Tag Archives: wordpress

New Site Release: The Cronkhite Law Firm

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cronkhiteWe are thrilled to release another new, custom, responsive-design website, for Carolyn Cronkhite at the Cronkhite Law Firm in Plainville, CT. After a long period of discussion and discovery, we worked closely with Carolyn to create an online presence that speaks to her unique firm. Check it out at www.cronkhitelawfirm.com!

Here’s what Carolyn had to say about working with North Forty Road:

I’ve had the pleasure of working with North Forty Road Web Design, LLC for the last two years as they designed and launched my new website.  It took me that long to find the perfect concept and layout for my business.  Scott and his design team worked closely with me through many, many revisions and re-designs.  They were incredibly patient with me and flexible enough to present fresh ideas when I changed my mind “yet again.”

I wanted a website that reflected both my professional approach to the legal field and the personal touches that distinguish me form every other attorney.  My website demonstrates competence and confidence as well as warmth and sincerity.  This was profoundly important to me.  Scott and his team worked many hours to provide me with exactly what I was looking for.

I would recommend North Forty Road to anyone looking to distinguish themselves on the internet.  They have tremendous resources available to them to meet your individual needs and the persistence to complete the project to your exact specifications.

Ready to get started on a great new website for your business? Contact us today to get started.

Social Media Tools for WordPress

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ID-10078955We have learned that social media is the new king of marketing… but make no mistake, your website is still critical, and should serve as the central hub for all of your online marketing. It’s home!

WordPress developers have created numerous tools that can help pull together all of your online real estate.  Check out these great plugins:

Social Media Widget: So simple, and the clearest way to direct people from your website to your social media. As the name implies, Social Media Widget adds a widget to your sidebar with icon links to each of your social media outlets. Install the plugin, add the widget to your sidebar, add the URL of each of your social media pages, and you’re off and running! Tip: Set each icon to open a new page/tab so that your website remains open. You can see this plugin in action on our homepage.

Sociable: Take your Social Media integration to the next level by adding “share” buttons at the end of each page or article. You can easily configure which media you wish to use, and the connection to each happens in the background automatically. Sociable also includes “print” and “email”, allowing full control of your viewers’ sharing experience.

Pinterest “Pin It” Button: Make it easy for your site visitors to Pin your images to their Pinterest board, sharing the wealth of great content you are posting! Install it, set it, and forget it… This plugin adds a “Pin It” button to your pages, and defaults to pinning the first image on each page.

Need help? We’re here to help you bring all of your internet pieces together to create a full online marketing plan. Contact us today to discuss!

(Photo courtesy Suphakit73, freedigitalphotos.net)

Visual Composer

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Guest blogger Jacob Humerick talks about a great tool for getting more layout options out of WordPress.  Contact us if you’d like to learn more!

The thought of a new website can oftentimes be overwhelming. WordPress has made that process much easier, because you do not need to know how to code complicated lines in order to create a professional layout for your website. There are also plugins out there that will make it even easier to display content on your website. One that I have found very helpful is the Visual Composer.

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Using Visual Composer, customizing your website has never been easier. With Virtual Composer, you have the ability to create custom layouts. There are many options and tools that you could use to really give your website that one-of-a-kind look. The Visual Composer has many different input options for the display. From layout options to inputting customized widget areas, these elements will allow you to move your content into any position you would like.

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As you can see, there are many different options that you can insert into your website. Some of these features you may even have already installed in your theme. By using Visual Composer, you unlock many new ways to use some of these plugins, and you can visibly see what you are doing while you edit.

When inserting new content areas, you also have the option for columns, to give your website more of a professional feel. As a result, you can make custom sidebars for each individual page. One of the elements that we can add into a page with Visual Composer is the “Widgetised Sidebar”, so that you can use a pre-made sidebar, or a sidebar with one or more of the other elements above.

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The possibilities are endless! You have all of the same options as you would normally, but they are in one centralized location. There is no need to search for the functions, so if you are just starting out, you can see everything right in one place. As with anything, there is a slight learning curve, but once you get used to adding new content, creating a professional looking custom page is quicker than ever.

 

Jacob Humerick graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a degree in Music Education. Aside from working on WordPress websites, he can be heard playing his trumpet, whenever he gets the chance.

Blogging: Go for it!

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ID-10085359I had a client this week tell me that she had set up a blog, and spent several hours just looking at the “Add New Post” button, and finally decided she should write something. In the process of writing, she realized that she had something unique to share, and loved doing it!

This blog started out as a way to promote new sites that we have designed and released here at North Forty Road. Eventually we began sharing tips on using WordPress, our primary website platform, and the internet in general. More recently, we started sharing general small business help – technical tips, marketing tips, and even spiritual guidance. It has become somewhat popular, especially within our LinkedIn community.

My biggest hangup was that there are so many blogs out there…. How could I present anything unique? Well, we all have a unique voice, and we all have something to say. So, if you’re even considering doing a blog, I say “go for it!” Write a couple of posts, send them to folks you know, ask them for feedback. People love giving sharing their opinion, so take advantage of that! And then, make a regular schedule.  Don’t try to do it every day; start with weekly, or even monthly.

There are some great WordPress tools to help build your readership: The Subscribe2 plugin adds a sidebar signup area for folks to subscribe to your blog – they’ll receive your new posts via email, and can comment by replying to that email. The Jetpack plugin allows you to send your posts directly and automatically to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and more – very convenient!

The tools are great, but the inspiration can come from anywhere.  Remember that you do have a voice. Share it!

(Photo courtesy Stuart Miles, freedigitalphotos.net)

Is your website safe?

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Image courtesy of Master Isolated Images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Have you noticed that you’ve gotten more spam in recent months?  Or that not only is spam coming directly to your email address, but also through that contact form on your website, or from other sources – even text messages? It’s important to protect your computer and your website from spammers and hackers.

One thing we overlook often is that spammers and hackers are business owners like many of us. Just as we look for new and different ways to reach our clients, those people that use the internet maliciously have the same goals and the same tools at their disposal. Hackers and spammers find early access to new technology, and use that knowledge to search out and cause trouble – everything from mostly-harmless advertising, to installing software in your website that sends out thousands of spam emails, all the way up to spreading viruses that destroy visitors’ computers. Scary.

How do you keep yourself safe?

  • The #1 thing to do is change your passwords periodically.  Password guessing is the most common way hackers access websites.  Nobody likes to do this, because passwords are hard enough to remember as it is!  It is important though, so keep a list safe somewhere and do it.
  • Back up your website. If you have a WordPress site, you can work through your web person to set up a back up plan, either that you do on your own, or they perform for you.  If your site gets attacked, often the only remedy is to reinstall the whole thing. Having a backup is the best protection you can have.
  • Update to the latest software. WordPress updates include the latest security patches.  This keeps the software safer from the new technology that hackers develop regularly.  Talk to your web person about updating, however, because some applications within WordPress cannot be updated without professional help. The same is true on your computer – keep doing those annoying updates!
  • When in doubt, don’t click! Say “no” to installing new software or toolbars when you upgrade or download new software for your computer, don’t click the link in that weird email from Aunt Betsy, etc. If you don’t know what it is, it’s probably not good for you!

This article has some more detail about website hacking: read on.

Common sense reigns when it comes to protection, but when technology changes so quickly it is important to work with someone you can trust for both your own computer and your website.  Contact us today to talk about protecting your website, and I can also help you connect with someone to help with your computer or network.

Image courtesy of Master Isolated Images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net