Excito LLC's Essential Toolkit for
Creatives & Photographers

A premier platform we specialize in, perfect for photographers and creatives looking for a robust, user-friendly web-building experience. Faster, easier editing means less stress and more time (and money) saved!

Use this tool to reduce the size of website images without sacrificing quality. In our workflow, we reduce image sizes by 60-80%. Smaller images mean faster pages, which mean better SEO!

Keep your website glitch-free. Check for dead links with Dead Link Checker or Ahrefs Link Checker. Catch broken links before they leave users stranded or hurt your SEO!

Sometimes all that’s missing is the perfect font! Tons of free, hosted fonts!

There is more than one great editor these days, but we haven’t needed to switch away from this tried and true classic. We also love how you can sync the two and rate + edit on the go.

Curious about Classic vs CC? Check out this article by Katelyn James!

Manage client bookings, accept payments, send contracts and invoices, and schedules with ease. From email templates to digital files and online signing, everything you need for your client workflow.

A cloud backup service for your computer and frequent direct connect external drives. This solution is extremely affordable and helps photographers and creatives starting out get an offsite backup (as recommended with the 3-2-1 principle).

We use this to quickly backup photos and synchronize backup drives. But it can do so much more! It can compare the difference between folders and only copy the difference (or what you setup). Makes maintaining backup drives and partial backup drives so much easier!

The full design suite. Probably overkill for most and maybe even many photographers, but as a designer, it’s hard to avoid this industry giant. Some of us were even certified back with CS4-CS6. It’s a bit pricey, but it has stuck around so far for a reason, and we appreciate the more frequent updates.

We started back in the days of Photoshop and Illustrator, then came XD and Sketch, but Figma has taken the design world by storm. Praised for its collaboration capabilities and plugin ecosystem, it’s become one of the most popular in the UI community. Going past the basics, with an evident commitment to designers and improving. Plus, if you don’t need Adobe, it’s also a lot cheaper.

We’ve been using Adobe XD since it released its public beta. We love its simplicity, performance, and integration with the Adobe ecosystem. But it might be falling behind its competition. And the future is unclear with Adobe acquiring Figma and the pending ruling. That said, it’s been hard to ignore Figma taking over the design community and market share. We’ve transitioned our new projects to Figma but still have XD in our hearts.

Honestly, we barely use this. We still have habits of launching Photoshop or XD. But it’s seemed to gain incredible adoption outside the design community. For non-designers, this is the first recommendation for how easy and quick it is to use; plus, editing on the go. For designers, we have to keep in mind that clients will likely use Canva. Note: Canva has legal limitations.

Create social media posts, blog posters, video banners in a snap.

A versatile platform that ranges from a simple notepad for jotting down ideas to a comprehensive business dashboard. Whether you're organizing blog content, drafting brand guidelines, or anything in-between, Notion's breadth of built-in templates — and a wide range of additional ones available for purchase — ensures you're always equipped for the task.

For those spontaneous bursts of genius or that fleeting todo list, sometimes the good ol' Apple Notes is all you need. Quick, handy, and perfect for those "Ah-ha!" moments on the go.

Your all-in-one client management hub. From sending invoices and signing digital contracts to automating workflows and accepting online payments, HoneyBook streamlines the tasks of professionals.

Tracking your finances and preparing for tax season doesn’t have to be difficult. We especially love the automatic transaction and receipt tracking. Plus, they also have invoicing and payment processing.

Password managers might not be the most interesting, but they sure are useful. Use safe and secure passwords and use a safe and secure manager to store them. Also makes sharing protected details with clients more secure.

The full suite of Google tools. But what we recommend most is the business email you get with Gmail. Use youremail@yourdomain.com with Gmail.

Stay informed about your audience's behavior. Track, monitor, and derive insights from your website traffic, helping you make informed decisions.

Exclusively tailored for Squarespace users! Delve into specific website metrics, optimize based on visitor insights, and enhance user journeys.

Gain insights directly from Google. Spot crawling issues, monitor search queries, and enhance your site's visibility in search results.

Unravel the intricacies of SEO with one of the industry's leading tools. Dive into keyword research, site audits, and gain competitive insights to refine your strategy.

A powerhouse for SEO professionals. With features like backlink analysis, keyword explorer, and site audits, it's your comprehensive tool for all things SEO.

Discover keyword opportunities with Neil Patel's Ubersuggest. From search queries to domain overviews, enhance your SEO game effortlessly.

Your go-to source for advanced SEO techniques and updates. Dive deep into analytical articles and case studies, refining your strategies with expert tips.

Elevate your knowledge with the latest SEO trends and insights. Hubspot's blog is a reservoir of digital marketing wisdom, ensuring you're always ahead of the curve.

An open-source alternative to Firebase.

Postgres database, Authentication, ready to go APIs and API libraries, Edge Functions, Realtime, and Storage.

Makes launching a full-stack app a breeze, a hackathon must have, and streamlined infrastructure with predictable pricing.

Taking the complexity out of cloud infrastructure. DigitalOcean provides an intuitive platform for developers looking to deploy and manage their applications in the cloud. Its simplicity, combined with reliability, is why it gets a nod from us.

Also check out it’s App Platform which makes deploying easier and allows for up to 3 free static sites.

Managing domains across numerous platforms can often turn into a messy affair. That's where Namecheap comes in. It offers a centralized place to handle all our domain needs. We trust it not only because of its user-friendly interface but also for the peace of mind it provides, knowing we're shielded from unwanted migrations, deprecations, and platform lock-ins.

No developer's toolkit is complete without VS Code. Its extensibility, seamless Git integration, and an ever-growing marketplace of extensions make it a powerhouse for coding. Web developers, in particular, will appreciate its robust features and broad language support.

We've tried numerous text editors over the years, but Sublime Text always finds its way back to our workflow. Its lightning-fast performance (and efficiency) and minimalist design allow developers to focus on the code, and that's just how we like it. (We aren’t Vimmers but props to you.)

When it comes to moving files FileZilla has been our go-to FTP solution. Trusted by many for its reliability and ease of use, this tool ensures that file transfers are a breeze.

It’s cut out on us a few times, but over the years, it’s simplicity has kept us coming back.

API testing made intuitive and efficient. Postman streamlines the process of testing, developing, and documenting APIs. There are some newer ones on the block, but this tool was the first of the kind we used and it’s been great since. A must have for web developers, app developers, and API developers (and we’ve are all three).

Better Stack Uptime is an advanced monitoring solution that provides real-time alerts and insights for websites, APIs, and online services. It offers continuous uptime checks, performance monitoring, and detailed analytics to ensure optimal operation and quick resolution of any issues. Ideal for businesses aiming to maintain seamless online experiences