Tools

Over the years, I’ve tried dozens of tools for building, managing, and growing websites and blogs. Some have been great, others not so much.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the tools I personally use to run this site and the two other active websites in my portfolio.

You’ll find everything from the software I use to build sites, to the plugins I rely on, and the business tools that keep things running smoothly.

Website and blog-building software

I use WordPress to build websites and blogs and I can’t see that changing any time soon. The two available formats are listed below.

  • WordPress.org – This is where you download the standalone version of WordPress. It’s the world’s most popular choice for building self-hosted websites and blogs and currently powers 39% of the sites you see online. You can download and install it manually, but the easiest way to set it up is through your web hosting company.
  • WordPress.com – This is the place to go if you want to try WordPress for free. You can set up a basic account with nothing more than an email address. I recommend creating an account if you want to see what WordPress looks like and see how it works before setting up the standalone version on its own server.

Domain names and web hosting

  • Namecheap – My main domain name registrar these days. They also offer a shared hosting service which starts at a few dollars per month, as well as a dedicated WordPress hosting service.
  • Guru – This is my current host for this site. They’re based in the UK and I’m really happy with the service and site speed. It’s worth noting that email is sold as an addon for £5 + VAT per month if you choose the shared hosting package. It’s included in the dedicated and reseller packages. (I use G Suite for email.)

WordPress themes

WordPress themes come in two flavours – free and paid. The free ones are generally okay, but the paid, aka ‘premium themes’, are generally much better.

  • Genesis Framework by StudioPress – This, for many years (from about 2010 when it launched to 2020) was my theme of choice. I’ve fallen out of love with it recently and now prefer to use a free theme (mentioned below). The framework used to cost $59.95, but now you can get it for free.
  • Kadence – This is the theme I’m using for this site and the others in my portfolio. I made the switch from Genesis to Kadence just because it’s easier to customise. The options inside the WordPress customiser let me change layout, colour scheme and fonts quickly and easily. There is a pro version available, which comes with additional addons and functionality, but for now, I’m finding the free version does everything I need.

Mailing list

If you want to capture email addresses so you can send people a newsletter, you’ll need to use a mailing list provider.

  • AWeber – There are a lot of options for mailing list software/systems, but this one is a good option. The cheapest plan is priced at $19 per month and you get the first thirty days free.

Stock photos

Check out the sites listed below to find suitable images for your blog posts and web pages. If you’re looking for paid images, check out Shutterstock.

  • Pixabay – The first place we visit when we need an image.
  • Death to Stock – New themed pack available each month.
  • Unsplash – Very similar to Pixabay.
  • Flickr – Not a service I use very often these days but when I do, I only use photos with a Creative Commons license that can be used commercially.

Business tools and software

Here are some of the tools I use for admin, productivity, and managing the business side of my sites.

  • G Suite – Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Drive and email
  • FileZilla – FTP program for accessing web servers
  • Asana – Project management software that’s simple to use, packed with features and easy on the eye
  • Trello – Board-based project management software
  • LastPass – Password management app
  • Google Analytics

WordPress plugins

To make a basic WordPress website more powerful and useful, you’ll need plugins. Once again, they come in two formats – free and paid (premium).

Some people believe that too many plugins can slow down your website or cause other problems. This is kinda true, but really it depends on how well the plugins are coded and how they get on with each other.

You could have hundreds of well-coded plugins without any issues, and you could have far fewer badly coded or conflicting plugins that cause all sorts of problems.

I use as few plugins as possible on my websites. Usually around 15-20 per site. Here’s a list of the ones I typically use across my sites.

These are the tools I use day-to-day. I don’t claim they’re the only options out there, but they’re the ones that work for me and my setup.

If you’re starting out, you don’t need to use them all at once. Just pick the ones that solve your most pressing problems.

Over time, you’ll build up your own toolkit, just like I did.