Basic Software for Internet Marketers

Most of the software that I recommend is available as free downloads…

Listed below in alphabetical order are the basic software components on my computer that I either use everyday or are otherwise indispensable to my Internet marketing business.

They include:

1. Anti-Virus Software
2. Chat Software
3. Email Software
4. File Transfer Software
5. Text Editor
6. Web Browsers

You can also check out the video tour of my home office. The page includes a list of 25 different hardware components that I use to make money online.

1. Anti-Virus Software

   Although mentioning anti-virus software may seem superfluous to most who use their computers for business – the point needs to be stressed for PC users who still don’t protect one their most important business assets. You’d be amazed how often I hear from people who have suffered complete data losses due to viruses, etc. I use Trend Micro. To get a 10% discount, to use the coupon code ‘trendsecurity’.

2. Chat Software

   Chatting with your affiliate manager, clients or partners is more personal and gets results faster than exchanging information by email. I use both Skype and Google’s GTalk which is free and offers PC-to-PC voice calls, instant messaging, file transfers and Gmail notifications.

3. Email Software

   My email client of choice is Eudora (paid version 7.1.0.9 as of February 2008) simply for the fact that creating filters is so much easier than in Outlook and I run a ton of filters. However, according to the Qaulcomm website, “The Paid mode commercial versions of Eudora are no longer available. The Sponsored mode versions of Eudora continue to be available for download. An open source version of Eudora® is being developed by Mozilla and will be free of charge.”

   So, if you’re tired of Microsoft’s cranky filters, you might want to check out Mozilla’s Thunderbird, which promises intelligent spam filters, quick message search, and customizable views, has received excellent reviews and is available as a free download.

4. File Transfer Software

   Rather than use my HTML editor or cPanel to manage files and transfer them from my computer to the server, I find it much faster and easier to use FTP (file transfer protocol) software. I use WS_FTP Professional by Ipswitch, Inc which offers excellent security features as well as transfer and configuration settings. Coffee Cup’s Direct FTP client is similar to WS-FTP and is free to try.

5. Text Editor

   I write all of my posts and articles offline – so as not to risk losing my work should my Internet connection go down as has happened to me in the past. I use Ultra-Edit, which is a text editor PLUS. Although I prefer coding with an HTML editor, Ultra-Edit Pro can be used to create HTML code.

6. Web Browser

   Firefox is now my browser of choice. Other browsers include Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Opera, Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari.