25 Web Sites I Can’t Live Without
Web 2.0Published January 16, 2008 at 3:13 am No CommentsI first used the Internet in 1996 and have been hooked ever since. Truthfully, my life has gradually moved more and more online and the majority of interactions I have throughout any given day are virtual. The first site that ever became part of my life, like many people that have been online for more than ten years, was Yahoo. I used it for e-mail, playing games, chatting with people (instant messenger) news and even as a search engine.
Today, I still use my original Yahoo e-mail address, but mostly as a spam box for the many things I sign up for every day online. Yes it’s true, nary a day goes by I don’t sign up for at least one new web site. Because I have signed up and used so many web sites, I have been able to uncover some that are absolutely invaluable to my life. Perhaps it’s a catch-22, but for my career and lifestyle, it’s been a blessing.
Hopefully after looking through this list, you will find some sites that can add some true value to your life, or somehow make your job or life easier. Feel free to add your own in the comments as I’m always on the lookout for great new sites.
#25 – ESPN – I’m sure everyone knows about this site, but if you care about sports AT ALL, it’s invaluable. Great writers, comprehensive coverage, live updates and more. I watch less and less sports each year, but when I want to know the latest in any sport, this is the place I go to.
#24 - Wordpress – Ever since joining Myspace (which didn’t make this list because I stopped using it 6 months ago) in 2003, I became intrigued with blogging. It took me a couple years to figure out that blogging on my own was far more valuable and rewarding than doing it for someone else, but now that I know, Wordpress has fast become one of my best friends. I don’t spend time on the site per se, but each time I start a new blog or set one up for a client, my first thought is Wordpress.
#23 - 1&1 – Another site I don’t use much, but can’t do without. I am a fanatic for buying domains and own around 75 of them. The first few I bought were from MSN, Yahoo and GoDaddy, but since discovering 1&1, they have received ALL of my business.
#22 – Bluehost - Hand in hand with domains is web hosting. I’ve tried several companies, but have firmly stood by these guys for the last 2 years. No one has been better. No one offers more for the price. Fantastic.
#21 – Meebo – I can’t even actually remember visiting this site one time in my life since it’s built into my #1 web site, but as an application, it is invaluable. Have more than one instant messenger? Tired of having to start up your instant messenger before using it? Check out Meebo. All five major instant messengers built into one web page, which means you can access them from any computer instead of just the ones your messengers are downloaded on. The future of applications looks exactly like Meebo.
#20 – Fast Co. – I can’t even begin to say how much I love this site. The only reason it isn’t further up on the list is because I’m a subscriber to the magazine. If you are an entrepreneur, this is a must read.
#19 – Quantcast – As a marketing professional and a full-time blogger, understanding site statistics is a demanding necessity. There are other sites that provide free traffic statistics, like Alexa and Compete, but none come close to Quantcast’s accuracy and depth of coverage.
#18 – LinkedIn – Just because I gave up on MySpace doesn’t mean I don’t like social networks. Indeed, I have accounts on no less than 12 social networks (Yelp, Facebook, Hi-5, etc.), but I’ve grown up a little and find that business networking is far more valuable than simply socializing with friends. If you are interested in building up your business network, there is no better place than LinkedIn.
#17 – Feedburner – If you have your own blog, you probably are interested in building up your subscription base. The best way to optimize your feeds and receive traffic analysis for those reading your blogs, Feedburner is the gold standard. They’ve recently been bought out by Google, so most of their services are even free now.
#16 – PartnerUp – Another great social network for business, PartnerUp focuses more on entrepreneurs looking for investors and vice versa. I’ve networked with some great people here and look forward to finding many more business partners through this service.
#15 – Technorati – Another blogging must. Technorati keeps track of all the vital traffic analysis you need to help you improve your blog. Basically the search engine for blogs, Technorati ranks blogs from 1 to who knows, and is a great place to network with other bloggers or find others in your niche that you can market your blog to.
#14 – Omgili – Omgili stands for Oh My God I Love It. It is the best search engine for forums. As a blogger and marketer, this site is invaluable for finding out what people are talking about right now. Used in conjunction with Technorati, it’s nearly impossible to not know what’s going on on the Internet.
#13 – IMDB – I’m a movie fanatic and can’t get enough trivia, goofs, quotes and production information. Luckily, the Internet Movie Database has all this information all in one place. No need to visit any other movie site.
#12 - LastFM – I’m also a huge fan of music, especially underground hip hop which has very little aggregated information online. Enter LastFM. The IMDB of music, this site will give you all the information you will ever need on your favorite artists, as well as rank their songs based on plays in the LastFM community. Looking for more great music by an artist? Check their page out here and you’ll find all you need.
#11 – Mashable – I consider myself an expert on what is commonly referred to as Web 2.0. Not only am I addicted to researching, using and trying to make these new sites better, I am constantly creating ideas for my own sites. Without Mashable, it would take me months longer to do much of the research I do as they are the king of information concerning the social Internet. If you like social networks or sites that allow you to participate, you owe it to yourself to check this site out.
#10 – Problogger – The site that gave me the courage and inspiration to become a full-time blogger myself. Darren, who runs this site is widely regarded as THE Pro Blogger on the Internet and offers valuable information on how and why you should be blogging, even to the point of making it your career. I don’t read it as much as I used to because I have a pretty solid understanding and insight of blogging myself, but it’s still a go to source for blogging information. Excellent.
#9 – StumbleUpon – This site continues to become more and more invaluable for my needs. Think channel surfing for the Internet and you’ll have a good idea about what this site is about. Again, I don’t visit the site much anymore because of their wonderful toolbar that does most of the work without having to go to the site, but as an application, it’s a Godsend. It’s also the perfect tool for marketing your blog if you have one.
#8 – Amazon – Everyone knows about Amazon. What everyone doesn’t know is how much I use this service. The largest store in the world is also my favorite. I shop in the real world less and less every year thanks to their ease of shopping, great recommendations and fast shipping. If you’ve ever gotten a gift from me, it most likely came from Amazon.
#7 – Youtube – Another great site that most people should know about by now. As a marketer, it is becoming more important to me as time goes on. In 2008, I look forward to creating my own videos and participating on this site much more. I’ve also got blogs that rely solely on Youtube videos that bring in some extra cash every month. Thanks Youtube!
#6 – DoshDosh – Very likely my favorite blog, far more so than even my own. If you are interested in making money online whatsoever, this blog is for you. The articles are deeper than those you will find anywhere else, and Maki’s writing style simply inspires you to try out his advice on your own. His blog has won many awards in the past couple of months and is less than a year old, but I have the feeling there are Internet marketers (including myself) who swear by this guy. Lots of great anime pics too!
#5 – del.icio.us – I bookmark on average, 25 sites a day. Without an application to organize all these links, I don’t know how I would ever get anything done. I’m also a huge fan of web applications that allow you to access your information, in this case your bookmarks, from any computer. That means I can go to someone else’s house and basically turn their computer into mine in less than a minute. My absolute favorite Yahoo service nowadays. If you are an information junkie like myself, a social bookmarking site like this is mandatory.
#4 – Wikipedia – This site has fast become the go to source for information across the Internet. Not much needs to be said about it. When I need information about a certain topic, I almost always start at Wikipedia and jump down the rabbit hole from there.
#3 – craigslist - As a marketing professional, I’m highly interested in advertising. As a business owner, I’m equally interested. In either role, my first start is with craigslist. You can target any community you want and any group in that community. It’s not the highest converting source of traffic, but used correctly, it can be a small business owners best friend. No need to even mention the other valuable services on this site like finding housing, jobs, friends/dates, events and even plain entertainment (rants and raves anyone?).
#2 – Google – Every time I check my web history in my Google account, I am absolutely stunned at how much I use this search engine. Not one day a month goes by where I don’t make AT LEAST 100 searches, and my monthly number is usually pretty close to 5000. I’m an information junkie, highly curious and inquisitive and yes, addicted to the targeted results Google returns each and every time. In addition, I’m a near daily user of some of their other services like Trends, GMail (by far the best e-mail service on the planet), Analytics, AdWords (spend money), AdSense (make money), Maps and more. I’d put Google #1 if I used iGoogle, but I don’t because…
#1 – Netvibes – My absolute favorite and necessary website on the Internet. It amazes me that just about no one else I know, at least in real life, don’t use this application. Not only is the best feed reader on the planet, it’s also the best start page by far. So many other sites could make this list, but Netvibes makes them less important for the simple fact that I no longer need to go to them. As my front page, I can check my GMail, read my favorite 150 or so blogs, store all my bookmarks, perform Google searches, view my calendar, keep to-do lists, take notes, update my address book, use all 3 of my standard instant messengers and create full tabs on any subject I wish (perfect for keeping tabs on new clients and competitors alike). Add the fact you can sign in to all this from any computer in the world, and well, there is really no web site in its class in my opinion. Absolutely pivotal to my online experience.
Well, there you have it. As you can see, I’m into saving time, performing valuable marketing research, keeping up with the state of the Internet, accessing my favorite entertainment information, anything that will increase the efficiency of my business and the progress of web applications. These sites won’t be valuable for everyone, but if you are into any of these things, this list should be perfect for you. Either way, there should be at least one new site you can’t live without on this list, so check them out and let me know what you think.
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