RESOURCES
Below are the tools I use in my business and with my clients. If I recommend something on this page, it’s because I personally use it and have found it to be helpful - and I'm sure you will too.
Website / Blogging Resources
MailChimp (email marketing) – This is an oldie but a goodie. Despite what you may have heard, it has everything you need for email marketing, plus it integrates with just about everything and includes landing pages, tagging, segmentation and automation to move subscribers based on a whole range of triggers. It’s what I use for my own mailing list and newsletters, as well as clients. And best of all, a basic account is free so it's a great way to get your feet wet. Plus, I offer a course that will show you exactly how to use it to generate the best possible results (learn about it at Email Success System).
WordPress (website platform) – Free (WordPress.com) or self-hosted (WordPress.org) blogging and website-building program. This is what I build all of my websites on and my clients love it.
WP Engine (WordPress website hosting) – Managed hosting for WordPress sites. Fantastic speeds, easy to use. I host all of my clients’ websites here, as well as my own (in fact, I won't work with a website unless it's hosted with WP Engine). Save 20% off your 1st year when you use my affiliate link (aff)
WishList Member (membership site plugin) – If you want to convert your WordPress site into a membership site, this is the best product out there. It’s compatible with all the usual WordPress plugins and is easy to work with. For more info, see these answers to the most common WishList membership questions. (aff)
LeadPages (landing pages) – Landing pages made easy. Even if you’re just getting started and don’t have a website yet, this will get you up and running quickly. Gather email addresses, register people for events, sell stuff – there’s a ton you can do with LeadPages. (aff)
*** Kajabi (online courses, landing pages, email marketing, website builder, membership site, payment processing and hosting all in one) - If you're looking for a single package that can take the place of everything listed above, then Kajabi is your answer. You can get rid of all those other platforms (and the costs associated with them) and do everything you need on Kajabi. You'll find my courses (and everything that goes with them) on Kajabi - and I love it. It's simply the best solution I've found to make online courses and websites as easy (and profitable!) as possible. And if you're not sure whether it's right for you, there's a 28-day challenge to get you started - for free! (aff)
Social Media
The latest Guide to Social Media Image Sizes – regularly updated.
Images & Video for Your Website/Blog
Canva – Create images for all your social media needs (including cover images, Facebook ads, Twitter cards), plus a lot more. Many of the images on this website are created with Canva. – free or $12.95/mo
Animoto – A really cool (and free) application that lets you create short video slideshows with music – nice tool for promotions
Camtasia – Used to capture whatever’s on your screen or edit videos from your camera so you can post it on your website. I use it to create all of my recorded webinars and videos.
Wistia – Professional video hosting with analytics and video marketing tools. Free for up to 25 videos. A great alternative to YouTube, especially if you don’t want your videos publicly available (you can control exactly who can or cannot see your videos). I've used it to host a ton of videos for myself and clients without any hiccups.
Productivity
Calendly (scheduling) – Integrates with your calendar to show times you’re available and lets people automatically schedule time on your calendar. I love this tool – it saves so much time because you don’t have to go back and forth trying to figure out a convenient time for all parties to meet. Free or $10/month
monday.com (project management) - I have to admit that it's a weird name, but without out it my team and I would be totally lost! With this project management tool, everything is saved in one place (attachments, notes, images), it integrates with Dropbox / Google Drive, and you can work on multiple projects without getting things confused. It even has time tracking built in. I use this for all client projects so I don’t have to jump back and forth between separate documents and emails that are saved in different places - and even better, clients have total access to everything to answer questions, upload documents, follow progress, etc. You can learn more here >> (aff)
CoSchedule – An editorial calendar that integrates with WordPress and all other types of websites to track, edit, and promote your posts. Just schedule posts and updates and leave it to CoSchedule to take of the rest. Love it!
Toggl (time tracking) – A fabulous and easy-to-use time tracker. Desktop, cloud, or mobile versions all sync up. Integrates with FreshBooks (and more) to automatically track billable hours. I’d lose many hours a week without Toggl. Free or paid version.
FreshBooks (invoicing & payments) – A cloud-based accounting program that’s built specifically for small businesses. It’s easy to use and integrates with just about everything. Send invoices automatically and receive payment online. Perfect! Monthly cost depends on which plan you use. Free or $19.95/month and up ($19.95 is enough for most smaller businesses). Use my affiliate link and your first month on a paid account is FREE!
Note: Some of these links are affiliate links (indicated with “aff”), which means that if you click on the link and then buy the product, I will get a commission. There’s no pressure for you to buy anything, and you should only buy what you think will work for you. But if you do buy, thank you for your support!