Technology We Use

As a technologist for the past 27 years, I typically review many different products before making a choice that is right for us to use here at Thriving Now. Below are some of the tools and services we recommend.

ExpressionEngine — Web Content Management and Weblog Software Our websites are powered by ExpressionEngine, a content management system. We have been very pleased with this software as it has evolved. While not for the rank beginner, if you want to have a dynamic, easily updated website, I strongly recommend having your webmaster look into this product. The company also offers hosting, if you don’t want to do the installation of the software yourself.

AudioAcrobat — Web Audio Playback and Telephone Recording If you are looking for a service that allows you to add audio to your website, I encourage you to compare AudioAcrobat to other services such as InstantAudio and AudioGenerator and BYOAudio. AudioAcrobat offers more storage, much lower cost per additional gigabyte of transfer, and a lower cost per month ($99/6 months = just $16.50/mo). You can use the service to upload audio you record on your own computer, record directly to their service over the internet, and record by telephone. Using three-way-calling, you can also record teleconferences up to two hours in length. You can also set up client testimonial lines. Best yet, it is easy to integrate the audio into any website where you can paste HTML.

AWeber — Email Broadcast and Auto Responders AWeber has excellent deliverability and pricing, as well as integration with PayPal and email parsing. We previously used Intellicontact; we switched to AWeber for greater system reliability, performance, required double opt-in, powerful autoresponders, and automatic newsletter generation from RSS feeds… all with lower pricing.

LogoWorks — Logo Design When we were ready for a logo for Thriving Now (one that would work on both the website and our shirts), we looked into local design studios as well as internet offerings. We decided on Logoworks and their Gold package that gave us three designers offering multiple concepts and then unlimited revisions until we had just what we wanted.

VistaPrint — Business Cards VistaPrint offers new customers 250 business cards for free. I ended up designing my own color card with a picture of our dandelion on a custom color background. VistaPrint also printed up our refrigerator magnets for a lot, lot less than any local shop could quote. We’ve been pleased with the service. The one time they made a mistake, they quickly credited our account and redid the printing as a rush job.