last updated 01/24/2024
Resources to help you
I’ve compiled some great resources for you to help you be productive & successful. Some of these have affiliate links, but only to the companies I use or recommend.
Terms of Service & Privacy Policy Generators
With the event of GDPR as of May 25th, 2018 EVERY website must have a Privacy Policy. Even if you do not directly do business with the EU. If SEO is important to you or if you have PPC ads with say, Google, then you will need a Privacy Policy for that reason. This document should also have a Cookie Policy.
If you sell ANYTHING on your site you’re required by most payment gateways to have a Terms of Service Policy clearly on your site.
- Termageddon – This is the company I use for my PP and TOG. I highly recommend them! They cover GDPR AND CCPA compliance both are important for businesses to be compliant for these days. Here’s a video of theirs explaining WHY you need to be compliant with privacy laws.
Security
- Backblaze – keep your computer backed up off-line for as little as $6 a month per computer. This has been a real life saver for me. Even if you back up to an external hard drive, they can fail too! Believe me it happened to me several years ago.
- 1password – Password Manager. For years I used LastPass as my password vault. But in 2022 they had a serious breach. No, my passwords weren’t compromised, but I lost faith in them because this wasn’t the first security breach. SO in January 2023 I made the easy leap to 1password.
Do YOU need a password vault? YES!!!! Why? Most people’s websites, domain accounts and other online accounts are hacked because they use weak and overused passwords. A password vault not only stores your passwords it requires you to use unique passwords for EVERY site you login to. It will create secure passwords and store them for you. I use it on my desktop, phone & tablet for just $36 a YEAR. I couldn’t function with out this!
Webroot Anti-Virus – I’ve used this for many years on my laptops, ipad and phone. You really can’t be without a GOOD anti-virus tool on ALL of your devices that connect to the Internet.
If you’re using a free anti-virus or Norton anti-virus – STOP!
Business Services
- NewOldStamp – branded email signatures. This is what I use and I love it! SO many great options and features. Create Branded Email Signatures for All Employees in Few Minutes. It’s More than Email Signature Generator.
- Dropbox– File sharing and syncing. Great for sending large files and sending files securely. I have the Pro version, but most can get away with the free version.
- Zoom – Video Chat at its best! Easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems.
- Microsoft 365 Premium – Suite of apps. Access and sync email, files, booking feature and much more! Online and desktop access.
Software / Services – Free!
- Awesome Screenshots – Screenshot app. This is my go-to screenshot program. It has a plugin for most browsers.
- Evernote– Organize your notes, projects, ideas, to-do lists and more! I use Microsoft OneNote because it comes with MS Office 365, but Evernote is a great, free alternative! Keep all your notes in one searchable location, with categories, images, and web-clipping capabilities.
- FileZilla– A good basic FTP (file transfer protocol) program for moving files to and from your website host.
Email Services
- Office 365 – This is a must for most businesses. You can get your email easily from anywhere and sync it with all your devices. And it comes with all the software I need such as Word, Excel and OneNote (which I can’t live without)
- Google Email for Business – I use this for my art business. For only about $7 a month it’s a great deal.
Domain Registrar & Whois Lookup
Here are reputable Whois Lookup companies you can use to see if a domain name is available. I recommend to NEVER use GoDaddy to look up (or register) a domain name.
- https://whois.icann.org/en – go straight to the issuer of ALL domains. This is a safe place to see if a domain name you want is available or not, but you cannot register a domain through them.
- https://namechk.com – find not only domain names, but any social media names that may be available too.
These are Domain Registrars I have NOT personally used, but they come highly recommended:
- https://domains.squarespace.com/ – DNS Settings are transferred when you transfer to them. Privacy is included. Squarespace entered into an agreement with Google to purchase the rights to all their domains and customer accounts’.
- https://www.hover.com – they offer email service too. Privacy is INCLUDED with each domain registered or transferred to them. DNS settings are not transferred.
- https://www.domain.com/ – no emails unless you purchase a hosting plan, which I don’t like. I believe your hosting server should be separate from your email server. But they do transfer all DNS settings if you transfer to them.
NOTE: 8/15/2023 – Squarespace has purchased ALL domain name registrations and related customer accounts from GOOGLE DOMAINS. If you do NOT wish to move to Squarespace for your domain registration then you need to move your domain to a NEW registrar before 30 days of your domain renewal.
SEO Resources
- Google’s Startup Guide for SEO
- How Search Engines Work by Google’s Matt Cutts (Youtube Video)
- Google Analytics Official website
Stock Photo Resources
- http://depositphotos.com
- http://www.istockphoto.com
- https://pixabay.com – FREE photos you can use anywhere
- http://www.bigstockphoto.com
- http://www.dreamstime.com
Trademark & Copyright Info
- The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) http://www.uspto.gov/
- The Library of Congress – U.S. Copyright Office http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright