Tools I Recommend
The following are tools I highly recommend.
In fact, I use them all to run this website.
Namesilo
Namesilo is the best because it’s one of the cheapest and (more importantly!) it doesn’t surprise you with hidden charges; registration and renewal stays at the same rate.
Do you know that when you register a domain name the information you provide upon registration are made public by default unless you purchase a WHOIS domain privacy separately? Well, you get it for free with Namesilo. Whoop!
Price: $8.99 yearly
Want to save $1 off? Enter “jasmin” as coupon code upon checkout.
SiteGround
SiteGround doesn’t provide the cheapest hosting plans.
However, you get tools such as:
- emails (yep, you can cross business emails off your expenses),
- SSL certificates (it’s a security feature that is required if you’re collecting payments on your website), and
- daily website backup for free.
These are usually paid add-ons with other seemingly “cheap” web hosting providers.
Most importantly, you get a fast, secured and reliable home for your website.
And did I mention that their support is unrivaled? You only need to wait a minute or two to get connected to customer support who will go above and beyond to answer your question or resolve issues you’re experiencing.
Price: $19.99 monthly
Or an equivalent of $6.99 monthly (~$83.88) if you pay upfront for your initial year; it’s an equivalent of $14.99 monthly (~$179.88) if you pay upfront for a year after initial year.
WordPress
Wikipedia describes WordPress as: “a free and open-source content management system.”
Being “open-source” means any web developers and designers can build upon it. Hence, it offers tens of thousands of plug-ins and themes that can be used to customize your website making it the most flexible among all website platforms.
Price: Free
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that adds an online store to your WordPress site.
As soon as you’ve finished installing it, you can run the Setup Wizard which will help you set up your shop — from shipping to payment options. All you need to do it add your products and you’re ready to launch.
Price: Free
Authority Pro
The theme I’m using currently is called Authority Pro by StudioPress.
It’s one of the many premium themes running on the Genesis Framework which is known for its security, speed and SEO-friendliness.
The Authority Pro is responsive and WooCommerce-ready.
Also, you don’t have to purchase a third-party page builder to customize Authority Pro because you can use Gutenberg with it – WordPress’ native page builder.
Price: $129.95
Astra
Don’t have a budget for a premium or paid theme? Check out Astra.
When you install the Astra theme, you have the option to import a Starter Website of your choice.
Starter Websites are basically conversion-optimized websites that you can import to your website with just a few clicks.
This means you don’t have to start with a blank canvas. This also eliminate the problem of trying to make your website looks like the demo site.
Price: Free
P.S. I use all of the tools above (except for WooCommerce and Authority Pro) in my free website course. So if you need a step-by-step guide on how to set them all up, feel free to take the course.