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Create an Online Magazine With WordPress

Many of us have dreamed of writing for a magazine or even being a magazine editor. However, now with WordPress you can be the writer, editor and owner of your very own magazine. With a few steps you can have the magazine designed, laid out and have writers who are writing articles for your own online publication. Below I’m going to go through the steps of starting your own Magazine with WordPress. The first thing you’ll have to do is find the right them.  Read More →

Plug into Smartphones and Use Google Analytics to Track Your Traffic

The growing popularity of smartphones, and of mobile computing in general, is already starting to change the way visitors interact with your site. It’s not too soon to start laying out the blueprint for a version of your site designed expressly for pocket-sized screens. Times may be tough, but the smartphone market isn’t hurting because of it. According to market researcher, NPD Group, 23 percent of cellphones sold in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2008 were smartphones. That’s... 

Use Infographics to Help Readers Visualize Data

I‘m a fan of GOOD, a site that is “a collaboration of individuals, businesses and nonprofits…who have been making a magazine, videos and events for people who give a damn.” One of the things I like about the site is its use of infographics to explain complex ideas. If you’ve ever looked at an issue of USA Today, you’ll know what infographics are about. Back in December, GOOD decided to sponsor a contest for the best global finance infographic as determined by an... 

WordPress Plugins Everyone Should Try at Least Once

Is there anyone who has tried WordPress and not liked it? I’m fond of WordPress because it’s relatively easy to use and highly customizable with themes and plugins. There are something like 4,200  plugins in the wild! I figured I’d give you a list of plugins I like to use. First things first, make sure you’re running WP 2.7 (the latest version). TinyMCE Advanced–This plugin enhances WP’s editor in several ways: switch to full screen mode, insert media, search... 

If You Use WordPress, Put a Premium on Your Themes

When I launched my first blog about 3 years ago, I used a free WordPress theme called “Cutline,” designed by Chris Pearson. At the time, it was among the most-downloaded free themes on WordPress.org. It’s a terrific-looking theme and it was designed with the reader in mind. Cutline uses plenty of white space, which makes pages more accessible; it’s easily customizable; the typography is just right for reading online; and it puts usability and clarity ahead of frou-frous. Free,... 

Eye-Tracking Measures the Sight Unseen

I read on Google’s Offical Blog about an eye-tracking study the company recently conducted and that got me thinking about eye-tracking in general and about how to use that information to create more effective Web pages and enhanced usability. First, let me tell you a bit about eye-tracking, how it’s performed, and how it’s used to analyze a Web page’s usability. I’ll get back to why Google’s results are so interesting after that. When I first read about eye-tracking... 

Why You Should Focus on Widgets, Gadgets and Social Nets in Tough Times

In these tough economic times, the smartest companies are using everything–including sticks and rocks–to get the attention of prospects and customers. The most potent weapons in their marketing arsenals include Web 2.0 tools and services, social networking, mobile apps, desktop widgets and gadgets, based on a recent Forrester Research study. Their main objectives are to improve customer service (73 percent) and acquire new customers (71 percent). Help your boss or client tighten their... 

Web Monitors Uncover Top 100 Blogs and Platforms

Pingdom, a service that monitors Web sites and servers on the Internet, looked at the top 100 blogs on Technorati to find out which blogging platform is used most often. Pingdom distinguishes between blogs that are self-hosted and blogging-service hosted. The top two self-hosted platforms are Wordpress (27 percent) and Moveable Type (12 percent). The top two platforms that sit on a service are Typepad (16 percent) and Blogsmith (14 percent). When hosted and self-hosted are combined, the top two blogging... 

Roundup: Even More Sites Where You can Find Images Free and Clear

I wrote about using Flickr a while ago as a good source of images that you can use free and with few or no copyright limitations. Lately, I’ve been organizing my database of  places to find free and unrestricted images. Keep in mind that “free” often requires your giving the source credit and a link back to the image provider’s site. No, this list does not include every site in the universe. If you have some favorites, please add them as a comment and I’ll add them... 

Use Flickr to Find Images Free and Easy

Photo by Sidelong Dozens of Web sites offer royalty- and copyright-free photographs and other images. I can’t imagine having to buy stock photos and art these days, although I have many times before. I use stock.xchng and Big Stock Photo often. The photos are generic, one-size-fits-all but they get the job done with no money up or down. Lately, I’ve been using photos posted on Flickr Creative Commons. There’s an astounding variety of photos to choose from–many of them are... 

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