Toolbox
Wondering what tools are used in building gauravtiwari.org and all my other websites? Well, my toolbox has only the best hardware and software and here are those.
Toolbox
Please note that some of the links listed here are affiliate links, which means I may earn a little if you choose to buy using these links (at no extra cost to you but the sellers).
Hardware Used
Apple Macbook Air M1 2020 – my go-to PC. Beautiful and very effective.
iPad Air 2020 – for basic edits, on-the-go writing etc.
Mi Notebook – rarely used now but still a very handy laptop to go with.
Amazon Basics Keyboard for hardcore typing and gaming on my custom PC setup. I also play on an Xbox Series S and a 32-inch screen. I also have an HP’s 21.5″ Monitor, which is used for web development needs mostly.
Software and Apps Used
- Typora – for writing and editing needs / $14.95 one-time. Evernote app is used for jotting down notes and tasks.
- ProWritingAid – my favorite writing assistant + plagiarism checker.
- Sublime Text – for jotting down notes, web development works.
- Canva Pro – for blog graphics / mostly the browser version is in use.
- Google Docs – to handle documents created by my team.
- Slack – my collaboration favorite.
- Notion – to manage important and sensitive data.
- SEMrush – for Backlink Audit and Keyword Research.
- Alfred for increased automation, text snippets and more.
- I use Google Chrome as the default browser to sync the data between all operating systems.
- CleanShot X to capture and annotate screenshots.
- ForkLift and Filezilla as FTP clients.
- Pixelmator Pro – for image editing needs that cannot be fulfilled with Canva.
WordPress Theme
The layout is based on a heavily customized Marketers Delight WordPress Theme – $58 for unlimited site usage. MD is possibly the best WordPress theme for Bloggers and Digital Marketers. Highly recommended.
WordPress Plugins
- WP Rocket + Perfmatters for performance (Read the tutorial)
- Jetpack for stats, backup, related posts and search (Free)
- Ninja Tables Pro for awesome looking tables
- GenerateBlocks Premium and Gutencon for different marketing blocks.
- Code Snippets for useful on-need PHP functions (Free)
- Dynamic Month & Year into Posts (Free)
- Rank Math SEO Pro for SEO
- Advanced Custom Fields (Free)
- AAWP for Amazon Affiliates
- Boxzilla for slide-ins and newsletter popups (Free)
- Content Views Pro for post grids, filters and things that used to do with code.
- Easy Table of Contents: Adds a user-friendly and fully automatic way to create and display a table of contents generated from the page content. (Free)
Recommended Tools
Besides the tools that I use on gauravtiwari.org, there are several other recommended tools, services, themes and plugins that I have used or am using on my clients’ websites for different purposes.
These recommended tools may or may not differ from the toolbox that’s used here. Say, for example, I use WP Rocket both on my blog and clients’ websites. But I use WooCommerce here and the Easy Digital Downloads plugin on sites with specific needs.
These recommended tools are tested and trusted by me and my clients, and I really hope you’ll find something of use in this list.
Hosting Services
- WPX: The best hosting for WordPress blogs. Undoubtedly one of the fastest and most optimized. Ideal if you have a lot of visitors and want to increase conversion. I have used this on some affiliate websites with great success. Pair it with WP Rocket and Perfmatters and you are great to go.
- Bluehost or Bluehost India: Very recommended for starters and small businesses. Comes with very effective pricing, great customer support and an awesome uptime. Couple Bluehost with Cloudflare, WP Rocket and Perfmatters for the best performance.
- Cloudways: A Google Cloud based hosting service. Ideal for medium to large businesses. Have the commitments of both WPX and Bluehost – fast performance and lower prices. Comes with inbuilt performance optimization and very high quality servers. Fast with tons of options and optimizations for WordPress.
