Resources

It takes a lot of time, work and help to build a successful Blog. We are very grateful to find that sharing is what the Blogging Community is all about. Having the proper resources is a must to enable good content to be spread across the internet. We would like to share with you some of the tools, people and resources we have found to be helpful in building and enabling writtenFYI.com. Some of the links below compensate us when you use them, however, we would share them with or without affiliate relationships.

WEBSITE BUILD AND MAINTINANCE:

We have found HostGator  to be very easy to work with as a domain host. They have excellent customer service, good pricing and a reliable platform to work from. Hostgator is one of the approved hosts for the WordPress software.

The Software we use to power our website is WordPress.org  If you are going to be in this for the long haul start with the best and WordPress definitely has the reputation you are looking for. WordPress has two platforms www.wordpress.com and www.wordpress.org, the .com is for the individual who wants to start a free blog and have fun blogging. WordPress.com is the platform Ron used in his online guide  “Three Easy Steps to Free Blogging“ However, for the serious blogger I would recommend .org for its versatility and ability to grow with your business.

The theme you choose for your blog is one of the most valuable decisions you will make. It an either stifle your growth or enhance it with its versatility. WordPress has some excellent themes but I recommend upgrading to one of the many themes produced by either Woo Themes our blog is built on the Canvas Theme by WooThemes. However, we have purchased the Thesis Theme by DIYthemes and it is being tested for future upgrades to writtenFYI.com.

MAIL LIST MANAGEMENT:

We use three crucial plugins for list building and management.
Aweber is the platform that manages the lists and all the replies, broadcasts and updates to a mailing list. This program is very versatile and yet fairly easy to learn and operate. This plugin is used by large and small blog sites.

Lead Pages is used to create every conceivable type of conversion pages. Whether it is a landing page, launch page or sales page, LeadPages makes the task simple and professional.

OptinSkin is a great tool for designing versatile opt in boxes and links for your pages.

Misc Helps:

Clicky Analytics is our choice for site statistics. One of the most used analytic plug ins is Google Analytics, however at this time we are using Clicky Analytics which we have found to be a bit more user friendly.

Bitley link management is the answer to shorten those long web addresses and make them more appealing to surfers. Bitley not only shortens those monster links, it keeps track of their use and is very straight forward and user friendly.

Market Samurai is a leader in keyword and keyphrase identification. Keywords are one of the most important attributes in drawing people to your pages and site. Market Sam enables you to uncover the high traffic keywords automatically. This enables you to know which keywords to target. And which will give you the best return on yoiure time, effort and finances.

WHERE WE TURN FOR HELP:

When it comes to those who are a great help breaking into blogging I would recommend Crystal  Sternberger at Budgeting In The Fun Stuff. Crystal’s book “How I Make Money Blogging” is a wealth of information for the beginning and expert blogger.

Another very helpful lady we have been fortunate enough to establish a working relationship with is Lauren Bowling, she is the author of L Bee and the Money Tree.

However, the man with more resources, information and direction for bloggers of all levels is Pat Flynn at Smart Passive Income. Pat is one of the most generous individuals with his resources and it comes back to him in success at every level.

PRODUCTS WE USE AND LOVE:

Vega One  We start every morning with a Vega One plant based smoothie. Whether your goal is to manage weight, enhance performance or simply enjoy a nutritious product Vega One is a source to consider. Good for your body and the planet. Vega is the clean, plant-based choice to fuel your healthy, active lifestyle.

 Coffees of Hawaii Hawai‘i is the only state in the U.S. with climatic conditions necessary for growing coffee. The combination of rich volcanic soil, a year-round warm climate and abundant rainfall adds up to an ideal environment. We think it is best when brewed with a French Press coffeemaker.

 The Science of Skin Care.  H2O+ offers a full line of bath, body and skin care products all built around the concept of preserving our oceans to preserve our bodies. Their web site is an amazing guide to total skin care with skin-care analysis, how-to-guides and much more information, advice and help.

GAIAM Founded in Boulder, Colorado in 1988, Gaiam is a provider of information, goods and services to customers who value the environment, a sustainable economy, healthy lifestyles, alternative healthcare and personal development. Gaiam has a full line of products for the active family including some of the best Yoga equipment like balls and mats on the market.