Tools for WordPress

tools for wordpress

My Recommended Tools for WordPress

If you want to do a job well, you need the right tools for the job.
The items and services on this page are things that I use and strongly recommend to help you become a better entrepreneur.

Before you continue, I need to tell you that some of the links below are affiliate links. That means I will receive a small commission if you decide to make a purchase, but there is no extra cost to you.

In some cases, I can provide you with a coupon code to save you money compared to the retail price.

I don't let affiliate links cloud my judgment. In fact, there are some vendors that I removed from this list when I decided they were no longer worthy of my business or recommendation.
You can be sure that I won't steer you in the wrong direction just to make some money on the side.

If you appreciate the information that I provide, using an affiliate link helps me keep this site running and experiment with things so I can provide fresh information.

HOSTING SERVICES

WPX Hosting

WPX WEB HOSTING

I've used various web hosting services over the years and this one is the best I've found. It's fast, both in performance and in customer service. I always get a response for service in less than 30 seconds. Other sites may put you in a queue for hours or days to get support. WPX gives me more for my money, too. Hosting 10 sites at WP Engine cost me about $1,000/year. WPX hosting is half that cost for 15 sites, and provides a better service than my experience at WP Engine. WordPress hosting is the core of my online business. WPX is the BEST host I've found.

SEARCHIE VIDEO HOSTING

Searchie is a video host, but it does so much more. Every video you upload gets automatically transcribed so your viewers can search for a word or phrase, then Searchie takes you right to that spot in the video. You can build playlists and hubs to create a course or membership site right inside of Searchie. I use it to transcribe my podcasts and YouTube videos, also. Think of the money you can save on hiring assistants and Searchie becomes a no-brainer opportunity to repurpose your audio and video for multiple uses.

Libsyn Podcast Hosting

LIBSYN PODCAST HOSTING

Libsyn provides reliable service and amazing support for podcasters. I've used this service for years without encountering any issues with my feed or my podcast going down. Podcast hosting plans are very inexpensive, and you can even host a paid podcast for your target audience.
The folks at Libsyn know podcasting. Highly recommended.

EMAIL SERVICES

fluentcrm

fluentCRM

fluentCRM is a WordPress based customer relationship manager. It connects with services like Amazon Simple Email Service to distribute your emails. One huge advantage is that you don't pay extra as your list grows.

ConvertKit

ConvertKit

Not everyone wants to host their own email service, and that's fine. ConvertKit allows you to get started for free up to 1,000 subscribers (with limitations) and then offers two different plans of service for you to manage and grow your list.

PLANNING & PRODUCTIVITY

Get Evernote

EVERNOTE

Running a business means you have to manage information. I don't know about you, but I hardly remember what I had for breakfast. Evernote gives me a place to write down and remember all the important details that matter. It syncs to other computers and mobile devices, so my information is always with me. Start for free.

ASANA

Asana is more than my project manager. It's a planner, a team communication tool and the thing that helps me spot conflicts and problems before they happen. You can organize your projects by list or cards, keeping each one isolated while still seeing your entire plan on a calendar. It's like the gift of sight for entrepreneurs. Start for free

Scrivener

SCRIVENER

Running an online web site means that you write a lot. Blog posts, pages, tutorials, etc. That means you need a place to write. Trust me, WordPress and other online tools are NOT the place you want to do your writing. online tools have glitches and you can lose everything. Write offline, then copy it to your site to publish. Scrivener was made for writers.

WORDPRESS THEMES

BUDDYBOSS

BuddyBoss is a combination of a platform and theme that's perfect for businesses that want to host a community, courses or membership. It integrates with several popular WordPress tools like LearnDash, Elementor, Uncanny Automator and more. If you want to build a site around community and education, this is the best theme I've found. Support is excellent, too.

ASTRA

Astra is a lightweight WordPress theme that works well with page builders, including Elementor and the Gutenberg bock editor inside of WordPress. It has integration with LearnDash and other tools. It's a Freemium product, which means you can start with the base version for free and later upgrade to the Pro paid version if you need additional resources from the theme. Astra has excellent support, too.

KADENCE

Kadence is another great, lightweight theme that works well with page builders. It has a built-in color palette that makes it very convenient to build pages with a consistent appearance. Kadence has features that other themes lack, like custom hooks to use with LearnDash, a fixed element which stays in place on top of the screen, and an excellent set of tools for your header & footer customization. Built in the USA, Kadence is another vendor with excellent support.

WORDPRESS PLUGINS

Wishlist Member

WISHLIST MEMBER

Wishlist Member is a great membership plugin. It's been serving communities for years. However, it does more than just protect content for your membership audience. Wishlist Member integrates with a plethora of other plugin and services. It's the hub of your digital environment, even if you don't plan on running a membership. It's the glue that holds my business together and makes it all function.https://suburbiapress.com/wishlist

UNCANNY AUTOMATOR

Uncanny Automator is another integration tool that lets you build recipes to automate functions inside of your WordPress environment. When someone gets added to your email list or enrolls in a course, you can automate actions to occur in different plugins and systems on your site. It integrates with a plethora of systems, making it another indispensable tool that does work and saves you from manual effort.

Fusebox Podcast Player

FUSEBOX

Fusebox is the best podcast player I've found. Not only is it attractive and easy to use, but it come with plenty of options for display, different types of players and it can integrate with your email service to capture new leads. This started as Pat Flynn's Sart Podcast Player and it keeps improving. Fusebox has excellent support that wants to make sure they STAY the best podcast player available.

OPTINMONSTER

OptinMonster is the best email opt-in form builder I've ever found. It integrates with most email service providers. Not only does it provide beautiful, customizable opt-in forms, but you can use them for more than capturing leads as a pop-up. You can create a content gate for popular posts, meaning people have a choice to join your email list to get access to a post or page. They also provide regular training videos on YouTube so you can make the most out of your OptinMonster.

PrettyLinks

PRETTY LINKS

PrettyLinks is a URL redirection tool that greatly simplifies things for you and your audience. It also helps you build trust for your links. Instead of referring someone to a bit.ly link that could be anything, this lets you create links using your own domain to direct people to your resources, posts or affiliates. If the URL ever changes, you only have to update it in one place, and your PrettyLink remains correct in all of the places you use it. Wouldn't you trust something like suburbiapress.com/prettylink?

Perfmatters

Perfmatters

Increase the performance of your WordPress site with Perfmatters. This plugin helps reduce the number of HTTP requests in order to load your web site, and it disables scripts that you don't need and may not even know are loading with every single page. Faster web sites rank higher on search engines and keep visitors happier with quick response times. If you don't need emojis, Google maps or Windows Live Writer support that's built into WordPress, you can eliminate them with a quick toggle. Perfmatters speeds up your WordPress site.

LearnDash

LearnDash is the best Learning Management System (LMS) for WordPress based course development. Combined with the BuddyBoss theme, you get powerful tools to develop courses with lessons, quizzes and certificates all from your own domain. If you need video, check out Searchie for the best option.

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