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WEB DESIGN & ONLINE MARKETING ESSENTIAL TOOLKIT

For the pet care business owners out there –  here is my swiss army list of tools that I try not to leave home without.

Use these essential resources to make your online efforts a far easier and more enjoyable journey!

WEB HOSTING PROVIDER

  • One of the absolute essentials –  your website NEEDS hosting.  This is the bit of the internet that you rent out so that your website can be displayed.  This service keeps all of your website content in digital files and lets people access them via the internet.
    Bottom line is.  You have to have hosting.
    My Recommendations?The ones I use really.  For the reason that they have been supportive when needed, and done what is required.  Great prices and go over and above.  No issues, no reason to change.
  • 20I hosting
  • EUK hosting
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Graphic Design Tools

To create your awesome graphics, you are going to need some tools of the trade.

There are a multitude of graphic softwares to suit all skills – from industry-standard tools through to user-friendly beginner graphic creation software.

 Create eye-catching graphics, logos, and visuals for your website.

Canva – beginner friendly

Photoshop – professional software, industry standard

GIMP – free alternative to Photoshop

CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

A Content Management System (CMS) is the tech term for the system that you control your website with.  A framework that you can use to get your business online.
Some examples are – 

  • WordPress, Wix, Squarespace
  • Select a user-friendly CMS to build and manage your website or blog content easily.

WEBSITE THEME

A theme is the look and feel of your website.  These are often template-based, and a great option to create websites.

There are usually templates to suit all industries and businesses or hobbies. 

Or maybe consider an all in one builder. 

The current market leaders or most industry standard are  

– Divi Theme

– Elementor 

Horses for courses, but using either of these for your business and you won’t go far wrong. 

STOCK PHOTOS AND IMAGES

  • Unsplash, Pexels, Shutterstock (for premium images)
  • Access high-quality, royalty-free images to enhance the visual appeal of your content.

Be very aware of how and where you get images from online.  

Be respectful of others work, and always when purchasing images, check licensing for usage rights etc. 

Always. 

SEO TOOLS

Having your website optimised for the search engines – Google, Bing, Youtube, Tiktok – is essential to get views

  • Google Analytics, Yoast SEO (for WordPress), Moz
  • Implement SEO strategies to optimize your website for search engines and track its performance.

    SOCIAL MEDIA INTEGRATION

    • Example: Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
    • Connect your website to your social media accounts to expand your online presence.

    EMAIL MARKETING SERVICE

    • Mailchimp, ConvertKit, AWeber
    • Build and manage your email list, and engage with your audience through newsletters and updates.

    SECURITY PLUGINS

    • Wordfence (for WordPress), Sucuri, SSL Certificates
    • Ensure the security of your website by implementing security plugins and using SSL certificates for encryption.

    Legal Documents and Policies:

    • Example: Terms of Service Generator, Privacy Policy Generator
    • Create essential legal documents like Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to ensure compliance.

    GOOGLE SUITE

    • Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), Zoho Mail
    • Set up a professional email address associated with your domain for a more polished image

    LEARNING PLATFORMS

    • WordPress.org forums, Stack Overflow, YouTube tutorials
    • Join communities and utilize learning platforms to enhance your skills and troubleshoot issues.

    COLLABORATION TOOLS

    • Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), Trello, Slack
    • Facilitate collaboration if you’re working with a team or contributors