There are so many things out there to make your life easier and more efficient, it can be confusing on where to even start. I put together a list of resources, including tools, services, and websites, I’ve used and recommend.
Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that if you use my links, I may make a commission at no additional cost to you. If you see something on this page, I am recommended them because I think they are helpful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something. Please review each product or service before you purchase it to make sure it’s going to work for you. You can read my full affiliate disclaimer.
Hosting & Website
- SiteGround – Web hosting & Email. I’ve been using SiteGround Managed WordPress Hosting for about two years now and am very impressed with the speed and performance.
- DreamHost – Web hosting & Email with great support.
- NameCheap – A great place to buy your domain names. I’ve had four web hosts since I started online in 2008. One good thing about having all your domain names together outside of your web host is that you won’t need to do much if you ever switch hosts. Instead of transferring every domain to the new host, you’ll just have a few nameserver records to update.
- WordPress – I love WordPress! It’s a content management system that allows you to create and customize websites to your heart’s content.
- Genesis Framework – Get your site up and running fast with high-quality themes. I have the Pro Plus Membership, which includes every theme StudioPress makes.
Blogging
- Grammarly – A Google Chrome extension that automatically checks your spelling and grammar as you type.
- Hemmingway App – They say, “It’s like a spellchecker, but for style.” Just copy and paste your writing into the editor and it will tell you a number of things about your writing. This list includes what grade level it’s written for, long or hard to understand sentences, use of adverbs and passive voice. You don’t have to take every suggestion, but it’s good to at least know what your writing looks like.
- Canva – Design images for social media platforms or your website.
- CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer – A handy tool to see how your title rates and what you can do to make it better.
Security
- ExpressVPN – Allows you to encrypt your data so no one can see what you’re doing. If you are using one of the many free Wi-Fi spots out there, you need to be using a VPN of some sort. Otherwise, people can see what you are sending across the Internet, including passwords.
- LastPass – An awesome password manager. We have passwords for everything nowadays. You don’t want to reuse them and risk someone getting into all of your accounts by getting just one of your passwords. With LastPass, you just have to remember one password and it does the rest of the work for you.
- HaveIBeenPwned – An easy way to find out if your email address was involved in a data compromise and to be notified if it is in the future.
Productivity
- Trello – Trello allows you to create boards, lists, and cards to organize anything and everything. A simple drag-and-drop layout lets you move the cards and your workflow changes. I use Trello to manage my to-do list, cleaning schedule, and more.
- Google Drive – Keep track of your ideas, notes, or videos.
- Texpander – I use Ubuntu for my operating system. Textpander lets you type of a few words that expand into as much text as you want. I just create a new text file, add what I want the text to be, and that’s it. You just press a keyboard shortcut and a list pops up you can choose from. This has saved me a ton of time.