Resources

I personally find browser tabs overwhelming. When I have a lot open, it can make it difficult for me to find things I need regularly. This is why I usually prefer web apps and use them for things like ClickUp, Gmail and Google Calendar. But, sometimes things (like Dubsado) don’t have their own app. Applicationize can turn any web app into a desktop app making it easier to access what you need without the distraction of 100 browser tabs.

Atom is a free, open-source, code editor. There are a lot of editors out there, but this one is my favorite. It’s pretty light-weight and super customizable. Perfect for newbies and seasoned pros alike.

Cacher is one of my favorite finds! When developing there is a lot of code that can be reused on sites and Cacher allows me to organize all of the snippets I’ve used. With tags and labels, I’m able to easily find the code that does that thing…

I’ve tried so many project management systems and ClickUp is hands down my favorite. Not only does it offer a ton of features, but it’s also extremely customizable. Some of my favorite features are customizable views/statuses, document embedding, guest users, time-tracking, and easy integration with Gmail for creating tasks. The paid version is only $9/user, but most organizations just need the free version.

Not only is Barb someone you should be hiring for your SEO, she regularly shares easy to follow information on how to best optimize your site. Check out her DIY SEO courses!

Accessibility is so important, but can be extremely overwhelming when you’re getting started. Colleen does an amazing job of explaining how to implement and test for accessibility standards.

CSS Peeper is a CSS viewer tailored for Designers. Ever wondered what’s the line-height, font or a button size on a website? CSS Peeper lets you inspect code in the easiest way possible, just open it up and click on the element you want to check out.

Christine at Designing to Delight shares SO MUCH useful information. She offers courses on developing a workflow, how to lead your client through a web project, and the fundamentals of web design. Plus, there is a ton of useful information in her blog on things like how to price yourself, how to scale your business, copywriting, and more.

Dubsado has been a serious lifesaver. It allows me to keep all of my client information in one place and automate some of my processes. Use the link above or use my Dubsado referral code, caffeinatedweb, for 20% off your first month or year.

Flywheel provides easy to use, reliable WordPress hosting. Their support is excellent and I rarely experience downtime. Flywheel is the hosting used for clients on my maintenance plans as well.

As a designer, you probably end up with a ton of fonts. They can get pretty crazy to manage and some of them are client specific. FontBase is a great way to organize your fonts and you can turn them on and off based on what project you’re working on.

Full Page Screen Capture is great for getting screenshots of your projects. Just click the extension icon and it will take care of the rest. It even works great on parallax and animations.

There are lots of places to register domains, my favorite is Google Domains. It’s simple, there are no upsells, it’s easy to manage, and you can easily share access to other users with a Google account.

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is a cloud-based productivity suite, part of Google Cloud, that helps you and your team connect and get work done from anywhere on any device. It’s simple to set up, use, and manage, allowing you to work smarter and focus on what really matters. I’d be happy to help you set up Google Workspace for your company as well!

Get your grammar and spelling checked. Grammarly does a great job of checking your spelling on the web. Works in almost every text editor you’ll encounter, including WordPress and Facebook.

Gusto makes it super easy for me to run payroll (even though it’s just me, I’ve filed as an S-Corp). They take care of all of the paperwork and keep everything on the up-and-up! Definitely worth looking into if you have payroll needs.

HappyFiles is a great alternative to WP Media Folder (another favorite)! It’s lightweight and allows you to set multiple categories to not just images, but posts and pages as well. There’s a free and a pro version, definitely check it out!

Since a lot of business is being done over computers or phones, there are a lot more distractions to worry about. Krisp helps to cancel out background noise so your calls are more clear.

Loom is a great tool for professionals who need to show clients how to perform tasks. While in the browser, hit record and let Loom take care of the rest. Record tutorials with or without audio and you can even show yourself on-screen during the tutorial. It’s also great for recording webinars!

A lot of business is being done via teleconference now and we’re on video more than ever. ManyCam allows you to adjust camera color, add graphics, set up different angles and more. Definitely check it out for your next zoom meeting.

Looking for an easy way to build and collaborate on sitemaps? Octopus.do is super easy to use and lets you do basic wire-framing for pages in the sitemap as well. You can also leave comments and invite clients to work on the sitemap with you.

Trying to find out how big something is on the web? Page Ruler Redux is a chrome extension that measures everything for you. You can get the measurements by dragging your mouse or by selecting elements. Now you won’t have to inspect elements or save images to find out what size they are!

For Mac users, Rocket is a super-easy way to add emojis to all your messaging!

Gmail is a great email platform, but it’s got a lot going on. Simplify Gmail does exactly what the name says, it simplifies Gmail, removing some of the clutter.

Engineered for speed, built for security, crafted for WordPress. SiteGround offers feature-rich managed WordPress hosting with premium support, starting at just $3.95/month.

Sizzy is a great tool for designers and developers. Render sites on multiple devices, operating systems and browser configurations to see how they display AND inspect the code to troubleshoot problems. This has been great for browser testing on devices I don’t have like ones running Android and Windows operating systems.

Streak CRM is a great extension that lets you manage leads and pipelines directly in Gmail. See all of your emails with specific people and when emails have been viewed.

Swach is a desktop app available for Mac, Windows and Linux that allows you to find the hex code of any color on your screen and create palettes for reference. Great for graphic designers!

Tired of trying to keep up with the legalities of privacy policies? Termageddon is a Privacy Policy tool and their team monitors privacy laws for you and can automatically update your policy when the laws change. This is a great way to help you stay up to date and compliant with privacy laws, helping you avoid privacy-related fines and lawsuits. Good news, this is included in my maintenance plans!

The Contract Shop sells legal templates and courses for creative entrepreneurs, online course creators, consultants, coaches and more.

For all the wonderful things WordPress does, they have seriously dropped the ball when it comes to how it handles media. But worry not, WP Media Folder is here to make your life easier by allowing you to organize all of your media into folders. This is the best money I’ve ever spent on a plugin.