Recommended Tools
Internet Marketing can be overwhelming. Good thing we have tools.
While having the right strategy and skills are definitely the #1 factor of success online, the tools we use can make our lives so much easier.
We came up with this list so you don’t have to waste your resources on trying tools that aren’t any good.
If you start with the right setup, you can focus on your business and more important factors that determine it’s success.
Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that if you buy one of them (at no additional cost to you), we will receive a commission for the sale. Nonetheless, we have and do use all the tools linked below and recommend them because we find them great, regardless of whether or how much they pay us.
Domain Registrar
Why we recommend namecheap: We register all our domains on namecheap. It’s easy to use, and they offer the absolute lowest prices on domains. They only charge you $10.69/.com domain/year with a free private whois.
You can also easily register your SSL certificates and host your emails with them.
Hosting
Why we recommend Siteground: We recommend Siteground because it’s the best of the “cheap” hosting services available. We’ve built dozens of websites, and We’ve used DreamHost, HostGator, and Bluehost before switching to Siteground.
They offer free SSL certificates, daily back-ups, built-in Cloudflare integration, and one of the best tech support. All of that for just $3.95/month.
Siteground is the best hosting option at this price point.
Why we recommend WPX: We recommend WPX because it’s the best of the “high-end” managed WordPress hosting services available. We use it to host all of our most important websites.
We recommend WPX if you have large websites that require a lot of bandwidth and fast server response times. They also have a clean and easy to use interface and awesome customer support.
If you are just starting out though, we do not recommend using WPX. It is far more expensive compared to Siteground.
WordPress Themes
Why we recommend GeneratePress: We recommend GeneratePress because it’s a high-quality free theme that has everything you need. It removes all the unnecessary dependencies that other themes usually come with. Because this theme is less than 30kb, your website can reach top-tier speeds.
It’s simple to use, it’s lightweight, it’s code is clean, yet it offers a lot of customization possibilities.
Why we recommend WPAstra: We recommend WPAstra because, like GeneratePress, it’s a clean and lightweight theme at less than 50kb.
We recommend you go with Astra over GeneratePress if you’re thinking about using a page builder, like Elementor. Astra easily integrates with different page builders, such as Elementor and Beaver Builder.
The combination of Astra PRO and Elementor PRO is what we usually use on our websites. This is the theme + page builder combination we use to build this site (https://www.grindlogic.com).
WordPress Page Builder
Why we recommend Elementor: Like we said earlier, we use Elementor PRO to build all of our websites. After trying other page builders, such as Divi and Gutenberg, we found Elementor to be the most reliable and flexible.
Elementor allows you to customize any WordPress theme, such as Astra and GeneratePress, including headers and footers. This means you have complete control over how every single part of your website looks.
E-mail Marketing
Why we recommend GetResponse: While GetResponse may not be as feature-rich as ActiveCampaign, it is great for affiliate marketers just starting out with email marketing.
We recommend GetResponse because incredibly beginner-friendly and safe for affiliate marketers. ActiveCampaign may have more features, but they do not allow affiliate marketing.
They also offer a very generous 30-day free trial.
On-Page SEO
Why we recommend Surfer SEO: Surfer makes it so much easier for you to get your on-page optimization process just right.
Based on the top organic competitors, you get data-driven guidelines for word count, headings, prominent words, common phrases, etc.
Surfer has been so effective for us that it is now built into our editorial process. Every single article we write is optimized with Surfer.