When I first began my blogging journey, I didn’t have a clue what tools and services to use. As such, I wasted a lot of time and money, until I finally found the ones I trusted and knew were effective.
I put together the list below in the hope that you don’t make the same mistakes I made and waste your time and money on some of the inefficient tools and services that are out there.
Siteground
The #1 Hosting company on the market
Why do I recommend them?
If you sign up with their Start-Up plan, it will only cost you £2.95/month for the first year. Also, setting up your website is a complete doddle! All you need to do is install WordPress with just one click and they will do the rest.
They also have an excellent 24/7 customer support line, meaning help will always be on hand should you need it. I particularly like their live chat support.
When I first started creating WordPress websites back in 2015, the hosting company I used was Bluehost. Bluehost is another popular hosting company but I found their customer service to be non-existent.
Which is why I made the switch to Siteground.
Click here to find out more about Siteground!
If you’ve already signed up but not sure what to do next, I actually wrote a step-by-step guide about creating your website. Click here to read it.
Studiopress
The #1 choice for stunning WordPress Themes
Why do I recommend them?
I have bought and tested all kinds of different WordPress themes from many different companies and without a doubt, Studiopress is the clear winner. The main reason I recommend them so much is due to the Genesis Framework.
It’s hard to explain why it’s so good without going into detail, but think of it like this: WordPress is the engine of your car, Genesis as the frame and body and Studiopress themes are the paint job.
Once you’ve purchased the Genesis Framework you can decide which WordPress theme you want. Studiopress has around 80 professional themes to choose from that can be customized to meet your needs.
My website, the one you’re reading right now, is powered by the Genesis Framework and the SPI Pro theme. Want a website like mine?
Get started with Studiopress here!
DIVI Theme
The #1 WordPress theme for beginners
Why do I recommend it?
Although I am a massive fan of Studiopress and the Genesis Framework, you may have issues customizing your site exactly the way you want it, especially if you are a complete newbie.
I actually tested the DIVI Theme out last year just to see what all the fuss was about. I was pretty amazed at just how easy it was and I highly recommend it if you’re just starting out.
Due to the drag and drop interface and visual composer you can create and customize your site with ease and watch the changes being made as you go…incredibly helpful for beginners.
The DIVI Theme is run by a company called Elegant Themes who have some pretty incredible tools and resources. If you decide to purchase the DIVI Theme, you actually also get access to all of Elegant Themes products.
Get started with the DIVI Theme here!
ConvertKit
The #1 Email Marketing Provider
Why do I recommend it?
Email marketing is a very important part of any online business and when you first start your blog, you should be looking to implement this straight away.
There are some extremely credible email marketing providers out there, such as MailChimp and Aweber, both which I have used in the past. However, ConvertKit is simply on another level.
You could say it’s like the Lionel Messi of Email Marketing providers.
One of the main reasons I highly recommend ConvertKit is because it was actually originally built for bloggers and other content creators. Because of this, it’s jammed packed full of great features.
For example, you can edit all of the emails in your sequence simultaneously using just one screen, as opposed to editing each email individually, which is the case for most other Email Marketing providers.
Another fantastic feature is the ability to segment your subscribers into groups. This is a very handy feature to have because it means you can send specific content to certain subscribers, therefore targeting their individual needs and at the same time increasing engagement and earning their trust.
Get started with ConvertKit here and get their 14-day FREE trial!
Leadpages
The #1 Landing Page Builder & Lead Generation Software
Why do I recommend it?
Do you remember how I said ConvertKit was like the Lionel Messi of Email Marketing providers?
Well, Leadpages can be spoken about in the same context. When it comes to Landing Page Builders and Lead Generation Software, there’s simply no better product on the market. And if there is, I’ve yet to come across it.
With their unique drag-and-drop tool, you can create professional-looking landing pages within minutes. A landing page is a web page that serves one purpose…to get your audience to take action.
This could be anything from offering your audience an irresistible bribe in exchange for their email address to promoting your own product. One key component of email marketing is the ability to build an email list.
Setting up your blog or website to collect emails from your audience is an incredibly powerful marketing method.
With around 160 templates to choose from, Leadpages makes this very easy to implement.
I highly recommend using Leadpages alongside ConvertKit, together they make a truly formidable team when it comes to email marketing.
Just like ConvertKit, Leadpages also has a 14-day free trial.
Get started with Leadpages here!
Social Warfare
The #1 Social Sharing for WordPress
Why do I recommend it?
I’ve tried and tested loads of different social media plugins throughout the years and In my opinion, Social Warfare is the best by a long shot. It’s incredibly easy to set up, the sharing icons look great and they load really fast, which is one of the main reasons I recommend it so much.
With plenty of social platforms to choose from, you can display the sharing icons within your blog posts and pages to increase reader engagement and grow your audience.
I’m currently using Social Warfare on Lifestyle Revamp. I particularly like the icons that scroll down the left side of my page. Can you see them?
Get started with Social Warfare here!
Buffer
The #1 Social Media Management Platform
Why do I recommend it?
Buffer is a Social Media Management Platform that allows you to plan and schedule your social media posts, saving you heaps of time.
You can use this extra time to focus on the most important things in your business.
Being able to control all my Social Media platforms in just one place has really helped me grow my own business and has increased my productivity. This gives me more time to focus on creating helpful content for my readers.
SEMrush
The #1 Marketing Toolkit
Why do I recommend it?
With more competition than ever, it’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to make sure their marketing methods are on point. Fortunately, there are tools such as SEMrush that make sure you don’t get left behind in the gruelling world of Online Entrepreneurship.
SEMrush is an all-in-one Marketing Toolkit for anyone serious about outranking their competitors and growing their business. It currently has over 3 million people using it worldwide.
A few of my favourite features include Keyword Research, Backlink Analysis, Advertising Research and Social Media Tracker.
Another amazing feature SEMrush offers is the Site Audit tool, which conducts a thorough analysis of your sites SEO and helps you fix any issues. Before purchasing SEMrush I highly recommend you try out their 7-day free trial.
Learn more about SEMrush here!
Google Analytics
The #1 Web Analytics Platform
Why do I recommend them?
Google Analytics is a web analytics platform that has been helping people grow their businesses for years. It’s probably the best analytics platform on the market and guess what? It’s completely free.
It has a bucket load of cool features that provide invaluable information about your website. Two of my favourite features is the demographic reports and user behaviour data.
These provide vital information about your audience and what actions they are taking, such as how frequently are they returning and how long they spend on your site.
Learn more about Google Analytics here!
Adobe Stock
The #1 platform for high-quality stock photos
Why do I recommend them?
Using high quality and captivating images on your website or blog is essential if you want to stand out. I use stock images on all of my blog articles.
I’ve actually used a few different platforms and found these to be the best:
- Adobe Stock
- Shutterstock
- Istockphoto
There’s not really much between the three as you can find some great images on each. My favourite, however, is Adobe Stock, because it’s marginally cheaper than the others and I feel they have a better array of images.
If your budget is tight and you can’t afford to pay for stock images, you can, of course, get images from free sites such as Pixabay or Pexels. Considering you won’t have to pay for these, they are great alternatives to premium stock images, albeit the selection and quality won’t be as good.
Get your first month free with Adobe Stock!
Canva
The #1 Free Image Editor
Why do I recommend them?
Canva is a must-have tool for all online business owners, especially bloggers.
Using their very simple drag and drop tool, you can create professional and eye-catching designs that only take a few seconds to download onto your device. They have a massive selection of templates that can be customized to match your own brand.
There’s also a great selection of different images, icons, illustrations and shapes that can be added to your design with just one click. The best thing is, you don’t have to be an expert to create beautiful designs with Canva. It’s incredibly simple.
Although Canva is completely free, I recommend buying their premium plan which is $12.95 / month. You get access to so many more features and it’s well worth its weight in gold. You also get a 30-day free trial.
Fiverr
Outsource your work for only $5
Why do I recommend them?
The process of running a business is never in a straight line. You’re always going to have a few hiccups along the way. Fortunately, there is always someone more skilled than you and I to lend a helping hand.
That’s why I use Fiverr to outsource the work I can’t or don’t want to do. For as little as $5 you can find professionals to help you. It’s great to learn a new skill and do things yourself, but sometimes we just don’t have time.
Grammarly
The #1 Free Writing Assistant
Why do I recommend them?
If you are serious about starting a blog, I highly recommend getting Grammarly now! It’s completely free of charge and can be downloaded within seconds.
Get started with Grammarly here!
Evernote
The #1 Note Taking App
Why do I recommend them?
Evernote is another fantastic tool that’s definitely a must-have for anyone serious about their writing. It’s certainly made my life a lot easier! It has an array of great features, but my favourite by far is the Web Clipper function.
Web Clipper is a browser extension that allows you to save articles and take screenshots of the things you see online. With just one click, Web Clipper will save anything you want directly into Evernote, without you leaving the browser. This is incredibly useful and can save you so much time.
Get started with Evernote here!
CoSchedule Headline Analyzer
The #1 Headline Analyzer
Why do I recommend them?
With so much competition online it’s essential you find a way to make your blog stand out. The CoSchedule Headline Analyzer is a fantastic free tool that analyses your headlines and offers guidance on how to write headlines that drive traffic and shares.
Get started with Headline Analyzer here!
WP Rocket
The #1 Caching Plugin for WordPress
Why do I recommend it?
No one likes a slow site. The best thing about the internet is being able to find answers and solutions almost straight away. If it takes your website a few seconds to load, there’s a high chance your readers will become impatient and look elsewhere for the answer to their problem
Fortunately, there are many tools and resources that will help solve this exact problem. I’ve actually tried and tested some of the best, such as W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache and WP Fastest Cache.
In my opinion, WP Rocket is the best, due to the simplicity and immediate results you get with it. Most of the other plugins only work well after you’ve correctly configured them, which isn’t beginner-friendly at all.
WP Rocket is a premium plugin, so it will set you back $49, but this does come with a 14-day money-back guarantee. I highly recommend you at least try it out, and if not, you can just get your money back.
Get started with WP Rocket here!
GTmetrix
The #1 Website Speed & Performance Analyzer
Why do I recommend them?
If you want an insight into how optimized your website is in regards to speed and performance, then you should definitely be using GTmetrix. Considering it’s free, GTmetrix will show you the areas within your site that need optimizing.
It’s a tool I’ve used for years and it’s continually helped me decrease the loading times for every site I’ve created.