. Buffer
Buffer is a user-friendly SMM tool designed to make it easier for digital agencies to schedule posts, track content performance, and manage all their accounts in one place. Known for its simplicity and ease of use, Buffer is an excellent option for those new to social media management.
Key Features
- Simple scheduling: Easily schedule posts for all your social media platforms in a few clicks.
- Performance analytics: Get insights into your posts' performance to understand your audience better.
- Multi-account management: Manage all your social media accounts from a single dashboard.
- Multi-channel support: Buffer supports Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Google Business, Mastodon, Shopify, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
- Team collaboration: Invite team members to collaborate, review, and schedule posts.
- Content library: Store and organize content you can easily reuse across different platforms.
Pros
- Ease of use: Buffer is known for its simple, intuitive interface, making it easy for anyone to get started.
- Flexible scheduling: The tool offers a variety of scheduling options, including the ability to set custom times for posts.
- Affordable pricing: Compared to other SMM tools, Buffer offers competitive pricing and is accessible to small businesses.
Cons
- Limited analytics: While Buffer offers basic analytics, they may not be as in-depth as some other specialized tools provide.
- No social listening features: Buffer focuses on scheduling and analytics but lacks social listening capabilities for tracking mentions and keywords.
- Limited Free plan: The free plan offers basic features but limits the number of scheduled posts and social accounts you can manage.
Pricing
- Free plan: $0
- Essentials plan: $6 per month for 1 channel
- Team plan: $12 per month for 1 channel
- Agency plan: $120 per month for 10 channels
6. Email Marketing Platforms
Email marketing platforms are specialized tools designed to help you create, send, and track email campaigns. They often provide templates, automation features, analytics, and integrations with other marketing tools. They offer the scalability, analytics, and customization options necessary to run effective email marketing campaigns for multiple clients.
6.1. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is one of the most popular email marketing platforms, known for its user-friendly interface and versatile features. It's a go-to choice for many digital agencies and businesses looking to create and manage email campaigns, automate workflows, and analyze performance metrics.
Key Features
- Email templates: Choose from various pre-designed templates or create your own to make your emails stand out.
- Audience segmentation: Segment your email list based on behavior, preferences, or demographics to send targeted messages.
- Automation: Set up automated email sequences for welcome emails, follow-ups, or cart abandonment reminders.
- Analytics: Track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates (CTRs), and return on investment (ROI) to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.
- Multi-channel Marketing: Beyond email, Mailchimp offers features for social media ads and landing pages.
Pros
- User-friendly: Mailchimp has an intuitive design and is easy for users to navigate.
- High customization: The platform offers a high degree of customization in email design and audience targeting.
- Comprehensive analytics: Mailchimp provides detailed analytics to help you understand how your campaigns perform and where to improve.
Cons
- High cost: While Mailchimp offers a free plan, the costs can increase as you add more contacts and features.
- Limited advanced features: The platform may lack specialized features for advanced email marketers.
- Complex for beginners: Despite its user-friendly interface, many features can be overwhelming for complete beginners.
Pricing
- Free plan: $0
- Essentials plan: $543.73 per month
- Standard plan: $836.50 per month
- Premium plan: $14,638.81 per month
6.2. HubSpot
HubSpot is a comprehensive marketing platform that goes beyond email marketing to offer a full spectrum of marketing, sales, and customer service tools. It's a popular choice among digital agencies for its all-in-one capabilities, including CRM, automation, analytics, and more.
Key Features
- Email campaigns: Create, send, and track email campaigns with ease.
- Marketing automation: Automate marketing tasks and workflows to nurture leads and customers.
- CRM integration: Seamlessly integrate your email marketing efforts with HubSpot's CRM to get a 360-degree view of your customers.
- Analytics: Get detailed reports on email performance, user engagement, and conversion rates.
- Lead management: Capture and manage leads from multiple channels, not just email.
Pros
- All-in-one solution: HubSpot offers a range of marketing tools in one platform, making managing multiple aspects of your marketing strategy easier.
- Deep analytics: The platform provides in-depth analytics beyond email metrics, offering insights into the entire customer journey.
- Scalability: HubSpot is designed to grow with your business, making it a good choice for agencies that plan to scale.
Cons
- High cost: HubSpot is expensive, especially for small businesses or starting agencies.
- Complexity: With its many features, the platform can overwhelm beginners.
- Learning curve: Due to its comprehensive nature, it may take time to fully understand and utilize all of HubSpot's features effectively.
Pricing
- Professional plan: $800 per month
- Enterprise plan: $3,600 per month
Best Tools for Digital Agencies: Final Thoughts
The best tools for digital agencies streamline complex processes, enhance productivity, and enable data-driven decision-making. By automating repetitive tasks, facilitating collaboration, and providing actionable insights through analytics, they empower agencies to deliver more effective, targeted, and measurable results for their clients. Therefore, investing in the right digital tools is crucial for any digital agency aiming for success.
Best Tools for Digital Agencies FAQs
What tools does a digital marketing agency use?
A digital marketing agency usually uses the following tools:
- Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, Qlik, Tableau
- SEO: SEMrush, MozBar, Ahrefs, ShortPixel
- Social Media: Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social
- Content Management: WordPress, HubSpot CMS, Drupal
- Email Marketing: Mailchimp, HubSpot, Constant Contact, SendinBlue
- CRM: Salesforce, Zoho CRM, HubSpot CRM
- Collaboration: Asana, Slack, Trello
- Design: Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, Snappa
What are the top five digital tools?
The five digital tools are:
- Social media marketing (SMM) tools
- Content marketing tools
- SEO tools
- Email marketing tools
- Analytics tools
