Here are some resources that I personally use to build my business and stand behind 100 percent. Some are even my own:)
Websites
Web Hosting
Hostgator is the web hosting provider we use. They have saved my butt many times with live technical support and an easy to use system. The pricing is super reasonable. I recommend the “baby” account, which is only around $8 per month. Note: If you have a WordPress website, make sure you use WordPress.org and host it through a service like Hostgator. If you use WordPress.com, WordPress hosts it for you which sounds good, but the truth is, you don’t have control over your site the way you do if it’s hosted by an outside service. And you want to be in control of your own website.
Website Security
Getting hacked is awful – trust me, I’ve been through it more than once. I finally got wise and installed Securi on my websites. It’s affordable and a heck of a lot less expensive than paying someone to remove the malicious software from your site.
Membership Sites
Wishlist
I’ve used different programs but by far the easiest and least expensive resource I’ve found to create membership sites is Wishlist. If you have a WordPress website, you’re going to love this. Wishlist is just a WordPress plugin. Just upload the plugin, and within minutes you’ll have your own membership site, complete with protected, members-only content, integrated payments, member management, and a lot more. I actually use it for my Membership Program and for some of my online training programs.
AccessAlly
If you want a beautiful, easy to use and comprehensive way to manage all of your programs (and put them under one roof), then check out AccessAlly. That’s the system I’m using on this site. It’s a WordPress plugin that integrates beautifully with various Contact Management Systems. Click here to get your first month for just $7 so you can give it a go.
Appointment Scheduling
Accuity Scheduling
You want to make it super easy for your clients, prospective clients and colleagues to schedule appointments with you. And I’ve found a tool that not only makes it easy for them but for me! I love Acuity Scheduling because it’s easy for people to schedule an appointment and it sends them a reminder email so they don’t forget. It’s very easy for me to set up and it syncs with my online calendar. I can tailor it to my brand, and I can tailor the follow up emails they get. It’s very affordable and you can get a free trial to test it out.
Webinars
Zoom
My new, favorite way to host client meetings – both for private clients and group coaching calls is Zoom. I love that we can all see one another (you can turn off your camera if you like), creating stronger engagement and connection. And you can share your screen, which is great for teaching and demonstrating. You can also use Zoom for webinars, and what I love most is that you can share your screen and your webinar guests can see your face (if you like). You can sign up for a free account here.
Coaching Tools
Coaching Tools
The Coaching Tools Company helps coaches save time and energy in running a coaching business. They provide valuable tips, tools, resources and ideas for coaches. Check out some of their free coaching tools here.
Graphics
Graphic Design
I’m often asked about about where to find a good designer. I personally use 99designs.
You can choose from thousands of talented designers, who can create anything from logos to banners to business cards. I’ve used their team of designers to create logos for programs and other great graphics. Give it a go!
Stock Photos
It’s super important that when you use stock photos, you have the rights to that photo or image or you run the risk of getting in trouble for intellectual property infringement.
The good news is there are a ton of resources you can use to find images and photos.
Flickr is a great resource offering free images and photos you can use on your website. However, not all images on Flickr can be used. You can’t use a copyrighted image. You can use images under the Creative Commons License category, but there are rules you have to follow. If there’s an attribution license attached to the image, you can use it so long as you give credit by linking back to the site where the image came from (you can put the credit near the image or at the end of a blog post).
I prefer to buy stock images, which you can purchase and then use on a royalty free basis. It’s hassle free, affordable and gives me a great selection of images. The source I use and recommend is DepositPhotos.
List Building
Landing Pages
This is by far the quickest, easiest and least expensive way to create landing pages and more. There’s no technical knowledge required – you’ll get a ton of templates to choose from so you don’t have to start from scratch. You can use it with WordPress or have LeadPages host your content for you, so you can start building your list even if you don’t have a website. You will be amazed at the high conversion rates you get. Lead Pages is by far the best investment you can make if you want to build your list with instant landing pages that all the pros use!
Email Management System
When I first started my business, I used Aweber. It’s one of the easiest, most reliable and cost effective tools to capture visitor sign ups, send email follow up emails and broadcast emails. You can take a test drive for 30 days when you click on the link.
Keyword Research
This is the keyword research tool I use and recommend, but it is so much more than that. Market Samurai is a “secret weapon” to uncover “gold-nugget” keywords that bring you targeted traffic and high conversions. You can get a free trial with tons of free training.
Ecommerce
Shopping Cart Systems
If you’re selling from your website, you need a way to take payments.
PayPal is probably the simplest and most affordable option but it won’t give you functionality like affiliate programs (where you pay joint venture partners for promoting you) or customer relationship management.
If you want a more advanced solution, you’ll need to set up the following:
1) A merchant account, which handles the financial processing of the credit card transaction with the banks and card brand (VISA, MasterCard, etc). We use PowerPay
2) A payment gateway, which provides the technology to securely capture and transfer the credit card information from a website shopping cart to the merchant account. We use Authorize.net
3) A website shopping cart, which tracks purchases and allows customers to add items for eventual checkout
We use Powerpay.biz for our merchant account, and Authorize.net for our payment gateway. Powerpay is one of the largest resellers of Authorize.net, so you can get a deal when you bundle their services.
Some of the top shopping cart services include 1ShoppingCart, InfusionSoft and Office AutoPilot. These systems all have different functionalities, but they all include email management systems, so you don’t need to set up a separate email service like Aweber.
1ShoppingCart is a great system, especially if you’re just getting started with online transactions. It does offer affiliate management as well, for an additional price. I found a reseller of 1 Shopping Cart that offers 30% affiliate commission instead of the usual 10%.
All-In-One System Plus Support
We use and recommend Infusionsoft if you want an all-in-one solution for email marketing, affiliate marketing and website sales.
It’s not the easiest system to get set up, so would I recommend hiring an Infusionsoft expert to help you get going.
Kathy is the person that helps me with Infusionsoft. She has been working with me since 2010 and is an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant. To find out more about Infusionsoft and how it might help your business grow, contact Kathy directly at this link or at kathy@marketingfromwithin.com, and she’ll not only take good care of you, but help you negotiate a great deal.
*Let me be completely transparent here:
Many of the links on this page are affiliate links which means that I earn money if you choose to buy at some point in the near future. Thank you for trusting my judgment and allowing me to share these resources while making some additional money! I do believe these are some of the best resources I am using in my business so I hope you’ll love them as much as I do.
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