After a year like 2020, it's tough not to be optimistic about 2021. While a new year doesn't guarantee a better future, it promises the possibility of one. 

Despite lingering business restrictions and ongoing social distancing, the pandemic has taught leaders some important lessons. One of those is that they can't wait to invest in technology. Remote collaboration and digital marketing are quite literally impossible without it. The companies that thrived in 2020 did so, in many cases, simply because they had better software than their competitors.

With that in mind, here are a few tools you can use to revamp your business in the months ahead:

1. Knowledge Base Software

With so many people working from home, keeping everyone on the same page is more difficult than it used to be. Knowledge gaps make it more difficult to onboard employees, train team members on new processes, and even hold productive meetings.

The solution is a searchable, collaborative way to store knowledge. One solution is a corporate wiki, akin to a private Wikipedia, like Guru. Corporate wikis can house job descriptions, company processes, templates, orientation information, training manuals, cultural details, and more. 

Knowledge management isn't just important for remote teams, either. As offices reopen, standard operating procedures are likely to need a second look. Team members need a single source of truth on things like mask-wearing guidelines and sick leave policies.

2. Project Management Software

If knowledge management software provides the informational foundation for your company, project management software offers the executional foundation. These programs keep teams coordinated and ensure efficient production. 

Even if you're managing projects well in spreadsheets, a project management solution will make life easier. These suites let leaders break projects into tasks and subtasks, which can then be assigned to team members. They also allow for dependencies, making cascading workflows easier to manage. Deadlines, customizable statuses, document storage, and notification feeds round out the key features.

Popular project management tools include Asana, Monday.com, and Wrike. Because many of them have a steep learning curve, ask your team which ones they have experience using. 

On an efficient team, everyone knows what they're doing and who to ask for help if they get stuck. The right tool can make a night-and-day difference in productivity. 

3. Client Relationship Management Software

Knowledge base software and project management can support internal communication, but what about external? CRM systems can help you build better relationships with your customers. 

CRM software is great for not only maintaining relationships with current clients, but for prospecting new ones. For current customers, it can keep track of contact information, current contracts, assigned salespeople, and last contact dates. For new ones, it can analyze what current clients might need later or find similar clients in the same niche. 

Some CRMs have browser extensions that let you scrape public contact information from sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. Not only can this cut down on customer onboarding time, but ensures sales and customer service are always on the same page. 

4. E-Commerce Management Tools

With physical business restrictions and social distancing, having a presence online is more important than ever. Even if you're used to selling out of a brick-and-mortar storefront, you'll bring in more business by shifting your sights online.

PayPal found the already fast-growing e-commerce market exploded in 2020: Online shopping is up by 53%, home delivery by 45%, and online orders for pickup by 92% year over year. The writing is on the wall that traditional shopping may never be the norm again. 

Every company can find something to sell online. If you're a sit-down restaurant, perhaps you can bottle up and sell your sauces. If you're a construction company, why not offer consultations online? What about downloadable blueprints or even leftover site supplies? 

If you sell physical products, your challenge isn't knowing what to sell but how to manage it. Invest in an inventory tracking tool. Spreadsheets are not only confusing and cumbersome to manage, but lack the automations of modern tools. IoT solutions like WiseShelf update the status of a product as soon as it leaves the shelf. 

5. Search Engine Optimization Tools

Finally, the last tool to add to your toolbox in 2021 should be SEO software. Even if you have the best services in the world, it doesn't matter if your company cannot be found in search. 

Just how important is SEO? Consider the results of a recent survey:

• 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine.

• 57% of B2B marketers say SEO creates more leads than any other marketing campaign.

• 81% of consumers do online research before making a large purchase.

• 47% of consumers view 3-5 pieces of content created by a company before talking to a salesperson from that company.

• 72% of online marketers say content marketing is their most effective SEO tactic.

In other words, it's not enough to just have a website anymore. Companies that want to stand out need to keep their sites updated with relevant, useful information. Even if it's adjusting page text to match keyword trends or publishing an additional blog post per week, every little bit helps with SEO. 

While SEO might seem overwhelming, there are plenty of tools that can help you wrap your head around it. Google Analytics, for instance, is a free application that lets you analyze user behavior and demographics for your site. Keywords Everywhere is an extension that gives you analytic snapshots of keywords you're searching for: cost-per-click, monthly views, keyword saturation, and other relevant keywords are all there. If you want to develop content that blows away your peers, SEMRush offers competitive analysis tools. 

Until your own site is optimized for search, don't worry about offsite SEO. Building a robust backlink profile is difficult even for the enterprise. Your time is better spent penning some fresh blog content. 

No matter what 2020 held for you, make 2021 your year. Get the tools your company needs to become the best version of itself, and get cracking.