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OK! I keep getting asked which tools and services I use for all our blogs, so I finally found the time to gather all of the most useful links, suggestions and resources into one handy place!
So now, the next time someone asks, I can relax, lay back and unfurl my true, patronising form and say: have you looked here?
BLOGGING
Lyrical Hosting: if you have a story to tell (and who doesn’t?!), the best way of doing that is with a blog of your own.
I recently moved our hosting services to Lyrical Hosting and could not be happier. Their team is professional, quick to respond and always helpful. We can’t recommend them highly enough.
There’s a great, free guide on how to start a successful blog over here.
StudioPress + the Genesis Framework: like all the best blogs, Dutch Uncles runs on WordPress and I choose the Genesis Framework from StudioPress for all my sites. That sounds like a lot of nested nonsense. If you want to know more about setting up your own blog, check out my how-to.
But the short of it is, if you want to monetise your blog, WordPress is the best, most secure and most respected option. If you want your WordPress blog to run clean, look good and be as easy to maintain as possible, then the Genesis Framework has all the support and essential tools built-in, plus a tonne of great plugins to make tailoring your blog to your needs really easy.
Once you sign-up with StudioPress, you can then build your own theme or access one of the amazing themes as a starting point. For all you who so often compliment Dutch Uncles, all credit has to go to the amazing team Themetry who created this theme Milan Pro.
Mailerlite: If you’re getting into newslettering –whether it’s for your blog, your conventional business or your family! – the simplicity of Mailerlite makes them easily the best option. The service is free for your first 1,000 subscribers and once they’ve helped you grow past that they’re still cheap compared to competitors like MailChimp or Convertkit.
Tailwind: If you are tired of pinning manually, try Tailwind. It’s the perfect scheduler to set up your pin strategy and make the most of your time and get optimum results from Pinterest. Try it for free for the first month, and get a $15 free credit for your second month!
Blog Simple Framework: previously the Billionaire Blog Club and Dare to Conquer this truly is the ultimate blogging resource! It’s not just a try series of pages, this is a whole community of like-minded people, all ready to lift each other up! That can include you!
If you are serious about creating a 6-figure blog, this is the place to be and you can start that journey for as little as $1 by accessing the incredible roadmap here. So if you want to get serious about your side hustle, make sure you get off on the right foot. BSF has everything you need to take your blog from hobby to 6-figure business!
TRAVEL & ESCAPE
If you don’t like travelling, what are you doing here?!
Heading out and finding new wonders, seeing new sights, tasting new delicacies and meeting new people are all some of the greatest pleasures in life. You can check out my tips on how to travel in style on a budget here, and these are the tools I use to do it!
Booking.com: There are some amazing hotel deals on Booking.com and it pays to be loyal!
Achieving the 10% Genius discount on many hotel options only takes a couple of completed bookings and some of those prices are genuine bargains.
It pays to compare options between AirBNB, Agoda and Booking.com and always to remember that, if you can get a good deal at a hotel with a good breakfast that can save you even more every day!
AirBNB: AirBNB is a great option, especially for longer stays when you want something that feels a bit more like home.
If you’ve never booked through AirBNB before, get a free $35 credit on your first booking by using this link.
Skyscanner: I never book flights without checking Skyscanner first. You can read more about all the tips I use to book cheap flights here, but Skyscanner is always on top of my list!
TECHNOLOGY & TOYS
Last but very much not least is the technology and toys I rely on everyday!
Whether it’s for tourism, plugging away at home, blogging from my sofa or beside the Grand Canal, these are pieces of kit you’ll always see by my side.
PHOTOGRAPHY
APPLE PRODUCTS
THE REST OF THE GEAR…
If you have a question about any of the things I mention below, please get in touch by sending me a message here. I’d love to hear from you!