Resources

I thought it would be helpful to create a resource page that you can always come to for all of your passive income needs. I’ll add to it as I learn more, but you’ll notice that in the future I will reference this page quite often. I recommend bookmarking it for your reference and convenience. Enjoy!

Disclosure:  Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase.  Please understand that I have experience with all of these companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something.  Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.

MY MOST RECOMMENDED

If you look at nothing else on this page, these are the two that you should know about. I find myself recommending these resources again and again. I use them because they make my life easier, and I’m confident you’ll agree too.

Bluehost

99% of my websites are hosted on Bluehost. Why? Because it’s incredibly easy to use with 1-click automatic WordPress installation and excellent customer service – via phone and via chat. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND using Bluehost for your first site. Also, you can use the same hosting account for multiple domains if you plan on creating more websites. 

OptinSkin

My biggest blogging regret is still how long I waited before collecting email addresses. Glen Allsop from Viperchill.com created OptinSkin, a fantastic tool to help us more easily embed email opt-in forms into our websites.

BLOGGING

• WordPress: The #1 Blog Publishing Platform. Free and easily customizable with wonderful support. All of my blogs use WordPress.
• Woo Themes: The ultimate resource for premium looking WordPress themes.
• The THESIS Theme: This is the WordPress theme and framework that the Smart Passive Income Blog runs on. Thesis promises out-of-box search engine optimization, faster page load times, maximum readability to engage and hold reader’s attention, and point-and-click design and font controls.

HOSTING

• Bluehost: 99% of my websites are hosted on Bluehost. Easy to use, 1-click automatic WordPress installation and excellent customer service. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND using Bluehost for your first site.

START A BUSINESS SOFTWARE

• How to Make a $1k/Month Business – This is a software (yes, a software – but like a course too) by Noah Kagan, that he’s built to help anyone get started with building a business that will help you get your first dollar and they’ll work with you every step of the way.

PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION & SHOPPING CARTS

• E-Junkie: The shopping cart I use to sell my eBook. It’s compatible with Paypal Standard, Paypal Pro, Google Checkout, Authorize.net, TrialPay, Clickbank & 2CheckOut. Works like a charm, very low price to use. Comes with a decent affiliate program for your products.
• Clickbank: Another digital products retailer. Probably the most popular. Decently priced, but comes with an amazing affiliate program for your products.
• Paypal.com: Paypal is just ok for selling your own products through them, but you’ll need an account anyways to configure with and accept payments from the above shopping carts.

KEYWORD RESEARCH

• Market Samurai: The number one tool for keyword research available, hands down.
• Long Tail Pro: This is another top-of-the-line keyword research tool that many claim to be better and more user friendly than Market Samurai. I’ve tested it myself, and it’s hard to disagree. Unlike with Market Samurai, however, I personally know the owner, Spencer Haws, and he’s a great guy who is always looking to improve this piece of software for its users.
• Keyword Researcher: One of the best tools to find popular long tail keywords for your niche. Watch the video on the homepage, I promise you’ll be impressed.
• Seo Book Keyword Suggestion Tool: Another fantastic keyword research tool, with even more information and numbers to compare and select the perfect keywords.
• Seo Keyword Ranking: An excellent tool to keep track of the keywords you’re working on. Excellent interface and really easy to use.

IMAGES & PHOTOS

• iStockPhoto: This is where I purchase royalty-free images that I use on my sites.
• Flickr Creative Commons: This is where you can get free images for your website, but there are some rules that go along with it. Read the post in the first image & photo resource above to make sure you know how it all works.

LANDING PAGES

• LeadPages: The best tool, hands down, for easily creating high-quality landing and squeeze pages. Works with WordPress and non-wordpress sites.

EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS & MARKETING

• Aweber: The internet’s most powerful email opt-in service and email marketing/broadcasting tool. This is what I use to build my email list and newsletter.
• OptinSkin: A tool created by Glen Allsop from Viperchill.com to help us more easily embed email opt-in forms onto our website.

ADVERTISING STUFF

• Google Adsense: Make money by placing relevant ads on your website that are generated from advertisers using Google Adwords. This is free to use, but you have to register for an account.
• Google Adwords: If you want to begin advertising on Google, you can select keywords and locations and you pay each time someone clicks on your advertisement.

TESTING RESULTS

• Google Analytics: Google’s free website tracking and analytical tool. A must have for anyone with any type of website.
• Clicky: Clicky is just like Google Analytics, except it’s easier to use, and you can view how many people are on your site (and what they are doing) in real time! Your first site is free.

SITE PROTECTION

• Sucuri:  My websites are my business…and my livelihood! I don’t want any intruders, so I pay a yearly fee to make sure that if anyone tampers with my sites, it’ll be taken care of right away, with alerts/notifications letting me know what’s up. Sucuri is definitely great for peace of mind, if anything.
• Limit Login Attempts (WordPress Plugin): Install this plugin to limit the number of times someone can attempt to login to your WordPress admin panel before getting blocked. This helps to stop those who keep trying to break in by logging into your website with different passwords (and there are tools to help speedup this process).

GETTING HELP FROM OTHERS / OUTSOURCING

• Elance: Hired service for just about anything you can think of.
• Odesk: Another outsource website for freelancers, IT companies, programmers and web designers from abroad.
• 99Designs: This is a unique website that you can use if you need a logo design. It’s in a contest format. You submit the description of what you want, and designers will compete against each other to win money.
• SpeechPad: This is the service I use to get transcripts done for my podcasts and videos.
• Virtual Staff Finder: I just recently hired a full-time VA and this is where I got him. Virtual Staff Finder is the best and quickest headhunter service on the web if you’re looking for high quality VAs for anything you want done by someone else for your online business.

LEGAL STUFF

• LegalZoom: Easy online incorporation or LLC creation.