Resources to Power Your Business
Whether you're starting out, or established looking to simplify things, the vast array of tools needed to run your business can be overwhelming.
As a previous IT specialist I'm very comfortable with technology. This, combined with over 20 years experience running a business online, seeing technology evolve gives me a unique perspective on what you need, and what to avoid.
Technology does not have to be complicated or overwhelming.
The key is to know what function you need to perform then find tools that deliver, ignore the bells and whistles that salespeople will try and persuade you to buy.
On this page I've pulled together the core software you need to effectively run a business online.
Click the links to see analyses and recommendations for each tool. Or, scroll down to find a cost-effective integrated solution - one software that meets all your business needs.
(Note: Some of the recommendations will be for affiliates, so I may receive a small reward. Be assured I never make a recommendation unless I have personally tried, tested or used the software and I know it's fit for purpose.)
Integrated Solution Saving You Time and Money
You may choose to buy the software you need to manage your business as separate solutions and integrate them. This can work, but if you are not tech savvy it can sometimes be a struggle to create seamless integration between different software packages, and it can be a nightmare trying to get support with each provider blaming the others for any issues.
One solution to this is to purchase an integrated solution, but a word of warning: It can be easy to get sucked into the sales pitch for all the features software has, when the reality is you do not need a ton of functionality to effectively manage your business.
The core software required are:
Website with ability to have stand alone landing pages. Must be able to receive payments.
Calendar functionality to enable appointment booking and payment
Blog
Email automation : A way to regularly communicate with your leads and prospects that can be automated and seamlessly integrates with your landing and sales pages.
Software to create and edit videos - videos are the most effective way to connect with an audience, fast-tracking the know, like and trust factors that are so vital for marketing success
Course creation and delivery
Community: In the 21st century community is more important than ever.
Below is one of the best integrated software solutions I have found that is affordable, straight-forward to use and integrates all of the core functions needed for an effective, sustainable business, with the exception of video creation or editing.:
Pubfunnels
PROS:
Initially designed for authors Pubfunnels provides an 'all-in-one' business hub which removes the headache of having to manage multiple pieces of software.
The software works for all niches and performs especially well for coaching, counselling, consulting businesses.
You can create both websites and standalone webpages with 'at-a-glance' visibility for marketing funnels. Making it easier to stay organised.
Removes the need for multiple pieces of software, blogs, email management, program delivery, courses, webinars, appointment booking are all integrated seamlessly.
Spend less time managing your business, and more time working in it.
CONS:
If you're tech-shy, Pubfunnels can appear complex when starting out, but with guidance you'll quickly learn to love the ease of having everything in one place.
Take a more detailed look and compare costs here:
Individual Software Tools
Websites & Landing Pages:
While it is possible to build a thriving and profitable business without a website, in the 21st Century it's expected that you will have one.
Your website gives your audience a place to find out more about you, details of your services and how you can help them.
But, NEVER pay for traffic to your website - there are simply too many distractions. Marketing campaigns and paid traffic generation need to be directed to a landing page.
A landing page is a standalone webpage focused on one outcome - inviting your audience to sign up for a gift. This is called 'opting-in'. A landing page is where you offer your audience something of value they want and are willing to exchange their contact details to get.
There are too many software tools for website and landing page development, one of the simplest to use is Leadpages...
PROS:
Leadpages is simple to use. It's been engineered by expert marketers to turn clicks into customers.
Use the templates provided to easily create high-converting landing pages in a matter of minutes.
CONS:
To run your business you will need to buy other software to manage your email, book appointments, run courses, facilitate webinars, blogs and these will all need to be integrated with Leadpages.
There is no ability to create and organise marketing funnels or create automated follow-ups.
Click below for a free demo:
Email Service Provider (ESP)
Building an email list is one of the essential elements for a successful business.
Always be list building.
Your list is the single most important asset of your business, second only to you and your service.
An email list is a database of people interested in your field of service. When built the right way, well your email list will sustain your business for decades. For every $1 you invest in email marketing, you get $44 in return - one of the most effective marketing channels.
Trust is vital for anyone to agree to work with you. People need to know who you are and trust that you can help them. Using an email service provider that enables you to automate the sending of emails is the easiest way to communicate regularly with your audience.
Consistently provide value, encourage engagement to build relationship and clients.
If you are going the standalone route, consider Aweber as one of the longest-standing, best email service providers...
PROS:
Aweber delivers award winning customer service.
It's easy to set up and create emails.
What you see is what you get formatting with the drag and drop email builder.
Automations are simple to set up and you have a range of templates to chose from to make formatting even easier.
CONS:
Organisation of emails can be confusing, there is no opportunity to organise emails by project or marketing campaign.
No conditional (if/then else) processing is provided, limiting your ability to deliver highly targeted emails according to where your prosect is in your path to enrol.
Click below for Aweber's guide to email marketing:
Video Creation, Storage & Editing
Videos are the fastest way to build trust and connection with your audience.
Videos can be used at all steps in the pathway to enrol clients:
For social media to demonstrate credibility and knowledge
On opt-in and sales pages to show the value of your offer
On your website to help people get to know you
For delivery of services or programs
To use videos for your marketing you will need:
A quality microphone to record audio
A camera with high resolution
Video editing software to add effects, combine videos and remove bloopers
Video storage
Camera and Mic:
To get started use your smartphone, most these days have reasonable quality cameras and microphones built in.
As funds allow, consider investing in a high quality mic and camera such as:
The Rode Wireless Go II - This small, portable microphone attaches to your lapel allowing you to move around while you record. It boasts a range of powerful features, including universal compatibility with cameras, mobile devices and computers; an extended range and transmission stability. Click the name for more details.
There are too many video recorders to do justice to a review of all here. Check out sites designed for that here: https://www.techradar.com for those interested I use a Sony ZV1 for my latest Youtube recordings, check out the camera quality here: https://youtube.com/@carriewallis
Video Editing:
Whatever camera and mic you use to record your videos you will need software to edit. To keep things simple I'm only listing the top performers for each of Mac and Windows operating systems. I strongly encourage you to do your own research and due diligence.
Features to look for:
Ease of use,
Ability to spotlight the subject of the video and remove backgrounds;
Easy to combine videos and still images,
Special effects
Keyframe animation
Templates for intros and outros to speed the editing process.
Video Editing For Mac:
PROS:
It's free and simple to use.
Enables colour matching for consistent movie looks
Simple interface
CONS:
There are some flaws such as download speed, limited functionality compared to other editing software and limited places and styles for text overlay.
Over simplified thus loosing some useful controls
No 360 degree video editing
Lacks motion tracking capabilities
Full disclosure: I am not a 'mac-girl' and so have never used this software - the comments above are summarised from reviews I found online, and from clients who use this software.
Video Editing For Windows:
PROS:
Easy to use
Produces high quality videos in a range of formats - both portrait and landscape.
Has an AI option to make the editing process even simpler
Huge range of templates to get you started.
Blazing fast render speed
Motion tracking
Inexpensive
CONS: I first used this software over a decade ago when I started dabbling with videos in my marketing, but moved away as I found performance of the editing software an issue. I have since returned to this platform due to upgrades for both performance and features.
No DVD menu or chapter authoring
If you want to study more, here's a useful review site for Youtube video editing software. These will give all you need for videos to grow your business whether you use Youtube in your marketing strategy or not.
Click here to review best software for editing videos in Youtube
Video Storage, Fast Creation and Editing Short Videos:
You will need a place to store your videos so they are easily accessible, either via links or embedded into your website.
Videos take a lot of space to store, and will quickly clog your computer so it is best to store in the cloud. This will also give you access to your videos from anywhere in the world.
You want to look for a storage solution that lets you create private links to your videos and also enables secure embedding in your website and blog.
You could store your videos in Youtube as private videos, but I have found security issues when doing this in the past.
Tools such as Loom, are useful to easily record a screen or your camera and share videos with your clients or team. Loom uses AI to automatically add titles, summaries, chapters and remove long gaps of silence.
I have always used Vimeo, to store and create quick feedback videos for clients. Vimeo enables you to connect with your audience through stunning ad-free video experiences and events that will help sell your products and services.
There are a range of pricing options, which are very affordable.
Vimeo enables you to:
Record screens
Create and edit short videos
Fabulous tool for creating video ads
Host webinars - though I have found this a little cumbersome to use with lag issues
Store a large number of videos creating embeddable links for your website or to share with your clients and colleagues
There is a free starter option
Digital Courses & Programs
You may decide to expand your services and offer digital courses and programs to either supplement or replace your one on one coaching or counselling.
Offering a course is a great way to scale your business and offer your service one to many. This removes the time limitations inherent in one-to-one services.
Key Features for Course Platforms:
Easy to create and change course structure
Ability to deliver content using a variety of mediums: Video, Text, Audio
Easy access to files for download
Ability for participants to ask questions and discuss content
Community: As more and more people work from home, people seek community and belonging outside of their work. By offering a community as part of your course offering you meet this need thus providing a higher value offering.
Below are the two best course platforms to deliver your material if you want to go the individual software route, or use Pubfunnels to create and deliver your courses as an integrated solution seamless with your customer relationship management and website.
The integrated solution makes it much easier to give your course participants access to their course immediately payment has been processed.
Analyses of Pubfunnels for Course creation and delivery:
PROS:
Easy to understand and simple to use
Fast to brainstorm course structure
Flexible course structure: Modules, lessons, units can all be interchanged easily
Powerful branding options - the integration means you can use your usual sales pages easily.
Reliable platform & Responsive tech support
Delivery can be through different mediums: videos, upload documents and text.
Payments immediately received, & participants given immediate access to materials because of its integration with emails
Detailed analyses of participant progress, and because it is integrated with your client management system it's easy to send course reminders and engage participants during course
CONS:
The variety of options can be overwhelming at first, but once understood you'll love the flexibility it gives you.
Multiple steps to setting up pricing and pricing options can be cumbersome until you're familiar with.
Thinkific:
Thinkific is an all-in-one course platform that empowers anyone to quickly create and deliver stunning courses on their own branded site.
PROS:
Reasonably easy to use
Reliable platform
Responsive tech support
Delivery can be through different mediums, you can upload documents
Payment received immediately someone registers, no % taken by Thinkific
CONS:
Layout is a little outdated and can be cumbersome to navigate
Poor HTML editor, but most course developers would not need to use this.
Integrated sales pages have limited functionality.
Limited branding options for sales pages - you're restricted to using one of their given formats
Once signed up it can be difficult to exit the platform
Unable to build funnels around your courses limiting options for upsell without manual effort
Ruzuku:
PROS:
A nice clean platform with outstanding support
Tons of resources provided to help get you set up and launch your courses
Excellent free plan to get started
Ability to host live meetings in your course platform
CONS:
Little-known provider and relatively new to market
It's a course only platform, extremely limited sales page functionality
Unable to build funnels around your courses
Limited customisation in many features
Not inexpensive
Meeting platform not as reliable as Zoom
Other Useful Tools:
Blog, Calendars, Royalty Free Images, Community, Domain Registration
Blog
A blog is a fantastic way to showcase your knowledge, building authority with your audience.
When done well a blog can also prove a valuable source of qualified leads at zero cost.
A blog is a regularly updated website or web page that provides information and resources. You want to look for blog software that provides the ability to schedule when your posts are released.
Aim to create posts focused on specific areas of your business or service. For example, if you're a career counsellor consider creating a blog post that looks to the future of working from home. Another post could dive into the steps you need to take to prepare for interview and so on.
Typically a blog is a section of your website, but unlike the rest of your website your blog will need to be updated frequently with new posts.
Some website software does not provide blog functionality and you would have to simply create separate webpages for each page of your blog. This can be limiting as there is not ability to schedule posts ahead of time and can be cumbersome for your audience to navigate.
Pubfunnels has a blog integrated in its software making the transition from website to blog seamless for your audience. It contains the ability to release posts immediately or schedule for later release which can be a massive time saver as it enables you to batch produce content.
There are too many blog platforms to analyse here, but probably the most well know is WordPress, so let's look at that in more detail:
WordPress for blogs:
PROS:
Free to use (although you must pay for a web host for self-hosted sites)
Highly customisable
A ton of resources and tutorials for help to use WordPress.
Drag and drop functionality
CONS:
Can be complicated to understand and set up for the technophobe.
Not beginner-friendly
Several addons, plugins and themes that cost money
Other blogging platforms you may wish to investigate: Wix, Weebly or Drupal. For a full analyses of these and others, take a look at Forbes' review here <<
Calendars
The ability for your clients to book an appointment with you is vital. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to connect with you.
You may wish to run webinars or workshops. Make sure your calendar software allows for group bookings as well.
To do this you want to use calendar software.
Key Features For Calendar Software:
Easy for your customers to use
Allow clients to book in their own time zone with automatic conversion to your time zone if different
Automatic placement of meetings on your regular calendar such as google calendar, or outlook.
Seamless integration with your regular calendar so time blocked elsewhere prevents meetings from being booked
Accept payments
Seamless integration with online meeting software such as Zoom.
Automatically create Zoom meeting id if meeting is to be online
Allows group bookings for webinars and workshops
Automatic reminder functionality to remind both you and your clients of upcoming appointments
Ideally, you want your calendar software integrated with your website software as with the Pubfunnels all-in-one solution. But if you want to go the individual software route here is my recommendation:
I used Calendly for years before moving to the all-in-one Pubfunnels software and highly recommend it.
PROS:
Easy to use
Free option available - sufficient for solo business owners
Integrates with Google, Outlook and others
Paid version enables payments
Provides scheduling links to send your clients, or widgets to embed in your website
Automate communications for meeting reminders
CONS:
There are very few cons to Calendly, but it can be a little cumbersome to arrange group meetings.
Royalty Free Images
"A picture conveys a thousand words".
Whatever marketing message you are seeking to convey, it will be conveyed faster and easier with images.
You need high quality images that are royalty free to use for social media, presentations, infographics, newsletters.
There are many providers for these services, below are listed some of the main players, click the name to access the site.
Most have free options that will cater for 90% of your needs.
Community
Community is vital in today's ever-more remote world.
If you can build community into your business your clients will stick with you for years.
Make sure the community is supportive and encouraging. Set ground rules from the outset laying down acceptable behaviour and ways to communicate. I'd encourage a rule that clearly states spamming and self-promotion is banned. You don't want your community to become a pitch-fest.
Ways to build community:
#1: Integrate with your course platform: This is the easiest to manage and requires your course creation software to provide community functionality. This is a growth area and the various course platforms are starting to catch up.
Pubfunnels has community built in to its functionality and due to the integrated nature of this software it is easy to invite any prospect you have to join your community.
Pubfunnels also lets you create communities separately from your digital courses giving you much more flexibility in how you use community. In other words, a lead does not have to buy a course to gain access to your community. This means you can use your community to build relationship with prospects creating trust and generating more client enrolments or course sales.
#2: Social Media: Facebook is probably the best known for its ability to create communities through its group functionality.
LinkedIn also offers a group option but this is less well-known and therefore harder to establish.
Instagram, Tik Tok and others are now moving more towards community functionality.
The problem with any social media platform is that you do not have contact details for your group members, you only know their handle by which they are known on that platform. You do not own that data, the social media platform owns it. This means that if the platform changes its rules, and they will!, you could loose access to your group members and all your hard work nourishing those connections will be wasted.
Domain Registration
To have an online presence you will need a domain name.
Ideally this is the name of your business.
Business naming is an art in itself, you may chose to use your own name as your business name or you may chose to focus on the service you provide.
My top tip for naming your business if you do not wish to use your personal name is to focus on the outcome you deliver for your clients.
Ask yourself, after working with you for a period of time what will they be able to do that they could not before?
What will they have that they did not have before working with you?
Key features Required For a Great Domain Service:
Ideally you need to have access to the DNS records for your domain so you can stay in control, create sub domains if required.
A sub domain is useful for your blog for example or digital courses.
For example: blog.yourdomainname.com or courses.yourdomainname.com
You also want to be able to link your domain to your email address for a more professional email:
For example: [email protected]
SSL security for your domain
Minimal ongoing renewal costs. (Some services increase the rate once they have you locked in from an introductory offer)
Note: you do NOT need to buy hosting as well as the domain name. Most website software providers also provide hosting for your website.
There are far too many organisations offering domain registration, but below are some of the most cost-effective that provide great service that either I or my clients have used:
Onlydomains: Great customer service with zero wait time. Rates 4.5 out of 5 stars. Simple to set up with easy access to DNS records.
Godaddy: Rated best for custom privacy options. Well-known, but that does not always make it the best option. It is the most expensive of the domain registrars with high renewal fees and privacy as an add-on.
Namecheap: Rated 4.7 stars out of 5 by 2m+ customers. Reliable and easy to use. Best affordable starting price. Note, renewal pricing does increase slightly after the first year.
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