by Ryan Deiss
1. Doteasy Web Hosting
http://www.doteasy.com
Free, bannerless web hosting...'nuff said. The only complaint I have is that
reliability is not up to par with the paid hosts, but then again, what do you
expect -- IT'S FREE! While I wouldn't use it to host my main site, it's great
for testing mini sites and new products.
2. Link Counter
http://www.linkcounter.com
LinkCounter is a free service that tracks clicks on any link you want to track,
from inside, outside, or within your site itself. It's a great way to track
affiliate programs and link exchanges, or to create referring links for sites
you trade traffic with. They provide you with an unbiased report that you can
use to keep track of your outgoing and incoming hits.
3. Security Metrics
http://www.secxuritymetrics.com
Worried about your own site's security? Afraid you might be vulnerable to
hackers? Don't wonder -- find out! Security Metrics will give your computer a
"FREE Port Scan" where it will test for the 20 most common TCP/IP ports that are
often vulnerable. If you're like me, the results will surprise you.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 3
4. S.C.O.R.E.
http://www.dscore.org
S.C.O.R.E stands for the Service Corps of Retired Executives, and they pride
themselves on being the Counselors to Americas Small Business. In effect,
S.C.O.R.E. is a non-profit group that offers FREE counseling to anyone who has,
or is thinking about starting, a small business. I've utilized their trained
counselors on numerous occasions, and have been grateful every time.
5. Spyonit
http://www.spyonit.com
Spyonit has dozens of FREE spy tools that allow you to keep tabs on all the
sites and auctions that matter most to you. (Including your competition's.)
There's too much there to describe it all, so go to the site now to check it
out. They're also adding new "spies" fairly frequently, so check back often. Who
knows what they'll come up with next?
6. TracerLock
http://www.tracerlock.com
TracerLock is another "spy" type tool that monitors search engines, UseNet
groups, and personal ads for whatever word or phrase you tell it to. It's great
for keeping tabs on the competition, and seeing what others are saying about you
or your business. They have both a FREE and a paid service, so check it out.
7. ScumWare
http://www.scumware.com
If you've been keeping up with software or e-biz news, then you've no doubt
heard of the controversy surrounding traffic stealing software such as Top Text
and Surf+. This site is dedicated to eradicating the world of such thieves. It
will tell you if your computer is currently "infected", and give you some lines
of code that will disable the traffic thieves when they "invade" your site.
8. Trafficoloy
http://www.trafficology.com
This is easily my new favorite newsletter. Trafficology's creator, Wayne Yeager,
gives away literally THOUSANDS of dollars each month for new and creative
traffic generating ideas. He then turns around and gives these ideas to his
subscribers for FREE. I've been receiving the newsletter for a few months now,
and I have yet to be disappointed. While some of the ideas are WAY too crazy for
me to EVER try, the newsletter is *always* entertaining, and often useful.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 4
9. Onebox
http://www.onebox.com
Onebox is an incredibly low-cost service (I believe I pay around $10 a month for
it) that provides you with an email address, a fax number, and voice mailbox --
all in one place! If you're just starting out and you need a phone service, but
don't want to pay hefty charges to your local phone company, this could be an
ideal solution.
10. FreeAutoBot
http://www.freeautobot.com
If you've been holding off on purchasing an autoresponder service because you’re
not willing to pay a monthly fee, you should consider taking a look at
FreeAutoBot. Not only are they FREE, but they also don't place *any* ads in your
messages and they allow an UNLIMITED amount of messages AND subscribers.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I used this service in the early days of my business, but later
upgraded to a paid one for the increased options and support. Here’s my final
word on these free autoresponder services: If you simply cannot afford to spend
$10 or $15 a month for a paid service, then a free one such as FreeAutoBot will
work. However, your list is the most important aspect of your business, so as
soon as you can afford to switch to a paid service with a little more
accountability, I would make the change.
And if you are in the market for a low cost, *advanced* autoresponder service,
I’d check out AutorespondIt. Here’s the URL:
http://www.AutorespondIt.com
11. Web Site Garage
http://www.websitegarage.com
I was timid to include this site as a SiteSighting, for fear that it was already
too well known. The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that
this site is just too valuable to not feature it in this newsletter. I feel that
strongly about it.
Web Site Garage provides services for maintaining and improving your website. It
has a Free Tune Up feature, which checks your site for things like browser
compatibility, load time, meta tags, and more. The tune up is free, so if you
have a site, it's well worth your time to give this one a look.
12. PopUpMaster
http://www.popupmaster.com
When the owner of this site, who is also a member of the SiteSightings
community, submitted it as a SiteSighting, I knew right away that it would make
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 5
it into the newsletter. Popup creators are a dime a dozen on the web, but this
one is the best I've seen by far.
It allows you to create all kinds of pop-ups, from standard ones, to exit-pops,
and even pop-ups that use cookies so they only pop-up once per session. You just
type in your specifications and click submit, and PopUpMaster does the rest.
Best of all you can use it over and over again and never pay a thing. I even
used it to create the pop-ups on my own site! Trust me, this one's a winner.
Check it out.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This tool was completely free when I first ran the site in my
newsletter, but since then the site’s owner, Steve Shaw, has totally repackaged
and improved the software and has started charging for it. While it’s no longer
the free resource that it once was, I still feel that the product is well worth
the price.
For software that really puts a *spin* on pop-up marketing, be sure to check out
my own product, Pop-Up Rotator. Here’s the link:
http://www.PopUpRotator.com
13. Translating the Internet
http://www.t-mail.com
If you do a lot of business with people from other countries, or if you just
have friends that speak another language, T-Mail could be just the thing for
you.
They give you a FREE email account and it translates your incoming foreign
language email into English. It also allows you to surf the web in foreign
countries in English.
I realize this won't apply to everybody, but for those of you who do a lot of
business outside of your native land, it could very well be a Godsend.
14. Free Email Directory
http://www.emailaddresses.com/guide_types.htm
Want your business to go international? This is the best place I've found to get
email addresses around the world. Think globally, appear local. It has a few
pop-ups, but hey, somebody has to pay the bills.
15. Yale's Web Style Guide
http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/contents.html
This is the definitive web style guide covering everything that has to do with
site and page design. If you're new, this site can be a great place to learn the
basics. And if you're an experienced designer, this site is a great place to
review the basics and polish your skills.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 6
16. Self Promotion.com
http://www.selfpromotion.com
The World Wide Web is littered with sites that want to tell you the best way to
get your site listed in the major search engines. Search engine auto-submitters
are also a dime a dozen, so it may surprise you to know that that's exactly what
this site is all about.
The thing that sets this site apart, however, is this sentence (which can be
found on the site's homepage): "If you feel the site is useful, then pay me what
YOU think the advice and service is worth!"
That's right! The site owner actually offers access to his research, services,
and programs for FREE! You only pay him what you think it's worth. A deal like
that is certainly worth a look, wouldn't you agree?
17. World Submit Pro
http://www.worldsubmitpro.com
Here's another useful site for you webmasters out there. World Submit Pro offers
many useful services for free, with the hopes that you'll upgrade to their paid
services at a later date.
They currently offer FREE versions of their Webstats program (which is basically
an advanced counter), a Mailing List program and a Web Polls program that’s
great for researching new product ideas.
These are some of the most robust free trials I've ever seen for products such
as these. If you're currently paying for any of these services, you could save
some money by checking them out.
18. Coach Maria's Article Bank
http://www.coachmaria.com/articles/articlebanks.html
While I can't speak for Maria's consulting abilities (I've just never met her or
heard anything about her), I can say that this is one of the best compilations
I've seen of places to submit NEW articles. Some business owners have achieved
maximum exposure by utilizing these free article submission sites. Hey it's
worth a shot right?
19. QWK.MON
http://www.qwkmon.com
QWK.MON will monitor your site's server to make sure that they don't have too
many downtimes. The fact of the matter is that server downtimes cost websites a
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 7
LOT of money. Don't let your e-business be one of these. Let QWK.MON keep tabs
on your server when you can't.
(Just so you know, the first URL you have them monitor is free, but it'll cost
you if you want more sites monitored.)
20. Cheap Domains and $8.88 Domains
http://www.CheapDomains.ws
http://40megs.com/888.html
Domain name registrars are everywhere on the net, but this site has some of the
lowest prices that I've ever seen. Just imagine, less than $10 for a little
piece of Internet real estate...amazing! It makes Register.com and Network
Solutions look like a couple of highway robbers.
I for one have already purchased dozens of domains through from both of these
registrars.
21. ScamBusters
http://www.ScamBusters.org
The submitter of this SiteSighting claims that it's the #1 site on Internet
fraud. Well after visiting the ScamBusters site and signing up for their
newsletter,
I'm inclined to agree.
I think my favorite part of the site is the Urban Legends section. If you've
ever received an email about anti-perspirant causing cancer or some kid who
needs a kidney transplant, (which I think all of us have) then I'm sure you'll
appreciate it as well.
22. Seed Capital Network
http://www.SeedCapitalNetwork.com
The Seed Capital Network is a great place for businesses trying to raise start
up money. With a database of over 1,500 private investors, the owners of this
site boast that they have an 80-90% investor response rate.
If your business has all the money that it will ever need, then this site is not
for you. If you're trying to locate a few investors, however, it could just
possibly be the most useful site in this report. And hey, it's free, so what do
you have to lose?
23. 123 Dreamweaver Tutorial
http://www.121DreamweaverTutorial.com
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 8
This one is for all you current or prospective Dreamweaver users out there. (For
those of you who don't know, Dreamweaver is one of the best WYSIWYG HTML editors
on the market. I've used it for years and love it.)
Don't let the name fool you - this is not your normal web design tutorial site.
Instead of text-based tutorials, this site offers actual video tutorials for
FREE. Watch as a profession web designer builds a site from the ground up right
before your eyes. I have no idea how they can afford to give this stuff away,
but be sure you take them up on it while they still do.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This tool was completely free when I first ran the site in my
newsletter, but since then the site’s owner has started charging for it. The
good thing about it, however, is that he does still allow you to view some
videos free of charge and so you can decide if it’s worth it to you to pay for
it.
24. Pay Per Click Analysts
http://www.PayPerClickAnalyst.com
Pay per clicks are a great way to bring targeted traffic to your site, because
you only pay when someone actually visits your site. It's a great idea, but now
it's been copied so many times that it's impossible to keep up with which ones
are worth getting listed in, and which ones you should avoid.
That's what makes Pay Per Click Analyst such a useful site. They keep tabs on
all the new PPCs and tell you which ones are the best. If you're serious about
marketing your online business, then this is one website that you need to have
bookmarked.
25. Speed Color
http://www.speedcolor.com
SpeedColor.com is a whole new way to order commercial printing. With this site,
you can get anything from business cards to books printed quickly and easily.
They offer instant online pricing, file transfers, proofs and more, all done
over the web. This makes them extremely fast and easy. If you need anything
printed, Speed Color is a great option.
26. Free Web Tools, Web Builder 101, and The Free Site
http://www.FreeWebTools.com
http://www.WebBuilder101.com
http://www.TheFreeSite.com
These sites are so closely related that I decided to just include them together
as one SiteSighting. Each one of them offers free tools for webmasters and
online business owners, so between the three you should be able to find
something immediately useful to your business.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 9
27. Setup Generator
http://www.gentee.com/setupgen/index.htm
It seems like creating your own software product is the new hip thing to do, so
I decided to include a SiteSighting that would directly benefit all you Bill
Gates' out there.
Basically, Setup Generator is a simple freeware installer, designed to help you
quickly and easily create installation setup files for your products. Not only
does it make the installation process easier on your customers, it also adds a
touch of professionalism to your product. Who wouldn't want that?
28. Hosted Scripts.com
http://www.hostedscripts.com
This site provides a lot of great cgi scripts for webmasters free of charge. And
the best part is that they host them on their own servers so you don't have to
know how to install cgi or even have it enabled on your server. The only
downside is that they place ads on the pages that they host for you, but hey,
they have to earn a living somehow.
29. CJB.net
http://www.CJB.net
If you're using a long affiliate URL in your promotions, or have an email
account that you'd like to get forwarded to your main one, then CJB.net may have
just what you need.
They offer free sub-domains, as well as URL and email forwarding, which makes it
more than worthy enough to hold a space in my favorites bar. The only downside
is that you have the cjb.net ending on your URL, but it's still shorter than
some of the affiliate links out there.
30. FreeMarketingVideos.com
http://www.freemarketingvideos.com
Every week this site puts up a new video that covers some aspect of web
marketing. So far they've covered how to make and ebook, how to setup
autoresponders, and how to make digital product covers for your products. And
when you consider it's all free, it's definitely worth a bookmark in my book.
31. Who-Not How Review
http://who-nothow.com
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 10
If you're sick of review sites that are really just people trying to sell their
latest affiliate product, then Gordon Sears’ Who-Not How site and "Guru Review"
newsletter will be a breath of fresh air.
Gordon isn't afraid to go after even the "big-boys" on the Internet (which he
admits has got him into trouble before), but it certainly adds to his
credibility in my book. I'd be sure to take a look at his site before you buy
your next product.
32. Publicity Insider
http://www.publicityinsider.com
Even though this site sells a product, it still has a whole lot of free info on
how to get quality PR for your business. And as a person who recently benefited
from an online news article, I can tell you that it's quite possibly the best
form of advertising you'll ever see.
33. GoToMyPC.com
http://www.GoToMyPC.com
I just have to say that I love this service. It's not free, but it sure is
convenient! Imagine being able to access your home computer from any other
computer with an internet connection. You can travel with confidence and know
that if worse comes to worse, you'll always be able to get that file you forgot,
or send that email that just can't wait. It's great!
34. Best Affiliate Tracking Software.com
http://www.Best-Affiliate-Tracking-Software.com
If you plan on starting your own affiliate program, I would make it a point to
visit this site first. They'll help you choose the software or service that's
right for you, and give you some useful tips along the way.
35. ePrompter
http://www.eprompter.com
ePrompter will check up to 16 of your password protected email accounts
automatically as well as reply to, compose and even forward messages. Depending
how many accounts you have, and how often you check them, this little tool could
easily save you hours a day.
36. MySiteStinks.com
http://www.mysitestinks.com
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 11
It's not cheap, but if your site isn't pulling the kind of results that you'd
like, this site may be able to tell you why. Check it out for yourself and find
out if your site STINKS!
Side Note: They also have a tool to tell your friends that their sites stink. I
wouldn't be mean with it, but it could be a good joke if your friend has a sense
of humor.
37. Vista Print
http://vistaprint.com
A lot of people already know about this site, but it's certainly worth
mentioning again, just in case. I don't know how they can afford to do it, but
Vista Print will give you 250 free, color business cards.
You'll have to pay for the shipping, but the quality is superb, and you really
can't beat the price. If you haven't been to this site, be sure to check it out
right away.
38. Click Tracker
http://www.webmasterinabox.net/ct/
This web site offers a free link and click tracking services, and even the pro
version is ridiculously cheap. I especially like the fact that their software
allows you to have your own domain in tracking URLs instead of the link
tracker's URL.
39. Safe Internet Business Solutions
http://www.safeinternetbusiness.com
Scams are everywhere on the internet, but this site provides a haven from bad
business practices.
Their mission is to provide safe Internet business solutions that offer high
quality, free or low cost products, services and information; all backed by
excellent customer service and a money back guarantee.
Their services include copywriting, web design, website analysis, domain and web
hosting solutions. If you're in the need of any of these services, I would make
a point of checking them out first.
40. PageSucker.com
http://www.PageSucker.com
This product will "suck" an entire webpage on to your hard drive so you can read
it off-line. It's great for people who use dial-up connections, and best of all
it's totally free.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 12
41. StatsFly
http://www.StatsFly.com
Here's an easy, copy and paste script that will give you more web site stats
than you will ever be able to use. It's free if you don't mind the whole world
being able to see your stats. Or you can pay $10 a month and have your stats
page protected. (That's what I'd suggest. <grin>)
42. RefDesk.com
http://www.RefDesk.com
The submitter of this site said, "Think of something you want to know. It's
there!" And you know what...he was right. This site will help you find
anything from people, to your local weather, to just about any other random fact
that you could find the answer to anywhere else. Check it out if you need to do
some product research.
43. FILExt
http://www.FILExt.com
How many times have you downloaded something only to have your computer tell you
that it didn't recognize the file type? You then try to open it using the "Open
As" feature, but even you don't know what the file extension stands for. That's
where a site like FILExt comes in hand. FILExt has just about every software
extension listed so you can easily do a search on your "mystery file".
44. Hostica
http://www.Hostica.com
I admit that I didn't have time to check this site out, but the submitter claims
that they'll give you a domain free of charge without forcing an ad or banner on
the site. They're site also offers web hosting at $0.25 a month, but like I said
I haven't tested them. With prices like those, however, it may be worth checking
out if you're on a shoestring budget.
45. MailWasher
http://www.MailWasher.net
The submitter of this SiteSighting claims that it has made his life better again
by allowing him to manage all the spam. I haven't personally tested it out, but
since it's free I'd say it's worth giving it a shot it you're like me and you
receive a lot of spam.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 13
46. TurboNotes
http://www.TurboNotes.com
I've previewed free list hosts that are also ad free in this report before (see
#10), but this one seems to have more features than anything else I've come
across. I also like the fact that you can upgrade to a Pro account for only $47
a year and get even more features. If you're in the market for a list hosting
solution, I'd give them look.
But if you’re in the market for a truly low cost, *advanced* autoresponder
service, I’d check out AutorespondIt.
47. Ezine Ad Auction
http://www.EzineAdAuction.com
Ezine advertising is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to get the word out
about a product or service. This site allows you to bid for ultra-cheap ad rates
in a wide assortment of newsletters. If you're serious about marketing online,
then this site is one that you need to have bookmarked.
48. Site Viewer
http://www.anybrowser.com/siteviewer.html
Sites created for one browser type can very often look horrible when viewed
through other browsers. This site allows you to avoid such embarrassment by
"viewing your own site as your visitors do." I'd make it a point of testing out
your website using this tool before launching any new sites.
49. WebAssist
http://www.webassist.com
Give your ecommerce site PayPal functionality without having to touch a line of
code. PayPal is one of the most popular payment processors online so by
including them as a method of payment could very well increase your sales in and
of itself.
50. Keyword Wizard
http://www.keywordwizard.com
There are a lot of sites out there that help you choose keywords for your site,
but the thing I love about this one is that the program is downloadable. That
means you don't have to get online or leave your site every time you want to do
a little keyword research.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 14
It's a great tool for you search engine junkies out there.
51. Query Server News Search
http://www.queryserver.com/news.htm
When I saw that this SiteSighting had been submitted by my friend Phil Wiley of
http://www.ozemedia.com/, I knew it had to be good...
And boy was I right! Query Server News Search is a meta search engine that
queries the following sources: ABC News, BBC News, CNN, The Financial Times, The
Guardian, The Independent, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The
Washington Post, and USA Today. Results are sorted by date and then score, and
are optionally clustered by content.
If you're looking for specific news, this is the place to find it. They also
have specific searches for health, money and government issues.
52. Boogie Jack
http://www.boogiejack.com
BoogieJack has a lot of terrific information. One amazing little program is
called Background Magic. This awesome little tool will create your buttons,
borders, background - even skins and screen savers. There is a free version and
a PRO version. Works like a charm.
53. Fresh Devices
http://www.freshdevices.com
Here's another site with some nifty utilities for you PC users out there. (Sorry
Mac users.) They offer free utilities that help you optimize and diagnose your
own system. If your computer seems to be getting slower over time, their
products may be worth trying.
54. Courses U Seek.com
http://www.coursesuseek.com
Courses U Seek.com is the one of the first educational website to offer
affordable courses by email. Courses are offered on a variety of subjects
including – Online Marketing, eBook Writing, Web Design etc. All of the courses
are under $10, and some are totally free. It's worth checking out, because as
all 4th grade teachers tell us, "Knowledge is power!"
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 15
55. People Building People
http://www.PeopleBuildingPeople.com
Even though this SiteSighting is not free, I couldn't help but include it in
here because I think it is truly one of the most valuable resources on the
Internet. Rick Beneteau, the site's founder, is an online legend in his own time
- and for good reason.
I am a member of PBP and an affiliate, but I am NOT including my affiliate link
so that you know my recommendation is sincere and not motivated by an affiliate
commission.
56. eFax
http://efax.com
This is a great service, especially for companies based outside of the USA who
want a US based phone number. It is free and allows people to either leave a
short message or to fax you. Messages and faxes are delivered right to your
email box. Easy!
57. c2it
http://www.c2it.com
Here's a great alternative to PayPal if you need to send money to someone (even
overseas). Best of all it's FDIC insured and they have 24 hour, live customer
support.
58. 404 Research Lab
http://www.plinko.net/404
For those of you who don't know, file 404 errors occur when you try to go to a
webpage that no longer exists in a particular location. This is a fun site that
shows you the do's and don'ts of creating 404 pages, and how you can even profit
from them. Most of all it's fun!
59. Free Advice.com and Legal Zoom
http://www.freeadvice.com
http://www.legalzoom.com
Both of these sites are legal in nature so I decided to group them together.
Free Advice.com is just what it sounds like it would be <grin>, and Legal Zoom
has some of the cheapest legal rates I've seen. If you plan to setup an LLC or
incorporate your business at some point, I would check them out. They also offer
excellent rates on patent and copyright applications.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 16
60. Cool Archive's Logo Generator
http://www.coolarchive.com/logogen.cfm
If you're just starting out and you need a nice looking logo, this could be a
great solution for you. Granted, it's no where near as nice as a professional's
work, but what do you expect...it's free!
61. RoboForm
http://www.roboform.com
If you're familiar with Gator then you already know how this little tool works.
Basically, RoboForm helps you fill in website forms and can store your usernames
and passwords. The great thing about RoboForm over Gator, however, is that
RoboForm does not place any annoying ads on your system...a nice feature in the
constant battle against scumware.
62. HelpOnThe.Net
http://www.helponthe.net
Totally free tech support for all your computer related questions. Heck, how can
you top that?
63. Bookmarklets
http://www.bookmarklets.com
Their website says it best:
"A bookmarklet is a cross between a bookmark and a JavaScript applet.
Bookmarklets can be saved and used in the same way you use normal bookmarks.
While you're on a web page, you can use them to perform certain functions, from
highlighting content converting numbers (like currencies and measurements),
search in advanced ways and much more. You do not have to download or install
software to use them. For example, I use a word count bookmarklet to quickly
count the number of words on a web page since my copywriting fees are based on
the length of a page."
As you can see, it's a pretty nifty little tool so check it out!
64. Ad-Aware 5
http://www.lavasoft.nu
This free software finds the scumware that weasels its way onto your computer
and helps you get rid of it. It's a great tool if you keep getting random
pop-ups and you don't know where they're coming from.
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 17
Note: If you're not familiar with scumware, there's a website that's solely
dedicated to this menace. Here's the link -->
http://www.scumware.com
65. Deleted Domains
http://www.deleteddomains.com
DeletedDomains.com is the ultimate tool for uncovering both "on hold/expiring"
domains and "deleted" domains. Unlike other services that simply offer a list
that is updated once or twice a week, Deleted Domains updates their database at
least once each day, meaning it is the most up-to-date service of its kind.
Best of all it's free!
A Note from Ryan: I have personally used this site to locate many top quality
domains, the latest of which was DrivingTraffic.com. This one domain was
appraised by GreatDomains.com at $7000-$9000. Not too shabby when you consider
it only cost me $9.95. Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to do with
it.
66. Email Education Center
http://www.emaileducation.com
Access to articles, how-tos and whitepapers on everything email marketing - best
practices, privacy issues, acquisition strategies, etc.
This site also offers free online Webinars and "Ask the Expert" segments. Don't
you just love quality, free information?
67. Jan's Freeware Collection
http://www.jansfreeware.com
This is one of the best freeware sites on the net. Some of their new products
include a free ebook creator and pdf generator.
68. So You Wanna.com
http://www.soyouwanna.com
Learn how to do everything from write a business plan, to run a marathon, to mix
a great drink. Some of the entries are a little bizarre, but the Money and
Technology parts are "must sees" for any small business owner. (And if nothing
else it's good for a laugh.)
© 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 18
69. TinyURL
http://tinyurl.com
This is a great site that allows you to change your long URLs into shorter ones.
It's a Godsend for people who use free webspace providers, as well as
affiliates.
The service is free, but donations are appreciated.
70. Any Browser
http://www.AnyBrowser.com
AnyBrowser offers every tool you'll need to make your site viewable, as the name
suggests, in any browser. It's a great site for people who design their own
websites, but even if you had a "professional" design your site for you, I'd
suggest checking their work against this site.
71. ROI Calculator
http://www.marketingtoday.com/tools/roi_calculator.htm
Marketing Today's ROI calculator is an easy-to-use little device that allows you
to accurately estimate what kind of return on investment you can expect from
your upcoming direct mail or e-mail campaigns and promotions. The ROI calculator
is a simple tool that acts as an excellent reality check when you're determining
your marketing costs.
72. Top Marketing Forums
Warrior Forum: -->
http://www.WarriorForum.com/forum Entrepreneurial Success
Forum: --> http://www.ablake.net/forum
Between the Warrior Forum and Tony Blake's Entrepreneurial Success Forum, you
should be able to get just about any question regarding internet marketing
answered. These forums are "must have" resources and should be in any online
marketers "Favorites" list (or Bookmarks for you 'Netscapers' out there).
73. Dynamic Drive
http://www.dynamicdrive.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 19
This site has lots of cool javascripts...just make sure you don't overdo it
because a million scripts on one page can get really annoying.
74. Digital Page Author
http://www.digital-page-author-software.com
Here's an alternative to both PDF and HTML compilers that may excite you ebook
authors out there. The Digital Page Author format emulates the experience of
reading a real book by letting your customers flip through the pages at the
click of a mouse. I haven't tested the software myself, but they have an example
ebook on their site and it looks pretty slick. Check it out and let me know what
you think.
75. BotSpot
http://www.botspot.com
This site has tons of bots to help you do everything from finding a news article
to spying on your competition. Even if you don't use it for "business purposes"
it's still just a lot of fun.
76. Site Level
http://sitelevel.whatuseek.com
SiteLevel can set you up with effective, free search tools for your web site. If
your site is more than a couple of pages and doesn't have a good internal search
tool, you're probably losing many a frustrated visitor. Best of all, the free
version should be enough for most small business owners.
77. Make Your Own Business (From TalkBiz News)
http://www.talkbiznews.com/myob.html
Paul Myers, of TalkBiz News, really has a beauty here. It's a free service that
generates a personalized, step-by-step tutorial for how to start a business
online. Just fill in the blanks, and his system will crank out a tutorial,
customized to your own skills and goals. I've never seen anything like it, and
best of all it's free. Give it a shot!
78. SWiSH
http://www.swishzone.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 20
Swish is software that allows you to create great Flash presentations without
even learning (or buying) Macromedia Flash. But do me (and your visitors) a
favor...don't go overboard with your new talent.
79. Paid Search Engine Tools
http://www.paidsearchenginetools.com
The Keyword Bid Optimizer (KBO) at Paid Search Engine Tools helps you keep tabs
on all your pay per click bids. They even let you try it out for free. If you
use PPC services like Overture and FindWhat, you should be using a service like
this.
80. Archive.org
http://www.archive.org
This is one of the coolest sites I've ever seen.
The Wayback Machine at Archive.org allows you to view old versions of your
favorite websites. This can be especially useful if you want to see what changes
your competitors have made over the last few months or even years. Who knows, it
may give you some ideas for things that you might need to change on your own
website.
81. Answer Tool
http://www.answertool.com
This handy little tool can save you hours worth of work by no longer having to
type in the same answers to emails over and over again. If you're spending too
much time answering emails, this tool could be a godsend. They even let you try
it free for the first 30 days.
82. ChangeDetection
http://www.changedetection.com
This site tells your visitors about changes to your website every time something
is updated. It’s great for archives and membership sites, and best of all, it's
completely free!
83. Yahoo! Expired Domain Finder
http://www.obleam.com/yahoo © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 21
The Free Yahoo Domain Finder will help you find expired domains that are still
listed in the Yahoo! directories. These can be instant sources of traffic if you
find one that meshes with your business.
84. The eMasters Courses
http://the-emasters.promote-sell-profit.com
The owner of this site is giving away a free eCourse every month. It can be a
great way to get good content for your site, the only problem I saw is that the
reports are only offered in .exe, so Mac people are pretty much left out in the
cold. Still, it's free and you can always just copy and paste the parts you
like.
85. ixquick
http://www.ixquick.com
This is my new favorite search engine...
It works the same as other SEs, but adds an extra twist. ixquick also tells you
how many other search engines the sites you find are listed in. It's a great
tool to use when researching new product ideas and scoping out the competition.
86. TrafficRanking.com
http://www.trafficranking.com
Here's a free site where you can see how your site ranks in popularity, number
of links, and overall visitors. My suggestion: check out your competitors' sites
as well and make sure you're at the top.
87. TheTrafficSystem.com's "The Online Free Alley"
http://thetrafficsystem.com/MoneySystem/freereports.html
You can find free reports with reprint rights all over the Internet, but never
before have I seen so many in one place. You can literally spend hours on this
site digging through original reports and articles. This is one of those sites
that I look at and think, "This person could charge a fortune for this kind of
information." The good news is - they aren't.
88. URL in One
http://www.urlinone.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 22
The owner of this site claims that you'll love their service so much, you'll
want to make it your homepage. And you know what, I actually agree!
The URL in One concept is a little too complex to cover completely, but here's
what the site's owner had to say about it...
"For anyone who ever opens more than one browser window at a time, URLinOne
gives you control and power. You can auto-open or manually open a site or sites,
organize them into groups, and reuse open browser windows. This is a new and
powerful way to manage and access your favorite, frequently visited sites. Best
of all, there's no software to install, and it's free."
Check it out!
89. emailStripper
http://www.webmasterfree.com/emailstripper.html
emailStripper is a free program for cleaning the ">" and other formatting
characters out of your emails. It can also restore "forwarded" or "replied"
emails back to their original state so they're easier to read.
90. Keyword Miner
http://www.engineready.com/freeware/keywordminer/index.html
Keyword Miner is a free software tool that helps you find the perfect set of
keywords for your web pages, while also measuring your success by comparing your
traffic with that of your competitors.
Best of all it's completely free - no nag screens, no advertisements - you don't
even have to register it!
91. SnipURL
http://www.snipurl.com
If you're familiar with TinyURL.com, then you already know what this site does.
Basically, it allows you to "snip" your long URL's (such as affiliate links)
into much shorter ones. It's a pretty slick little resource for all you
affiliate marketers out there.
92. FreeSticky
http://www.freesticky.com/stickyweb/ © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 23
Free content sites are all over the Internet, but this one has to be one of the
best. It doesn't matter what your website's topic is, chances are you'll find
something here that will add value to it.
93. Stickies 4.0
http://www.btinternet.com/~tom.revell/
If you're like me, your monitor is covered with sticky notes. Some of them are
to-do lists, others are ideas, but in the end they just make your desk area look
cluttered. Well here's a handy piece of software that will help you cut down on
the clutter. Oh yeah, and did I mention it's free.
94. GotLogos
http://www.gotlogos.com
Do you need a logo for your product or business but don't want to spend hundreds
of dollars in the process? If so, then this site is definitely worth adding to
your "Favorites" list. I'll admit that I've never personally used their
services, but at $25 for a custom logo, what do you have to lose? (Other than
$25 of course. <grin>)
95. FreeStats
http://www.freestats.com
There are tons of hit tracker services on the web, but this one does everything
I need and is dirt cheap. (What more can you ask for?)
96. FindArticles.com
http://www.findarticles.com
FindArticles.com is a vast archive of published articles that you can search for
free. It's constantly updated and contains articles from more than 300 magazines
and journals in every possible category you could imagine.
It's a great way to add content to your website and a little more beef to your
promotions.
97. SpamNix
http://www.spamnix.com © 2002 by Softniche Solutions Page 24
This program uses the same filter criteria as Spam Assassin, and while that may
not sound like a good thing it can actually be a tremendous asset. Essentially,
what SpamNix allows you to do is to "test" your emails to see if they'll make it
through the Spam Assassin filters.
Just send your email to yourself using the SpamNix filters and you'll know for
certain if your email message meets the Spam Assassin criteria.
It's a shame that honest online marketers must go through all this trouble just
to send an email to our opt-in list, but as tools like Spam Assassin become more
and more commonplace, tools like SpamNix will become more and more necessary.
By the way, SpamNix only works with Eudora so make sure you download a free copy
of it by going to http://www.Eudora.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: While this SiteSightings was submitted by a subscriber, I can say
with a fair degree of certainty that it first appeared in Paul Myers' "TalkBiz
News" ezine and was originally conceived by Jeff Walker, of
http://www.lowrisk.com.
By the way, if you're not already subscribed to Paul's ezine I highly recommend
doing so by going to http://www.talkbiznews.com. It's one of the best...plain
and simple.
98. AutorespondIt
http://www.AutorespondIt.com
Ok, I admit it...this one's a shameless self-plug of my very own autoresponder
service. Even still, you'll be hard-pressed to find an *advanced* autoresponder
system like this for such a minimal investment. If you already have an
autoresponder service or if you're still shopping around, you owe it to yourself
to check out AutorespondIt.
99. SmartBoardXP
http://smartboardxp.com
SmartBoardXP captures everything as you copy and paste, stores all your
regularly used data, and lets you paste back into the document you are currently
working on with as little as one click or two keystrokes... and it even works in
all your applications.
The best part is that it helps you organize everything into categories so it's
especially helpful when you're researching your hot new product. Just think of
it as your regular Windows Clipboard on steroids.
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