Tiny but Useful Web Utilities
Web utilities are single-use websites that do helpful little tasks. I use a whole bunch of them all the time. Here’s a list of my favorites.
Tools & Resources
Child Themes Redux [gallery]
Let me pull back the curtains a bit so you can see how one WordPress theme—think of it as a design—can be turned into many unique websites. In this case, the Twenty Twelve theme helped two clients get beautiful sites.
Let Your Software Be Your Guide [aside]
Software settings can only personalize so much. In the end, we must balance the need to find something that makes sense to us with learning how it’s intended to be used.
Power User Tip: Chrome Application Shortcuts
Google Chrome’s application shortcuts are way underappreciated if you ask me. I use them to keep myself working when I need to work and playing when I need to play. Learn why I love them and how to make them for your favorite “web apps.”
Don’t Use These WordPress Theme Features
If I had to give people buying a WordPress theme one piece of advice, this would probably be it: Ignore most of the features, save yourself the headache of the “lock-in effect,” and learn to love plugins!
I ♥ WorkFlowy
As a freelancer, I have to stay organized and productive. I use lots of tools to do this, but one of my favorites is WorkFlowy. (There’s a bonus happy announcement at the end of the post.)
Vote with Your Mouse for the Best WordPress Ideas [link]
Even if you’ve never written a single line of HTML, JavaScript, CSS, or PHP code, it’s still easy to contribute to the future of WordPress! WordPress.org’s “Ideas” section is a tucked-away but important way to submit feedback to the WordPress team. Everyone from a plugin developer to a first-time WordPress user can express their opinions, … Continue reading “Vote with Your Mouse for the Best WordPress Ideas [link]”
Free Resources: Social Media 101, 201, and 301 from NPower Northwest [link]
Three links to an excellent series of slideshows for nonprofits developing their social media presence from NPower Northwest.
Screen Options: Little known. Greatly needed. [video]
If you’re a WordPress user, read this post. “Screen Options” let you control customizations to many pages in the WordPress administrative interface. Unfortunately, the way you change these is a little confusing unless you know where to look. Here’s a good video giving you a very quick overview.
What I Think of Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
I opened this book on a flight from Seattle to Minneapolis and was pleased to read that Steve Krug wrote Don’t Make Me Think so it could be read from cover-to-cover on an airplane! It’s true and it was awesome. Let me highlight the most important ideas I took from this website usability classic.
Getting the Most Out of Google Analytics with the Least Effort
Google Analytics can feel overwhelming the first time you use it. So many data points! So many filters! So much jargon! In this post, I’ll define the most common jargon-y terms, take you to a few of my favorite reports, and suggest strategies for efficiently using Google Analytics.
Give Thanks to your Favorite Open Source Products
This year, I’ll be adding a new tradition to my year-end giving: open source “thank you” donations! Join me!
Overview and Example of WordPress “Child Theming” [gallery]
WordPress uses a technique called child theming to create a new design based on an existing theme (a set of files that defines a WordPress design). In June, I gave a presentation to the Seattle WordPress meetup about child theme uses and techniques. This post contains the slides of that presentation and an example of one recent project in which I used the child theming technique.
Choosing the Right WordPress Design Strategy for your Website
WordPress websites use “themes” to give them custom designs. Picking the right theme, though, is quite challenging. You can purchase themes, modify themes, or hire someone (like me) to design and build a custom theme. Each strategy has pros and cons which I’ll walk you through in this post.
GroundWire Report Tells You How Your Nonprofit’s Analytics Stack Up [link]
When looking at user statistics for your website, you might be left wondering, “how does my organization compare to similar sites?” GroundWire’s fabulous 2010 report shows the analytics landscape for environmental nonprofits in the Pacific Northwest, valuable data for everyone.