Running an online business can be  tough at times; so many tools, so many moving parts. I've created this page of resources so that you can see the tools that I use to organize and run Content Sparks. Some of these I use every single day, and others I've used in the past and recommend.

If you ever have a question about any of these products or services, just send me an email.

Sharyn Thank you Page

Tools for Content Creation

Recommended
Descript AI video and podcast tool

Descript

One of the best AI tools for video and podcast creation and editing! Descript can do everything from removing your 'ums' and 'ahs' in your video/audio content to adding in bits that you missed. You can record content, repurpose it into clips, get transcriptions, and even publish your content via the Descript platform. Plus, there's a free version!

Tools and resources for online businesses 2

Microsoft Office 365

Word, PowerPoint and Excel for documents, slide shows, slide videos, spreadsheets, and pdfs. I also use Adobe for pdfs, but it's not essential.

Tools and resources for online businesses 3

Camtasia

Screen recording and video editing. You can get a good deal on a bundle with Camtasia AND Snagit together HERE.

Tools and resources for online businesses 4

Snagit

Screen capture, image editing, and creation of quick graphics. Perfect for step-by-step posts as you can add numbers, arrows and text quickly and easily. Snagit can also be used to record short videos and has simple video editing functionality.

Tools and resources for online businesses 7

iDevAffiliate

The affiliate software I use in my affiliate program. This is one of the few affiliate tools that's beneficial for your SEO. They have excellent tracking to ensure your affiliates are happy.

Recommended
Tools and resources for online businesses 10

Thrive Architect

While we use LeadPages for many of our larger sales pages still, and for many of our pop-ups, we use Thrive Architect (part of Thrive Suite) for designing product pages, blog posts, and other pages on our site. It's very intuitive and easy to build sleek, professional designs. This page is created in Thrive Architect.

Tools and resources for online businesses 5

Pictory

Incredibly easy AI tool for creating videos from your blog posts. You can also edit an existing video to add subtitles, intros, outros, etc. Or upload your script or images to automatically create other shareworthy video content.

Tools and resources for online businesses 8

Canva

Free online platform for creating quick social graphics, coupons, ads, covers, You Tube thumbnails and more. The paid version of Canva includes images, the ability to make templates and social scheduling. 

Tools and resources for online businesses 11

Thrive Quiz Builder

An extremely affordable quiz building WordPress plugin in the Thrive Suite that has more features than most of the expensive online tools. Great for lead generation, data collection, self-assessments, and more!

Tools and resources for online businesses 6

eCover Authority

Easy eCovers that you can design yourself quickly and generate in a variety of 3D styles. I sometimes get 2D covers created on Fiverr.com and then use eCover Authority to create 3D versions. CLICK HERE to get an exclusive discount for Content Sparks followers.

Tools and resources for online businesses 9

LeadPages

High-converting templates for all types of landing pages – sales, opt-in, thank-you, webinar, etc. Easy to create 2-step ‘leadboxes' for pop up optins. LeadPages can host your lead magnets and landing pages for you, or there is a plugin or html code to do it yourself. This is probably the easiest option if you don't have experience creating landing pages, or you want to save time by using a pre-made template that's proven to convert. They also have drag ‘n drop page options for building your own page from scratch.

Tools and resources for online business 1

Deposit Photos

My go-to site for stock photos for my ecovers, blog posts, lead magnets, ads, and more.

Zoom

Zoom is more than just a way to have calls face-to-face online. It's also a live video tool where you can record your room. This makes it easy to interview people, carry out discovery calls, and do live training. You'll wonder how you ever managed to do anything without it!

Our Top  Website Resources

Site 5

Hosting company with great customer service.

WP Engine

Managed hosting for WordPress sites. Amazing customer service, high security, faster speed, and all sorts of other benefits just for WordPress sites.  I used to host ContentSparks here, and then had things like my affiliate program at Site5. One note, since you can't get email through WP Engine, I use Google Apps for that.

Namecheap

Domain name registration. Google their latest month's coupon code before buying anything.

Thrive Leads

Part of the Thrive Suite, this is a plugin for creating and testing opt-in forms – slide-ups, top ribbon, lightboxes, pop-ups, side bars, in content, widgets, etc etc.

Publitio

For storing, managing, and embedding videos, images, and other media. Secure, fast, and affordable!

Woothemes/WooCommerce

The shopping cart on Content Sparks. They have an ENDLESS number of options for extensions/plugins for adding whatever functionality you want.

Teachable

Our online course platform. I love Teachable because it's easy to use, doesn't overwhelm you with a billion options (but still has what I need), integrates with my email platform, and has great support (especially for Pro plan subscribers).

New Zenler

Our other online course platform. I love New Zenler for the multitude of features it offers (and is continually adding on). This is more of an all-in-one platform, even though I don't use all those options myself. It has a steeper learning curve than Teachable, but if you want all the bells and whistles and don't mind spending a little longer to set things up, New Zenler is a terrific option for you .

Daily Business Tools


Active Campaign

The full-featured autoresponder and email marketing service I now use as my main tool. Easy to set up automations, segmentation, tagging, and more. Integrates with Woocommerce (via the ActiveWoo plugin) and other shopping carts and services.

SendGrid

For reliably sending emails to my customers and affiliates from both my WordPress site and my affiliate software. No worrying about the whims and potential security issues of shared servers on webhosts.

Backup Buddy

For backing up my WordPress websites. However, for sites on WP Engine, they do the backing up for you. Then you don't need this.

Dropbox

My important files in the cloud so I can access anywhere and share. I have it on my computers, iPad, and phone!

Evernote

My online filing system for notes, clippings, emails, etc. I also have this on every device so that I can't lose any notes.

Mozy Home

Online backup for my computer files

Kaspersky

Computer antivirus protection

Pretty Link Pro

Create ‘pretty' affiliate and link redirects as well as tracking link clicks for you. 

Webinar and Livestream Tools

Streamyard

I have yet to find a better livestreaming tool than Streamyard, and we use it all the time here at Content Sparks to multistream to Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. However, you can also stream to other locations, including embedding on a webpage, if you want. Aside from it's ease, reliability, and customer support, I love the fact that I can record my livestreams as videos and either use those videos elsewhere or even schedule them to go live in advance. A great feature when you're busy with other things!

Demio

I've been using Demio for years now and have always been impressed by their dedication to customer support and continuously improving their product. It's a great webinar platform for running both live and on-demand webinars, with all the features you need for integrating with email marketing. I love the simplicity, but also the ability to add resources for viewers and calls to action.

Big Marker

I purchased Big Marker more recently and have been delighted by some of the additional features they offer that aren't in Demio. Much is the same, but they also have the option to do breakout sessions, which is helpful for when you're running live classes with bigger groups.