Title: The Complete Guide To "S" Corporations How To Form "S: Fill & Download for Free

"If you only read the stuff that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking."What was once a manageable undertaking, reading is now a mind-numbing decision between hundreds of thousands of blog posts, ebooks and podcasts -- most of which are poorly done, fake, wrong and/or just downright useless.Because I read a lot -- like a lot, a lot -- as well as curate a weekly newsletter of the best things I read each week, I’m often asked what my favorite blogs are.@LaurenHolliday_ Hi! Do you have a list of your favorite blogs? You always share such great content and I'm looking for more things to read!— Marissa Vessels (@marissavessels) July 6, 2017So I scrolled through my Pocket to see what blogs popped up the most and developed this comprehensive list of my “favorite” blogs.My list covers a wide spectrum of topics (as I love to read about a lot of different things so I can connect dots faster) and all are trustworthy (according to me).This list is in no particular order, and as I’m sure I missed some noteworthy blogs, please do leave recommendations in the comments below, along with why it’s a phenomenal blog and who would enjoy reading it.Here are the categories I cover:Best Blogs for EntrepreneursBest Marketing BlogsBest SEO BlogsBest Social Media BlogsBest Copywriting BlogsBest Career BlogsBest Personal Development (Lifestyle) BlogsBest Productivity BlogsBest Popular Online PublicationsBest Freelancing BlogsBest UX BlogsBest Blogs for EntrepreneursGrowth LabGrowth Lab teaches SMBs how to start, build and grow their businesses through ACTIONABLE, step-by-step, meaty blog posts. And when I say meaty, some are 30-40 minute reads.Link:https://growthlab.comWho owns it?Ramit SethiFave posts:How to market your company without alienating your customers*How I self-published my book and sold 180,000 copiesThe anatomy of a six-figure email courseTrend WatchingTrend Watching is one of my favorite hidden gems. They publish one free briefing per month, and they are ALWAYS WAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE!Who owns it?Reinier EversLink:http://trendwatching.com/freepublications/Fave Posts:Peer ArmiesSympathetic PricingThe F-FactorThe Future of Customer Experience5 Trends for 2017The Future of Luxury2016: Back from the DeadOkDorkOkDork features in-depth guides and strategies, based on proven frameworks and past experiences. You’ll learn things like: how to start a business, marketing, and more.Link:https://okdork.com/blogWho owns it?Noah KaganFave posts:Peek inside Intercom’s Multi-million Dollar SaaS Growth StrategyTime Management Tips of Insanely Busy PeopleA (Proven) Freelancer's Guide to Growing Your BusinessFirst Round ReviewFirst Round Review features 4,000+ word interviews with the smartest startup founders and their employees. The interviews are told in a story-like format with actionable advice weaved in throughout each post.Link:http://firstround.com/review/Who owns it?First RoundFave posts:Here's Why You're Not Hiring the Best and the BrightestDesigning Your Sales Stack so That Customers Come to YouThe [Adjective] [Number] Things You Need to Know About ClickbaitHire a Top Performer Every Time With These Interview QuestionsThe Surprising Secret to Being a Good BossWhy Most Startups Don't Get PressContently's CEO on Winning at Marketing's Fastest Growing TrendProduct HabitsProduct Habits publishes “the best content for creating better products.” Product teams, startup founders and marketers will all enjoy Hiten Shah’s content.Link:https://producthabits.com/blog/Who owns it?Hiten ShahFave posts:Why Every Business Should Start with a SpreadsheetAcquisition is Easy. Retention is Hard.Why the Next Generation of SaaS Will Look Like FacebookYour Startup Isn’t Solving the Right ProblemGrooveHQ BlogGrooveHQ’s blog theme is “Journey to $10M a Year.” It features step-by-step, actionable case studies for massively scaling businesses.Link:http://groovehq.com/blog/Who owns it?GrooveHQFave Posts:How We Got Our First 100 Paying Customers in 24 HoursHow to Handle an Angry Customer Service Complaint on Social MediaThe Power of Testimonials (And How We Get Great Ones)How our startup almost diedOur Startup’s 12-Month Growth StrategyShopify’s BlogShopify’s blog is phenomenal. It teaches entrepreneurs how to build profitable businesses online. Its blog posts are actionable and meaty.Link:https://www.shopify.com/blog/Who owns it?ShopifyFave posts:How to Write a Blog Post (That Actually Gets Read)The Definitive Guide to Dropshipping with AliExpressHow We Built Generated $922.16 in Revenue in 3 DaysHow I Built an Online T-Shirt Business and Made $1,248.90 in 3 WeeksHow to Write a Marketing PlanSelling Your Shopify Store: How One Entrepreneur Cashed Out and Made $81KFour Hour Work WeekFour Hour Work Week isn’t just a blog, it’s a lifestyle (and book). On it, Tim Ferriss provides readers with actionable advice that spans the spectrum of productivity, making money, personal development, health and marketing/scaling.Link:http://tim.blog/Who owns it?Tim FerrissFave posts:Marc Ecko’s 10 Rules for Getting "Influencer" AttentionHacking Kickstarter: How to Raise $100,000 in 10 DaysHow to Gather 100,000 Emails in One WeekHow I Built a #1-Ranked Podcast With 60M+ DownloadsNathan BarryNathan writes meaty posts about design and marketing. Do you want to become a better designer? Or build audiences and sell products? You’ll learn both on this blog.Link:http://nathanbarry.com/Who owns it?Nathan BarryFave posts:Knowing when to quitFrom Losing Money To A 51% Profit Margin In 5 MonthsStep-by-Step Landing Page CopywritingCrewCrew is a freelancer marketplace for designers and developers. Its blog centers around productivity, creativity and growing your startup.Who owns it?Tiny CapitalLink:https://crew.co/blog/Fave Posts:From a Mailchimp email and Wufoo form to $25k in 3 monthsHow to hack your passionWe just killed 75% of our side projects. Here’s why.How to regain focus and increase your working memory in 3 stepsProfit WellProft Well or Price Intelligently’s blog is the best blog on pricing strategies for entrepreneurs.Link:http://blog.profitwell.com/Who owns it?Patrick CampbellFave posts:Why Tinder’s charging older users more, and why it makes perfect senseThe Saddest SaaS Pricing Pages of the YearHad enough of Comcast's appalling pricing strategy? So have IYour Complete Guide to 21 Subscription Billing SystemsMake ItA modern blog on all aspects of entrepreneurship by CNBC.Who owns it?CNBCLink:https://www.cnbc.com/make-it/Fave Posts:Diversify Your Income: All my Ideas for Making Money Online (By your’s truly)Former Google career coach shares a trick for figuring out what to do with your lifeHow to Work From Home and Get Stuff Done (By your’s truly)Best Marketing BlogsSumoSumo publishes the same type of actionable content as Kagan’s other site: OkDork.Link:https://sumo.com/storiesWho owns it?Noah KaganFave posts:How to Get Thousands of Leads from Quora in Five MonthsThe Cold Sales Email Bible (With Templates)How Tony Robbins Generates 1,000,000 Website Visitors Per MonthHow Shopify Increased Revenue 90% in 365 DaysHubSpotHubSpot’s blog is the original inbound marketing blog. While most of its content is now aimed at new marketers, sometimes you get some advanced gems!Who owns it?HubSpotLink:http://blog.hubspot.comFave Posts:The Blogging Tactic No One Is Talking About: Optimizing the PastTopic Clusters: The Next Evolution of SEOHow to Write In-Depth Blog PostsConversion Rate ExpertsThis blog is owned by the conversion rate optimization (CRO) agency, known as Conversion Rate Experts. It features in-depth case studies, usually about real results it delivered for its clients.Who owns it?Ben JessonLink:https://conversion-rate-experts.com/articles/Fave Posts:How we made $1 million for Moz (formerly SEOmoz)How we increased the conversion rate of Voices.com by over 400%How we helped to grow a crowdsourced learning platformConversion for mobile: how we helped grow a FinTech company by 470%Conversion Killers: The Definitive GuideConversionXLConversionXL is one of the most popular blogs on conversion optimization, featuring actionable optimization advice, the latest research and detailed process maps on conversion optimization and data-driven growth.Link:https://conversionxl.com/blog/Who owns it?Peep LajaFave posts:How to Increase Conversions by Being Completely UnoriginalGoogle Analytics 101: How To Configure Google Analytics To Get Actionable DataA Step By Step Guide To Building Customer Journey MapsThe Advanced Guide to Emotional PersuasionMatthew BarbyLearn more about all things marketing through actionable, proven case studies and tactics by the Global Head of Growth & SEO at HubSpot.Link:https://www.matthewbarby.com/blogWho owns it?Matthew BarbyFave posts:How to Write for Top Tier PublicationsZero to One Million: an SEO Campaign BlueprintHacking Competitive Pricing Analysis with Scraping25 Growth Hacking Techniques for your StartupThinkGrowth.orgThis is HubSpot’s Medium publication that shares stories, insights and ideas to help readers grow their businesses.Who owns it?HubSpotLink:http://thinkgrowth.orgFave Posts:How to be Good at MarketingHow I Built a $100M+ Sales Channel By Challenging the Status QuoBuilding on Slack Saved Our StartupAndrew ChenLong-form essays on growth and cool things going on in Silicon Valley.Who owns it?Andrew ChenLink:http://andrewchen.co/recent/Fave Posts:The Law of Shitty ClickthroughsGrowth is Getting HardPsych’d: A new user psychology framework for increasing funnel conversionWhat 671 million push notifications say about how people spend their dayThere’s only a few ways to scale user growth, and here’s the listDigitalMarketerDigitalMarketer is the premier online community for digital marketing professionals. It’s a place where you can learn how to market like a pro, connect with industry experts, and get the strategies and tools you need to grow and scale your business to new heights.Link:http://www.digitalmarketer.com/blogWho owns it?Ryan DeissFave posts:The Ultimate List of Blog Post Ideas [2nd Edition]Customer Value Optimization: How to Build an Unstoppable Business[PDF Download] DigitalMarketer’s 101 Best Email Subject Lines of 2016CoelevateBrian Balfour writes detailed essays on growth and user acquisition to help you build a growth machine.Link:http://www.coelevate.com/essaysWho owns it?Brian BalfourFave posts:Inside the 6 Hypotheses that Doubled Patreon’s Activation SuccessHow To Become A Customer Acquisition ExpertGrowth Is Optional: 10 Reasons Why Companies Fail At GrowthBest SEO BlogsGapsGaps is a bootstrapped, three-man operation with the sole focus of helping create more online success stories by sharing unique business opportunities based on profitable case studies.Link:https://gaps.com/Who owns it?Glenn AllsoppFave posts:This 8-Page Website Generated Six-Figures in its First 8 MonthsThis Entrepreneur Makes $3M/Year Helping People Use His Brother’s Software90 of the Biggest Earners on Patreon (And What They’re Selling)BacklinkoBacklinko teaches readers how to rank higher in Google and increase traffic. This is *the* most actionable, in-depth blog on SEO out there.Link:backlinko.comWho owns it?Brian DeanFave posts:Video SEO: The Definitive GuideSEO Tools: The Complete List (2017 Update)201 Powerful SEO Tips (That Actually Work)How a Brand New Blog Generated 17,584 Visitors In One DayWe Analyzed 1 Million Google Search Results...Ahrefs BlogAhrefs teaches readers advanced marketing and SEO tactics. You’ll find detailed tutorials, case studies and opinion pieces from marketing practitioners and industry experts alike.Link:https://ahrefs.com/blog/Who owns it?AhrefsFave posts:I Just Deleted Your Outreach Email Without Reading. And NO, I Don’t Feel SorryGrowth Hacking Tactics That Every Startup Needs To Know*How a Viral Loop on LinkedIn Got Me 76k Email Subscribers in 1 Month200+ Actionable SEO Tips In One ‘Noob Friendly’ GuideHow long does it take to rank in Google? (A study by Ahrefs)How To Do Keyword Research in 2017 — Ahrefs’ GuideHow to Become a Marketing Manager*Moz BlogSimilar to Ahrefs blog, the Moz blog will teach you everything you need to know about marketing and SEO.Link:https://moz.com/blogWho owns it?MozFave posts:The Homepage is Dead: A Story of Website PersonalizationThe Art of Concision: How to Effectively Make Your Point in Fewer Words[Case Study] How We Ranked #1 for a High-Volume Keyword in Under 3 MonthsA Content Strategy Template You Can Build OnBest Social Media BlogsJon LoomerJon Loomer’s blog is all about Facebook ads -- for the *advanced* Facebook marketer.Who owns it?Jon LoomerLink:https://www.jonloomer.com/Fave Posts:How to Create a Basic Evergreen Facebook Ad CampaignExample: Facebook Ad Targeting and ResultsMy 15 Facebook Ad CampaignsAdEspresso’s BlogHootsuite’s AdEspresso has a badass “academy” that not only features meaty posts about Facebook ads but also insightful, in-depth guides and resources.Who owns it?HootsuiteLink:https://adespresso.com/academy/blog/Fave posts:The Definitive Guide to Content CurationFacebook Ads Case Study: The Million Dollar Indiegogo Campaign7 Ways Psychology Can Make Your Facebook Ads UnforgettableWe Analyzed 37,259 Facebook Ads. Here's What We Learned.Social Media ExaminerSME’s mission is to help readers navigate the constantly changing social media jungle. It features original, comprehensive articles, expert interviews, original research, and the news you need to improve your social media marketing.Who owns it?Michael StelznerLink:https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/Fave Posts:How to Find Social Media Micro-influencers for Your Small BusinessHow to Research Your Competitors on InstagramHow to Improve Your Facebook Ads With Customer ReviewsHow to Repurpose Videos Into Many Forms of Valuable ContentBest Copywriting BlogsKopywriting KourseOne of the absolute best copywriting -- excuse me, kopywriting -- blogs you’ll read.Who owns it?Neville MedhoraLink:https://kopywritingkourse.com/blog/Fave Posts:Advertorials: How To Write Them & Why They’re AwesomeCopywriting Headlines That Sell (with Templates & Swipe File)Elevator Pitch Generator w/ Examples & TemplatesCopywriter Salary Range: Entry Level to Successful FreelancerCopyhackersCopyhackers teaches its readers how to boost conversions with words that drive people to take action. It will teach you to write copy that you’re proud to show off on your portfolio.Who owns it?Joanna WiebeLink:https://copyhackers.com/Fave Posts:The Ultimate Guide to No-Pain CopywritingI used cold emails to 14x my freelance copywriting business.CopybloggerCopyblogger teaches readers how to create killer online content. Not bland, corporate crap created to fill up space. Valuable information that attracts attention, drives traffic and grows your business.Who owns it?Brian ClarkLink:http://copyblogger.com/blogFave Posts:21 Juicy Prompts that Inspire Fascinating ContentCopywriting 101How to Nail the Opening of Your Blog PostHow to Think About GoogleHow to Decide Which Content to Sell and What to Give Away for FreeBest Career BlogsQuartz at WorkQuartz at Work is a guide to being a better manager, building a career, and navigating the modern workplace.Who owns it?Atlantic MediaLink:https://work.qz.com/99u99U is an online publication for smart creatives -- designers, writers, entrepreneurs, marketers, etc. It kind-of reminds of Paul Jarvis.Who owns it?AdobeLink:http://99u.com/Fave Posts:Nobody Cares How Hard You WorkYou Don't Need to Learn to Code and Other Truths About the Future of CareersThe 4 Types of Productivity StylesThe Careers Crossroads ChecklistHow to Fight Through Intellectual DiscomfortThe Danger of Making a Backup PlanHarvard Business Review (HBR)HBR helps you navigate all your workplace conundrums. From abusive bosses to staying focused in the office and the future of work, HBR covers it all.Who owns it?Harvard Business PublishingLink:https://hbr.org/Fave Posts:Why do so many incompetent men become leaders?Why your late twenties is the worst time of your lifeWhy you should have at least two careersThe H-1B Visa Debate, ExplainedHow to improve your business writingYour digital year in reviewTEDTED has even more phenomenal content hidden on its ideas’ blog. The posts are classic TED -- just like the videos but written -- for us people who prefer to read instead.Who owns it?TEDLink:https://ideas.ted.com/Fave Posts:What 2,000 deaths can teach us about living a good life7 lessons about finding the work you were meant to dofreeCodeCampfreeCodeCamp writes the meatiest blog posts about development, design and data science. Not interested in those topics? Me neither, but I still LOVE reading this blog.Link:https://medium.freecodecamp.org/Who owns it?Quincy LarsonFave posts:I spent 3 months applying to jobs after a coding bootcamp. Here’s what I learned.What I learned from reviewing 50 portfolios on Reddit in 3 crazy days.I wanted to see how far I could push myself creatively. So I redesigned Instagram.How to interview a companyHow to talk about your side-projectsHow I convinced an employer to take a chance on me and pay me to learn to code.You in 6 seconds: how to write a résumé that employers will actually readHow to not set a bunch of money on fireResumes Suck: Here's the dataI Will Teach You to be RichRamit Sethi turned his bestselling book into a hugely popular blog. On it, he shares proven tactics for salary negotiation, interviewing and getting rich.Link:https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/Who owns it?Ramit SethiFave posts:Salary negotiation: How to negotiate better than 99% of peopleSecret scents of successHow to find your Dream JobHow to be popularUltimate Guide to Getting a Raise & Boosting Your SalaryHow to write an introduction email that works (with scripts)The Firehose ProjectFirehose’s blog teaches developers how to land a job and learn how to code… the right way. I also find some of its posts totally relatable as a non-developer.Who owns it?FirehoseLink:http://blog.thefirehoseproject.com/Fave Posts:Here’s What You Can Learn in 10 Minutes29 behaviors that will make you an unstoppable programmerThe Wrong Way to Learn to CodeThe Only Thing Between You and a New Job as a Junior Web DeveloperBest Personal Development Blogs (Lifestyle Blogs)Marc and Angel Hack LifeThe goal of this blog is to give readers the tools to identify and transform the limiting beliefs that keep you stuck. The blog offers more than 800 articles on happiness, productivity, emotional intelligence, relationships and self-improvement.Who owns it?Marc and Angel ChernoffLink:http://marcandangel.com/Fave Posts:7 Things You Have to Stop Believing to Live a Successful Life On Your Own Terms20 Ways to Accidentally Ruin the Next 20 Years of Your LifeAn Open Letter to Those Who Are Overwhelmed (and Not Sure What to Do Next)Mark MansonThere’s no sugarcoating with Mark Manson. That’s why I love his blog. He covers everything from happiness to dating to habits and self-knowledge.Who owns it?Mark MansonLink:https://markmanson.netFave Posts:1,500 People Give All The Relationship Advice You’ll Ever NeedFind What You Love And Let It Kill YouHow to be More Productive by Working LessWhat's the Problem With Men?Brain PickingsBrain Pickings is a one-woman labor of love — a subjective lens on what matters in the world and why. Mostly, it’s a record of Maria Popova’s own becoming as a person — intellectually, creatively, spiritually — and an inquiry into how to live and what it means to lead a good life.Who owns it?Maria PopovaLink:https://www.brainpickings.orgFave Posts:How to avoid workGivers, Takers, and Matchers: The Surprising Psychology of SuccessA Technique for Producing IdeasFixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our LivesScience of UsScience of Us is a smart but playful window into the latest science on human behavior, with the goal of enlightening, entertaining and providing useful information that can be applied to everyday life.Who owns it?New York MagazineLink:http://nymag.com/scienceofus/Fave Posts:Do you have any idea what other people think of you?A psychologist explains how to revive a dead friendshipHow to be better in bed: 5 science-backed tipsWhy everything always takes longer than you thinkThe best way to follow your dreams is by keeping your day jobHow to make yourself work when you really don't feel like itSeth GodinSeth Godin is probably the only person -- besides Jason Fried -- who can get away with writing such ridiculously popular short posts. The man really makes you think and question the norm.Link:http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/Fave Posts:Let’s stop calling them soft skillsFalling down the quality abyssThe interim strategyMake three listsThe Players’ TribuneThe Players’ Tribune is written by professional athletes. Don’t write them off if you’re not into sports. I’m totally not into sports, but I find the content just completely motivating.Who owns it?Derek JeterLink:https://www.theplayerstribune.comFave Posts:Ray Allen: Letter to my Younger SelfAntoine Walker: Letter to my Younger SelfSignal v. Noise“Strong opinions and shared thoughts on design, business, and tech. By the makers (and friends) of Basecamp. Since 1999.”Who owns it?BasecampLink:https://m.signalvnoise.comFave Posts:Exponential growth devours and corruptsDoes that matter?BASECAMP VALUATION TOPS $100 BILLION AFTER BOLD VC INVESTMENTReconsiderWait but WhyWait but Why is hilarious and, most of the time, pretty damn insightful. It’s also eerily on-point. Tim says what we’re all thinking. The blog isn’t about one specific topic, and it’s known for its signature stick figure comics.Who owns it?Tim UrbanLink:https://waitbutwhy.com/Fave Posts:Doing a TED Talk: The Full StoryHow I Handle Long Email DelaysHow to Pick Your Life Partner – Part 1How to Pick Your Life Partner – Part 2Thrive GlobalThrive Global’s mission is to end the stress and burnout epidemic by offering companies and individuals sustainable, science-based solutions to enhance well-being, performance, and purpose, and create a healthier relationship with technology.Who owns it?Arianna HuffingtonLink:https://www.thriveglobal.com/Fave Posts:10 Uncomfortable Things That Will Make You Happy and SuccessfulYou Need a Solid Daily Routine. Your Long-Term Success Depends on itAnything Is Possible If You Pay The PriceWhy Popularity Matters So Much—Even After High SchoolBarking up the Wrong TreeBarking up the Wrong Tree is written by Eric Barker. He answers all of your life questions and backs it up with science-based facts and expert insights.Who owns it?Eric BarkerLink:bakadesuyo.comFave Posts:This Is How To Make Friends As An Adult: 5 Secrets Backed By ResearchThe Science Of “Happily Ever After”: 3 Things That Keep Love AliveImpostor Syndrome: Why You Feel Like A Fraud And How To Overcome ItNYPD Hostage Negotiators On How To Persuade People: 4 New SecretsComputer Science Reveals 4 Secrets That Will Make You HappyHow To Increase Motivation: 4 Secrets From ResearchJames ClearJames studies successful people across a wide range of disciplines — entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and more — to uncover the habits and routines that make these people the best at what they do. Then, he shares what he learns via his blog and newsletter.Who owns it?James ClearLink:http://jamesclear.comFave Posts:Constraints Make You Better: Why the Right Limitations Boost PerformanceEntropy: Why Life Always Seems to Get More ComplicatedHow to Spot a Common Mental Error That Leads to Misguided ThinkingThe Downside of Work-Life BalanceHow to Stick With Good Habits Every Day by Using the “Paper Clip Strategy”Art of ManlinessLadies, don’t let its name fool you. This blog offers lots of hidden gems for us as well -- from practical career advice and productivity tips to basic social etiquette.Who owns it?Brett McKayLink:http://artofmanliness.comFave Posts:Why Negativity Is a Social KillerDon’t Take Your Marching Orders From Your BellyHow and Why to Hold a Weekly Marriage MeetingHow to Manage Inbox Overload and Actually Get Stuff DoneThe Book of LifeIt’s called The Book of Life because it’s about the most substantial things in your life: your relationships, your income, your career, your anxieties.Who owns it?The School of LifeLink:http://www.thebookoflife.org/Fave Posts:How to get over someoneHow to decideWhat is love?The OatmealSimilar to Wait but Why, The Oatmeal features funny[-looking] comics that are so funny because they’re true.Who owns it?Matthew InmanLink:http://theoatmeal.com/comicsFave Posts:You aren't going to believe what I'm about to tell youHow to get more likes on FacebookWhy working from home is both awesome and horribleHow a web design goes straight to hellLiterallyScott YoungScott Young answers the question: “What’s the best to way learn?” on his blog. He teaches you everything he’s learned about learning and thinking. Super interesting stuff!Who owns it?Scott YoungLink:https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/Fave Posts:How to Start Your Own Ultralearning Project (Part One)If You Had Ten Years to Learn Anything, What Would You Do?The most common misconception about learningThe Irony of Focus: Why Doing Only One Thing Actually Lets You Do MoreBest Productivity BlogsTodoist BlogThe Todoist blog is obviously about all things productivity. Its in-depth guides offer great insights to how to be more efficient -- with or without Todoist.Who owns it?TodoistLink:http://blog.todoist.comFave Posts:An In-Depth Guide To Choosing The Best Online Learning SitesThe Ultimate Guide to Personal Productivity MethodsSystemist: A modern productivity workflowWant to be more productive? Don’t go paperless.Farnam StreetFarnam Street is helps readers develop an understanding of how the world really works, make better decisions and live a better life. Shane Parrish address topics like: mental models, decision making, learning, reading and the art of living.Who owns it?Shane ParrishLink:Farnamstreetblog.comFave Posts:Becoming an Expert: The Elements of SuccessHunter S. Thompson’s Letter on Finding Your PurposePeople Don’t Follow Titles: Necessity and Sufficiency in LeadershipZapierZapier, the wildly popular workflow automation tool, has a phenomenal blog. Its in-depth, tactical posts will teach you how to be more productive in no time.Who owns it?Danny Schreiber is the marketing director at Zapier.Link:https://zapier.com/blog/Fave Posts:The Art of Delegating: What and How to Delegate to Your DirectsThe Beginner's Guide to Dictation Software10 Shortcuts for Composing Outlines, Research, HTML Tables and MoreThe Effective EngineerTime is your most valuable resource. Learn how to use it efficiently. And don’t let this name fool you either. I’m far from an engineer, but I do extract little gems of productivity inspiration here.Who owns it?Edmond LauLink:http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blogFave Posts:The Highest-Leverage Activities Aren’t Always Deep WorkHow to Measure Engineering ProductivityTaking Ownership Is The Most Effective Way to Get What You WantThe 3 Keys to a Remarkable CareerAsian Efficiency“Don’t let the name fool you – this website is for anyone who is interested in time management and productivity, not just Asians.”Who owns it?Thanh PhamLink:http://www.asianefficiency.com/blog/Fave Posts:Simple Ways to Collect Your Personal Data and Use it for Self-ImprovementThe Definitive Guide to “Batching” Your WorkBest Online PublicationsNew York MagazineNY Mag has a few different publications I just love, such as SelectAll, The Cut and The Science of Us. The content is forward-thinking and usually provacative.Who owns it?Pamela WassersteinLink:http://nymag.comFave Posts:Why Do We Humanize White Guys Who Kill People?Tumblr’s Unclear Future Shows That There’s No Money in Internet Culture25 Famous Women on Being AloneWhat Mass Killers Really Have in CommonCareer Advice From a High-Powered BusinessladyQuartzWhile I tend to steer clear of Quartz’s hard news posts, I tend LOVE its more feature-esque posts -- a lot of which are syndicated from other popular blogs.Who owns it?Atlantic MediaLink:https://qz.com/Fave Posts:We analyzed every “Modern Love” column from the past 10 years.How a spreadsheet helped me tackle my depressionBloombergWhile I don’t love Bloomberg’s political stories, I do love its meaty feature stories.Who owns it?Michael BloombergLink:http://bloomberg.comFave Posts:Confessions of an Instagram InfluencerAmericans Are Paying $38 to Collect $1 of Student DebtThe Wrong Kind of Entrepreneurs Flourish in AmericaThis Is How Uber Takes Over a CityAeonAeon is a digital magazine of ideas, philosophy and culture. Publishing new articles every weekday, Aeon describes itself as a publication which asks the biggest questions and finds the freshest, most original answers, provided by world-leading authorities on science, philosophy and society.Who owns it?Paul and Brigid HainsLink:https://aeon.coFave Posts:The weaponised loserStupefiedWhat know-it-alls don’t know, or the illusion of competenceColumbia Journalism Review (CJR)CJR’s mission is to be the intellectual leader in the rapidly changing world of journalism. Through its fast-turn analysis and deep reporting, CJR is an essential venue not just for journalists, but also for the thousands of professionals in communications, technology, academia, and other fields reliant on solid media industry knowledge.Who owns it?Columbia University Graduate School of JournalismLink:https://www.cjr.org/Fave Posts:The Platform Press: How Silicon Valley reengineered journalismSprawling freelancer network pays dividends for The Washington PostStop killing your social stories with bad headlines and imagesStylebooks finally embrace the single ‘they’Investigating the algorithms that govern our livesVice shows how not to treat freelancersNautilus | Science ConnectedEach month Nautilus chooses a single topic, and each Thursday it publishes a new chapter on that month’s topic. Each issue combines the sciences, culture and philosophy into a single story told by the world’s leading thinkers and writers.Link:http://nautil.us/blogFave Posts:The anatomy of charismaWhy your brain hates other peopleThis is your brain on silenceHow designers engineer luck into video gamesBest Freelancing BlogsPaul JarvisPaul is the creator of the Creative Class. He writes articles about creating a better (not necessarily bigger) business for smart creatives.Who owns it?Paul JarvisLink:https://pjrvs.com/articles/Fave Posts:Do what you say you’re going to doThe three most powerful newsletter automationsHow’d you get a book deal?Double Your FreelancingThis blog is great for new and old freelancers who want to earn more money and work with better clients.Who owns it?Brennan DunnLink:http://doubleyourfreelancing.comFave Posts:The Definitive Guide To Getting Paid As A FreelancerThe Freelancer’s Guide To Client Retainer AgreementsWhy You Should Learn Marketing AutomationBest UX BlogsThe LogbookThis blog is created by a remote design and development agency, called Hanno. It takes about its processes a lot, which I enjoy, and definitely can teach freelancers a thing or two about running a business/firm.Who owns it?Jon Lay, HannoLink:https://hanno.co/blog/Fave Posts:The 6 ages of an agencyInvesting in tools is a no-brainer. Here’s how much we’re spending.Stop reinventing the wheelPlaybooksNir & FarNir & Far is about the intersection of psychology, technology and business. Also known as “behavioral design,” topics include: UX, behavioral economics and a dash of neuroscience.Who owns it?Nir EyalLink:https://www.nirandfar.com/blogFave Posts:Hooks: An Intro on How to Manufacture DesireHow to Achieve Your Goals By Creating an EnemyHow to Clear Your Computer of Focus-Draining DistractionDtelepathyDigital Telepathy is a top UX design agency, and it’s blog is great! It’s about all things design-related.Who owns it?Digital TelepathyLink:https://www.dtelepathy.com/blog/Fave Posts:50 Beautiful Color Palettes for Your Next Web ProjectGoogle Spreadsheets: More Useful Than You Thought8 Reasons Why Pageless Design is the Future of the WebImprove Your Customer’s Experience With Experience MappingOrbit Media’s BlogOrbit Media builds websites. Its blog features posts about all things web design and marketing.Who owns it?Orbit Media StudiosLink:https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/Fave Posts:Website Footer Design Best Practices: 27 Things to Put at the BottomSurvey of 1000+ Bloggers: How to Be in the Top 5%Website Navigation: 7 Best Practices, Design Tips and WarningsThis post originally appeared on The New and The Next.

"If you only read the stuff that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking."What was once a manageable undertaking, reading is now a mind-numbing decision between hundreds of thousands of blog posts, ebooks and podcasts -- most of which are poorly done, fake, wrong and/or just downright useless.Because I read a lot -- like a lot, a lot -- as well as curate a weekly newsletter of the best things I read each week, I’m often asked what my favorite blogs are.@LaurenHolliday_ Hi! Do you have a list of your favorite blogs? You always share such great content and I'm looking for more things to read!— Marissa Vessels (@marissavessels) July 6, 2017So I scrolled through my Pocket to see what blogs popped up the most and developed this comprehensive list of my “favorite” blogs.My list covers a wide spectrum of topics (as I love to read about a lot of different things so I can connect dots faster) and all are trustworthy (according to me).This list is in no particular order, and as I’m sure I missed some noteworthy blogs, please do leave recommendations in the comments below, along with why it’s a phenomenal blog and who would enjoy reading it.Here are the categories I cover:Best Blogs for EntrepreneursBest Marketing BlogsBest SEO BlogsBest Social Media BlogsBest Copywriting BlogsBest Career BlogsBest Personal Development (Lifestyle) BlogsBest Productivity BlogsBest Popular Online PublicationsBest Freelancing BlogsBest UX BlogsBest Blogs for EntrepreneursGrowth LabGrowth Lab teaches SMBs how to start, build and grow their businesses through ACTIONABLE, step-by-step, meaty blog posts. And when I say meaty, some are 30-40 minute reads.Link:https://growthlab.comWho owns it?Ramit SethiFave posts:How to market your company without alienating your customers*How I self-published my book and sold 180,000 copiesThe anatomy of a six-figure email courseTrend WatchingTrend Watching is one of my favorite hidden gems. They publish one free briefing per month, and they are ALWAYS WAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE!Who owns it?Reinier EversLink:http://trendwatching.com/freepub...Fave Posts:Peer ArmiesSympathetic PricingThe F-FactorThe Future of Customer Experience5 Trends for 2017The Future of Luxury2016: Back from the DeadOkDorkOkDork features in-depth guides and strategies, based on proven frameworks and past experiences. You’ll learn things like: how to start a business, marketing, and more.Link:https://okdork.com/blogWho owns it?Noah KaganFave posts:Peek inside Intercom’s Multi-million Dollar SaaS Growth StrategyTime Management Tips of Insanely Busy PeopleA (Proven) Freelancer's Guide to Growing Your BusinessFirst Round ReviewFirst Round Review features 4,000+ word interviews with the smartest startup founders and their employees. The interviews are told in a story-like format with actionable advice weaved in throughout each post.Link:http://firstround.com/review/Who owns it?First RoundFave posts:Here's Why You're Not Hiring the Best and the BrightestDesigning Your Sales Stack so That Customers Come to YouThe [Adjective] [Number] Things You Need to Know About ClickbaitHire a Top Performer Every Time With These Interview QuestionsThe Surprising Secret to Being a Good BossWhy Most Startups Don't Get PressContently's CEO on Winning at Marketing's Fastest Growing TrendProduct HabitsProduct Habits publishes “the best content for creating better products.” Product teams, startup founders and marketers will all enjoy Hiten Shah’s content.Link:https://producthabits.com/blog/Who owns it?Hiten ShahFave posts:Why Every Business Should Start with a SpreadsheetAcquisition is Easy. Retention is Hard.Why the Next Generation of SaaS Will Look Like FacebookYour Startup Isn’t Solving the Right ProblemGrooveHQ BlogGrooveHQ’s blog theme is “Journey to $10M a Year.” It features step-by-step, actionable case studies for massively scaling businesses.Link:http://groovehq.com/blog/Who owns it?GrooveHQFave Posts:How We Got Our First 100 Paying Customers in 24 HoursHow to Handle an Angry Customer Service Complaint on Social MediaThe Power of Testimonials (And How We Get Great Ones)How our startup almost diedOur Startup’s 12-Month Growth StrategyShopify’s BlogShopify’s blog is phenomenal. It teaches entrepreneurs how to build profitable businesses online. Its blog posts are actionable and meaty.Link:https://www.shopify.com/blog/Who owns it?ShopifyFave posts:How to Write a Blog Post (That Actually Gets Read)The Definitive Guide to Dropshipping with AliExpressHow We Built Generated $922.16 in Revenue in 3 DaysHow I Built an Online T-Shirt Business and Made $1,248.90 in 3 WeeksHow to Write a Marketing PlanSelling Your Shopify Store: How One Entrepreneur Cashed Out and Made $81KFour Hour Work WeekFour Hour Work Week isn’t just a blog, it’s a lifestyle (and book). On it, Tim Ferriss provides readers with actionable advice that spans the spectrum of productivity, making money, personal development, health and marketing/scaling.Link:http://tim.blog/Who owns it?Tim FerrissFave posts:Marc Ecko’s 10 Rules for Getting "Influencer" AttentionHacking Kickstarter: How to Raise $100,000 in 10 DaysHow to Gather 100,000 Emails in One WeekHow I Built a #1-Ranked Podcast With 60M+ DownloadsNathan BarryNathan writes meaty posts about design and marketing. Do you want to become a better designer? Or build audiences and sell products? You’ll learn both on this blog.Link:http://nathanbarry.com/Who owns it?Nathan BarryFave posts:Knowing when to quitFrom Losing Money To A 51% Profit Margin In 5 MonthsStep-by-Step Landing Page CopywritingCrewCrew is a freelancer marketplace for designers and developers. Its blog centers around productivity, creativity and growing your startup.Who owns it?Tiny CapitalLink:https://crew.co/blog/Fave Posts:From a Mailchimp email and Wufoo form to $25k in 3 monthsHow to hack your passionWe just killed 75% of our side projects. Here’s why.How to regain focus and increase your working memory in 3 stepsProfit WellProft Well or Price Intelligently’s blog is the best blog on pricing strategies for entrepreneurs.Link:http://blog.profitwell.com/Who owns it?Patrick CampbellFave posts:Why Tinder’s charging older users more, and why it makes perfect senseThe Saddest SaaS Pricing Pages of the YearHad enough of Comcast's appalling pricing strategy? So have IYour Complete Guide to 21 Subscription Billing SystemsMake ItA modern blog on all aspects of entrepreneurship by CNBC.Who owns it?CNBCLink:https://www.cnbc.com/make-it/Fave Posts:Diversify Your Income: All my Ideas for Making Money Online (By your’s truly)Former Google career coach shares a trick for figuring out what to do with your lifeHow to Work From Home and Get Stuff Done (By your’s truly)Best Marketing BlogsSumoSumo publishes the same type of actionable content as Kagan’s other site: OkDork.Link:https://sumo.com/storiesWho owns it?Noah KaganFave posts:How to Get Thousands of Leads from Quora in Five MonthsThe Cold Sales Email Bible (With Templates)How Tony Robbins Generates 1,000,000 Website Visitors Per MonthHow Shopify Increased Revenue 90% in 365 DaysHubSpotHubSpot’s blog is the original inbound marketing blog. While most of its content is now aimed at new marketers, sometimes you get some advanced gems!Who owns it?HubSpotLink:http://blog.hubspot.comFave Posts:The Blogging Tactic No One Is Talking About: Optimizing the PastTopic Clusters: The Next Evolution of SEOHow to Write In-Depth Blog PostsConversion Rate ExpertsThis blog is owned by the conversion rate optimization (CRO) agency, known as Conversion Rate Experts. It features in-depth case studies, usually about real results it delivered for its clients.Who owns it?Ben JessonLink:https://conversion-rate-experts....Fave Posts:How we made $1 million for Moz (formerly SEOmoz)How we increased the conversion rate of Voices.com by over 400%How we helped to grow a crowdsourced learning platformConversion for mobile: how we helped grow a FinTech company by 470%Conversion Killers: The Definitive GuideConversionXLConversionXL is one of the most popular blogs on conversion optimization, featuring actionable optimization advice, the latest research and detailed process maps on conversion optimization and data-driven growth.Link:https://conversionxl.com/blog/Who owns it?Peep LajaFave posts:How to Increase Conversions by Being Completely UnoriginalGoogle Analytics 101: How To Configure Google Analytics To Get Actionable DataA Step By Step Guide To Building Customer Journey MapsThe Advanced Guide to Emotional PersuasionMatthew BarbyLearn more about all things marketing through actionable, proven case studies and tactics by the Global Head of Growth & SEO at HubSpot.Link:https://www.matthewbarby.com/blogWho owns it?Matthew BarbyFave posts:How to Write for Top Tier PublicationsZero to One Million: an SEO Campaign BlueprintHacking Competitive Pricing Analysis with Scraping25 Growth Hacking Techniques for your StartupThinkGrowth.orgThis is HubSpot’s Medium publication that shares stories, insights and ideas to help readers grow their businesses.Who owns it?HubSpotLink:http://thinkgrowth.orgFave Posts:How to be Good at MarketingHow I Built a $100M+ Sales Channel By Challenging the Status QuoBuilding on Slack Saved Our StartupAndrew ChenLong-form essays on growth and cool things going on in Silicon Valley.Who owns it?Andrew ChenLink:http://andrewchen.co/recent/Fave Posts:The Law of Shitty ClickthroughsGrowth is Getting HardPsych’d: A new user psychology framework for increasing funnel conversionWhat 671 million push notifications say about how people spend their dayThere’s only a few ways to scale user growth, and here’s the listDigitalMarketerDigitalMarketer is the premier online community for digital marketing professionals. It’s a place where you can learn how to market like a pro, connect with industry experts, and get the strategies and tools you need to grow and scale your business to new heights.Link:http://www.digitalmarketer.com/blogWho owns it?Ryan DeissFave posts:The Ultimate List of Blog Post Ideas [2nd Edition]Customer Value Optimization: How to Build an Unstoppable Business[PDF Download] DigitalMarketer’s 101 Best Email Subject Lines of 2016CoelevateBrian Balfour writes detailed essays on growth and user acquisition to help you build a growth machine.Link:http://www.coelevate.com/essaysWho owns it?Brian BalfourFave posts:Inside the 6 Hypotheses that Doubled Patreon’s Activation SuccessHow To Become A Customer Acquisition ExpertGrowth Is Optional: 10 Reasons Why Companies Fail At GrowthBest SEO BlogsGapsGaps is a bootstrapped, three-man operation with the sole focus of helping create more online success stories by sharing unique business opportunities based on profitable case studies.Link:https://gaps.com/Who owns it?Glenn AllsoppFave posts:This 8-Page Website Generated Six-Figures in its First 8 MonthsThis Entrepreneur Makes $3M/Year Helping People Use His Brother’s Software90 of the Biggest Earners on Patreon (And What They’re Selling)BacklinkoBacklinko teaches readers how to rank higher in Google and increase traffic. This is *the* most actionable, in-depth blog on SEO out there.Link:backlinko.comWho owns it?Brian DeanFave posts:Video SEO: The Definitive GuideSEO Tools: The Complete List (2017 Update)201 Powerful SEO Tips (That Actually Work)How a Brand New Blog Generated 17,584 Visitors In One DayWe Analyzed 1 Million Google Search Results...Ahrefs BlogAhrefs teaches readers advanced marketing and SEO tactics. You’ll find detailed tutorials, case studies and opinion pieces from marketing practitioners and industry experts alike.Link:https://ahrefs.com/blog/Who owns it?AhrefsFave posts:I Just Deleted Your Outreach Email Without Reading. And NO, I Don’t Feel SorryGrowth Hacking Tactics That Every Startup Needs To Know*How a Viral Loop on LinkedIn Got Me 76k Email Subscribers in 1 Month200+ Actionable SEO Tips In One ‘Noob Friendly’ GuideHow long does it take to rank in Google? (A study by Ahrefs)How To Do Keyword Research in 2017 — Ahrefs’ GuideHow to Become a Marketing Manager*Moz BlogSimilar to Ahrefs blog, the Moz blog will teach you everything you need to know about marketing and SEO.Link:https://moz.com/blogWho owns it?MozFave posts:The Homepage is Dead: A Story of Website PersonalizationThe Art of Concision: How to Effectively Make Your Point in Fewer Words[Case Study] How We Ranked #1 for a High-Volume Keyword in Under 3 MonthsA Content Strategy Template You Can Build OnBest Social Media BlogsJon LoomerJon Loomer’s blog is all about Facebook ads -- for the *advanced* Facebook marketer.Who owns it?Jon LoomerLink:https://www.jonloomer.com/Fave Posts:How to Create a Basic Evergreen Facebook Ad CampaignExample: Facebook Ad Targeting and ResultsMy 15 Facebook Ad CampaignsAdEspresso’s BlogHootsuite’s AdEspresso has a badass “academy” that not only features meaty posts about Facebook ads but also insightful, in-depth guides and resources.Who owns it?HootsuiteLink:https://adespresso.com/academy/b...Fave posts:The Definitive Guide to Content CurationFacebook Ads Case Study: The Million Dollar Indiegogo Campaign7 Ways Psychology Can Make Your Facebook Ads UnforgettableWe Analyzed 37,259 Facebook Ads. Here's What We Learned.Social Media ExaminerSME’s mission is to help readers navigate the constantly changing social media jungle. It features original, comprehensive articles, expert interviews, original research, and the news you need to improve your social media marketing.Who owns it?Michael StelznerLink:https://www.socialmediaexaminer....Fave Posts:How to Find Social Media Micro-influencers for Your Small BusinessHow to Research Your Competitors on InstagramHow to Improve Your Facebook Ads With Customer ReviewsHow to Repurpose Videos Into Many Forms of Valuable ContentBest Copywriting BlogsKopywriting KourseOne of the absolute best copywriting -- excuse me, kopywriting -- blogs you’ll read.Who owns it?Neville MedhoraLink:https://kopywritingkourse.com/blog/Fave Posts:Advertorials: How To Write Them & Why They’re AwesomeCopywriting Headlines That Sell (with Templates & Swipe File)Elevator Pitch Generator w/ Examples & TemplatesCopywriter Salary Range: Entry Level to Successful FreelancerCopyhackersCopyhackers teaches its readers how to boost conversions with words that drive people to take action. It will teach you to write copy that you’re proud to show off on your portfolio.Who owns it?Joanna WiebeLink:https://copyhackers.com/Fave Posts:The Ultimate Guide to No-Pain CopywritingI used cold emails to 14x my freelance copywriting business.CopybloggerCopyblogger teaches readers how to create killer online content. Not bland, corporate crap created to fill up space. Valuable information that attracts attention, drives traffic and grows your business.Who owns it?Brian ClarkLink:http://copyblogger.com/blogFave Posts:21 Juicy Prompts that Inspire Fascinating ContentCopywriting 101How to Nail the Opening of Your Blog PostHow to Think About GoogleHow to Decide Which Content to Sell and What to Give Away for FreeBest Career BlogsQuartz at WorkQuartz at Work is a guide to being a better manager, building a career, and navigating the modern workplace.Who owns it?Atlantic MediaLink:https://work.qz.com/99u99U is an online publication for smart creatives -- designers, writers, entrepreneurs, marketers, etc. It kind-of reminds of Paul Jarvis.Who owns it?AdobeLink:http://99u.com/Fave Posts:Nobody Cares How Hard You WorkYou Don't Need to Learn to Code and Other Truths About the Future of CareersThe 4 Types of Productivity StylesThe Careers Crossroads ChecklistHow to Fight Through Intellectual DiscomfortThe Danger of Making a Backup PlanHarvard Business Review (HBR)HBR helps you navigate all your workplace conundrums. From abusive bosses to staying focused in the office and the future of work, HBR covers it all.Who owns it?Harvard Business PublishingLink:https://hbr.org/Fave Posts:Why do so many incompetent men become leaders?Why your late twenties is the worst time of your lifeWhy you should have at least two careersThe H-1B Visa Debate, ExplainedHow to improve your business writingYour digital year in reviewTEDTED has even more phenomenal content hidden on its ideas’ blog. The posts are classic TED -- just like the videos but written -- for us people who prefer to read instead.Who owns it?TEDLink:https://ideas.ted.com/Fave Posts:What 2,000 deaths can teach us about living a good life7 lessons about finding the work you were meant to dofreeCodeCampfreeCodeCamp writes the meatiest blog posts about development, design and data science. Not interested in those topics? Me neither, but I still LOVE reading this blog.Link:https://medium.freecodecamp.org/Who owns it?Quincy LarsonFave posts:I spent 3 months applying to jobs after a coding bootcamp. Here’s what I learned.What I learned from reviewing 50 portfolios on Reddit in 3 crazy days.I wanted to see how far I could push myself creatively. So I redesigned Instagram.How to interview a companyHow to talk about your side-projectsHow I convinced an employer to take a chance on me and pay me to learn to code.You in 6 seconds: how to write a résumé that employers will actually readHow to not set a bunch of money on fireResumes Suck: Here's the dataI Will Teach You to be RichRamit Sethi turned his bestselling book into a hugely popular blog. On it, he shares proven tactics for salary negotiation, interviewing and getting rich.Link:https://www.iwillteachyoutoberic...Who owns it?Ramit SethiFave posts:Salary negotiation: How to negotiate better than 99% of peopleSecret scents of successHow to find your Dream JobHow to be popularUltimate Guide to Getting a Raise & Boosting Your SalaryHow to write an introduction email that works (with scripts)The Firehose ProjectFirehose’s blog teaches developers how to land a job and learn how to code… the right way. I also find some of its posts totally relatable as a non-developer.Who owns it?FirehoseLink:http://blog.thefirehoseproject.com/Fave Posts:Here’s What You Can Learn in 10 Minutes29 behaviors that will make you an unstoppable programmerThe Wrong Way to Learn to CodeThe Only Thing Between You and a New Job as a Junior Web DeveloperBest Personal Development Blogs (Lifestyle Blogs)Marc and Angel Hack LifeThe goal of this blog is to give readers the tools to identify and transform the limiting beliefs that keep you stuck. The blog offers more than 800 articles on happiness, productivity, emotional intelligence, relationships and self-improvement.Who owns it?Marc and Angel ChernoffLink:http://marcandangel.com/Fave Posts:7 Things You Have to Stop Believing to Live a Successful Life On Your Own Terms20 Ways to Accidentally Ruin the Next 20 Years of Your LifeAn Open Letter to Those Who Are Overwhelmed (and Not Sure What to Do Next)Mark MansonThere’s no sugarcoating with Mark Manson. That’s why I love his blog. He covers everything from happiness to dating to habits and self-knowledge.Who owns it?Mark MansonLink:https://markmanson.netFave Posts:1,500 People Give All The Relationship Advice You’ll Ever NeedFind What You Love And Let It Kill YouHow to be More Productive by Working LessWhat's the Problem With Men?Brain PickingsBrain Pickings is a one-woman labor of love — a subjective lens on what matters in the world and why. Mostly, it’s a record of Maria Popova’s own becoming as a person — intellectually, creatively, spiritually — and an inquiry into how to live and what it means to lead a good life.Who owns it?Maria PopovaLink:https://www.brainpickings.orgFave Posts:How to avoid workGivers, Takers, and Matchers: The Surprising Psychology of SuccessA Technique for Producing IdeasFixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our LivesScience of UsScience of Us is a smart but playful window into the latest science on human behavior, with the goal of enlightening, entertaining and providing useful information that can be applied to everyday life.Who owns it?New York MagazineLink:http://nymag.com/scienceofus/Fave Posts:Do you have any idea what other people think of you?A psychologist explains how to revive a dead friendshipHow to be better in bed: 5 science-backed tipsWhy everything always takes longer than you thinkThe best way to follow your dreams is by keeping your day jobHow to make yourself work when you really don't feel like itSeth GodinSeth Godin is probably the only person -- besides Jason Fried -- who can get away with writing such ridiculously popular short posts. The man really makes you think and question the norm.Link:http://sethgodin.typepad.com/set...Fave Posts:Let’s stop calling them soft skillsFalling down the quality abyssThe interim strategyMake three listsThe Players’ TribuneThe Players’ Tribune is written by professional athletes. Don’t write them off if you’re not into sports. I’m totally not into sports, but I find the content just completely motivating.Who owns it?Derek JeterLink:https://www.theplayerstribune.comFave Posts:Ray Allen: Letter to my Younger SelfAntoine Walker: Letter to my Younger SelfSignal v. Noise“Strong opinions and shared thoughts on design, business, and tech. By the makers (and friends) of Basecamp. Since 1999.”Who owns it?BasecampLink:https://m.signalvnoise.comFave Posts:Exponential growth devours and corruptsDoes that matter?BASECAMP VALUATION TOPS $100 BILLION AFTER BOLD VC INVESTMENTReconsiderWait but WhyWait but Why is hilarious and, most of the time, pretty damn insightful. It’s also eerily on-point. Tim says what we’re all thinking. The blog isn’t about one specific topic, and it’s known for its signature stick figure comics.Who owns it?Tim UrbanLink:https://waitbutwhy.com/Fave Posts:Doing a TED Talk: The Full StoryHow I Handle Long Email DelaysHow to Pick Your Life Partner – Part 1How to Pick Your Life Partner – Part 2Thrive GlobalThrive Global’s mission is to end the stress and burnout epidemic by offering companies and individuals sustainable, science-based solutions to enhance well-being, performance, and purpose, and create a healthier relationship with technology.Who owns it?Arianna HuffingtonLink:https://www.thriveglobal.com/Fave Posts:10 Uncomfortable Things That Will Make You Happy and SuccessfulYou Need a Solid Daily Routine. Your Long-Term Success Depends on itAnything Is Possible If You Pay The PriceWhy Popularity Matters So Much—Even After High SchoolBarking up the Wrong TreeBarking up the Wrong Tree is written by Eric Barker. He answers all of your life questions and backs it up with science-based facts and expert insights.Who owns it?Eric BarkerLink:bakadesuyo.comFave Posts:This Is How To Make Friends As An Adult: 5 Secrets Backed By ResearchThe Science Of “Happily Ever After”: 3 Things That Keep Love AliveImpostor Syndrome: Why You Feel Like A Fraud And How To Overcome ItNYPD Hostage Negotiators On How To Persuade People: 4 New SecretsComputer Science Reveals 4 Secrets That Will Make You HappyHow To Increase Motivation: 4 Secrets From ResearchJames ClearJames studies successful people across a wide range of disciplines — entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and more — to uncover the habits and routines that make these people the best at what they do. Then, he shares what he learns via his blog and newsletter.Who owns it?James ClearLink:http://jamesclear.comFave Posts:Constraints Make You Better: Why the Right Limitations Boost PerformanceEntropy: Why Life Always Seems to Get More ComplicatedHow to Spot a Common Mental Error That Leads to Misguided ThinkingThe Downside of Work-Life BalanceHow to Stick With Good Habits Every Day by Using the “Paper Clip Strategy”Art of ManlinessLadies, don’t let its name fool you. This blog offers lots of hidden gems for us as well -- from practical career advice and productivity tips to basic social etiquette.Who owns it?Brett McKayLink:http://artofmanliness.comFave Posts:Why Negativity Is a Social KillerDon’t Take Your Marching Orders From Your BellyHow and Why to Hold a Weekly Marriage MeetingHow to Manage Inbox Overload and Actually Get Stuff DoneThe Book of LifeIt’s called The Book of Life because it’s about the most substantial things in your life: your relationships, your income, your career, your anxieties.Who owns it?The School of LifeLink:http://www.thebookoflife.org/Fave Posts:How to get over someoneHow to decideWhat is love?The OatmealSimilar to Wait but Why, The Oatmeal features funny[-looking] comics that are so funny because they’re true.Who owns it?Matthew InmanLink:http://theoatmeal.com/comicsFave Posts:You aren't going to believe what I'm about to tell youHow to get more likes on FacebookWhy working from home is both awesome and horribleHow a web design goes straight to hellLiterallyScott YoungScott Young answers the question: “What’s the best to way learn?” on his blog. He teaches you everything he’s learned about learning and thinking. Super interesting stuff!Who owns it?Scott YoungLink:https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/Fave Posts:How to Start Your Own Ultralearning Project (Part One)If You Had Ten Years to Learn Anything, What Would You Do?The most common misconception about learningThe Irony of Focus: Why Doing Only One Thing Actually Lets You Do MoreBest Productivity BlogsTodoist BlogThe Todoist blog is obviously about all things productivity. Its in-depth guides offer great insights to how to be more efficient -- with or without Todoist.Who owns it?TodoistLink:http://blog.todoist.comFave Posts:An In-Depth Guide To Choosing The Best Online Learning SitesThe Ultimate Guide to Personal Productivity MethodsSystemist: A modern productivity workflowWant to be more productive? Don’t go paperless.Farnam StreetFarnam Street is helps readers develop an understanding of how the world really works, make better decisions and live a better life. Shane Parrish address topics like: mental models, decision making, learning, reading and the art of living.Who owns it?Shane ParrishLink:Farnamstreetblog.comFave Posts:Becoming an Expert: The Elements of SuccessHunter S. Thompson’s Letter on Finding Your PurposePeople Don’t Follow Titles: Necessity and Sufficiency in LeadershipZapierZapier, the wildly popular workflow automation tool, has a phenomenal blog. Its in-depth, tactical posts will teach you how to be more productive in no time.Who owns it?Danny Schreiber is the marketing director at Zapier.Link:https://zapier.com/blog/Fave Posts:The Art of Delegating: What and How to Delegate to Your DirectsThe Beginner's Guide to Dictation Software10 Shortcuts for Composing Outlines, Research, HTML Tables and MoreThe Effective EngineerTime is your most valuable resource. Learn how to use it efficiently. And don’t let this name fool you either. I’m far from an engineer, but I do extract little gems of productivity inspiration here.Who owns it?Edmond LauLink:http://www.effectiveengineer.com...Fave Posts:The Highest-Leverage Activities Aren’t Always Deep WorkHow to Measure Engineering ProductivityTaking Ownership Is The Most Effective Way to Get What You WantThe 3 Keys to a Remarkable CareerAsian Efficiency“Don’t let the name fool you – this website is for anyone who is interested in time management and productivity, not just Asians.”Who owns it?Thanh PhamLink:http://www.asianefficiency.com/b...Fave Posts:Simple Ways to Collect Your Personal Data and Use it for Self-ImprovementThe Definitive Guide to “Batching” Your WorkBest Online PublicationsNew York MagazineNY Mag has a few different publications I just love, such as SelectAll, The Cut and The Science of Us. The content is forward-thinking and usually provacative.Who owns it?Pamela WassersteinLink:http://nymag.comFave Posts:Why Do We Humanize White Guys Who Kill People?Tumblr’s Unclear Future Shows That There’s No Money in Internet Culture25 Famous Women on Being AloneWhat Mass Killers Really Have in CommonCareer Advice From a High-Powered BusinessladyQuartzWhile I tend to steer clear of Quartz’s hard news posts, I tend LOVE its more feature-esque posts -- a lot of which are syndicated from other popular blogs.Who owns it?Atlantic MediaLink:https://qz.com/Fave Posts:We analyzed every “Modern Love” column from the past 10 years.How a spreadsheet helped me tackle my depressionBloombergWhile I don’t love Bloomberg’s political stories, I do love its meaty feature stories.Who owns it?Michael BloombergLink:http://bloomberg.comFave Posts:Confessions of an Instagram InfluencerAmericans Are Paying $38 to Collect $1 of Student DebtThe Wrong Kind of Entrepreneurs Flourish in AmericaThis Is How Uber Takes Over a CityAeonAeon is a digital magazine of ideas, philosophy and culture. Publishing new articles every weekday, Aeon describes itself as a publication which asks the biggest questions and finds the freshest, most original answers, provided by world-leading authorities on science, philosophy and society.Who owns it?Paul and Brigid HainsLink:https://aeon.coFave Posts:The weaponised loserStupefiedWhat know-it-alls don’t know, or the illusion of competenceColumbia Journalism Review (CJR)CJR’s mission is to be the intellectual leader in the rapidly changing world of journalism. Through its fast-turn analysis and deep reporting, CJR is an essential venue not just for journalists, but also for the thousands of professionals in communications, technology, academia, and other fields reliant on solid media industry knowledge.Who owns it?Columbia University Graduate School of JournalismLink:https://www.cjr.org/Fave Posts:The Platform Press: How Silicon Valley reengineered journalismSprawling freelancer network pays dividends for The Washington PostStop killing your social stories with bad headlines and imagesStylebooks finally embrace the single ‘they’Investigating the algorithms that govern our livesVice shows how not to treat freelancersNautilus | Science ConnectedEach month Nautilus chooses a single topic, and each Thursday it publishes a new chapter on that month’s topic. Each issue combines the sciences, culture and philosophy into a single story told by the world’s leading thinkers and writers.Link:http://nautil.us/blogFave Posts:The anatomy of charismaWhy your brain hates other peopleThis is your brain on silenceHow designers engineer luck into video gamesBest Freelancing BlogsPaul JarvisPaul is the creator of the Creative Class. He writes articles about creating a better (not necessarily bigger) business for smart creatives.Who owns it?Paul JarvisLink:https://pjrvs.com/articles/Fave Posts:Do what you say you’re going to doThe three most powerful newsletter automationsHow’d you get a book deal?Double Your FreelancingThis blog is great for new and old freelancers who want to earn more money and work with better clients.Who owns it?Brennan DunnLink:http://doubleyourfreelancing.comFave Posts:The Definitive Guide To Getting Paid As A FreelancerThe Freelancer’s Guide To Client Retainer AgreementsWhy You Should Learn Marketing AutomationBest UX BlogsThe LogbookThis blog is created by a remote design and development agency, called Hanno. It takes about its processes a lot, which I enjoy, and definitely can teach freelancers a thing or two about running a business/firm.Who owns it?Jon Lay, HannoLink:https://hanno.co/blog/Fave Posts:The 6 ages of an agencyInvesting in tools is a no-brainer. Here’s how much we’re spending.Stop reinventing the wheelPlaybooksNir & FarNir & Far is about the intersection of psychology, technology and business. Also known as “behavioral design,” topics include: UX, behavioral economics and a dash of neuroscience.Who owns it?Nir EyalLink:https://www.nirandfar.com/blogFave Posts:Hooks: An Intro on How to Manufacture DesireHow to Achieve Your Goals By Creating an EnemyHow to Clear Your Computer of Focus-Draining DistractionDtelepathyDigital Telepathy is a top UX design agency, and it’s blog is great! It’s about all things design-related.Who owns it?Digital TelepathyLink:https://www.dtelepathy.com/blog/Fave Posts:50 Beautiful Color Palettes for Your Next Web ProjectGoogle Spreadsheets: More Useful Than You Thought8 Reasons Why Pageless Design is the Future of the WebImprove Your Customer’s Experience With Experience MappingOrbit Media’s BlogOrbit Media builds websites. Its blog features posts about all things web design and marketing.Who owns it?Orbit Media StudiosLink:https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/Fave Posts:Website Footer Design Best Practices: 27 Things to Put at the BottomSurvey of 1000+ Bloggers: How to Be in the Top 5%Website Navigation: 7 Best Practices, Design Tips and WarningsThis post originally appeared on The New and The Next.

The 15 Best Online Marketplaces for Ecommerce RetailersAs an eCommerce seller, your success relies heavily on the online marketplaces where you choose to list your productsYour marketplace determines your audience, your reach, a good chunk of your overhead costs, and the policies and rules you have to abide by as a seller — and all of these can have a big impact on your reputation and your bottom line.We are going to cover everything you need to know about the top 15 online marketplaces, how they work, and how to get set upon them.What is an online marketplace?An online marketplace is an eCommerce site where multiple third-party sellers list their products. On online marketplaces, transactions are processed by the marketplace, not the sellers.How do online marketplaces work?Here’s a simplified explanation of what happens when a shopper makes a purchase from an eCommerce marketplace.1. Shopper makes a purchase on an eCommerce marketplaceLet’s say shoppers get to the Amazon Marketplace (directly or via another site such as Google), browse, and ultimately select an item(s) via a product page. When the shopper goes to check out on Amazon, their order will be submitted through the Amazon marketplace.2. The marketplace passes the order details along to the sellerWhen a shopper makes a purchase, the marketplace (in this example, Amazon) lets the third-party seller (in this example, Sony) know by sending the order details from the marketplace to the seller.3. The third-party seller sends the customer the productThe third-party seller then handles fulfillment for that purchase. Different marketplaces have different fulfillment policies, but this is the basic structure of how online marketplaces work with third-party sellers.Benefits of selling on an online marketplaceWhy should you sell in an online marketplace?One of the biggest benefits: pre-existing customer bases. Online marketplaces are already trusted by hundreds of millions of shoppers who check those marketplaces first when they need to buy something.Selling on an online marketplace can also be easier and faster than building your own eCommerce website because the interface is built for you — which often makes it a better experience for shoppers who are already familiar with the site. Once you’re approved as a third-party seller on an online marketplace, you can simply create your product listings, then you’re ready to sell!Many online marketplaces also offer third-party sellers opportunities to promote their products to shoppers, such as Amazon Advertising, and options to outsource order fulfillment, such as FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon).15 top online marketplacesHere are the 15 best online marketplaces for eCommerce retailers.1. Amazon MarketplaceAmazon is the leading online marketplace in the United States, with close to $280.5 billion in net sales in 2019. The Amazon Marketplace is one of the most well-known marketing channels for online retailers — which also makes it one of the most competitive.How to sell on Amazon: To sell on Amazon, you’ll need to choose a plan, create a seller account, and upload your products to Amazon. For a complete guide to selling on Amazon, check out this post: How To Sell on Amazon in 2020: Setup, Fees, & Strategy.Amazon Marketplace fees: The cost to sell on Amazon depends on which plan you choose.Amazon seller fees for a professional seller include:A monthly subscription fee of $39.99Referral fees on each item sold (varies by category)Variable closing fees (varies by category)Amazon seller fees for an individual seller include:No monthly subscription feeUSD$ 0.99 fee for each item soldVariable closing fees (varies by category)Amazon best practices: Here are some of our top tips for selling on Amazon:Keep Amazon SEO and the A9 Algorithm top-of-mind when creating your product listingsInvest in your Amazon, including A+ Content, Enhanced Brand Content, and Amazon StoresKeep your supply chain, inventory management, and fulfillment consistent and reliable — your Amazon success depends on itEnroll in the Amazon Brand Registry to protect your brand and create a trusted customer experienceResearch potential niches before deciding on the products you want to sell.Take advantage of Amazon Advertising by building out a comprehensive Amazon Advertising strategy (an agency can help!)2. Walmart marketplaceWalmart.com brings in 127 million unique visitors every month, and according to consumer research gathered by Tinuiti, there is a large overlap between Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more and Verify your identity shoppers: Over 57% of Amazon buyers also shop on Verify your identity. Having a presence on both marketplaces gives you a better chance of capturing those shoppers.How to sell on the Walmart Marketplace: To sell on Verify your identity, you need to fill out the Marketplace Application, which takes about 15 minutes to complete. If your application is approved, you’ll need to create your Next, you’ll register and complete your profile, verify your bank account, upload a product, and launch your account. Once the Walmart Marketplace team approves your account, your products will go live within 24 hours.Walmart Marketplace fees: Walmart Marketplace doesn’t charge a seller fee to maintain your seller account; they only charge a referral fee based on the product category.Walmart Marketplace best practices:To get approved to sell on the Walmart Marketplace, make sure your products are affordable and that your customer service is top-notchStay on top of your inventory management and fulfillment to meet Walmart’s high standardsTake advantage of Amazon’s sponsored product and search ad opportunitiesFor more intel on selling on Walmart Marketplace, check out these posts:Is the Walmart Marketplace Right for You? | The Complete GuideStay Ahead in 2020: Advertising on the Growing Walmart Marketplace3. KrogerFounded in 1883 in Cincinnati, Kroger is the largest grocery chain in America. While you might not associate Kroger with ecommerce, the grocery chain’s grew digital sales 58% in 2018 and ranked #86 on the Internet Retailer Top 1000 list.How to become a Kroger vendor: Retailers can apply to become Kroger suppliers or vendors online through Kroger’s website. Kroger suppliers and vendors must use Kroger’s Supplier Hub to apply and manage their Kroger vendor accounts. To be considered as a Kroger supplier,you must be certified by a third-party agency, complete registration in our Supplier Management System, and meet Kroger’s selection criteria and requirements.For information about fees and best practices, you’ll need to reach out directly to the Kroger B2B team or apply on their site. To learn more, check out Kroger’s full Business 2 Business Vendor Site.4. eBayWith 182 million worldwide buyers, eBay remains one of the biggest online retailers internationally, with nearly every category of product you can imagine.How to sell on eBay: eBay offers a “Quick Start” guide to help you start selling in 4 easy steps. Merchants can create a “My eBay” page from which to answer questions and view sales information. eBay also offers business consultation (for free), a Business Efficiency Guide, and Seller Development Resources, which is a program eBay designed to assist merchants in successfully selling their product.eBay fees: eBay charges 2 different types of selling fees: an insertion fee when you create your listing, and a final value fee when your item sells. For a complete list of eBay fees, here is their guide to selling fees.eBay best practices:If you can, offer fast and free or low-cost shipping and free returns to convert more shoppersOptimize your titles and product descriptions for eBay search (and to pique customer interest)Make sure your product listings and photos are accurate and give as many details as possible to avoid customer confusing (or dissatisfaction)Price your products competitively, including shipping costs5. ChewyAcquired in 2018 by PetSmart, Chewy.com is one of the biggest online marketplaces for pet products, beating out Amazon in pet products sold in 2018. Chewy is known for excellent customer service and affordable prices.How to sell pet supplies online on Chewy: Chewy doesn’t list information on how to become a Chewy vendor, but they recommend emailing [email protected] for more information.6. WayfairIf you sell home decor, furniture, mattresses or any other household item, Wayfair can be a great place to sell your products. Launched nearly 17 years ago, the site has over 11 million active users and boasts seriously high checkout averages (nearly $230 per transaction!).How to sell on Wayfair: Wayfair operates as a dropship model and calls their third-party sellers “partners.” When a shopper places an order on Wayfair, Wayfair forwards the order to your warehouse, then you pick, pack, and ship the order to the customer — while Wayfair covers the shipping cost. You can apply to sell on Wayfair here.Fees: Wayfair doesn’t charge fees or take a percentage of partners’ sales. Instead, Wayfair pays partners the wholesale cost of the items, then sets a higher retail price.Wayfair best practices:Wayfair is a good option for nice, higher-priced niche home items that might not fit well on Amazon or other budget-friendly marketplacesTake advantage of Wayfair’s promotional opportunities, like the annual Way Day (their version of Prime Day), to drive customers to your productsFor more information about selling on Wayfair, check out their Wayfair partnership site here.7. CostcoCostco is one of the biggest brick-and-mortar retailers in the US. For consumers, Costco has become synonymous with quality, bulk-buying, and value, with warehouses stocked with premium brands and private labeled products at below-market price-per-unit prices.How to sell to/in Costco: Costco has limited information available about becoming a vendor. If you are selling non-food or sundry items, you can contact the corporate office. If you are a prospective vendor of food and sundry items, you can contact the appropriate division office. See their vendor contact page here.For our full guide on how to sell to Costco, check out The Costco Vendor Guide for Beginners.8. TargetTarget is a retail giant both in brick-and-mortar stores and online, with eCommerce sales growing more than 25% for five years in a row.How to become a Target vendor: To sell your product on Target: Expect More. Pay Less., you’ll need to connect with their merchandising or sourcing team and submit a proposal. If your product is selected, you’ll set up an account on Target’s Partners Online portal.There’s limited information available online about how to become a Target vendor and the Target vendor application, as well as Target fees. We do know that Target prefers to sell products with a proven track record, making Target a better choice for established ecommerce brands than for new online sellers.For more information on Target’s Supplier Program, check out their Supplier page.9. NeweggNewegg is an online marketplace for electronics and hardware. With over 40 million customers in 20 countries, Newegg is the top electronics marketplace online. If you sell electronics or hardware, you should sell on Newegg.How to sell on Newegg: To apply to sell on Newegg, fill out this Seller Application. Once you’re approved, you can list your products and start selling. You can ship orders yourself or use SBN (Shipped by Newegg). Newegg pays sellers weekly.Newegg fees: Newegg offers 3 different seller plans:Standard: Zero Fees (Up to 5,000 listings)Professional: $29.95 / month (Up to 10.000 listings)Enterprise: $99.95 / month (Unlimited listings)Newegg best practices:Make the most of your product listing by customizing your Newegg Store landing page with featured products, banners, and videoKeep an eye on your Newegg Seller Rating, which can range from 1 to 5 eggs — shoppers use these ratings to figure out which sellers are the most trustworthy to buy fromMake sure to ship your orders within 72 hours (holidays and weekends not included) to meet Newegg’s requirements10. JetJet.com is actually owned by Walmart, but its marketplace is completely separate from the company’s main one. It’s a great site for items typically bought in bulk, as it rewards customers with discounts and freebies based on how much they add to their cart. Jet calls their third-party sellers Jet Retail Partners.How to sell on Verify your identity: All Jet Retail Partners are required to connect with Jet via API integration — you can’t manually upload listings via .csv — so make sure you have the technical capabilities to sell on Jet before you apply. To apply to partner with Jet, check out the application on their website. Like Walmart, the seller standards are pretty high with Jet, so make sure you’re ready for a lengthy approval process.Verify your identity seller fees: For any item sold on Jet, the amount of Commission charged = Applicable Commission Rate * Retailer Price + Dollar Based Adjustments. The Retailer Price = the Item Price + Shipping Price. To learn more about Verify your identity’s Commission structure, here’s their help center article.Verify your identity best practices:Provide as much information about each product as possible, including SKU data, Unique IDs, multi-pack quantity info if you sell in bulk, inventory in stock, and up-to-date pricingChoose descriptive titles for your product listings that include your brand nameFulfill orders quickly and reliably and keep your order defect rate (ODR) below 2% — or risk getting suspended from the platform11. AlibabaAlibaba is China’s ecommerce giant. What was once a startup employing only 18 people now has over 22,000 employees. The international company’s market cap recently broke $400 billion, and they currently account for 80% of online sales in China.How to sell on Alibaba: Alibaba can be an excellent marketing engine for suppliers, but new vendors should keep in mind that it can take years to rise to the top of Alibaba’s search results and account for the expense — so make sure that it’s worthwhile for your business before you get started.If you do decide to sell your products on Alibaba, you’ll need to register for an account, establish your company profile, and list your products.Alibaba fees: How much does it cost to sell on Alibaba?Pricing depends on the type of product you sell and the individual Alibaba portal you sell it on (there are many — including some that are even fee-free). There are also subscription and transaction fees in some cases.While sellers can join for free, basic membership on Alibaba severely limits the number of products displayed as well as access to promotional tools, rendering it functionally useless to most companies hoping to expand.Selling on Alibaba can be cost-prohibitive to smaller retailers. Any seller fees are in addition to the 1% charge associated with Alipay, the company’s Paypal-like payment processor.Alibaba best practices:Given that Alibaba is a B2B website, their best-sellers are generally items that can be mass-produced and sold wholesale to replenish inventory for companiesConsider investing in a Gold Membership if you plan to make Alibaba one of your main online marketplace channelsTake advantage of Alibaba’s training and educational resources for sellersLearn more about Alibaba here12. EtsyEtsy is geared toward “crafters, artists, and collectors”, and except for items categorized as “Vintage” or “Supplies”, Etsy is designed to sell handmade items created by the person selling the product. This makes it a good option for crafters, artists, and antique or vintage shops looking to sell online.How to sell on Etsy: To get started on Etsy, follow these steps:Create an Etsy accountSet your shop location and currencyChoose a shop nameCreate a listingSet a payment methodSet a billing methodEtsy fees: How much does it cost to sell on Etsy? Etsy seller fees include a:Transaction fee (5%)Subscription fee (varies based on tier)Shipping fee (Etsy shipping labels, USPS labels, FedEx labels, or Canada post labels)For businesses that are new to the platform, Etsy offers the first 40 listings for free. If you choose the Etsy Plus plan, it costs an additional $10 per month — in exchange, you’ll receive “an expanded set of tools to help jump-start growth and express your brand.”Etsy best practices:Check out Etsy’s advertising options, including promoted listings and Google shopping ads, both of which can be managed through the advertising dashboardSell unique, high-quality products (and make sure your listings and photos reflect that)Take beautiful product photos — the products that perform best on Etsy are highly visual, and aesthetics matter13. OverstockOverstock.com sells both closeout and new home decor, furniture, bedding, apparel, and many other product categories. The eCommerce marketplace is known for its affordable prices and huge selection.How to sell on Overstock: Overstock works with businesses and entrepreneurs who join their “Supply Network”, which allows Overstock to list these merchant’s products in their online stores. This helps suppliers boost their online presence and allows an influx of their products into the marketplace. To apply to sell on Overstock, you can submit an online request form. If you’re approved as an Overstock Merchant, you’ll upload your SKUs, content, and images, then set your own retail prices/Overstock fees: How much does it cost to sell on Overstock?There is limited information available online about how much it costs to sell on Overstock. Listing fees range from $0.10 to over $3, with additional fees for listing enhancements.Overstock best practices:Make sure your fulfillment and inventory is well-managed — you’ll be responsible for fulfilling Overstock ordersUse Overstock’s reporting and analytics to track how well your listings are performingOverstock also offers a range of customized services available to help you drive growth, so take advantage of those if you need them14. RakutenThe Rakuten marketplace is often called “the Amazon of Japan.” The largest B2B2C (Business to Business to Consumer) ecommerce site in Japan, the Rakuten marketplace has now expanded globally, including a program for US ecommerce sellers.How to sell on Rakuten: You can apply to sell on Rakuten here. Rakuten sellers can manage their account and listings through the Rakuten Seller Portal. You can upload products to Rakuten using the RMS web tool, FTP feed, their Open API, or a third-party integrator.Rakuten fees: Rakuten takes a commission of 8% to 15% depending on the product category.Rakuten best practices:Rakuten merchants can customize their own shipping and return policies, so make sure yours is competitive (aka cheap/free and fast)Leverage Rakuten’s partner ecosystem for integration, shipping, and payment servicesKeep your customer service consistent and responsive — Rakuten’s feedback system lets customers rate sellers for each purchase.15. HouzzHouzz is a Scandinavian online marketplace that features a wide range of sellers in more than 900 categories of home products.How to sell on Houzz: To apply to sell on Houzz, reach out to their Seller Support team. Once you’re approved as a Houzz seller, you can begin listing and selling your products through the Houzz Seller Central. For the complete Seller Guidelines for product listings, see this article from the Houzz help docs.Houzz seller fees: How much does it cost to sell on Houzz? Houzz has a 15% commission fee for products sold through their marketplace.Houzz best practices:Houzz is very strict about product listings. Make sure your listings are descriptive, clear, properly formatted and categorized, and highlight feature benefits.Keep your product data accurate and up-to-date at all times. If you need to update your product data, mark it as Inactive until you make your update.Keep your shipping costs and speeds competitive — Houzz says shipping costs cannot “exceed the industry rate.”These are just the top few of the hundreds of online marketplaces available to eCommerce retailers. The right marketplace for your business will depend on your vertical, budget, and goals. To learn more about online marketplaces, check out Tinuiti’s online marketplace brand-building services.