How To Password Protect Your WordPress Site’s Content

Approximately half of the world’s websites run on WordPress. With millions of people using WordPress to share information, security is always paramount.

WordPress is easy to use and gives you control over your content and there might be cases where you would like to share content with selected individuals. Perhaps you would like to share a wedding album to your guests or share articles with your subscribers.

Whether you want to protect your whole website or restrict users, you can DIY security by following these simple steps.

Protecting A Post Or Page

You can protect a post or page on a WordPress site by installing plugins. WordPress packs functionality that lets you control information that you share with visitors.

You can password protect a post or page by following these steps.

• Go to: Posts > All Posts from the dashboard.
• Find the post you want to protect and open it using Edit.
• Go to the right sidebar to the Publish section then click the Edit link.
• There Should be 3 different options: public, private and password protected.
• Click password protected and enter a password. Once you’re done click the OK button to proceed.

This post will now be visible only to users who enter the password you set.

Password Protecting Parts Of A Page Or Post

The Passater Plugin is the easiest way to restrict user access to a portion of a post or page.

Activate the plugin and then put a shortcode before and after the content block you’d like to restrict access to. Whenever someone wants to view the post, they will have to enter the password you set on the password protected content.

To activate Passater:

• Go to Plugins > Add New
• Search for Passater plugin. Click it once it shows up in the results.
• Click on the Install Now button to install to your site.
• After it’s done installing, click Activate button.
• Open the post you would like to password protect. Select the chunk of text you want to protect.
• Select Content Protector Shortcode option that’s added to the text editor.
• A popup window should prompt you to enter a password.

• Enter the password you’d like to use to restrict access to your content and click the INSERT SHORTCODE button to proceed.

• The chunk of content you selected should be wrapped around the shortcode and should look something like this:

[content_protector password=”your-password”]Your password protected content here.[/content_protector].

• Click the Update (or Publish) button to save changes.

Protecting A Category Of Posts

You can also password protect a category of posts.

• Start by using Access Category Password plugin to restrict user access to a specific category of posts.
• Go to your website admin panel and go to Plugins > Add New.
• Search for Access Category Password plugin. Once it shows up click Install.
• After installing, click Activate.
• Hover over Settings in the sidebar menu, and click on the Access Category Password option in the sub-menu.

• You will be redirected to the Access Category Password settings page.
• Enter desired password and set categories of posts you want to protect using the Impacted categories option.

Once you save changes, the category of posts you selected should be password protected.

Password Protecting Your Entire Site

To password protect your entire site; use the Password Protected plugin for WordPress.

• Go to Plugins > Add New.
• Search for the Password Protected plugin. Once it shows up in the search results, click on the Install Now button to install it to your website.
• Activate after installing.
• Go to Settings and click Password Protected. You will be redirected to the Password Protected Settings page.

You are now presented with some options.

• To protect your entire site: tick the Enable checkbox in front of the Password Protect Status option.
• Ticking the Protected Permissions option allows selected visitors to access your website without having to enter a password.
• To allow specific users to access your website without permission simply enter their IP addresses in the text box in Allow IP Addresses text box to whitelist them.

Website owners and e-commerce site owners will find themselves in situations where they will need to password protect certain content on their website. Knowing that they have this option will help them keep their content and website safe.

Is your website password protected? What do you think are the benefits of password protecting a website or its content? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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CSS Tips To Level Up Your Skills

Front end development is focusing more and more on efficiency. Pre-processors like Less and SCSS make the job easier for many programmers but there are many ways to write minimal quick CSS the native way. Luckily we have some tips below to help you eliminate the many duplicate rules and overrides. They will help you standardize the flow of styling in your layouts and help you create a personal starting framework that’s efficient and solves many starting problems.

Use CSS Reset

Reset libraries like normalize.css can provide a clean slate for your site’s styles to help ensure better consistency between browsers. Most sites don’t need all the rules libraries include so you can usually get by with removing all the margins and paddings applied to your elements in your layout.

The use of box-sizing declaration is optional.

Inherit box-sizing

Box sizing can be inherited from html.

Box sizing is easier to change when code is introduced through a 3^rd party plugin or application that use different behavior.

Use Flexbox To Get Rid Of Margin Hacks

Get rid of nth-, first-, and last-child hacks by using the space-between property value in flexbox.

This will prevent you from having to clear or reset margins to get the columns to break into the number of rows you want when you’re designing a grid like a portfolio or image gallery where you used floats.

Use :not() to Style Borders on Lists

Using last-child or :nth-child selectors is a very common practice in web design especially when you want to undo a style previously declared on the parent sector. Create a separator between each link and the second rule added to take that border off the end:

This can become messy because it forces the browser to render things one way the undo for a specific selector. Resetting styles is unavoidable but :not() using pseudo-class to only apply a style to the elements you want in one single statement:

 

Add line-height to body

Repeating declarations over and over again leads to inefficient style sheets. Once you get the hang of planning your projects and combining the rules, your CSS will become fluid. One way to understand cascade and how the styles you write can be inherited elsewhere. Line height is one of the properties you can set for your entire project.

But instead of adding line-height to each <p>, <h*> and so on, add it to body:

There is no unit declared here. It just tells you to make the line 1.5 times higher than font size for the rendered text.

Vertically-Center Anything

A vertically centered layout is a great way to set an elegant foundation for content layouts.

Use SVG for Icons

SVG scales is important for all browser types so ditch your png, .jpg, or .gif-jif- files for SVG Icon Fonts in FontAwesome 5.

Maintain accessibility with:

Use the “Owl” Selector

Use universal selector (*) and adjacent sibling selector (+) to provide powerful CSS capability that will allow you to set rules for all elements in the flow of the document that specifically follow other elements.

This will help you create a more uniform spacing.

Consistent Vertical Rhythm

Provide a visual aesthetic with consistent vertical rhythm. This will make content more readable where owl selector might be too general. Use a universal selector (*) within an element to create a consistent vertical rhythm for specific sections of your layout:

We hope that some of these tips will make your CSS more fluid.

What do you think of our tips? Did they make your coding easier? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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Keynote or PowerPoint: Which App To Choose For Presentations?

When it’s presentation time, using the right kind of software can make the job easier. For PC users, the choice is obviously PowerPoint but Mac users have another option: Keynote. So which one do you choose? They’re both great for different uses. This article will talk about the pros and cons of the two software to find out which one is suitable for your needs.

Keynote

Keynote is designed for Apple devices. It works on their computer, tablet and phones using the iOS software.

This program allows users to create sleek presentations with its easy to use tools and intuitive design. The side navigator has options for designing slides and different layouts, animations, fonts. Keynote is also able to make presentations from other software.

Keynote Pros

• User friendly.
• Lots of themes to choose from.
• Basic setup lets you align and position elements for a sleek looking design.
• Can be used for different types of multi-media like sound, video and other file types.
• Great integration across different devices.
• Polished animation, transition and transparency effects.
• Software is free for all iOS devices.
• Photo manipulation tools like cropping is easier in Keynote.
• Lots of extra templates you can download.
• More polished overall aesthetic.

Keynote Cons

• Not highly adopted as other programs.
• Does not support 3D effects.
• Learning curve if you’re coming from software.

Choose Keynote if you’re a Mac user and want to make your presentations look like PowerPoint. It is relatively easy to use and comes installed with your OS. It’s a good option for creating presentations.

PowerPoint

 PowerPoint is probably the most popular presentation software in the world. When it comes to going head to head with other tools like Keynote, ease of use is always the biggest consideration. If you’ve been using PowerPoint for a long time, switching to Keynote might not be easy for you.

PowerPoint was originally designed for PC and is now part of the Microsoft Office Suite. It works on PC and Apple devices. Keynote works well on mobile devices but PowerPoint is more limited to creating presentations on your desktop.

PowerPoint Pros

• Thousands of themes and templates.
• Editing is easy thanks to drag and drop interface.
• Easy and seamless integration with MS Word and Excel.
• Slides can be converted to handouts and look really great.
• Easy data and chart integration for building quick graphic works.
• Advanced functions provide a lot of control for pro users that can control almost any aspect of the design.
•  Smart design suggestion can help you create more visually appealing slides.

PowerPoint Cons

• Adding multi-media can be flaky.
• Cropping and photo editing can be tedious.
• It’s easy to create bad design with garish animation with just 1 click.
• It’s not free.
• There are a lot of unneeded functions that get in the way.

Use PowerPoint if it’s the best option for your working environment where people are used to collaborating on PowerPoint. It’s the go to option for people who don’t use Mac. It’s compatible with any type of computer since the slides will work.  It’s also preferable if you’re bringing complex data into charts or slides because it is integrated with Excel.

Conclusion

If your working environment is composed of people who do a lot of presentations, it’s probably a good idea to have everybody comfortable with both Keynote and PowerPoint. If you have an option, Keynote is a good choice if you’re working in slides without massive amounts of data and PowerPoint is preferable when working with charts and numbers.

Do you prefer Keynote or PowerPoint? Which tool are you most comfortable with? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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Best Ways To Boost E-Commerce Conversion Rates

There are many ways to get people to visit your e-commerce site. But getting them to go to your website is just half the battle because the real one is to convert visitors into paying customers. According to Moz.com, average conversion rate for a typical e-commerce site is 1.6% and 92% of people who visit a website don’t make a purchase.

Unlike traffic, there is no direct way or a fool proof formula to boost conversion. All websites have to create an experience so that your website sells. There are also many different factors that influence a customer’s decision to buy. Website owners and webmasters need to be intentional and strategic in setting up the buying process so that your website converts.

Here are some of the best ways to boost e-commerce conversion rates.

Recommend Products Based on Customer Behavior

If you were in a real store, the salesman would not suggest products that were irrelevant to your choices. The same is true when it comes to interactions between your website and the customer.

There are many tools you can use that recommend products to customers based on their behavior. A good example is Unbxd which uses AI to analyze actions of users on your site to suggest the best products in the footer and sidebar automatically.

A/B Test Whenever Possible

Every single detail in your e-commerce store matters because they will want to make your visitors stay or go. Luckily unlike brick and mortar stores, it is very easy to make little changes on your website to test different options like CTA, content, header and footer options, buttons, colors and other details.

Constantly doing A/B testing can help increase your revenue because you can consistently improve the little details that can help or hinder the conversion process.

Reviews and Peer Generated Content

Almost all people who buy online read reviews first before making a purchase. According to a study conducted by the Spiegel Research Center, 95% of people read reviews before purchasing a product.

This means that including reviews can help boost conversion rates by aiding customers in making a decision on your site rather than searching elsewhere.

Amazon does a good job of not only including customer reviews and peer generated content. They also allow users to post photos of their purchase.

Customer Support

In a brick and mortar store, staff would be available to guide customers through the decision making process. However, in an e-commerce site, a customer usually decides by himself. All they have is your interface to help them figure out their options. This means that their experience in your website drives sales for you.

But customers have questions during the buying process and this is where customer support comes in handy because any unanswered question can cost you a sale. Studies suggest that 92% of customers feel satisfied when a website has a live chat feature.

Speed Up Your Site

Your website should not take more than 3 seconds to load. According to Hubspot, fast loading pages can deliver between 7-12% higher conversion rates compared to slower ones.

Luckily, this can be fixed easily by installing tools such as W3 Total Cache that can help you minify HTML, CSS, etc.

Include Exit Offers

90% of the visitors that come to your website for the first time are not coming back. This can be disheartening because you worked hard and paid for the traffic and it’s not making you money.

A good way to entice this type of visitor is to include exit offers to communicate with them and to convert them in the future. Tools like OptinMonk uses AI to determine when a guest is leaving your site and offers products based on their behavior. You can offer them a discount and get their email to make the sale later.

Remove Checkout Friction

Amazon has mastered the frictionless checkout. The more hoops customers jump through during a checkout process, the more likely they will abandon their shopping cart.

Always strive for a one-click-checkout. There are checkout plugins so that customers are taken directly to the checkout process. This is better compared to clicking multiple times or having popups disrupt or confuse customers.

Multiple Payment Options And Free Shipping

Free shipping used to be a perk but customers nowadays are expecting it (thanks Amazon).

Many customers don’t like to see their total go up because of shipping fees. Instead of letting customers see the shipping fee, include the cost of shipping on the items. Also include multiple payment options like Paypal and credit cards so that customers can choose the most convenient choice.

Taking a few extra steps to make sure that your customer experience is well designed and covers all the bases of customer service can boost conversion rates. Once you get the formula down, your growth can be exponential.

What do you think of our suggestions? Do you think they will work on your e-commerce site? Tell us by leaving your comment below.

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Google’s Hour Of Code

Don’t have programming knowledge but want to learn? Try Google’s Hour Of Code and learn.

Students from all over the world can take part in Computer Science Education Week and the Hour of Code conducted by Google. There are a variety of coding challenges through super cool activities so that everybody can learn to code even though they have no prior knowledge.

The best part is that learners of all ages in more than 30 languages can participate. Teachers and parents can organize this learning activity for their kids to teach them the fundamentals of programming using different starter projects.

Activities in Hour Of Code are self-guided so that students can learn at their own pace. Students from all over the world have already spent over 100 million hours of code during the Computer Science Education Week.

There is also an unplugged version so that learners can still continue to learn the basics of coding without any device. Students who complete activities will receive certificates and badges.

Learning to code is important because jobs in the computer science field are rapidly increasing and there aren’t enough people with the required skills to fill up positions.

The main idea of Google’s Hour of Code is to give people the opportunity to learn coding skills no matter the age or career they are pursuing.

If you want to learn coding or want to help somebody learn, check out the curriculum now.

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Tracking iPhone Usage & Limiting Screen Time

Did you know that the average American smartphone user spends an average of 4 hours and 16 minutes glued to their screens? According to market research organization eMarketer, this statistic is alarming because mobile phones were supposed to help us connect with each other not isolate us from society.

If you think that your smartphone has been taking up most of your time, you’re in the right place because we can tell you how you can track your iPhone usage and limit your screen time. For iOS users there is actually an app usage tracker feature that can tell you the actual time spent on each app. This feature is at a place where you least expect it.

Check out the article below to find out your app usage statistics in iOS.

Here’s how to use the app tracker function on the iOS.

• Go to settings>battery option

• Go to battery usage by app section where you can find the percentage of battery consumed by every application installed on your device.

• Tap the application you want to see for usage. You will be able to see onscreen time for all your apps. In the example below you can see that the app Gaana has a screen activity of 3 minutes and a background usage of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

On-screen time means which apps were running in the foreground while the time indicated as background are apps running in the background while your phone was locked or while you were using other features or apps of your phone.

There are other apps that have more “background” usage time because they are continuously running in the background performing tasks.

How To Check App Usage And Limit Screen Time

4 hours and 16 minutes is a frightening number because it defeats the purpose of the smartphone. Luckily there is an easy way to monitor app usage and limit your screen time.

In June this year, Apple announced that the iOS 12 has new tools to help customers understand and take control of their smartphone usage. The Activity Reports, App Limits and new Do Not Disturb and Notifications controls are designed consumers reduce and manage screen time for themselves and their families. This is a follow up on the parental controls installed by Apple in 2008 and the added features make it easier for individuals and parents set limits on device usage.

Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb is a powerful time management tool that can help you stay in the moment. There is also a Do Not Disturb for bedtime mode for better and uninterrupted sleep.

Screen Time

Screen time provides management tools for iOS users to control how much time they spend on their device. It can create daily and weekly activity reports that shows the total time a person spends on an app. By understanding how you interact with your app you and using the App Limit feature. You can set a specific time you can spend on the app and a notification will display how much time is left.

This is a great app for people who want to monitor their smartphone usage as well as limit their screen time. It’s a great tool not only for parents but also for individuals who are looking for ways to cut down smartphone use.

Do you know how much time you spend on your smartphone? Do you think you will be using an app tracking feature soon? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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5G Smartphone In 2019?

Reports have surfaced that Samsung and Verizon are in the talks for a 5G smartphone that is set to be unveiled in the first half of next year. The two companies are planning to present a proof of concept at the annual Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit in Maui this week.

The device will feature Qualcomm’s unreleased processor together with Snapdragon X50 5G NR modem and Qualcomm antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end, and antenna elements.

Verizon stated in a press release that the phone is a result of years of collaboration to find a solution for commercial 5G service by using Samsung network equipment and personal devices.

Samsung on the other hand is also developing its own 5G modem Exynos 5100 which will probably be used for the international variants of the Samsung Galaxy S10 which will probably be running on Exynos processor.

5G connectivity will provide better bandwidth, improved connectivity and boost network reliability. Full implementation of 5G services by networks will offer more capacity and faster download speed compared to today’s 4G LTE network.

Leading smartphone manufacturers such as Nokia, Oppo and Lenovo are among the major brands that are starting work on their 5G smartphones.

Cellular networks in the United States are also racing to provide faster networks and are collaborating with cellphone manufacturers to create better handsets.

Verizon already provides 5G availability in 4 markets in the US and hopes to provide fully functional 5G mobile network in early 2019.

What do you think about 5G? Are you excited about this development? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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Factors To Consider When Choosing A VPN Provider

As more and more people use the internet, privacy and security are becoming major issues. VPN or virtual private network can come as a handy tool if you want to hide your internet footprints.

There are still many people who are unsure about VPN especially because there are so many myths surrounding it. The most common question regarding VPN pertains to its safety and the next is which service is the best?

Here are some factors you need to consider when choosing a VPN provider.

Protocol and Anonymity

 

People turn to VPN when they want to be anonymous on the web. There are many reasons for this and the most common is for privacy and protection. This is why the foremost on your mind when choosing a VPN provider is their protocol and encryption technique. This is to ensure that date is transmitted securely from your device to the VPN server.

VPN service providers usually use many different protocols. However always choose a VPN provider that uses OpenVPN protocol. For encryption, your best bet is a provider that uses AES-256 bit encryption.

No Data Logging

 

Choose a VPN provider that does not log your data. There are service providers that log and store data such as your websites visited, payment information, connecting time stamp and other details which defeats the purpose of using VPN in the first place.

Shortlist a number of VPN providers and then check their privacy policy thoroughly. Check how these companies store, collect and dispose data. The best VPN provider has a no data collection policy.

No To Free VPN Providers

 

Nothing in this world is free, including VPN service. You should be wary of companies that provide free VPN service. If services are free, this means that something is compromised. Always remember that it’s better to spend money than compromise your privacy.

If you’re looking at VPN services for home or personal use, make sure that it is within your budget. Usually price increases as the number of connections and features increase. There are also VPN companies that provide generous discounts if you avail of their services for a year rather than paying monthly. If you feel that a certain plan and its features are best suited for your requirements, it’s better to get a yearly subscription compared to a monthly one.

Getting a free trial is not bad though. There are many options to consider and you can check out their features during the free trial to find out which one is the best suited for your needs.

Number Of Servers

 

When it comes to servers, the more the better.

VPN bypasses the geographical restrictions imposed when accessing the internet. This is why there are people looking for VPN services so that they can view Netflix or other sites not available in their countries.

Check the locations where the VPN servers are located. If you want to connect to a specific location, make sure that they have a lot of servers available in that area.

At Least 2 Concurrent Connections

 

Choose a provider that allows for multiple concurrent connections. You might want to connect to a desktop and your smartphone at the same time.

There are many VPN providers that have this feature. It is best to use a provider that allows at least 2 concurrent connections at the same time. Check the number of connections you need before subscribing to avoid inconvenience.

Platform Compatibility

 

This is pretty straightforward. If you need a VPN for Mac, then it should be able to support this platform. The same is true for Windows and others. It is also best to make sure that it can also run on Android and iOS.

Always make an informed decision before subscribing to a VPN provider. It can be an intimidating task but doing research can help you make a better decision.

What features do you look for in a VPN provider? What is your experience with your VPN provider? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

 

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The Udemy Black Friday And Cyber Monday 2018 Sale

Did catch Udemy’s Black Friday sale? This was perhaps your best chance to grab courses for unbelievably low prices. The courses on Udemy are reportedly as low as $9.99.

You can choose from web development, app development, security and even programming languages like Java and Python.

There’s still time (approximately 20 hours as of this posting) to grab their awesome $9.99 deals so check out some of their offerings below.

The Web Developer Bootcamp

 

Learn about HTML, CSS, JS, Node, and more in 42.5 hours of lessons. Learn to make beautiful websites, web apps, blogs and even browser-based games.

This is one of Udemy’s best sellers and originally sells for $199. This means that they’re practically giving it away for free.

Check out the course content here.

 

Complete Python Bootcamp

 

Be a Python professional with this course. Start from the basics and then go all the way to the top and learn to create applications and games.

The Python Bootcamp is also on sale at $9.99.

The Complete Ethical Hacking Course

 

You can be a “hacker” but the ethical kind with this Udemy course. You will learn how to do ethical hacking, penetration testing, web testing, and wifi hacking using Kali Linux.

The skills you learn at this course will help you get skills to get a better job and make money online as a freelancer. Here are the course details.

The Complete Linux Course

 

This is basically a crash course on everything you need to become a professional Linux System Administrator.

Check out the course by clicking this link.

The Complete Cyber Security Course

 

Defeat all online threats such advanced hackers, trackers, malware and all Internet nastiness including mitigating government spying and mass surveillance.

Become a cybersecurity expert and learn how to stop hackers.

Cryptocurrency Investment Course

 

Fund your retirement with the Cryptocurrency Investment Course. Learn to buy and sell Bitcoins and Altcoins on the cryptocurrency exchange.

The course also lets you become a member of the top Cryptocurrency Exchanges so that you can buy and sell each day.

iOS 11 & Swift 4

 

This is the complete iOS development bootcamp. Learn iOS 11 App Development from beginning to end using Xcode 9 and Swift 4. The course also includes Full ARKit and CoreML Modules.

Build any app you want or work as a freelance iOS developer.

Unreal Engine C++ Developer

 

Learn C++ and make video games. Learn game design principles, how to use the Unreal Engine 4 Editor, sound effects and audio to add depth to your games, advanced vehicle physics and many more.

Other courses on sale include the Complete Android P + Java Developer Course and Data Science, Deep learning. Remember these courses are currently on sale at $9.99 so better hurry and get them now.

Which courses are you eyeing? Do you like learning online? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

 

 

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Best Android Apps For Web Developers

Web developers like most of us live a fast-paced life. They use their cellphones a lot and not just for communication. Web developers are used to utilizing their cellphones for work instead of relying on their desktops and laptops. Smartphones and tablets also help extend working hours especially during commuting or traveling.

Using smartphones and tablet apps is also great when you don’t want to use a machine. This is why knowing which apps to download for coding, analytics and other web developing jobs is important. Check out some of the best android apps web developers use.

Adobe XD Mobile

Adobe XD mobile is available for Android and iOS too. It is a wireframing and prototyping tool that is a key part of the Creative Cloud. You can use the desktop version for design and prototyping and then see the changes across multiple devices connected through USB.  MacOS and Windows 10 users can also load Adobe XD documents from creative Cloud Files. Just place XD documents in your CC file folders on your desktop and then load them on Adobe XD using your mobile or tablet.

Analytix for Google Analytics

Web developers are always striving for traffic and analytics. Many of them rely on Google Analytics integrations within their websites and applications.

Luckily, mobile internet is now available to access GA accounts. Analytix was specifically built to answer GA’s purpose for mobile users. It provides almost all details of your GA account on the website you’re monitoring in a real-time manner.

Hackers Keyboard

Keyboards on Android devices are not coder-friendly. Many keyboard apps in market places also hardly meet coder needs. Fortunately Hacker’s keyboard is available for Android devices. It features full five rows and giving desktop-like experiences for anyone who uses it. Best of all it supports multiple layouts and there are also language options.

920 Text Editor

920 Text Editor is a wise choice if you want to view and edit your source code quickly. It has multiple file tabs and supports web syntaxes. 920 also features color coding configuration and automatically detects open file encoding with encoding support.

WordPress for Android

This app enables android devices of web developers to accomplish all WordPress-related backend tasks and gives access to all WordPress features and functionalities. This is a great tool because as we all know, half of all websites in the world is powered by WordPress so accessing dashboard as well as backend through this app on Android devices is real-mobility for many web developers.

Joooid 1.1 Joomla! Editor

Just like WordPress, Joomla is also a famous CMS and web developers also have to deal with backend to manage tasks. Therefore, Joooid is one of the best choices for Android mobile devices to manage affairs of your Joomla powered websites.

Note: There is also a Drupal Editor for Drupal users.

These apps are just some of the most useful tools for web developers who love working on their smartphones. Using these tools can greatly improve your mobile experience and enable you to accomplish tasks when you’re on the go.

Do you have a suggestion? Which of these apps do you frequently use? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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Reasons Why Small Businesses Have The Social Media Advantage

Small business owners are constantly looking for ways to get their company brand on the radar of potential customers. Social media is not only a great way to engage customers; it’s also a great way to find new ones.

Small businesses have a big advantage on social media compared to big companies. How? It all boils down to engagement. If a business does not engage with its customers, it will fail social media marketing.

Social media marketing is easy for small businesses as long as you actively post on your pages. Popular social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Here are some reasons why small businesses have the edge on social media over big companies.

Community And Individual Focused

There is a big difference between small and big businesses. The number of employees for instance, as well as revenue is very different between the two. But these are not the only differences. Small businesses tend to be more community and individual focused. They are more involved with their communities which lead to a connection with their customers.

Small businesses can also join the local chamber of businesses in their communities to connect and sometimes partner with other businesses in their marketing efforts.

Small businesses are also more likely to respond to their customers online. They use social media not only to connect and interact but also to launch and sell new products. Therefore, small business can handle influx of customers better and more easily foster connections with their customers on social media.

Less Expensive Advertising

It’s true that big companies have bigger wallets when it comes to advertising. However, social media is free. Paid advertising on these platforms can also be utilized but for the most part, small business owners can enjoy advertising on social media for free.

Instead of coughing up hundreds of dollars to reach the whole nation for advertising on Facebook, small businesses can choose to focus on their locality. Many small business owners know their customers personally making it more natural for their customers to share on social media. Current customers can post about your product or service bringing your brand on the radar of new customers within their networks.

Joint Advertising Efforts

Many small business owners also find it easier to collaborate with other businesses or even their competitors for their marketing strategies.

For instance you can post on Twitter that they can get a 20% discount coupon from another business if they buy from you and vice versa. Another alternative is to team up with another local business for a social media giveaway or contest.

Teaming up with other businesses can help boost brand awareness and broaden your exposure.

Personalized Attention

Small businesses are also better at personal attention. For many clients, patronizing small business is all about having a good buying experience. According to a survey, 53% of shoppers who patronized small businesses reported that they like the personal service they receive.

In a small business, owners as well as their employees can take time with their customers. They have more time to connect and answer questions.

A big corporation that sells across the nation does not have time to connect with their customers individually. But small businesses can take time to respond or give genuine responses to their customers. This direct connection gives small businesses an edge over large companies.

Social media is an amazing platform for small businesses to connect with their prospects and customers. There are even small businesses that have built their advertising around social media platforms. If done correctly, it can make your sales skyrocket.

Which social media platform do you patronize? Do you find it as an effective marketing tool? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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Link Building Strategies For Bloggers

Link building is still important for SEO and is still important for ranking organically. This means that if you want to rank high, you need more backlinks. Even if you use the best keyword, it would still be hard to rank high if you have no links.

Search engines like Google use backlinks and other measures to figure out the relevance of your website. If links are found in sites with poor quality content, search engines will think that it is not relevant.  However, if links are found in high quality sites, Google will think that your website is credible and reward you with a high ranking.

When it comes to search engines and backlinks, quality is more important than quantity. Here are some link building strategies that bloggers need to note.

Guest Posting

Links become live and backlinked (when followed) through guest posting. More importantly it is critical that your link gets published on the right website.

Guest posting can help you do this. Start by creating valuable content that attracts links. Next, promote content to the right audience so that it can be seen by people in the same industry or niche as you. The objective here is to get trustworthy sites to publish your links and create backlinks to the desired link. The only way they will do this is if they view your content as valuable.

Showcase Experts & Influencers

Experts and influencers like to give interviews. This can be a win-win situation because your readers will be more interested in hearing what they have to say. Additionally you can easily connect with them on social media so one of your strategies should be showcasing experts and influencers.

This works because they will want to share the link of the interview on their blog, website or social media. If they are experts, they will have high quality site. Luckily you don’t need to meet them in person for an interview; you can easily chat with them through video calls.

Be Relevant

People are more likely to read trendy subjects. Writing about relevant topics is a good way to bait for links.

Keep up with what’s hot in the news and make sure to read every day to find out what’s exciting and new in your niche. You also need to figure out what your target audience likes to read.

Be sure to include infographics as they are easier to understand and share. Also people are stimulated and excited by visuals.

Have A Strong Opinion

Readers want a strong opinion. Don’t be afraid to let them know what you think and how you feel. It is also alright to rant from time to time. However, if you do decide to publish this type of content make sure to support your views and opinions with fact.

A little controversy is usually a good thing especially if you want to hold and engage your readers’ attention. Just don’t overdo it with drama and always avoid being hurtful.

Research & Analysis

As we all know, credibility is very important in the internet. Always use statistics and data to support your articles. Factual information is very important to readers because they want valuable information. Not all posts need to read like a user-guide but it’s best to stick to the truth and be comprehensive.

You can create this type of article several times a year. They usually take more effort but they also result in high-quality backlinks.

Strong Keywords

Aside from content, keyword optimization also plays a key role in search engine optimization. Don’t hide the keywords when creating your website and building pages. Be keyword friendly when it comes to URL page names and descriptions.

Link building strategies for bloggers should be more than just about getting a bunch of random links. As a blogger it is important to create relevant content that is linkable and considered as valuable by your readers.

What do you think about our strategies? Do you want to share strategies you’ve tried on your blog? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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Best Ways To Increase Ecommerce Traffic

Increasing your traffic is the best way to grow your ecommerce store. The more people who visit your store, the more likely some of them will buy your products.

Here are some of the best ways to increase traffic and revenue.

Content Marketing

Posting information, news and entertainment will establish your credibility. It will also make people visit your store without pressuring them to purchase anything. Content can be new and original however, there is also value in refurbishing old content and sharing external sources as well as highlighting user-generated content (UGC).

SEO

As you generate relevant content, think about how your target market is going to find that content. This is where SEO comes to play. Tactics for ecommerce SEO seeks to make your store rank high so that you can be easily found by people who are searching for products. SEO tactics is not just about finding the right keywords. It is also about:

• Improving formatting on mobile website.
• Finding right balance between long-tailed keywords and keyword stuffing
• Fast loading times.
• Incorporating customer review system that supports UGC.
• URLs and canonical tags should be clean and simple.
• Have detailed meta titles and descriptions.
• Include external links to relevant industry experts.

Monitor SEO rankings using tools like MOZ Site Explorer.

Email Marketing

Nobody likes to receive marketing emails. However, a targeted and personalized approach to email marketing can be a powerful tool that can help boost web traffic. You can do this by creating a personalized experience with your brand through contact management and segmentation so that customers receive the emails they will love.

Landing Pages

Did you know that home pages are less likely to convert compared to highly specific landing pages?

This is because landing pages can help to individualize your tailored ad experience and improve your ability to evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns.

When it comes to landing pages, your CTAs are crucial. Value proposition and product information should always be clear. Providing incentives can help bring more bang to your buck.

PPC Campaigns

Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns can drive traffic to your ecommerce shop from a variety of sources. Purchasing keywords from Google is a good way to increase traffic. To evaluate the effectiveness of this type of program, pay attention to clicks, costs, and revenues of your campaign through Google Analytics.

Affiliate Marketing

Getting the help of affiliates can increase site traffic by leveraging the audiences of relevant companies. Affiliate marketing is a tactic that requires you to pay a commission generated on sales in exchange for marketing. This is a hands-free and low risk type of marketing for ecommerce site owners because cost is borne by the affiliate.

Being proactive in where and how to get traffic can help you get ahead of competitors. Every aspect of your inbound marketing should be intentional and strategically formulated towards increasing website traffic and generating revenue. Don’t rest on your laurels should you find success. Always tweak and improve your strategy to ensure continued growth.

What do you think of our strategies? Do you have any tips you want to share? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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Resources For Web Designers & Developers

New tools for web designers and developers are always on the rise. For example, Apple has open-sourced a new data system and Google has released a new tool to measure the speed of your website on mobile.

With new tools always available, let’s take a look at some of the most feature-rich resources.

VuePress

VuePress is a static site generator for Vue.js in mind. It has the ability to generate and pre-render static HTML for each page and run as an SPA (single-page application).

Other cool features include Google Analytics ID, search, next, prev navigation, sidebar, and PWA. Enjoy the dev experience with Vue + webpack that allows you to develop custom themes. It is easy to use and helps you focus on writing.

IMG-2

IMG-2 is a JavaScript library that introduces a custom element, img-2. This element adds new optimization that does not come with the standard img element, improving how the image is loaded for users.

IMG-2 will automatically:

• Render initial images which are visible to the user.
• Pre-cache all other images off the main thread.
• Lazy load images as they enter the user’s viewport instantly from the cache.
• Display a blurred preview image while the user waits for initial images

UnifiedArchive

UnifiedArchive is a PHP library that deals with compressed files. It supports a wide range of formats such as RAR, Zip, Gzip, Tar and other compression types. With this library you can archive and extract files or directories.

It also has a handful of APIs to manipulate files after it has been extracted from the archive. UnifiedArchive is available as a Composer package.

Github Learning Lab

Github has announced their free course covering Git. These 5 courses can let you learn a few handy things such as how to use Github to host your codes, to get a free site for your blog or project and manage merge conflicts. You get all these skills without leaving Github and you learn through a series of fun practical projects while sharing helpful feedback along the way.

Popmotion

Use Popmotion for buttery smooth animation on the web. It provides an API called Physics that allows you to create near human-like animation effects. Animate any medium including CSS, SVG, Three.js and even React.js.

Have you tried any of these resources? Would you like to share your feedback? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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Top UX/UI Tools

It takes more than just imagery and good structure to make a great website. Although the quality of design is important attention should also be paid to a site’s UX and UI.

This is where UX design tools come into play and the demand for UX designers are on the rise. A good understanding of UX designs, practices and principles is needed. You also need good UX and UI tools to help make the job easier.

Use these top UX design career off to a super start.

Mason

UX and UI designers use mock-ups and prototypes in their work. This is because they are effective. However, this practice also contributes to higher overhead costs and delays that can confuse teams.

Mason is a good solution. It’s a tool that allows you to design digital and software features at component level without the need for wireframes, prototypes and mock-ups. The finished product will always mirror the design pixel to pixel with accuracy.

Coding is not needed for Mason and is very straightforward and easy to implement.

Overflow

One of the best ways designers present their project is through storytelling. This is a good way to connect the dots and to describe the user-journey. Designers can present in a way that allows the audience to empathize and focus on the important matters and give then feedback. This is what Overflow can do.

It is basically a flow diagramming tool tailored for designers. Overflow is an impactful tool for designers to effectively present their work while engaging the audience and encouraging feedback.

UXPin

Rapid prototyping teams need quick feedback loops if their approach to UX and UI are to be effective. UXPin enables teams to design, share, test prototypes before they are delivered as development-ready designs.

Data needed by developers is automatically generated. It also features an inspect tool that can be used to verify the design before it is handed to the developers. This is to ensure that the deployed product will always match the design elements. UXPin also has a Design Systems solution to help you keep consistency across the whole products UI elements.

Creately

UI/UX is not just about wireframes and mockups. You also need to support many diagram types including flow charts, mind maps, UML diagrams and wireframes. Creately has diagramming features and collaboration features that makes designing easier.

Create diagrams easily using Creately’s diagramming tools. Choose from 1000s of professionally-designed diagram templates to quickly complete UX design projects.

Fluid UI

If you want a prototyping, wireframing, and mockup tool in 1 FluidUI is a good choice. It also has collaboration features that project managers and distributed design teams will find useful. FluidUI has comprehensive component libraries that contain design elements for desktop, iOS and Android applications.

Users can communicate via live chat and interactive video presentations in addition to sharing annotations and notes.

Have you used any of these tools? Which one are you most comfortable with? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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Common Mistakes In Automated PPC Bidding

Automated PPC bidding can be very convenient for internet marketers. There are some people who find success in this type of SEO and marketing approach while others feel underwhelmed. If you find yourself in the latter group, you might be committing some mistakes in your strategy.

Here are possible mistakes you’re probably guilty of doing.

Wrong Bidding Strategy

This is a very issue to avoid but it is unfortunately a very common mistake. The strategy that you choose will determine the KPI that Google needs to hit. If you find yourself being outbid it is possible that your account is not fit for automated bidding.

Make sure you understand all automated bidding strategies by the number before automating your PPC bidding.

Too High Budget

Automated PPC bidding with very high budgets can lose out in automated bidding. Google (and all the other platforms) will always seek out to spend as much of your money. This is bad news if you’re looking for a respectable rate of return.

Also too high of a budget can lead to an inflated CPC which means a decrease in efficiency. Don’t worry about not spending too much because you can always adjust and scale back as your campaigns progress.

Too Low Budget

Having a low budget is also an issue when it comes to automated PPC bidding. First of all, this will lengthen the learning period. Low budgets also lead to inconsistent performance.

When CPA is not hitting the target, low budget is sometimes the reason why campaigns fail to provide efficient conversion.

NO CPC Caps

Google encourages the removal of CPC caps in automated bidding. While CPC is unnecessary if you have a budget and if goals are set properly, it can be a mistake to let robots get free reign. To set CPC caps, go to Tools>Portfolio Bid Strategy.

No Conversion Data

Successful automated bidding relies on consistent and significant data. If your account targets are low volume there is a big chance that you will get poor results.

AdWords suggests at least 15 conversions per month for your campaign. However, it is better to have a higher number since anything below a month-long threshold will lead to improper optimization.

No Patience

Automated PPC bidding is likely to fail because people don’t stick to a strategy long enough to find out what’s working and what’s not. When you flip to a new strategy the algorithm will need time to learn the nuances of your market.

This is why a slow roll-out is needed. Remember that you have goals to hit while your new bidding strategy needs to learn the market. Shifts in budget and bid KPIs will reset the process.

There will always be people who will prefer the tried and tested manual method. However, automated bidding is here to stay. The best advice for automated bidding is to go slowly and to be patient so that you have data you can use to analyze and formulate a better automated bidding strategy.

Do you prefer manual bidding to automated bidding? What is your experience with automated bidding? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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Check Out These 3 Prototyping Tools

Prototyping plays a big role in website and app development. They are often used by project managers, team leaders and clients. Prototyping provides important design information and help them gain a better understanding of what’s happening. Therefore it is important to invest in the best prototyping tool.

Check out some our suggestions below.

JustInMind

A good prototyping tool should allow users to validate designs early in the design phase. This is because feedback early in the development stage is more beneficial. JustInMind is a great tool if you’re looking for this type of value.

It is an all-in-one tool that gives you everything you need to show clients, project managers and teams. It tells them exactly how a design is progressing and any problems that need to be fixed or improved.

The best thing is that coding knowledge is not necessary when using JustInMind. It has over 4,000 premade UI templates including gestures, transitions and interactions. It’s like an extended software solution that you use for testing and development.

Supernova

Some of the best prototyping tools have features that allow you to speed up building as well as automating some or all of the routine tasks that are common in mobile app or web development. Tasks like export coding, file naming and exporting resources are typically associated with mobile app web development.

Supernova is a good tool for developers who are looking for these features. It can take you from design to high quality production quality code in minutes. Supernova converts Sketch into code for Android, iOS and Reactive platforms.

Savah App

Savah App is one of the best prototyping tools in the market thanks to features like integration with DropBox, Sketch and Google Drive. It is also an excellent collaboration and design driven tool that makes it easier to present designs and get approval.

Designing software usually requires a series of prototypes to gather useful feedback that can help speed up the work. Aside from collaboration and communication, Savah App allows you to make side-by-side comparisons of the different versions.

These 3 prototyping tools have unique features that can help speed up the design process. For developers it’s just a matter of picking the right tool for your project.

What do you think of these tools? Have you tried any of them? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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Typography: Best Practices For A Modern-Looking Website

If painters have their brushes and sculptors have their clay, web designers probably have their fonts. Web designers are known to pay close attention to details like custom graphics, icons, menu and clean interfaces. After careful consideration, it would be a sin to disregard something basic as typography.

The good news is that you don’t need to be a master designer to come up with amazing typography for your website. Considering and following these best practices can make your website look modern and amazing.

Simplicity

 

One of the keys to good typography is simplicity. You don’t want overdo it and fill your site with calligraphy because you want it to be readable.

Yes, they look beautiful but standard font can engage readers’ minds better since most of them are familiar with simple looking fonts.

Aside from boosting readability, it also adds to your site’s visual appeal. Simple fonts add structure and professionalism.

Match & Pair Fonts

 

Simple fonts are a good choice for web designers because they are easy to use and do not have a complicated layout.

However, you do need to match other calligraphy fonts and match them in pairs to give them a good mix. Some fonts go well with others so you have to carefully pick them so that they look great together.

There are websites that offer free fonts but you need to confirm that they are indeed free to use; otherwise this would be considered as stealing. You don’t want to use stolen typeface for your site.

Avoid Long Lines

 

Calligraphic typography looks amazing but they can also be harder to read. Always remember that you want your website to be readable so avoid lengthy lines of texts. The number of characters determines how easily readers can grasp the message.

Short sentences are always easier to read than longer ones. A common typography rule is to restrict the number of characters to around 50-60 per line.

 

Use Vertical & White Spaces Correctly

 

The correct usage of white spaces can help boost legibility and visibility. Failure to follow the correct line height can make your website look cluttered and will fail to draw the reader’s interest.

Consider applying the correct line height in between lines of text for better typography,

Use Color Contrast

 

Color plays a big role in typography. Always make sure that text and background colors contrast to improve visibility and readability.

The Message

 

The message you wish to relay should go with the font you’re using. How a message is received is interpreted by penmanship or typography by the readers. You can think of the font as the tone of voice when speaking.

You should also consider the occasion. For example, if you want to convey happy thoughts avoid using “scary” looking fonts. The same is true if you want to tell something serious.

All Caps Are A No-No

 

If typography were a speaking voice, an all-caps message is the equivalent of screaming. You don’t want to scream at your readers or seem imposing so avoid all-caps at all times.

Target Audience

 

Font and typography should also match the target audience. When choosing typography, always ask yourself who you’re designing for, their age group and their likes and dislikes.

Understanding the end user and taking their needs and consideration into your design can help you chose the right font which will make conveying your message easier.

How do you choose typography for your website? Do you have more tips and advice? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

 

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Benefits of Social Media For Businesses

According to research, there are over 3 billion people on social media around the world. In case you’re wondering how this can benefit your business, you’re on the right page because Sherpa Marketing found out that more people follow brands on social media than celebrities. In Instagram for example, 80% of people follow at least 1 brand.

If you have a business but not on social media and you’re missing out on a lot of things. Let’s take a look at some ways social media can help you connect, engage and grow your business.

Boost Brand Awareness

If you think people only connect with brands they know on social media, you’re wrong. According to research 60% of people discover new brands because of social media.

Social media has become a natural place to reach customers because nearly half the world uses it.

Humanize Your Brand

Research conducted by Trinity Mirror Solutions from the UK discovered that more than half of adults don’t trust a brand unless they see it “in real life”.

Connecting on social media shows potential customers that there is a human side to your product or business especially when they see real world proof. The ability of social media to create real human connections is perhaps one of the best reasons to be on this platform.

Increase Website Traffic

Social media posts and ads are a good way to boost your website traffic. Sharing good content from your blog or website on social media is a great way to get new readers for your blog.

Participate on local chats such as #HootChat on Twitter weekly is  a good way to increase visibility, get attention, showcase your skills or products and drive traffic to your site.

Generate Leads

Lead generation is a very important aspect of business and social media is an easy and low-commitment way potential clients can express interest in your business and products.

For instance, companies can use leads from Facebook that allowed people who expressed to learn more about a product with just a couple of taps.

Partner With Influencers

Did you know that word of mouth drives 20 to 50% of purchasing decisions? Getting people to talk about your product on social media creates brand awareness and credibility.

One way to drive word of mouth sales is to partner with influencers. They are people who have a large following on social media and can help generate attention for your brand.

Going Viral

As people comment, like and share your post; your content is being exposed to new audiences and their followers. Going viral is going another step further. As people share your content, their network follows suit and your content is rapidly spread over the internet getting thousands even millions of shares.

Going viral can be beneficial for your business because it generates attention with every comment, like and share. If I see my friend like or re-tweet an article you wrote I might be inclined to read it myself and then share it with people in my network.

Customer Engagement

Customer engagement is perhaps the best reason why you should be on social media. It gives you an opportunity to interact directly with fans, users and customers. Unlike other media which offers one-way communication, social media is a two-way street.

However, if you want customers to stay engaged or to engage with you, you need to get involved too. Staying active, responding to comments and questions to your own social media post is a great way to build brand awareness and credibility.

According to research, 82% of business owners are on social media, using sites like Facebook and Twitter to grow their business. If you’re still out of the loop; better get in the bandwagon fast to avoid missing out.

Which social media platform are you using? How do you think it helped your brand? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

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