Here it is folks… as promised, round two of the Top 5 Tools that I couldn’t live without (check out part one here) I guess this makes it my Top 10 Tools then right? 😉
Wonder what we use here in the OBM offices? Here is a list of more of my favorites – the ones that I truly could not live without – and why I love them so.
* In the spirit of full disclosure there are affiliate links within this article, as indicated by a lovely little * beside the link.
6) Infusionsoft* – Ecommerce, Broadcasting and CRM
This tool is truly the hub of our business these days (it really should be #1 on the list) – it’s ecommerce, email marketing, automated follow-up and CRM all rolled into one. If you aren’t familiar yet with Infusionsoft you need to get this on your radar… and a warning, as awesome as it is, Infusionsoft is not very “user-friendly” to learn. Don’t try to figure it out yourself or you might go batty, get help from someone who is trained in the system.
7) WishList Member* – Membership Management
This is a powerful WordPress plugin that allows you to create a private “members-only” site for any of your programs – trainings, memberships, associations, you name it. I’ve used WishList for years now for all of my sites – it’s simple to learn, simple to use and makes a lovely protected member site in a snap. (Because it’s a WordPress plugin, you need to have a WordPress based site to use it, but of course.)
8 ) AudioAcrobat* – Recording & Hosting
An oldie but a goodie (if you consider 7 years old, hehe) – I know there are loads of different ways to host and record audios these days but I still always come back to AudioAcrobat. I love that I can record any call, anywhere, anytime simply by dialing into the AA recording system by 3-way calling. And I ESPECIALLY love that AA hosts all the recordings and gives you lots of lovely options for sharing your recordings – cool play buttons, download links and the like. Easy to use, customizable and affordable.
9) VirtualPBX – Virtual Toll-free Number
I know there are lots of great toll-free and virtual phone services out there, this is the one I’ve used for years now. We don’t get a lot of phone calls, but I do like giving people a toll-free number to use if they want to call. You can set up calls to be directed to whomever you like, and also get copies of voicemail messages sent to you via email (which I LOVE). Plus it’s inexpensive, I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than $15/month.
10) Amazon S3 – Big File Hosting
This is a super dreamy tool if you have large files to host – like videos for example. I remember back in the day when I started in this biz, you used to have to pay ooodles of money to be able to host video. Amazon S3 does the trick and literally costs just dollars a month. We host all of our training videos here for all of our programs – also great to host audio files, PDF files and anything that you don’t want to put on your own servers.
There you have it – my next top 5 favorites.
And being that I’m such a tool geek please tell me – what are your favorite tools and why?