Business Tools
Starting a blog can be overwhelming. With so much information out there, it is hard to know who to follow and who is just selling you something to make a buck.
Below are my favorite blogging tools that I have personally invested in and use(d).
I spend 10s of hours watching videos and reading articles from the best of the best in the industry. And then more hours personally diving in and testing the software. So rest assured, I only recommend the best on this page.
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Website Hosting
Hosting is what stores and delivers your files to end users that access your website. Websites do not exist without hosting. Choosing a great host from the beginning, helps set your website up for success.
NameHero
If you want AWESOME hosting, you have to invest in NameHero. They are not the typical host you hear about, but they are the real deal.
Before I happened across them, I was actually beginning to lose hope in a great hosting company to recommend.
Their websites are ridiculously fast, you get all access to the backend of your website and Ryan, the owner, personally creates tutorials and videos to make the most of your hosting.
Domain Name Provider
Your domain name is how people are going to find you online. It is your address online.
NameCheap
Some web hosting companies offer a free domain name for the first year of your hosting. However, I actually recommend keeping these separate, for many reasons.
I love NameCheap because they are affordable at both the time of purchase and at renewal, as well.
You also get FREE Who-is guard, which you will always want to enable. It blocks identifying factors such as your name, address and phone number.
Many other providers charge $12 or more per year, for this service.
Website Theme and Builder
It’s no secret that WordPress is the preferred software for starting a blog. It’s powerful and totally customizable. However, designing in WordPress without a builder is a whole other story. If you don’t know how to code and have no intentions on learning how to, a website builder is hands down one of the best investments you will make. It is going to save you tons of headaches!
Divi by Elegant Themes
Divi by Elegant Themes is the most popular WordPress theme. And their builder allows you to completely design your website, no code necessary. It is literally drag and drop.
But, I what I think makes Elegant Themes special is the option to purchase a lifetime access to their theme and builder. You pay one time and never pay another dime!
Plus, you are given unlimited installments (use it on as many websites as you’d like!). Want to run 3 blogs? No problem!
Not to mention, professional web designers use Elegant Themes, so you know it’s good.
Email Marketing
Emails are essential to any business. It gives you a direct line to your audience and subscribers. No relying purely on social media. There are a few email marketing platforms I recommend for bloggers.
FloDesk
With FloDesk, you can save 50% on your monthly subscription, through this link only. Once you cash in on this FloDesk discount code, you get that price forever!
FloDesk is still in Beta, which means they are working out kinks and introducing new features frequently.
They won’t be a great fit for everyone and you can read why in my review here.
What I love about FloDesk is that they have beautiful email templates ready to go. And with each subscription you get UNLIMITED email subscribers.
At one point, I had over 6,000 subscribers. Which would have cost me 4x as much as I was paying at Flodesk.
ConvertKit
If you are in need of a more advanced email marketing platform, check out ConvertKit.
ConvertKit is a preferred platform for bloggers across every niche, for good reason.
They are flexible, easy to use and have many integrations. The best part is that you can try them out for completely free. So, there is no risk to you.
MailerLite
MailerLite is my favorite free starter email marketing platform. Unlike other email marketing providers, MailerLite allows you to use automations on your free account.
Automations are so important in email marketing. It gives you the ability to send a series of emails, without having to physically send them. It’s super powerful.
With a free MailerLite account, the first 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails are free. In other words, if you get 1,000 subscribers, you could, theoretically, send them 12 emails in the month.
SEO Tools
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for any blog or business, for that matter. SEO helps Google and other search engines understand your pages and website. So that they can recommend your blog and website to potential buyers and readers.
KeySearch
I happened across KeySearch accidentally, but they are so easy to get started with.
Compared to other SEO tools I have looked into, they are much more affordable. Which is perfect for beginner bloggers and single owner websites.
SEO is such an important aspect to blogging and online business. Save 20% with KeySearch with code: KSDISC
Legal Templates
Anytime you have a website or blog, it is important to have your legal matters in order. There are a number of legal pages that your blog may need. Including, but not limited to a Privacy Policy, Disclaimer and Terms and Conditions page. Not having these pages in place could leave you open and vulnerable to legal actions taken against you.
A Self Guru
Some bloggers choose to use free templates for their legal pages starting out. I would advise against it, if you can. Or make sure you are not participating in actions on your website that require these legal pages.
Amira at A Self Guru has an awesome bundle of the typical 3 pages that most blogs and websites need. She is a lawyer herself and uses these same templates (catered to her business) on her own 7-figure blog.
I also have invested in her templates. After researching a couple of other sellers, I found hers to be of the highest quality.
It took me less than 30 minutes to add my personal information and add them to my website. SO EASY!
Free Blogging Cheatsheet
Get all of the information you need to start your blog today. Learning how to start a blog doesn't have to be difficult. Knowing which tools to have in your toolbox will start you off on the right foot.
This free blogging cheatsheet walks you through what you need to start a blog, drive traffic and, eventually make money.
