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Recommendations
If it appears on this page then either:
A) I use it myself
OR
B) I feel it has benefits worth considering
This page lists software or services or companies grouped in, what I hope are logical, categories for you!
DISCLOSURE: There may be affiliate links included below. WOWIT Enterprises Inc. may get paid, at no additional cost to you, if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of those links. Please read the Disclosure Policy for more information.
Contents
Business Tools
QuickBooks
QuickBooks is bookkeeping and accounting software. You can track both your income and expenses pretty easily with a lot of reporting options too. I really like the scalability of this software. If you switch gears with your business to add a different income stream, it’s very straight forward to include that quickly.
You can generate your invoices (and brand them), manage payroll, automate billing and payments, and more. Another feature I love is creating an accountant version. This packages your information to send off to your account for faster year-end processing. Very handy.
Vistaprint
You’ve probably heard of Vistaprint as their advertising campaigns are almost everywhere! Their pitch is valid – very good business cards, for a great price, and delivered fairly quickly. But they actually offer much more.
You can get great branded products through Vistaprint too. They have a huge range: postcards, vinyl signs, posters, yard signs, mugs, puzzles, stationery, clothing, and more. I’ve stuck to the more traditional offerings for business cards so far.
Zoom
Zoom is a video conferencing platform. You can use it for one-on-one chats, team conferences, or even webinars. Plus you have scheduling capabilities, whiteboarding, and session recording.
They have a few different pricing options so you can find what works for you. Even better – there’s a FREE version too! It seems to be most well-known for its ease of use.
Sync
Sync is a cloud storage provider. It gives you the means to store, share, and access your files. Plus it has end-to-end encryption and a big focus on privacy. That means that not even Sync staff can access your data – only you.
Sync is a Canadian company and all data is stored on Canadian servers. And they provide global data privacy compliance: USA-HIPAA, EU/UK GDPR, and CAN-PIPEDA.
Borrowell
Borrowell is a free credit report and credit score service. This is a Canadian company providing online financial services for Canadians. Including: personal loans, credit cards, and mortgages.
They provide credit reports specifically through Equifax. It’s a great way to see how your credit looks quickly… and for free.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a file hosting service. Similar to Google Drive or Sync, it provides cloud storage for your files. But please note that the Dropbox service is NOT zero-knowledge. Support personnel do have access to your data.
I suggest you use Dropbox as an overflow service. For files that are not personal nor confidential, saving them on Dropbox is fine. But if you need more secure storage then consider something like Sync.
Credit Karma
Credit Karma provides free credit scores and credit reports. But also tax filing, loans, credit cards, ID theft protection, and other services.
Credit Karma doesn’t perform any credit calculations itself. Rather, it shows you your credit score and report from Transunion. Many of their services are free.
Creative/Editing
Canva
Canva is all about designing images. The software gives you a really flexible way to generate designs quickly. It comes with pre-set image sizes specifically tailored for the various social media platforms. But also for logos, business cards, flyers, etc.
You also have free templates (more than 8000!) and a significant number of free photos and images. That’s in the free version. If you upgrade to a paid version then you’ll have access to over 50 million photos and graphics!
I mostly use Canva for creating Pinterest pins. But I’ve also created business cards, LinkedIn and YouTube banners, and even graphics to include in articles and posts.
Teachable
Can you guess the purpose of Teachable from the name? Teachable gives you a platform to create and sell courses online. The platform gives you access to payment gateways and fast design formatting. You don’t have as much customization as a website, but it’s pretty decent.
And the courses themselves accommodate different formats. Your course can be delivered by text, by audio, by video, or a combination. You can also provide downloads: PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc. And even provide links to Google drive shared documents. Very flexible, very convenient.
Loom
Loom is a video communication tool. You can record your screen or your voice and image or both. But please note it’s not a means for “live” communication.
I use it mostly for tutorials and instructional videos. But I also record quick videos when I’m having a software issue. Then I can just send the link to support without typing a novel trying to explain my issue.
And the cloud storage is a big plus. You don’t send the actual video because videos are usually very large files. Instead, you just forward the Loom link. Easy.
PicPick
PicPick is a Windows only program for capturing screenshots. One of the key features I like with this software is the ability to capturing scrolling website pages. And it also has editing features.
But note that this software is only free for private use. If you’ll be using it commercially then you need to buy a license.
GIMP
GIMP is an open source image editor. It stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. Plus it’s free – you can’t beat that price.
GIMP is not the easiest tool to learn if you have no background in image editing. At least, I found there was a bit of a learning curve. But it does have the functionality you need to get the job done.
TinyPNG/TinyJPG
TinyPNG and TinyJPG use compression techniques to reduce image size. That means your website will be more responsive – loading faster and using less bandwidth.
Studies have shown that around 40% of visitors will leave a site if it takes longer than three (3) seconds to load. That can have a huge impact on your business. So reducing the size of your images can improve your online business traffic.
That’s important.
Awesome Screenshot
Awesome Screenshot is a screen capture tool. It can capture full-screen or a specific selected area. Plus it has editing features: add shapes or text, crop or resize, mask sensitive information by blurring, etc.
It even has a screen-recording feature. Although that’s limited to just 30 seconds. The primary feature I use with this tool is the entire page capture. This type of capture scrolls through the whole page, not just one page at a time.
PrimoPDF
PrimoPDF creates a PDF file from a Microsoft Word document. You can generate a basic PDF file from Microsoft documents without a separate tool. However, PrimoPDF gives you more flexibility.
With PrimoPDF you can save customizations for PDF creation. And you can also append PDF files. That’s the feature I use the most often. But you can also add encryption and set the document properties.
So if you need a bit more than basic PDF creation, then this is a good option. Free, of course.
Coggle
Coggle is mind map software. A mind map is a visual organization of information. Similar in concept to flowcharts or swim lanes. Mind mapping can be a great way to collaborate visually.
Coggle gives you a platform to brainstorm your flows. With Coggle you can add text and even images, create loops and join branches, and even have multiple starting points.
With the free version you’ll have limits on shapes and colouring and diagrams. But you can upgrade to premium versions relatively inexpensively.
Greenshot
Greenshot is a screen capture tool. Now, there are a lot of screen capture tools available. I like Greenshot because it’s “simple” but has lots of functionality.
You can easily capture full-screen and selected areas or regions. If you’re using the Internet Explorer browser then you can also capture scrolling web pages. Plus it has good annotation/editing options: shapes, drawing, highlighting, and even obfuscation (masking) for sensitive data.
I use Greenshot for most of my screen captures needs. The preferences are easily customizable so I have it set to save every screen capture I take. Although if I want to capture a scrolling web page then I’ll use Awesome Screenshot instead.
RelayThat
RelayThat is image design software. But it’s “automated” in that it can automatically resize your images for multiple formats. That includes most social media channels.
This tool is pretty slick. It has the usual drag and drop creative features plus the awesome resizing and some great templates. But it also provides a headline generator, a library of colour palettes, and more than three (3) million images.
Unfortunately, it’s not free. But for me, it’s been worth the cost. For example, I can now create Pinterest pins about ten (10) times faster AND they look better too! Not because of me – because of their templates.
Marketing
MailerLite
MailerLite is an email service provider. It provides you with the means to manage your email subscribers and engage them through automated sequences of emails.
I really like the simple plug ‘n play approach in MailerLite. You can create email campaigns including surveys and videos. You can set up subscription forms and even pop-ups. The automated email sequences help you ensure you can always engage with your audience.
And they have a free option. In fact, their approach is to offer almost everything available in the paid version to those subscribing for free. You only start paying when you reach a certain number of subscribers. That ensures you have plenty of time to investigate all the features.
TubeBuddy
TubeBuddy is a free browser extension that helps you run your YouTube channel. It is a toolkit that loads inline within your YouTube site. So you don’t need to jump around to different browser tabs.
What do you get? Bulk processing tools (Cards, Playlists, Thumbnails), advanced analytics, and canned responses. Plus tools for optimization, promotion, keyword research, upload defaults, and management tools. You even have Card and EndScreen templates.
Slido
Slido is described as a question and answer polling tool. Where Slido shines the most is when you need to manage a large conference. Questions can be submitted interactively and even anonymously if you choose.
This allows full audience engagement but also helps you prioritize. People can upvote the questions so that you answer the most important questions first. Plus you can poll your audience for the specific feedback you want.
Slido gives you the means to make your events more interactive. It’s also compatible with a lot of existing, popular software like Slack, Skype, and Zoom.
ConvertKit
ConvertKit is an email service provider, sometimes known as email marketing software. This software helps you engage your audience through forms and automated email sequences.
ConvertKit has visual flowchart views to guide you through email sequences. It’s also created and run by bloggers. And very highly respected by those using it.
ManyChat
ManyChat is a chatbot service for Facebook. This lets you use Facebook Messenger to automate responses. Which means you can provide service to your audience even when you’re not online.
ManyChat boasts an 80% open rate through the service. The primary focus is sales and marketing. It can provide a messaging sequence similar to an email sequence.
PicSnippets
PicSnippets lets you add custom text to images for personalized messages. Studies confirm that images convert better than text. And personalized images are even better.
You can upload your own images and they’re optimized for fast loading. But you also have access to a large library of templates. Plus the tool analytics let you track audience interaction.
MOZ SEO
MOZ SEO advertises the “World’s Best SEO Tools.” The tools can help with link building and analysis, keyword research, website performance, and more.
You get a number of tools for free with MOZ. That includes the keyword explorer and link explorer. Also, the MOZ bar which analyzes your page metrics. Pretty cool.
Sumo
The Sumo tagline is “The #1 FREE email capture tool.” The focus is on sales and marketing strategies, directly on your website. And that’s achieved with various types of email opt-ins.
They’re customizable and offer popups, welcome mats, share buttons, and a smart bar. Plus you can incorporate them into social media and your e-commerce store. You can even add discount codes.
Be.Live
Be.Live is a live-streaming tool. They’re a solutions partner with Facebook but the tool also works with YouTube. Their statistics indicate Be.Live is more effective than native application streams.
With Be.Live you can add branding with your logo and colours. You can also share up to four (4) people on screen and easily display interactive comments.
I haven’t used it myself, but I’ve been on a number of Be.Live sessions and they do look really good.
Organization
ClickUp
ClickUp is a process management platform. But it’s so much more. I use it, primarily, in two different ways. Firstly, I use it for project management. But then I also use it for my ToDo lists.
You have a lot of different features available in ClickUp: task entry and sub-tasks and checklists, work-effort estimates and time logging and tracking, task dependencies and recurring tasks, scheduling and calendar synchronization, and reporting.
Actually, there are even more features but just too many to list. I love the drag and drop nature of the interface and the different views possible. And the fact that I can customize my favourite views.
LastPass
LastPass is all about password management. It stores your passwords for you and also generates strong, secure passwords.
With LastPass you just remember the one, master password. They use AES-256 bit encryption with SHA-256 and salted hashes. Translation – SERIOUS encryption.
And it’s not just for passwords. You can also just store information so it’s always handy: insurance policy numbers, software licenses, subscription/membership numbers, etc.
Airtable
Airtable is an organizational tool – a combination of spreadsheet and database functionality. It’s well-suited for project management but also data management.
I use Airtable to track my online business website elements. For example, I track all my blog posts written and all the videos I’ve created. Then I cross-reference the two lists so that I know how often the videos are used.
You can even add formulas and customize the linkages. It might take some time to learn the different components but it has some neat features. And they have a free version too!
Productivity
SmarterQueue
SmarterQueue is an automated scheduler for posts to social media. You know that social media is an important component to consider in your marketing plans. But manual posting is very time-consuming.
With SmarterQueue, you can use the automation so that posts appear across the globe in their local prime times. You control the different posting categories and frequency. And you can even search for other content to post for your audience.
SmarterQueue is one of a very few officially approved Pinterest partners. But I also wanted to schedule other social media platforms and SmarterQueue currently supports: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Grammarly
Perhaps one of the most important tools for writing articles/posts is Grammarly. At a minimum, Grammarly helps you fix your spellings. However, it also evaluates the context of your writing: missing articles, comma usage, repetitive words, etc.
What’s really great is Grammarly has a free option. But if you purchase a subscription then you’ll get even more features: recommendations on style and tone, better word usage suggestions, plagiarism detector, etc.
NOTE: This post was proofread by Grammarly.
Buffer
Buffer helps manage your social media channels. It lets you publish content all from the Buffer software. Buffer currently supports Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
But it’s not just publishing but also scheduling. And it offers collaboration capabilities. So you can manage a team working on single or multiple streams and stay synchronized.
MapCustomizer
MapCustomizer allows you to plot multiple addresses on a single map. Then you can use that visual guide to work out your own traffic circuit. It’s a great way to figure out how to visit multiple locations in the most efficient manner.
I used this tool a lot when I worked in Mystery Shopping. It made it easier to see the best way to approach a lot of shops.
Smart Voice Recorder
Smart Voice Recorder is an app that can record in the background on your phone. One of the recommended uses is for confirming a spouse snoring. But it can also be useful to capture the details of a Mystery Shopping excursion. However, you MUST check the laws where you live to clarify legality.
It has an automatic silence skipping feature which saves storage space. And it runs in the background so it’s not obvious it’s active.
TeamViewer
TeamViewer is a remote connectivity platform. You can access computers, mobile devices, and network machines. This is useful for accessing your own computer remotely. But also accessing a friend or family member’s computer – for example, if you’re helping them solve software issues.
When you access a computer remotely, you have full control of the operating system. And there’s even a TeamViewer AddOn for mobile devices – both iOS and Android.
Security
PIA
PIA is Private Internet Access and it is a VPN service provider. VPN is Virtual Private Network and it masks your IP address so you can browse securely.
Now PIA provides much more than just IP masking. Your wi-fi is encrypted, ads and malware are blocked, and you can use it across multiple devices.
PIA helps make your activity even more secure. Your ISP, the company which provides your internet access, will not have logs of your activity when you use a VPN like PIA. Your browsing is private, anonymous, which gives you an extra level of security. That’s one more tool to avoid identify theft.
Panda
Panda is a security suite that covers more than just antivirus. You have protection from viruses, malware, personal firewall, wi-fi protection, parental control, and more.
Panda also has some extra features you might find useful. Things like VPN and, most important to me, it supports multiple devices. So I can use it on my laptop but also a tablet and smartphone.
Trashmail
Trashmail is a neat little piece of software to provide you with a disposable email address. You can have multiple disposable addresses functioning at one time for different purposes. And you decide how long the address survives.
Why would you need a disposable email address? Two big reasons:
- Extremely useful for software testing – gives you the means to create multiple email addresses quickly but let them expire when you’re finished
- Any situation when you’re working with a website that you’re not certain is reputable
Lookout
Lookout is a security and anti-virus app for mobile devices. The app provides protection from viruses, malware, adware, and spyware. It even has a “find my phone” option.
Lookout identifies itself as the leader in mobile security with a big focus on phishing protection. They have a suite of techniques used to detect issues including machine learning – kind of like crowdsourcing for mobile device security.
Site Tools
Bluehost
Every online business needs a website – enter Bluehost. There are many, many hosting providers available. I recommend Bluehost for all beginners.
The number one reason I suggest Bluehost is their support. They provide both an online chat service and telephone service. When you’re new to websites, having this level of support is HUGE!
The second big factor is pricing. For new customers, they have some really amazing rates. And if you choose them, then lock in those rates for as long as possible!
I currently use Bluehost myself and I really appreciate the customer service. The online chat is my favourite – I can ask my questions and keep on working while they’re helping me.
Elegant Themes
When you set up your online business website, one of the first decisions you’ll make will be choosing your WordPress theme. There are a LOT of themes out there and many of them are free. When you first start creating your website, I recommend sticking with a free theme.
But once you’re comfortable with WordPress and you want to improve your site, then try Elegant Themes. This company has two themes to choose from: Divi and Extra. But the BIG feature is the Divi Builder.
Divi Builder is a website page builder. Basically, instead of spending your time learning and writing code, you use the page builder instead. It’s a drag and drop concept but with a great set of customizations. And development is ongoing so there are new features introduced frequently.
I switched to Elegant Themes when my site was about six months old. I’m quite pleased with all the features available and it’s saved me so much time maintaining my site. Most people seem to choose the Divi theme but I went with Extra. Primarily because I felt Extra had a better format for blogging: social media icons readily accessible (even for the menu bar) and a nicely structured archive display.
I liked it so much I purchased the lifetime access!
Namecheap
Namecheap is a domain hosting service. If you’re going to start an online business then you need a domain name. Namecheap provides a platform to make that purchase.
Now, there are some hosting providers which give you a domain name for free. Personally, I prefer to separate those two purchases. Then if I decide to switch hosting providers, I can prepare the setup in advance to avoid any unpleasant conversations.
Cloudflare
Cloudflare is a CDN – Content Delivery Network. With servers around the world, it can serve your content to your audience faster. Faster response time on your website means fewer lost customers.
Cloudflare actually offers much more than just CDN. It also has firewall protection which helps guard you against malware and phishing. In addition, there are scalability solutions: load balancing, DNS, virtual backbone.
Some of the services are even free.
Mailgun
Mailgun enables you to send large quantities of email with optimal deliverability. Your typical web hosting provider is not designed for high-volume email transmissions. In fact, often a hosting provider will throttle email traffic.
Using Mailgun you’ll have reliable email transmission. And there are other features: email address validation, email list management, bound management, SMTP services, logs and analytics, and more.
Bitly
Bitly is a URL shortening service. Shortening URLs is especially important for social media platforms and SMS messaging. Long links take up valuable space in social media posts.
Bitly has a free service for standard URL shortening. But their premium service allows you to brand your shortened links for better audience recognition.
There are other URL shortening services but Bitly is certain the most well-known.
WordPress Plugins
Yoast
One of the most important aspects of running an online business is having customers visit your site. The Yoast plugin helps you get that traffic.
The plugin guides you in keyword optimization for your posts. It provides recommendations for: post readability, SEO assessment, google display snippet content, and more.
There is a premium version of Yoast but the free version is a great starting point.
UpdraftPlus
If you’ve ever accidentally lost your work during a computer hiccup, then you know how important a backup copy can be. UpdraftPlus gives you backup copies for your website.
The plugin gives you the ability to backup, restore, and clone your website. You have options to schedule your backups and save them to various cloud services. This is one plugin you’ll be really happy you’ve installed if you ever have to use it!
Antispam Bee
One of the first plugins you should add to your website is to block spam. Antispam Bee is a great little spam blocker plugin. It may not be as well-known as some of the others, but it’s quite effective.
When you set up a website you want to avoid unnecessary work. Cleaning up after a spam attack is annoying and unnecessary. Installing and activating an antispam plugin is the easiest first step in prevention.
MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights is THE best Google Analytics Plugin. Usually, I wouldn’t be so direct with such a claim but they can back it up. They have over 34 million downloads – that’s big-time substantial.
Google Analytics is the tracking software that identifies how people access your website. It’s critical information to help plan your marketing and increase your traffic.
Now, you could manually access Google Analytics whenever you want to check your data. But, using a plugin makes it easier to see your statistics quickly and take action. I currently use the free version but there are premium features available as well.
WPForms
The WPForms plugin is a forms builder. It has drag and drop features that make it easy to set up forms quickly. Contact forms, feedback forms, subscription forms, etc.
The plugin has templates and is also mobile responsive. So the forms look good across all devices. When I switched to Elegant Themes and the Divi Builder, I also switched to their built-in forms instead. But if I were not using the Divi Builder then I would definitely stick with this plugin.
Redirection
The Redirection plugin helps you avoid 404 errors. It manages 301 redirections and also keeps track of 404 errors. This can help your website rankings in Google and other search engines.
The plugin has a very high rating and over one million installations. It allows you to customize how the redirects occur to fit your site.
TablePress
The TablePress plugin lets you add tables to your WordPress website. Although this might be straight forward in spreadsheet software, it’s not a feature provided by standard WordPress.
The plugin is free and accepts basic input: numbers, text, links, and images. But it also handles formulas, sorting, and searching.
I really like this plugin but I’ll often go a different route. I’ll set up the table I want within Microsoft Excel. Then I’ll take a screenshot and embed that image on my site. That way I have more control over the appearance.
Monarch
The Monarch plugin is for social media sharing and following. It provides a lot of different options to integrate social media: sidebars, inline sharing buttons, popups, and also flyin boxes.
Monarch makes it easier for visitors to follow you or share through social media. It even provides share counts and additional customization. And supports more than 20 different social platforms.
Monarch can be purchased separately but it’s also included if you purchase Elegant Themes (Divi or Extra theme). I’ve chosen the floating sidebar displays for my primary social media.
GDPR Framework
The GDPR Framework plugin helps generate your privacy policy. But it also provides an interface to handle DSARs – Data Subject Access Requests. This ensures your customers can access and modify their data as required by GDPR.
Anyone with an online business must ensure they’re compliant with standard regulatory policies. That includes GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act), CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), and others.
Insert Headers and Footers
The Insert Headers and Footers plugin gives you a way to easily insert code snippets. And there are MANY occasions when you’ll need to add code snippets to your website. Google Analytics alone needs you to do that.
But if you’re not comfortable with code then this is often nerve-wracking and frustrating. So a WordPress plugin can help in a big way. Also, this particular plugin is from WPBeginner. This is a very well-respected website and their tools are pretty solid.
WP Fastest Cache
WP Fastest Cache improves the performance of your website. It optimizes page loading times by adjusting how your pages are stored and accessed – the cache. Having pages cached means lower loading times on subsequent visits.
Site speed is a factor for your site ranking well on Google. So you can improve your SEO if you improve your site speed. You definitely want to have a caching plugin on your site.
LazyLoad
LazyLoad only loads images when the viewer will see them. That helps your website pages load faster. And faster websites improve your SEO ranking.
The plugin works on thumbnails, images in posts or in widget text, avatars, and iframes. It’s also produced by WP Rocket which is well-known for optimization options.
Media File Renamer
Media File Renamer is a plugin that lets you rename your website media files. Anyone who’s tried to rename files after upload understands this frustration. WordPress just does not make this easy.
With the plugin, after you upload, files are automatically renamed based upon their titles. If you rename files after they’ve already been included (in posts, pages, etc.), the plugin ensures all references are also updated. This is standard with the free version. Upgrading to premium gives you even more control.
Bloom
Bloom is an email opt-in plugin. But it also lets you target specific visitor locations with unique forms. The designs are easy to create with more than 100 templates.
There are a number of different display types: automatic opt-in popup or flyin, inline opt-in form, below content form, and widget area form. And you can set various triggers for these popups: timed delays, bottom of post, scroll percentage, after comment, after purchase, and after inactivity.
Bloom also integrates with many different email service providers so you can connect your automated email sequences. On top of all of this, it has outstanding customizations so you’ll always be on brand.
