Marketing Resources

Disclosure: Mindshare Marketing & Implementation reviews service providers and recommends them here on our Marketing Resources page.  We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own. We may receive compensation from the companies whose products we review/use.

HOSTING

Absolutely the best website hosting company around, based in the USA! I recommend BlueHost to my clients because they have a user friendly control panel, they always respond to questions quickly and effectively. They are based in the United States. One of the best marketing resources I recommend.

When you sign up, you will want to have these services:

1. Domain Name (Free for 1st year when you sign up). Enter your domain, if you have one. Buy a new one now. Or skip this for later if you aren’t sure.
2. Basic Shared Hosting plan for 1 website or choose the Plus level if you intend to have more than 1 website. You can always upgrade later. The longer term you sign up for, like 36 months, the longer you will get their introductory low hosting rate.
3. Add a Single Domain SSL Certificate.
4. SiteLock Essentials is optional, your choice. I will install a plugin for added protection from hackers but nothing is guaranteed to stop everyone.
5. If you chose a domain, add Domain Privacy, this will show BlueHost as the domain owner on the WhoIs directory and keep your info private and away from spammers.
6. You will automatically get site backups regularly, but if you want extra, you can sign up for that service.
7. Email address is included, sometimes unlimited addresses, depending on the account you choose.
8. If there is anything you are unsure of, call me and I can answer your questions, or call BlueHost.

BlueHost.com Shared website hosting services starting at $1.99/month for up to 10 domains, which means you can host multiple websites for one low fee!
Plenty of Space, Great 24/7 Support, FREE Domain with Sign-Up, additional domains are around $12, FREE SSL Certificate (other hosing providers charge extra for this!)
FREE POP Email Services, access your email from your domain using a Gmail (or other) account

SIGN UP FOR BLUEHOST HERE

WORDPRESS THEMES

I have used a variety of themes from the Envato Market, accessed via ThemeForest.net. There are several themes that work right out of the gate and many have Demos that you can upload to help get you started. I have a favorite I use. WordPress offers free themes within the program, however, they may not be the best long term solution and I find Envato Market themes offer fantastic support/forums.

SEO PLUGIN

I use the Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress websites to increase your search engine results. I use the free version, they have a premium paid version. They have several articles for beginners you can read to learn more about Search Engine Optimization for your website.

PHOTOS

You need to use photos on your website and blog that you own. So you have to take them yourself, or I recommend, you purchase Royalty Free professional images from this website. Royalty Free Photos Read my Website Photo Policy for more details about publishing images to a website.

MARKETING

I have been referring more and more clients and nonprofits to Canva.com. They offer a free account to get you started. You can move up to their PRO account if you want the added benefits like being able to resize your marketing piece instantly (which is really cool and a huge time-saver) and access to 60 million+ images and a few other features. I use Canva to create items that are automatically sized to fit the platform like, Facebook post images, Facebook Cover images, Instagram post images, posters, postcards, etc. You can save files in multiple formats like JPG, PNG, PDF, etc. Plus, you can design business cards, tri-fold brochures, music CD covers and more. They have come cool fonts, background images, templates to get you started and much more, check it out. And for my nonprofit clients, you can get the Canva PRO version for FREE!

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT

I looked at Wild Apricot and passed. After lots of research I landed on MembershipWorks, a fabulous membership management platform. I have been implementing it since 2018 for numerous nonprofits and member based organizations and companies. You can read my developer profile and recommendations from past clients on the MembershipWorks website or learn more here. I have a Demo account on my website and lots of How-To videos about MembershipWorks.

PAYMENTS

PayPal is a widely know, reputable provider for online invoicing and payment processing. We can easily set up buttons for Donations, Buy Now, Subscribe, etc. Secure, dependable and inexpensive for the small business owner. Nonprofits, be sure to ask for a discount.

https://www.paypal.com/us/business

Stripe is an excellent option, especially for nonprofits, for use with the fantastic Member Management solution, MembershipWorks.

EMAIL MARKETING

Constant Contact, tested and true. Looking to add email marketing or event marketing to your toolbox? Consider Constant Contact. They offer email marketing strategies, quick and easy to share on Facebook or Twitter. Well known in the email marketing industry. Loads of beautiful, creative templates to choose from or make your own!

MailChimp is an alternative to Constant Contact, and it’s FREE to start if you have 500 or less contacts! It offers simple templates to help you get started, it manages your email database and it integrates with your website or blog allowing your followers to sign up to receive your emails right from your website. I find myself recommending MailChimp more and more because it integrates with MembershipWorks. Your MailChimp Member List will be synced automatically when you get a new Member! How nice is that!

BOOKKEEPING

I’m currently using QuickBooks to manage my business accounting. To save time, I can download my back activity and upload it into QuickBooks at any interval that works for me, or I can make manual entries. I have used Peachtree, now Sage 50 in the past, both are good, its a matter of preference. I recommend you ask your accountant if they have a preference. At the end of the year, I simply create a backup, then send it to my accountant and he does the year-end adjusting entries, then sends me a backup. I restore that backup and keep going. Its really slick. You can get the online version where you can access your bookkeeping from any computer, or choose the download option and manage it just on one computer.

PODCASTS

The Side Hustle Show with Nick Loper
Jill on Money
Bigger Pockets (they have several specialized podcasts)
All the Hacks

BOOKS

The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield  (my #1 favorite business book and I have the audio CDs too)

Guerrilla Marketing: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits From Your Small Business by Jay Conrad Levinson (my #1 favorite marketing book, updated version available)

The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins (my #1 favorite personal finance book, great introduction for all ages, makes a great gift)

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath (my #1 favorite personal development book, see My Top 5 Strengths. Take the online assessment and learn your own strengths, very powerful)

Entrepreneurial StrengthsFinder by Jim Clifton

First, Break all the Rules by Marcus Buckingham
Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham
Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham
These three are terrific, but start with StrengthsFinder by Tom Rath if you want to get right to knowing your strengths.

The E-Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber (my #2 favorite business book about being the technician then owner)

The E-Myth Mastery: The Seven Essential Disciplines for Building a World Class Company by Michael E. Gerber

Die with Zero by Bill Perkins (whoa, eye opening perspective!)

Freelance Your Way to Freedom by Alexandra Fasulo (my #1 favorite entrepreneur book)

The Noticer: Sometimes All A Person Needs is a Little Perspective by Andy Andrews

Think and Grow Rich: The Secret to Wealth Updated for the 21st Century by Napoleon Hill (A classic. I found it easier to listen to it than read it.)

Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham

Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing by Harry Beckwith

The Millionaire Messenger by Brendon Buchard (he has a lot of content online now too)

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Ecker

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That The Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert Kiyosaki (a classic on business and real estate ownership vs employment)

Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling by Michael Port

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (love, love the law of attraction!)

Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung (another favorite about personal finance, her tone is so entertaining, content rich)

Disclosure: Mindshare Marketing & Implementation reviews service providers and recommends them here on our Resource page. We may receive compensation from the companies whose products we review/use. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.