Archive for Web Design / Blog Sites

Feb
02

Top 10 Best Wordpress Plugins

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When you’re working with a Wordpress site, there are many things you can do to enhance it, such as installing various Wordpress plugins. These little gems are free to use and really make your Wordpres site really come to life. With so many plugins to choose from, here are some of my favorites:

1. All In One SEO
Does your Wordpress site need more traffic? This useful plugin adds code to enhance the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and is useful for anyone from beginners to advanced users: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/

2. Sociable or Share This Plugins
This plugin has 99 difference social bookmarking sites that you can use automatically. It allows you to quickly add links to your Wordpres site and in your RSS feed: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sociable/

3. Google Analyticator
Using Google Analytics requires you to add code to your website, but this plugin eliminates that step. You can see how your website rates in Google Analytics simply by logging in to your blog: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-analyticator/

4. Google Sitemap
This plugin gives you a special sitemap that search engines will love. Also, all major search engines are notified every time you create new content: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-sitemap-generator/

5. Exclude Pages
Here you’ll have a handy checkbox to decide whether or not you want to “include this page in menus,” helping with site navigation and set up: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/exclude-pages/

6. My Page Order

This Wordpress plugin allows you set the order of your pages through a drag and drop interface. A helpful plugin when you’re dealing with a large number of pages: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/my-page-order/

7. My Category Order
Organize your categories with this tool. It allows you to set the order in which categories will appear on the sidebar of your website: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/my-category-order/

8. Featured Content Gallery
This plugin gives you access to post a rotating image on your Wordpress site: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/featured-content-gallery/

9. Content Form 7
Here you’ll get a user-friendly contact form that you can customize. Include spam filtering capabilities: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/

10. Akismet
Catch spam comments on your blog with this Wordpress plugin. It not only catches the spam, you can also see how much it has eliminated from your blog: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/akismet/

It’s hard to choose just 10 plugins, and there are many more to check out. See my complete list and additional tools and tips at http://www.vbsondemand.com/articles/some-enjoyable-wordpress-plugins-to-check-out/

Jan
25

Getting to Know SEO

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These days, making a website can be as easy as clicking on a few buttons to get started—and voila! However, using free templates or setting up a blog site without any SEO knowledge decreases the value of your website many levels. Some website software can only take you so far and a blog that is missing keywords and SEO elements is kind of like the equivalent of going to a party and standing in a corner.

Using online templates that don’t allow you to change the html code will hurt your ranking. It’s worth your while to pay for your own host and have the ability to make simple coding changes.  When you have a paid site and the ability to change the coding, you’re now getting to a place where you’ll be noticed.

I like to take my SEO knowledge and see which of my pages have the most popularity. I find that by far it’s the ones that are coded properly. Having proper code is not about being a whiz at html, it is about following a few guidelines. These things include having an accurate description for every page with a few keywords, making sure the text will be understood by both readers and search engines, and not relying on a free template.

Optimize your website with SEO knowledge and you will get you more traffic. For more tips, read my article: How to Use SEO to Get More Traffic

Whether we choose to believe it or not, a website’s success can make or break business. It is therefore important to do your research and determine what type of website host will help your business go from start up to success!

Your website introduces you to the world and provides potential clients with the information they need to determine whether or not your business is worthy of their hard earned money.

Of course HTML has long been the traditional method used to create a professional website; however WordPress is now paving the way to bigger and better website creation by offering new innovative ways to save money, increase Google rankings and provide unique templates and plugins that will get your business noticed.

WordPress has commonly been used as a blog platform; however it is now gaining popularity as a platform for blogsites.

What is a blogsite you may ask? Well a blogsite is just how it sounds – a blog and website wrapped into one.

The VBS on Demand website is a blogsite and we create our clients ‘websites the same way. When we discovered website creation using WordPress, we never looked back.

Blogsites are amazing for getting Google’s attention as blogs are consistently updated and provide Google with fresh content. A blog will typically get picked up within days while a website will often have to wait weeks.

Blogsites are also cost effective, as they are free! And the hundreds of plugins (accessories) offered by WordPress can often be found for free all over the Internet.

Here is my list of reasons why blogsites are better for website creation than the standard HTML:

  • A blogsite is a website and blog rolled into one. This means you do not have to have a separate blog and website.
  • You can easily create the same pages on a blogsite as you would on a website (i.e. About Us, Services, and Contact Us)
  • You can easily update a blogsite yourself and from anywhere in the world.
  • WordPress offers an extensive list of plugins that will help enhance your website (such as newsletter sign ups, polls, etc.) and the best part is that these plugins can often be found for free!

For more information on the benefits of using a blogsite over HTML, please view my article Traditional HTML or Blogsite? The Answer is Easy!

Blogging is an excellent method to gain recognition, establish yourself as a professional in your industry, and drive traffic to your business. It’s obvious that VBS on Demand is dedicated to and enjoys blogging. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we would write a blog about the importance of incorporating blogging into your overall Internet marketing plan.

If you have never before blogged, you may be wondering what all of the fuss is about. You may be thinking, “How does blogging fit into my marketing plan?” or “I don’t have anything useful to write about”, but the truth is blogging, essentially a website with a content management system, is an excellent addition to any marketing plan. And especially if you own or run a business, we can assure you have something to talk about! Not only is it beneficial to offer advice and information on your own blog site but it’s a great idea to comment and offer information on other blogs as well! (We’ll get to that part below)

Here are three big reasons why blogging is good for business:

Drives Traffic

Blogs are excellent platforms when it comes to driving traffic to your business. Blogs are very SEO friendly as they are (or should be) updated regularly, provide room for tag content, provide room for comments, are easy to post outside links and offer RSS feeds.

Provides a Personal Setting

A blog offers a personal setting for customers, clients and the general public to comment and discuss your business product or service. Blog posts should be kept informal, allowing visitors to gain a glimpse into the personality behind your business. Establishing a personal behind-the-scenes relationship with clients, both potential and current, will help build trust and understanding; both of which are important to developing a unique online presence.

Make Room for Comments

It is important to allow visitors to comment and provide honest feedback about the product and service you offer as it helps you develop your business and meet the needs of the individuals and companies you serve. It is important as well for you to offer your own comments and feedback on other blogs. Make it a habit to browse blogs and when you find information that interests you; don’t hold back from writing a comment. Be sure your comments hold weight and include your URL and other relevant information.

Syndicate!

Blogging is extremely effective when you share it with the world! One of the best ways to do this is to syndicate your posts. It is easy to syndicate your blog posts to social networking sites by adding your blog URL to your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles; leaving comments and your blog URL on other blogs relevant to your niche; placing your “Subscribe to RSS” information in a prominent location in your blog; and bookmarking each post to bookmarking sites like Digg, Google Notebook and StumbleUpon.

Blogging is an effective addition to a business’ Internet marketing campaign. More information and tips on creating and maintaining the ‘perfect blog’ can be found in the VBS on Demand Internet Marketing 101 Study Guide.

Dec
03

The Future of Wordpress

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I found a great interview online at Scobleizer with Matt Mullenweg the founder of Wordpress and Automattic on the future of wordpress.  They have a new version being released 2.7.  Check it out below:

Part 1

Part 2

Oct
17

Blogsite – 4 Great Reasons to Have One

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 A blogsite is a hybrid between a website and a blog and combines elements of both. At its core, it is a blog – a place for entrepreneurs to regularly post text, photos, audio and video entries related to their companies, services and products.  In addition to the main blog page, a blogsite also features pages with static content typically found on business websites. This includes Home page, About Us page, Contact page, Products or Services page, e-commerce-equipped pages, and many other options.

 Blogsite saves money

 The only people that make money creating and maintaining websites are web designers. Most business owners lack both time and expertise to build even a simple website. So they go out and hire a web designer. As most entrepreneurs know, a website is a work in progress. There’s always something that needs tweaking, changing, updating, etc. Read More→

I am honoured to say that I have been chosen as a guest speaker on a weekly teleconference Vendor Expo Show hosted by Jennifer Zaranis from Shaklee.  You can visit Jennifer’s Blog Jen’s Friends for call linformation.

“Jen’s Friends is a weekly teleconference vendor expo show that is held once a week by phone.  Each we Read More→

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Jun
09

What do colors symbolize?

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Using the right colours on your website can impact your sales and success. Some Meanings for colors in general and for websites are as follows:

Red: Love, Excitement, Warmth, Strength, Boldness, Determination, Desire, Courage

Orange: Autumn, Youthfulness, Fire, Enthusiasm, Cheerfulness, Affordability, Creativity

Yellow: Light, Purity, Understanding, Comfort, Liveliness, Intellect, Happiness, Energy

Green: Money, Calm, Comfort, Harmony, Durability, Reliability, Safety, Honesty, Travel,

Blue: Sky, Water, Travel, Freedom, Truth, Professionalism, Loyalty, Reliability, Honour, Trust

Purple: Royalty, Dignity, Power, Luxury, Mystery, Elegance, Magic Nobility

Brown: Wood, Comfort, Strength, Endurance, Relaxing, Confidence, Casual, Reassuring, Earthy

Black: Space, Night, Authority, Elegance, Sophistication, Formality, Strength, Mystery

White: Cleanliness, Purity, Peace, Perfection, Innocence, Simplicity, Newness

Pink: Romantic, Affection, Sensuality

Gray: Intelligence, Seriousness, Tradionalism, Conservatism

If you’re selling a money making product then you should use green to represent money. For instance Comfort and travel are also associated with money so you would use brown and blue on your website.

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