7 Cool Tools For Web Workers:
Increase Productivity And Presence
As an SEO copy writer I spend a lot of time on the W3. It’s my workplace. And as such, I’m always on the lookout for tools that enable me to do more in less time. I also search for tools that increase my on-line presence – an essential ingredient to building web success, whether you’re publishing a blog or web site to market your business or your poetry.
So, here are seven of the coolest tools you can add to your arsenal of web-based apps.
It’s an on-line tabloid chock full of gossip on Brangelina, the Olsen twins and George Clooney. That’s the bait that drives traffic to the site.
What’s in it for you? Well, Zimbio enables you to create your own on-line magazine using posts to your blog, creating posts that do double duty. Two for the price of one exposure.
Once you register for this free service, tell Zimbio to ping your blog. The system finds posts and even suggests search categories. Or, you can create your own industry-specific search categories.
Go through your blog archives and resurrect some of those older, albeit, still relevant posts and create your own on-line mag tags on Zimbio.
One of the coolest tools around.
Odiogo translates text to language (TTL) – the spoken word. It’s simple to add Odiogo to your blog, enabling site visitors with vision problems, visitors with reading problems or visitors who speak a different native tongue to HEAR your pithy posts instead of having to read them.
You’ll see more site or blog traffic when your web space features Odiogo, and those visitors will thank you for the feature with return visits. Add it today.
Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Brightkite and other social media sites are open to all. Very egalitarian, and the way things should be according to the web’s principle of engagement. These sites do what they’re supposed to do.
Ning equips you to create your own social network. Set up a network for a family, a small business or a huge industry. Small companies keep in touch with clients and encourage the purchase of goods or services.
You decide who gets in and who’s blocked. Invite your business associates or potential prospects to sign up via automated email alerts.
With Ning, you create your own social media site based on your business or personal needs. And you create your social network site in minutes. It’s easier than setting up a blog.
Get real time metrics the way you want them.
Getclicky provides the tools to set the parameters of metrics analysis based on the specifics of your site’s or blog’s objectives. Determine how visitors found you, from where they came and where they went after leaving your site.
Sure, Google’s analytics still form the baseline but Getclicky, which BTW, can be added to any site or blog with a cut-and-paste snippet of HTML code, let’s you decide what’s important and what isn’t during metrics analysis.
Once you add this tool to your arsenal of metrics tools, you’ll use Getclicky to create a better, less “biased” picture of your on-line activity.
Highest recommendation.
Zoho is a one-stop shop for web workers, providing everything from an MS-compatible word processor to FREE on-line collaboration and conferencing. The brains behind this brawny site also through in an email client.
The basic services are all free and are perfect for most small, on-line businesses. Upgrades to more robust access are cheap, so creating on-line collaborations with multiple remote stakeholders is low-cost and easy.
Most computers come with an operating system but if you want to add Microsoft Word and Excel, it’s gonna cost you – unless you download Open Office.
Don’t spend $129 on that MS upgrade (the current price on Dell.com). Instead, when your system arrives, download Open Office. It’s Microsoft compatible and it does everything that MS Office does without the hefty price tag.
Save your money.
If you’re a web worker, the information on your hard drive is your bread and butter so you protect it, right?
You have lots of security software in place, a hardwired firewall on your office server and an add-on backup hard drive to protect that critical information.
But what if you’re robbed. What if someone breaks into your home office and snags your business – including that outboard back-up? You’re screwed.
Sugarsync is an off-site, backup storage service. Once registered, your docs, programs, settings, contacts and any other data you select are uploaded automatically. You don’t have to think about it.
With Sugarsync, your business is protected from catastrophic data loss caused by floods, home office fires, burglaries and other disasters that can befall any web worker.
Your take-away? There are plenty of free and low-cost tools to simplify your web work. These seven are just the tip of the iceberg.
Google “web productivity” to see what pops-up. Cherry pick the productivity apps that you need for your work on the world wide web.
Cool tools. Thanks. Never heard of zoho but I already downloaded their apps. JD
ReplyDeleteCheck out zimbio, too. It's a cool site with lots of possibilities.
ReplyDeleteZimbio sucks. How can you recommend it. It's a spam machine, jerk.
ReplyDelete@Bud Light One site owner's spam machine is another site owner's advertising outlet. After all, spam IS advertising.
ReplyDeleteAs far as calling me a jerk, are you related to my ex-wife?
Webwordslinger