Archive: ‘CMS’ Category

Choosing a WorPress Theme: Four Considerations

No comments May 10th, 2012

I love WordPress. I use it for many of my websites because it’s easy to use, easy to manage, inexpensive and most importantly, it creates fantastic/user-friendly websites.

However, one potential problem with WordPress is there are literally tens of thousands of themes to choose from. Where do you begin in choosing a WordPress theme?

This article sets out 4 considerations when choosing a WordPress theme.

1. What’s your website’s purpose?

Once you know the purpose of your website, you can narrow your WordPress theme selection down quite a bit. You still have to choose from a particular WordPress theme framework such as the Genesis framework (read this in-depth Genesis theme review for more information) or the ElegantThemes framework (read this thorough ElegantThemes review to learn more). These are just 2 of many wordPress theme frameworks to choose from.

For example, if you are building a business website, you’ll want to narrow your theme selection to business website themes.

2. Do you have experience with a particular theme developer?

Most themes from the same theme developer/framework function the same way. This means if you’re familiar with a particular theme developer, it’s much easier to use another theme from them than get a theme from a different theme developer. However, sometimes it’s necessary to look to another theme developer for a particular look and/or design.

3. Do you want your theme ready-to-go or do some redesigning

There are WP themes that look great as-is and aren’t so easy to modify. There are also theme frameworks that are specifically designed so that you can design your WordPress theme from the ground up.

I’m a “use-as-is” type of website publisher for my websites. However, many people love tinkering with design and if that’s you, consider getting a WordPress theme generator framework … especially if you’re not familiar with coding.

4. Decide on a single theme purchase or membership

I’m a member of more than one theme developers because I like having a large selection of themes at my disposal.

If you anticipate having to create several websites in the future, consider buying an all-theme membership so you have many designs to choose from at all times. Moreover, having an all-theme membership gives you the opportunity to try/test different designs to find out what works best for your particular website.

Next, for one of the best online website building courses, read this Site Build It review. If you’re looking for hosting, check out these HostGator coupon codes.

WordPress CMS Niche Site For Your Hobby

No comments April 7th, 2012

Are you among those that are aware that WordPress has evolved from being a simple blogging tool into content management system for niche websites? Due to the flexibility of the WordPress core files and the hundreds of great plugins and widgets that have become available to extend it’s capabilities, WordPress content management sites have become forces to be reckoned with. This has made the open source (free) software the foundation for many virtual goldmine niche websites.

How’s this for an example: Johns Wu was a 22 year old WordPress blogger that developed Bankaholic.com, then in 2008 he sold it to BankRate for $15 million. Google Johns Wu name and read about his story and how just over a period of 2 years he made this profit

Not many have jobs that allow retirement in just two years with $15 million in the bank This should encourage everyone to at least extend your hobby into a WordPress niche blog of course being offered a newsworthy profit is a long shot, but making a nice living is not so far fetched. Can you think of a niche that you can write about? What are your hobbies, interest or your wildest dreams that can inspire you?

If you do proper keyword research, you will find a lot of excellent keyword-rich niches that have a good amount of searches. With that knowledge you can then set up your WordPress-driven site using a popular keyword phrase as your domain name and then you can fill it with quality content.

To drive traffic to your niche wordpress site you need to continually update your content and build backlinks to it. Quality content and backlinks generate search engine traffic. That will bring interested targeted visitors that become interactive.

How will you know if your WordPress site would ever sell? Well, you don’t know. And if that is your main purpose when you start a blog, then it probably will not sell. When you start your blog it should be for the reason that you’re passionate about your chosen niche.

If your website/blog becomes noticed for your love of the subject and the popularity it grows into, that is the reason it will become valuable. A big offer might be in your future, but at this point in time it might just take every nickel of a few million to make you part with it!

Summary:

A WordPress niche site can be setup fast and automated for adding content and building backlinks. Treat it like your hobby to promote your cause by adding relevant new content to it everyday. Start fast! Start now! Start free with WordPress!

Whether a newsworthy payday or new money making hobby is in your future, the decision is yours TODAY

Rolexon is a WordPress Developer for business websites that offers lifetime WordPress Support and training

Free WordPress Themes Pros and Cons

No comments April 5th, 2012

If you’re like most people and slightly overwhelmed by all the online technology and everything else that is out there, there is help for you. WordPress is an online tool you can use as a template to develop a website. You get free or premium templates. Are free WordPress themes worth it? Here are some pros and cons.

Let’s have a look at the pros first. It is free, and that is a big bonus. Especially if you are a newbie, you can fiddle around and find your way around without a financial outlay. There are thousands of these templates to choose from. There will be something for everyone to try, and if you do not like one that you chose, you can always try another one. If you are willing to learn the codes, you can make modifications for nothing as well.

There are some disadvantages too, though. One is that if you find a decent theme everyone is going to be using it, especially if you do not take the time to learn the codes so you can modify it. The template cannot be easily changed unless you become more familiar with the codes. You may not be able to get the updated versions like with premium versions, and this could result in the template not functioning correctly. There may be malware attached to the template as well, which is never good for anyone.

These are a few things to remember about themes and templates. Before opening or downloading any WordPress software do the research on the program. Find out if there are any other people that have used it and how it turned out for them. There are always people willing to share their story.

There are a considerable number things to consider when looking for a template for your website. How much traffic will there be? Will you be using any plugins? Do you think you will need to make changes to the site often? What is your target market? All these things will have to be considered when you choose your template, and whether you will need a premium program or not.

Note, keep in mind to know what kind of website you want. If it’s a blog only, get a blog theme or template. If a business website, get a business website. The starting point is learning how to create a blog or how to how to create a WordPress business website.

Go ahead and try to make your own website. Are free WordPress themes worth it? Pros and cons apply to both the free and the premium themes. Why not download a free template and see for yourself? Should you template have malware you can run an anti malware program and get rid of it in no time. If it does not work for you, you have lost some time, whereas with premium templates you would have lost the money too.

To find out what is the absolute best WP blog themes, where you’ll learn about the latest WordPress themes, including a top notch Builder theme review.

Business Blogs: Tips and Techniques

No comments March 31st, 2012

In the highly competitive world we live in, it is hard to think of any enterprise that is profitable and does not own a web domain of some sort. The business blog tips and techniques that follow below are to help you make your domain more attractive to potential clients. Blogging is a good means of business communication but it must be done right to be effective.

When you publish on your site you are looking to attract new clientele. This means that you do not know the people you are trying to reach and they do not know you. By keeping this in mind you will keep the tone of your writing professional and correct. By doing so the readers will be more inclined to take in what you have to say.

The more professional your articles, the more professional your company will appear. Check everything before posting. When you think you have checked your writing enough, do it three or four more times. When you read an article or a post and you pick up an error, do you think the author took time in their work and they are professional? No, you think that they are sloppy and ditsy. One grammar error can ruin a brilliant piece of writing. Do not think you have ever checked enough. Check it again!

There is nothing worse than visiting a site with writing everywhere and no clear indication of what is happening or where to go. Make sure you get your message across clearly. Do not get carried away with cute and humorous stories about your friends and family. People will go to your site to learn about your enterprise, not your life story.

Remember that you are not the only one of your kind in the industry. You need to try and include an overall picture of the industry and make references to your enterprise as frequently as you can. This way you are being objective and it appears as if you are not afraid to compare yourself to your competitors.

Even if you operate a ecommerce website with an ecommerce WordPress theme, you can operate a business blog. It does help, if you use WordPress, to use a professional WordPress theme.

There is nothing a potential client dislikes more than sending a query on a site and being ignored. Do not let that happen to your company. You will immediately alienate a potential client and everyone they know. Word of mouth can be handy or very damaging.

The last business blog tip in this article is quality over quantity. This important bit of advice simply means do not post anything that is not of the best quality. Before posting anything, remember that whatever you put up is a reflection of your company. Make sure the post is what you want associated to your business.

Next, discover all what the Genesis Framework Theme has to offer at B2Web.

Four Important Things to Consider While Creating a Website With Drupal

No comments March 31st, 2012

Among all the content management systems and blogging scripts out there, WordPress is regarded as the effective one. However if you wish to construct a very large site then you should use Drupal. That’s because WP can become extremely slow at times. On the other hand Drupal is extremely fast and efficient because it doesn’t have unneeded features. Moreover, this script is completely open source which means you can customize it to suit your unique specifications.

Building a website with this software is pretty uncomplicated. However there are some things that you need to take into consideration before setting it up on your web server:

- Web hosting plays a critical role. There are many hosting companies that don’t support this script. If you use such a firm you may run into serious compatibility issues. To avoid these complications you should try to find a drupal web hosting plan. On Drupal’s official site you can find a long list of recommended hosting companies.

- There are numerous plugins which you can use to enhance the efficiency and functionality of your site but these plugins are not as effective as the ones available for WP. To add a particular function to your site you might have to take the services of a web developer.

- If your site focuses on a particular niche then choosing the right Drupal theme will not be easy. For example if you are a freelance worker and want to create a portfolio then your choices are limited. That is why we have made a list of drupal portfolio themes that you can use on your site. All the enlisted themes are very professional.

- Many novice users complain about the complexity of this program. It is true that the back-end area can be a little overwhelming due to all the options and features but using it becomes a piece of cake after some time.

Drupal is a truly remarkable system. It is perfect for people you want to build large yet efficient sites. If you are one of those people then you must go to the official website and download the script now.

To find out more on this topic go to the official Drupal website or this WikiPedia article.

Pros and Cons of a Business Blog

No comments March 24th, 2012

You might be thinking about starting a Business Blog as a sales and marketing tool. Before doing so, do yourself a favor. Either make your own or take a gander at the below business blog pros and cons.

In the traditional sense, blogging is known and loved for its reputation of being extremely direct and honest. Business blogging however, is an entirely different matter, in which honesty and candor often result in legal issues. Before setting up a business blog, you will need to ascertain where the line between brutal honestly and offending the (potential) customer lies. As a business blogger, it is crucial that a balance is found between frustrated posts and interesting ones. You will also need to create a sense of how you conduct your business without subtracting from the honesty bloggers expect.

It’ss suggested, however highly controversial, that you acquire an editor for both your readers and your own comments. Blogging is also extremely time consuming. Before you establish your blog, you must ensure that you establish and enforce an ironclad blogging policy. Educate all employees as to the policy and closely monitor the blog to respond to negative and positive comments. Litigation risks, security violations, reputation assaults and general violations are just some of the issues you will most likely face.

On the plus side, one of the biggest pros of blogging is that your website is constantly updated with fresh content, which in turn is subject to the amount of time invested. Business blogging is also a great feedback mechanism; it allows you to tap into the minds of the consumers and determine their needs. Online and print media sources scour blogs for news and ideas, making blogging ideal for public relations attention. Blogging not only boosts your Search Engine Optimization, but also indirectly provides customers with a constant up-to-date “What’s Hot” list, at the very cost effective rate of your annual upgrade.

Blogging also has its advantages with community building, encouraging the sharing of knowledge and expertise. Some businesses also use internal blogs to document the progress, successes, challenges and lessons learnt during a project, making for effective project management. Allowing for product development, blogging will aid your business in refining the products and services available. Depending on your business needs, blogging can also provide improved customer assistance with easy access to polls, receiving feedback, acquiring quick technical solutions, and the like.

A business blog is great for any type of business website, whether a services business or ecommerce business (check out WordPress e-commerce themes here). If you go with WordPress for your business blog (which I recommend), check out these professional WordPress themes.

Business Blogs are not for every business site, but can be ideal for certain companies. A comprehensive knowledge of business blogging pros and cons is essential before deciding to blog or not to blog.

Next, discover the StudioPress Marketplace or check out this in-depth ElegantThemes review.

Website Design – You Will Get That Which You Pay For

No comments February 29th, 2012

Ever viewed some of those ads stating that you can have a web page created for $199, or maybe a person might create your organization’s web site design for some ridiculously small budget? The saying “you get whatever you pay for” is really true, especially when looking at web design! A cheap website is simply that – a cheap website. Web design is extremely important, especially if you might be marketing your small business or service. Your actual website design will show your small business to everyone so I do not imagine the $99 attempt would make a really good impression. It is going to have far more publicity than print will actually get a chance at accomplishing and I also question you would get very much with so little of cash in print! Web design can be and often is much less costly as compared to printing in the end, but it is still the most cost effective way for you to market your organization over the long haul.

Web design is surely an art and a science that is certainly figured out over the years. Not merely anybody can do it right and do it well; so it is crucial that you speak to your web designer and get to know them. A number of website designers are certainly great creators, some others may be very good at code, not many are effective in SEO (search engine optimization) and perhaps much less are great in just about all these kind of areas. Many of the much bigger website design firms now have groups of individuals to compensate with regard to what each of their different developers could be missing, however, good sense shows that the increasing amount of individuals that will be doing work on a website development, then the more significant the expense will probably be. But, a far more pricey the website design would not necessarily indicate the best the webdesign. This is why you must seek the advice of your web designer who will be building your website and simply get acquainted with her. Relying on your own judgment and intuition goes far! You have to appreciate as well as believe in your web designer especially when you might be dealing with them for an extended time. Webdesign isn’t a “create and neglect” endeavor but it should not be; although quite a few web designers these days usually function within that manner. For most firms the ideal position is where you have a web development company that could be nearby any time you need to make changes to your site.

The days of a static web design have ended. Inside the growing realm of cyberspace, a dynamic website is where the main focus is. Web site designs these days require content that’s ever-changing as well as often refreshed. Information, posts, media, occasions, products and many additional components of your company’s web site design will have to be modified or even changed frequently. The optimal system is certainly one when you use a Joomla or WordPress (CMS) along with a web design service. A cms will assist you to up-date simple content without knowing coding and your website designer might be present when you want her or him to bail you correct something you turned off or simply improperly modified.

Just what exactly must a website design cost you? Basically, it all depends directly on a great deal of things. Several things gauge this for example what number of web pages are essential, the amount of content can one furnish and how much content might the web development company need to produce, the amount of photos as well as media will have to be made or even improved, whether flash and Java is used or perhaps not, how many applications need to be made as well as how elaborate would they be, plus the checklist can easily continue on.

I’d personally declare that a great web design should cost you around $997 or more. Get a custom website less than this figure and probably you are not purchasing a great deal what-so-ever. Most web sites which happen to be less than this dollar amount will probably end up being one webpage or just a couple of webpages at the most and stay an awfully inferior web design. These are what you will label as some sort of brochure website therefore you typically do not find a lot of customers from the brochure site. Many decent organization websites will likely be close to $2,000 to $3,000 and ecommerce might start off near $4,000 to $5,000 or more. Really serious corporate web designs would start out for $6000 to $10000 or more. If you fork out $199 or so, expect a $199 overall performance, in the event you shell out $1,000 expect to see a one thousand dollar capability, and whenever you invest $3000+ look forward to your web site to look, operate, and produce as a excellent web site design.

Dalton Putnam is experienced within the profession of Web Design. You can learn more regarding Dalton and his awesome organization at Mississippi Web Design.

What Should I Look For In a WordPress Theme Review?

No comments February 24th, 2012

There are so many WordPress Theme Reviews available online, it tends to leave one wondering what they should look for in a WordPress Theme review. How can you tell a good review from a bad one?

Value for money is one of the first things you, as a potential WordPress theme buyer, need to know. There are some themes out there that are reasonably priced, yet the quality remains high. A good review will aid you in finding such themes. You can also subscribe to acquire paid membership to a certain theme site; however, before doing so ensure that the site updates its database regularly with fresh, new and improved themes and reviews.

A very important factor about theme review quality is whether the reviewer actually uses a theme. An example of an excellent theme review is this ElegantThemes review. You can also check out the video portion of that ElegantThemes review on YouTube.

Equally as important is the overall presentation and site architecture. The good review will give you a clear sense of the use of color, graphics, layout and navigation, and is should be accompanied by videos, example pictures and a detailed chart of the theme’s features. Information regarding flexibility, style, design, attention to detail, and Search Engine Optimization (ranking a webpage higher in a search engine) is crucial to finding a theme that best suits your business.

But, what about customer service and support? Be sure the review mentions the standard of customer care and dedication to customer satisfaction. The author of the review should also include information regarding technical support, such as the quality of the FAQ index, basic terminology and concepts for beginner’s index. You will also need to know for certain that your theme is supported by all dominant browsers, whether or not the sidebars support widgets and ads.

Once you purchase your theme, you will be able to customize it. Therefore you need to know the difficulty level of theme customization. This is where a good review will supply sample pictures of different customization tools. Most themes include a PSD file that allows for fast and easy editing in Photoshop and a good review will incorporate such information.

The WordPress theme review should also clarify the terms and conditions of the different license models (for example: Basic and Developer’s) available for that theme, and an accompanying chart. The conditions of the refund policy should also be stipulated.

And finally, when asking “What should I look for in a WordPress Review”, the most basic component to a good review is a Pros and Cons table. This should be comprehensive enough to give the reader a concise, unbiased overview of the theme and forthwith make an informed decision.

Click here to read a quality StudioPress review or click here to read an in-depth Homestead review (quality online website builder).

5 Advised WordPress Plugins for Compact Business enterprise Web-sites

No comments February 21st, 2012

The recognition of WordPress continues to develop amongst little company owners and entrepreneurs, as this well-liked Open Source Content material Management Method (CMS) steadily matures in to a robust platform for every thing from landing or “squeeze” pages, to advertising and membership web sites, ecommerce platforms, and much more.

1 in the greatest advantages to utilizing WordPress will be the flexibility provided by the big quantity of WordPress plugins, little modular add-ons that expand the functionality in the WordPress platform. As a little company owner or entrepreneur you will find numerous WordPress plugins that ought to be regarded as “must haves” for your WordPress website.

1. WP Maintenance Mode

The upkeep mode plugin adds one particular of numerous selectable splash pages for your site that lets guests know your web site is down for scheduled upkeep. Logged in administrators get complete access for the web site, which includes the front-end, but typical web site guests are greeted by a straightforward, fashionable message that informs them from the status and when the web site really should be expected to become obtainable.

2. Search engine optimization Intelligent Links

Search engine optimization Wise Links gives automatic Search engine optimization rewards inside the form on internal links, crosslinking among site pages and posts depending on keywords and phrases. The plugin gives addition Search engine optimization capabilities for example the capacity to custom keyword lists, insert nofollow meta attributes in to links, and a lot more. Search engine optimization and search ranking is an crucial component to any site, generating this sort of plugin crucial for your on the internet good results.

3. Gravity Types

Gravity Types is really a low price, commercial plugin that enables you to rapidly style and post customized types inside WordPress pages and posts. Form submission and processing is an important component of membership, advertising, and little company websites of all kinds, and this plugin assists to connect you together with your website guests, members, and clients.

4. VaultPress

A paid service, VaultPress uses a plugin to automate the real-time backup and recovery of your entire WordPress site. Everything from posts, pages, and comments, to the complete WordPress database, including all WordPress settings. VaultPress is a highly rated backup and recovery service offering real protection of your WordPress based business or venture. More information about VaultPress can be found at VaultPress.com.

5. WP Security Scan

This plugin scans your WordPress installation for security vulnerabilities and troubles that happen to be simple to overlook. Beyond a straightforward scanning and reporting tool, this plugin gives numerous automated security measures that make a WordPress site a lot more tough to hack, and a lot a lot more trustworthy for your client or member base..

Most of these plugins can be found in the WordPress Plugin Repository, along with many others that can provide a great deal of value to a small business website operating under the WordPress CMS platform.

Brian Zeng is sales manager of one led light china company,he writes many articles about led running lights.

5 Things to Look For in a Content Management System

No comments February 17th, 2012

When selecting a content management system (CMS) for any web development project, it can be easy to assume your end user is as technical as you. CMS’s vary from self built systems, enterprise packages, and micro blogging packages all of which make uploading content to websites much easier. This article features the main aspects you need to consider when choosing your CMS:

The Level of Usability

The main purpose of a CMS is to enable the untrained user to upload content onto their own website with ease. Therefore, a user friendly CMS is essential. This will enable website owners to easily upload content and edit existing text on the website. The website owner can make amendments to their website as and when they want. Without having any knowledge of coding they can upload new content regularly. Most CMS’s are easy to use. With some basic instruction the website owner will soon understand how it all works.

Open or Closed Source

The open source nature of content management systems has increased it’s functionality. This means that you can edit the basic code of the site with ease. Amateur web developers can gain an insight into increased functionality. If your client has basic web development knowledge, they will be able to alter certain aspects themselves.

Plug-ins

Plug-ins, add-on’s and widgets are also something that should be researched before committing to a CMS. Go for a CMS with a good variety of plug-ins as they will add to the functionality of a website. These will save a lot of time an effort over having to develop every aspect of the site from scratch.

A benefit of a CMS is the built in social media integration. Your client will be able to automatically send out updates when content is added or changed. Subscribers are kept up to date automatically without having to physically check the website.

Customisation

Where required CMS allows for customisation. Some are much easier to change than others so it is important you discuss how regularly the theme would need changing. Changing the theme will change the appearance of the website without affecting the content. The nature of a CMS means that users would be able to customise the site themselves if required.

Support and Helpful Resources

Most mainstream CMS platforms such as WordPress and Drupal have an online help or resource centre. Website users can answer their own questions without having to get in touch with the web developer each time.

Bird and Co Creative is a full service digital agency specialising in online marketing, graphic design and web design in Bromsgrove. Make contact with them today for a new company website.