Tried, tested, and side-hustle approved. Every tool on this page is something I actually use in my own business. I've kept a list like this since 2008, back when it featured ServInt hosting, Aweber, phpBay, Article Post Robot, and Micro Niche Finder. Every one of those recommendations is now obsolete. The tools change. The principle doesn't: I only recommend products I use myself.
Quick disclosure: most of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you. I never recommend anything I wouldn't use in my own business. See the full disclaimer for details.
The Tool I Run My Entire Business On
HighLevel
After years of juggling dozens of tools that didn't talk to each other, I moved my whole business onto one integrated platform. HighLevel handles my landing pages, funnels, email campaigns, courses, communities, calendars, automation, and CRM in a single dashboard. I replaced more than $1,000 a month worth of separate subscriptions and upgraded my workflow in the process. Whether you're just starting a side hustle or running a full business with clients and courses, it meets you where you are and grows with you.
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Website and Hosting
- WordPress: the foundation of every content site I build. Over 40 percent of the web runs on WordPress. Free, open-source, and infinitely flexible. If you're building a content business, this is where you start.
- Kinsta: managed WordPress hosting on Google Cloud. Fast, secure, and their support team actually knows WordPress. More expensive than shared hosting, but the performance difference is real.
- SiteGround: excellent mid-range hosting. Strong WordPress support, good speed, and fair pricing. Where I point people who don't need managed hosting yet.
- Namecheap: still my preferred domain registrar. Clean interface, fair prices, and no upsell bombardment. I recommended Namecheap back in 2008, and it's the one recommendation that has survived.
Email Marketing
- Kit (formerly ConvertKit): my email platform of choice. Built for creators with excellent automation, tagging, and segmentation. The visual automation builder makes complex sequences easy. Free for up to 1,000 subscribers.
- Beehiiv: the best option if you're building a newsletter as a standalone product. Built-in monetization, referral programs, and growth tools.
SEO and Keyword Research
- Semrush: the most complete SEO toolkit I've found. Keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, competitor analysis, and content optimization. Replaces four or five standalone tools.
- Ahrefs: the best backlink analysis tool on the market. Their content explorer and keyword research are equally strong. The free Webmaster Tools version gives you basic site auditing at no cost.
- KWFinder: budget-friendly keyword research. Does one thing well: finding low-competition keywords for niche sites. If Semrush or Ahrefs is out of your budget, start here.
Affiliate Marketing Tools
- Lasso: affiliate link management and product display plugin for WordPress. Beautiful product boxes, comparison tables, and automatic broken link detection. Essential if affiliate marketing is part of your revenue model.
- AAWP: Amazon Associates plugin that pulls real-time product data including prices, ratings, and availability. If Amazon is your primary affiliate program, this pays for itself in the first month.
Content Creation and Design
- Canva: graphics, social media images, ebook covers, and presentations without needing design skills. The free tier covers most needs.
- Descript: audio and video editing by editing text. Revolutionized my podcast workflow. Also excellent for creating clips, removing filler words, and generating transcripts.
- Grammarly: grammar checking, style suggestions, and tone analysis. I run every post through Grammarly before publishing.
AI Tools
AI won't build your business for you, but it will make the work faster. Here's what I use.
- ChatGPT: brainstorming, outlining, research assistance, and first drafts. A powerful accelerator when used alongside your own expertise. Not a replacement for thinking, but a tool that makes the thinking faster.
- Claude: particularly strong for long-form writing and nuanced content tasks. My preferred AI for detailed analysis and keeping a consistent tone across longer pieces.
Podcasting
- Buzzsprout: my current podcast hosting. I hosted on Libsyn for many years after launching the show in 2009, and today Buzzsprout is where the show lives. Simple, reliable, and it distributes everywhere.
- Riverside: remote podcast recording. Captures high-quality audio locally on each participant's device, so internet hiccups don't ruin your interview audio. Far better than recording over Zoom.
Keep Learning
- Late Night Internet Marketing and Online Business with Mark Mason: my podcast, helping part-time entrepreneurs since 2009 with more than 270 episodes. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
- Smart Passive Income: Pat Flynn's podcast and blog remain top-tier for online business education.
- Authority Hacker Podcast: a data-driven approach to building profitable authority sites.
Have questions about any of these tools? Reach out and I'll give you my honest opinion based on your specific situation.
