Resources
Web design software and business tools we use every day at our web design company
It takes dedicated time and expertise to run a web design business, and it also takes quite a few digital tools. Here's a hand-picked list of some of our favorite fully tested, tried and true tools and resources that help us build websites and run our business here at Surelutions:
WORDPRESS... always
- WordPress.org - Our favorite web development platform (not to be confused with wordpress.com which used primarily for blogs)
WORDPRESS THEMES*
WORDPRESS PLUGINS (Premium)*
- Security: iThemes Security Pro
- Backups: Backup Buddy
- Page Builder: Beaver Builder Pro
- Theme Builder: Beaver Themer
- Page Builder Add-On Modules: Ultimate Add Ons and Powerpack
- Form Builder: Gravity Forms
- Site Speed Optimization: WP Rocket
- Image size optimization: ShortPixel
- SEO: SEOPress Pro (premium) or Yoast (free)
- Video Tutorials: Video User Manuals
- Image sliders: Soliloquy and MetaSlider Pro
- Social Media Feeds: Smash Balloon Facebook / Instagram Feed
(*Surelutions Care Plans include annual license renewal for all these themes and plugins. Note that not all client sites need all these tools.)
LEARNING WORDPRESS
WEB HOSTING
DOMAIN REGISTRATION
BUSINESS EMAIL
- Gsuite - Get in touch with us if you'd like to sign up for Gsuite. Nonprofits can apply for a free account, and if you are a small business we occasionally have coupon codes for new sign ups. Contact Us
- Sanebox - This software helps organize your email within gmail. It's saved me hours of time. This referral link will get you a $5 coupon.
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Social Media Image Sizes Cheat Sheet
- Social Media for Business - the best choice(s) for you will depend entirely on your goals and type of organization.
BUSINESS SOFTWARE
- Project Management: Teamwork
- Accounting: Quickbooks Online
- Design: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign
- Online payments: Stripe or PayPal
- File storage: Dropbox
- Password management: 1Password
- Software integrations: Zapier
