13 Keyword Tools for Effective Research
Published April 23rd, 2013 in Marketing, SEO - 4 Comments
Keyword research is a big part of online marketing and search engine optimization. For some types of websites, niche sites in particular, effective keyword research can be one of the biggest factors in the success of the site. In order to be effective and efficient with keyword research you will need to have access to the right tools. Depending on your needs you may be able to get what you need from a free tool, or you may need to look at the features of some of the many premium tools that are available.
In this article we’ll take a look at 13 of the leading tools specifically related to keyword research. Many of the pro tools listed here also include a variety of tools for other aspects of SEO (such as link building).
Google AdWords Keyword Tool
Optimizing Your Ecommerce Site: Visual Merchandising
Published April 22nd, 2013 in Design - 1 Comment
Unless you’re reading this from 1995, you’re probably aware that most websites have a large visual element. Amazon, Play.com, eBay, Apple Store… open any of their homepages and you’ll instantly be bombarded with tasteful product shots designed to lure you in. Clearly, photography is a big part of online product marketing – and why shouldn’t it be?
For decades, creative photography has been used to sell us everything from watches to waffle irons. So how do you make your small-business website stand out against a horde of well-funded competitors? While no-one can guarantee instant success, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you’re at least headed in the right direction. Here are 5 of them:
Quality Photos
It sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be amazed how many websites still hawk out goods beneath photos that seem to have been copied and pasted from an old Geocities website. No matter whether you’re a small business operating out the back of your bedroom, or a high-street juggernaut eyeing up new avenues for expansion, the golden rule of product selling is to make the product look desirable. And the first part of that is to use a sharp, clear image that screams quality. That means, high-res, professional images shot by a bona-fide photographer. For a good example check Apple.com, a business model founded on making products look sleek and desirable.
Free Download: Black and White Textures
Published April 18th, 2013 in Free Resources, Textures - 1 Comment
Today we have a free set of 3 black and white textures from PhotographyPla.net. The textures are free samples from their set of 20 Black and White Textures. The textures are 3600 pixels by 3600 pixels at 300 dpi, so they are suitable for web or print projects.
30 Outstanding Web Designs with Big Background Photos
Published April 17th, 2013 in Galleries - 6 Comments
If you’re looking to make a strong impression or a bold statement with a website, one option for doing so is to use a large full-screen background image. This design approach involves a homepage very little text or content, at least above the fold. In some cases the entire homepage may consist of a logo, navigation menu, and a large photo. While this approach will not be a great fit for every website, it is capable of being a very effective design in the right situation.
In this post we’ll showcase 30 websites that make excellent use of big photos on the homepage.
17 of the Best WordPress Hotel Themes
Published April 16th, 2013 in WordPress - 8 Comments
If you’re looking for a solution for a quality hotel website the options can sometimes be underwhelming. Whether you are looking for a website for your own business or working on a client project for a hotel, inn, or bed and breakfast, WordPress presents some attractive options. There are an increasing number of quality WordPress themes that are created specifically for hotels. Most of these themes have attractive designs, custom features, and can be purchased at a reasonable price.
Looking for hosting? WPEngine offers secure managed WordPress hosting. You’ll get expert WordPress support, automatic backups, and caching for fast page loads. Visit WPEngine.
Majestic – $199
Majestic uses a full-screen slideshow to make a strong visual impact, and comes with both light and dark color schemes. Its features include optimization for mobile users, a photo gallery template, rooms and rates templates, attractions templates, and a powerful theme options panel.
17 of the Best Minimal Print Advertisements
Published April 15th, 2013 in Galleries - 3 Comments
Print advertising is something that traditionally tends to be quite uninspiring and boring but there are a handful of a companies out there that over the years, have grabbed the bull by the horn (so to speak) and created some pretty creative advertisements.
Not only this, but they’ve only opted for an extremely minimalistic approach which surprisingly, helps to create eye-catching, high-impact ads that capture the attention of readers all around the world. So much so, that these ads have consistently been featured as some of the most creative, inspiring ads ever produced and once you take a look at them, you’ll quickly be able to see why.
So, if you’re a particular fan of the minimalistic advertising approach predominantly made famous by companies such as Apple and Braun, here’s some incredible, yet minimal print ads for your inspiration.
#1 – WWF
Limited Time Offer: The Mobile Design Bundle!
Published April 13th, 2013 in Products - 1 Comment
If you offer design or development services to clients, chances are many of your clients are interested in mobile websites and apps. With that in mind we’ve put together a bundle of resources specifically to make your work on mobile websites and apps easier. The resources are from our sister site Vandelay Premier, and for a limited time this bundle is available at a savings of 86% off the regular price of these resources! You can get it for just $29 instead of $201.
The Process of Ecommerce Trademarking
Published April 12th, 2013 in Business - 0 Comments
Your ecommerce site is a great tool for selling your products and services online. If your business is growing there are chances that others might want to make a copy of your website or some of its features to cash in on the popularity. There is also the added risk of your online store being accused of unauthorized use of other people’s intellectual assets. The perfect solution for this is to get a trademark. In the United States you can easily get a trademark for products and servicemark for services. Before we learn about the process of ecommerce trademarking let us understand a few basic things about the trademark.
What is Trademark?
A trademark is a recognizable sign that can include a word, name, symbol, or design, or combination of any or all these items that is intended to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others. It indicates the source of the goods. Similarly servicemark differentiates between services provided by two different businesses. Most ecommerce sites try and register a servicemark whereby they can protect their logos, taglines and slogans along with the brand name.
When we are talking about trademarks and servicemark we need to understand that they are of two distinct types – registered trademark or unregistered trademark. Let us take a look at each of these in detail.
Free Download: Watercolor Stained Paper Textures
Published April 11th, 2013 in Free Resources, Textures - 7 Comments
Today we have a set of 4 textures that were created by staining paper with watercolors. The result is a unique set of textures that can be used for creating backgrounds and giving soft watercolor textures to elements within your own work.
Notification Bars for WordPress
Published April 10th, 2013 in WordPress - 7 Comments
One important part of blogging or running an online business involves getting visitors to notice your most important items or content. Using a notification bar at the top of the site is a great way to draw the visitors’ attention to something specific. It could be an announcement for a new product, an important customer service announcement, a link to a popular blog post, a call-to-action for subscriptions or opt-ins, or any number of things.
Notification bars are often used by bloggers as an alternative to using a popup, which can be more intrusive to visitors than a notification bar. For example, on this blog we’re currently using a notification bar to promote our free e-book that is a bonus for anyone who signs up for our email newsletter. Notification bars can be highly effective, and WordPress users have a number of different options for setting up their own notification bar.
Hello Bar
