There are a lot of user-friendly options out there for getting your small business online. Different options are best suited to different needs. This is why WordPress might fit the bill for your business's online presence: 1. Your website needs to manage content (pages). WordPress excels as a content management system. Originally it was a 'blogging' software, which means that it has always had a strong relationship with the database that holds the content. If you need to manage content on your website, with WordPress you don't need an expensive developer to: mange your … [Read more...]
Fool Proof Way to Use Flickr Images in WordPress
May 29, 2012
If I named it, "Skill Appropriate" Way to use Flickr Images in WordPress, would you get it? I just read the urban dictionary for "fool proof", other than the ones that made me blush, the one I got a chuckle of, was "Skill Appropriate" - the politically correct term for fool proof. The thing with inserting images using the new automatic embed process, is that it sometimes doesn't work. Read: it RARELY works. For example, if you insert the link like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cathytibbles/4017760583/, it won't work (see?) If you insert it like … [Read more...]
4 Steps to Free a Small Business Owner From Her Website
May 17, 2012
Websites want content. Lots of it. They demand you produce it. They demand keyword-rich, high-value content. Produce that and you've written link bait. Link bait = higher search results. Higher search results = more customers. But who has time to write all that information to attract the visitors and prospects? How do we ever compete with awesome sites like Dooce or Pioneer Woman? I propose a new paradigm that will let you do what you do best: your business. 1. Set up the BEST possible brochure site for your business. This site should include: strong keywords, well … [Read more...]
Start a Website Series – Should You Hire a Designer & How Much Do They Cost?
April 23, 2012
Its a big job to start a website but we all know that a business needs an online presence. The following quiz will help you determine if you can start up the site on your own, or if you will need to hire help. Start a Website On Your Own 1. Are you going to be selling website design and/or development services? If the answer is yes - then build away! 2. Would your time be better spent doing something to profitably affect your bottom line? If the answer is yes - then its time to hire! The goal of the website is usually two fold. One - we start a website to gain more … [Read more...]
Start a Website with a Domain Name & Web Hosting
April 16, 2012
This is part 2 of the Start a Website series, where we're going to go through piece-by-piece how to start your first website. The first two items you'll need are Web Hosting and Domain Names. This article will help you select a provider for your web hosting - called a host; and for a domain name - called a registrar. Start a Website with the Right Web Host Look for a host that supports WordPress hosting. Ask if PHP and MySQL are the most recent stable versions. You're looking for a simple "yes" here. Ask if you'll have your own SSH access? Again - look for a 'yes'. This is … [Read more...]
How to Start a Website – Introduction
April 11, 2012
There is simply so much information out there - how do you narrow down the pieces needed to start a website? I give you - the Start a Website series. The Intro How to Select a Web Host and Domain Name Can you Do It Yourself or Hire a Designer? - plus how to hire the right contractors Selecting Software the Big Bang Way A Nerd Glossary- that you can use as a reference when the jargon starts to make you cross-eyed. Top 10 tips for Attracting an Audience Recommended Tools to Measure Your Website Success I like things that are quick to read and succinct. So by skimming … [Read more...]
How to use Pinterest as a Mood Board
March 8, 2012
A tool that interior decorators have been using for years, but not too many website developers use, are "mood boards". Mood boards typically include a color scheme, lighting elements, textures, vivid imagery and any inspirational pieces. These can be quite an undertaking, and if you've been involved in a website design can take hours and hours of searching through photos until your eyes glaze over in a blur of color. What if you could get any idea out of your head and into the hands of your website creator? Our Shiny Knight of Mood Boards, is Pinterest. Pinterest is simply … [Read more...]
Previous
