Online Business Resources
Tools for Building an Online Business
You don’t need dozens of tools to start an online business. You need a few reliable ones that solve specific problems.
This page contains tools and resources that can help you build, manage, and grow an online business. It will expand as Home Office Biz tests and identifies resources worth recommending.
Don’t choose a tool because everyone else seems to use it. Choose it because you need what it does.
DOMAIN NAME & WEBSITE HOSTING
If you’re building your own website, you’ll typically need a domain name and website hosting.
When comparing providers, pay attention to:
- Introductory price versus renewal price
- Reliability and performance
- Customer support
- Backup and security features
- Cancellation policies
- Unnecessary add-ons
You don’t need the most expensive hosting package when you’re starting. Choose something dependable that meets your current needs.
NOTE: Most website hosting providers will provide a Free Domain Name when you first sign up for a website hosting account, which will save you some money your first year on your online business.
WORDPRESS
WordPress is a popular option for building and managing a business website. It can be used for blogs, informational websites, affiliate sites, service businesses, and many other types of online businesses.
Keep in mind that you will access WordPress inside the CPanel of your website hosting account, and don’t worry, it is always free.
One warning for beginners:
Don’t install a plugin simply because it looks useful.
Every additional plugin adds something else to maintain and can potentially affect your site’s performance or security. Start with what you need. Add more when there’s a reason.
EMAIL MARKETING
Building an email list gives you a way to communicate directly with people who have chosen to hear from you.
Email can be used to:
- Deliver a free resource
- Teach and educate
- Share new content
- Build relationships
- Communicate important updates
- Recommend relevant products or services
You don’t need complicated automation when you’re starting. A simple welcome sequence and useful ongoing communication can go a long way.
AI TOOLS
Artificial intelligence can be extremely useful for a small online business.
AI can help with:
- Research and brainstorming
- Organizing ideas
- Drafting and editing
- Content planning
- Comparing options
- Simplifying complicated information
- Routine business tasks
But AI should be treated as a tool, not an authority. Review important information, verify facts when necessary, and make the final decisions yourself.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
You don’t need to be a professional designer to create clean graphics for a website, email newsletter, downloadable guide, or social media. Simple design tools can handle much of what a small online business needs.
The key word is simple. Good design should make your message easier to understand, not distract from it. Start with a Free Canva Account here.
SEO & ANALYTICS
Search engine optimization and website analytics can help you understand how people find and use your website. But beginners can easily become obsessed with numbers.
Start with the fundamentals:
- Create useful content.
- Answer real questions.
- Use clear titles and descriptions.
- Make your website easy to navigate.
- Pay attention to what visitors actually respond to.
SEO tools can provide useful information, but they can’t substitute for useful content.
FREE DOWNLOADABLE INFOGRAPHICS
BEFORE YOU BUY ANOTHER TOOL
Ask yourself three questions:
- What specific problem will this solve?
- Do I need it now?
- Is there a simpler or less expensive way to accomplish the same thing?
If you can’t answer those questions, don’t buy it yet.
THIS PAGE WILL GROW WITH THE SITE
As Home Office Biz develops, I’ll add resources here when there’s a good reason to recommend them. That may eventually include specific software, services, tutorials, reviews, and other tools. But they need to earn their place here first.
Use what you need. Skip what you don’t. Let your business earn its upgrades.