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— Web Resources —

A hand-picked curated collection of useful tools, links, resources, and references in order to help small business owners, freelancers and fellow designers or developers with their websites and admin.

From performance testing and SEO tools to design inspiration, accessibility checks, and developer references, these are resources worth knowing about and bookmarking.


💼 For Business Owners

If you run a business website, understanding how it performs online is essential. These tools help you check website speed, visibility in search engines, and basic security, giving you a clearer picture of how your site is working for you. Even simple checks can highlight issues that affect rankings, user experience, and conversions.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
Google PageSpeed InsightsChecks how fast your website loads and highlights performance issuesSpeed & UX
Google Search ConsoleShows how your site appears in Google and flags indexing issuesSEO visibility (Google)
Bing WebmasterShows how your site performs in Bing and provides tools for indexing, SEO insights, and site diagnostics.SEO visibility (Bing & Yahoo)
GTmetrixDetailed performance reports with waterfall breakdownPerformance diagnostics
Google Keyword PlannerHelps identify the right keywords for your ads and websiteKeyword planning
Google TrendsShows what people are searching for and trending topicsKeyword research
Have I Been PwnedCheck if your email or data has been exposed in breachesSecurity awareness

📊 Website Analytics

Understanding how visitors interact with your website is just as important as making sure it loads quickly. These analytics tools help you track website traffic, user behaviour, popular pages, and conversions, giving you useful insight into how people actually use your site and where improvements can be made.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
Google AnalyticsTracks website traffic, visitor behaviour, acquisition sources, and conversions across your websiteVisitor insights
Google Tag ManagerManage and deploy marketing tags (snippets of code or tracking pixels) on your website or appTracking events
PlausibleA lightweight, privacy-friendly analytics platform with a simpler interface than many traditional analytics toolsSimple analytics
Microsoft ClarityProvides session recordings, click tracking, and heatmaps to help you understand how users interact with your pagesUX insights

🚀 SEO & Performance Tools

Website performance and search engine optimisation go hand in hand. These tools allow you to analyse how your website loads, how search engines interpret it, and where improvements can be made. From technical audits to detailed performance testing, they provide the data needed to make informed decisions.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
Google LighthouseFull audit of performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practicesTechnical audits
WebPageTestDeep performance testing with advanced metricsAdvanced speed analysis
Pingdom Website Speed TestEnter a URL to test the page load time, analyse it, and find bottlenecksPage speed and monitoring
SemrushThe leading platform to grow and measure brand visibility across AI search, SEO, PPC, social, and moreSearch Engine Optimisation
Ahrefs Webmaster ToolsFree SEO audits and backlink insightsSEO monitoring
Screaming Frog SEO SpiderCrawls your site like a search engineTechnical SEO audits
PositionlyGain more traffic, improve your rankings and leave the competition behindInbound Marketing

🔍 Keyword Research & Content Planning

Technical SEO is only part of the picture. These tools help with keyword research, search intent, and content planning, making it easier to discover what people are actually searching for and identify opportunities to create more useful, relevant website content.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
UbersuggestHelps you find keyword ideas, content opportunities, and basic SEO insights for improving organic visibilityKeyword research
AnswerThePublicVisualises common search queries and questions to help with blog ideas, landing pages, and content planningContent ideas
AlsoAskedUnderstand your users with live “People Also Asked” data and intent clustering by GoogleAudience intent and research

📝 Forms & Lead Capture

For many business websites, forms play a key role in generating leads and collecting enquiries. These tools help you create contact forms, surveys, and lead capture forms that make it easier for potential customers to get in touch and for businesses to manage incoming enquiries.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
TypeformCreates interactive forms and surveys with a more conversational user experience than standard form buildersLead capture
WPFormsAn easy-to-use WordPress form builder for contact forms, quote requests, surveys, and moreWordPress forms

💳 Payments & Online Transactions

Whether you sell products, take deposits, or simply want an easier way for customers to pay, having the right payment tools in place can make a big difference. These platforms help businesses accept payments online, improve convenience, and streamline payment collection.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
StripeOnline payment processing for websites, apps, invoices, and subscription-based servicesCard payments
PayPalPopular online payment platform for sending invoices, creating payment links, and accepting customer payments quicklySimple payments

🛒 eCommerce & Selling Online

Whether you’re selling physical products, digital goods, or services, having the right eCommerce tools in place is essential. These platforms help you manage products, handle orders, process payments, and streamline fulfilment, making it easier to run and grow an online business efficiently.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
ShopifyAll-in-one eCommerce platform for building, managing, and scaling online stores, including hosting, payments, and inventoryDedicated online stores & scaling businesses
WooCommerceOpen-source WordPress plugin that turns a website into a fully customisable online store with full control over products, payments, and functionalityWordPress users & custom eCommerce builds
WixWebsite builder with built-in eCommerce features, allowing users to create and manage online stores without codingBeginners & small business websites
PrintfulProvides print-on-demand fulfilment, handling product printing, packing, and shipping for online stores.Selling physical products
FreemiusHandles payments, licensing, and subscriptions for software, plugins, and digital products.SaaS & plugin monetisation

🏦 Business Banking

Choosing the right business bank account can make day-to-day admin much easier. From invoicing and expense tracking to app-based banking and faster payments, the tools below can help small business owners, sole traders, and freelancers manage their finances more efficiently.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
Monzo BusinessA modern business banking app with simple money management tools, instant payment notifications, and a clean mobile-first experienceFreelancers, sole traders, and small businesses

🤳🏻 Print, Marketing & Social Media

Marketing tools help you promote your business, manage social media, and stay visible online. Whether you’re scheduling posts, creating materials, or reaching new audiences, they make it easier to maintain a consistent presence across different channels.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
GravatarGlobally recognised avatar system that links a profile image to an email addressConsistent branding, blog comments, forums, and WordPress user profiles
BufferCreate, organize, and repurpose your content for any social media channelScheduling social media posts
SonetelBusiness phone numbers for entrepreneurs, create your own virtual number in any city or countryVirtual phone numbers
AwinConnect with 30K+ trusted brands and 1M+ approved partners who support your marketing goals and deliver resultsGrowth and advertising
TradeprintProducing high-quality, professional-grade prints for over 25 yearsPrint and merchandise

🎨 Web Design Inspiration / UX

Good design is rarely created in isolation. These platforms showcase high-quality websites, user interfaces, and creative work from across the industry. Whether you’re planning a new site or refining an existing one, they’re a useful way to explore layout ideas, visual styles, and modern design trends.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
FigmaLets you turn big ideas into real products. Brainstorm, design, and build with your teamWeb designers and builders
DribbbleUI and branding inspiration from designers worldwideUI ideas
AwwwardsHigh-end, award-winning websitesPremium inspiration
CSS Design AwardsWebsites hand-picked by an expert panel of judgesInspiration and ideas
Land-bookClean, conversion-focused landing pagesLayout ideas
GodlyCurated modern web design examplesTrend discovery
BehanceFull design projects and case studiesCreative direction

🧑‍🎨 Fonts & Assets

The right fonts and visual assets play a big role in how your website looks and feels. From typography and icons to high-quality imagery, these resources help you create a more polished, professional design without starting from scratch.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
IconifyAn open source icon projectFree open source icons
IconicFree, “do wtf you want with” pixel-perfect icons. New icons added every weekFree and premium icons
UnsplashThe internet’s source for visuals.
Powered by creators everywhere
Beautiful free images
Google FontsMaking the web more beautiful, fast, and open through great typographyFree fonts
VecteezyDownload free vectors, stock photos, videos, and moreFree images and vectors
SVG Repo500,000+ Open-licensed SVG vectors and iconsSVGs and vectors

🖼️ Image / Content Optimisation

Optimising your images and content plays a key role in how fast and smoothly your website performs. From compression tools to modern formats, these resources help reduce file sizes, improve load times, and maintain visual quality without unnecessary overhead.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
MinifierJavaScript and CSS minifierMinifying
TinyPNGSmart AVIF, WebP, PNG and JPEG compression for faster websitesImage optimisation
SquooshCompress and compare images with different codecs in your browserFine control
Sprite GeneratorReduces the number of HTTP requests by creating image sprites for use in CSSImage sprite generation

♿ Web Accessibility & Best Practice

A well-built website should be usable by everyone, regardless of device, ability, or browsing environment. These tools help identify accessibility issues, check browser compatibility, and ensure your site follows modern web standards. Addressing these areas improves usability, compliance, and overall quality.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
ICO UK – Cookies GuidanceOfficial UK guidance on cookies, consent, and GDPR complianceLegal compliance (UK GDPR / PECR)
ICO UK – Storage and AccessGuidance on the use of storage and access technologiesLegal compliance (UK GDPR / PECR)
CookieYesScans and identifies all cookies set on page loadGDPR & cookie audits
WAVEVisual accessibility testing for websitesAccessibility audits
axe DevToolsBrowser extension for accessibility testingDev accessibility checks
WebAIM Contrast CheckerTests text contrast for readabilityColour accessibility
Can I UseCheck browser support for CSS/JS featuresCompatibility checks
MDN Web DocsAuthoritative documentation for web standardsBest practice reference

💻 Web Developer Resources

Reliable documentation and practical resources are essential for efficient development. These sites provide reference material, troubleshooting support, and tools for testing and experimenting with code. Whether you’re solving a specific issue or building something new, they help streamline the development process.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
W3 ValidatorCheck the markup (HTML, XHTML, …) of Web documentsValidating markup
CSS-TricksPractical CSS and frontend guidesLearning & reference
Stack OverflowCommunity-driven coding solutionsDebugging help
GitHubHost and collaborate on code repositoriesVersion control
CodePenTest and share frontend code snippetsExperimentation
DevDocsFast, searchable offline-friendly docsQuick reference
Lorem IpsumNeque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit…Dummy text
PostmanDevelop, test, manage, and distribute APIs and servicesAPI testing & development
BrowserStackTest websites and applications across real devices and browsers without needing local setupsCross-browser & device testing
Google Fonts HelperConverts Google Fonts into self-hosted, web-optimised WOFF/WOFF2 files with ready-to-use CSSWeb-ready WOFF Google Fonts

🔧 WordPress Resources

WordPress powers a large portion of the web, and having access to the right tools and documentation makes a significant difference. These resources cover everything from official development guidance to plugins that assist with debugging, customisation, and site management. Skip ahead to ‘Recommended WordPress Plugins‘ for my personal recommendations.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
WordPress.orgOfficial WordPress plugins, themes, and docsCore platform
WordPress Developer ResourcesOfficial developer documentationWP development
Advanced Custom FieldsCustom fields for structured contentContent modelling
Query MonitorDebug queries, hooks, and performanceDebugging
WP CrontrolManage and debug WP cron eventsCron management
JiffyTradeCreate job-winning estimates, quotes, and invoices, manage customers, track expenses and receipts, store third-party certificates and guarantees, and generate professional PDFsBusiness management
WordfenceA popular WordPress security plugin with firewall, malware scanning, login protection, and security monitoringSite protection
PatchstackFastest and smartest vulnerability mitigation for WordPress websitesVulnerabilities & security

🔌 Recommended WordPress Plugins

Choosing a small set of reliable, well-supported WordPress plugins ensures your site remains fast, secure, and easy to manage long term. Here’s some plugins I recommend to clients and WordPress users…

ProviderWhat it offersBest for
SiteSEOLightweight SEO tools including meta tags, sitemaps, schema, and analyticsSEO Optimisation
SpeedyCachePage caching, file minification, and performance optimisation toolsCaching and optimisation
LoginizerBrute-force protection, login security, and IP blockingSecurity and vulnerabilities
BackuplyAutomated backups, one-click restores, and site migration toolsBackups and migration
GoSMTPSend emails from your WordPress over SMTP or many other popular servicesSMTP / Email delivery

🌐 Internet Service Providers

A fast and reliable internet connection is essential for running a modern business, especially if you rely on cloud tools, video calls, or large file transfers. The providers below offer high-speed connections suitable for freelancers, remote workers, and small businesses.

ProviderWhat it offersBest for
HyperopticFull fibre broadband with consistently high speeds, low latency, and no reliance on traditional phone lines. Ideal for demanding online work and streamingRemote work, video calls, and high-speed connectivity

🖥️ Web Hosting Providers

Choosing the right web host can affect speed, uptime, security, and overall ease of website management. These hosting providers offer solutions suited to different needs, from beginner-friendly WordPress hosting to more premium managed environments for businesses.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
Heart InternetUK-based hosting provider offering shared hosting, reseller hosting, and domain services with straightforward management toolsResellers and small businesses
eUKhostUK hosting provider with a range of services including shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting, along with strong customer supportGrowing businesses
IONOSWell-established hosting provider offering domains, email hosting, and scalable website hosting solutions for businesses of all sizesAll-round hosting

🔒 Web Security & Domains

Behind every website is a layer of infrastructure that affects performance, reliability, and security. These tools help monitor uptime, manage DNS, verify SSL configurations, and protect against common threats. Keeping these areas in check ensures your website remains stable, secure, and accessible.

ToolWhat it doesBest for
CloudflareCDN, DNS, and security layer for websitesPerformance & security
SSL LabsAnalyse SSL certificate health and configSSL validation
DNS CheckerCheck DNS propagation worldwideDNS debugging
UptimeRobotMonitor uptime and get alerts if site goes downMonitoring
WHOIS LookupCheck domain ownership and registration detailsDomain info