Posts

Posted on

WordPress Themes Rely on Plugins What to Do When They Break

Don't Let Cash Run Out, Get Proactive
Is Your WordPress Website Costing You?

I like WordPress for blogs, but not for websites. Here’s one example of why I am not recommending WordPress for business websites.

Client A did a new website two years ago and moved to WordPress from PHP. They thought that they would be updating their content and so wanted an application that allowed staff to go in and make updates at will.

What happened in reality is that they never added their own content, they paid me to do updates. They had to buy a WordFence premium license to protect their WordPress website from hacking and then  pay a webmaster to monitor files and plugins for updates as well as do monthly maintenance.

Now, one of the plugins that is integral to the look and feel of their theme, has been abandoned at WordPress.com. Deactivating the plugin makes the inside pages look bad. There does not seem to be an easy fix replacement for the plugin. It maybe that the best solution is to replace the WordPress theme in the next year due to the loss of this important plugin.

Client B has a PHP-based responsive website that is not WordPress. They have used their website since 2015. It still rates over 90/100 on the Google Page Speed tool in mobile and desktop. This client simply wants a new look and so is looking for a similar PHP responsive site design.

I personally feel that WordPress has a place, but is not my preferred application for website design. Too many clients want to keep their new website three to five years or longer. If you have a WordPress website and a plugin is abandoned what would you do if one is not readily available as an alternative? You’d have to simply start over and buy new.

Posted on

E-Newsletters Still Have Value as Part of Your Marketing Plan

Google is mobile focused to the max
Make Sure Your e-Newsletter is in a Mobile-Friendly Format

E-newsletters have not gone out of fashion with savvy business owners, they are still a great way to keep your name in front of clients.

I cannot begin to tell you how many phone calls I get after sending out our newsletter where we feature an important website issue. Case in point is after one of our recent newsletters on the European GDPR, we had many past clients who were not regular customers ask us to implement the updates on their website.

Customers past and present do read your newsletter – but, only if the content provides value. By explaining an idea, analyzing a new strategy or highlighting a new technology in your newsletter you help clients to stay informed in a low pressure manner. Unless you are selling products online, I do not recommend making the newsletter content all about your services.

Becoming the “go-to” person for your clients builds repeat business and garners you referrals. If you have not subscribed to our own monthly e-newsletter, I invite you to subscribe right now.

Posted on

A Quick Refresher on the GDPR Privacy Controls for EU Visitors

How to Work with Remote Teams
Embrace Privacy with the EU Regulations

Since I last wrote about the privacy updates that are mandated by the EU to cover website traffic on American websites by EU nationals, much has happened.

First, clients who thought that they did not want to update their privacy policy or implement cookie approval for website statistic tracking have changed their minds.

Our team has been very busy updating websites to beef up the transparency of the privacy policy, reveal clearly what is being tracked on websites, offering ways to opt out of tracking, and installing cookie approval scripts on websites.

Several clients have shared their thoughts with us on why the sudden change. Some are listed below.

“I do feel lucky about not getting caught, but also want to be safe.”

“I’ve just had a lawyer call me and I feel like I need immediate action on the privacy updates as I don’t want to end up in court on a new matter.”

“I think it is stupid to do, but I am getting inundated with privacy policy updates from everyone that I do business with, that maybe I do need to do something to my website.”

As for me, my perspective is that it is not expensive or hard to do the implementation to be in compliance with the GDPR. I am risk adverse and feel that eventually the US will institute some controls so we will be ahead of the game by changing our own websites now.

Posted on

Are You Following Simple Cell Phone Etiquette?

Simple Tips to Prevent Stares in the Waiting Room
Simple Tips to Prevent Stares in the Waiting Room

I have just spent a week at Temple University Hospital sitting in numerous waiting rooms for numerous hours with many people for a family member. It is clear to me that many people don’t seem to know simple cell phone etiquette rules. And unfortunately it seems that the main etiquette offenders are senior citizens.

Here’s my simple and easy list to follow to help you be cell phone-friendly to others around you.

Playing a game? if you’re in a group setting in a waiting room please turn off the sound so people in the waiting room around you do not have to listen to bells and whistles as you make a score for hours on end.

Want to give your family members an update? Please don’t Facetime and have the volume up so that everyone in the waiting room can hear your personal conversation. Instead, step out in the hallway or into a private space so that everyone around you is not hearing the medical conditions that your family member is being treated for.

If your phone rings, please answer it, or click the mute button. Don’t just let it ring and ring and ring while everyone in the waiting room is looking around to see who’s phone will not stop ringing. Just quickly refuse the call.

Before you even sit in the waiting room for hours, consider turning the volume down on your ringer and on all your notifications so that your phone is not making a constant stream of noise of bells and dings or twinkles or boncs when you’re receiving a billion text messages, emails or notifications.

Consider these simple etiquette rules to help others around you be able to tolerate the time that they too have to spend in a hospital  waiting room.