So many people with local businesses are amazed to find out what is possible for them when they create an online presence. Unfortunately, figuring out what tools to use is frustrating and time consuming enough to prevent most from ever trying.

On this page, you'll find all of the tools you'll need to get your business thriving online.

I'll add to it as I continue to explore and recommend new technology. I recommend bookmarking this page for your reference. Enjoy!

Website Platforms

• WordPress – If you want to start a blog, look no further.
• Weebly – Hands down the easiest way to create a website (for free). Read more about why I love it.

Hosting

• Bluehost –  They host all of my websites. Amazing price, great customer service (when you call you get a human immediately).

[Tutorial: How to Start a WordPress Blog]

Selling Online / Shopping Carts

• eJunkie – Very simple yet powerful shopping cart software. Just $5 per month. What I used for the Inbox Zero Training Program.

Email Subscriptions / Marketing

• Aweber – Very flexible, easy to use email marketing. I use Aweber for all of my email lists.
• OptinSkin – Effortlessly create gorgeous email opt-in forms.

Backup Services

• Backblaze – The service I've been using for years to back up my laptop and external hard drives. Not sure if you need to back your system up? Read this.

Social Media

• Buffer App – Lets you queue up a bunch of tweets so you don't have to spend all day on Facebook and Twitter. My review here.

Website Optimization

• Clicky – Think of it as Google Analytics for mortals. Lets you track vistors live as they interact with your website. A must have if you're at all interested in finding out where your traffic is coming from/going. My review is here.
• Visual Website Optimizer – In a nutshell: Let's you create two versions of one page and see which one performs better. There are lots of imitators, but this one is the best.