Resources

Before I started Read By Dusk, I only had basic blogging knowledge through my experience with Livejournal and Tumblr. So when I decided to launch a book blog, I had to do a lot of research. I learned the technical aspects, promotion and social media, but I also had to learn how to balance my real-life job with managing my blog. While not everything I learned was applicable, I found a bunch of useful resources to help me run my blog smoothly.

If you are thinking about starting a blog or looking to improve your current website, these resources can help you. They are services and products I have personally used and recommend.

Please note some of the links below are affiliate links where I receive a small commission if you choose to make a purchase. Clicking these links won’t cost you any expense but it will help keep this website alive. Thank you for your support!

Web Hosting

bluehost
Bluehost

There are plenty of blogging platforms out there but after doing comparisons, I chose the self-hosted WordPress. There’s an option for free WordPress but customisations are limited and you do not own your website so I decided it was worth the expense in order to have full control of my blog. To start a self-hosted WordPress website, you need a domain name and web hosting.

My web host of choice is Bluehost because they are one of the most reliable web hosting companies and the official WordPress recommended web host. Their plan starts at only USD 2.95 per month (if paid for 3 years) for first-time users. Some of the services offered include a free domain for 1 year, CDN with Cloudflare, SSL certificate, WordPress integration, website builder, custom themes, and 24/7 customer support.

Blog Theme

Beautiful Themes

I chose my blog theme from Beautiful Themes which offers many versions of WordPress themes. The themes are free but some have pro versions with extra features. If you have a self-hosted website, you can customize the theme according to your needs.

Blog Design

Elementor

Elementor is a website builder for WordPress. It makes website building much easier with drag & drop, live edit, 90+ widgets, and instant page load. They have a template library for themes but I use my separate theme with Elementor and it works well. If you have no experience in coding or HTML, Elementor is a great help because everything is ready for you to just drop onto your website pages. It works together with other WordPress plugins.

WordPress Plugins

  • Jetpack – This is the WordPress toolkit to keep your site protected. The free plan offers attack protection, downtime monitoring, site accelerator and activity log.
  • Akismet Anti-Spam – Anti-spam plugin that helps filter spam from your website’s comments and contact forms. It’s integrated with Jetpack but you can get it on its own.
  • Sucuri Security – This security plugin monitors your website’s activities, file integrities, malware scanning and security notifications.
  • Mailchimp – A newsletter service plugin that lets you send out emails to your subscribers.
  • Smush – Image optimization plugin that compresses your images and improve your page speed.
  • Yoast SEO – This plugin is useful for SEO analysis and allows you to insert metadata to posts.

Blog Courses

Blogging For New Bloggers

This free course provided me with basic information on blog set-up, content writing, SEO strategies and growing an email list. If you’re new to blogging and don’t know where to start, this will give you some ideas on the steps you should take. Even if you have no plans to monetise your blog, I think it’s still worth a look.

Pinterest For New Bloggers

This free course taught me how to navigate Pinterest and how to use the platform to support my blog. I wasn’t a Pinterest user before I started my blog but now I find it to be a great place to get information and find other blogs to follow.

Legally Blogs

This free course helped me to understand the legal aspects of protecting my blog, like copyright issues, privacy policy and GDPR compliance. You can also sign up for the premium legal bundle that includes comprehensive class modules, legal page templates, workshops, and lifetime membership to the course.

The She Approach To Boosting Your Blog Traffic eBook

A 10-chapter eBook guide to growing blog traffic and reach higher pageviews. It helped me learn about the technical aspects of blogging such as Google Analytics, keyword research and email marketing. Grab a copy if you feel like your website needs a boost!

Genius Blogger’s Toolkit

A comprehensive toolkit for bloggers, featuring blogging tips, content creation, social media, marketing and organization. This is useful for all kinds of bloggers who want to start a blog or launch a small business. You can get 70+ resources worth USD 6300 for only USD 97. The 2021 sale is over but you can sign up to get notified for when it’s back up again. You can read my review of the 2021 toolkit here.

Graphic Design

Canva

There are many graphic design platforms out there but I find Canva the easiest and most fun to use. It comes with templates, texts, logos, and a lot of other tools for you to design for social media, blog, and more. I mainly use it to make Pinterest pins and Instagram slides. The free version has a limited option so I recommend getting Canva Pro where you get unique designs to personalise and make your own. You get a free 30-day trial so you can see if it’s suitable for your needs.

Productivity and Health

Income and Expenses Tracker

This income tracker is useful for my blog’s financial planning. It keeps track of earnings and expenses to automatically determine profit, estimated tax and monthly revenue. Get this tracker if you use paid features, receive income or need to monitor your finances for your website.

Home Business Productivity Workbook

A printable digital workbook that helped me to set up my home office when I started working from home. It includes checklists, to-do lists, goal settings and a weekly planner to keep you organised. You can use it on your computer or print the pages to write on them.

LSW Mind Notes Journal

I got back into journaling since the pandemic started and this wellbeing journal is perfect for what I needed. It has a variety of materials including prompts, mindfulness techniques, colouring pages, inspirational quotes and positive affirmations. If you find yourself feeling stuck or anxious, this journal can be a great help. Worldwide shipping is available, and you can get more info at their website.