WordPress is a free and open source blogging tool based on PHP and MySQL. Its features include a plugin architecture and a template system.
Below we have several posts written about WordPress. One of our common topics in the past has been Magento and WordPress integration. At Union Square Design, we integrate both Magento and WordPress systems for our blogs, so we have extensive familiarity with both systems.
The Magento WordPress Integration Plugin allows you to bring out any of the default Magento blocks in your WordPress theme, bring out any Magento blocks that you have created yourself, and bring out any static blocks that you have made in your Magento admin area. It also shows products from any category using the widget add-on.
With WordPress, you can create any type of website you want: a personal blog or website, a photoblog, a business website, a professional portfolio, a government website, a magazine or news website, an online community, even a network of websites.
You can make your website beautiful with themes, and extend it with plugins. You can even build your very own application. Simplicity makes it possible for you to get online and get publishing, quickly. Gone are the days where you have to submit content and wait for it to be reviewed by editors. WordPress allows you be your own editor.
Creating new content on WordPress couldn’t be easier—in fact, it’s one of the hallmarks of the application and once that content has been created, integration with Magento allows users to port that content directly onto their e-commerce site or social media outlet.
With all of this information that you’ve gained about WordPress, we hope that you enjoy reading our WordPress blog, and we hope to update you with more info on what’s going on in the WordPress world as it comes.
Here are 3 things you should keep in mind when choosing keywords for SEO on your website. Keywords will make it easier for search engines to find your website. But sometimes, choosing one (or more) can be hard. These tips on using keywords for SEO will help boost your site’s traffic.
Repeating keywords for SEO
Repetition is the key to keywords. You need to find a word that can be repeated more than once, without annoying the reader of your website. Repetition is also important because search engines are looking for web pages that use the keyword in a relevant way — you don’t want to litter the page with them. A good rule of thumb is if you have a web page that has 100 words, 5% of that should be your keyword. It is what’s called keyword density, which you can calculate on any keyword calculator on the internet.
Simplifying keywords for SEO
When choosing a keyword, don’t pick something that is too abstract. Be as specific as possible. For instance, if you’re selling holiday cards, you wouldn’t want “holiday cards” to be your keywords for every product. You should make it as specific as possible, such as “funny Father’s Day card” for the product. This can move your website up on the search engine’s ranking list.
Recycling keywords for SEO
You shouldn’t use the same exact keywords on multiple pages. But you should use similar ones. Use keywords that are common to other keywords you have used. If you link to these pages, or recycle part of the keyword it creates a web. This web of links will tell the search engine that these pages are credible. For example, if you’ve used the keyword “funny Father’s Day card” you should use similar keywords such as “heartfelt Father’s Day card” on another product or page.
With these tips in mind, you can get your website to rank higher on search engines. Since most people find websites by using search engines, this is very important.
What is SEO? How does it work? SEO stands for search engine optimization. SEO is a tool for getting visitors to your website from search engines. They use algorithms that search engines like Google use in order to rank websites. If you are a business, you want your website to be at the top of the search results on Google.
What is SEO Writing?
Search engines look for many components to determine which website should be first in a web search. They look for keywords, links, content, and more. If you have a website you’ll need to figure out how to use these items as effectively as possible to create traffic on your site. However, if you only focus on SEO and create a website with just links and keywords you risk being blacklisted by search engines, which isn’t good. Remember that writing for SEO is crucial, but people are more important.
What are SEO Keywords?
SEO Keywords are words and phrases used in the content of your website that make it possible for search engines to rank it. For example, if you’re posting a recipe for apple pie, you’d want your keywords to be “apple pie recipe.” If you can optimize your keywords, by only using them when it’s relevant, the search engines will rank you higher. Basically, you don’t want to shove the word “apple pie recipe” in every single sentence to boost the keyword.
What is SEO Content?
Content is really important to SEO. First off, if a web page on your site isn’t at least 300 words it won’t be noticed by search engines. Other factors that influence SEO are readability and sentence structure. The clearer and simpler you write, the higher search engines will rank. Also content works with SEO to help guide people to specific keywords that your website wants people to know about.
What are SEO Links?
Links are important for SEO because they connect other web pages to your site. By doing this, they create a kind of web of links for the visitor of the site to surf through. The amount of pages that link to your page tells the search engine how important it is. So the more you engage with outside sources and vice versa, the better the web is structured.
So using resources like links, content, keywords, and more will help your website get and create more traffic. This traffic will help you get a higher rank on search engines — leading to even more visitors. If you run a business, chances are you’ll get more sales by using SEO successfully.
WordPress 4.5 has been released, which should have everyone excited. If you’re not already on WordPress here are some good reasons why you should be. Named “Coleman” after saxophone legend Coleman Hawkins, this new version of WordPress was designed to have the same smooth, fast pace as the jazz great. Here are some – but not all – of the most exciting changes.
Coleman Hawkins
1. Better inline linking in WordPress 4.5.
We all know how important links are. Inline linking makes it easier for you to link, with a convenient “insert link” pop-up. It also detects if a user is searching for a URL or entering one. This change in the WordPress interface makes it easier to navigate your content and add links without losing your place on the page.
2. Easier customization on all devices.
This is a big deal: customization has become easier than ever. Now you can preview what your WordPress website will look like to visitors on mobile, tablet, and desktop devices. Going forward, you can feel completely confident about what your customers may see, no matter how they’re accessing your website.
3. Better brand establishment — now you can add logos.
WordPress 4.5 enables you to add your corporate logo to your website via Themes. This is obviously a major development in terms of establishing your brand and cultivating wider recognition from visitors and the larger online community. Premium members have had this, but now it’s available for everyone.
4. Images load quicker on all screens.
Images now load up 50% faster, because WordPress 4.5 has removed unneeded meta. And the best part? There’s no loss in terms of image quality. So insert all the images you want without thinking twice.
In addition to this there are a few improvements for coders as well, such as formatting shortcuts and JavaScript updates. So, with these improvements in place, download WordPress 4.5 and start creating effective web content. It’s what Coleman Hawkins would have done if he’d been lucky enough to have WordPress in his day.
These 5 free themes on WordPress are perfect if you want your small business to grow. Today, websites have become one of the most important parts of a business. It is often the first impression people have of companies. You could spend money for a web designer to build a website from scratch, but this can become costly. Luckily, WordPress cuts out the need for outside help. Their easy-to-learn website platform has many free themes to make your site look sleek and professional.
1. Interstellar — Perfect Theme for Portfolios
Interstellar is a free theme for WordPress which allows you to manage your portfolio for your business or career as an artist. There are many different page layouts to customize. Also there are plugins that link to Google and all of Google’s extensions. Interstellar also allows you to edit fonts, text, and more. You can add widgets to your site as well, that link to Facebook, Twitter, and other sites.
2. Arcade — An Easy-to-Use Theme
Arcade uses HTML5 (the latest HTML coding language) to design responsive and easy-to-use websites. The platform can support videos, images, audio, links, and more. Arcade comes with Google Fonts to improve the website’s usability. This theme can be used for both laptops and smartphones.
3. Grid — A Smartphone-Accessible Theme
Grid is a free theme designed mostly for smartphones. This theme is ideal for the growing demand that websites be compatible with smartphone screens. Grid achieves this with the infinity scroll, so you don’t have to click between pages. This theme is compatible with Firefox and Safari and has the capability to display videos. There is also a Search button you can add to your website, which is a nice touch.
4. Hemingway — A Great Theme for Blogging
Hemingway is a great free WordPress theme if you blog for your business. There are multiple formats for posting so you can add blogs, videos, short notes, and quotes. Hemingway is also mobile friendly. In addition to that, you can change the colors of the theme, as well as the header photo.
5. Future Life — An SEO-Friendly WordPress Theme
Future Life is a free WordPress theme with a responsive layout that fits screen size, so you can use it on a laptop or smartphone. It has sidebar widgets, featured images, custom menus and headers. Future Life is also HTML/CSS friendly and works great with Search Engine Optimization.
No matter what kind of site you need for you business, whether is strictly professional or a bit personal, WordPress has it all. These are just five of the many free themes on WordPress that you can use to make your site perfect.
Have you ever wondered what the best pizzeria websites in NYC are? New York City is — as we all know — known for amazing pizza. But finding the truly best pizza can be hard. Here are four locals who have made locating, ordering, and eating pizza easier with their amazing websites.
1. Juliana’s Pizza — One of Brooklyn’s Best
Images of pizza greet you right away. This website has everything you need: social media links, the menu, directions, and more. Their easy-to-use site will make you hungry just looking at it. There’s also a photo gallery, so you can get a taste of Juliana’s before you arrive.
Juliana’s Media Links
2. Kesté — From Naples to Manhattan
The homepage slideshow that introduces this West Village restaurant is perfect. The pictures manage to give Kesté a face, while also showing off their mouth-watering Neapolitan pie. Their links are easy to navigate, and their “order online” option is a great feature.
Kesté’s Homepage
3. Joe’s Pizza — The Greenwich Village Institution
Although a Village favorite, Joe’s is a bit of a surprise here. This is because Joe’s has an old-school reputation. But that doesn’t mean they can’t keep up online! The content is great: blog posts, photos of celebrity customers, and a Joe’s History Lesson all make this a top-notch website.
Joe’s Homepage
4. Roberta’s — Quintessential Bushwick
Obviously, Roberta’s is here. The cooler-than-cool Bushwick spot’s website is exactly what visitors should expect. There’s a picture gallery, calendar, a delivery map, catering options, and more. There’s also plenty of social media links, allowing them to connect with customers.
Roberta’s Homepage
Of course, a website doesn’t make bad pizza taste better. However, when it comes to the endless (and amazing) pizza options in New York, the right site is the difference between good and great. These four best pizzeria websites have made the internet an important part of New York’s important food. And we’re thankful for it.
We’ve listed the top 5 reasons to use WordPress as your go-to platform. If you’re thinking of building a website for your company, choosing the right platform is essential. WordPress is easy-to-use and extremely popular right now. Here’s why.
1. WordPress is free.
This convenience is great for start-up companies and established companies alike. Other sites can charge you just to sign up. But WordPress (WP) is an open-source software. This means that you can use and modify your WordPress site any way you like — but there might be extra costs for additional benefits. But one less main cost for you is always a bonus!
2. WordPress is easy to use.
There are plenty of guides and forums for users to help you get familiar with WordPress. And even better, WordPress employees can assist you with site setup. They also respond quickly to questions and concerns. Furthermore, the internet is full of WordPress how-to articles. Like most other WordPress users, you can easily master this platform.
3. WordPress is attractive.
WordPress has a clean, easy-to-read format. It’s crucial not to overwhelm your readers. This minimalist format draws in readers to your content — without burying what’s important. WordPress also updates their free fonts and themes often. Therefore, you can be assured your site will never look outdated, nor will it blend in.
4. WordPress is video-friendly.
Videos have become very popular for businesses. Posting one is a fun way to get across what your company is all about. In addition to that, WordPress also keeps up with video updates. As a result you can be sure that visitors will be able to access your video content without any glitches.
5. WordPress has great editing tools.
As your business grows and changes your website should too. WordPress makes doing this much faster and easier. There are a variety of editing tools: you can add pictures, videos, links, and more! Hence, you’ll be able to update in just a few clicks without needing any outside help.
In conclusion, there are more than just these top 5 reasons to use WordPress. WordPress is a great tool to use, and their thousands of users would agree. Their easy-to-learn platform makes creating a website much easier. And if that’s not enough, WordPress is also mobile-friendly.
Wordpress Bulletin Board: Features for Social Media
Wordpress Bulletin Board is an easy to use forum for your WordPress site which features Facebook authentication, support for displaying yourTwitteraccount on your forum that your members can follow, and so much more. You can safely deactivate the plugin at any time and not lose a thing. The plugin will notify you if it is deactivated which you can disable by removing the page WPBB creates for you. If you decide to delete the plugin at any time, all traces of WPBB are deleted permanently.
Features:
Compatibility – Fully compatible with 3.5, 3.4, 3.3, 3.2, 3.1 and 3.0
Ease of Integration – WPBB works with any theme, you can change your theme anytime and WPBB will automatically update itself.
Translatable – WPBB can easily be translated into your preferred language!
Facebook registration – Allow your users to register on your WordPress site via Facebook. This automatically creates a WP account for your Facebook users which they can then login to after authenticating.
Twitter – Enter your twitter account in your settings and your users will be able to follow your website / personal account with the click of a button.
Private Messaging System – Allow users to send messages to each other.
Member Profiles – All your WP users are automatically apart of your forum whenever you create it and have a “forum profile” which can be viewed on the forum which shows the users avatar, username, role, posts, website and signature. Signatures are apart of WPBB and allow your users to enter a signature which can be text or images and is displayed below their profile and posts.
Categories, Forums, Sub forums – Organise your forums into categories and your sub forums into forums. There is no limit to the amount of forums its parent can have, and each are ordered by its appearance in its parent.
Permissions system – Currently supports the ability to allow or disallow any role (even custom roles!) any specific permission (edit, view, read, post, reply, lock, delete, sticky). WPBB grabs all known roles from your WP site which you can set permissions for manually or copy existing permissions from a previous forum.
Role Permissions – New in 1.1. Allows you to choose whether a role can only edit, lock, delete and sticky their own topics or everyones.
Topics – If you have the permissions to do so you can edit, lock, delete, sticky, view, read, post or reply with a topic.
Posts – You can edit and delete any post and the posts topic affects the posts status. You can create posts in two ways, creating a topic reply with presents the WP editor for improved formatting or you can use the quick reply feature (if it is enabled in your settings)
Pagination System – Supports a simple pagination system which organises your topics and posts – you can set the max topics/posts per page in your wpbb settings.
Unread Topics – WPBB collects a list of topics which have been posted when you were offline and displays them for you. You can mark any of them as read once you’ve read them.
Unanswered Topics – Similar to the above feature, unanswered topics are ones which haven’t yet received any replies.
Admin area – The WPBB settings integrate with your existing WP admin area where you can easily manage your forums with ease. The WPBB overview allows you to change the order of a category, forum or sub forum, edit it and delete it with a single click. You can also create new categories, forums, sub forums and topics via the admin area.
Settings – WPBB is jam packed with settings that you can use to customise the forum any way you want to.
Tools – Tools help make your life easier. Tools such as updating your roles whenever you add, change or remove them and a tool to recreate the forum page if you ever accidentally delete it.
There are many cases where an ecommerce plugin from WordPress can benefit your website. WordPress is a trusted website, with over a 60 percent share of the CMS market, which makes it a great tool for any ecommerce webmaster.
A WordPress plugin for your site can also be a great solution for your store or website if you have a limited product catalog, or simple products composed mostly of small electronics or home goods. If your website functions mostly as a blog, then a WordPress plugin is also essential.
However, you should definitely avoid a WordPress ecommerce plugin if:
You don’t have a reliable developer
If you’re an ecommerce owner and you don’t have your own developer and you’re not a developer, some other hosted ecommerce solutions could be a much better fit for you than a WordPress store.
Your site has too many complex products
Creating complex and variable products takes significant customization—for many WordPress ecommerce plugins, you’ll need to add in additional third-party plugins in order to get what you want.
Make sure you scope out all of your complex product needs before deciding on a platform.
You don’t want to manually update WordPress and the plugin
When a new version of WordPress is released with updates and security patches, you’ll want to update. In addition to keeping the WordPress core updated, you’ll also need to add other third party plugins that you’re using on the site, and make sure those are also up to date.
You don’t have time to test the upgrades
If you’re not a developer or don’t want to pay for a developer’s time when your website’s backend needs to be updated, WordPress might not be the best choice. Most seasoned WordPress developers understand the urgency of testing the updates before they go live.
WordPress is a blogging and content management system that allows even the most non-tech savvy user to create a robust and full featured website with almost no learning curve. Word press was first released in 2003 as a basic weblog tool but has since evolved into the most popular blogging tool in the US (1), and as of August 2011, an astounding 22% of new websites were managed by WordPress (2).
WordPress is an open source application, which means that anyone can access and manipulate the program’s code. This has led to the creation of thousands of widgets, themes and plugins that can be used to further enhance the application and its functionality.
Great, but what do I need it for?
WordPress integration offers some serious incentives for any Magento e-commerce website. Of these, the most striking upgrade is in content management. Creating new content on WordPress couldn’t be easier in fact, it’s one of the hallmarks of the application and once that content has been created, integration with Magento allows users to port that content directly onto their e-commerce site or social media outlet. Integration works in the other direction as well; users can port content from their Magento site into WordPress, too. One less obvious benefit of this integration is consistent design between your commerce site and blog, as current integration tools all offer some level of theme portability between the two programs. In addition, integrating WordPress into your Magento e-commerce site will greatly increase the ease of engaging with customers through social media by making all the content on either site instantly portable to the outlet of your choice.
A second, major benefit of integration is in search engine optimization (SEO). WordPress is noted throughout the industry for its SEO friendliness, which leads to more exposure for your e-commerce site once integrated – something every business owner wants.
The best part of it all? Incredible content and marketing gains without costly outside talent; keeping costs down without sacrificing functionality.
So…which one is right for me?
A quick search of the Magento Connect store reveals a few popular choices for WordPress extensions. Let’s explore some of the differences between them and their pros and cons.
The two most popular WordPress integration plugins are offered by Fishpig and its counterpart, Sonassi. The two plugins offer almost identical feature sets, including full WordPress functionality, use of WordPress plugins and shortcode (essentially “code-shortcuts” that are WordPress-specific) and a neat feature that links WordPress blogs posts to related products in your Magento store (the Sonassi integrator requires a free plug-in). But there are some major differences to consider as well.
One such difference is the price. Fishpig’s integrator is free, while the plugin from Sonassi costs $80. Furthermore, the Sonassi plugin requires professional setup (included in the purchase price), while the Fishpig plugin self-installs upon download, without the need for any code manipulation (no word on code manipulation from Sonassi).
Some features unique to Fishpig’s plugin are integration for your blog in multiple Magento stores and NextGEN Gallery integration, currently the most popular gallery extension in WordPress.
Some features unique to the Sonassi version are complete theme inheritance from Magento to WordPress with no design manipulation required and automatic linking of all Magento customers’ profiles into WordPress, saving your customers the hassle of creating and remembering two separate logins.
For those looking to incorporate their Magento store into their blog, there is a plugin from developer James Kemp that allows users to add Magento blocks, including custom blocks, to their WordPress themes. In addition, users can add Magento products directly into their post on WordPress with the available “Shortcuts and Widgets” extension.
Often, we need to integrate other platforms (for example Wordpress, phpBB, etc) with Magento. This usually begins with unifying the design and then synchronizing the user account. Towards the end if the cross-talk becomes too complicated, it would be easier to build some specific APIs to tackle this.
Here we are going to walk through a quick and neat way to extract the Magento header and footer, and the inject them into another platform, in the following steps:
Create a blank Magento CMS page for the extraction
