We Recommend (And Use) The Following Services

Doing business online requires a certain set of tools. This is a list of tools and services that I personally use and because of my experience in using them, I feel confident recommending them to you.

#1 You Will Need To Register A Domain Name (After You Decide On Niche… Not Before!)

Godaddy is probably the biggest and easiest places to go to get your domain name. They have good customer service and a good administrative interface that will allow you to manage your domain or multiple domains all from one spot. You will also have easy access to basic changes to your DNS servers which will be helpful should you host your account elsewhere. Click the banner below to purchase your domain using Godaddy now!

#2 You Will Need A Hosting Account… I Personally Use Host Gator And I Think You Should Too For WordPress.

A hosting company is a company that provides the service of housing your website on one of it’s servers. So when you setup your hosting account you are agreeing to pay a third party to place your website on one of their servers. They are then responsible for ensuring that your site is made available online and that the machine which houses your site is up and constantly running. I recommend Host Gator for most clients especially those who will be running a WordPress blog. The service is good and the server speeds are above average which helps in terms of SEO. Click on the banner below to get hosting at Host Gator.

Godaddy is a decent second option for hosting if you want to have your hosting and domain at the same company and management console for convenience. If you do go with GoDaddy.com instead of Host Gator for hosting, be sure to get a Linux hosting plan if you want to run a WordPress blog or any PHP based CMS. Windows will run PHP, but it tends to be slower. You can get your Godaddy hosting by clicking the banner below now.

#3 You Will Want To Have An Autoresponder For Lead Capture (This Is Not Optional If You Want To Make Money!)

An autoresponder account will give you the ability to collect name and email information and store it in a database. This list becomes a way of marketing your product or service. You can use your autoresponder account to send automatic emails as people opt in and build a relationship with your list. I personally use and recommend AWeber. AWeber has easy to use form creation tools, multiple lists under one account, unlimited emails, and some of the most accurate reporting features in the marketplace. Get your AWeber account now because the money is in the list!

#4 You Will Want A High Quality Theme… Thesis Theme Just Makes Life Easier. Get It!

I use and recommend Thesis Theme. This Theme provides incredible customization options from colors to fonts built in… But the biggest advantage is the fact that Thesis has amazing SEO tools built right in. There is no need to add other plugins or code to accomplish great SEO for your site. This site is built on Thesis… Get a license or get a developer license if you want to run it on multiple sites because you will save money in the long run. Click the banner below for your copy.

#5 Planning On Doing Business Online? Get Authorize.net To Process Transactions!

I like Authorize.net as a payment gateway… In fact, 1 in 4 dollars earned online are processed by Authorize.net! Basically, to process transactions online you need a “payment gateway”. Payment gateways like Authorize.net are responsible for collecting credit card information and verifying it against banking and account holder information prior to funds being captured and transferred to your merchant account.