Tools I Use for Online Business Success

Creating a successful online business is possible with the right approach – but it’s not an “easy money” magic trick. It takes real effort, smart planning, and consistency to build a solid internet-based business. Anyone who promises instant riches with no work is probably trying to sell you something! The good news is that with the proper tools and resources, you can significantly simplify and accelerate your journey. I’ve learned (often the hard way) that using the right tools for the job not only saves time but also improves your results.

Below, I’ve curated the key tools and resources I personally use and recommend for our target entrepreneurs. These are organized by the stages of building and growing an online business – from researching your niche and setting up your website to driving traffic, monetizing your content, and beyond. Dive in and leverage these tools to give yourself an edge in your online business journey!

1. Niche and Keyword Research

Every successful online business starts with finding the right niche and understanding what your audience is searching for. Proper research helps you identify profitable topics and low-competition keywords to target. Here are some tools to make niche and keyword research easier:

• Google Keyword Planner – A free tool within Google Ads that helps you discover search volume and keyword ideas. It’s great for brainstorming what people search for on Google (you can access it with a free Google Ads account).
• Wordtracker – A dedicated keyword research tool I use to dig up long-tail keywords and gauge their competition. Wordtracker provides search query data and can spark ideas for niche topics you might not have considered.
• Ubersuggest – Another helpful (and beginner-friendly) keyword suggestion tool. Enter a keyword or domain and Ubersuggest will generate related keywords, show their search volumes, and even give content ideas. (It’s now run by Neil Patel and offers a generous free tier.)
• SpyFu – This tool lets you “spy” on competitors. I use SpyFu to see which keywords competitors in my niche are ranking for and how much they’re spending on ads. It’s invaluable for competitive research and identifying gaps I can fill with my own content.
• Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO – Not a tool, but a must-read free resource for understanding search engine optimization. If you’re new to SEO, the guide on Moz.com walks you through how search engines operate and what you can do to rank higher. This foundational knowledge will help you make the most of any SEO tools you use.

Tip: When researching niches, also check online forums, social media, and sites like Amazon for common questions and popular products. Amazon’s best-seller lists or customer reviews can reveal pain points that you can address on your website. (If you plan to do affiliate marketing, you’ll likely join Amazon’s Associate program later – more on that below.)

2. Domain Name and Website Setup

Once you have a promising niche and content plan, you’ll need to establish your online presence with a website. This involves choosing a good domain name, getting web hosting, and setting up a content management system. Here’s how to get started:

• Domain Name Tools: Your domain is your website’s address, so pick one that’s catchy, relevant, and easy to remember. I use Domainr (domainr.com) to search creative domain name ideas beyond the obvious .com choices. It shows you available names in real-time, including clever extensions. If you’re open to a previously-owned domain (which can come with SEO advantages like existing backlinks), consider hunting for expired domains with good histories.
  
  There are marketplaces and tools that list expiring or auctioned domains – an aged domain with existing traffic can give you a head start in ranking. Just be sure to verify the domain’s reputation first (no spammy past). Once you find your perfect name, register it with a reliable registrar. I often buy domains from affordable registrars that offer free privacy protection – shop around for the best price (many use Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc., but prices and promos vary).
  
• Web Hosting: A good hosting service is critical to keep your site online and fast. I recommend choosing a hosting provider known for uptime and support – for example, Bluehost, SiteGround, or Hostinger for beginners (they all have one-click WordPress installs). The original “Web hosting service” I use is budget-friendly and offers easy scalability as my traffic grows. Look for features like 24/7 support, backups, and an intuitive control panel. With a domain and hosting in hand, you’re ready to build your site.
  
• Website Platform (CMS): You don’t need to code a website from scratch. I build all my sites with WordPress, the world’s most popular content management system. WordPress is free, user-friendly, and highly flexible with thousands of themes and plugins. Whether you want to start a blog, an online store, or a membership site, WordPress can handle it. It’s the go-to choice for most online entrepreneurs because you can extend it to do almost anything (and you own your platform). Alternatives: Joomla and Drupal are other CMS options, but they have steeper learning curves and I find fewer resources for beginners. If you’re new, stick with WordPress – it has a huge community and plenty of tutorials. (For instance, check out the official “First steps with WordPress” guide and the support forums for help as you set up)
  
• 15-Point Launch Checklist: Before you go live, it’s worth running through a quality-assurance checklist to make sure everything on your site works properly. I use a comprehensive WordPress launch checklist (covering tasks like testing all links, forms, site speed, SEO settings, etc.) to catch any issues. It’s easy to forget a small detail when launching a new site, so having a checklist is a lifesaver. (See: “A Free WordPress Launch Checklist” – an excellent article that guided me when I was starting out.)

By the end of this stage, you should have a domain registered, a hosting account set up, and a fresh WordPress site installed and ready for content. Congratulations – your online business now has a home!

3. Content Creation and Design

Content is the heart of any online business – whether it’s blog posts, product pages, videos, or podcasts, you need quality content to attract and engage your audience. Creating content can be time-consuming, but these tools and strategies will help you produce great content more efficiently:

• Keyword-Optimized Content Tools: Writing articles that are SEO-optimized for your target keywords is crucial. Sometimes I use AI-powered writing tools (like Jasper or Article Forge) to help generate draft content quickly on a given topic. They can create readable articles on almost any niche. However, always edit and fact-check AI-generated content to ensure accuracy and add your unique voice. Another approach is using PLR content – Private Label Rights articles or e-books that you can legally modify and publish as your own.
  
  There are many sources of free and paid PLR content in various niches. For example, you might download a free PLR eBook related to your niche, then repurpose sections of it into blog posts or guides on your site. This can jump-start your content library without having to write everything from scratch. Just be sure to rewrite and customize PLR materials enough to make them original (you don’t want the same text as another site). A tool like Copyscape can help here – I use Copyscape to check that my content is unique and not too similar to existing webpages. It’s an easy way to avoid accidental plagiarism and ensure your site offers fresh value.
  
• Visual Design & Media: First impressions count. Attractive graphics, logos, and multimedia can make your site look professional and build trust. If design isn’t your forte, don’t worry – you have options:
  • Outsourcing: I often head to Fiverr for affordable design gigs. Fiverr is a marketplace where you can hire freelancers to create logos, website graphics, product images, and even videos. You can find skilled designers for as low as $5-$20 for simple tasks. It’s my go-to for things like logo design or custom illustrations when I need a professional touch without breaking the bank.
  • DIY Design: For day-to-day graphic needs, Canva is a lifesaver. Canva is a free online design tool with templates for social media posts, blog graphics, YouTube thumbnails – you name it. I use Canva to quickly create images for my blog or Pinterest pins without needing advanced skills. With its drag-and-drop interface, you can start with a beautiful template and customize colors, text, and images to fit your brand. Even if you’re not a designer, you can produce polished visuals in minutes.
  • Stock Resources: For royalty-free images and music: sites like Unsplash and Pexels offer free high-quality photos you can use on your website. For background music or sound effects (say, in a marketing video or podcast), check out Free Music Archive or YouTube Audio Library for free-to-use audio. Using these resources helps avoid copyright issues while keeping your content engaging.
    
• Crafting Great Headlines: Your content’s title (headline) is arguably as important as the content itself – it’s what grabs attention and entices people to click. I use a couple of handy (and fun) tools to perfect my headlines:
  • Capitalize My Title – This free tool automatically converts your text into proper title case (according to various style guides) with a single click. It ensures your blog post or article titles are formatted correctly – no more guessing which letters to capitalize. I simply paste my draft headline into Capitalize My Title and choose a style (AP, Chicago, etc.) to get a professional-looking title every time.
  • Sharethrough Headline Analyzer – Before finalizing a headline, I often run it through this headline analyzer. The Sharethrough tool scores your headline on factors like engagement and impression, and it suggests improvements. It’s great for honing titles to be more attention-grabbing. For example, if my initial title “How to Start a Blog” scores a bit low, the tool might encourage me to add a power word or make it more specific – turning it into something like “7 Easy Steps to Start a Successful Blog from Scratch” for a higher score. Little tweaks like that can boost your click-through rates.

With these content and design tools, you’ll be able to produce valuable articles and media that resonate with your target audience. Remember, quality is key – always aim to provide genuine value, whether you write it yourself or curate from other sources. Over time, creating content gets easier and faster, especially as you build a library of templates and resources to draw from.

4. SEO and Traffic Generation Tools

“Build it and they will come” does not automatically apply to websites – you’ll need to proactively drive traffic to your site. This is where marketing and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tools come in. They help increase your visibility on Google and other platforms, bringing in the visitors (and potential customers) you need. Here are the traffic tools I rely on:

• On-Page SEO Plugins: If you’re using WordPress, install an SEO plugin to guide you in optimizing each page/post. I use the popular Yoast SEO plugin to easily edit meta tags (titles & descriptions), generate sitemaps, and get real-time feedback on my content’s SEO and readability. Another good option is All in One SEO Pack – it provides similar features. These plugins ensure you cover the basics like including your focus keyword in the title, using headings, adding alt text to images, etc., which collectively help your pages rank better.
  
• SEO Analysis Tools: For a deeper dive into SEO performance, tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs are industry leaders. They are paid services (with limited free features) that offer a suite of insights – keyword rankings, backlink profiles, site audits, and competitor analysis. I’ve used SEMrush for tasks such as finding out which keywords my site is already ranking for and discovering new content ideas from competitor sites. If you’re serious about scaling SEO, these tools are worth the investment. That said, if you’re on a budget, you can get a lot of mileage from free tools:
  
  • SEO-FREEtools.com – A collection of free SEO utilities (like meta tag analyzers, backlink checkers, etc.). It’s a convenient one-stop site for quick SEO checks without paying for a premium tool.
  • WorthofWeb – A free website value calculator (worthofweb.com). While the accuracy isn’t perfect, it’s a fun tool to estimate your site’s traffic, value, and ad revenue potential based on current metrics. I sometimes use it to set goals or just motivate myself (“Hey, if I grow my traffic by X, my site could be worth $Y!”).
  • BuiltWith – Ever wonder what technologies a competitor’s website is using (e.g., which theme, which email service, or any special scripts)? BuiltWith is a free lookup tool where you enter a site URL and it tells you the platform and plugins that site uses. This is useful if you stumble on a cool feature on someone else’s site – you can find out if there’s a plugin or service behind it. I’ve discovered many useful services this way that I later implemented on my own sites.
    
• Backlink and PR Tools: Getting quality backlinks (other sites linking to yours) is a big part of SEO. While content is king, backlinks are queen. There are specialized tools and services for link building:
  • Some SEO tools (like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz) allow you to research backlink opportunities and even track your competitors’ backlinks. For instance, SpyFu (mentioned earlier) and Moz Link Explorer can show you who’s linking to competitor sites, so you can target those sites for your own outreach.
  • I also use Google Alerts (a free Google tool) to monitor mentions of my brand and keywords. By setting alerts for my niche keywords, I get notified when new content appears. This can reveal bloggers or news sites talking about topics related to my site – perfect opportunities to reach out, offer additional value, and perhaps earn a backlink. (It’s also listed under “Tools for Merchants” below as a way to recruit affiliates, but I find it useful for general SEO monitoring as well.)
  • Backlink-specific tools: The original list mentioned a tool “strictly for backlinking” – one example of such a tool is OnlyWire or RankerX (which help distribute content/bookmarks to create backlinks). Use caution with automated backlink tools, though; not all backlinks are good, and some quick-fix link schemes can hurt your site. Focus on quality over quantity: one link from a reputable site in your niche is worth more than dozens of low-quality links.
    
• Social Media & Web 2.0: Don’t rely on Google alone – tap into social networks to get traffic and build an audience. Integrate social sharing on your site using WordPress plugins (there are many free ones, like Social Warfare or Jetpack’s sharing feature). Encouraging readers to share your content on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc., can amplify your reach. On my site, I added social share buttons to each post to make sharing one-click easy. Additionally, you might consider creating a presence on key platforms where your audience hangs out – for example, a Facebook Page or a Pinterest account for your site, where you regularly post your content. While managing social media can be a job in itself, at minimum secure your brand name on major platforms and automate sharing of your new posts to those channels (many tools or plugins can auto-post to social media when you publish on your blog).
  
• Email Marketing: Building an email list is often crucial for sustaining traffic and generating revenue. While not a “traffic tool” in the traditional sense, an email list lets you repeatedly bring visitors back to your site (which is often easier than getting new visitors each time). To start, you’ll need an email service provider (like MailChimp, ConvertKit, or AWeber – some have free plans up to a certain subscriber count). On WordPress, you can integrate email signup forms easily using plugins. The original tools list references “WP SMTP” which is for configuring WordPress to send emails (useful for ensuring contact forms or signup confirmations actually get delivered). If you plan to send newsletters, look for dedicated email list plugins or services – for example, Mailchimp has its own plugin, and there are others like Newsletter or MailPoet. I suggest starting to collect emails early, even if you’re just sending blog post updates at first. Over time, you can nurture your subscribers and drive consistent traffic and sales through email marketing.
  
• Paid Traffic: In addition to free (organic) methods, consider jump-starting your traffic with paid advertising if your budget allows. Platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads can send targeted visitors to your site almost immediately. For example, you could run a Google Ads campaign bidding on keywords in your niche so your site appears at the top of search results as a sponsored link. Or use Facebook Ads to reach people by interests/demographics. Paid traffic has a learning curve and costs money, so use it strategically – perhaps to promote a lead magnet or a product where you can calculate a return on investment. A useful tool here is Bing Ads Intelligence, an Excel plugin by Microsoft that helps with keyword research for advertising on Bing. It can suggest relevant keywords and provide performance data right within a spreadsheet (handy if you like working in Excel)thenextinternetbillionaire.com. Whether you focus on free SEO or paid ads, always track your campaigns so you know what’s working.

By combining on-page SEO best practices, off-page link building, social media, and possibly some paid ads, you’ll create multiple pathways for people to find your website. Consistency is key – marketing your site should be a routine, not a one-time task. With these tools, much of the process can be systematized or simplified, so you can focus on creating content and engaging with your audience.

5. Monetization and Affiliate Marketing

Generating income from your website is the ultimate goal of a “make money online” venture. There are many ways to monetize, such as affiliate marketing, selling products or services, displaying ads, or even flipping websites. Here I’ll outline the tools and programs I use and recommend to actually make money from the traffic and audience you build:

• Affiliate Programs & Networks: If you’re not selling your own product, affiliate marketing is one of the fastest ways to start earning. You promote products or services relevant to your niche and earn a commission for each sale or lead you generate. To get started, sign up for affiliate programs in your niche. Some of the most popular ones:
  • Amazon Associates: Amazon’s affiliate program lets you earn a commission (typically 4-10%) on any product you refer customers to on Amazon. It’s free to join and because Amazon sells virtually everything, you can likely find products related to your niche. I use Amazon links often in my content (for example, if I run a tech blog, I’ll link to gadgets on Amazon with my affiliate ID). Pro tip: If you expect international visitors, use a geo-targeting tool for Amazon links. For instance, Auththenextinternetbillionaire.com (authl.it) can create a single Kindle eBook link that redirects users to their local Amazon store, so you don’t miss out on commissions from other countries.
  • Affiliate Networks: Sites like ClickBank, CJ (Commission Junction), ShareASale, and Rakuten Marketing aggregate thousands of affiliate programs. They make it easy to find offers to promote. I often browse these networks to discover high-paying or recurring commission products (like software tools or online courses) that fit my audience. Many companies also run their own affiliate programs independently – just check the footer of a product’s website for an “Affiliates” or “Partners” link.
  • Digital Products & Courses: Don’t overlook promoting online courses or membership sites. For example, I recommend Affilorama by Mark Ling – it’s an affiliate marketing training program that also has its own affiliate program. As a member, I learned a ton from their lessons and tools, and by promoting it I can earn commissions from referrals. When you find a program you truly believe in (because it helped you), it’s a win-win to share it with your readers and potentially earn at the same time.
    
• Selling Your Own Products/Services: Depending on your business model, you might sell e-books, online courses, consulting services, or physical products. If you go this route, you’ll need tools to facilitate sales:
  • E-Commerce: For physical or digital products on WordPress, the gold standard is WooCommerce. It’s a free plugin that adds full e-commerce functionality to WordPress (product listings, shopping cart, checkout, payment integration, etc.). I’ve set up WooCommerce for a small online store before – it’s robust and has countless extensions for whatever feature you need (like subscriptions, memberships, dynamic pricing, etc.). Alternatives include Easy Digital Downloads (if you sell only digital goods) or Shopify (a separate hosted platform) if you prefer not to manage the tech stuff yourself. But for most cases, WooCommerce is more than enough and keeps you in control on your own site.
    
  • Membership Sites: If your business is based on subscription content or a community (e.g., a paid members-only forum or a course library), you’ll want a membership plugin. I have used s2Member (a free plugin with pro upgrades) to set up protected content and handle recurring payments. It works well for simple membership setups. Other popular options (paid) are MemberPress or Wishlist Member. It’s important to research the features you need – for instance, do you want drip-fed content, multiple membership tiers, etc. There’s a great breakdown of top membership plugins on Chris Lema’s blog (he’s a WordPress expert) – although that particular article was in 2015, it still hits the pros/cons of each solution. Always ensure the plugin you choose is compatible with the latest WordPress version and is actively maintained.
    
  • Forums & Community: Building a community can increase user engagement on your site. If a forum makes sense for you (say, user Q&A or discussion boards around your niche), look at plugins like bbPress (from the creators of WordPress) or others like wpForo. They let you add a forum section to your site where users can register and post topics. I’ve found that forums require active moderation and a critical mass of users to really take off, so only add one if you’re ready to nurture it. In some cases, a private Facebook or Discord group might be easier to manage than an on-site forum – but owning your community on your own platform has its benefits (you have full control and it’s an asset you can later sell).
    
• Website Flipping Platforms: As your site grows in traffic and revenue, its asset value grows too. Some online entrepreneurs build and sell websites for profit – this is often called website flipping. One major marketplace for buying/selling sites is Flippa. I’ve used Flippa to both discover undervalued sites I could buy and improve, and to list a site for sale. If you ever decide to sell your website, Flippa provides a platform to auction it to bidders. (They even provide a standard Contract of Sale template to protect both buyer and seller during the handover.)
  
  Even if you’re not ready to sell, browsing Flippa can give you insight into what types of sites fetch high valuations – useful knowledge for building your own. Note: Selling a site isn’t for everyone, especially if it’s providing steady income, but it’s nice to know that a successful website is a sellable asset. It’s like owning a piece of digital real estate that can appreciate in value.
  
• Other Monetization Avenues: Depending on your niche and traffic, you could also consider:
  • Display Advertising: Networks like Google AdSense or Media.net allow you to place ads on your site and earn money per impression or click. This is the easiest to implement – just paste some ad code – but typically requires significant traffic to make substantial income. I usually prioritize affiliate or product revenue, but I might add AdSense as supplemental income on informational pages.
  • Sponsored Content/Reviews: Once you have an audience, companies might pay you to review their products or to publish sponsored articles. Always be transparent with your readers and only endorse things you truly like. Your reputation is worth more than a quick buck.
  • Lead Generation/CPA Offers: In some niches (like finance or software), companies will pay for leads (e.g., someone signing up for a free trial via your link). These often come through affiliate networks (as CPA – cost per action offers). If it fits your site, it can be lucrative.

Monetization is a big topic, but the tools above give you multiple options to start earning from your online business. I recommend starting with affiliate marketing if you’re new (since it’s low risk and no upfront cost), and then exploring your own products or services as you gain experience and authority. And remember, always provide value first – the money follows when your audience trusts you and benefits from your content or recommendations.

6. Tracking and Analytics

“How do I know if all this is working?” By tracking your traffic and user behavior. Analytics tools help you understand what’s happening on your site – who’s visiting, from where, and what they do once there – so you can make data-driven decisions. Here are the analytics tools I consider essential:

• Google Analytics: This is a must-have (and it’s free). By installing Google Analytics on your site, you can monitor how many people visit daily, which pages are most popular, how visitors found your site (search, social, referrals), and much more. I check my Analytics dashboard regularly to see which content resonates with readers (so I can create more of that) and to spot any traffic spikes or drops (which might indicate if something went viral or if there’s an issue). Google Analytics recently moved to GA4 (the latest version), which has a bit of a learning curve, but even the basics will give you tons of insight. If you find GA4 overwhelming, there are simpler analytics solutions too:
  • Plausible or Fathom (simple, privacy-focused analytics) – they are paid but very straightforward, giving you the core metrics without the bloat.
  • Jetpack Stats – if you use the Jetpack plugin on WordPress, it has a built-in stats module that shows traffic trends in your WP dashboard. Not as detailed as Google, but very easy to grasp at a glance.
    
• Webmaster Tools: Don’t forget to set up Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools for your site. These free tools from search engines show you how your site is performing in search results. For example, Google Search Console will report which queries your site appeared for, your average ranking positions, and alert you to any technical issues (like broken pages or mobile usability problems). It also lets you submit your sitemap and see which pages are indexed. I consider Search Console the companion to Google Analytics – where Analytics shows who’s on your site, Search Console shows how you’re seen by Google. Use both to get the full picture.
  
• Conversion Tracking: If you run specific campaigns (like an email signup form or a sales funnel), set up conversion tracking. For instance, in Google Analytics you can define Goals (such as “newsletter signup success page viewed”) to measure how well your site is converting visitors into subscribers or customers. This helps you optimize – maybe you discover that a particular landing page converts 5% of visitors and another only 1%; you’d know where to focus improvements.
  
• Heatmaps & User Behavior: For more qualitative insight, tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg can create heatmaps of where users click on your pages and even record anonymized sessions so you can watch how people scroll and navigate. This can reveal if your important content is being seen or if people are getting stuck somewhere. While not necessary when you’re just starting, I found it enlightening to use a free trial of Hotjar on one of my sites – it showed me that hardly anyone was scrolling down to my call-to-action on the homepage, so I promptly moved that section higher!
  
• Analytics Plugins/Integrations: If you prefer not to log into external dashboards often, there are WordPress plugins that bring analytics into your admin area. For example, MonsterInsights plugin can display your Google Analytics data right in WordPress in a user-friendly way. This is convenient to quickly check stats while you’re blogging. Just be mindful of not obsessing over numbers – it’s easy to get addicted to real-time visitor counts. Use analytics to guide your strategy, but don’t let it paralyze you from creating more content.

One more thing on tracking: if you’re monetizing via affiliate programs, be sure to use any tracking tools they offer. For example, Amazon Associates shows which links/products get clicks and sales – review that regularly to see what your audience is responding to. Some affiliate networks allow sub-IDs or custom tracking links so you can A/B test different placements. In short, data is your friend. Even basic analytics data can answer questions like “Which content should I update or expand next?” or “Where are my visitors coming from, and how can I get more from that source?”

By continuously analyzing and tweaking, you’ll make your business more efficient and profitable over time. It feels great to have concrete numbers showing your growth – for instance, watching your traffic climb month by month or seeing your conversion rate improve after a landing page update. Celebrate those wins!

7. Additional Resources and Advanced Tools

The tools above cover the core needs of most online businesses. However, there are always more resources out there – some catering to special scenarios or advanced users. I want to leave you with a few extra tools and tips that I’ve found valuable, especially as you scale up:

• Learning and Support: Never stop learning. The internet business space evolves quickly, so keep building your skills. Aside from Moz’s SEO guide mentioned earlier, leverage free learning platforms. For WordPress-specific help, the official WordPress Support forums are a great place to ask questions. Websites like WPBeginner (which has articles like “5 Best Forum Plugins for WordPress”thenextinternetbillionaire.com and many other how-tos) have helped me countless times. If you feel you need to brush up on technical skills, there are beginner-friendly coding courses (for HTML/CSS/PHP) on sites like LearnToCodeWith.me that can empower you to tweak your website beyond basics. Even learning just a bit can set you apart – for example, understanding CSS can help you make simple design customizations without hiring a developer.
  
• Time-Saving Scripts: If you’re a bit techy or have a developer friend, you might find useful scripts to automate or enhance your site. One resource I used early on was JavaScriptKit.com – it offers free scripts for things like site search, form validation, image sliders, etc. You can copy-paste them into your site (or a WordPress text widget) to add functionalities. Nowadays, many of these features can be added via plugins, but it’s good to know you have options if you ever need a quick snippet.
  
• Advanced Search Techniques: When doing research, take advantage of Google’s advanced search operators. For example, searching site:reddit.com \"your niche\" can find discussions about your niche on Reddit, and using quotes or the intitle: operator can zero in on specific topics. There’s a Google Advanced Search page with a form to refine searches, or you can learn the direct operators (GoogleGuide has a reference chart) to save time. Mastering these can help you uncover golden nuggets of information or lesser-known competitor sites. (Fun fact: There’s even a term “Google hacking” for using advanced queries to find security holes or hidden pages – we’re not doing that here, but it shows how powerful search operators can be!)
  
• Affiliate Program Management (Advanced): If you eventually create your own product and launch an affiliate program for it, there are tools geared towards merchants/advertisers:
  • Publisher Discovery – Helps you find potential affiliate partners by analyzing which publishers promote your competitorsthenextinternetbillionaire.com. This can quickly build you a list of quality affiliates to recruit.
  • Uniqodo – A coupon code management toolthenextinternetbillionaire.com. It allows you to generate unique promo codes for affiliates or campaigns, preventing code abuse and making it easier to track performance by affiliate. It’s a nifty tool if you plan to offer discounts via partners or influencers.
  • Affiliate Recruitment via Alerts: We touched on using Google Alerts to find niche mentions. If you run an affiliate program, set alerts for your brand and related terms – when someone writes about products in your category, you can approach them to join your program. It’s an effective way to grow your outreach.
    
• Affiliate Conversion Boosters: As an affiliate (publisher), you can also leverage tools to improve conversions:
  • Monotote – This tool allows embedding buy buttons on images or videos on your site. For example, if you run a recipe blog, you could place a “Buy on Amazon” button directly on a photo of a kitchen gadget. It keeps readers on your page while shopping, which can lead to higher conversion rates for you.
• • Pouch – A browser extension popular in the UK that automatically shows available voucher codes on e-commerce sites. As an affiliate, having your coupon code appear in Pouch on a relevant site can drive more sales. (This is more for those who work directly with coupon deals or are an advertiser wanting to inject offers.)Gift Cloud / Loyalty Bay / Reward Cloud – These platforms allow you to give customers an extra incentive (like a gift card) upon purchase. For instance, “Buy through our link and get a $10 Amazon gift card as a bonus.” Advertisers often fund these, but as a savvy affiliate, you might negotiate such perks for your audience. It’s a way to differentiate your offer from others promoting the same product.
  These advanced affiliate tools are not necessary when you’re just starting out, but it’s good to know what’s possible. As you grow, you might encounter scenarios where they make sense to use.
  
  
• Remote Collaboration & Productivity: Running an online business often means working with virtual team members or clients. Two simple tools I use for this are Zoom for calls/chats and TeamViewer for screen sharing or remote desktop support. Zoom is free for online voice/video calls – I use it to communicate with freelance writers and developers. TeamViewer allows me to log in to a remote computer (with permission) to troubleshoot something – this came in handy when a non-technical friend I was helping needed me to configure a server setting. While not directly “money-making” tools, they support the operations side of my business and make life easier.
  
• Keeping Software Up-to-date: Lastly, always keep your tools updated – whether it’s your WordPress plugins, your analytics tracking code, or your knowledge of best practices. The tech world changes quickly. For example, note that Alexa.com (the website ranking service) was retired in 2022. In its heyday, many online marketers used Alexa’s traffic ranks to gauge site popularity; now we use alternatives like SimilarWeb or Semrush’s traffic analysis. Staying informed about such changes ensures you’re using the best available tools and not relying on outdated metrics or platforms.

Putting It All Together

Whew – that was a lot of tools! 🛠️ Don’t feel like you must use every single one of them from day one. The idea is to build your own “toolbox” over time, selecting the tools that fit your business needs and your budget. Start with the basics: a domain, hosting, WordPress, a keyword research tool, an SEO plugin, and Google Analytics. As your site and skills grow, gradually layer on more – maybe a social media scheduler here, an email marketing platform there, perhaps a premium SEO tool once you have the revenue to justify it.

The world of online business is constantly evolving, but one thing remains true: having the right tools and knowledge makes the journey easier and more profitable. I update my toolkit regularly as I discover new resources or as my business scales to new levels. By sharing this list, I hope I’ve saved you hours of trial-and-error in finding what works.

Remember, tools are just enablers – you still provide the vision, creativity, and hard work to build your internet empire. Combine your effort with these tools and you’ll be well on your way toward achieving your online business goals. Here’s to your success on the path to becoming the next internet success story!