Over the next few weeks, I will be creating a helpful resource page that will cover the topics below. These will be resources that I have used to create a platform.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. Please understand that I have experience with all of these companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
Blogging
- WordPress (Self-Hosted): The #1 Blog Publishing Platform. Free and easily customizable with wonderful support. All of my blogs use WordPress.
- Elegant Themes: I like Elegant themes because you can choose from 76 different website themes that have a lot of cool features. There is a little assembly out of the box, but for $39 currently you get a great looking website with no malicious code or spyware.
- Standard 3 Theme : This is the theme that I currently use for most of my sites.
- Need A Topic: Justin has been a friend and a trusted resource for a few years. He delivers 3 emails right to your Inbox that helps you with Tips, Techniques, and Topics for better blogging. The cool part is it?s only $7 a month.
Hosting
- BlueHost : I switched from Godaddy shortly after I began building my own websites. I find the customer service to be better, and the ads to be more tasteful. I build all of my WordPress sites using Blue Host.
Product Distribution
- E-Junkie This would be good for selling an eBook. It?s compatible with Paypal Standard, Paypal Pro, Google Checkout, Authorize.net, TrialPay, Clickbank & 2CheckOut. Works great and a very affordable. It also has an affiliate program for your products.
- Paypal – The best use for Paypal really is to accept payments from whatever shopping cart you choose.
- Keyword Research
- Market Samurai – This is hands down the tool to use if you want to find good quality keywords, and not waste your time. I will be making some training videos soon.
- Google Adwords Tool
- Email Subscriptions and Marketing
- Aweber -I haven?t used a lot email campaign services. I started out with Mail Chimp and I didn?t care for it much. A friend suggested I switch to Aweber, and I have loved them ever since.
Advertising
- Google Adsense Make some extra cash by placing relevant ads on your website, generated from advertisers. It is a free service, but you will need to sign up an account. If you have a gmail account you can use the same login.
- Facebook Adwords I have a found Facebook ads to be a little more effective (and more affordable) than Google Adwords. You can easily tailor your ads to find specific people. If you run ads that direct people towards a Facebook page the ads are even more affordable.
Testing Results
- Google Analytics
Outsourcing
- Elance
- Odesk
- Fiverr
- Books
For Capturing Video and Screenshots
- Screenflow
- Camtasia ( PC)
- Camtasia (Mac)