Resources to help you along

Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.

MOST RECOMMENDED

If you look at nothing else on this page, these are the four that you should know about. Use them because they make life easier,

HostWorx: Most of my websites are hosted on HostWorxt. Why? Because it’s incredibly easy to use with 1-click automatic WordPress installation and excellent customer service – via phone and via chat. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND using Hostworx for your first site. Also, you can use the same hosting account for multiple domains if you plan on creating more websites.


leadpages-logoLeadPages: Continuing on the easy-to-use theme, this is by far my favorite tool for easily creating high-quality landing pages and squeeze pages. LeadPages will help you convert viewers into subscribers or buyers. Best of all, it works both with WordPress and non-WordPress sites alike. (Click here for a FREE Webinar Replay that demos the software and shares rapid list-building tips for your email list. You won’t be disappointed!)
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podcast-tutorial-logoPat’s Step-by-Step How to Start a Podcast Tutorial: step-by-step tutorial that will help cut down the learning curve so that you can you get your podcast up and running as soon as possible. Several people have used this tutorial to get their first podcasts on iTunes.

99designs

99Designs.com: At 99designs, dozens of talented designers compete to deliver the best design for your creative needs—from logos to business cards to full website concepts. If you click this link, you can easily launch your design contest with an exclusive, free Power Pack Upgrade valued at $99. How cool is that?!

lyndaLynda.com: Lynda.com offers video tutorial courses in an amazing breadth of topics, including topics close to my heart: audio and video editing, online strategies like SEO, and web development tools. Find the topic you need to level up your personal and professional skills. Try out all of Lynda.com’s courses for free for seven days.

BLOGGING

  • WordPress: The #1 Blog Publishing Platform. Free and easily customizable with wonderful support. All of my blogs use WordPress.
  • Woo Themes: The ultimate resource for premium looking WordPress themes.
  • How to Start a Blog That Matters:  I you’re looking to start a blog from scratch

TOP START A BUSINESS COURSES

  • How to Make a $1k/Month Business – This is a software (yes, a software – but like a course too) by Noah Kagan that he’s built to help anyone get started with building a business that will help you get your first dollar and they’ll work with you every step of the way.
  • Earn $1k On The Side by Ramit Sethi – This is Ramit Sethi’s most successful course helping people earn money on the side. It’s called Earn $1k, however many of his students have earned much more than that! Ramit was featured here on podcast in another top-downloaded episode.

PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION & SHOPPING CARTS

  • E-Junkie: The shopping cart to sell eBooks. It’s compatible with Paypal Standard, Paypal Pro, Google Checkout, Authorize.net, TrialPay, Clickbank & 2CheckOut. Works like a charm, very low price to use. Comes with a decent affiliate program for your products.
  • Clickbank: Another digital products retailer. Probably the most popular. Decently priced, but comes with an amazing affiliate program for your products.
  • Paypal.com: Paypal is just ok for selling your own products through them, but you’ll need an account anyways to configure with and accept payments from the above shopping carts.

KEYWORD RESEARCH

  • Market Samurai: The number one tool for keyword research available, hands down. You can view my tutorial videos about Market Samurai here.
  • Long Tail Pro: This is another top-of-the-line keyword research tool that many claim to be better and more user friendly than Market Samurai
  • Keyword Researcher: One of the best tools to find popular long tail keywords for your niche. Watch the video on the homepage, you’ll be impressed.
  • Seo Book Keyword Suggestion Tool: Another fantastic keyword research tool, with even more information and numbers to compare and select the perfect keywords.
  • Seo Keyword Ranking: An excellent tool to keep track of the keywords you’re working on. Excellent interface and really easy to use.

IMAGES & PHOTOS

  • The Ultimate Guide to Finding and Using Images on Your Blog: This is a post I wrote with everything you need to know about using images on your website. You can’t just pull any ol’ image from the internet and use it – you could get in trouble! Read this to stay safe and worry free.
  • iStockPhoto: This is where I purchase royalty-free images that I use on my sites.
  • Flickr Creative Commons: This is where you can get free images for your website, but there are some rules that go along with it. Read the post in the first image & photo resource above to make sure you know how it all works.

LANDING PAGES

  • LeadPages: The best tool, hands down, for easily creating high-quality landing and squeeze pages. Works with WordPress and non-wordpress sites. (Click here for a FREE Webinar Replay that demos the software and shares some rapid list-building tips for your email list. You will NOT be disappointed!)

EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS & MARKETING

  • Aweber: The internet’s most powerful email opt-in service and email marketing/broadcasting tool. This is what I use to build my email list and newsletter. For a free step-by-step tutorial, check out The Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Newsletter.
  • OptinSkin: A tool created by Glen Allsop from Viperchill.com to help us more easily embed email opt-in forms onto our website. I use it specifically at the bottom of my posts.

ADVERTISING STUFF

  • Google Ad
  • sense: Make money by placing relevant ads on your website that are generated from advertisers using Google Adwords. This is free to use, but you have to register for an account.
  • Google Adwords: If you want to begin advertising on Google, you can select keywords and locations and you pay each time someone clicks on your advertisement.

TESTING RESULTS

  • Google Analytics: Google’s free website tracking and analytical tool. A must have for anyone with any type of website.
  • Clicky: Clicky is just like Google Analytics, except it’s easier to use, and you can view how many people are on your site (and what they are doing) in real time! Your first site is free.

SITE OPTIMIZATION

  • Matthew Horne from DIYWPBlog: If you have a WordPress site and want to make it as fast as possible, Matthew is the guy to go to

SITE PROTECTION

  • WORDFENCE:  My websites are my business…and my livelihood! I don’t want any intruders, so I use Wordfence
  • Limit Login Attempts (WordPress Plugin): Install this plugin to limit the number of times someone can attempt to login to your WordPress admin panel before getting blocked. This helps to stop those who keep trying to break in by logging into your website with different passwords (and there are tools to help speedup this process).

GETTING HELP FROM OTHERS / OUTSOURCING

  • Elance: Hired service for just about anything you can think of.
  • Odesk: Another outsource website for freelancers, IT companies, programmers and web designers from abroad.
  • 99Designs: This is a unique website that you can use if you need a logo design. It’s in a contest format. You submit the description of what you want, and designers will compete against each other to win money.
  • SpeechPad: This is the service I use to get transcripts done for my podcasts and videos.
  • Virtual Staff Finder: I just recently hired a full-time VA and this is where I got him. Virtual Staff Finder is the best and quickest headhunter service on the web if you’re looking for high quality VAs for anything you want done by someone else for your online business. It’s run by my buddy Chris Ducker and I highly recommend it.

LEGAL STUFF

  • LegalZoom: Easy online incorporation or LLC creation.
  • Succession Planning Essentials for “Solo Entrepreneurs” – What would happen to my online business if I died?
  • Life Insurance Essentials for Businesses - How to protect your family with life insurance, as well as protect your business in the event of an unexpected death of a key employee or partner.  Written by Chris Huntley, my personal life insurance agent.

BOOKS

VIDEO

  • ScreenFlow (for Mac users) – the screen capture software I’m currently using.
  • Camtasia for PC (Camtasia Studio) – for screen captures
  • Omnidazzle – to draw on your screen (free)
  • SplashEO (for Awesome Intro and Outro Graphics): If you want professional looking intros and outros for your videos, this is the place to go. Gideon Shalwick, the owner, Check it out!

PODCASTING

  • Pat’s Step-by-Step How to Start a Podcast Tutorial –Several people have used this tutorial to get their first podcasts on iTunes.
  • Music Radio Creative – This is an AWESOME company where you can get a high-quality, custom intro and outro for your podcast. You can choose from a whole bunch of different styles and voices.  :)
  • Podcast Editing by TwentyFourSound – Need someone to help you edit your podcast and audio files? The services offered at TwentyFourSound.com are what you’re looking for! If you’re not confident in your technical know-how, or just don’t have the time to edit your show, check ‘em out!

IPHONE APPLICATIONS

  • How to Create iPhone Apps With No Programming Experience: The most extensive (and motivating!) eBook guide to getting your iPhone app ideas from your head onto an iPhone, without ever touching code! Tons of free bonuses to go along with it.

NICHE SITES

  • The Niche Site Duel Hub: This is where I and 18 other people share the journey of building a niche site from scratch and doing our best to rank #1 in Google and make money. Check out how I got my niche site to #1 and earning an income in about 2 months!
  • THE Backlinking Strategy That Works: goes into detail about backlinking strategy and how to climb a brand new niche site to #1 in Google.
  • v2024.7.3a

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