WordPress

Should You Backup WordPress? Is This Even a Question?

WPbackups

Long ago, before WordPress was highly sophisticated with its upgrades, bloggers were instructed to save all their files before downloading the next version. I didn’t and in one unfortunate upgrade I lost all my media photos. Reloading them was such a pain.

WP still recommends backing up, but because of it’s nearly fail-proof programming, many people don’t. Why? Because doing backups is a pain too. Deactivate the plugins…save your media…save your posts and everybody’s comments…save your customized css. Yikes!

Well, now there’s a pretty cool plugin that does all that and does it in one shot. It’s the WordPress Backup to Dropbox and it saves it to a Dropbox file. Simply download the plugin into your WordPress files, link it to the Dropbox account you’ve set up, and then designate how often and what you’d like to save.

Automatically easy peasy!

 

Check Out the New Digs!

A new look for Adunate!

Well, what do you think? My blog has an all new look!

I’ve been working on this for, oooh, I’m embarrassed to admit. Let’s just say I’ve been squeezing it in between my client’s important projects and it’s taken a very long time.

Speeding the process along was John Sawyer, a WordPress guru from The Small Business Website Guy. I really liked the features of WordPress’s Twenty Eleven theme but I also wanted some customized design elements. So John did the foundation work and I tweaked, and tweaked, and tweaked and tweaked.

Anyway, here it is—Adunate’s customized WordPress theme, complete with three columns and a maximized content area. It’s coordinated to match my Adunate business site, yet comes with unique accommodations for photography, Twitter feeds, and other cool media stuff.

What about you? Does your blog need an new look? Want to start blogging to promote your business? Let me help with a theme specifically designed to fit your needs!

Is WordPress for Your Business?

isidora creaciones

Last weekend I had the opportunity to review some excellent work at the AIGA Wisconsin 2012 Student Portfolio One-On-One. Not only did I meet exciting young designers, but I also enjoyed talking shop with my professional peers. One of the topics we discussed at length was WordPress.

In recent months I’ve done custom WordPress sites for several clients. In fact, I’ve done more WordPress than traditional sites, and I wondered if this was the direction to go.

The general consensus? Yes.

WordPress used to be considered a “poor man’s website,” but not anymore. Nowadays there are so many gadgets under the hood, it will take you just about anywhere you want to go with your website.

It’s not just for blogging either. I customized the WordPress site above for my client Isidora. She’s a talented artist and musician, and she wants a traditional-looking website she can manage herself. In the long run, she’ll save money because she won’t have to hire me to update her portfolio or her song listing.

Besides usability, WordPress offers a greater SEO bang for your buck. It’s got very streamlined coding so it zooms faster through the internet. WordPress also lets you integrate your website into social media like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, all of which ramp your visibility in the searches.

Maybe you think you’re not techie enough to use WordPress?

Well, think again. It’s a friendly program and I’m a friendly teacher. Along with my custom design package comes a one-on-one training session that will easily get you off and running.

Hey, Isidora and I are working together pretty well, and we don’t even speak the same language!

Need a custom designed WordPress site for your business? Contact me!

 

Eating Chocolate in the Middle of the Day

Chris Kirsch quilter extraordinaire

Remember the quilt photography I posted a few months back? Well, I’m so excited to pull back the curtains and announce…drumroll, please… Chris Kirsch’s new website!

Building Chris’ site has been so fun. When I mentioned to Chris how much I’ve enjoyed the creative change of pace, she said “It’s like eating chocolate in the middle of the day!”

What a fitting comparison, particularly for me.

I imagine making chocolate is a lot of work, since it’s so good and all. This website’s been hard work too, particularly for Chris, who was willing to step beyond her computer comfort zone and learn more. She wanted a site she could manage herself. Since she was already blogging, we chose to go with WordPress as our content managing system (CMS). Even though Chris’ site looks and acts like a website, it’s really a WordPress blog.

And now, besides being a talented quilter and teacher, Chris has become a geeky nerd. She’s learned html and the inner workings of her website, and she’s caught on so well. Boy, is she smart!

So, check it out. And if you’re looking for a great quilting workshop presentation or class, email Chris. You too will be enjoying chocolate in the middle of the day.

Do you need a website you can manage yourself? Afraid you’re not techie enough? WordPress makes it easy and I can help you learn. Contact me for an on-sight or over-the-phone tutorial.

Innovative Marketing by Xsell Products

Customized blog by adunate.com

Last year Dan Rahfaldt, of Xsell Products, called me about a website for his independent sales agency. Together, we put up a great site that markets to the power transmission and motion control industries.

Last month Dan called me for another project.

Not only am I glad to have repeat customers, but I’m especially thrilled when they’ve got innovative ideas. And Dan’s marketing ideas are spot on. He wants to regularly post a postcard on his website—one that will attract viewers with the answer to an intriguing question, and also promote his featured product and manufacturer.

We discussed several options and decided on a customized WordPress blog. I designed it to match his company website and linked it from the site’s menu. A blog allows Dan to easily add postcards and manage the page without a lot of techie know-how. In fact, he had his first post up shortly after the 60-minute tutorial I provided.

So, are you into manufacturing? Check out Dan’s postcards here. He’s got good ideas and he’ll get your products sold.

Want a customized blog for your company? Let me help. Contact me today!

Blogging and Quilting: Lessons Learned in Both

Two of the great things about being self-employed are bartering for services and scheduling your own time. Last month, I took advantage of both when I exchanged my blog coaching services for quilting lessons.

My neighbor Chris Kirsch is an internationally-known quilter, teacher and author of two books. Her quilts are absolutely stunning! She teaches quilting at Waukesha County Technical College, Madison Area Technical College and workshops throughout the country. She also hosts quilting cruises—her most recent was to France and an upcoming trip is to Ireland.

Are you a quilter? And are you drooling?

Well, I sure was when I read all this in a recent newspaper article. As a self-taught hobbiest, I’ve sewn enough quilts to know I’m lacking plenty in skill and technique.

I also noticed Chris wasn’t doing any social media. By not getting involved online, particularly with blogging, she was missing great opportunities to market her books, classes, cruises…hey, even her quilts.

Needless to say we got together and talked. And sewed. And blogged.

After only a few weeks, I came out with this super Lone Star table topper. There’s no way I could’ve matched these tricky corners on my own, but with Chris’ interface technique they were as easy as clicking Adobe Illustrator’s align button.

And Chris? Well, she’s got not one, but two, new blogs online. If you’re looking for mega-helpful quilting advise, click here. And if you want to follow her quilting extravaganza to Ireland (and plan for her next trip:-), click here.

Want to learn her easy Lone Star technique? Click here for her next class.

And finally, if you need help setting up your own blog, give me a click. I can help get you going, or I can set it up and/or write for you!

Other clients who have benefited from customized blogs and training by Adunate:

Living the Promise Ministries
Nitardy Funeral Homes
Xsell Products