In our last post about this, we discussed three digital tools we simply cannot live without and some alternatives, since we know nothing in business is one-size-fits-all. This week, we’ve got three more for you and a challenge, but we’ll get to that at the end. Here’s a tip, when searching for software, apps, or other digital tools, don’t assume the first one you find is the best. Keep digging until you find one that meets your specific needs.
LastPass
No more excuses for using weak passwords! Online security just got easier, store all of your passwords, sync’d on all of your devices with LastPass. The encryption happens locally on your device so that passwords locked on their servers are even unknown to LastPass.
- Cloud-based and secure for easy access behind one master password you set. Never forget another password again. Access the app from anywhere.
- Saves and auto fills password fields on login to virtually every site you use. One click login to any site you save. I literally mean click one button and you’re logged into your account.
- Scalable to fit any business or organization. They have everything from a free personal version to enterprise solutions.
Cost? Free! Upgrade to a Premium or Business account for more slick features started at just $12 annually.
Dashlane is an alternative that provides a free limited version, or premium for $39 a year. Encryption technology and features are comparable with LastPass.
1Password is another option, with similar features. Just slightly more expensive.
WordPress
You need a website. What if we told you the best website builder is one you could use yourself and it’s free? WordPress is the web’s premier content management system and website building software. What started out as a simple blogging platform has morphed into one of the biggest open source projects in the world.
- A community of millions of developers building free and inexpensive “plugins” to provide instant features on your site, all without you writing a single line of code. Simple sites are, well, simple.
- You can build for free, or upgrade to one of thousands of premium themes to create a site that is perfect for you – most of them for less than $60
- Use WordPress.com for a free hosted site, great for beginners with small traffic needs and upgrade to the custom-hosted WordPress.org when you need it.
- We mostly build with WordPress. Custom sites aren’t as easy as simple theme installs. Building with WordPress gives our clients the ability to easily manage their own content once the site is built, and the freedom to work with any WordPress developer in the world (it’s a big community!).
Cost? The platform is free to install and upgrade. Or, you can buy premium tools ranging from a few dollars, to several hundred.
Drupal is considered one of WordPress’ biggest competitors. The platform is free, but as with WordPress, premium tools range in price.
Zoho Sites is another option. We shared Zoho in our last post. Zoho Sites allows unlimited basic site building and offers premium services starting at $4 a month.
Dropbox
The web’s filing cabinet, is a great place to store documents and data in a cloud-based system you can access from anywhere. Save your documents on your own device, and mark them for syncing with Dropbox to have updated versions saved and synced across all of your devices.
- Never lose another file again with Dropbox as your backup. Your files are accessible from any web connected device.
- Use shared documents and folders to collaborate with teammates anywhere in the world (with an internet connection). Documents update and sync automatically as changes are made.
- Back up your photos automatically as you save them to your smart phone, or tablet. Even if your phone doesn’t survive, your vacation pictures will.
Cost? Free up to 2 gigs of storage. Get unlimited storage for $12.50 per user, per month.
Google Drive is a great free alternative to Dropbox. It starts with 15 gigs for free. In addition to storage and sharing, you get integration with all of Google Office’s great apps. The premium version is $10 per user, per month.
Sync.com is another option. They start with 5 gigs free or upgrade to premium with 2 TB of storage for $98 a year.
Bonus Challenge: Go over your current digital tools. Keep the ones you love and can’t live without. Look for alternatives for those that aren’t perfect, especially if you’re paying for them. A great way to start is by searching “Alternatives to X” where x is the name of your tool. You may be surprised what you find.
