These programs or websites listed below are all the tools I use on a regular basis. In order to get my endorsement, these tools had to survive a long period of testing by myself. I would never recommend a product or service I don’t use just to get a payday. However, some of these recommendations are affiliate links and as such I will get paid if you sign up or use these services. This I figure is a fair trade since I spent years, up to a decade in some cases, curating this list.
Hosting
Namecheap Hosting – I have been using this company for years and haven’t had any major issues with them. That can’t be said for many web hosting companies I have used over the years, so that is why I recommend them. Excellent service.
Book Editing
Scrivener – This is a program I use to create my Kindle books. It is very easy to use and formatting for Kindle is a breeze once you get the hang of it. You can also export to many other formats in the self-publishing world. If you plan on creating your own ebooks this is something to buy for sure, it will pay off big time.
Code Development
Visual Studio Code – This is a free software program developed by Microsoft. It is very feature rich and can work with many languages and frameworks.
Visual Studio Community – Similar to Visual Studio Code, actually it was created well before Visual Code, this is a free code editor for developing software on the Microsoft platform and Operating Systems. I recommend the use of the community editions as they are free and allow you to learn to develop software without any hassle of paying for a subscription for your code editor.
Notepad++ – This is a more robust version of Notepad. It allows you to create multiple file formats and allows for the development of markup languages such as HTML and CSS to name a few. This can come in handy if you need a lightweight code editor to make some minor tweaks to a website or landing page.
Autoresponders
Aweber – Probably one of the most widely used autoresponders on the Internet. So many Internet Marketers use them it is hard not to recommend them. While there may be some horror stories circulating that can be said of many businesses. If you just obey the terms of service you shouldn’t come into too many problems.
SendGrid – This is an autoresponder that works with Microsoft Azure and as such can be a great way to integrate email autoresponders into your web apps.
Video Editing Software
Hit Film Express 3 – This is a really feature rich program you can get for free if you share that you are downloading it on your social media. And yes it is worth sharing it. The program is free but to unlock some features you can pay for expansion packs for a nominal fee or just buy the pro version.
Screen Capture Programs
Screen-Cast-O-Matic – This is a low-cost alternative to many of the more robust and feature-rich programs that cost an arm and a leg. While this may only cost $15/year you get a lot of features considering the price. It is a lightweight and easy to use program that can help you develop online tutorials with ease. Be sure to see the Hit Film Express recommendation I mention above to help you edit these files.
Coding Websites
codesignal – This website is where you can go to practice for your technical interview. And the benefit of using this website is that employers actively look at participants to see who may be a good match for their company. So, just by using this website you may be able to get a job offer. The trick though is to use it daily and to keep an up to date portfolio of work on your GitHub.
GitHub – This is where you can showcase some of your source code from your personal projects. This will be very handy to prove to employers you can actually write good, clean, well-maintained source code.
Useful Websites
Massdrop – This websites allows you to get deals on products by pooling together with other people who want the same product. By pooling together with other’s you are able to buy at a lower price and everyone saves money. There are a variety of items you can buy including clothing, electronics, photography gear, and so on.
I just want to tell you that I am all new to blogs and truly enjoyed your web site. Probably I’m likely to bookmark your blog . You certainly have great posts. Cheers for sharing with us your website.
Thank you for visiting my website. I hope you will come back again!
I think it is a great idea that you are creating a Rolodex! What a great resource that may be for those who just don’t want to test all of these various services. Thank you for thinking of such a great idea! You are the man!
Hey I do my best to serve the readers of this website. Thanks for the compliment!
Thanks for sharing this information. I really appreciate it.
So when is this Rolodex going to be completed? I see you intend to build on but right now all I see is just basically a blank page. Kind of disappointed to be honest.
Yeah I know. But you see I really need more content on my blog first. I don’t feel it is right for those who visit my website to get fed a bunch of links, even though it is just on one page. I really like to keep my visitors interested so that is why it has not been updated. But, as you can see I am slowly adding to my blog right now so I should be updating this page shortly. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you found the information here useful.