When someone asks us "where should I host this?" or "is there a cheaper way to start?", these are the answers we give. Every tool here is one we have set up or used on real projects, grouped by the job it does.
Most of the websites we hand over end up on Hostinger. It is inexpensive, the control panel is easy for a first-time owner to find their way around, and it runs both a plain HTML site and a WordPress install without fuss.
Where your website lives, and where you register its address. Always register the domain in your own name.
Best for: HTML and WordPress business sites
Our usual recommendation. Low yearly cost, a simple dashboard, free SSL and email on your domain, with an India server location.
Visit Hostinger ↗ AffiliateBest for: .in domains with rupee billing
An Indian registrar that bills in rupees and accepts local payment methods. Handy when you want a .in or .co.in address.
Visit BigRock ↗ AffiliateBest for: .com domains with free privacy
Clear pricing on .com and international extensions, with WHOIS privacy included so your personal details stay off public records.
Visit Namecheap ↗ AffiliateBest for: browsing many extensions at once
A large catalogue of domain endings, useful when the .com you want is taken and you are weighing alternatives.
Visit Domain.com ↗For the days you need something online by tonight. Start here, and move to a hand-coded site when the business is ready for it.
Small tools that keep client logins safe and paperwork moving.
Best for: working safely on public Wi-Fi
Encrypts your connection when you log in to hosting panels or banking from a café, hotel or co-working space.
Visit NordVPN ↗ AffiliateBest for: signing and editing PDFs
Fill in forms, sign quotes and mark up documents on a Mac, iPhone or iPad without printing anything.
Visit PDF Expert ↗When you need a writer, photographer or designer for a piece of the project.
Best for: longer or ongoing work
Post a job and compare proposals from vetted freelancers, with milestone payments held until the work is approved.
Visit Upwork ↗ AffiliateBest for: quick, fixed-price tasks
Pick a ready-made package for a logo, product photos or copy edits, with the price and delivery date fixed up front.
Visit Fiverr ↗For pitch decks and client documents that need to look finished fast.
Best for: first drafts of slide decks
Type an outline or a topic and get a designed deck you can then edit slide by slide.
Visit AIPPT ↗ AffiliateBest for: tightening an existing deck
Suggests a clearer order, shorter wording and cleaner layouts for slides you have already written.
Visit Presentation Intelligence ↗Free tools from Google and Microsoft we set up on every site we launch. None of these are affiliate links.
See which searches bring visitors, submit your sitemap and spot pages Google cannot read.
Open Search Console ↗ FreeTest how fast a page loads on mobile and get a list of what is slowing it down.
Open PageSpeed ↗ FreeYour listing on Google Maps. Keep the address, hours and phone number identical to your website.
Open Business Profile ↗ FreeThe Search Console equivalent for Bing, which also feeds results to several other search engines.
Open Bing Webmaster ↗ FreeChecks whether your FAQ, business and review markup is set up correctly for Google.
Open Rich Results Test ↗ FreeCounts visitors, where they came from and which pages they read before getting in touch.
Open Analytics ↗Find the row that sounds most like your situation. If two rows fit, the one higher up is usually the cheaper place to start.
| Your situation | What we'd suggest | Tools involved |
|---|---|---|
| You need one page online today, on a tight budget | A do-it-yourself single page now; a proper site later | Carrd, your own domain |
| A small business that changes its site a few times a year | A hand-coded HTML website | Hostinger, Search Console, Business Profile |
| You publish articles or update pages every week | WordPress on managed hosting | Hostinger WordPress plan, Analytics |
| You're launching a product or event with one goal | A focused hand-coded launch page | Hostinger, PageSpeed Insights |
| You need photos, a logo or copy before the site can start | Hire a specialist for that piece first | Fiverr or Upwork |
We've used it ourselves. Every paid tool here has been set up on a real project, ours or a client's, before it was added.
It saves you time or money. If a tool doesn't make the job quicker or cheaper than doing it another way, it doesn't go on the page.
The label tells the truth. Affiliate links say so on the card, and free tools are linked directly. If a tool stops being good, we remove it whether or not it earns us anything.