Creative Juices Design
  • Home
  • Logos
  • Websites
    • Website Design Service
    • Domain Name Search
    • Web Hosting
    • Custom Video Productions
  • Design Services
    • Book Design
    • Brochure Design
    • Stationery
    • Postcards
    • Ad Design
    • CD Design
    • Writing and Editing
    • Displays and Signage
    • Marketing
    • Printing
    • One on One Design Help
    • FAQs
    • Web Site Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Archive for WordPress

15 Jun

Create a Clickable Header in WordPress 3.1.3 Using Artisteer 3.0 Beta 2 for Mac

Clickable Headers are Expected on Websites

WordPress is constantly updated as is Artisteer, which is a great program I use regularly to design WordPress websites. It is also a great program to design Joomla, Drupal and even static websites.

Artisteer - Web Design Generator

Most websites have their logo and/or header clickable to the home page. Unfortunately this is not a default process using Artisteer.

I’ve written about this before. But things change with each new update. So here is a simple code to make your header a clickable link to your home page:

In the sidebar, under Appearance / Editor / Header, look for:

<div class=”art-header”>

Replace this code with:

<div class=”art-header”onclick=”location.href=’http://www.yourdomainname.com/’;” style=”cursor: pointer;”>

And you’re done. Simple and easy.

Keep in mind that if you update or change your theme, this code will disappear and you will have to do it all over again.

Maybe this function will become a part of Artisteer or WordPress in a future update, I hope.

For more information check out:

Make Header Clickable in Latest Artisteer Version

Computer Tech Support Helpful Hints Software
19 Sep

How to Add a PDF File to a WordPress Page that Doesn’t Open an Extra Page

Adding a pdf link to your WordPress page gives a link. But when you hit the link online sometimes a new page opens, usually with a comments box. You then have to press the link again.

Here’s an easy way to avoid that.

  1. Upload/Insert “Add Media”
  2. Find pdf file and either upload it from your computer or locate the file in your “Media Library”
  3. Click “Show”
  4. Where it says “Link URL” hit the button that says “File URL”
  5. Insert into Post

Hit the "File URL" Button

You will then have a link. Hitting the link will either bring up a dialog box asking to open or download the file or will do either of those depending on your browser’s preferences.

Computer Tech Support Helpful Hints Software Technology Website Design
03 Aug

10 Great WordPress Plugins

WordPress has become one of my favorite ways of creating a self-hosted website. Part of the reason is because of the growing number of plugins that add functionality to your site. Here are a list of some of my current favorites. On your WordPress Dashboard go to the Plugins tab, click Add New and do a search for these highly useful add-ons.

  1. All in one SEO Pack Out-of-the-box SEO for your WordPress blog. Appears on every page and makes adding keywords and meta tags easier.
  2. Easy Adsense Easiest way to show AdSense and make money from your blog.
  3. Exclude Pages from Navigation Provides a checkbox on the editing page which you can check to exclude pages from the primary navigation. Very helpful for those special landing pages.
  4. Follow Me The Follow Me plugin is designed to allow users the ability to add links to their social media profiles in their blog. Shows up on the side with a pop up of your chosen social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
  5. Google Analytics for WordPress This plugin makes it simple to add Google Analytics to your WordPress blog, adding lots of features, eg. custom variables and automatic clickout and download tracking.
  6. My Category Order My Category Order allows you to set the order in which categories will appear in the sidebar. Uses a drag and drop interface for ordering. Adds a widget with additional options for easy installation on widgetized themes.
  7. My Link Order My Link Order allows you to set the order in which links and link categories will appear in the sidebar. Uses a drag and drop interface for ordering. Adds a widget with additional options for easy installation on widgetized themes.
  8. My Page Order My Page Order allows you to set the order of pages through a drag and drop interface. Perfect if your theme is not exactly WordPress 3.0 compatible.
  9. NextGEN Gallery A NextGENeration Photo gallery for the Web 2.0. Lots of options to choose from.
  10. WP-DBManager Manages your WordPress database. Allows you to optimize database, repair database, backup database, restore database, delete backup database , drop/empty tables and run selected queries. Supports automatic scheduling of backing up and optimizing of database.

By the way, did I mention these plugins are all free? Some of them do ask for donations and I encourage you to do so. Somebody has to support these people so they can continue to create the wonderful plugins.

Helpful Hints Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Website Design
16 Apr

The Power of Social Media Marketing

You can find hundreds of books to talk about Social Media Marketing, formerly known as Web 2.0. And I’m going to give you crash course in just a few paragraphs.

Blogs

Your blog is an extremely powerful social media hub. If done correctly, it can boost the visibility of your business in ways never before possible. Think of it as an online magazine. You’re in charge of design and content. Your blog can help promote your company’s website or it can be a part of your website.

Setting up a blog is very easy. You can try using a free blogging system such as WordPress.com or Google’s Blogger. But if you want to appear really professional you need to go for a self-hosted blog. The most popular and easiest way to do this is through WordPress.org. You have lots of options for design themes and plugins. Of course a professionally designed unique theme that utilizes your company’s brand identity is best.

Maintaining it regularly can be a challenge. You have to constantly come up with copy that is interesting, relevant and remarkable. This could be once a week. Daily would be great. A few times a week is good too. The trick is to write posts that people want to read. Show your personality and have fun.

Facebook

Facebook is the most popular online social network today, with over 400 million active users of all ages creating a home page and making “friends”. Facebook is a place where “friends” gather. Let everyone know what you’re doing. It’s easy to set up and is free. Show photos, play games, network, add applications. What’s your status? Your Facebook profile can be made public or private. You control the settings of who gets to see your page.

If you have a business you need a “Fan” page. A fan page is part of your original Facebook account. It is visible to everyone, registered or not, including all your customers. While a Facebook Group is better for hosting discussions, for long-term relationships, a “fan” page is best. Personalize your fan page with your company brand or image.

In order to get people to become a “fan” of your company, you need to drive them to your Facebook fan page. Therefore it is important to link your social media together. Create a button on your blog and company website, inviting visitors to become a Facebook fan. You want your fan page to be a fun place to visit. Create content and invite discussion and participation. Make your fan page a resource of information about your company and related products.

Another way you can entice users to join your fan page is by creating contests or coupons specifically for your Facebook fans. This could include discounts on products, free shipping, or other special deals. The goal is to get people to join your fan page and come back often. You need to give them a reason to participate. Encourage comments and input.

Creating a successful fan page takes planning, time and dedication. It’s not something you can set and forget.

Twitter

Twitter can be a very powerful business tool with over 17 million users, a large number of which are older professionals with high incomes. It is called micro-blogging because your “posts” are limited to 140 characters. But you can create an unlimited number of posts.

With Twitter you have access to immediate feedback from people all over the world, 24/7. When you need help, just ask for it. You’ll be surprised at the number of people who will answer your questions and offer assistance. This is also a great way to do market research.

Use Twitter to let people know who you are. Your tweets can include links to photos and video. Send links to helpful or interesting websites. Promote contests, specials, sales, new products, whatever. Inform people when you make a blog post. Direct people to visit your website. And don’t forget to create a unique Twitter backdrop with your company brand and information.

Coming soon to Twitter will be “Promoted Tweets”, a way of advertising on Twitter. And you will be able to pay for a Commercial Twitter account which gives a business detailed analytics tools and the ability for several people to post to the same Twitter account.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a business social network with over 65 million professional business users with an average income of over $100,000 a year. If you’re selling to other businesses you’ll want to have a LinkedIn presence. It’s a great way to drive targeted traffic to your website and further build your social network by exchanging “information, ideas and opportunities”.

Building Buzz and Getting Noticed

The best way to get noticed is to remain consistent. That means you must post to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and write your blog posts on a regular basis. If you don’t, people will stop following you. That’s not good. Sign up with HootSuite and you can write one post and send it to any or all of your social media at one time.

The more followers, friends and fans you have, the more you’ll get. It’s kinda viral. People want to follow popular people. And when you give people what they want in terms of information, tips, discounts, promotions, contests, customer service, etc., they’ll keep coming back for more.

When you’re involved with social media marketing, you’re also a part of the exciting new world of mobile marketing. Facebook, Twitter and Blog news-feeds are a huge part of mobile phone apps. Even Apple has entered the arena with it’s new iAd concept coming to an iPhone or iPad near you. Imagine interactive mobile ads and videos that are graphic and enticing. Google already has a big presence in mobile text advertising. You don’t want to be left out of this new marketing frontier.

So that’s the essence of Social Media Marketing. It’s all part of Search Engine Optimization. The goal is to get people to your website or social media hub. This can also include being part of social bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon, Delicious, Reddit, Digg; photo sites like Flickr; rich media sites like YouTube and Spoink and don’t forget MySpace.

For more information on how you can become a part of this exciting and powerful world of social media marketing contact Chuck at Creative Juices.

Advertising Blogging to promote business. Business Practices Helpful Hints Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Technology Website Design
23 Mar

What’s the Most Effective Blogging Platform?

Blogging Options

When first starting out on my blogging journey I tried Google’s Blogger, GoDaddy’s Quick Blogcast and WordPress.com. All are easy to use and set up. I have since discovered that WordPress is one of the most popular free blogging systems.

So I settled on WordPress.com and created a not too regular blog. Blogging takes time and careful thought. Sometimes it takes research or just having something “remarkable” to say. That is not always easy.

Somewhere along the way I started reading and researching the blogging world and soon discovered that you can conceivably make money by blogging. What will they think of next. At the very least you can promote your existing business or service by creating useful, helpful, interesting, fascinating or humorous blogs on a regular basis.

Monetize your Blog

Making money with your blog is great. One of the easiest ways to make money blogging (by easy I mean setting it up, not getting people to buy) is by using Google AdSense. Then there’s the whole world of affiliate marketing. And of course selling your own “stuff”, such as an e-book or physical product or service. I soon discovered you cannot use AdSense or place ads with WordPress.com. But you can on WordPress.org. While WordPress.com is hosted by WordPress for free, you must find your own host for WordPress.org. This is not very difficult or expensive.

Why I Switched to WordPress.org

Since I am a GoDaddy reseller and I have a deluxe hosting plan for cjuices.com this was a no-brainer for me. GoDaddy makes it easy to set up WordPress.org. It’s just a matter of downloading the software into your server.

And with WordPress.org you get quite a lot of options to design, add to, and monetize your blog. As with all things in business, it’s a process that takes time, education, studying and work to make it pay. It’s also fun and relatively painless to set up and use. There are tons of widgets and plugins to help you with anything from simple forms, Google Analytics, Facebook and Twitter follows, shopping carts, photo galleries and much more. You can find lots of free information on setting up and using WordPress.org too.

Custom Designed Template for that Special Look

A custom designed website makes your business stand out and look professional. Call me at Creative Juices and I will explain all the possibilities on getting your website/blog up and running with a customized WordPress template. Yes, this is a shameless plug, but I am also here to help you by answering questions on the benefits of WordPress.

Free quotes too at 310-791-5803.

Blogging to promote business. Business Practices Helpful Hints Marketing 101
20 Mar

Hootsuite

hootsuiteAre you struggling to market your business with a blog, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn? Juggling all the social media with new content can be quite a job in itself.

I’ve been using Hootsuite daily and love it. This piece of software, available for your Mac, PC, iPad, and iPhone, allows you to write one message and send it to all your social media at once. Plus now you can schedule your posts to appear at specific days and times. Just click on the schedule calendar, pick the day and time and your done. You can also choose an image to go with your Facebook posts.

Just set up your login info for Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Fan Pages, MySpace, LinkedIn, WordPress and much more. Then write your message and check the accounts you want it to be sent from. Very easy. Plus you can view all your feeds in one place. How convenient is that?

Analyze and Grow Your Social Channels with HootSuite

HootSuite - Social Media Dashboard

Blogging to promote business. Business Practices Helpful Hints iPhone Marketing 101
18 Feb

Niche Blogging is Fun and Can be Profitable Too.

Vote for Lucy

Does your pet have their own blog? It’s can be rewarding and you can make money through affiliate marketing and selling merchandise. You can also use it to market your own business. Why not?

I set up a blog for my Chihuahua using WordPress. It’s called AllMyChihuahuas.

If you want a unique WordPress template created for your little pet, give Creative Juices a call at 310.791.5803.

Business Practices Creative Juices News Marketing 101
12 Jan

10 Simple Ways to Increase Your Website’s Ranking

There are several ways to make your website more search engine friendly. Here are some of the simple ones:

  1. Add a Title (Heading) Tag to each page, also known as a Page Title. This should relate to what is on each individual page.
  2. Add a Meta Description to each page (no more than 150 characters).
  3. Research and and add Keywords to all the pages. Again, should relate to the copy.
  4. Register your site with the major search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Bing).
  5. Set up a site map which should include all your pages.
  6. Make sure you are listed on the major online local directories in your field.
  7. Create a blog on your site, or link to it and write regular, remarkable copy (such as this). This let’s your customers interact with your company on a regular basis instead of just having a brochure online. We recommend using WordPress.org.
  8. Create a Twitter account and contribute to it regularly. Give helpful information and links as well as tell about yourself.
  9. Create a Facebook Fan page for your company and create content regularly.
  10. Get as many links to your site from other high ranking sites. This can be the result of having great content on your site.

This is just the beginning. Search Engine Optimization is a great way to get your website known. Being listed high up on the search engine results pages can be quite a complex and ever changing challenge. Enjoy. Or hire the professional.

Business Practices Helpful Hints Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
07 Jan

Creative Juices 29th Anniversary

Today marks the 29th anniversary of Creative Juices. We have seen many changes in the graphic arts industry. We have lived through the days of typesetting, paste up, hand inking, negs and veloxes. Then came the Mac and desktop publishing. Remember Pagemaker? Then came e-mail, the World Wide Web, Quark, Adobe and AOL. Now we have Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and of course the iPhone.

As technology changes Creative Juices changes too. We have many new services, including designing WordPress templates, Twitter backdrops, search engine optimization, marketing and blog copywriting. Of course we still do logo designs, brochures, websites, ads and printing. Don’t forget we can also host your blog or website and set up your domain name. I am in the process of converting my website and blog into a WordPress format. I will be adding new and exciting features which I will soon introduce. Look for more updates here.

As always, we are dedicated to giving our clients personalized, one on one service and free advice on how to improve your business image and online presence.

Feel free to call any time or stop by and visit (appointment required). Lucy the Chihuahua is always eager to greet you. Keep up on her latest musings at AllMyChihuahuas.com.

I thank all my past, present and future clients for their patronage and friendship and look forward to working with you all again in 2010 and beyond.

Creative Juices News

Follow Us

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Click Image for Professional Logos Starting at $75

Creative Logos

Sign up for FREE Marketing Tips.

Increase your business!
unsubscribe from list

powered by MailChimp!

Shop Amazon

Creative Juices Graphic Design Studio | Copyright © 2023 All Rights Reserved