Jump ahead with our favorite tools
When you invest time learning a new tool it better be worth the effort.
Lucky for you, I've done the research and testing. Just ask Friede, who has had to listen to me talk about whatever new software for hours on end. Trust us. Save your relationships by using my recommended tools below.
Here are my top choices for growing an online platform with writing, podcasts, events, community, and online programs.
Since client relationships are at the core of our work you can trust I only vouch for things I actually use and love. Some of these are affiliate links, which means we get a kickback- Thanks for using them!
Questions about anything? I'm happy to share more examples and talk about what might work for you. Contact us using the chat button in the bottom right (HelpScout, btw)
Breakthrough Facilitation
This is an immersive and interactive online program that teaches you how to run engaging virtual events, meetings, classes, etc... I am so happy that I went through this cohort and was able to level up the experience I'm offering to students with Build Your Website Essentials. Gwyn Wansbrough is a world-class facilitator and curriculum designer, and they use the Snapshot tool you see below!
MySnapshot
This is the assessment tool everyone asks me about. Course creators take note; Charlotte Crowther, the creator of MySnapshot is raising the bar for online courses in all the right ways by giving students a process to measure their learning and "Make Transformation Visible".
Cleanshot Pro
As an educator and content producer I use Cleanshot every day. It's how I'm able to capture an image of my screen (screenshot), and then annotate/edit this before sharing. This works for slides, demos, and even obscuring text (like an email address, logo, or face) from an image I'm sharing. Cleanshot Pro allows you to keep an archive of choice images in the cloud with sharing links. Yeah, so if you're doing work like me, you can see why it's an amazing solution.
Tally
This is the form tool that works like a Notion document. I love how easy it is to create forms that look good and work as they should. I upgraded to Tally pro so I could add all kinds of useful features. I've built simple contact forms here for free, and advanced conference registration forms with conditional logic. I love Tally!
Libro.fm
Yes! Finally a membership site for audiobooks that isn't gimmicky and supports local bookstores! This is the audio-book platform connected to Bookshop.org, the place I always go for books these days.
Miro
This used to be called Real Time Board, because it was an interactive digital whiteboard. Miro is much more than that now – I use it to mock up designs, build workflows, and keep track of complex projects. I also use it to run live interactives for my online program.
Notion Mastery
Notion Mastery is the most direct path to achieving an integrated knowledge and personal awareness system for your creative projects. This program by Marie Poulin is one of the most thoughtful courses I've experienced. It raises the bar for how online programs can be taught. I highly recommend it.
Circle Communities
I've become a raving fan of this new communities platform. You can customize it to meet your needs for online courses AND mobilizing for social change – two things I love.
Have a look at https://try.circle.so/45q5ka7x4yyw
ConvertKit
I've been a fan of ConvertKit since it began. I was one of the early adopters. This is the only email marketing tool tailored for creators, online educators, artists, writers, musicians, etc... They're also deeply sincere and principled company in the marketing space – which is a real gem. Just ask and I can tell you more. By far, I believe ConvertKit is the best way to manage email automation and subscribers.
Use Maple's affiliate link https://convertkit.com?lmref=Yky12g and get a free email marketing strategy consultation for setting up your ConvertKit account.
ThriveCart
This product solves so many problems for e-commerce, programs, and digital products. I don't even know where to start. I'll have to write a full post about it. Also, lifetime license!
Notion
If you've ever tried to plan a complicated project (content, email sequences, or a curriculum) then you know the limitations of standard documents.
Notion allows me to create an ecosystem of information, interlinking pages, quick search, and even relational databases. And yes, as a former librarian I love using Notion for creative knowledge management.
Canva
I used to use Adobe Suite and pride myself on my photoshop skills. Now that I'm mostly working with online media I find that most of what I need is available in Canva. In fact, Canva makes it even easier by incorporating a stock library of graphics, videos, and images. I can share it with my team, and save my brand colors and logos to use again and again.
Astra WordPress Theme
I started using Astra as the base theme for all Maple websites, and it's made everything faster and more accessible. The developers at Brainstorm Force are top notch in every product they create for WordPress. I highly recommend this theme whether you're a simple website or using WooCommerce. Astra is fast, elegant, and easy to setup.
Loom for Videos
Here's the tool I used to make the video above. It took me less than 2 minutes to make, publish, and embed the video onto this website. Best part, it's free to start using this tool and you only need to upgrade if you want to store tons of videos on the platform.
I know, it sounds too good to be true, but this tool is what nudged me into the video space. Check it out by viewing the video above via the loom link here: https://loom.grsm.io/9c6avgp0cxrf
Zapier Automation
This tool gets simpler and better each day as more platforms develop compatibilities. It's become a cornerstone of my operations and tech stack because it connects key details between platforms. For example, when someone registers for an event, the email address is passed to ConvertKit so we can send a welcome message.
Airtable
Next up is Airtable. They boast that you can organize anything with Airtable and I think they're right. It can be used for project management, inventories, event planning, and student rosters.
In a nutshell, it's a strong alternative to Google Forms and a much improved version of Google Sheets. It's like a spreadsheet with superpowers.
Right now I'm using Airtable to manage the students and homework assignments for my website building program.
Vimeo
If you teach online courses or work with video content you will need storage. Vimeo is where you can upload your videos, and then embed them on your website or in your online course. The reason I recommend Vimeo is because you can customize the player, and the platform is non-invasive (like YouTube or FB).
Check out Vimeo plus here, https://share.vimeo.com/ryan8
DocSketch for Agreements
I use DocSketch for all the agreements required for website projects, care plans, and campaigns.
DocSketch makes it super easy to sign your documents, for you and the people you're asking to sign agreements. It is an all-in-one electronic signature, approval, and document tracking solution.
Process Street for Repeating Tasks
A process is a group of tasks that need to happen sequencially in order to achieve an outcome, such as monthly book-keeping, quarterly taxes, or new client onboarding.
I use Process Street's checklist software to "run" these processes on repeat.
For example, each month a new checklist is created with my financial tasks. This prompt me to send invoices, update my biz expense list and update the status of my projects.
Some processes are for clients, such as a publishing work-order. Process Street is our quality control secret, giving us ways to improve our regular tasks each time we do them and keep notes organized for our team.
Process Street also provided a TON of valuable training, and it basically an essential tool for any organization that has regularly repeating tasks, staff training to provide, or the solo-business owner who wants to stop things from falling through the cracks.
Fastmail for Email
I was an early user of Gmail, and for years I used the service despite knowing they were scraping my personal conversations for nefarious gains... I guess there was a kind of cognitive dissonance there. Either way, I eventually had enough. I finally discovered Fastmail which I actually like better than Gmail.
Their tagline is "Email you feel good about" and that's exactly how I feel. This is a paid service (about $5 a month) and since email is an important part of my life I'm happy to pay for it and have my data be a secure and respected part of this service.
Financial Goals & Invoicing with Harpoon
This was the first piece of software I subscribed to when I started freelancing. The first thing Harpoon will ask you set up is your financial goal. Then, it breaks it down into months and gives you a timeline to view your invoices on. This is fundamentally unique. There's obviously more to it, but I've stuck with this over the years because it's exactly the features I need to manage my biz finances effectively. It's worth mentioning the founder has responds directly to questions.
Fathom Analytics, taking on Google
Stop scrolling through pages of reports and collecting gobs of personal data about your visitors, both of which you probably don’t need. Fathom is a simple and private website analytics platform that lets you focus on what's important: your business.
Beaver Builder
Even as WordPress grows and changes to become the most user-friendly and ubiquitous website tool, Beaver Builder gives you full editorial control on important pages like your homepage, about page, and program pages. I love this plugin so much I license it for all my clients and call it “Maple Builder”. I’ve even filled the Maple support center with tutorials for different kinds of layouts.
Mighty Networks
The future of online courses is online communities. What better way to support your student's learning than to provide a community where they can connect with others and feel motivated as they apply what they're learning.
Mighty Networks started by creating private social media sites for people who wanted the benefits of a Facebook Group without the lack of participation (or bystander dynamics) that happens on Facebook. They've refined their platform for years and now it's used by top community leaders and course creators.
Here's my link to check it out, https://www.mightynetworks.com/?via=ryan-clover
Donorbox for Fundraising
If you ever just want a quick and simple way to add a donation button to your website, donorbox is the perfect solution. These tools can range from free to hundreds of dollars a month – and the difference is that the expensive tools are actually selling all kinds of other stuff.
This tool is exactly what it says it is... a way to accept donations, choose levels, matching, and all that with your own color scheme and style. Easily embed it on your website with copy and paste. Boom. You're accepting donations on your website.
Create and Sell Online Courses With Teachery
Teachery stands out as a minimalist, user-friendly, and small-business sized online course platform. You can use this tool to create and sell online courses and manage all your students in one place. Use Maple's affiliate link https://www.teachery.co/?a=cTrAdE2g and I'll give you a personal welcome and consultation to help you succeed with your online courses.
Note: If you are a care plan client, then you've already seen how Teachery works. I use Teachery to provide online video instruction to help you manage your website. It's also how I process recurring payments website care plans. 🙂
WordPress (self-hosted)
There is a reason self-hosted WordPress websites are the gold standard – when set up correctly it’s the most user-friendly and personalized platform for creating and connecting with people.
Most people get confused by themes, which are more like an operating system than a template. With the right WordPress set-up, your website can be better looking and easier to edit than anything else available today.
No link for this one friends – but I recommend Flywheel and Beaver Builder as the magical combination for an amazingly simple WordPress setup. Check them out below.
Schedule Appointments With Calendly
I use Calendly on my booking page because it's so easy for me and for clients to be able to set up an appointment. What's so nice about this is that it connects to the calendar I already use (Google Calendar) so that times that I am not available will not be available for booking.
It's so simple, I sometimes look at my own Calendly link to see when I'm available for myself (haha). Check it out at calendly.com
Meet Edgar, A Smart Way To Manage Social Media
It's not just about managing social media... Meet Edgar is a completely different way of thinking about social media management. Most other tools like HootSuite or CoSchedule (which I've enjoyed) let you schedule things in advance on a calendar. Meet Edgar is based on the concept that you can create a library of share-worthy content, then have this content published on different days of the week (Monday to Sunday), based on the rules we create.
This is one of the most brilliant ways to manage a social media presence that truly creates value for your audience on a regular basis, raising the impact of your work while saving you tons of time. I can give you $10 off your account and provide a free trial with Maple's affiliate link https://ed.gr/gazrc
Crowdcast Webinars That Grow Your Audience
This webinar platform is the simplest for your audience. They can access the webinar in their browser with a single click, and then immediately participate in the discussion. The team behind this product is brilliant and committed to using their tools for social change. Crowdcast has impressed me with every improvement, so I'm glad to commit to them for the long haul. Like all of our partnerships, use Maple's link and I'll give you our entire webinar funnel blueprint.
https://www.crowdcast.io?lmref=562
Flywheel Managed WordPress Hosting
Flywheel is the premium hosting option for WordPress websites. It’s for people who want to keep things simple and provide the best possible experience for themselves and their website visitors.
It’s "expensive" if you compare them to business as usual – but it's a bargain in all the time and hassle you save dealing with technical issues and fighting off upsells. You can set up a self-hosted WordPress site in 30 seconds for free, give it a spin, and even migrate your existing site to Flywheel free. http://share.getf.ly/j83z1b
One Page Websites by Carrd.co
Carrd.co provides one-page websites for pretty much anything. You can start using the service immediately, and only pay when you want to connect a custom domain. I always recommend a carrd.co site as a starting point for websites and especially for service providers. Check out carrd.co
Seriously, go check out carrd.co and build a one-page website for your idea, event, newsletter, etc... Becoming familiar with this tool will open a world of possibility to you.
Website Domains & Email by Hover
Domain management, DNS, IP addresses... all this stuff can give any content creator a headache, even if you know how it all works.
Setting up and making changes to your web domain should be simple, and you shouldn't have to wade through a swamp of salesmen to get your work done. That’s why I use premium domain management from Hover. Get $2 off your domain using our link: https://hover.com/amv1vea9
Hover is the perfect example of how working with a specialist will always get you better results. If you ever have questions or issues with your domain, their support team will often just fix it for you, no hassle, which goes a long way with your most important asset, your domain.
Password Managing w/ One Password
This is by far the most often used app on both my computer and mobile devices – if you have more than one internet account, you absolutely must start using One Password, then email me a month later and tell me how things have changed.
Since using One Password, I’ve saved thousands of hours messing around with accounts, passwords, and payments. I can’t recommend this highly enough, https://1password.com
Zoom Video Conferencing
Now my go-to platform for video conferencing from client meetings to larger facilitated online discussions. This software is more accessible, functional, and reliable than any I've used in the past 5 or so years of video conferencing.
While I prefer Crowdcast for webinars, Zoom is a better option in certain scenarios, so I always recommend to explore the trial and to ask a lot of questions before making a choice. Zoom's free plan worked for the first 2 years of business, so that should say a lot. http://bit.ly/2QVcmt1
Quality Podcast Hosting by Buzzsprout
I'm amazed at how complicated podcast hosting usually is – because Buzzsprout makes it so simple and intuitive. They only have the features you need, plus detailed reports that help you understand your audience.
Using Buzzsprout, you can start a podcast for free, share it on every platform, and start getting traction before you upgrade and add more content. Check it out here to get a extended trial.
Create Advanced Forms with WPForms
Forms are essential for any transaction. You can create an application form, a catering order form, a student registration form, even an advanced intake form with WPForms. You can also set up simple polls and surveys.
WPForms is a premium form builder tool that works inside your website and gathers all the data. You can set your notifications and use other advanced features like signatures and even payments. Clients have unlimited access to WPForms ($299 /annual value) with any care plan. https://wpforms.com/
Customer Support with HelpScout
Just like all the tools, I tested dozens of helpdesks before choosing HelpScout for handling support tickets. I love this platform, including all the amazing helpful resources they provide to help me be helpful (meta!!!)
You can test it out right now, because Maple uses HelpScout! Try the icon in the bottom right.
Use Maple's affiliate link and then schedule a free docs site setup consultation with Ryan.