Some things you can try to do yourself, but in the end a great tool can save you hours of heartache and frustration!
The following are tools and resources that I use and recommend.
Jump to the section most relevant to you using the quick navigation below.
WEBSITE HOSTING
Choosing a web hosting company is tough.
So the following are the web hosting companies I recommend to my clients, and have thoroughly tested.
1. SiteGround
If you are just starting out, Siteground is a great company for shared hosting.
They have great customer service, really know WordPress and they help get your website running fast!
They are also not very expensive.
Here’s my review of SiteGround
2. Traffic Planet
Mad Lemmings (this website) is currently hosted on Traffic Planet. They are a little more expensive, but their servers are amazingly fast. This website has never been faster, and I have tried both Bluehost and Siteground for hosting.
3. Bluehost
Bluehost is also a hosting company I use for my sites with less traffic. It is a great place to host your first blog, but not quite at the same standard as Siteground.
Compare them both – check out Bluehost here
WORDPRESS THEMES
One of the first things you will need to do when you setup WordPress is find a Theme for amazing new site!
This website is using Thrive Themes, which is not only a great looking theme but:
- comes with a simple to use Page Builder
- is optimized to be fast
- is optimized to convert (ie. sell more)
You can read my full review here, and my 7 reasons for switching to Thrive.
If you are looking for some other options, here are some of the best theme websites around:
You can also read my post on choosing on a theme for more info.
EMAIL LIST BUILDING
To start building your email list you will need a simple email marketing program.
If you are just starting out there are two options I would recommend trying:
Both of these programs provide you with the ability to create lists for separating out your different customer types (if you need it. And also creating automated emails.
Aweber is not free, but has automated mails included. Mailchimp is free for smaller lists, but if you want automated emails you have to pay extra.
Email Optin Forms
The other most important thing you need to start collecting emails on your website is the ability to create optin forms.
The two tools I recommend using for this are either:
- Thrive Leads (simple, awesome, cheap)
- LeadPages (more powerful, feature rich, and works for non-WordPress landing pages)
Thrive is more than enough for simple optins that are high converting. You also get A/B testing which is what the pros use to tweak their forms.
LeadPages is even better, and I recommend it if you have the budget.
Check out both, I use them and recommend them to all my clients
LANDING PAGES
If you really want to start seriously building your blog or business, you have to build your email list.
That means enticing people to sign up to your list, creating landing pages and much more.
Some of the best tools for doing this are:
You can also find a lot more options for landing pages in this post.
And if you want options for popups for your email list, check out this detailed post.
SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
These are some of the best tools for managing your social media online.
TweetDeck – This is a great tool for getting an overview of your Twitter Account. (my review)
Hootsuite – Similar to TweetDeck, but enables you to do LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ Pages.
Buffer – My goto application for scheduling Tweets. Can be done from inside the browser, feed readers etc.
TweetAdder – The only way to increase your Twitter Following fast, and with targeted Followers. (my review)
Pinterest (Image Focused Tools)
ViralTag – This is a great tool for those who love focusing on visuals/images. You can share to Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and More. And it has some great scheduling built in. (my review)
