Must Have Tools For A Successful Online Business
Are you new to the online biz world? Maybe you’re just getting into blogging, affiliate marketing or offering online services.
Below are the tools that I use to create the foundation of my business. They have been absolutely vital in helping me grow my business and I think they will help you too.
I will give a quick review of the ones tried and tested and which ones I think are the real deal. There are some I would not really recommend only because I have found better and more economical resources. You may get a better user experience if you simply give it a shot.
I would like you to know that I do use affiliate links in this recommendation but I am not recommending these tools because I will make a commission. I am recommending these tools because I have come to love them and perhaps you can love them as much as I have. My business would not be easy to run if I didn’t use them.
Please read my affiliate disclaimer here.
Ok! Let’s get to it.
1. Bluehost
Every website needs to be hosted by a hosting company. It is where your website will be homed for its lifetime.
The reason why I chose Bluehost is because it is not only reliable but also AFFORDABLE. It is only $3.95/month using my discount link!
Very important, when you are starting off, you want to make sure that you are getting every single penny’s worth!
Another great thing about Bluehost is its customer service. They are amazing and gives a very personable touch. If you are creating a blog or website using WordPress, you will see that Bluehost is the number one recommended hosting company by WordPress.org.
They also have one-click WordPress installation and is what I use to host my website.
Click here to get started with Bluehost today.
2. WordPress
Once you have bought your own domain name and hosting you need somewhere to put your content.
Now you may want a snazzy website or you just want to get straight to the capture pages. Seriously! If you’re serious about creating a business long term, then a website is a must.
Every serious entrepreneur has one and is where they BRAND themselves.
WordPress is THE most popular content management site and is also used by well-known companies and celebrities. So why not fit right inside the box huh?!
In terms of its user capabilities, I have found it easy to use and easy to navigate. If you are stuck and just cannot figure it out then YouTube has some great WordPress experts that you can follow.
That’s exactly what I did when I got started. I took my handy YouTube University and watched dozens of training videos to build this neat little website that I have here. I actually built this website following James Stafford Tutorials.
Now I know WordPress like the back of my hand. Well not quite!
3. Clickfunnels
A powerful tool used to create sales funnels which help you to track your leads and convert them into sales.
Clickfunnels also allow payment integrations with many payment processors like Stripe or Paypal. You can also build pretty good sales pages using Clickfunnels.
Clickfunnels is on the pricier side. For $97.00 a month you get:
- 20 funnels
- 100 pages
- 20,000 visitors
- Unlimited contacts
- 3 custom domains
- and other site features
For $297/month all their features are unlimited.
With Clickfunnels you can set up the entire structure of your business and use capture pages, funnel builders and autoresponders to automate your business. You can literally build out an entire website with its user-friendly, modern and fun to use interface.
Click the image below to learn how to Automate Your MLM, Direct Sales, Network Marketing or Any Business With Clickfunnels.
4. Aweber
Another must have for any online business.
Why?
Because the money is in the list.
Literally! Read more on my article Why List Building Is Important In Your Business.
As you can see, I am collecting leads into my business everyday. If you are not list building now, then you better get started.
Aweber delivers an autoresponder and email marketing tool that allows you to stay in touch with your prospects and eventually convert them into sales.
Whilst you may get front end sales in your business, it is SO CRUCIAL that you follow up with your prospects. This is exactly how you make money on the backend.
It is also how you build relationships with your followers and grow a loyal following.
This tool has literally changed my business. I can pretty much “set it, and forget it” so to speak. It is what has allowed me to follow up with my subscribers and get sales automatically. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!
Check out Aweber at this link here!
5. Clickmagick
The #1 link tracking software for your business.
It is THE most recommended link tracking application that allows you to track your link clicks, opt-ins and sales.
And best of all, it’s accurate and reliable!
In a nutshell, if you are going to put your link all over the internet or run ad campaigns, you need to see which link is bringing you the most results so you can cut out the ones that are not making it.
That way you do not throw all your money down the drain.
So you can see in one of my recent campaigns, I know exactly how the campaign performed as I got 11 engagements and 2 sales.
I ran other campaigns alongside this one and had I not tracked my performance I would not have known which campaign was the loser and which one the winner.
That saved me TONS of money!
Click here to start your free trial with Clickmagick
6. GetResponse
GetResponse is another email autoresponder that integrates with Clickfunnels seamlessly.
Although I started using GetResponse in the beginning of my online marketing career, I switched to Aweber because of the email deliverability issues.
You really want to use an autoresponder that can maximise your delivery rates. After all you want your leads to see your emails.
Whilst I may not have preferred GetResponse, you can of course see if it is a good fit for you.
Who knows, you may get better use out of it then I have.
Click here to start your free trial with GetResponse.
7. Tailwind
When I started using Pinterest as a traffic source to direct people to my blog, I found a useful automatic scheduler that helped me pin automatically. I would say that it was a lifesaver as I am able to schedule all my blog posts in advance and have them pinned automatically to Pinterest using Tailwind.
This freed up most of my time so that I could concentrate on producing more content and doing the things that mattered the most in helping me grow my brand.
Tailwind offers you 100 pins for free when you start with them. I am pretty sure that when you try it, you will get hooked just like I did.
Click here to start pinning your 100 pins for free with Tailwind.