Book Your Planning Call

Merlene Paynter Design

Tools I Use

When you hire Merlene Paynter Design, you’re getting more than beautiful WordPress websites, you’re getting a proven toolkit that keeps projects organized, secure, and on-brand.

I also build every site with accessibility and inclusive design in mind. From proper heading structure and colour contrast to keyboard navigation and screen-reader compatibility, I follow recognized standards (such as WCAG guidelines) so your website is usable and welcoming to everyone.

Below is a transparent look at the professional resources I rely on every day. This toolset ensures every site I build is visually polished, technically sound, fully accessible, and ready to grow with your business.

Core Website Platform

  • WordPress.org – the self-hosted version of WordPress for maximum flexibility and full ownership

  • Divi Theme & Builder – plus premium Divi Marketplace modules, sections, and plugins I’ve personally tested and trust

Hosting Partners

  • WHC.ca (main host) – Canadian-based and my primary hosting choice for reliability, speed, and privacy

  • Hostinger & DreamHost – global hosting options I’ve used and recommend. I maintain affiliate partnerships with all three so I can guide you toward the best fit for your project.

  • Host of your choice – you always have 100% freedom of choice to host your site wherever you prefer.

Creative & Design Tools

  • Canva Pro – quick mock-ups, social graphics, and brand collateral

  • Coolors.co Pro – professional colour-palette creation for cohesive, on-brand design

  • Adobe Creative Cloud – Photoshop, Illustrator, and other apps for detailed design work

  • Tinify (TinyPNG/TinyJPG) – optimizes images for fast-loading, high-quality web performance

  • Midjourney AI, Artistly AI, ChatGPT Plus, Gemini Pro, Perplexity Pro – for creative brainstorming, concepting, and optional client-requested visuals

  • Creative Market, Creative Fabrica, Deposit Photos – curated libraries for licensed fonts, graphics, and photography when needed

Project & Client Management

  • Notion – keeps every project organized and communication clear

  • TidyCal – seamless scheduling and calendar integration

  • BreezeDocs – secure, fast e-signatures for proposals and contracts

  • Craft – an elegant space for collaborative documents and content drafts

Payments

  • Stripe – all online payments flow through Stripe for security and simplicity

  • Currency Options – Canadian clients may pay in CAD via Stripe invoice or Interac e-transfer (by prior agreement). All other payments are processed in USD.

Deployment & Launch

  • Duplicator Pro – securely transfers your completed website to your chosen hosting provider, ensuring a smooth go-live process