by Nick Throlson | Sep 27, 2016 | Web Design
Developing compelling visual content can often be difficult for a lot of businesses. They?ve spent much of the last half-decade or so optimizing their sites for keywords and content. And they?ve spent only a small amount of time developing tools that supercharge their visual impact. But if they want to attract visual customers, they?ve going to have to go beyond mere words. Here?s how you can use imagery to engage.Convert Ideas To Infographics
If you?re desperate to get a complicated message across, infographics are ideal. Infographics condense an enormous amount of information down into small, manageable chunks. A lot of small businesses think that infographics require an enormous amount of time and training to produce. But with infographic apps, that?s no longer the case. Taking raw data and building compelling tables and charts is now significantly easier than it was a couple of years ago.Bespoke Photography
There?s nothing worse than going to a site and seeing a load of stock photography. It?s uninspiring. And often it can represent a missed opportunity to get visual customers engaged with your brand. Using professional photography means that you can get hold of images that are directly relevant to your clients. You can then label these pictures and improve your SEO more than you could with stock photos.Make Your Photos IllustrativeWith the rise of photo editing apps, photos can be transformed well beyond their original state. Sites like AppAdvice list a whole bunch of smartphone apps you can use to make your photos appear more artistic. Some applications transform your photos into watercolour-effect images. Apps like Word Photo, allow you to blend written content with visuals. And other apps, including Over, enable you to build captions into your photographs.Rich AnimationOne of the biggest turn-offs for visual consumers is a dry, static page. Visual customers want to see movement and colors to get the engage with what you're doing. Most businesses get around this problem by including animations alongside text. The idea is to tell a story using pictures to help get customers engaged and entertained.Bright, Bold, Friendly Colours
Visual design developers know a thing or two about the importance of website colors. Today, the style is to be bright and bold and to stick to only a couple of tones. Professionals abandoned multi-tonal web design a long time ago. Darker, duller colors are also out of fashion. Designers prefer brighter colors because they are considered to be friendlier.Whimsical IllustrationsA lot of businesses think that illustrations are just for kids. But that?s just not true anymore. Take a look at Freshbooks website, for example. This is a company that is essentially offering people an accounting service. It?s hardly the sort of service that you?d associate with silly pictures and bright colors. And yet that?s precisely what Freshbooks? visual designers have done. There are pictures of toy dolls next to calculators. And it?s all about creating an attractive visual layout beyond the usual blocks of color. If you want to grow your visual appeal, you should learn about whimsical illustrations.
by Nick Throlson | Sep 19, 2016 | Guest Post, Web Design
Having a blog is an essential tool for solopreneurs or small businesses to help propel their products and themselves to a higher profile. The cache attached to blogs on a small scale has many benefits, especially if there are people wanting to communicate their opinions, or to gather a small following. But, what about from the point of view of a medium or large size business? Is there any point in having one when a large company has the funds to have a flashy website or a marketing team to build a catchy campaign? Here are some ways in which a blog can give your business an edge.Blogs can be used in two ways, internally and externally. Internal blogs serve to keep the company informed and updated on issues and is posted via the company?s intranet. External blogs are ones that are published and viewed online and so can be seen by the general public. There are pros and cons for both.Externally, blogs work to give your company a personal touch. If you struggle to humanize your company, having a blog helps to keep readers informed on what is happening inside the company. It is a great way to convey an?understanding of your ethos, and your stance as a brand. The more personable your blog, the more warmth it gives you as a brand.From a technical point of view, blogs are tailor-made for search engine algorithms. If your blog is on the same domain as your website, your blog will attract traffic that then can migrate to the rest of your site. One of the best ways of using a blog is to get instant communication with is reading through posts that are critical of your current offerings, especially if other posters agree. Going through the posts for specifics and ask for clarification early will give you valuable information. But it will also show blog readers that you take complaints seriously. If you deliver a complex technical product or service, a blog will be a great way for people who use your offerings to get quick solutions from each other.If you need more tips to help with your blog, check out: http://www.blogherald.com/2016/08/19/art-perfect-listicle/.Internally, the communication of a blog helps to form a united front across all departments. And by using one tool to communicate with every department reduces the standard newsletter as redundant. Blogs are also a way to share expertise on specific topics and are especially useful to employees involved in technical areas that require up to date information.Another benefit of the internal blog is that blogs are incredibly simple. It is such a basic way in which it allows staff and team members to document a project and the progress. As well as its successes and challenges, and lessons learned.With the pros of a blog for your business, it is common sense to get one up and running. Firstly to communicate your business with a human touch, and secondly, to get your business out there!
by Nick Throlson | Sep 7, 2016 | Guest Post, Web Design
The website is one of the major tools of any kind of business. It really makes little difference what the nature of the business is. Regardless of that, the website is one of the main ways of gathering interest in whatever you are doing. As such, it is essential to ensure that you are making it a success. The difficulty here often lies in the fact that many people don?t really understand what a successful website looks like. Of course, without that knowledge, it can be hard to determine its level of success. In this post, we will take a look at some of the main measurements you can use to figure out if your website is doing well or not. Let?s see what those are now.Number Of VisitorsThis first measurement is probably the main one that people think of when it comes to determining a website?s success. And there is a very good reason for that. As a general rule, if your website is receiving a greater number of visitors, then you are obviously doing something right. To that end, you should be sure to always keep an eye on any sudden spikes in your visitor figures. When you do have a spike, try and figure out the reason why. Similarly, pay attention to the opposite happening, as this might teach you even more about what you need to know. To improve the number of visitors you are getting, consider using seo tactics. Take a look at this advice from an seo?team to get started.Bounce RateBounce is a little trickier to understand as a concept. However, it also happens to be considerably more useful. You can measure bounce rates in a number of ways. Some of the most important are the amount of people who leave your website via an external link, or press the back button. By that same token, you can look at those who do not interact with the web page for a long time, going into a timeout. The reason this data is so useful is that it gives you a more in-depth picture of what is going on. You can figure out if people are actually hanging around, or if they are just clicking onto your site and then leaving immediately.Average TimeBy that same token, it is helpful to know exactly how long people are hanging around on your pages. With this knowledge, you can then work towards developing content which is more likely to attract visitors - and keep them there. Which pages on your site keep people looking the longest? If you can work out what it is that people really enjoy, you can cater to them easier.Click-ThroughFinally, you really can?t underestimate the importance of the click-through ratio. Click-throughs are activated when someone performs an action you want them to perform. This is especially useful for things like directing people to their shopping cart, for example. Analyzing this data will tell you whether or not you are actually getting the results you want.
by Nick Throlson | Jun 19, 2016 | Web Design
Businesses, whether large or small need all the help they can get, in order to get through the early stages of their technical development, and the growth opportunities they get while proving their metal in the market. Email is a part of any business no matter which industry or field they are a part of. Internal and external communication is both carried out through email servers. One of the most recommended email service providers is provided by Google, itself ? Gmail.Definitely the best option from the market, for all sorts of businesses, Gmail has unique advantages which make it stand out and be so helpful to businesses. Some of the most prominent and popular features and advantages of Gmail include:Easy Access
Unlike other email client providers which use a separate program dealing with message transmissions, Gmail uses a simple browser. Gmail is hosted and supported by cloud storage and all the emails are protected and backed up in order to make sure the client never loses any important information permanently. The cloud support also allows users to access all their email and documents from wherever they wish.High Storage Space
Gmail gives each of its users a minimum of 25GB of email storage space for all businesses. This allows them to hold a huge amount of files and emails for longer periods of time. This storage space is far higher as compared to other, regular email service providers.Compatible with Office
Whether you have a blackberry or Microsoft Outlook, your business Gmail account can be synced with them without any hassle. The access is both, quick and simple and in fact, Gmail boosts the productivity and efficiency of employees when they use Gmail.Bonus Applications and Interactive Elements
Gmail also allows employees to use the service of instant messaging, calling and video conferences with only a few simple and easy clicks. You can not only initiate calls from the integrated service of hangouts but can also receive phone calls from this app. Gmail also provides all of its users with free access to Google sites, Google Drive, and Google Calendar. These additions prove to be extremely beneficial to the businesses.Customizations and Add-ons
With more than millions of users throughout the world, Gmail hosts a multitude of add-ons which can help in numerous businesses. These impressive add-ons include things like email scheduling, branding tools, sales tools and Signals by Hubspot. There is also a huge range of different and unique business level controls for all sorts of businesses. Advertisements can also be removed and instead, branding can be added.Security
Gmail accounts are continuously updated and backed up in a seamless manner and you never have to worry about data loss. All the data sent and received through Gmail an extremely secure SSL encrypted connection to discourage hacking.In conclusion, Gmail & Google Apps For Work is the most widely used email service providers used for all business, and the reason is no mystery.Discount use the following promo code when checking out?43NRA77CME7PUK or click the following link to sign up now!?http://nickthrolson.wpengine.com/go/google-apps/
by Nick Throlson | Mar 17, 2016 | Off Topic, Web Design, WordPress
W?rd?r??? is a very successful piece ?f ??ftw?r? th?t not ?nl? provides a ?l?tf?rm t? begin bl?gg?ng it also h?? m?n? ?dd?t??n f??tur?? such ?? w?rd?r??? ?lug?n?. Th??? w?rd?r??? plugins ?ll?w u??r? and ?dm?n??tr?t?r? to ?dd ?dd?t??n?l fun?t??n? to th??r bl?g? and w?ll ?r?v?d? th? tools t? ?u?t?m??? a bl?g ?r website t? suit the theme and genre.An??n? looking t? build a w?b??t? w?ll n??d t? kn?w a thing ?r tw? ?b?ut ??nt?nt management ???t?m?. Ev?r? w?b??t? h?? a f?und?t??n, a m??n? b? which th? ??nt?nt ?n th? w?b is ?r??t?d, edited, ?nd ?rg?n?z?d. W?rdPr??? ?? a v?r? ???ul?r ?nd fun?t??n?l ??nt?nt management system, ?nd is v?r? ?ff??t?v? f?r ?r??t?ng n?t ?nl? w?b??t??, but ?l?? blogs. In f??t, m??t bl?g? ?r? ??d?d v?? W?rdPr???, du? to its ???? ?f use.Those f?m?l??r w?th u??ng W?rdPr??? ?h?uld ?l?? b? aware ?f ?lug?n?. These ?r? pieces ?f code that ?n??r??r?t?d into th? ???t?m f?r ?ur????? ?f m?n?g?ng ??nt?nt. There ?r? m?n? ?lug?n? ?v??l?bl? ?n th? open source m?rk?t, and th?? ?ll ??rv? th??r ?wn particular ?ur???? for making website ?r??t??n easier ?nd un??u?. W?rdPr??? ?lug?n? are software ??d?? th?t are designed to make W?rdPr??? more user-friendly. Th?r? are thousands of plugins ?v??l?bl?, ?? u??r? h?v? ?n ?bund?n?? ?f material to w?rk with.IMPORTANCE OF USING WP FORMS WPForms ?? th? best WordPress contact f?rm plugin. H?r? ?r? the features th?t makes WPF?rm? th? m??t powerful ?nd u??r-fr??ndl? W?rdPr??? form builder ?n th? m?rk?t.Th? F?rm Bu?ld?r Plug?n f?r WP FORM ?ll?w? ??u t? build ??nt??t f?rm? ?n the W?rdPr??? ?dm?n??tr?t?v? interface w?th?ut needing t? kn?w PHP or HTML. We've tried t? make ?t ??m?l? ?n?ugh f?r ?n??n? t? m?k? th?m, ??t ?u?t?m???bl? ?n?ugh t? ??t??f? th? n??d? ?f ?x??r??n??d web d?v?l???r?.
DRAG AND DROP FORM BUILDER
Features:- Easily bu?ld ??m?l?x ??nt??t forms w?th?ut ?n? HTML ?r ??d?ng.
- Pr?-m?d? contact f?rm? for ?u??k and ???? setup.
- Put f?rm? ?n?wh?r? ?n ??ur ??t?.
- Put mult??l? f?rm? on a ??ngl? ??g?.
- S?l?t forms ?nt? multiple pages.
- Set up personalised ?ut?r????n??? t? ??nd to th? visitor.
- O?t??n?ll? ?t?r? ?ll f?rm data ?n th? d?t?b???.
- Built-in ?nt?-???m ????b?l?t???.
- O?t??n?l CAPTCHA t??hn?l?g?.
- Multi-language forms support.
- Ak??m?t and ???mm?r IP ?h??k?ng
- P?rm?????n? ??ntr?l
FORM TEMPLATEAt WPF?rm?, w? g?v? ??u th? ??t??n t? start with ?n? of our pre-built form t?m?l?t?? t? h?l? you ??v? t?m?. You can ?dd, r?m?v?, ?nd r?-?rr?ng? fields ?? n??????r? w?th our ???? t? u?? dr?g & dr?? ?nl?n? f?rm bu?ld?r. Wh?th?r you?re l??k?ng to ?r??t? a ??m?l? ??nt??t form, r??u??t a ?u?t? form, d?n?t??n f?rm, payment ?rd?r form, ?r a subscription form, w? have a form template f?r ??u.At WPF?rm?, we h?v? t?k?n th? pain ?ut ?f ?r??t?ng ?n ?nl?n? f?rm and m?d? ?t ????. All ?m?rt bu??n??? ?wn?r?, d???gn?r?, and d?v?l???r? love th? ?m?rt workflows that WPF?rm? ?ff?r. When we ??? th?t w? have m?d? th? m??t b?g?nn?r friendly WordPress contact form plugin, w? r??ll? m??n ?t. N?v?r ?t?rt fr?m scratch ?g??n. U?? WPForms ?nd ?r??t? ??ur online forms ?n m?nut??, n?t hours.RESPONSIVE MOBILE FRIENDLY
All forms created with WPF?rm? ?r? ??m?l?t?l? r????n??v?, mobile-friendly. Wh?th?r your visitors view your w?b??t? on a desktop, l??t??, tablets, or a ?m?rt?h?n?, ??ur f?rm? will ?lw??? l??k gr??t.Our form t?m?l?t?? are bu?lt f?r ?r???-br?w??r ??m??t?b?l?t? m??n?ng th?t ??ur ??t? will w?rk ?n ?ll modern browsers. Th? b??t ??rt ?b?ut it ?? th?t ??u d?n?t h?v? t? touch a single line ?f ??d?. Yes, w? m?d? ?t that ??m?l?. Our form ?r??t??n process ?? ?nt?r?l? dr?g & dr??, and ?ur ???t?m ?? ?m?rt ?n?ugh t? adapt to the ??tt?ng? that ??u select ?nd dynamically g?n?r?t? a m?b?l?-fr??ndl? f?rm l???ut.Other features and add-ons include entry management, instant notifications, multi-page forms, PayPal add-on, Ameer Add-on, file uploads, spam protections, mail chimp add-on, easy to embed and suggest a feature.Get WPForms Now to create your online in minutes and not in hours.
by Nick Throlson | Dec 13, 2015 | Web Design
What is The Secret?
?The Secret? book, the one that claims to empower its readers with the biggest secret of the world through which they can live the life they have always dreamt of, is a huge rage and rightly so. The practitioners of the secret swear by its miraculous effects in their lives and strongly believe in its authenticity and efficacy. So what is this big secret that is helping people achieve happiness, prosperity and good health? The secret is nothing but the ?Law of Attraction?.
The Law of Attraction is pretty simple in theory and principle; it simply states that like attracts like. According to this law, whatever is happening in one?s life at the present moment is the result of his/her past thoughts. As per this law, when a person thinks positively, he attracts positive results and when that same person thinks of negative thoughts, such as those of failure and loss, he ends up experiencing the same.
How Law of Attraction Works
According to ?The Secret? book, the knowledge of the law of attraction is the key to using it to one?s advantage. By knowing how the law of attraction works, one can alter one?s thought pattern and lifestyle in order to attract anything that one might desire, be it love, health, wealth or professional success. Here?s how you can use this potent law to transform your life and make all your dreams come true.
Visualize It
Whether you want to be rich or you want to have a harmonious relationship, simply close your eyes and visualize it in your mind. Visualize yourself living like a wealthy person or sharing a happy moment with your partner, depending on what it is that you want. Try to visualize as vividly as possible, with all the little details you can think of. The clearer your visualization, the better shall be the results.
Believe It
Now that you have started visualizing your dreams coming true, it?s time to believe it and believe it with all your heart and mind. Your faith and belief need to be absolutely unshakeable. Believe that you have become rich or that you have a beautiful relationship with your partner. Faith is one of the strongest forces and it shall take you even closer to your dreams; no wonder they say that faith can move mountains!
Experience It
With consistent practice of visualizing and believing your dreams coming true, you will soon start experiencing them in your real life. The world will present unexpected opportunities to you and will open new gateways that will make the biggest of your dreams come true. What would have once seemed impossible will soon seem every bit probable.
All you need to do is- Visualize, Believe and Experience!
If you?re desperate to get a complicated message across, infographics are ideal. Infographics condense an enormous amount of information down into small, manageable chunks. A lot of small businesses think that infographics require an enormous amount of time and training to produce. But with infographic apps, that?s no longer the case. Taking raw data and building compelling tables and charts is now significantly easier than it was a couple of years ago.Bespoke Photography
There?s nothing worse than going to a site and seeing a load of stock photography. It?s uninspiring. And often it can represent a missed opportunity to get visual customers engaged with your brand. Using professional photography means that you can get hold of images that are directly relevant to your clients. You can then label these pictures and improve your SEO more than you could with stock photos.Make Your Photos IllustrativeWith the rise of photo editing apps, photos can be transformed well beyond their original state. Sites like AppAdvice list a whole bunch of smartphone apps you can use to make your photos appear more artistic. Some applications transform your photos into watercolour-effect images. Apps like Word Photo, allow you to blend written content with visuals. And other apps, including Over, enable you to build captions into your photographs.Rich AnimationOne of the biggest turn-offs for visual consumers is a dry, static page. Visual customers want to see movement and colors to get the engage with what you're doing. Most businesses get around this problem by including animations alongside text. The idea is to tell a story using pictures to help get customers engaged and entertained.Bright, Bold, Friendly Colours
Visual design developers know a thing or two about the importance of website colors. Today, the style is to be bright and bold and to stick to only a couple of tones. Professionals abandoned multi-tonal web design a long time ago. Darker, duller colors are also out of fashion. Designers prefer brighter colors because they are considered to be friendlier.Whimsical IllustrationsA lot of businesses think that illustrations are just for kids. But that?s just not true anymore. Take a look at Freshbooks website, for example. This is a company that is essentially offering people an accounting service. It?s hardly the sort of service that you?d associate with silly pictures and bright colors. And yet that?s precisely what Freshbooks? visual designers have done. There are pictures of toy dolls next to calculators. And it?s all about creating an attractive visual layout beyond the usual blocks of color. If you want to grow your visual appeal, you should learn about whimsical illustrations.
