Weekly Web Tools

If you're a WordPress user, you know how crucial it is to find a reliable and powerful page builder that doesn't require a long-term commitment. Well, look no further! Spectra Page Builder is here to revolutionize your website-building experience.In this episode, we'll dive deep into the features and benefits of Spectra, a lightweight and lightning-fast alternative to other popular page builders like Divi, Elementor, and Beaver Builder. I am going to be checking out this tool as well as a theme they have called AstraBut before we get into the nitty-gritty of Spectra, we'll touch on the renowned Astra theme, known for its speed, versatility, and customization options. I plan on switching to Astra myself and experimenting with its powerful tools in the future, although it may come with a slight learning curve.Speaking of other page builders, I'll also share my experience with Divi, a fantastic tool that offers a plethora of templates for quick website creation. Whether you prefer customizing

Enter VoomlyVoomly is perfect for content creators, digital marketers, video marketing agencies, and Ecommerce and online store builders.You can turn your video into a funnel and grab email addresses from viewers, and segment them by creating what I call a "pick your own ending" feature. It really had me going, "WHAT???" when I went to their site. The best part is you can use their 30-day trial to see if it's for you. If you like it plans start at free, or $9 and go on up.Check it out (aff)But Why Not Just Use YouTube? It's Free!While YouTube can be a powerful platform for marketing videos, it also comes with some disadvantages. Here are some of the drawbacks to consider:Ad saturation: YouTube is filled with advertisements, and viewers have become accustomed to skipping or ignoring them. Your marketing videos might get lost among numerous ads, making it challenging to stand out and capture the audience's attention.Competition: The platform is incredibly competitive, with millions o

You are on a tight budget, so you use YouTube for your video. However, now your viewers are subjected to ads, recommendations, the title at the top, and the YouTube logo.Just when you want them to take action, they get distracted and go someplace else. This is where Killer Player comes into play.It lets you remove all of those items and put your video into one of their five premade themes, AND with unlimited colors, you can have it fit your brand.Best of all, it's budget-friendly where you can purchase Killer Player ONE TIME and have LIFETIME access to future updates.The software has been around since 2015, so you know you're not going to get hosed when YouTube changes something.Check it out at https://supportthisshow.com/videokiller (aff)

I discovered Product Lift on App Sumo and thought, "Yes, FINALLY an affordable roadmap."This is a great tool for harvesting feedback. You can get it from customers, teams, stakeholders, or in my case, a podcast audience.It makes it so easy to get feedback but also build roadmaps, publish changelogs, vote and discuss, and more.There is a free version on their site, but I recommend (while it is available) purchasing it on App Sumo. Their regular price is $48/month, and you can buy it for $49 FOR LIFE.Here is my affiliate linkCheck out this video from the founder

If you're using bit.ly and sharing those publicly, you're not doing your brand any favors. Today I introduce you to Switchy. It makes it super easy to track your links (in and out) as well as makes QR codes, and Smart Pages (think Linktree) while enabling you to place pixels, and more.As I record this, you can get Switchy on App Sumo for a one-time purchase of $39. The starting price on their website is $47/month so it's a steal.I love that you can tie a domain to it, and even the core domain can be redirected. See, www.supportthisshow.com will go to my buy me a coffee page whereas www.supportthisshow.com/switchy goes to either the App Summo deal (if it's still there - an affiliate link) or their website.I recently discovered you can use it as a Linktree alternative and make what they call "Smart Pages" Check out a casual video I did on this for the member of the School of Podcasting. WATCH VIDEOIt also allows you to:Place a pixelDo A/B Split testingGeographic splitsExpiring linksUse a

There's no doubt about it, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience. But if you're a solopreneur, you might be wondering how you can get started with email marketing without spending a lot of time or money.Enter MailerLite. This powerful email marketing tool is designed specifically for small businesses and solopreneurs. It's easy to use and very affordable, making it the perfect solution for anyone just getting started with email marketing.With MailerLite, you can create beautiful newsletters, automated emails, and targeted campaigns that will engage your subscribers and help you achieve your business goals.My favorite option is I'm sending out a survey where my audience can click on what they want to see in their email and when I create the email, I can say, "Only show this section to people who like this."You can see the form herePricing Email Marketing ToolsI had tried Sendfox, and it worked, but I had to have support help me if I wanted

Making your company stand out does not mean you need to write your customer's name in the sky. Sometimes it's just doing the little things that nobody else is doing. Mentioned in this episode: LoomSchool of PodcastingThe Low Bar of Customer ServiceFor my first job out of college, I was a copier repairman. And then later, I got into customer service, I would actually go out, set up the copy machine, and teach them how to run it. And I was amazed at how low the bar was for amazing customer service, I would ask somebody, Hey, would you like me to kind of check back with you in six weeks? And they'd be like, "Yeah, that'd be great." I would ask, "What's a good time?" We would end up agreeing on Wednesday morning at 10 AM on a Wednesday six weeks from now. When I would call back when I said I would the customer would LOSE THEIR MIND. Really, that's where the bar is? I want to talk about a video tool I found. But the first thing I want to talk about is, when you are looking a

The title of your podcast episode or the title of your blog is "Grandma's China" important and should be seen as a HUGE opportunity to grow - and yet I see people write titles like this:Web Tools Radio - Episode FIVE. ARRRGGGHHH!!!! You are BLOWING it. Headline Studio Pro Makes It EasyHeadline Studio pro makes it so easy to create headlines for your blog and podcast that are data-driven and help you make headlines you KNOW will bring more traffic. It can help you find great keywords that are popular but yet have lower competition. As I write this I got a Black Friday deal at $99/yr for 10 headlines a month. I love that it not only helps you write better headlines, but it TEACHES YOU WHY. This way you can write better headlines in the future. Here is a video I did (a quick 2-minute overview).Check it out at https://supportthisshow.com/headlinestudio

Today Dave shares a great alternative to Freshbooks, and Marcus has some great plugins to help you pimp out ElementorSponsor: School of PodcastingMentioned In This ShowAnd.co - Manage Your Business BetterAnd.coAnimentor – Lottie & Bodymovin for Elementorhttps://wordpress.org/plugins/animentor-lottie-bodymovin-elementor/Charts and Graphs for Elementorhttps://wordpress.org/plugins/charts-and-graphs-for-elementor/Flexible Elementor Panelhttps://wordpress.org/plugins/flexible-elementor-panel/Don't have Elementor? Check out HEREYour HostsFind Marcus Couch at www.marcuscouch.comFind Dave Jackson at www.schoolofpodcasting.com

Many of us know typeform for their cool interactive forms. They are they team behind Video Ask.This tool makes it easy to get written, audio, or video testimonials.Check out this testimonial from Shane Whaley from tourpreneur.comThe Free "Start" Plan Provides:20 mins of video or audio processing per monthVideoAsk brandedAll core featuresVoice-text transcription & captionsZapier integrationThe $30/month "Grow" plan provides:100 mins of video or audio processing per monthPartially Videoask brandedConditional LogicData exportRedirect to URLNet Promoter ScoreCustom variables (hidden fields)Respondent trackingVideo length controlAPIs & WebhooksThe $50/month "Brand" Plan Provides:Everything in GROW, plus:200 mins of video or audio processing per monthAdd your own brand/sDomain white labelingPriority supportThere are yearly prices for yearly payments.For more information see supportthisshow.com/videoaskMarcus Couch's Plugin PicksCustomer Reviews for WooCommerce -helps you get more

Weekly Web Tools ran from 2007 to 2017, and after letting the show take a nap for three years, I'm itching to occasionally talk about some cool stuff on the internet. Well after letting the show take a nap for three years, I'm going to being it back on a more regular basis (still won't be weekly). So if you see the artwork change in your favorite podcasting app, it's not a mistake. We got a new coat of paint, some new music, and after we wrap up some things on the website, we'll be back. Currently we are using PodcastPage to manage the podcast website.

I've been using App Sumo (https:/supportthisshow.com/sendfox) This is a new system but is part of App Sumo (not just something they are promoting). The price as I record this is $49 for lifetime access up to 5000 subscribers. You can upgrade for $50 to get another 5000 subscribers. At the $150 you are up to 15,000 subscribers and the branding for send fox is diminished. So I purchased the package. First Impressions It is super easy to use, and you can make your own great-looking landing pages. You can make some pretty boring looking forms. The automation makes it easy to deliver lead magnets. They do integrate with Zapier, but I found it frustrating that as of now (10/2019) when using Zapier I can specify which email list to add the person to in Send Fox. Going In You Know... I knew this was a newish company. I knew they didn't integrate with any plugins, etc at this point (they are working on that). They do (naturally) integrate with Sumo king (the pop-up tool, etc). Going Forward Because I have had

My Favorite Tools From 10 Years (https://warfareplugins.com/?ref=122) - The best tool for sharing things. I love that I can specify the tweet text and the image for Facebook, Pinterest, etc. This is once I don't wince when the subscription payment comes through (http://podcastcoach.aweber.com/) , but I switched to Convertkit last year, and I love the marketing tools that I can use and the ability to make my own landing/sales pages. coolerwebsites.com (http://www.coolerwebsites.com) which is my GoDaddy reseller account (https://themify.me/member/aff/go/podcastcoach) (very divi like) Speaking of Websites and Wordpress Management, I LOVE ManageWP and recommend it to everyone who has a WordPress site. Bonjoro Is a cool Video Email service that pays for itself every month I have someone share how cool it was that I sent them a personalized video bestpodcastinggear.com/shop (http://www.bestpodcastinggear.com/shop) ) (https://schoolofpodcasting.freshbooks.com/refer/www) so I can have people

Wordfence is a plugin that helps stop people from hacking your site. Today I read you all the different things that it blocks.

I was looking for a tool to make a directory of websites. To make a long story short, they are very hard to find. Almost all directories are created to help you find some address so it can be a local business directory or real estate, etc. I wanted something to list websites at Podcasting Resources.com (http://www.podcastingresource.scom/)   Then I remembered I had purchased a theme a while ago from PremumPress called "Responsive Directory Theme" which I don't feel is available anymore. They too have niched their directories into coupons, dating sites, instead of a once size fits all. I will say the tutorials to get up to speed, and the ability to somewhat customize the look is good. If you're looking to make a directory listing that is not zip code related, good luck. The PremiumPress Themes are $80.  Web Directory 2.0 For Wordpress   There is one thing that makes it easy to find something you're looking for and that is to buy a product, and whatever you are looking for will jump o

Facebook Messenger WordPress Plugin Based on Facebook Messenger, this plugin runs like an instant messaging system. After setup, which is normally less than 2 mins, the blue badge of Facebook Messenger and the button Message Us on Facebook will appear on your pages. Your customers find it convenient to ask about your products or services. This plugin is sure to help your business with time and cost saving, yet obtain a prompt reply to visitors. And what else, from those received messages, you will be able to build a rich customer base for online marketing and remarketing later on. Here is a quick video (http://intelliplayer.com/watch/b83acutgu) CLICK HERE for More Information. In the month of May 2017, you can download it for free Note an Evernote Fan? Check Out Simple Note Special thanks to Scott Johnson who produces the Computer Tutor podcast where he gives weekly computer tips at www.computertutorflorida.com if you ever need some work done on your computer, Scott can often fix your computer

I've used Covideo in the past, but I had to go into my Gmail when I used it and change some settings that set off all sorts of security warnings. Their answer was to send it through their website. In the end, I ended up not using it and eventually unsubscribed.  I tried creating videos in Camtasia and uploading them and sharing them on a Google Drive. That strategy was free, but it took forever. So the BIG thing that bomb bomb delivers on is speed.  Their smallest package allows you to send video emails to 2500 people (unlimited emails and videos). It does not give you the ability to auto responders (drip), or create landing pages.  The individual plus plan $69 a month ($49 if you purchase a year) allows you to create landing pages, and send auto responders. It also gives you email and phone support. The smaller package you just have access to their tutorials (which are very good).  Check it out at www.weeklywebtools.com/bombbomb Speed Up Videos For Free As I was watching the tutorials for Bom

Today we look at a cool tool that is a combination between tweetdeck, and meet edgar (or social jukebox). It is super versatile. See video at  www.weeklywebtools.com/352 www.weeklywebtools.com/eclincher

Maybe you are a creative person, and you came up with a great product. The bad news is you're not a sales person, and you need some help with your marketing. Script Engage can help with this. Here is how it works. You enter your target audience (the avatar) and fill out a survey about your audience and what your product does. Script Engage has Copywriting Templates that then take the information you've entered, and created great Sales Copy that is going to convert. In watching the video, I like the idea. I don't buy into the "click a button and it's done theory." There was a tool I looked at previously called Script Doll. This is very similar, but the interface seems a little easier to use (not that Script Doll was hard) I think the bottom line with tools like this is they well take you further than you would on your own, and then you can add the special details that are specific to you and your product. Check out the video www.weeklywebtools.com/351 (http://www.weeklywebtools.com/3

Today I have two tools for GMAIL and they can save you some time and money. Canned Responses Do you have an email that you send over and over to different people. Now you can do that with Google Canned Responses.  Go to setting and then go to the labs tab and you will see where you can enable it. (Supporters have a video showing your how to set these up. Become a supporter today for as little as $2 a month (http://www.weeklywebtools.com/support) ) GMASS for Gmail  Send email campaigns from within GMAIL and get reports on how the campaign delivered. Technology in place to ensure you don't exceed GMAIL sending limits.  Built in follow tool allows you to get the most of your campaigns. Do a mail merge with Google Sheets . Check it out at www.weeklywebtools.com/gmass (http://www.weeklywebtools.com/gmass)