I had been thinking about updating my about page for a while but it was that thing I kept putting off over and over again. The previous version was too text-heavy and rambly, it didn't have any call to actions, my photo was outdated, the mobile version wasn't that great...
Read More
If you have ever downloaded a new font to install on your computer, you have probably come across these two different formats: TTF and OTF. If you opened both files, you probably didn't notice any differences. So, what's the deal with these two font formats and which one should you choose? First, let's see some details about each one: TTF (TrueType Font) This format was developed by Apple and Microsoft in the early 1980s. They needed a format that could be recognized by both operating systems as well as printers and this was the result. It includes both the screen and printer data in a single file. It is still the most popular of the two. OTF (OpenType Font) OTF is the evolution of...
Read More
If you are planning to create a new website, redesign your existing one or simply make some changes that will probably mess up things for a while, chances are you don’t want your visitors to see the behind the scenes process. That’s when a coming soon page comes in handy. They are also called maintenance pages or splash pages. It will allow you to show a static page on your main URL instead of your actual website. You can customize it with text, images, social media links and even a newsletter sign up form. This way, visitors will immediately understand what’s going on and will also have the opportunity to get some info and contact you if they need. If you...
Read More
If you happen to hang around Facebook groups for entrepreneurs and business owners you have probably noticed this is one of the most frequently asked questions when talking about WordPress websites: what is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org? It is understandably confusing if you have just started dipping your toes on the waters of this content management system. Another common situation is you didn’t build your website yourself and now that you are planning to do some updates you have found out your options are limited because of a wrong choice of platform. The answer to the question is not simple: there are many differences between both options. The main one that could summarize everything is that WordPress.com is similar...
Read More
Self-hosted WordPress websites are powerful marketing tools for business. Being an open source platform, WordPress offers endless possibilities, the most profesional looks and the latest functions. But, as some would say, with great power comes great responsibility and this case is no exception. Security should be your number 1 priority when working on your website. The platform already takes care of a great part of it but there is still a lot you can do to shield your site from unauthorized access. Here you have a list of basic actions you can take in order to improve your WordPress website security. Use a secure hosting company First, make sure your hosting provider is up to date with the latest requirements. If they’re...
Read More
If you have a WordPress website you probably know that, along with the theme you are using, plugins are the biggest power source of this platform. However, when it comes to choose the right ones for your site, it gets trickier. There are almost 40,000 options on the WordPress Plugin Directory to achieve different functions so a little help doesn't hurt. Here you have a list of essential WordPress plugins I use and love. Avoid spam comments Akismet. This is probably one of the best known plugins because it comes included by default when you install WordPress on your server. It is a comment spam filtering service that will make your blogger life much easier. Secure your site against unwanted login attempts Limit Login Attemps / Whitelist IP...
Read More
In this day and age, the majority of small business owners have an online presence either on social media, a website or both. This means most of us have a computer around and need to use it for many different tasks during the day: creating digital content, planning a marketing campaign, keeping track of statistics, etc. There are a ton of tools and tutorials out there that can help us with all these processes but it is difficult to keep track of all the new possibilities as they come up. Today I want to share with you some of the things I have on my toolbox. I hope you find them useful! If you regularly use other handy resources, please,...
Read MoreWhen you use your website to market your products or services, the main goal should be to make things easy, even ridiculously easy, for those visitors who are potential buyers. A well-designed business website should display a delicate balance between offering many possibilities and presenting them in a simple way. This requires some key elements that, depending on the nature of the products offered, should be included under one form or another. Some of the functionalities listed on this post might seem pretty obvious because we are used to seeing them everywhere. That is precisely the reason why we tend to downplay their importance. Contact form It is almost impossible to find a website that doesn’t include a contact page or section....
Read More
One of the most common questions I get from my clients when starting a new website design project is this: which one of these platforms will be a better choice for me and my business? The answer is far from being simple. In my opinion, both Wix and WordPress are great tools for a small business and very professional websites can be built using either one or the other. I would say there is not an absolute best choice. It depends on a bunch of different things from each particular case such as the purpose of the site, your business size, your website functionality needs, your website administration knowledge...
Read More