-
Techy terms: html links
Links are essential to any website. Whether you are using them to link to external sites, other pages within your own site, images, pdfs or media files, your site probably has dozens if not hundreds of links or more. WordPress makes it easy to add links by using the chain icon in the visual editor, but how much do you know about HTML links + how they work? I’m going to break down the essential pieces of an HTML link + what your options are. There are things to know
-
11 website features you can ask your web designer or developer for
A good number of estimate requests I get include great details about what the business owner is looking for, but a feature request seems to be given after I’ve estimated the time + cost it would take to create their project. I know that clients are coming to me because I have the skills + knowledge they don’t, so it is my job to educate on what site features are exactly. So today I wanted to share 11 commonly requested features that you might want to ask for, as long
-
The top 4 things you need to back up, before it's too late
For my friends in the United States, it’s time to back your clocks up this weekend as daylight savings time comes to an end for 2013. I think of this event as a good reminder to focus on the things we should backup in our business, especially since we gain that precious extra hour in a day that we all seem to ask for. Your website I talk about hackers + security a lot on this site, because it is important to know what you are up against in running
-
9 WordPress website expenses for your online business
It can be hard to know in advance all of the WordPress website expenses you need to plan for. In order to take some of the guesswork out of budgeting for your online business, here are common expenses. I’ve also included what you can expect to pay for each of them. The expenses you need Domain name A domain name is what someone types into their browser to get to your website. For example, my domain name is tinyblueorange.com. It’s also called a URL. This expense is annual, meaning you
-
Free tools that will keep your blogging on track
By now you know tons of options WordPress gives you to create new content + the best way to style that new content to make it easier to read. If you aren’t already using an editorial calendar, now’s the time to implemnt one to continue that momentum of making your blog better. What does an editorial calendar do The term editorial calendar could be used interchangeably with the phrase blog post plan. It is something that many use to map out upcoming posts on their blog, along with newsletters, social
-
43 options, settings + details for your next post
I’m certainly a creature of habit. a lot of times I log into my site + work on a post the same way that I added the one before it – even though they might have completely different types of content. Or I simply “zone out” + only use the settings that I’m used to changing. Odds are, I’m not the only one. When you work on your latest blog post, are you taking advantage of the features WordPress has? I put together an easy-to-follow cheatsheet for understanding some great
-
How to: install quality plugins
Plugins are add-ons that extend wordpress so it can do almost anything. They are essentially bells & whistles that you add to your website to improve the front end {what your visitors see} or the backend {what you see}. The default installation of WordPress comes with a few plugins already + the number typically grows from there. Since I’m betting money you have some installed on your WordPress website, here’s a little quiz for you to take… How’d you do? If there’s room for improvement, no worries hot stuff, I’ve
-
Toolkit: Password vault
Writing down passwords is a bad idea I’ve seen it all…… post-it notes with login details neatly framing a desktop computer. {hellllllo bank account information!}… notebooks full of username + password combinations. {organized access to your entire online life.}… ziplock bags with current + outdated login info. {unorganized access to your entire online life.}… slips of paper taped to the underside of a computer or keyboard. {seems stealthy, but it’s not tough to figure out.}… files saved to the desktop with typed out passwords. {one click to all user account
-
WordPress Site Security – Step #3
Hot damn, it’s the last part in the WordPress security series – for this blog, at least. In a couple weeks, I’ll be emailing a bonus tip to my subscribers only, so be sure to sign up! I’ve gone over usernames + passwords in previous posts because those two elements are critical to your site’s security. Most hackers gain access to your website through the login screen, since it is the easiest place to try. Once you’ve got your login screen as strong as a steel door, it’s time to tackle your updates. Outdated
-
WordPress site security – step #1
The first step to securing your WordPress website is using a secure username When you log in to your site, WordPress asks for 2 things – a username + password. Which means someone trying to break into your site or gain access to your shared server through an insecure WordPress site only needs to figure out 2 variables. As a business owner, you don’t have many chances to make it tough to hack into your site. On the flipside, you only have to worry about securing 2 items. Security is
-
Time to Upgrade
Take a look at your surroundings right now. Are there any things in your control that are more than lackluster? If you are holding your iPhone, is the case more representative of your fear of dropping it or does it get constant compliments AND keep your device safe? For my lovelies on their laptops, is your screen spotlessly clean + void of all fingerprints + drool spots from that Ryan Gosling Pinterest binge you went on last week? Sitting at your desk? Does it look like bills + paperwork are
-
Server Crash
Do you ever start watching something that is 2 hours long with the intention of only watching half now and the rest later, but realize you won’t be able to turn the TV off until you know what happens at the end? That was me last week on Tuesday. I got hooked and being able to fast-forward through the commercials became my excuse for not heading to bed when I should have. While skipping the last set of commercials, I got a text message. Obviously it must be important for
