The DreamPix Studio

Must-Have WordPress Plugins

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WordPress has become the website platform of choice for many small businesses. In fact, take a look at these 31 WordPress products that can help improve the performance of your website! WordPress is an open-source content management system that is free but priceless. One of the biggest advantages of WordPress is that it can be customized with a multitude of plugins from third-party developers that can enhance your website. From photo galleries to shopping carts, to password-protected areas, to SEO packages; the list of available goes on and on. Some are useful, others not so much and few are indispensable. I put together a list of the plugins that make will enhance your WordPress experience – a few of the suggestions from Megan Totka of Small Business Trends who had some great ideas.

Online Backup for WordPress

The thought of losing the content on my website keeps me up at night but a good back plugin that backup the database is a source of comfort. This free, easy-to-use plug-in allows you to schedule automated daily or weekly backups, perform manual backups, and more.

Akismet

If you are going to allow comments on your blog posts you will need to install Akismet to avoid spam. This plugin will delete unwanted comments before they get posted, sparing visitors from having to read through oodles of bogus comments.

All in One SEO Pack

The first true all-in-one SEO solution for WordPress, including on-page content analysis, XML sitemaps, and much more.

Visual Form Builder

While I usually use Custom Contact Forms by Talor Lovett I was just introduced to Visual Form Builder and it is very cool. Using a simple drag and drop concept you can create all sorts of forms with ease. It’s easy to do this with the Visual Form Builder plugin which lets you create all kinds of forms for your site with no coding required.

Google Analytics for WordPress

Sure, WordPress gives you a way to insert a tracking code from Google Analytics directly into your theme, so why add yet another plugin to your site?
Because with the Google Analytics for WordPress plugin, you get extra features: Automatic tracking for site speed, outbound links, downloads, custom variable support, link tagging, debug mode, login and registration form tracking, and more.

W3 Total Cache

W3 Total Cache is the highest-rated and most complete WordPress performance plugin. Dramatically improve the speed and user experience of your site as well as your ranking on Google which now considers speed as a factor. The plugin adds browser, page, object, and database caching to WordPress.

Relevanssi

The default search feature for WordPress is not the best as results are ranked according to publication date, rather than relevance to the search term. Relevanssi is a WordPress plugin that fixes the search. You get the best results first, with highlights showing the exact part of the document that matched the query.

After the Deadline

Get a personal proofreader for your content that catches more errors than the native WordPress spell check. This plugin comes with basic spelling and grammar and includes contextual spell checking, advanced style checking, and intelligent grammar checking to virtually wipe out mistakes in your posts.

WP Social Share

Social Networks are very popular these days and are a great source to get readers for your blog. WP Social Share plugin helps you and your users to share blog posts directly from your blog to social network sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

Tide Spoofs Halloween Thrillers on Vine

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Tide has gotten into the Halloween spirit this year by launching a seven-part Halloween campaign using Vine, Twitter’s six-second mobile-social video platform.

The first video features the orange bottle of liquid detergent at a senior prom, bloodily spoofing the remake of the movie “Carrie.” The tagline: “Stains better be scared.” is used in all the videos that spoof of classic thrillers like Psycho.

Do-it-yourself Website Builders

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Website wizards have made our life easier in many ways, although sometimes they can create roadblocks. I have crossed paths with Sitebuilder a number of times as many hosts offer the software as an easy, do-it-yourself, web building tool.
While it simplifies the process in one sense, it does its limitations.

  • Immobility: Sitebuilder allows a user to select a template from which to create their website. The problem is that the site is not transferable, exportable, or portable in any way. That means that you are married to the host and, should you choose to end your relationship, you must start anew as with any divorce.
  • Slow Load Time: While Sitebuilder is easy on the front end, the backend is heavy in excess code causing two issues:
  1. A load time that is 15 seconds slower than the average website.
  2. Deterring search engines who like prefer pages with clean code.
  • Amateurish Design: Sitebuilder templates are less sophisticated to start but when a rookie takes control of the design the sites often take a turn for the worse graphically speaking.

When is Sitebuilder a good choice?

For businesses that are in a hurry to establish an online presence but lack the technical knowledge, how a good Sitebuilder template may fit the bill. The key is to make an informed decision and be aware of its limitations in advance.

Architect Cooks Up Social Media Opportunity

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One of the goals of Social Media for businesses is to build relationships and trust by providing an up-close and personal glimpse into the business. When North Shore Architect Benjamin Nutter completed the design and build of Lilia Haynes’s exquisite Heaven on Earth Cooking Studio located in Boxford, MA, he saw a perfect social media opportunity and seized it.
liliahaynes
Ben booked one of Lila’s seasonal Italian cooking classes, invited a small group of friends as well as a photographer/videographer. Not only was Ben able to showcase his impeccable work as it applied to real-life but he was able to tell a more personal story about himself and his business. This is what social media is all about.

Restaurants must have a tasty site

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The internet has made discriminating shoppers out of all of us. From clothing boutiques to preschools to restaurants, we are making decisions based on a web experience. A subpar experience on a restaurant website translates into lost reservations and lost dollars. Every industry has specific needs that dictate what components must be included on their website. For restaurants, it’s simple. Your website must include FIVE specific details to in order convert visitors into real reservations.

1. Hours of Operation
2. Contact Info or a Reservation link
3. Menus – be sure they are current.
4. Photos – beautiful photos are crucial and will tell your story.
5. Customer Reviews – The proof is in the pudding. Links to social media sites such as YELP and UrbanSpoon.

Five Formats for Email Marketing

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Email Marketing continues to be one of the most effective ways to generate new leads and educate customers about your products and services.

This week I received an email from a local day spa. The subject line read: A Few Openings Left Today to Save! And in the body as an offer to save 20% on a massage on that day. Even the available appointment times were listed in the email. Considering I had just pulled my back out the day before, the timing was perfect. While promotional emails are my least favorite they have their place in the marketing world.

Emails fall into FIVE basic categories:

  • Educational – These emails answer a question or solve a problem for the recipient.
  • Informational – This style of email is typically short and the intent is to convey necessary information such as the status of a recently placed order or an event reminder.
  • Promotional – Promotional emails try to get the recipient to take action around a new product or service.
  • Lead Nurturing – These short emails are part of the sales cycle. They are content-rich and encourage recipients to take action on your website.
  • Newsletter – These emails update customers about what’s going on in a company and may include informative articles relative to their client base.
  • Email marketing is alive and well – still holding a very prominent space in the marketing world.

Basic Online Marketing Musts – Small Business

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Trying to weed through the clutter as it relates to online marketing can be a daunting task for a business owner. In fact, just navigating the terminology of the internet world can be enough to scare away the most ambitious in the group. There are essentially four marketing musts that a business needs to be competitive in the online marketing world.

1. A Good Website – This will ensure that your business can be found online, provide useful information about your products and services and close the sale.
2. A Facebook Page – The purpose of Facebook is to develop relationships, network with your customers and become an authority in your field.
3. A Twitter Page – To gather information about your clients and your competition, to share valuable information, and to drive traffic to your website.
4. A LinkedIn Account – to offer an inside view of your company and professional credentials. LinkedIn allows you to showcase professional know-how and to network with others in your industry.

The theory is that your company website will sit at the center of the workflow pattern and the social media accounts will act as a feeder to the website. There’s no need to sign up for all the social media platforms out there – just stick with the basics until you are comfortable.

Woo Clients on Social Media

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big-followingContrary to popular belief, social media pages are not the place for businesses to peddle their wares. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest offer the opportunity to unmask the more intimate, fun-loving side of a business. Tell your story but make it engaging. It’s okay to showcase your products and services, but this is not the time or the place to close the deal.

Social media sites are where you woo potential clients by showing them what you are all about.

Think in terms of building trust in your brand and solid relationships and the sales are sure to follow.

Five Common Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

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1. Look Good – Be certain that every piece of marketing material bearing your company name and brand looks good. Quality counts.
2. Do Not Overuse Social Media – surprisingly enough it is NOT necessary to have a presence on every social network just because you can. Select the medium that best reaches your customers and do it well.
3. Complete Your Website Or Social Media Page– Leaving it incomplete or outdated is worse than not having an online presence at all.
4. Avoid Shameless Self Promotion – while your website should be a viable marketing tool that provides information about your products you need to offer more than that. Valuable, relevant information that meets the needs of your market will bring you far.
5. Do Not Blindly Follow The Experts – test different approaches in order to determine which one works best for you. You might be surprised at the results. For example, Google Adwords does not work for everyone.

Take Revenge Against Bad Online Reviews

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While most small business owners spend their energy trying to catapult their website to the top of a Google search page, others are waging a battle against negative online reviews that are reaching the top of Google searches. Poor ratings and reviews on sites like YELP, Yahoo, Google, Foursquare, Citysearch, or Zagat can wreak havoc on the reputation of a small business. Whether it is a disgruntled former employee who is seeking revenge or an unhappy customer, there are ways to combat the problem. Naturally, the best way to combat this situation is to take a proactive approach from the start by encouraging customers to write positive reviews online. The theory is elementary – if the positives outweigh the negatives you will look better on paper. It is worth your while to give your clients a little incentive for doing the good deed – perhaps offer a coupon for a discount on their next visit. If the negative reviews have already done damage to your reputation then you have your work cut out for you but not all is lost. If it is an unhappy customer creating the stir – do what you can to appease them. Apologize and offer an opportunity to make things right. Beyond that, stay clear of excuses or negative remarks. Your best bet is to encourage more customers to post positive reviews in order to drown out the negative noise.

Other places that businesses can manage their online reputation include:

  • Facebook
  • Blogs
  • Claim your listing on the online review sites.

The DreamPix Studio … creating online impressions that make a difference.