Can Cloudflare Make WordPress Sites Load Faster and Perform Better? |
- Can Cloudflare Make WordPress Sites Load Faster and Perform Better?
- WordPress SEO Made Easy: 4 Tips to Double Your Traffic in the Next 30 Days
- 7 Celebrities You’d Never Expect To Be Using WordPress
- DesktopServer version 3.4.0 new features and bug fixes
- 10 Time Saving Tips for Building Out Simple WordPress Sites Fast
- 6 Simple Ad Management Plugins/Scripts For Your WordPress Site
- Add Flickr Creative Commons Pictures to WordPress Posts
- WordPress Hosting: Why I Love GoDaddy
- WordPress Themes Are Polarizing the Web: Why Freebies and Fees Make Jack a Dull Boy
- Designing Best Selling WordPress Themes: A Visual Guide
| Can Cloudflare Make WordPress Sites Load Faster and Perform Better? Posted: 20 Jun 2012 12:45 PM PDT What Does It Do?The question on the lips of everyone who has run, is running, or ever will run a website is: “How Can I Make My D*!#$ Site Load Faster!” Cloudflare believes it has an answer. To quote directly from their website copy:
I decided a little while ago to try it out on a site of mine and see what would happen. If you are curious how to install Cloudflare, check out this tutorial. Test #1 Testing It Out On My Site. What Could Go Wrong? Installation went reasonably smoothly. One thing must be noted, though. When they say five minutes to set up, they are not counting the time it takes for the new name servers to propagate. So pick out a low traffic time to handle the install unless you enjoy using the flurry of emails from disappointed users as a way to connect with your customer base. The results:
Wait, what? More hits? No, Cloudflare does not attract or invent new users (much as one might hope). When you look at the new analytical data that Cloudflare provides, though, you will notice that there is a mismatch between what Google Analytics may say were the number of visitors and what Cloudflare says. What is going on here? Google Analytics uses JavaScript to record the arrival of each user. If the user has Javascript disabled in their browser or does not wait for the page to load, though, they are not recorded as having visited. Cloudflare, on the other hand, logs each request to the name server for a more accurate profile. Reservations That Cloud Looks Threatening! There are a couple of things that a potential user should be aware of. The first is that changing name servers can be a big deal and have unintended consequences. Installing Cloudflare on another of my sites caused a very tricky error that took a while to isolate. The second issue that could come up is that of SSL certificates. If you have installed an SSL on your site, Cloudflare will break it. If you want to continue to use an SSL on your site, you will need to upgrade to the Pro version. Again, an issue I learned the hard way. Does It Work With WordPress?Yes! In terms of installing it on your WordPress site, there are a couple of options. This is the basic single site plugin. For multi-site, there are a couple of plugins as well – one free and the other not (an informative and link-rich discussion on the topic can be found here). I installed the basic single site plugin on one of my own sites and I am sad to say that I found it doesn’t actually do an awful lot extra for you that isn’t done better with other plugins (I am looking at you, Database Optimization). The primary benefit of installing the plugin is for the customer base, as a whole. If you report a comment as spam, then the spammer’s info will automatically be added to the blacklist for all sites that use Cloudflare. For more info, check out their website or their too-cute-by-a-half video that more or less explains what they do. No related posts. |
| WordPress SEO Made Easy: 4 Tips to Double Your Traffic in the Next 30 Days Posted: 20 Jun 2012 11:47 AM PDT What would happen if for the next 30 days you were to focus all your efforts on doubling the traffic to your WordPress site? Most people have never thought about doing this, they just wish they could get more traffic and they keep searching for a magic formula. But what I'm talking about is 100% focused effort on one goal that, as you're about to discover, could literally change your life over the next year. In fact, before we talk about exactly what you need to do in the next 30 days to double the traffic to your WordPress site, let's do a little math.
Do the math and that's $25 earned every two days, for a total of $375 a month. Okay, not bad…but let's look at what could happen if you doubled your traffic:
I'll explain how you get your conversion rate up from 1% to 2% in just a moment. But first, notice that we're now looking at a total of $50 a day in profits. That's $1,500 a month in total income, and for most of us that's enough money to spend 100% of our time working on our online business; that's when you can really start making things happen. Now, let's talk about four simple things that will help you get your WordPress site doing that for you… Tip #1: Write & Post Something Everyday The search engines love sites that are being consistently updated with fresh content. This has always been the case and it probably always will be. The good news is that you don't have to post a 1,200 Epic saga of an article every day. Instead, write a quick 50 to 120 word blurb and post it as your "daily tip," your "daily update" or something more clever memorable if you'd like. If you do this for the next 30 days, it will become a habit that you can repeat every day for the next year, or two years. At first, it might not seem to make much of an impact, but just try it and see how those small steps add up over time. Tip #2: Share EVERY WordPress Post on Facebook, Twitter and One Other Social Media Site After you write your daily content, post a link up on your Facebook wall, share the post on Twitter and on your Google + account. Don't worry about getting responses yet, just be consistent. Consistency sends a powerful message to your reader; it shows them that you're more than just a flash in the pan and that you're attentive to your online business. This should make people feel more comfortable about the idea of buying products or services from you as opposed to someone who only works on their online business on the weekends or when they have the time. Also, if you've posting good content, people will start to take notice and when they start responding, you'll learn very quickly what they like and what they don't like. Linking to Social Media sites will also help to build up the link count on your WordPress site. Even if the links are no follow, a few links from a site like Facebook will prove much more valuable than hundreds of links posted to a "no name" website. Tip #3: Make 3 to 5 Great Blog Comments or Forum Posts Every Day After you've written and posted your daily content, go to one of the top blogs within your niche and find a conversation to get involved in. Instead of posting a few comments just to get back links and hopefully a few visits to your site, just focus on interacting with the other readers who are commenting on the blog or the forum. One blog comment or forum post that's well thought out and that takes you 10 to 15 minutes to write will get noticed again and again and again, especially if it's on an authority site. Most of the time, you can post a link back to your site, but don't ask anyone to click the link because you'll just look like another spammer. . In the end, your name and the reputation tied to it will make a bigger impact than the most well-written call to action will. So just get involved in the conversation and start getting your name out there, the responses will come Tip #4: Pay Attention and Optimize Your Content for Human Consumption
If you're posting content and getting involved in conversations on blogs and forums every day, you'll start to get a feel for what people really want to read. You'll notice that certain topics and comments get more attention than others. You'll even start to notice a common theme in people's responses. This is how you'll increase your conversion rate, by giving people exactly what they want when they read your content and your sales offers. Read their comments and look at the links they respond best to and ask yourself… What your customer's afraid of? Who are they mad at? What do they want more of…or less of? What topics, phrases and buzz words do they respond best to? Once you get an idea of what your customers want, start using this knowledge when you write your daily posts and when you get involved in conversations on blogs and on forums. The more you do this, the more you'll find that businesses grow through relationships with customers. If you have your doubts about whether these tips will work, just try them for the next 30 days and don't give up…even if you don't think they're working. Relationships aren't built overnight, but the more you write, the more you connect and the more you tailor your content to what your customers really want, the more valuable and more relevant it will become. Your reader base will grow, and so will your WordPress rankings, your online reputation and your monthly income.
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| 7 Celebrities You’d Never Expect To Be Using WordPress Posted: 20 Jun 2012 11:05 AM PDT Few people take the time to browse through the featured users page on wordpress.org but every now and again I like to update myself on the latest submissions. WordPress may have started as a blogging platform but it has become so much more. There are websites in virtually every industry but tonight I thought I’d touch on seven celebrities… 1) Jay Z
2) Sylvester Stallone
3) Bon Iver
4) LIGHTS
5) Jazon Mraz
6) Perez Hilton
7) Kevin Smith
Now for my closing comments. Notice how none of these websites look alike and yet all of them are built with WordPress. I think of it as my duty to present some of these featured WordPress users to anyone who does not already love it as much as I do. More often than not, I have to disprove a prospective client who says that all WordPress sites look the same which is why they don’t want anything to do with it. Here lies living proof that WordPress is only limited by your own imagination. Related posts:
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| DesktopServer version 3.4.0 new features and bug fixes Posted: 20 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT
For those already using DesktopServer, notice the download page no longer has separate installation files for “new install” and “upgrade install”. Instead, there’s just one installation file per operating system (Windows or Mac) per version (Premium vs. Free version). This new installer gives you the option to upgrade or install a fresh version. Some other great new features include:
I updated my Mac’s DesktopServer Premium using the new installer with no issues. It was intuitive, quick, and easy. However, I’d recommend backing up your current install folder (not the ‘Websites’ folders) in case your install has issues or overwrites some of your settings, like an edited sendmail.ini file. Also, beware that the upgrade install will add a new ’3.4.0′ sub-folder to your ‘blueprints’ folder. In the interest of not losing your ‘blueprints’ work, make sure you don’t already have a folder named ’3.4.0′, just in case. Just rename it to ‘my3.4.0′ or something else, then run the upgrade installation, then delete ’3.4.0′ and rename ‘my3.4.0′ to ’3.4.0′. Download DesktopServer today and experience a more efficient way to develop and test multiple WordPress installations. Credit: images from ServerPress.com Related posts:
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| 10 Time Saving Tips for Building Out Simple WordPress Sites Fast Posted: 20 Jun 2012 09:30 AM PDT Saving time always make me feel more productive. But let’s face it, sometimes you have to spend a little time (and sometimes a little money) upfront in order to make things easier for saving yourself a lot of time in the long run. I find this to be especially true when it comes to building out a line of simple client sites. None-the-less, these tips will ultimately save you time.
Having your ideas and a basic process in mind before taking action will save you time once you actually begin taking action. Researching tools like WordPress, WordPress plugins and WordPress themes can help you to determine a solid foundation from which to build from.
Spending money is always part of saving time. Spend money on things that are built to do things better, faster, stronger – we have the technology. WordPress is free but some of the associated plugins and themes are not. Invest in only the WordPress plugins and themes that can simplify your tasks or shorten the length of time it takes you to do them. Watch for coupon codes to help offset any costs you do incur. One example of a premium WordPress plugin is BackupBuddy plugin by PluginBuddy. BackupBuddy is a really helpful premium tool that combines creating backups, the ability to restore sites from backups and/or migrating a complete website from one location to another in a simple step by step process. What used to take at least an hour can now be completed in minutes. And here is your first coupon code: Kerry25 for a 25% discount.
Build a site with WordPress that contains all of the basic function, style and data that you plan to use in every simple site that you want to offer. Use the famous 5 minute install to get started and add some fun ipsum placeholder type for content. Once you have the basic structure created for the type of simple site you need to recreate for your clients you can clone it and replace your filler content with the client’s specific information.
Having a designated place to go to host your prototype and eventually build out your simple sites will save you time when you are ready to begin building out your first complete simple client site. Some developers prefer to develop on a localhost. The set up a server right on their own computer. Others prefer to develop on a live but protected area. Another option might be to simply develop completely live and use your development area as a demo at the same time. It is important to not that the best choice, is the choice that works best for you.
Developing with a theme that you are comfortable and knowledgeable with will save you the time of having to learn the ins and outs of many different themes. Check out some of the awesome themes on WPMUdev that are available. Upload this folder of themes to your WordPress prototype site via FTP to save time compared to uploading the themes individually.
If you have been developing for awhile, you likely have a list of some top plugins that you always use on every site. If not, a great place to start your research is within this recent WPMU post called The Top 100 WordPress Plugins for Your Site. Upload this folder of plugins to your WordPress prototype site via FTP to save time compared to uploading the plugins individually.
Learn to recognize your strengths and your weaknesses. Knowing when you need help and getting it, is going to save you time. If WordPress installations are not your thing, find someone to do your professional WordPress installations for you. Use tutorials to help you set up your first localhost or hire someone to help you through it.
Knowing where to go to find help is going to save you time. Asking for help can save a lot of time and can reduce the amount of research you need to do. Just till be sure to do your own due diligence. The WPMU blog and WPMUdev are fantastic places to start for doing research, finding answers and getting involved in the communities.
Learning a new skill each day makes one less thing you need to research how to do later and can save you time long term.
Using the skills you have regularly can reduce the length of time they take to complete and save you time. By spending a little money here and a little time there you can develop your very own time saving WordPress system to build out your line of simple client sites fast. Related posts:
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| 6 Simple Ad Management Plugins/Scripts For Your WordPress Site Posted: 20 Jun 2012 08:15 AM PDT Perhaps you've been working on a pre-existing theme that did not integrate any advertising management tool or perhaps you're designing a theme from scratch, integrating an ad management tool that's both easy to use and effective is essential to businesses. There are many plugins, widgets and exterior scripts which allow users to quickly manage ad banners, monitor its exposure lifetime, view ad campaign reports and view client billing reports. Below are some of the best plugins, widgets and scripts available: Plugins and WidgetsSimple Ads ManagerSimple Ads Manager Settings Simple Ads Manager is exactly what the name suggests; it's a simple advertising manager plugin for WordPress. The plugin is easy to install and provides both simplified and extended functionality to manage your ad banners. A banner object (or Ad Place, as they call it) can be created on its own and shown through their widget. Additional flexibility is provided through the usage of Ad Zones and Ad Blocks; Ad Zones allow users to determine which ad will be shown on which page and Ad Blocks give users the option of grouping Ad Places to display. Advertwhirl Advertising Manager and Ad RotatorAdvertwhirl Tutorial Page Advertwhirl is a little more complex than Simple Ads Manager, however it is still easy enough to use. The plugin can be installed through the plugin area in WordPress. Once installed, you can control the plugin in the settings area where it will provide tutorials to help you create your ad campaign. The plugin allows integration of Google Adsense, Groupon and external advertising campaigns. Once your ad campaign is created, you can display your ads through widgets. Advertwhirl even provides the functionality to share ad space with your guest bloggers/employees. Ads can also be shown in posts and pages through the use of short codes. One drawback of Advertwhirl is that it doesn't provide campaign reports, however if Google Adsense is used, you can access its reports in the Google Adsense backend. WP Tag AdsWP Tag Ads Configuration Page WP Tag Ads is a plugin which takes tags from your posts and pages and displays relevant products auction items found in Ebay through a widget. It's very easy to install and configure, however you'll need to set-up an Ebay Campaign to monetize your posts. Here's a tutorial to help you set-up: WP125Look of WP125 in Your Sidebar WP125 allows management and rotation of 125 x 125 square banners. It's an easy plugin to install and use and up to eight banners can be displayed in either one column or two columns, however ad banners have to be uploaded externally as the plugin doesn't provide an image upload functionality. Simple click statistics are provided. AdRotateAdRotate can be configured to display one column… Or two or more. AdRotate is relatively easy to use and configure. It allows for click and impression tracking and provides both individual ad and global ad statistics such as number of impressions and Click Through Rate and ads can be linked to a particular WordPress user for statistics. Ads can be displayed through the use of widgets. There are three levels of ads available: individual ads, groups of ads, and blocks of ad groups. Ads can be given weights which will give them more or less priority and visibility over other ads. The number of columns can be set through the use of ad groups and as it's HTML and Javascript enabled, you can style its display to your liking. External ScriptsAd Manager (Free)Banner List Category List Ad Manager is a free PHP ad management script that works with any PHP enabled server. Categories are used to group ads and ads can be created as text (like Adsense), image or external code. Basic statistics are provided such as number of clicks and number of impressions. The script provides an installation file which will install the script and a mysql tables, so make sure you have a mysql user and database ready for the installation. To display the ads, you will need to install the WordPress widget My Custom Widgets which allow users to create custom widgets with PHP and HTML code. Once installed you will need to include the functions page adm.php and the following code inside the custom widget:
ConclusionThere are many other plugins, widgets and scripts available for managing advertisements in your WordPress site, however many of them are complex and difficult to use. The plugins and scripts listed above are among some of the easiest to use, however they may not have some of the functionalities and statistics provided by the more complex systems. If you require basic functionality and statistics from your ad management systems you won't go wrong with any of the ones listed above. Do you use any of the plugins or scripts listed above in your WordPress site? If not, which ones do you use? Feature image courtesy of stallio Related posts:
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| Add Flickr Creative Commons Pictures to WordPress Posts Posted: 20 Jun 2012 08:05 AM PDT Images can make your writing. They work with your text to explain, elaborate, affect and endear your words to your readers. Finding the perfect image while avoiding copyright conflict can be a time-consuming challenge. Many WordPress blog administrators rely on Creative Commons licensed images, since they are free, but searching for these images usually requires visiting other websites. Flickr – Pick a Picture is a new plugin that makes it easy for you to select a Creative Commons image from Flickr and use it in your WordPress site. After you install and activate the plugin, you’ll get a new icon in the media bar on the post edit page: This icon will launch a window where you can search for images that you’d like to use in your blog. The plugin produces all related Creative Commons images from Flickr: If you want to see a larger version of the image, simply click on the thumbnail to enlarge it: Automatic AttributionOne of the best features of this plugin is that it automatically pulls in information for attributing the images you use. It takes advantage of WordPress 3.4′s ability to include HTML in image captions. When you select a Flickr image, the caption will automatically contain a link back the source of the image. Once you’ve selected your image, you’ll be able to able to take advantage of the standard image editing features built into WordPress, including:
This plugin without a doubt provides the easiest and most convenient way to search Flickr Creative Commons images while working within your WordPress dashboard. No need to download images to your computer anymore – just select your image and embed it within your content. Grab the Flickr – Pick a Picture plugin for free from the WordPress repository and cut the time you spend searching for images. Related posts:
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| WordPress Hosting: Why I Love GoDaddy Posted: 20 Jun 2012 07:30 AM PDT
To make my “love list” takes a lot–great products, great services, and super-duper customer support.GoDaddy has hit the high mark in all of these areas on more than one occasion. To be completely honest, hosting a website on GoDaddy.com scared be B-Gs out of me initially. It seemed so complicated. I was forced for use them when one of my web design clients already had hosting with them. There were complications getting their WordPress site loaded up and working properly, mostly due to me trying to figure things out on my own, and I was clueless about where to look for answers when I just couldn’t figure it out. I’m somewhat bull-headed when it comes to figuring things out. I’m so sure I can that I put far too much time into the process. (BTW, this isn’t cost-effective, so I don’t advocate it for others.) It isn’t until I’ve exhausted every possibility that I can consider asking for help. I was building websites, for heaven’s sake. Doesn’t that imply that I know all this already? But I didn’t, and I was in uncharted territory looking for the emergency exit. So, what changed my mind?I called the help line. My expectations were low. I assumed I would be in auto-attendant hell for an hour or two and then be connected to someone that couldn’t help me anyway. What I got
Not just one time, mind you. Every time I called. As a beginner WordPress user and website builder, I call them more often than you might think. They never complain, and they always fix my problem. Even betterThey wanted to know how they did. You know how it goes. They sent me a link to a “brief” survey. The first several times, I just ignored their invitation. When I finally decided to give kudos for a job well done and clicked through to the survey, I was, once again, delightfully surprised. The survey was two questions: Did we answer your questions and how likely are you to refer us. There was a comments box, too. Short. Sweet.  Screen capture from GoDaddy.com Go Daddy has other great features, too. They are WordPress compatible and have a one-click WordPress Installer that ensures you have the most recent version of it right away. Once you have WordPress installed and activated, you can easily manage it through the admin panel, just like any other WordPress site. And, if like me you tend to blow things up now and then, GoDaddy.com will help you fix it, quickly and without condescension. What more can you ask for in a hosting company? Related posts:
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| WordPress Themes Are Polarizing the Web: Why Freebies and Fees Make Jack a Dull Boy Posted: 20 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT
Undoubtedly, WordPress is both. Its free and premium themes have invited an array of people online, in their most professional light (Click here to see the top 50 free themes for your WordPress site). But this accomplishment may be a double-edge sword. Sure, it enables the unqualified to hit the grounds of cyberspace running. But "Jack" sees this and gnashes his teeth. Who is Jack, you might ask? He's that consummate web developer (or designer) who's spent the greater portion of his career contributing to the Web's progression. In Jack's eyes, creativity is king. By no means is he against pre-designed WordPress themes, but they are beginning to polarize the grounds he once ruled. This epidemic, if you will, is affecting Jack's career and bank account. One might argue that Jack is dull for many reasons…and a WordPress theme isn't one of them! Even I will admit that balancing business with creativity is what separates the mice from men. But at some point or another, we have all shared some degree of Jack's sentiments. Rarely does passion find its place in big business. Repetition creates revenue; it's a concept that existed long before interconnectivity. I, personally, sympathize with Jack, as I too, enjoy nothing more than constructing the next masterpiece. On the other hand, I've learned that Michael Bloomberg is more regarded in business than Michelangelo. Everything in business—from our websites to the very image we project—must be modular and capable of adaptation. WordPress themes continue to open doors for many, but total adamancy against creativity and innovation will result in a burning, cyber hell.
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| Designing Best Selling WordPress Themes: A Visual Guide Posted: 20 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT
The WordPress theme economy is easily worth millions of dollars a year and does not show signs of slowing down anytime soon, especially as we see the platform becoming more responsive and easily adapted for the mobile web. If you are a designer/developer and are looking to get into the highly competitive (yet completely open for the taking) world of theme design and development, there’s no place like WordPress right now. Some might say that there are an ideal set of features and unique design elements that help towards achieving success in sales. Below are a few of these features and elements that you may find to be common in most best selling WordPress themes. — Most Popular Technical FeaturesCustomizable Home PagesThe most important part of any website on the whole interwebs is obviously the home page! With just a couple of seconds to impress your visitor, your buyer will want to make sure they can adjust the most important parts of their home page.  Duotive Fortune on Themeforest provides a Front Page Manager  U-Design on Themeforest offers a widgetized homepage Sliders!By now you’ve seen at least 1 theme with a slider, or 500, front and center. With numerous open source options available, some might even see it as a stale feature. But done right it could make the difference between just another slider to an awesomesauce slider!  Whitelight by WooThemes offers a Full Width Slider  LucidPress by artbees offers a very fluid and unique slider  Chameleon by Elegant Themes, the folded arrow icons give a different look Custom Post TypesEven though Post Formats have been a part of WordPress for some time now, the popularity of ready made Custom Post Types, which cater to Galleries, Portfolio layouts and others types of content has increased. The benefit here is that a buyer is able to get a unique edit screen catered to the Post Type and a unique front end presentation as well. Of course, this depends on whether you as the developer offer them those options, which I think one should.  Modernize on Themeforest has custom post types, shown here is the Gallery type TypographyProbably the easiest way to make a theme unique is to change the font. With the advent of tons of web based font services like Typekit, Google Web Fonts, Font Squirrel etc…a theme developer is basically spoiled for choice here.  Trim by Elegant Themes shows a good mix of fonts  Notes by Themify, notice the use of font and bold/italic styles to differentiate elements Color/Background CustomizationOptions to edit the colors and background of a theme is probably one of the simplest things to achieve, but the effect it can provide once again makes it a top 5 feature that most of the top selling themes have.  Scope by Orman Clark, features a big background image as a custom feature — Most Popular Design ElementsMagnificent MenusEveryone loves a snazzy looking menu. Since it’s the primary navigational element, buyers tend to care how it looks. Subtle design choices are always the way to go to make your theme menu standout. Make sure it supports multi-level drop downs! You can even integrate 3rd party plugins that offer mega menu options to kick it up a level.  Socialite by SyncThemes, simple, transparent and edgy  SmartStart by Smuliii, various colors offer contrast Typography as DesignThe difference between a good design and a great design almost always comes down to the treatment of typography. This can be a very tricky element to perfect, but the payoff is always worth it. Pay attention to line heights, paragraph padding and margins. If you are using web based font services, make sure you have provisions for bold and italic text.  Balance by StudioPress, good typography treatment is the design here  Immersion by GraphPaperPress, a harmonious balance with various typography elements Shadows/Inset EffectsEven though shadows and inset effects have been around for some time now, they seem to have become an evergreen design element. Some designers are getting more creative by using transparent effects together with shadows and applying them on text, as part of the general theme design.  Simplicity by WooThemes, various shadow and inset effects provide subtle yet important design enhancements Icons/SignagePeople love icons; they just can’t get enough of them! Incorporating social and custom icons into your design tells the buyer that you’ve put their best interests at mind. Built in options which enable to link a users social profiles give your theme that extra attention to detail.  MayaShop by Sara_p has some great icon and sign detailing Don’t Forget the FooterProbably the most overlooked area, the footer is one area where some of the best selling themes always come out on top. Custom widgets that fit perfectly into widgetized areas, social design elements, pattern and texture backgrounds are some of the elements that will make your theme standout.  eleven40 by StudioPress, a well laid out footer with many custom elements  Gonzo by OllieMcCarthy, a contrast filled footer with a quirky design — What’s Your Favorite?Now that you’ve seen some of the features and design elements of some of the top selling themes for WordPress, leave a comment below and tell me what is on the top of your list? Whether you are theme-buyer or a designer/developer, all comments are welcome! [wdca_ad Related posts:
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If you haven’t heard of Jay Z you’re either over 50 years old of living under a rock. This website is pretty much nothing more than a blog but it looks really engaging on the home page with a collage of featured images from edge to edge. Kind of looks like the 
We all know and love the one and only Rocky Balboa aka Sylvester Stallone. Little did I know he is more than an actor but a book author, fitness expert and a painter! Looks like he is using WordPress to showcase his multiple talents… I wonder if he’s a Gemini. Stallone’s website is probably the most corporate, clean-cut design in this whole list. He’s probably the oldest celebrity on this list too.
Bon Iver recently awarded Best New Artist at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012 and uses WordPress to power their official website. When I first logged onto his website I was a bit taken by the fact that he has this music video playing in the background. Typically you have an mp3 streaming in the background of most band websites but Bon Iver one-upped everyone with video but this is what really took me back… their video stream is continuous as you browse through his site!
This girl is my #1 in this list… namely because she’s a fellow Canadian I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing on my blog before she blew up. She calls herself LIGHTS and I think just about every teenie bopper is wearing that same headband she wears. LIGHTS uses wordpress as a hub for all her social networks as the be all end all for her fans. WordPress is very plug & play with social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Google + and so on.
Finally, here is a band site that doesn’t use a third-party to power their online store. It’s hard to say what plugin Jason is using but my guess is it’s the one and only 
Not to be confused with Paris Hilton, Perez Hilton is “The Queen of Media“… what I think is most valuable on this website is the self-hosted video player showcased as “Perez TV”. If I were to guess what plugin he is using for the video player I would say it looks a lot like the JW Media Player with a custom player skin. It has pre-roll commercials just like Youtube which is a terrific feature of the 
Do you remember Jay and Silent Bob? Yeah, whatever happened to those guys? I hear Jason Mewes is up here in Canada working on his new career as a video director. Kevin Smith is also doing his own thing as an author/blogger/comic. If you like creeping into the celebrity life Kevin Smith is an open book and a heavy duty blogger. His website is more of a traditional wordpress blog which is for the most part, storytelling and what better platform for a story than WordPress?
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1. Think through and develop a plan.
I’m not usually one to rave about companies, and most website-related companies leave me ready for the rubber room.
What makes a WordPress theme sell like hotcakes? Is it an abundance of features, a striking design, a balance of both or perhaps, at times, could it simply be attributed to a trusted brand name or designer?| You are subscribed to email updates from Wordpress Themes, Plugins, Tutorials & More - WPMU.org To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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