Great Tools
Let’s face it, sometimes there are simply too many choices when it comes to technology. What system do you use for “X” is the most popular question we get from our clients.
Below is a brief list of the companies we like, use and usually are affiliate’s of. Trust me there are many product choices in each of these categories. The ones we have in our Rolodex we are passionate about.
PS: If you decide to use one of these companies, please use our affiliate link (the link below) when you purchase. We really appreciate it!
The Rolodex
| Shopping Cart | 1ShoppingCart.com
This is my favorite shopping cart for a multitude of reasons. The top ones being it is a completely hosted solution (that means you don’t have to install, maintain or support a piece of software). Plus it is totally independent of your hosting solution. So if you decide to move your website, no worries the shopping cart is separate. The third top reason is the Affiliate program. When you are ready to have one, 1shoppingcart is ready to turn the feature on. Pricing ranges from $34 to $99 a month. |
| Website Hosting | Blue Host.com I like both Blue Host and Gator Host.com as Website Hosting they both great companies. I lean a little more towards Blue Host just because I have most of my sites with them and they are great at customer service! 24×7 Customer Service with tech’s that are usually from the US. They don’t seem to have outsourced their customer support and as someone who calls them for random stuff it is wonderful! Things to note about Blue Host and Gator Host both allow you to host multiple URLs. This is KEY! So if you decide to go with someone else, make sure you pay the little bit extra for the multiple URL hosting. Pricing runs about $110 for the year, and includes email hosting. |
| Password Manager | Robo Form.com No one in the office can even imagine life before RoboForm. I live and die by my RoboForm. It is my best IT friend EVER! I personally use RoboForm 2 Go, which means I can take my entire password list (I am at 100+) to any location. The USB drive I have it install on is dedicated to RoboForm and since it is password protected even if I lose it, all is well. Now I do have to back it up, or the data all goes away when lost, but that is true for everything. I guard my RoboForm drive with my life! Check out the site for more information, but it basically stores all of your log ins and passwords for any site you use. A special toolbar appears in the browser when you reach a page that has a log in and password, it is a beautiful site. They are adding an online backup system to the program as well. I can’t wait to check it out. |
| Email Auto responder |
Aweber.com I love Aweber. If you don’t have an email auto responder already – you need to sign up for one today. I can’t tell you how having Aweber around has made my life and my business so much better. Bonus: Aweber is open on the weekends! And they will give you a real person to talk to (and call back directly if needed). That is rare in a company much less in the customer service department. Not that I call them often, because Aweber has a great interface designed for the novice in mind, it is so easy to get started, I can do it late at night (when I basically asleep at my desk) and I still get it to work great. |
