2 Free Digital Tools To Do Some Great Browsing
Today's tools aren't so much tools as marketplaces. But I use them both all the time, so wanted to share them with you!
Hey Free Digital Tool Lover!
Today’s issue of Free Digital Tools isn’t sharing free digital tools per se, so much as marketplaces I use all the time.
And they’re both free to browse, so I think they count.
And seeing as how that is the primary criterion to get included in this newsletter, let’s roll with it. Cool?!
Know anyone who might appreciate what we’re doing here? Invite them to join us! As you know, we’re all really nice, and cool, and we all LOVE free digital tools!
Okay, let’s do some marketplace browsing. 🛍️
NameCheap
Tool type: A marketplace to buy domains
Growing up my dad owned a construction company. There was a famous product (it was a kind of stain - specifics here don’t matter). I was like 12 years old and I’d heard of it, because they marketed heavily on TV and beyond.
I noticed that my dad had a different kind of stain in his showroom and I asked why he didn’t use the famous one from TV. He told me that a top consumer magazine had tested different stains. The famous one was so bad, they quit even comparing it after the first round.
That’s the power (and I guess the danger) of advertising. The famous stain wasn’t the best stain - far from it! But they were the most popular.
What’s my point? In my humble opinion, this famous brand is to stain what GoDaddy is to URLs.
(THIS IS ONLY MY OPINION - FEEL FREE TO DISAGREE.)
Why’s this my opinion? Let’s dig in:
First off, GoDaddy is more expensive.
I just ran pricing for a random URL. I can buy the URL from NameCheap (my marketplace of choice obviously) for $9.16 all-in. GoDaddy is upselling me domain protection and the same URL is going for $23.98. Without said protection (which comes included from Namecheap), it’s $11.99 (meaning GoDaddy is still charging me 30% more with less stuff!).
So yeah, if you care about money, that’s probably enough.
But there’s more: They’ve been called out for running some very sexist ads over the years. Though apparently, they’ve “turn[ed] a corner on sexism.” So that’s good I guess!
And here’s another one: The CEO of GoDaddy shot an elephant (or maybe more than one). And then he put the video on the internet. And when asked if he regretted shooting it (or even just sharing the video of himself doing it) he responded “No. Am I sad that I put it up. No. Do I plan to do it again? Yes.”
So umm, yeah, GoDaddy might be the most famous place to buy URLs, but I prefer to work with companies that don’t charge extra and don’t shoot elephants.
If you’re like me, check out NameCheap.
They sell URLs for cheap.
They have solid customer service.
And, at least to the best of my knowledge, no one on their team has ever bragged about killing an elephant.
FREE or FREEmium: It’s a marketplace
This is a GREAT place to do research on what URLs are available to buy. And to nab those URLs as you’re ready to do so. Not exactly free, but definitely worth bookmarking!
AppSumo
Tool type: A marketplace to buy digital tools
AppSumo is a marketplace for apps, software, tools and more.
Companies/products/tools looking to reach larger audiences list themselves on AppSumo and offer you the opportunity to get lifetime deals on their products at ridiculously low prices.
I’ve bought loads of tools through AppSumo. Some I’ve never used. Some I use all the dang time.
Products that might cost $10 a month (or $50, or even $150 a month!), often sell lifetime subscriptions for like $50 to $100.
Sometimes it’s products you know. Often it’s new up-and-coming products you don’t. Sometimes they’re direct competitors with more popular tools. Sometimes they do something you’ve never heard of.
Either way, the pricing is low, the reviews are helpful and AppSumo customer service is solid.
In fact, everything you buy through them comes with a no-questions-asked 60-day return policy. So you can literally buy software, test it out, and get your money back if you aren’t finding it useful.
See something you like — buy it, knowing you’re getting an amazing price AND that you can return it if it’s not a good fit for you.
Pretty cool, right?!
FREE or FREEmium: It’s another marketplace
Like NameCheap, this isn’t a free tool. But it’s a great spot to check reviews, hear directly from founders (they’re often in the comments engaging with the reviews) and find inexpensive tools for whatever you’re in the market for.
Enjoy!
So yeah, today’s issue was a bit different. But I hope it was still helpful.
Let me know if you nab any fun URLs or pick up any software I should check out!
If you like Free Digital Tools, you probably know others who will too. Invite them to join us. They’ll appreciate it… as will I!
See you in a fortnight.
Josh
joshklemons.com