Tag: wordpress tips

  • Three Love Hate Factors Which Affect Website Load Time

    Three Love Hate Factors Which Affect Website Load Time

    As a blogger and webmaster, I am obsessed with it comes to speed up website load time. In fact, who doesn’t right? Do you know that websites that has good loading speed score well on search engine page results? Maybe I just took it to another level. Anyway, over the past few days, I managed to speed up my website with these three main components:

    • Minify
    • Gzip
    • Combine CSS

    Before you proceed reading the rest, ask yourself these questions:

    1. Do you know what it takes to build a website that loads fast?
    2. What is the importance of a fast loading site?
    3. Are you doing enough in terms of optimizing your lovely website?

    Not too techie to do website optimization? This article is going to blow your mind away. So, bookmark this page or share with your friends as I am sure you would need this somewhere down your blogging career.

    As for the record, I am not interested to hire a SEO or a website developer for the matter. Therefore, Google was my closest ally that I could get without paying a fee. After some searching, I decided to use only two tools which are ySlow and GTmetrix to measure the speed of my website.

    Note: ySlow is integrated in GTmetrix and therefore, you may use GTmetrix only.

    Website load time is important in terms of SEO and website ranking
    What are the three things that affect website loading speed? 

    What did I do to reduce my website load time?

    Before solving any problem, you need to know where the problem lies. According to GTmetrix, I am having serious load issues on several parts which are:

    • Combine external CSS
    • Avoid CSS @ import (there is no space between @ and import)
    • Gzip compression
    • Minify CSS

    Just a side note: If you are very interested to know more about CSS, I would recommend you this: HTML and CSS – Design and Build Websites.

    Honestly, having this four issues was already a big headache and I was affected with slow loading speed and super low score for ySlow.

    Since search engines do not like slow websites, I was determined to spend the whole day even days to get this resolved, without the help of any paid services.

    Yes, I was just that determined!

    Something I got to add to all WordPress users

    I am using WordPress and I always do. There are probably hundreds of WordPress themes out there and choosing the right one is more than just important.

    The right WordPress themes are usually:

    • Very clean in coding works
    • Build in SEO features
    • Ready to use out of the box
    • Offer customization where the sky is your only limit
    • Unlimited support when you face issues with your themes

    It doesn’t matter if you are running a corporate, e-Commerce or a simply website…you need a good WordPress theme and I can only recommend you two which are the best premium WordPress theme I ever seen; Genesis Framework and child themes by StudioPress and Thesis themes by DIYthemes.

    I am using Genesis Framework and it really help me to reduce my website load time. This is my website load speed after I did several website optimization and I do not use any Content Network Delivery.

    Website loading speed plays a huge role in terms of website ranking
    Pingdom Tool is a great tool to measure website loading speed 

    Searching for free help as much as possible

    I didn’t have what it takes to do it fast and I wasn’t sure if I can do it correctly. My first spot was getting help from my hosting provider. Of course, it wasn’t that much of a help really with the reply that I had a huge external scripts which was well over 50k bytes and many external script files.

    Even though that wasn’t much of a help, I roughly knew something was wrong in the script. Just an assumption of course!

    With the data provided by GTmetrix, I decided that I could Google and solve the problem (one by one).

    Solving Avoid CSS @ import

    Honestly, I had no idea what this was. I had a look at style.css and tried to find what was wrong. I saw the term @ import and I read what it was. It was actually importing fonts for every request to load my page. Head over to my Homepage and check the different fronts available on your screen. Yup, that’s it!

    Just follow the below steps to solve the @ import issue.

    Original:

    @ import url(“style.css”)

    Replace to:

    <link rel=”style.css” href=”style.css” type=”text/css”>

    See the style.css above? Change them according to the original URL for importing.

    Sounds very easy right?

    Minify CSS files to control your website load time

    I Google-d around and found out about minifying CSS files. I was using W3 Total Cache and I thought it had done what it was suppose to be. However, there are some files which cache plugins are not able to minify.

    I read a lot about minify and in short, minify means combining and merging codes to be small in side. The lesser and shorter the code is, the faster your website will load. Enough said.

    I headed over to my Style.css (Appearance > Editor > Style.css). This is a risky procedure and thus, you could access style.css through your cPanel which is safer. In case of any mistake done, you could easily revert the changes.

    There are many online minify tools that you can use for this matter. You can use anyone which you can find on Google or use this: CSS Drive

    Copy down your the whole script or any part of the style.css that you want to minify. Then, paste the code in the box and press compress. New codes will be available once the screen refresh and paste it on your style.css (you should override the old setting). Refresh your website and see if it loads up correctly.

    Reduce website load time by compressing external CSS files

    If you had understand the concept behind the above action, you are going to understand this completely. What you did was minify just one CSS file. Now, choose as many related css files and then combine all into one.

    Tip: You may skip this as not all css files can be merged together

    How to enable Gzip compression on WordPress?

    Enabling Gzip compression will help to speed up the website loading time and reducing the bandwidth required to load your site. To do so, head over to your .htaccess through your cPanel and paste the below code into the script.

    <ifModule mod_gzip.c>
    mod_gzip_on Yes
    mod_gzip_dechunk Yes
    mod_gzip_item_include file .(html?|txt|css|js|php|pl)$
    mod_gzip_item_include handler ^cgi-script$
    mod_gzip_item_include mime ^text/.*
    mod_gzip_item_include mime ^application/x-javascript.*
    mod_gzip_item_exclude mime ^image/.*
    mod_gzip_item_exclude rspheader ^Content-Encoding:.*gzip.*
    </ifModule>

    Save the file and reboot. You should notice a faster loading time now for your website.

    Was that I did to speed up my website loading time?

    Nope, I did more than that. I even have W3 Total Cache plugin and Cloudflare working together to boost my website speed. Not only that, I even have a subdomain which perform as a cookie-free domain to serve static content to my main site.

    If you want to follow my steps, you can click on the links above and they will bring you to complete, step by step guides in speeding up your website.

    To ensure that you had done everything correctly, refer back to GTmetrix and check on the scorecard. You should probably see a huge improvement compared to the previous one.

    My website scored a pretty nice score at the end of this whole process with loading speed of slightly below 2 seconds and scoring A’s for both Google Page Speed and ySlow.

    Website loading speed plays a huge role in SEO and search engine ranking.
    Do you want to speed up your website effectively? 

    This whole process could take your about an hour to three max to finish it completely. Share with me your scorecard and if you have any other tips, do tell us as well using the form below.

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  • Build WordPress Themes Using Dynamik Website Builder

    Build WordPress Themes Using Dynamik Website Builder

    I bet you all know that I am a huge fan of Genesis Framework and I even wrote a neutral article comparing Thesis Theme and Genesis Framework which you can find it here, Thesis Theme vs Genesis Framework.

    It has always been my dream of creating my own genesis child theme but honestly, I am no developer and all those CSS, HTML and codes really make me crazy at times. I got to admit it. I am also pretty sure that happens to you as well especially for those who are novice in web developments and blogging industry.

    I even came across a great writing on how to build Genesis child theme from scratch thanks to Bill Erickson from Art of Blog. I read that article probably 20 times now and trust me when I tell you that it is extremely well written. If you want to have a look at that, you can check it out using this link.

    Good website building tools will help you create a website without much hassle
    What is the best web building tool? 

    Bill recommended to use a child theme as base and customization can start from there which is a hell of an idea indeed. However, I was more tempted to build something from scratch. Yes, I want the WordPress theme to be unique for me only and I am well aware my limitation on those coding works.

    Then, I found the light in the tunnel when I came across Dynamik Website Builder. At first, I was very skeptical on the idea and I thought it could just be another lame website. Sorry Dynamik team for that! I read through about Dynamik Website Builder and was highly considering to get it. Bear in mind that I had just got myself Scribe Content Optimization and I wouldn’t want to burden my financial in just one month. You can read all about it here, Scribe … The Best Content Optimization software developed by CopyMedia team.

    *disclaimer: I am not paid to promote Dynamik Website Builder nor I have plans to promote it. This is written fairly on my own experience and if you would purchase Dynamik Website Builder using my affiliate link, I would be more than happy and drop me a line so that I can thank you personally!

    Without much delay, let’s see what Dyanamik can offer, shall we?

    What is Dynamik Website Builder?

    Build Genesis child themes using Dynamik Website Builder
    Dynamik offers complete tool to design WordPress and Genesis Child Themes 

    Dynamik website builder is WordPress design tool which help both novice and experienced developers (and bloggers alike) to create their dream themes for WordPress.

    Dynamik Website Builder features:

    1. Complete homepage control with 49, 1-click home page configurations
    2. The ability to put anything and anywhere using Custom Widgets and Content Areas without limitation
    3. Complete control and flexibility in terms of website theme designs
    4. 1-click option to activate or deactivate responsive WordPress theme
    5. Instant activation on front-end website which makes customization easier than just plain easy
    6. Choose from 165 webfronts (all included!) for your WordPress theme
    7. Fast, efficient and clean codes for your WordPress blog or website
    8. Dynamik runs on Genesis framework which is one of the best WordPress framework in the world

    Hold on there amigo! 8 reasons are not enough to make Dynamik the best WordPress theme builder. Here are 3 more reasons to which makes Dynamik Website Builder a great choice! It also provides:

    1. 1-click lifetime upgrade
    2. Lifetime support
    3. Use Dynamik Website Builder on unlimited websites including your clients’ ones

    Tempted yet? This is what others got to say about Dynamik Website Builders

    “I’ve always wanted to offer clients the option of having their sites built in Genesis, but didn’t really want to step headlong into PHP to be able build the sorts of designs and layouts I like to offer. Now, with Dynamik for Genesis, I can put together fully customized sites in very little time using the hundreds of design options that are built in and ready to go. I can easily add content areas to different pages to give sites much more depth than those that just run the same structure, sidebars etc throughout. With all this power and flexibility, no need for PHP coding, AMAZING support, and a built in real-time front-end CSS builder for those that want to push things further, Dynamik has to be THE stand-out child theme for Genesis. I couldn’t be happier with it.” – Ben Pyman

    “I love Dynamik! I am not a developer or designer, but Dynamik is so much fun that it has turned into a hobby for me. It may sound nuts, but sometimes I pretend that I have clients and then I build websites for them. Everything is just so fast and easy. On top of all the fun, is that by way the options are presented, the CSS builder and forum, I have learned a lot. Long live the mighty Dynamik!” – Junior Atoms

    Building a WordPress theme is easy using Dynamik, the best website builder for WordPress
    Dynamik Website Builder for Genesis is a great way to build a custom theme 

    And I head over to the Dynamik Website Builder pricing page instead…

    I asked myself, ‘Seriously?!’ when I saw the price. It is an one time payment of $79.95 and it’s mine forever. That wasn’t really good as I felt it is a bit expensive for my taste. I did a quick calculation as well as I might be buying several child themes from StudioPress the next few months (yup, I did not purchase the famous StudioPress Pro Plus All-Theme Package yet and only bought Genesis Framework and a few child themes according to my liking).

    As for the record, I had recently purchased StudioPress All Theme Package recently and it is rocking great. You can check them out here; Pro Package offers over 40+ Professional Themes.

    It doesn’t need a PhD education level to tell me that buying Dynamik Website Builder could actually save me more money in the long run.  This is very important for those who do not want to spend a lot of money on WordPress themes or have a very absent minded like me. One point taken and thank you.

    At the same time, I also noticed the big fat advertisement saying that it offers a full 30-days money back guarantee as well. If you read a few of my review posts, you will notice that I tend to try out products which are offering money back guarantee. Well, I just need to be on the safe side right? Another point taken!

    How Dynamik Website Builder looks backend?

    Here are some print shots of what it looks like on your WordPress admin area. Easy to configure and most adjustments can be done using drop down buttons. crazy huh?

    Dynamik website builder offers a complete control over all settings on your blog
    Master and general settings for Dynamik Website Builder
    Dynamik Website Builder software offers a 1-click option to enable responsive designs
    Enable and disable the responsive designs with just one click of the button
    Dynamik also offers a quick way to import and export design settings
    Developers are able to export or important all your settings and templates between websites 

    Dynamik Website Builder Review – My take

    Install it is fairly easy as I am already running on Genesis Framework. You need Genesis Framework to run with Dynamik and if you have not gotten it yet, you can check out my affiliate link here.

    A guaranteed 30-days money refund – Excellent!

    Within minutes, I felt that I was on Thesis Blank Theme and I told myself, maybe and I mean maybe, I did the wrong choice. Starting from scratch was pretty hard and I wasn’t prepared. Instead of starting and trying to ‘˜give it a guess’, I decided to download Dynamik Website Builder manual and flash read on it. Yes, just reading things I think I want to know about. Haha lazy me!

    It certainly sounds easy on the manual and I bet it could be a bit hard in reality. Duh, why bother when I still have 29 days on the clock for refund right?

    Unlimited designing abilities for WordPress themes

    Creating a website template is easy using the right website builder tool
    Dynamik Website Builder offers endless possibilities in terms of customization 

    The next day, I told myself I am going to build my own WordPress theme one way or another. And after 3 hours figuring out and doing customizations, I have created my lovely theme! Clean and minimalistic as what I truly wanted. I knew at that moment that I have yet to unfold Dynamik Website Builder full potential yet.

    Why? Simply because I created a full and complete theme with custom widgets and stuffs without touching a single CSS code! WOW!

    Over the days, I was changing my themes from fonts colours to width sizes. Yes and I changed it over the next one week. It was amazing, really. I don’t know if there is more words to describe it but really! I am far more than just impressed.

    Creating WordPress themes is easier than ever – Dynamik Website Builder

    I am not planning to make this post too long and therefore, let me sum up a few things here. If you want to create a brand new and unique WordPress theme without wasting too much time, then you should get Dynamik Website Builder like me. Just to share, this site is using Dynamik Website Builder and damn I am loving it so much.

    So, the biggest question is, ‘Are you ready to take website designing to the next level using Dynamik Website Builder for Genesis?’

    It doesn’t matter if you are not yet convinced (what?!) but it’s okay. You can check out their website (Catalyst Theme) using this link and see for yourself as well. Moreover, no harm visiting their website right?

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  • How Do You Do Smart Content Optimization Techniques And Boost SEO?

    How Do You Do Smart Content Optimization Techniques And Boost SEO?

    When I started up this WordPress website, I knew I was competing in a very challenging niche … you know … blogging, search engine optimization, WordPress and Internet marketing. In fact, the blogging niche is super competitive especially with so many professional bloggers such as Darren Rowse, Ana Hoffman, Adam Cornell and even Jane.

    Brian Clark wrote, “Scribe 4 Integrates with Raven Tools for Smart Content Optimization

    They have good traffic, followers and on top of all, their websites are pretty ‘˜state-of-the-art’ if you ask me. I knew I got to be better (not against them) but to be at least right behind them. And yes I am well aware that I am competing with maybe 50,000 or even 500,000 serious bloggers who are thinking of making money blogging.

    Therefore, I knew that I need to do more than just content optimization … I need to do smart content optimization and the right search engine optimization techniques to boost my website ranking. Basically, I need to bring SEO to the next level.

    I recently invested in a SEO content optimization called Scribe which is created by the CopyBlogger Media team. Yup you got it right! They are also the creators of the famous StudioPress Genesis framework and child themes! These are what important figures say about Scribe:

    Scribe 4.0 is way beyond SEO – Brian Clark (co-founder of Genesis Framework)

    Scribe is my personal writing assistant. I create content the way I want, and then Scribe steps in to help me optimize it for the social media and search engine audiences I’m after – Jon Henshaw (Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, Raven Internet Marketing Tools)

    Scribe allows for creative content marketing that gets attention, while keeping content creators focused on business goals. It just works – Greg Boser (President, BlueGlass Interactive)

    Scribe allows for quick and easy optimization, and your content still performs well in social media channels. Scribe seriously rocks – Rae Hoffman-Dolan (CEO, Pushfire)

    One bad habit about me is even before I read and understand what a product is, I always head to the testimonials. When I saw the above testimonials, I knew Scribe is my type of content optimization.

    I read about Scribe and it’s content optimization ability. I was thinking to myself if that is a worthy investment and honestly the service isn’t cheap. Scribe is a paid search engine optimization or content optimization product which is chargeable monthly. Since it offers a 30 days money back guarantee, I thought it was one worthwhile investment. I could easily as for a refund though. And of course, the reviews above were more than enough to moved me out of my seat … so to say.

    While reading, you can also grab this free SEO report to help you rank better on search engines!

    Optimize your blog content and improve your traffic with Scribe SEO
    Scribe make SEO and content optimization looks so easy even for novice

    Getting Scribe SEO installed and running on WordPress

    Pretty easy and just a few clicks, Scribe is ready to kick ass! All you need to do are:

    1. Download the plugin after the purchase
    2. Upload it to your WordPress blog
    3. Head into Settings and put in your Scribe SEO license key
    4. And walaa~ You are all set to go to rock SEO!

    Pretty easy right? In fact it is and I can’t just deny it. In the paragraphs below, I am going to tell you how Scribe SEO is going to change the face of search engine optimization and how you can use it to boost your search engine optimization rating.

    What Scribe SEO is NOT offering

    I like to consider Scribe as an excellent SEO tool like Market Samurai, SEMRush and Long Tail Pro. These premium SEO tools will not make you popular, will not make your blog hit #1 spot on search engines and will definitely not tell you which keyword is best used on your blog instantly.

    In short, Scribe DO NOT spoon feed you with keywords and SEO gold mine. Period.

    So yes, if you think that Scribe is SEO godness, then CopyBlogger would have sold it for thousands instead. Right, you get the point and yup, I am glad that we are on the same page!

    Scribe SEO is a world class content optimization which will help bloggers rank better on search engines
    Scribe does a great job in analyzing content optimizations, SEO, keywords, tags and titles 

    What Scribe SEO WILL offer

    Okay this is where things get juicy. Scribe can give you detailed ranking analysis on what your posts and whole website are all about in terms of SEO keywords and chances of getting rank on search engines. On top of everything, Scribe offers excellent content optimization. For example, I am blogging about ways to make money online. Scribe will compare my articles, keywords, tags, title and all those meta and finally, giving a detailed report on how I will actually rank using these keywords.

    Scribe SEO will also provide detailed SEO analysis such as what are current Google and Twitter trends for such keywords. It will show you a list of what others are tweeting and sharing on social media so that you can either rank equally with them or even higher than the rest.

    If you think that is all, you are wrong! Scribe SEO will also give you another analysis on how the Google Trend for that specific keyword currently. And the for the record, I classify Scribe SEO as a healthy mix of Google Keyword Tools, SEO tools (Market Samurai or SEMRush) and basic SEO analysis skills all under one roof.

    Best part of all, all this can be done within 10 minutes (or less) of your time! Yes, you can save pretty a lot of time if you use Scribe SEO to help you with your website optimization works.

    What is required for Scribe to work properly?

    As what I said above, Scribe content optimization is not going to spoon feed you with Content Optimization. Instead, you need to have your Title Tag, Meta Description and Content ready. Yes, plan your SEO tactics first before using Scribe Content.

    Once you have these three important things prepared, then you can get Scribe SEO to analysis the content quality, website ranking and even the competitions you are going to face. It also gives you a quick forecast on the chances of you hitting the top search engine result pages.

    And if you are worry about Scribe SEO messing around with other SEO plugins, you are in very safe hands as it will work hand in hand with most SEO plugins available for WordPress bloggers. It even have the capability to work together with WordPress themes and frameworks like Genesis, Thesis and Headway as well.

    Content optimization by Scribe helps make content rich in SEO and quality keywords
    Content SEO is more than just important when you talk about blog ranking 

    What I really think about Scribe for content optimization and SEO?

    Scribe blows my mind away

    I know there are many debates on how efficient on how Scribe SEO does to content optimization and SEO techniques. There are bloggers and webmasters who believe that Scribe SEO is not worth the money. I have tested it and trust me, Scribe content optimization will worth all your money invested.

    I personally use WordPress SEO by Yoast to have a rough draft and to ensure that I am getting as high score as possible with WordPress SEO checker.

    After that, I will run between one to three SEO analysis using Scribe content optimization to check on my contents and fine tuning my keywords.

    Can I live without WordPress SEO? Probably yes and I will still rank on search engines.

    Can I live without Scribe SEO? Yes as well but I am going to have a hard time ranking my blog.

    As you can see, Scribe content optimization is one of the kind SEO tool which can make your blogging life easier, your blogs or websites rank better on search engines and on top of all, increase your traffic.

    Personally, I am running more than one blog and Scribe SEO really save me a lot of time when it comes to content optimization. I would highly recommend this lovely SEO plugin for everyone who is serious in making money through blogging and who want to rank extremely well on search engines.

    This is a superb easy SEO tool which anyone of any age could basically use it. No PhD required!

    I hope you find this article interesting and mind opening. If you are interested to have a look at what Scribe content optimization has to offer, you can head over to my affiliate link, Take Scribe On A Risk-Free Test Drive . I want to stress that if Scribe is not what you want, you can easily request for a 30 days money back guarantee.

    For developers and bloggers who have needs a better and bigger Scribe package, there are also corporate packages which you can take up according to your needs.

    You can also check out their official website, Scribe: More Traffic and Leads, Less Time and Hassle for more details!

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  • Genesis Framework vs Thesis Theme – Best WordPress Theme

    Genesis Framework vs Thesis Theme – Best WordPress Theme

    When I first started up this website, my first thought wasn’t about creating a good website. My thought was not choosing a good theme but instead, I wanted to find the best WordPress theme from scratch (or at least, I try to create one).

    Yes! Good WordPress themes have many effects such as website loading speed, SEO abilities and even, attracting readers to come back for more! Of course, I am fully aware that I have so many WordPress themes to choose from. However, I need more than just a good WordPress theme; I need a great WordPress framework!

    Sounds like I am over my head? Enjoy this short video below and find out the advantages of using premium WordPress themes.

    Back in my head, I knew that to create a great theme from scratch, I need to use the best WordPress framework in order to create my masterpiece.

    Personally, I have been in this blogging industry for a few years now and I know when it comes to the best WordPress themes and frameworks, only two WordPress themes will make it through.

    Drum roll please…

    Genesis vs Thesis – The Best WordPress Theme

    Genesis Framework vs Thesis Theme
    A good WordPress framework will allow bloggers and developers to create excellent themes 

    On the left corner, we have Genesis Framework and child themes driven by the mighty StudioPress team!

    On the right corner, give a warm welcome to Thesis Theme and Framework created by famous, Chris Pearson and his DIYthemes team.

    I know! This two have been in a long battle until today! Crazy huh?!

    So, if you are very interested to make your own web design, I am pretty sure either one of this (or both WordPress themes) will be more than just a great start for you.

    Now, I had a fair time with both the themes and allow me to share my personal opinion on both. At least, it could assist you when you’re making you ultimate choice.

    Genesis Framework and Child Themes

    Genesis framework is one of the best WordPress themes
    Genesis framework offers in build SEO features and is extremely user friendly for bloggers 

    For starters, Genesis framework is very solid for those who are looking to build or modify themes according to their liking. For bloggers who are not tech-savvy like me, creating a WordPress theme using Genesis framework is pretty easy.

    Lots of documentations and what makes Genesis a worthwhile investment are as below:

    Genesis framework is search optimized

    Genesis has inbuild SEO features which is ready out of the box

    Genesis framework has turn-key designs

    Being unlimited is all about Genesis framework

    It would take you about a day to a week to master what Genesis has to offer … that’s if you want to create and understand completely what Genesis is all about. What makes Genesis different from the rest (even Thesis framework) is because it plays with many ‘˜hooks’.

    Okay, don’t bother what it means for now but the ‘hooking’ ability makes Genesis framework a very unique feature for bloggers and web developers.

    So, what is Genesis Hook?

    Genesis Hooks makes customizing your WordPress framework easier. What it actually offers is the ability for developers and bloggers to customize their sites without needing to find the specific code or area. Don’t get it? See below!

    If you are thinking of changing the meta settings etc? Just look for genesis_meta.

    If you are thinking of changing the side bar, just look for genesis_sidebar.

    Yes it is indeed pretty simple for developers and for newbie bloggers, it could take a bit of time to learn about it. However, Genesis hooks really bring blogging and web development to a whole new level. Trust me on this when I say that once you understand how Genesis framework works, it is going to offer you endless possibilities of customization in blog template. Period.

    Many premium and free Genesis child themes are available

    Genesis child themes on the other hand is like the outlook of the template. For those who prefer buying a pre-made WordPress theme (here’s the collection of themes in a very beautiful gallery) instead of doing one from scratch, you can do so by at StudioPress website. For people who want more customization, StudioPress also has a market place where you can seek for reputed developers to design WordPress themes for you.

    Tip: You need to buy Genesis framework first in order to have the child themes working.

    Genesis is pretty flexible and thus, many developers have actually moved over to Genesis. Still not convinced? This is what Mashable said:

    Mashable calls StudioPress the “best of the best” among WordPress premium frameworks.

    Famous people who are using Genesis framework for their websites:

    Genesis framework has a great reputation for being easy to build and has good out-of-the-box features
    Famous bloggers who uses Genesis Framework for their sites 

    At the moment, Genesis framework is sold at $59.95 with unlimited support and updates. Genesis child themes are sold between $24.95 to $44.95. If you are a developer or handling multiple websites, you might want to consider going for the Professional version which offers unlimited upgrades and all past and future themes Genesis can offer.

    Genesis framework offers multiple packages to fit one's need
    Genesis Pro Plus All Theme Package is an excellent choice for developers and serious bloggers 

    How can I buy Genesis Framework or Genesis Child themes?

    Head over to these links if you want to buy Genesis Framework, browse through Genesis Child themes or even purchase the StudioPress Pro Plus All-Theme Package.

    Not yet make up your mind? Don’t worry!

    You can check out StudioPress Community Themes if you want to see what other themes freelance developers are developing with the Genesis Framework.

    If you purchase from StudioPress, you are entitle for a 30-days money back guarantee in case if you want to have a refund. Zero commitment and absolutely risk free if you ask me.

    If you are a developer or running several websites, you can have a look at Genesis Pro Package which offers all child themes and lifetime of update.

    Thesis Theme and Skins

    I wasn’t and will not be one sided to Genesis! I had personally used Thesis 2.0 (no experience in 1.x though) for several websites of mine as well in the early stages.

    Now, what I can say about Thesis theme?

    Thesis theme … honestly … is very, very good. At times, I believe it is that slight better (really narrow win) over Genesis framework. I knew about Thesis few years back but since I am already with Genesis, I wasn’t bothered much.

    Since I was able to play with Thesis (bought the Professional package), I was pretty impressed with it but not at first.

    When I first saw the promo, I thought I had hit the goal mine. Not really. I hit … the other side.

    Thesis 2.0 was released recently and it offers many advantages over Genesis framework. The list as follow below:

    Easy way to deploy and tweak your WordPress themes

    Drag and drop feature

    Thesis boxes and packages

    Build in SEO features

    Just like Genesis framework, Thesis framework has boxes and packages which works like Genesis’s hooks. DIYthemes do not offer free or skins for sale which means, they are selling the framework by itself only. Of course, if you are buying the bigger packages such as the developer’s package, then you will get several free skins.

    Thesis 2.0 framework is very popular among WordPress enthusiast
    Thesis 2.0 theme is used by many well known figures such as Derek Halpern 

    I know you might be worrying now as you have no coding skills and knowledge. Don’t worry as Thesis 2.0 is pretty easy to configure (after you figure it out) and there are many developers who are willing to work with Thesis framework.

    When it comes to mastering the Thesis 2.0 techniques, I would say it took me about a week as well to understanding how everything works. And for the record, Thesis theme works completely different from Genesis!

    What makes Thesis 2.0 stand out against Genesis framework at this point of writing is because Thesis framework loads a fraction faster than Genesis. And when I mean a fraction faster, it only means about 1/10 of a second faster.

    Important? Go figure!

    As for the record, Thesis does not come with any skins for the standard package. However, if you purchase either the Plus or Professional package, then you will get some free skins along the way.

    Thesis 2.0 framework is one of the best for WordPress
    Thesis framework might be costly but it is one of the most popular web building tools for developers 

    Now, let’s talk about Thesis theme pricing and how to buy Thesis theme?

    You can gets your hands on Thesis theme and framework as low as $87 with a one year support which is called Thesis Basic. Of course, there are also Thesis Basic Plus which is $164 that comes with two extra skins and Thesis Professional which offers two skins and some Thesis boxes. Not to forget, Thesis Professional is a package which offers lifetime support and upgrades.

    You can easily get Thesis themes and skins about $20 to $80 each. Well, of course it depends on the website though.

    If you are interested to buy Thesis Framework, you can visit DIYthemes official website.

    Why I decided to use Genesis Framework and not Thesis theme?

    A few facts about me before I tell you why:

    1. I am super particular with my themes and I want the theme to be developed my way!
    2. Since many modifications will be done overtime, I need to find a theme where modification can be done easily.
    3. I don’t have much time to work on my themes and therefore, I need the themes to be done fast!
    4. I am always thinking of how to reduce my spending and therefore, a cost efficient framework would be great.

    Do we have anything in common as of the above?

    Reason 1: Genesis framework is easier to configure for a novice developer

    Now, both Genesis framework and Thesis theme fairly easy to configure. Don’t get me wrong as I am not a WordPress developer and all those CSS, HTML and codings really give me the headaches. However, I took some time learning them before I was able to use both without problem. I choose Genesis over Thesis theme simply because the time configuring Genesis is way faster than Thesis in my opinion and experience.

    Reason 2: Genesis framework is cheaper

    At the same time, Genesis is slightly easier on my pocket since I could just purchase the framework and develop my own WordPress theme. Well, a good debate which I asked myself is that the differences is very small. Though having a slightly cheaper investment is better, the biggest advantage was the lifetime upgrade and support offered by StudioPress.

    Reason 3: Genesis framework offers unlimited support and availability of Child themes

    I could easily buy one the framework and have 50 years of support while Thesis 2.0 only offer one year support and upgrade. Of course, you can earn unlimited support when you purchase the professional package.

    Don’t forget, I could also save a lot of money since most of Genesis Child themes are sold at a very low price. For developers, I would highly recommend Genesis Pro package which offers life time support, upgrades and all past and future themes free for download. And yes, a 1-off payment method.

    Reason 4: Long term investment and savings

    With simple maths, I knew I was saving up more money when using Genesis framework compared to Thesis framework.
    Are you using any of frameworks on your blogs or websites? Talk to me and let’s share our experience. Maybe I could learn something from you as well!

    So, what is your decision? Are you going for Genesis framework or Thesis theme for your WordPress blog? 

    Does this article clears your doubt in terms the best WordPress theme? Tell me what you think using the comment form below.

    Still not convinced of using premium WordPress themes? Listen my short podcast, Advantages of using premium WordPress themes or using SoundCloud below:

  • Complete Beginner’s Guide In Building Quality Backlinks

    Complete Beginner’s Guide In Building Quality Backlinks

    This article is written thanks to the latest Google update. Due to the Google update, more bloggers and webmasters are starting to understand the importance of quality backlinks.

    So, what do you know about backlink?

    According to Wikipedia, backlinks can easily be definite as incoming links to a website or a web page. Make any sense? See the picture below:

    Quality backlinks play a role in terms of blog ranking and page rank
    Backlinks can easily be defined as external links that is pointing back to a website or blog 

    People says a picture means a thousand words. What does the picture above implicates?

    Don’t worry if you do not understand what backlinks are. Referring to the above, backlinks are links pointing back to a certain article, page or website. In the eyes of search engines, the more backlinks a website gets, the better the chances that the website is offering good content.

    Quality backlinks means that those blogs or websites pointing to your sites are either established, well known and could have a good page rank all together.

    Ways to build quality backlinks

    When it comes to link building or building backlinks, there are only two very obvious methods which are the white hat and the black hat methods. Let’s do a quick recap on what both the above are, shall we?

    Black hats SEO is basically building backlinks using the illegal method. Guess the word ‘˜black hat’ pretty obvious huh?

    Black hats SEO methods consist of a variety of methods such as getting paid backlinks through .gov and .edu websites. In fact, there are many people who told me that why should bloggers bothers since by spending a little money, they are going to save months of hard work just to get a good page rank.

    Personally, do I really want to pay for backlinks that do not guarantee me a good ranking that will stay? No thank you! I know how hard it is to build backlinks but trust me, I rather have 10 quality backlinks than 100 low quality backlinks.

    White hats SEO on the other hand is…of course, doing things the opposite way compared to black hats. White hats SEO actually consist of months and years of hard work to build a network of strong backlinks with genuine websites.

    Does this mean anything to search engines like Google? Yes indeed! Google themselves are updating their algorithm nearly every month nowadays and there will not be any sign for bloggers. For those who uses black hats SEO, I wish them all the best as it is going to be tough!

    Building backlinks from scratch

    When you talk about SEO, backlinks and stuffs, I definitely prefer doing it the right way. When it come to building good quality backlinks, it all takes not only effort but as well as, tons of patience.

    Let’s assume you are brand new to this industry and you are definitely looking to start on the right path right? This is what I call the Golden Period for you to build great backlinks from scratch.

    Assuming (one more) that you are looking into the blogging industry, you can easily build healthy bonds with other bloggers around the world thanks to social media and the various networking platforms.

    Building backlinks from scratch will actually offer you a better chance not only to avoid any penalty slapped by Google but at the same time, keeping you in a very safe spot when it comes to future updates from Google. A little example is Google had an update around April – May 2013 and many bloggers are penalized due to using black hat SEO methods.

    Of course of those bloggers who are using quality backlinks, some of them (not all) received a small boost of ranking in search engine result pages (SERPs).

    Through my experience, the best way to increase the number quality backlinks back to your blog is by commenting on other blogs which are related to you. Yes, only blogs that are related to your topic!

    Search engines such as Google has another algorithm which detects backlinks coming from low quality and non related blog topics. Are you ready to get ‘˜slapped’ for such as beginner mistake?

    Link building method that works (guest post)

    For me, this is probably the best way to increase links building to your blog. I read an article at TrafficGenerationCafe that we should focus a good deal of time in both our sites and other related blog sites.

    That made me puzzled. I was wondering what she was talking about. Ana Hoffman’s simply quote actually made me thought of it. If I am going to write 100 quality articles on my website, who will be the readers? Where’s my market?

    Basically my market is going to be:

    • Myself 80%
    • Friends and family 10%
    • Crawlers 5%
    • Lucky traffic 5%

    As you can see the above, it is definitely not good right? So I decided to turn the table around and head towards this direction:

    • Traffic 85%
    • Crawlers 5%
    • Others and myself 10%

    Yes you got it right now! Having myself seeing my own blogs (with a whopping 80% traffic) isn’t going to generate me money or any money at all from my blogging. Of course, unless you can to perform click bombing on your sites then, I would have nothing to say!

    Okay, the point is this. You want traffic coming from outside and you want search engine to tell readers that ‘Hey, this (blog name) is good!’. That’s what you want right?

    So, the only and fastest way to build good traffic is by getting good articles up on your site first (make it 30, 50, 100 or more high quality articles). Once you are all done, head over to other blogging related sites and apply for guest posting.

    If you think that is all, then you are wrong. The job doesn’t stop here but it has just started buddy!

    Thinking of writing sub quality articles (or even worst spinned ones) and submit them to other blogging sites? Please don’t! Instead, writing really…really good articles and submit them.

    You see, when you submit an article to these sites, they are going to promote for you. Remember that these blogs will not only be promoting your bloggings but also your website name and your reputation.

    When it comes to guest posting, always do it 101% or don’t do it at all

    Authority sites are a good source of quality backlinks for bloggers

    Do you know how to build quality backlinks that will stay?
    Quality backlinks will bring many advantages to bloggers and webmasters.

    When I started blogging, I knew ‘˜content is king’ and I was so focused to create quality articles on my blogs. Okay, you might have done this or even thinking of doing this. Let me tell you now. It won’t work!

    I am not joking when I say that, writing quality content will not make you a magnet. Period!

    If you want to build backlinks and even really good quality backlinks, then you need to write on authority sites.

    Referring to the above, we had discussed on guest posting right? Yes, you are right buddy! Guest posting on various blogs can be considered authority sites.

    Authority sites means selected websites which has a good page ranks as seen by search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. If you are able to write on authority sites and have a link back to your blog, you are going to have a very good chance of getting very good quality backlinks.

    At the same time, you have to remember that one good quality backlinks can easily equivalent to 50 or 100 low quality links. So, bear in mind for that alright?

    You will notice most authority sites has NoFollow attribute. Trust me when I tell you that they are still worth something!

    Do not over do backlinking

    When it comes to link building, I noticed a huge number of bloggers do the same mistake over and over again. Don’t worry as you are not alone. I had done that as well. When we over do our backlinks, there are few implications that may fall upon us.

    For new sites, you might not be ready to take on so much traffic at one time. Too much backlinks pointing to your blog and search engine might consider you are using link farm services. Furthermore, if too many links are coming from low quality sites, your blog or website might easily get penalized.

    Therefore, the biggest question now is, “Are you doing the right backlinking method for your blogs and websites?”

    Tell what you think using the comment form below.

    *If you like this article, could you please share this for me using the red Google+ button below?

  • 5 Facts About Make Money Blogging You Must Know

    5 Facts About Make Money Blogging You Must Know

    I recently read an article published on Yahoo Finance that blogging is definitely not dead. From the way I see it, most people people think blogging is dead simply because they might not be able to make money blogging or even generating enough traffic to keep the website running. So yes, let me tell you a few very important principles you should know before you can actually earn your first dollar blogging.

    *Disclaimer: You can find the link to Yahoo Finance here.

    The term ‘˜make money blogging’ is indeed a very famous word in search engines. It doesn’t matter if you are full time or a part time blogger, all of us want to make money through blogging.

    Let’s start by by asking ourselves the reason we create a blog. Those reasons can varies from making money online, blogging as a hobby and even expressing feelings towards the world. I love blogging because I love to share my ideas and experience with the world. It might cost me a few hundred a year just for blogging, but I really enjoy it.

    Another important disclaimer: You can easily start a free blog without needing to spend a single penny (referring to what I just last said).

    Before we sway too far off from our main goal today, here are some things you can definitely do to get the money rolling into your blog.

    What are the best way to make money blogging?
    One thing for sure is that money is hard to earn

    1. Blogging on things you really know

    You will learn:

    1. How to blog properly
    2. How to blog a blogpost that attracts readers

    I know this goes against the principles of many bloggers but it is true. If you want to blog, always make sure the content is genuine and rightful. I know many bloggers who thought they could make fast money online simply by blogging hot topics.

    Well, I used to be one of them previously and does that works? Yes, it does!

    Huh??!!

    Blogging hot topics will give you moderate traffic and probably generating some money online. However, if you are planning to become a serious blogger, then this is definitely not the way to go and let me tell you why!

    Hot topics or trends as what Google call it, is always short term basis. You may earn enough to last for the season (maybe), but you might be out of business for the rest of the year. Let’s face it my fellow bloggers. Hot topics are not meant to stay (and will never stay). Imagine it as a gossip instead. Blogging these might bring you just that far but it won’t be doing much good for you. Trust me on this!

    Instead, start blogging on things that you actually know and have interest in. For example, I love blogging and websites, thus creating this website as a portal for bloggers around the world to get a nice inside scoop of blogging and to find good blogging tips, SEO techniques and even WordPress guides.

    2. Making fast money through affiliate programs

    You will learn:

    1. How to make money being an affiliate
    2. Simple techniques to sell or promote a product online

    This is really something that makes me pissed off big time. I see so many websites promoting a product which they hardly use! Furthermore, these sites are basically ‘˜copy and spinning’ articles around just to make it unique.

    One concept that I will always live by is that when you sell an affiliate product, make sure you know about it and give genuine review on it. Isn’t that obvious that in order to have a good review, you need to try the product first?

    Yes you get my point. Personally, I have been writing several reviews in the past and trust me that they are tough to construct if you have no hands on experience in it.

    One of the best tips I can offer to bloggers who wish to make some money by selling affiliate products is that you need to decide yourself if that product is worth your time selling. Some products offers a huge commission but it has zero quality for that while others might have a lesser commission base but has better quality.

    If you want read more, you can check out what Darren Rowse wrote on ProBlogger Secrets to Six Figure Income.

    3. Blogging is never about making money online

    You will learn:

    1. How to blog better

    This is one phrase I always use in nearly every blog, articles or website I write. Blogging is never about making money online. If you think that blogging is a get rich quick business, you are wrong. Sorry mate!

    For bloggers who started out fresh, you got to focus to put up one hell of a show (good content), attract readers and then focus in generating money through blogging, not the opposite.

    Many people (and even bloggers) who think that blogging is dead simply because there are tons of websites and blogs out there to compete. Good Lord they are wrong.

    Competitions and competitors doesn’t make it impossible but both of these only make blogging more challenging. What I love best about of these is the fact that they makes me better in my blogs and yes, it can really sharpen my blogging skills at the same time.

    4. Improve blog traffic with great content

    You will learn:

    1. How to improve blog traffic
    2. The effect of quality contents

    I am not sure if you are aware on this but the only way to gain more money is through having a good amount of traffic to your blog. For me, I always believe that more traffic means more income.

    Readers only want to read good article and not some lame stories. So, gaining a good amount of traffic especially repeated visitors will actually improve the chances of you making money through blogging. I wouldn’t want to go in too deep on that but always remember that you can generate money not only through advertisement clicks but as well as total number of impressions received.

    Content writing or content blogging is important to create good traffic to your site. You have to remember that traffic is not created overnight but it takes time and lots of effort. Of course, the first step is to provide good content to your readers.

    You do not need to write a thousand words article like I do in most blog articles but always make sure that each article is packed with quality information. Readers like you and me will only return back to the blog if they have good articles that worth reading.

    Here’s a few example of websites offering quality contents:

    5. Increase your blog earning with the RIGHT banner

    You will learn:

    1. How to monetize your blog
    2. How to further improve your ad revenue and convertion

    I know people make tons of money with Adsense and some doesn’t. In fact, it is not the number of banners visible to your visitors that count. Instead, it is all about using the RIGHT banner at the right place which counts!

    One of the biggest mistake most bloggers do when it comes to monetize their blogs is placing too many ad banners. If you are one of them, remove those banners right now!

    Yes now!

    Google had realized banner’s hotspot few years back and many are still using it. As time passes by, everything changes and so does the click rates and banner location. I am not saying that we should not use Google guide in banner placement but we should improvise from it.

    From time to time (and thanks to having many websites), I am lucky enough to test the different types of click rates I could have. The biggest and most obvious differences is the layout colour, size of fonts and yes, placements of each banners.

    Basically, larger banners like those 250 x 250, 3300 x 250 and 336 x 280 has better click rates when placed in the starting and ending of an article page. In other words, placing on the first and last paragraph is definitely a good choice if you want to generate some earnings from Adsense. Furthermore, these large banners usually fetch a very high cost per click (CPC) rate.

    Place of advertisement banners can affect the outcome of earning money through blogging
    The right advertisement location will boost click rates 

    Another good banner which many people fail to use them is the link units. These link units provided me pretty good click rate. Yes, maybe the cost per click (CPC) is rather low for most bloggers, having at least one of this advertisement units on your blog will definitely increase the chances of your earnings.

    In order to make money blogging, I often see most bloggers placed more than 6 types of banners on a page. For the sake of God, please…I beg you…please don’t do it to your poor blog.

    C’mon guys! People visit your blog to gain experience and gather information. They are not here to click on your banners! I get it and I really do. We all bloggers (including me) would love to see at least some earnings on your Google Adsense. What you can do is place them wisely.

    Personally, I would recommend not more than three banners visible on one page itself. At times, it is alright to be greedy and place slightly more than three banners on high traffic pages thought. You might get lucky but do not over do it if you do not want to kill your blog traffic.

    Let’s recap what you have read above using SlideShare, shall we?

     

    Back to you…

    I hope you enjoy this article as much as I do and feel free to contact me if you have any inquiry on the topic. At the same time, I appreciate your feedback and you can do so by filling up the form below.

    If you like this article, could you please share this for me using the red Google+ button below?