.🛠️ Website Tools & Useful Resources

Useful Tools to Help You Build, Improve, and Manage Your Online Presence

Running a business website doesn't mean you need to become a web developer.

There are many tools available to help with things such as website design, images, content, SEO, security, performance, and online marketing.

Some tools are free, while others offer paid plans with additional features.

AgencyOS Tip:
 Don't subscribe to every tool you find. Start with the tools that solve a real problem for your business.


🎨 Website & Design Tools

Canva

Visit Canva.

Canva is a design platform that can be used to create:

Good for: Small businesses that need professional-looking graphics without hiring a designer for every small job.


Adobe

Visit Adobe.

Adobe provides a wide range of creative and document tools, including applications for:

Good for: Businesses and users who need more advanced creative and document capabilities.


🖼️ Image Tools

Images can make your website much more attractive, but very large image files can also slow it down.

TinyPNG

Visit TinyPNG.

TinyPNG can compress images to reduce file sizes while maintaining good visual quality.

Good for: Reducing image sizes before uploading them to your website.

AgencyOS Tip

Don't upload a 5 MB photograph to your website if you can reduce it to a much smaller file without noticeably affecting the quality.


✍️ Writing & Content Tools

Good website content should be clear, useful, and written for real people.

Grammarly

Visit Grammarly

Grammarly provides writing assistance that can help identify spelling, grammar, clarity, and other writing issues.

Good for: Businesses that write their own website content, emails, and marketing material.


QuillBot

Visit QuillBot

QuillBot provides writing and language tools, including paraphrasing, grammar checking, and summarisation features.

Good for: Drafting, refining, and improving written content.

AgencyOS Tip

AI and writing tools should help you improve your writing—not replace your own knowledge of your business.

Always check the final content for accuracy.


🤖 AI Tools

Artificial intelligence can help small businesses save time when used properly.

AI tools can assist with:

ChatGPT

Visit ChatGPT

ChatGPT can assist with writing, brainstorming, research, planning, analysis, and many other business tasks.

Good for: Small businesses that want an AI assistant for everyday business tasks.

AgencyOS Tip

Don't blindly publish AI-generated content.

Review it, fact-check it, and make sure it actually sounds like your business.


🔍 SEO & Website Testing Tools

Google Search Console

Visit Google Search Console.

Search Console helps website owners understand how their websites appear in Google Search.

You can use it to monitor things such as:

Good for: Almost every website owner who wants to understand their Google Search presence.


Google PageSpeed Insights

Visit PageSpeed Insights.

PageSpeed Insights analyses web pages and provides information about performance and potential improvements.

Good for: Finding possible performance problems.

Important

Don't become obsessed with achieving a perfect score.

A good-looking, useful, and functional website that performs well for real visitors is more important than chasing a number.


📊 Analytics

Google Analytics

Visit Google Analytics.

Google Analytics helps businesses understand how visitors interact with their websites.

Depending on the setup, you can learn about:

Good for: Businesses that want to make decisions based on website data.


🔐 Security Tools

Let's Encrypt

Visit Let's Encrypt.

Let's Encrypt provides free SSL/TLS certificates that allow websites to use HTTPS.

Good for: Website owners and hosting providers needing SSL/TLS certificates.


Cloudflare

Visit Cloudflare.

Cloudflare provides services including:

Good for: Businesses wanting additional website performance and security services.


📄 PDF & Document Tools

Businesses frequently need to work with PDF documents.

Adobe Acrobat

Visit Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat provides tools for creating, editing, converting, signing, and managing PDF documents.

Good for: Businesses that work extensively with PDF documents.


📱 Social Media Tools

Managing multiple social media accounts can take considerable time.

Tools in this category can help with:

Examples

Buffer

Visit Buffer.

Meta Business Suite

Visit Meta Business Suite

Canva

Visit Canva

AgencyOS Tip

You don't necessarily need a dedicated social media management platform when you're starting.

If you're managing one or two social platforms, the tools provided by the platforms themselves may be enough.


📍 Google Business Tools

If your business serves local customers, Google's business tools can be particularly useful.

Google Business Profile

Manage your Google Business Profile.

Useful for managing your business presence on Google Search and Maps.

Google Maps

Visit Google Maps

Useful for checking how your business and local competitors appear on Google Maps.


🔎 Domain & Website Checking Tools

Before launching or changing a website, you may want to check:

Your hosting and domain provider will often provide many of these tools.

AgencyOS Tip:
 Don't enter sensitive account information into random "website checker" websites.

Use established and reputable services whenever possible.


⚡ Website Performance

A website can look beautiful and still perform poorly.

Things that can affect performance include:

Useful tools:

Google PageSpeed Insights

GTmetrix

Visit GTmetrix

These tools can help identify potential performance issues.


🧰 Useful Free Tools

You don't have to spend money on every business tool.

Some useful free options include

Google Docs

Visit Google Docs

Create and edit documents online.

Google Sheets

Visit Google Sheets

Create spreadsheets and manage business information.

Google Drive

Visit Google Drive

Store and organise files online.

Google Meet

Visit Google Meet

Hold online meetings and video calls.

Google Forms

Visit Google Forms

Create forms, surveys and information-collection tools.


🧠 Don't Buy Tools You Don't Need

It's easy to fall into the "I need another tool" trap.

Before subscribing to anything, ask:

What problem does this solve?

If you can't answer that question, you probably don't need it.

Then ask:

Is there a free alternative?

And:

Will I actually use it regularly?

A business can easily end up paying hundreds or thousands of rand every month for subscriptions that are barely used.


💰 Watch Out for Free Trials

Many online tools offer free trials.

Before starting one:

☑ Check how long the trial lasts.
 ☑ Check the price after the trial.
 ☑ Check whether your card will be charged automatically.
 ☑ Check how to cancel
 ☑ Set yourself a reminder before the trial ends.

AgencyOS Tip

"Free trial" doesn't always mean "free forever."


🔐 Protect Your Accounts

The more online tools you use, the more accounts you have.

Protect them with:

Don't use the same password for every service.


🧰 AgencyOS Recommended Starter Toolkit

A small business doesn't need dozens of subscriptions.

A basic toolkit could include:

Website
 A suitable website platform and hosting provider.

Domain
 A professional domain name.

Email
 Business email using your own domain.

Design
 Canva or another suitable design tool.

Writing
 A good writing assistant and your own knowledge.

SEO
 Google Search Console.

Analytics
 Google Analytics where appropriate.

Security
 HTTPS/SSL plus appropriate website security and backups.

Business Listing
 Google Business Profile for eligible local businesses.

Cloud Storage
 Google Drive or another suitable storage service.

Start small.

Add tools when your business actually needs them.


⚠️ Important

AgencyOS does not endorse every tool simply because it appears on this page.

Tools, features, prices, free plans, and terms can change.

Always check the provider's current information before signing up or making a purchase.


🚀 Need Help Choosing the Right Tools?

There are thousands of online tools available, and finding the right ones can be confusing.

AgencyOS can help businesses identify the types of tools they may need for their website and online presence.

[Ask AgencyOS for Help]


Affiliate Disclosure

Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service through one of our affiliate links, AgencyOS may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

We aim to recommend tools based on their usefulness, features, and suitability for small businesses.


🛠️ AgencyOS Bottom Line

The best tool isn't necessarily the most expensive tool. It's the one that solves your problem and actually gets used.

Start with the essentials, learn how to use them properly, and add new tools only when they provide a genuine benefit to your business.