Tuesday, January 11, 2005

My Top Ten Favorite Tools for 2005

Whenever you get asked a question repeatedly, stop and take notice! You've just found a potentially excellent topic for an article. :-)

So... I was going to write an article almost identical to the one following for my own subscribers... and then my friend Jim Edwards sent me his own top picks in a recent email. I agree with every one of his recommendations. And it's no surprise that we think alike. I've learned a great deal from Jim over the years. I always pay close attention to what he shares.

People email me all the time asking what software I use for this... or what service I use for that... or which program to do some other thing. So, I thought I'd write an article where I reveal the TOP TEN tools I love to use every day in my own online business. If you're always on the lookout for cool tools you can use to save money, save time and more... I think you'll enjoy Jim's article!

All The Best...

Louis

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My Top Ten Favorite Internet Tools
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When you spend 6-10 hours a day on the Internet like I do, you can sometimes forget that the tools and resources you use everyday (and take for granted) might rate an incredibly helpful discovery to people who don't already know they exist. Whether they help you save time, find what you need, or save a lot of money, these tools and services rate my highest recommendation for just plain making life easier, faster, and cheaper.

Short Keys

Available for free trial at www.shortkeys.com/lite.htm Short Keys allows you to create shortcut keys to cut down on repetitive typing tasks. You can pre-program it quickly and easily to type in huge chunks of text. I use it primarily to quickly respond to questions I receive repeatedly each day because it allows me to respond personally, but also saves hours of time typing the same answers over and over.

Spyware Detection & Removal

Spyware ranks a close second behind viruses as the top threat to your security online. Viruses can destroy your computer, but spyware can destroy your life! Though many programs exist to detect and combat spyware, I personally prefer "Spy Sweeper" from www.WebRoot.com

Mail Washer

Available for free trial at www.mailwasher.net, this program enables you to spot and delete spam and viruses before downloading them to your computer. I couldn't survive without this program and it rates the best $30 investment you can make to combat spam!

PayPal Payment Systems

If you want to send or receive money online (personal or business), PayPal.com gets my highest recommendation. PayPal experienced some major service issues a few years ago, but since online auction giant eBay purchased them, the service is extremely professional and well managed. When you signup for PayPal, you can start accepting credit card payments instantly. As the world's number one online payment service, PayPal is the fastest way to open your doors to over 40 million member accounts worldwide. Best of all, it's completely free to sign up! To sign up or learn more, >> Click Here <<

Kiosk Web Hosting

Solid, reliable and easy to use hosting service and promotions company with the best support on the planet. They own and operate their own data center. There are no middlemen which means extremely fast response times to your online needs. They offer all the free tools you need to have your Web site and/or business promoted on the Internet. They actually assist, train, and help their members in all aspects of their online efforts. These folks are absolutely dedicated to your success. And incredible service - really ! Learn more about Kiosk - Click Here.

Elance.com

With an entire world of professional help available online,even the smallest business can afford to hire out for justabout any type of help you can imagine.An online auction style site, Elance.com allows serviceproviders to bid on your job and you select them based onprice, experience, and feedback on previous jobs. www.elance.com

Google

Of course this seems obvious... but Google still rates as the Web's best search engine. When I need to find something online, Google usually produces exactly what I need to locate! www.google.com

Front Page Editor

Say what you want about Microsoft, but their FrontPage html editor has served me well for the last 7 years (and counting). Though I don't normally need to use the more advanced features, I can always count on FrontPage to help me get web pages done quickly. www.microsoft.com/frontpage

Smart FTP

Log on to www.smartftp.com and download a free copy of theeasiest FTP program I've ever used. If you need to transfer files to and from a web server andyou know how to use Windows Explorer, Smart FTP will enableyou to upload files to the web like a pro in minutes.

Note Tab Light

Perhaps my favorite tool of all. Note Tab enables me to easily format text messages for mynewsletters, manipulate html code and remove formattingfrom word processing documents. Log on to www.notetab.com for a free copy of the "light" version.



– Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to
use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors
to your website or affiliate links...



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