This list focuses on your digital requirements and compares some of the products available. There are a lot out there and Humble Bee focuses on usability, cost effective, easy to learn and simple overall management solutions.
[icon name=icon_box-empty] Domain & Hosting – there are a lot of options out there. The top two that I have experience with are #1 SiteGround and #2 Bluehost. I prefer hosting with SiteGround because I find them faster, they have quicker support and I’ve run into less issues with email. Ideally, I would recommend SiteGround for both your domain and hosting (keeping it simple and in one place). If you have a domain somewhere else, you can still purchase your hosting through SiteGround. Click here to visit the SiteGround website.
[icon name=icon_box-empty] eMail Marketing Service – again, there are a lot of options out there. A lot of you may be familiar with MailChimp, and if you are just starting out, this is what I recommend. It’s simple to learn and use, it has a great interface, online chat support and best of all, it’s FREE to begin (with a list under 2,000). The free account allows you to create campaigns and get familiar with the process. Some costs will come in when you get into automation and workflows. You can set up a monthly plan that grows with you (so you don’t have to worry about constantly upgrading).
[icon name=icon_box-empty] Squeeze Pages / Lightboxs – are you ready to get this rolling? Check out LeadPages to get a feel for the process and how simple it really is to set this stuff up. They offer a FREE webinar that walks you through LeadPages™, LeadBoxes™ and Lead Magnets™. All are important components of a successful online business. Here is the link for the FREE webinar. You have to pay for the year upfront (it’s about $300 for the standard package), so make sure you are good and ready to hit the ground running.
[icon name=icon_box-empty] Analytics – it’s a good idea to track your website’s stats. Google Analytics are the big players here. It’s easy to sign up, grab your code and plug it into WordPress (assuming you’ll be using WordPress).
[icon name=icon_box-empty] WordPress Theme – when it comes to WordPress themes, ElegantThemes offers a nice variety of themes to get you started for $69. They have handy plugins for an extra $20 (including the Monarch Social Plugin). Depending on your knowledge and willingness to learn, there are other WordPress theme options out there. We like ElegantThemes because of the level of support and simplicity. Of course we can work with you to build custom WordPress websites as well, if that’s your thing. If you aren’t sure what the right option for you is, get in touch and as us. We will help guide you.
Important Tip: Make sure to create your child theme when working with WordPress, it will save you some major headaches in the future.