Reginald Chan

Category: Web Development

  • Why You Must Clean Up Your WordPress Database from Time to Time

    Why You Must Clean Up Your WordPress Database from Time to Time

    This blog post is contributed by a guest blogger, Sujain Thomas. Sujain Thomas is a website developer and she also has years of experience in data management. She has written extensively on how database management is necessary for improving a website’s performance.

    Are you worried about the loading time of your website? Have you been hearing complaints that it takes too long for the site to load, and some of the pictures do not load even after waiting for several minutes? Then, surely there is a need for you to look into the performance of your website. The chances are that the bounce rate on your site is quite high since people do not like waiting around for too long. In fact, according to studies, people abandon a website in favor of another if it takes more than a few seconds to load.

     

    Why is it essential to monitor the load time of your website?

    website loading speed

    Yes, just a few more seconds can have a significant impact on the search engine optimization and popularity of your website. It would not be wrong to say that for each second more your site takes to load, the abandon rate on your page rises. Kissmetrics states about 47% of consumers expect a website to load within two seconds or less. Moreover, 40% of consumers abandon a web page that requires over three seconds to load. Today’s websites are responsive and attempt to create a seamless experience for visitors across devices. Did you know that 73% of mobile internet users have said that they have encountered a web page that was too slow in loading? Are you sure, yours is not one of them?

    You must be wondering if there is an easy way to shave a few seconds off the load time of your website. In case you are using WordPress for your site, and it has been running for only a few months, you are probably in luck. Cleaning up your website’s database might be the only thing you need to do to boost the load time of your site.

     

    Why does your WordPress database require cleaning?

    cleaning wordpress website

    You are probably aware of the fact that WordPress uses PHP and MySQL PHP is a programming language is used for fetching and displaying the information that is stored in a MySQL database. As you are always making changes to your website, updating and editing data and design, there are probably a lot of elements in the back-end that you required at one point of time but do not anymore. These unnecessary items can slow your website, adversely affecting the load time. Clean up of every aspect starting from posts, comments, meta titles and descriptions, options, terms may be required to optimize your database.

     

    Why must you backup your database?

    Backup WordPress Website

    Since your database has all the information that is required to run your website, experts from RemoteDBA.com suggest backing up your database before the cleanup. In case, you mistakenly delete something that you were not supposed to, you can end up the appearance and performance of your website. Thankfully, with the right plugin, taking your website’s backup is not a very difficult task. You must read up on WordPress plugins a bit to find out which ones suit your requirement the most.

    Now that you know how the maintenance of your database is vital for the correct functioning of your website, you must chalk out a plan for database clean up from time to time. Assess the performance your website and figure out when is the time that you will be okay with the minimum bit of downtime. Since you are using WordPress, you can be sure that the downtime will be minimum.

  • Which Are The Best Premium WordPress Themes For 2018?

    Which Are The Best Premium WordPress Themes For 2018?

    The new year has just started and it is high time to publish another round up post about the best premium WordPress themes for 2018. Last year itself, we have seen huge growth in terms of premium WordPress themes and I’m sure more are coming soon.

    Let’s get right into discovering the best premium WordPress themes money can buy today, alright?

    How To Choose The Best Premium WordPress Themes?

    Choosing the best premium WordPress theme is not an easy task. On the outer layer, the process of choosing the best WordPress theme seems to be an easy task; but make no mistake as it can be a very complicated matter.

    Here are the criteria that I use to determine the best premium WordPress themes:

    • checkFeatures
    • checkDesign / Layout
    • checkSecurity
    • checkSupport
    • checkPricing

    Are you ready to dive into the top and premium WordPress themes?

    Thrive Themes

    Thrive Themes is no doubt one of the top contender for the year. Managed by the Thrive team and lead by Shane MeLaugh, Thrive Themes had proved to be one of the most popular premium WordPress themes of all time.

    For me, Thrive Themes is definitely the best premium WordPress theme for 2018. Want to know more about Thrive Themes? Click to read the Thrive Themes review.

    Premium WordPress Themes 2018

    Since the launched of Thrive Themes and products, people been moving their websites to the new, highly intuitive Thrive Themes.

    And let’s be honest here. Website owners start using Thrive Themes not because of the super affordable prices — but it was because it comes with a truckload of awesome features.

    Here are some to start with:

    • Fast loading speed
    • 10 beautifully designed demos (which are ready to be imported)
    • One click installation
    • check-square-oClean codes and secure
    • check-square-oAll themes are created to focus on conversion
    • check-square-oNo coding skills required
    • check-square-oDrag and drop website builder included
    • check-square-oMembership includes all Thrive products and plugins (that saves you over $1,000)
    • check-square-oEasy integration with Google Analytics, social media accounts and many more!

    For me, I would go for Thrive Themes anytime of the day because it comes with all the Thrive products. With those, I’m not only able to have a beautiful website, I do not need to purchase additional plugins just for marketing purposes!

    Thrive Themes Membership Review 2018

    Thrive Themes is best premium WordPress theme for you If you need a WordPress theme that is built for speed, conversion focused, readability and clarity.

    Last but not least, the price tag for Thrive Themes is highly affordable. As low as $19 per month, you will enjoy everything Thrive Themes has to offer (both themes and plugins), as well as the 24/7 customer support if you need any assistance.

    Click here to get limited time discount on Thrive Themes!

    Avada

    Avada is the best selling theme on Theme Forest for several years now. So, what makes Avada such a powerful premium WordPress theme?

    Avada Premium WordPress Themes 2018

    For starters, Avada is a drag and drop WordPress builder. This means that you can build your website from scratch without using a single line of code.

    Avada is often considered a heavy all-in-one website builder and thus, it may affect the website loading speed (some believes this). However, I’ve been using Avada for several years now and while the website loading speed is not entirely lighting speed, it is still very fast and a well designed website can load under 1.5 seconds.

    Avada is one of the best premium WordPress themes because:

    • 38 pre-made fully featured websites (and demos)
    • Most advanced yet easy to use option system
    • One click pre-made installer system and content
    • check-square-oFree value packed lifetime updates
    • check-square-o6 premium plugins included worth over $200
    • check-square-oOver 240+ pre-made web page designs to choose from
    • check-square-oOver 1,000 different options for easy customization
    • check-square-oIntuitive, fast and fun visual builder
    • check-square-oAffordable pricing (one time payment for 12 months support)

    Avada is one of the best premium WordPress themes and at this point of time, it has over 350,000 people using Avada on a daily basis.

    If you ever need a reason to buy Avada, here’s why — Avada’s Fusion Builder is as good as Thrive Architect! Click here to read Thrive Architect review 2018.

    Avada is also very affordable at the price tag of $60 for the license and 12 months of support. Additional support can be added for only $18 per year.

    Check out Avada’s Visual Builder here

    X Themes

    Introducting the X Theme. When the X Theme was first launch, it instantly became a heat and direct competitor to Avada. X Theme is powered by Cornerstone and it is often considered a great WordPress page builder for beginners.

    X Theme is one of the best premium WordPress themes because everything is done 100% on the front end. This means that you can see and work on your site in real time, all the time.

    X Theme Premium WordPress Themes 2018

    One of the reasons I use X Theme is because it comes the a huge element library. This means that you have access to countless elements, templates and features to build your website from scratch. And the best part, without using a single line of code.

    Yes, no coding skill is required.

    You should consider X Theme if you are looking for:

    • Super intuitive WordPress page builder
    • Advanced controls and customization
    • Countless demos with one-click installation
    • check-square-oEvery growing premium plugins and extensions (they have 29 plugins at this point of time) that are free to use
    • check-square-oMassive library containing the latest elements and features
    • check-square-oSEO friendly website themes
    • check-square-oFast loading website themes
    • check-square-oAffordable pricing (one time payment for 12 months support)

    A regular license of X Theme will cost you $59 and 6 months of support. Extended support of 12 months can be purchased at $17.63 if needed.

    You should go for X Theme if you are tired of buying multiple plugins and testing them, as well as affordable pricing. The only downside of X Theme is X Theme loads slower than Thrive Themes and Avada (approximately 1.8 to 2 seconds on average). You can also read my X Theme vs Thrive Themes review.

    Click here to see the full list of plugins included in X Theme

    StudioPress

    StudioPress is the theme that I am currently using on this blog. Now, make no mistake. I have did so much configuration on this theme and therefore, I wouldn’t want to put everything to waste and change to my favorite, Thrive Themes. As a disclaimer, I use all Thrive plugins except for the theme itself.

    StudioPress Top Premium WordPress Themes 2018

    Now, what about StudioPress? I first bought StudioPress Pro Pack 6 years back. It was the best investment I had done for myself especially in the blogging space. Until today, StudioPress still remains as an excellent choice for many customers. At this point of time, I would say that StudioPress is best for you if you are selling web development (as a side hustle or a day job) and here are some reason why:

    • Industry leading design framework
    • 24 mobile-optimized (mobile-ready) HTML5 designs
    • Rock-solid security
    • check-square-oWorld-class support
    • check-square-oInbuilt advanced SEO functionality
    • check-square-oEasy to setup
    • check-square-oSearch engine optimized
    • check-square-oResponsive turnkey designs
    • check-square-oUnlimited everything (pay one and get lifetime membership)

    The only downside about StudioPress is that it doesn’t come with visual builder just like most of the other premium WordPress themes do. While some coding works are needed, it is relatively easy to customize Genesis themes (even for a beginner) due to the extensive knowledge base as well as support form the other users.

    However, StudioPress is definitely one of the best premium WordPress themes for 2018 because it is very easy to use and highly affordable.

    Find out more!

    OptimizePress

    Last but not least in the list of best premium WordPress themes for 2018 is OptimizePress. Let’s be really honest here. Some WordPress users may consider OptimizePress as a white elephant but I think it is still very effective.

    OptimizePress is not the best premium WordPress theme for 2018 but it certainly has some juice left in it. For starters, it has been in the market for years (longer than most visual builders and themes) and some users are in love with it.

    OptimizePress is best when it comes to creating simply yet highly effective landing pages with the pre-made templates below.

    OptimizePress Premium WordPress Theme 2018

    I want to be really upfront with you that even though OptimizePress is often considered old-school, it has several key factors that you should consider. Here’s a list of what you can do with OptimizePress:

    • Landing pages
    • Secure membership portals
    • Sales and marketing pages
    • check-square-oProduct launch funnels
    • check-square-oFree and pain training and course pages
    • check-square-oCreating authority blogs
    • check-square-oWebinar registration page
    • check-square-oMobile ready for all pages
    • check-square-oOver 30 templates to choose from
    • check-square-oOver 40 custom elements for customization purposes
    • check-square-oReal-time LiveEditor system that offers WYSIWYG
    • check-square-oActive market place to find for custom made templates and themes

    Read more: What is the best OptimizePress alternative?

    Click here for OptimizePress demo

    Which Is The Best Premium WordPress Theme For 2018?

    This is tough to answer, seriously. Personally, depending on what you need here are the options for you.

    Overall best premium WordPress theme 2018: Thrive Themes

    Best premium WordPress theme 2018 for features: Avada and X Theme

    Best premium WordPress theme 2018 for money with core features only: StudioPress and OptimizePress

  • What Is The Best Drag And Drop Website Builder?

    What Is The Best Drag And Drop Website Builder?

     

     

    WordPress drag and drop

  • What Is The Best OptimizePress Alternative?

    What Is The Best OptimizePress Alternative?

    OptimizePress dominated the WordPress builder industry for a few good years. From the first version of OptimizePress to the all new, OptimizePress 2.0. I been using OptimizePress for over three years and I noticed it had slack in many ways.

    I get it. You are looking for the best OptimizePress alternatives and in this post, I will list down some of the top OptimizePress alternatives that are affordable and powerful.

    Afterall, you wouldn’t want to use an OptimizePress alternative that isn’t suitable for you, right?

    A Quick Introduction to OptimizePress

    Using OptimizePress for many sites, I can tell you that OptimizePress is quite good. It is a WordPress visual builder and it comes in two sizes:

    • Standalone plugin (WordPress visual builder only)
    • Complete set (both theme and visual builder)

    You would be able to download the respective options based on your needs. On the side, OptimizePress users are also able to download the OptimizePress membership site plugin which is compatible with both the plugin and theme.

    With the competition in the market space, OptimizePress had failed to win its customers. As a matter of fact, there are two things that lead to their failure:

    • Pricing structure (limited use only)
    • Outdated features on its WordPress visual builder

    Seasoned OptimizePress users will find that OptimizePress is bulky and takes forever to load. The features are not ‘modernize’ in many ways and thus, it makes all the sense for others to look for OptimizePress alternatives.

    Below is a list of the best OptimizePress alternatives.

    1. Thrive Architect (WordPress visual builder plugin)

    If you don’t need a complete theme, Thrive Architect is your best option here. For starters, it doesn’t cost you a bomb and you can easily start using it with just a few clicks of the mouse.

    Thrive Architect is a member of the Thrive Themes products, and thus, you know that this plugin is more than just great.

    Here’s a list of what Thrive Architect can offer:

    • checkIntuitive interface
    • checkClean and lightweight (website will loads faster)
    • checkState-of-the-art technology and features

    As a seasoned WordPress user, I hate using plugin that makes the website slow. With Thrive Architect, it loads extremely fast and it doesn’t burden your web server at all.

    A huge upside using Thrive Architect as an OptimizePress alternative is the pricing structure. Unlike OptimizePress where it limits you to the number of websites you can use (three for the lowest tier), Thrive Architect allows you to use on as many sites as you wished!

    Here are some resources on Thrive Architect:

    2. Thrive Themes (if you need a theme + WordPress builder)

    Thrive Themes is already a household name for many, including me. Thrive Themes is one of the top WordPress theme because it offers more than anything

  • How To Make A Landing Page Using Thrive Architect?

    How To Make A Landing Page Using Thrive Architect?

  • Affiliate Marketing Tips: The ONE Tool That Increase Conversion Multiple Folds

    Affiliate Marketing Tips: The ONE Tool That Increase Conversion Multiple Folds

    There are a lot of affiliate marketing tips in the Internet today and there are some of them which are really good. If you are just starting out doing affiliate marketing, you would want to implement everything at the same time. 

    Now, here’s the difference of what you can do, and what you will do.

    Allow me to ask you something. You are interested in affiliate marketing because:

    • You are a student and need the extra cash
    • You have a day job and earning side income is always great
    • You trying to build streams of residual income on the side

    Either way, I get it. I was and still in the same shoes.

    I have a day job and affiliate marketing allows me to earn extra income monthly, without much hard work and more importantly, more money to put food on the table.

    You are confused with affiliate marketing​.

    Confused About Affiliate Marketing

    With so much information about affiliate marketing tips in the market space, you are desperate to know what works and more importantly, what doesn’t — right?

    I bet it not because I guess so, it is because I know so!

    Now, what if I tell you that there is one simple affiliate marketing tip you can follow, that will increases your affiliate sales multiple folds?

    The answer is this … (carry on reading).

    ARTICLE LAYOUT.

    No, I’m not talking about blog layout — I’m talking about the article layout. This means the way you make your article portray the information to the public.

    Here’s an important tip: No one loves wall of text.

    Typically, most blog layouts look like this.

    Typical Blog Layout

    If I could describe this in just one word, it would be B.O.R.I.N.G.

    You see, most affiliate marketers opt for the layout above and there is no wrong to it. What makes your conversion is the CONTENT part.

    We spend so much time trying to create the best ads and banners on the sidebar that we totally forget that the conversion power lies within the content.

    And of course, this leads to another question.

    How to use content and increase affiliate sales?

    The answer is simple. Make it interactive.

    According to the BusinessDictonary.com, the word “interactive” can be inteprated as “Live presentation in which the audience can participate.”

    How do you make your blog post interactive without voice?

    Hah! Now, you are talking.

    The trick here is simple. Using visual editor and turn wall of text into something fun.

    Here’s my meaning of fun:

    1. Countdown timer

    2. Progress Bar

    3. Icons (retina display)

    4. Content Reveal

    Test: Revealing the best affiliate marketing tips

    5. Social media icons within a blog post

    6. Tables

    Affiliate marketing tip #1

    Affiliate marketing tip #2

    Affiliate marketing tip #3

    Affiliate marketing tip #4

    Affiliate marketing tip #5

    Affiliate marketing tip #6

    Affiliate marketing tip #7

    Affiliate marketing tip #8

    Interactive? How to start?

    Now that you know what I’m trying to say, the trick is to use visual builder to avoid touching any codes. Of course, if you know how to code, then you can work your way without any visual builder plugins.

    If you are new to affiliate marketing or simply want to get started as soon as possible without wasting anytime, here are some resources I recommend you to read and bookmark now:

    Important takeaways

    Anyone can start affiliate marketing but it takes more than just writing to make affiliate sales. The article layout need to be extremely interesting and interactive to drive those clicks to close the sale.