There are a lot of online tools I use in running my business. Tools which at one point I didn’t know existed, and when I found out about them, I said
“HOLY COW!!! THAT SAVES ME HOURS OF TIME AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!!!”
I attempted to create this list somewhat here, but it was just too much content creation for me (I just don’t like creating ongoing content…that’s why I only blog once a month!).
So, here’s a big laundry list of tools I use to run my business, and just in general good internet websites to know about.
This is a list that comes from my experience in doing online business, as well as the knowledge of my mastermind group.
If you have great sites to add, please add them in the comments. Maybe I’ll add them to my main list if I start using them.
Testing/Tracking
- Crazyegg.com – heatmap click tracking
- Woopra – website analytics
- Statcounter – Not the most detailed analytics, but gives very important trend/keyword data easily. Great for affiliate websites.
- Google Website Optimizer – free split testing and multi-variate testing
- ClickTale – web analytics that takes a video of your users mouse/actions
- ClickDensity.com Ć¢ā¬ā similar to crazyegg.com…
- Site Yogi Free consolidated website statistics
Video/Audio/Picture
- Audacity – free audio editing
- Jing – free screen capture/sharing tool
- JW Player – best free flash player (the best flash player…period)
- Super – free video conversion tool (the best free video converter – converts from anything to anything) Download
- VSO Image Resizer – right click to resize/save images to a different format
- OnlineVideoToolkit – How to do video with a Flip camera
- LiveFaceOnWeb.com Ć¢ā¬ā Pay to have an actor create a video and “appear” on your site
- TubeMogul.com Free Video Distribution service (free alternative to traffic geyser)
- iStockPhoto free stock photos
- sxc.hu free stock photos
- Amazon S3 I use them for streaming video and for reliable image/file/video hosting.
- Pixlr Image Editing – Free alternative to photoshop. Amazing online image editing…free.
Outsourcing
- ReplaceMyself.com – How to outsource to the Philippines
- Elance – freelancers galore
- OnlineJobs.ph – Where to find Filipinos to hire
- BestJobs.ph – Where to find Filipinos to hire
- Guru, GetAFreelancer, odesk, RentACoder, ScriptLance – More freelance job sites
Screen Sharing/Collaboration
- Crossloop.com – screen sharing for tech support
- Logmein.com – free alternative to gotomypc.com
- Adobe Connect now – free (for 3 people) screen/mic/webcam sharing
Phone Calling/Recording
- FreeConferenceCall – a whole suite of phone services – conference lines, voice boxes, broadcasts…
- Pamela skype recording plugin
- PhoneTag.com Ć¢ā¬ā intercepts voicemail, transcribes it, and texts the voicemail to you (voice recognition to text)
- Google Voice Ć¢ā¬ā If you can get in…
- MagicJack.com – A usb device that gives you VOIP for dirt cheap. My partner, Dan, uses it exclusively at home.
- K7.net Free incoming voicemail and fax service
- AuctionAudio.net or AudioAcrobat.com Ć¢ā¬ā 3 way in phone conversations to record
Project Management
- Google Docs – duh
- Mindmeister.com – free mind mapping tool
- RememberTheMilk.com – free online todo list (the most full featured online todo list)
- ActiveCollab – great project management software
Graphic Design
- 99designs.com – People will compete to create a logo/design for your website (cheap graphic design work)contest for cheap graphic/design work
- DoMyDesignStuff.com – Great graphic designer
- DesignGuruRyan – Another great graphic designer
- Kuler.com free Adobe recommended color pairings and design templates
Content Creation
- Screen Steps – tool for creating step by step instructions with screen capture
- MTurk.com – Get articles written for you for cheap. Also automate human processes.
- AssociatedContent.com Ć¢ā¬ā get content here and then re-write it for articles
- ExpertVillage.com – collections of video that you can buy from people
- Findarticles.com Ć¢ā¬ā searches offline articles Ć¢ā¬ā go buy them from people
- HowStuffWorks.com Ć¢ā¬ā good source of content, like expertvillage
- Ehow.com Ć¢ā¬ā more content, like howstuffworks.com
Online Survey Tracking/Creation
- Zoomerang.com Free Survey Tool
- Survey Monkey Free Survey Tool
Online File Storage/Backup
- DropBox.com Free file storage, sharing and remote backup from a folder on your desktop!
- Mozy – Simple online backup solution
- SugarSync – Online File syncing/storage
- Backupify – backup your online life!
Random Coolness
- Evernote – free note taking tool (puts notes on your desktop and online, indexes images/pdf to make them searchable)
- Fatwallet.com – get great deals on “stuff”
- Gliffy.com – free flow chart design – alternative to MS Visio
- Filezilla – best free ftp client
- “The” Paypal Button – Andrew Lock says that if you’re doing more than $3000/month in paypal, you can click this button and they’ll charge you less transaction processing fees
- Kayak.com Ć¢ā¬ā travel prices aggregated
- Web-Appointments.com Ć¢ā¬ā let people schedule appointments with you when you allow them to
- Doodle.ch Ć¢ā¬ā Group date picking (“when works for everyone?”)
- HandWrittenresults.com Send hand written thank you letters to your list!
- Ted – Inspirational video presentations from great minds!
- Windows Notepad Replacement – A better program than what comes with standard windows.
- RescueTime – Auto tracks and categorizes computer usage. Usable with employees.
- LastPass Password Manager – Keeps track of all login info across computers. I’ll never (hopefully) be without this again.
- Kunaki – awesome CD/DVD creation/fulfillment service.
Great scheduling tool.
Wow John you sure have a lot of web tools
I’m going to have to check some of these out!
I like Google Calander (works great with gmail)
I just started using timedriver, that’s pretty cool for scheduling appointments as well
Oops, it didn’t come through:
http://www.setster.com
That’s a great list of resources – much appreciated.
Thanks for sharing!
Nice list of tools.
A few more:
RescueTime.com – keeps track of what you’re spending your time on
LeechBlock Firefox plugin – helps you focus by not allowing you to open a few sites during your “work” hours
here are a couple more
http://www.dabbleboard.com/account a great free whiteboard and drawing tool that you can either save, email or share online.
Also http://www.tokbox.com/ a free video conferencing website. you can create a video message and email it directly. ( i was going to type imediately, but I cannot spell it š )
Both clockingit and the leech blocker are great finds. Thanks VERY much for the post.
I just installed activecollab but it is a bit unwieldy and has a learning curve.
I found this very intuitive.
The leechblcok plugin is another tool i love. lets hope i remember to switch it on? ( I must add it to may to do list:-) )
another great discovery thanks Gil
I am registered with dimdim. Been looking for something like this for a long time.. AND FREE .. thanks
@ Lloyd – You’re very welcome.
I was head over heels when I found out about dimdim (as I am always when I find great free stuff that works well) so I knew it had to be on this list.
-Gil
Thanks for sharing the list, if it were my own list i would definitely add Twitter, Comindwork and Skype ))
@Jim Stemen
Who designs my sites? 99designs.com, domydesignstuff.com, and my GUYS.
What CMS do I use? WordPress for most stuff. I also use a proprietary one we’ve developed over the years.
John
Hi John,
This is an awesome list. Thank you for sharing! I was introduced to you by Alex Syseof through a link on his site. I am glad I have found you. I now have you in my Google Reader so I can visit every time you update. Plus I have shared a link to this post from my website to share with my own readers.
Great to meet you! See you back here soon!
Kind Regards
Jacinta š
(An Aussie mum trying to create a business online while her 2 year old sleeps! :))
John –
Great list.
I note you included the *.ph websites … are those open again to USA employers?
@Danno – OnlineJobs.ph is open to USA employers.
BestJobs.ph is only available as a member of ReplaceMyself.com.
An obvious tool that is not on the list is Skype, and the latest version comes with a screen sharing tool, and works great for video calling http://www.skype.com
Yeah, great list, and here is another awesome tool: http://www.animoto.com – its free and makes it easy to create short professional looking dynamic presentations/commercials with photos and video.
Add to the list, this is the cool niche domain finder using adwords, http://domainsbyvolume.com
Thanks again Jonas, this is really a big list
I've really enjoyed usinghttp://www.box.net for file sharing and collaboration. I'm beta testinghttp://www.siteplanb.com right now which is an online web/mysql backup and restoration service. Both excellent services and a strong recommendation!
For project management, I think you should add Wrike to the list – For me it's so much more flexible and better.
It's not free, but for Mac-oriented mind mapping, I really like MyThoughts.
I use optincrusher on all my websites (I also created it :). http://optincrusher.com/
Hi John
Thanks for that list looks fairly comprehensive. I am sure I can use loads of these tools in my IM business. Thanks Again
Nick
PS You said you have a mastermind group? Can anyone join or do you have to be invited?
thanks a lot people for sharing all these information
Hey there
Another great web based online business tool to help run small businesses is Dooster. I recommend checking it out: http://www.dooster.net
What a list, I recognise some names. I shall enjoy looking at the ones I don't know. I can recommend a site that will also post to other sites you set up https://posterous.com/. It sure saves a clock full of time.
John, what a great list. This is an awesome set of tools. I have downloaded the super and the decrypter they talk about.
These are the kind of blog posts worth waithing for.
I found some golden nuggets here, I've used some of these but now i have more Thanks everybody.
Hey John… Sensational List….
I just came across another resource recently published…. makes squeeze pages and build lists really well. So easy and looks awesome.
Optimise Press
Hope that helps.
Hi John,
This is an excellent list of tools. Thanks
very useful – thanks! I also use Roboform for passwords and as a formfiller. It’s not an online tool – for sensitive info like passwords I don’t feel comfortable leaving that up in the cloud, and it also exists in a format for USB flash drives, so you can even take it with you on travels where you might log on via an internet cafe or your parent’s computer.
Hey John,
Great list.I started using some of them already!
All the Best,
Leo
Yes I can..
I really hate RoboForm.. it's always for my passwords š
we use woopra al the time its a really good resource
Great list thank you so much
All of these things are the best expectly the one for all my TABS, cause I m a tab girl…couldn't be without then..but I was wondering if you could help me..If I need your help to still outsourcing cause I can feel the anxiety stirring and I really need to do this, I've been saying this since I joined..also I downloaded the lastest firefox and now its really slow anything to help get that fastest.. I really appreciate all of this I read alot about you everyday, but I need to get into the membership part of you..
Patricia
PattiYea@gmail.com
Hi there, does anyone else use Dooster. It totally rocks. My sales have increased and my colleagues say I'm more chilled than I was. It's excellent collaborative software.