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wordpress website examples

10 Inspiring WordPress Website Examples Worth Checking in 2018

Looking for some great WordPress website examples? You’ve landed on the right article. WordPress is a favorite for top designers and developers in the industry. In this article, you’ll find some WordPress website examples worth taking inspiration.

1. The Obama Foundation
The website of former president’s nonprofit organization has an aesthetic view. It is the amalgamation of both contemporary and vintage looks which beautifully depicts the vision and mission of the foundation. It has a hamburger menu on the left with large typography. Along with that, the social icons, contact us icon and page templates sit perfectly.

2. 99U
99U is a popular culture and design blog for creative folks. Its homepage features a magazine style template, with the sticky navigation menu on top, and featured images displayed in a beautiful masonry grid layout.

3. Jony Guedj
Jony Guedj is an attractive website for a freelance film director. It showcases artists work as your horizontally scroll. It is unusual and minimalist which makes the design more interesting and engaging.

4. Creative Ad Awards
Creative Ad Awards celebrates Ads from all over the world. It features a large homepage with aesthetically placed home page icons and a grid of recent articles.

5. The Next Web
The Next Web is a leading online magazine covering topics like technology, science, internet, and more. Its homepage features a magazine layout with featured stories on top followed by latest articles, recent posts by category, and custom sections like deals.

6. Analytica Projects
Analytica Projects is a leading firm in food quality control. Their website thrills a person and shows creative animations and well-crafted pages as a user scrolls down.

7. Grette
Grette is a Norway-based business law firm. Their website bags a minimalist design, collapsed navigation menu, staff profiles, and expertise pages.

8. 10×17
10×17 is a project by artists who visually interpret and countdown their favorite albums of 2017. The website features artwork by the artists and audio tracks from the albums which they handpick. The overall design is highly colorful, aesthetic, and interactive.

9. American Scraps
American Scraps converts scrapped artifacts from American history into comics. It features a unique design with the latest scrap on top, followed by other recent scraps, and a historical timeline.

10. RUYA
Ruya is an identity design and branding agency based in the UAE. Their website features a well-crafted illustration, smooth navigation, and a unique layout.

Wrapping up
WordPress allows you and your website to evolve 360°. Take inspiration and craft one of the best sites ever existed on this planet.

social media plugins

10 Best Social Media Plugins for WordPress

Social media is one of the crucial strategies to boost sales and grow your business. If you have a WordPress website, it is needless to say you should be on social media to engage the audience with your content. So, if you’re running a business on WordPress, it’s incredibly easy to integrate social media. How, you might want to ask?

Here is a list of top social media plugins that will help you to connect with the right audience. There are plugins for sharing, engagement, measuring metrics and so on. Most of these plugins are free.

1. Instagram Feed
Add beautifully clean, customizable, and responsive Instagram feeds to your website. Through Instagram Feed, you can display Instagram photos from any nonprivate accounts either in the same single feed or in multiple different one’s Price: free.

2.  Kiwi
Kiwi is the easiest and best to use social media plugin. It has all the custom icons such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Pinterest and so on built in. Kiwi is user-friendly and has a decent style. Price: free

3. ClickToTweet
The easiest way to promote, share & track your content on Twitter. How does it work? Write the message that you want others to share in the box. Click the “Generate New Link” button to create a custom link. Share the link and track the activity of each link over time. Price: free

4. Sassy Social Share
Through this social media plugin, you can share content on Facebook, Whatsapp, Google, LinkedIn, Twitter and over more than 100 more social sharing and bookmarking services. Sassy Social Share is the simplest and smoothest social sharing plugins with optimized and great looking vectors. Price: Free

5. AddtoAny
AddtoAny is a social sharing tool also available as a WordPress plugin. It offers many social media platforms, floating and standard social sharing bars, and a universal sharing menu.

6. Social locker
Drive traffic, build quality followers and improve your website ranking with Social Locker. It helps you in improving the performance of your website, get more likes and build quality followers. Price: Free

7. WordPress Social Login
If your users want to register, login, and comment using their social media accounts, then WordPress Social Login fits the bill. It also allows users to import contacts from various social engagement platforms such as Gmail, Linkedin, Windows Live, and Facebook. Price: free

8. Monarch
With Monarch, you can take content sharing to next level. Over 20 social networks to choose from, Monarch makes social sharing a cakewalk for you. Add and arrange any number of available networks to create a custom collection of sharing options for your visitors. It is one of the best social media plugins. Price: $89 per year.

9. Social Media Feather
Social Media Feather is a lightweight and powerful social sharing plugin which supports Retina and high-resolution displays used by iPhones, iPads and other devices. The plugin adds all the social sharing buttons to your posts, pages, and custom post types. Price: free

10. Revive Social
Revive Old Post is a WordPress login build to pick old content and share it on various social media accounts, all on autopilot. Whether you want to share just the titles of your posts or just the hashtags, with Revive Social media plugin everything is possible. Price: starts from $75 per year.

Bottom Line
Social sharing and engagement is an inevitable part of a business’s marketing strategy. Incorporate this social media plugins for WordPress in order to engage maximum people with your content. Read, Write Share, Excel.

How Gutenberg Editor Will Shape the Future of WordPress in Coming Years

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What is Gutenberg?

Gutenberg is a comprehensive reimagination of content creation and editing that would change the whole approach of WordPress. Gutenberg is a take on a new editor for WordPress. It is named after Johannes Gutenberg, who invented a printing press with movable type more than 500 years ago. WordPress has felt that the current visual editor is not so user-friendly, especially for the beginners. So, they have rolled out a new editor which will make the WordPress experience more seamless. WordPress already supports a large amount of “blocks”, but doesn’t surface them very well, nor does it give them much in the way of layout options. Using Gutenberg, they would embrace the little blocks to produce beautiful posts.
Take this as an example

Gutenberg is still in its testing phase and team working on it are encouraging people to try it out and leave comments and feedback in the WordPress support forum or open an issue on GitHub.

Installing Gutenberg

For downloading this, you need to go to the WordPress repository or by searching for it within your WordPress dashboard under “Add New” plugins. As, this is yet to get live, use it with any of the test sites.

 

Exploring Gutenberg

gutenberg editor
After installing Gutenberg, you will see links to the posts that allow you to open up the Gutenberg editor. As of now, the testing version offers custom page types and pages.
gutenberg editor

A new menu in your WordPress dashboard is added which contains a demo and the ability to create a new post. But again, this menu is for testing purpose and further changes can be made.

If you have a comparative analysis between the current visual editor and Gutenberg editor, you can see just how much more writing space Gutenberg has. For people who are mostly on the laptops and mobile devices, Gutenberg would do wonders. More writing, less destruction.

In the Gutenberg WordPress editor, you can click on “Post Settings” to remove the right-hand sidebar which has public, private and other options. And while this gives you access to even more of your screen, it is kind of halfway in between the currently available distraction-free writing mode.

In the current editor, both visual and text was on the top right corner. While in the Gutenberg you’ll be able to switch between the visual editor mode and text editor from the drop-down. However, those who are using WordPress mostly on the mobile phones can expect a seamless experience. It makes image insertion and changes easy.

Pros of Gutenberg editor

1. Publishers would love the new editor as it is more or less similar to medium.
2. Since it provides more writing space, there would be less distraction.
3. The best part of Gutenberg is that it is way too easy for the beginners. People who don’t know the a,b,c of WordPress can easily do it.
4. It has got new alignment options for larger resolutions screens and is mobile responsive

Cons of Gutenberg editor

1. Markdown support is currently missing
2. It might be easy for someone to publish, it is hard for some people to earn
3. Currently, it is not supporting any other custom meta boxes such as Yoast SEO yet. But since it is still in the testing phase, we’re sure that meta boxes would come soon. Also, WordPress has confirmed the same.

Summarizing…

Gutenberg editor would definitely change the overall look and approach of WordPress. It is something which is definitely to get excited about. Grab a copy from the WordPress repository and install it on a staging site. You’ll then be able to figure out the difference between Gutenberg editor and current editor.
Go, embrace the all-new Gutenberg editor now!

12 Top Security Plugins for your WordPress website

WordPress vulnerabilities are numerous and there are high amount of chances of your site getting caught in one of those WordPress security issues, if you don’t maintain a tight security of the site. The choice of one among the WordPress security plugins depends on the size and importance of your site. Let’s take a look at a few plugins,

 
  • iThemes Security Pro: This is the cheapest and the best known plugin costing as low as $80 yearly.
    • It’s an all in one security guard tackling all main attacks
    • Forces strong password to be set
    • Blocks after multiple failed logins
    • Makes two factor authorisation possible, that is, forces you to enter the code sent to your authorised mobile number before you set the password
    • Out of office capability in WordPress dashboard for single admins thus locking when the admin doesn’t use
    • Monitors and reports activities that happen to your files
  • All in one WP security and Firewall: This plugin offers an enhanced range of functionalities to handle the heaviest of security attacks
    • Provides firewall protection to the site; available configurations can be activated easily
    • Most user friendly plugin
    • Assigns a security score to let you mark the current security strength your site has; you can see how your score changes on any update you make.
    • Absolutely free!
  • Jetpack: The plugin is available in two forms: free and premium at $99 yearly
    • The main feature here is the amalgamation of unrelated functionalities into one where the combination gives great results
    • Protect module protects against harmful attacks
    • The premium paid version offers malware scanning daily, offsite backups and restoration of sites
    • Professional pack at $299 yearly offers real time backups and malware scanning on demand
  • VaultPress: The plugin starts from $9 monthly
    • It’s known as the best dedicated backup support in the market
    • Reliable and secure
    • Provides support of realtime or scheduled backups offsite
    • Immediate restoration possible
    • Helps in malware scan and removed in a single click.
  • Sucuri Security: An absolutely free security plugin termed as specialist plugin worth downloading now
    • Notes down the file structure when you install and reports any file deviations immediately
    • Activity monitoring log provides immediate reports on hacks
    • Logs are protected from hacks
    • Firewall services available too
  • SecuPress: It’s a new plugin from WP media based on their WP rocket
    • The most powerful scanner is SecuPress
    • Key features include protection for user login, themes, plugins, core, malware, file and all data
    • It does automatic fixes on security issues logged!
    • Anti-spam measures and more are coming up shortly
  • Block Bad Queries: It’s the simplest firewall plugin providing only the essential security features
    • Lightweight and super-fast
    • The simplest to use; install then activate
    • Absolutely free
  • Antivirus: The free plugin protects from malware and spam
    • Protects database and themes
    • Immediate notification in mail
    • Fastest notification ever
    • Scheduling auto scans is possible
  • WP audit security log: This is a plugin for experts who are ready for hands on
    • Tracks almost everything under the ground
    • Reports potential threats from users involved in illegal activities like editing your posts, doing account level changes or so
    • Immediate report available hence immediate measure can be taken
    • Free plugin
  • Cleft Two Factor Authentication: The free plugin solves the problem of one having to remember strong and different passwords all through the life across the sites
    • Cleft generates one time unique lengthy codes or signatures for authorisation
    • Install the plugin then the free app for clef from play stores. Sync the app to your pc, open the app, point the camera and the app checks on you
    • Disable passwords and login by synching clef onto WordPress login
  • Login Lock: The free plugin blocks IP addresses failing in login attempts
    • Default setting is three login attempts before locking
    • Default can be changed
    • The simplest plugin ever
  • Wordfence Security: It’s free and termed as the King of plugins
    • Its uniqueness lies in noting a list of hackers in past and block them from accessing any WordPress site
    • Does two factor authentication and blocks failed logins
    • Firewall is optimized
    • Monitoring all time and real-time
    • Makes the best search for 44000 malware signs

Well, that’s a good amount of detail on WordPress security tips and plugins. While each of them has a unique feature and price, it’s highly recommended you choose one based on your needs and consensus with your business security team. Should you require assistance, ask us for a free report; our QeWebby experts are here to help.

Why WordPress website security is now more important than ever?

WordPress security issues is an alarming topic of interest today mainly because google algorithms get stronger every now and then to rank the sites based on how secure they are! You simply can’t afford to make even a single security breach that may cause you a permanent defamation and a bad search engine rank.

 

There are some shocking facts to let you know why WordPress security matters a lot,

  • 800000 banking credentials were stolen from WordPress sites two years ago
  • Slider revolution plugin was vulnerable to attacks due to which 100000 WordPress sites were hacked
  • Infamous less traffic sites also get hacked! WordPress vulnerabilities may range anywhere between mild and devastating; nevertheless every single aspect of security is absolutely warning!

Always be proactive and not reactive when it comes to WordPress security because raising up from a security breach fall can be close to impossible. To talk on a few WordPress security tips.

  • Ensure to follow the best practices of security always. Strictly follow the security updates and never miss to update the new version whenever you notice a message on the same.
  • Well written plugins won’t break when you update WordPress. So be warned of those weak plugins or theme that you see getting affected by WordPress update!
  • WordPress shows you a password strength meter; ensure to check and adjust your password to be the strongest!
  • Don’t use anything that can be easily expected. Never use ‘admin’ as administrator username
  • Don’t lavishly use the admin account but restrict its usage only for those actions needing admin rights. Editing rights are good enough to work with content. Aren’t they? Also keep in mind not to give everyone everything; just give the needful; an admin and an editor need not have the other person privileges.
  • Never keep sensitive information in mails. Mails get hacked for such details and results in extremely detrimental situations.
  • Make sure your security plugin can detect weak aspects of your site security
  • Make sure your plugin can lock the login once logged in, to disallow multiple logins
  • Your plugin should serve IP blocking, have all the firewall features, should keep the database and files secure

Many of us use the same popular plugins thus making way for the hackers to explode millions of websites by picking up one vulnerable site. You need a powerful solution here! Managed hosting services at WordPress are expensive but they help a huge deal in ensuring your site security. They either push updates to you or do it by themselves and are preferred over shared services. They provide a dedicated WordPress malware scanning and firewall service, in addition to trashing down the known threats. Moreover they support you online all 24/7.

iThemes Security Pro is one of the famous WordPress security free and premium plugin,

  • iThemes Security Pro tackles threats by way of,
    • Enforcing strong passwords
    • Making two factor password authorization possible
    • Offering out of office capability when there’s a single admin user
    • Monitoring file edits and reporting to you
    • Offering a free version for your test.

To find out more such plugins, come back for our next article on the Top WordPress Security Plugins to enhance your WordPress security.

Should you have any questions till now, experts at QeWebby are here to help; ask us now for a free report.

What you can do with Square for WooCommerce

What you can do with Square for WooCommerce?

The arrival of WooCommerce made it possible for any WordPress website to start an e-commerce store. Within a short span of time it became one of the most popular and most used ecommerce platforms on the web. With Square joining WooCommerce the amalgamation leaded to a lot of advantages which made it even better.

Square is the POS (Point-of-Sale) solution for Woo-Commerce users. It is available for free download on Google Play and the App Store & could be run on mobiles and tablets for digital receipts, reports of sales, inventory checks and much more.

After being voted as the most requested change on the WooCommerce support site, Square made a dashing entry to WooCommerce as an extension. Square and WooCommerce working together became the delight of online retailers which now allows them to manage online purchases and offline payments all in sync creating a huge benefit for omnichannel businesses. So how does this benefit WooCommerce users?

  • Square gives a single platform to track in-store and online payments eliminating the need to managing multiple systems. Accepting and processing payments on WooCommerce e-store with Square is easy as pie.
  • Square allows online stores to accept credit cards without the need of using two different payment gateways for online and offline payments.
  • You can now automatically sync your product library on your WooCommerce store and Square thereby saving your time. SKUs, images, product description or details, product pages or anything you change in your WooCommerce store or Square is updates simultaneously on the other by ticking a simple check box.
  • Managing an up-to-date inventory and stock can be a tedious task for online retailers. Manual inventory tracking consumes a lot a time and incurs expenses. With the Square integration’s inventory sync feature you can take do it all in just one go. It allows you to sync your inventory and once a product status is updated it gets automatically updated at both the places. For instance if you just sold the last piece of a particular product at your store at that moment WooCommerce and Square both will automatically make it not available for your online customers.
  • Tracking sales in 2 separate lanes can be quite challenging in terms of time and effort. With the integration now, sales dashboard on Square lets you track all the sales channels uniformly, immediately and in one place!

Now, how to make use of all these wonderful features for your online business? All you need is a WooCommerce store. Just go to Integration and Connect with Square! You may check more here.

For troubles in applying the extension, you may login with support.

Idea board for Square is an amazing space where you login ideas you think may benefit this juncture!

Are you a online retailer quite excited with the read? We would be happy to assist you for creating your e-store using WordPress or for WooCommerce support or for the interesting & useful Square-WooCommerce integration or for any services online for ecommerce, ask us right now!!

Should you use free WordPress theme?

Should you use free WordPress theme?

WordPress is the most popular CMS on the web today. The flexibility and ease of use it provides as a platform has made some of the big companies, large media and publishing house use WordPress for developing their online presence. Having zeroed in on WordPress to build your website was an easy task. The real challenge is to select a theme which concurs with your business goals and your brand.

It’s quite human to gravitate towards the lucrative Free WordPress themes for your website. The general ideology says why to pay for something when it’s available for free plays it part over here. Before you go ahead and take the decision of going for the free basic themes only to regret it later, read this post to understand why it is wise to invest on a professional theme for WordPress and not to fall for the free basic themes.

  1. Not just professional looks

    The free themes comes with bare minimums which might sound suffice to you to start with, however that will soon change once you see the limitations it puts on you and your business’s image online.

    A good website has got more to it other than just visual appeal. A website should have all the features such as Mega Menus to add more navigation to your website, AJAX for a superior user experience, a wide array of widgets and sliders an area where the free themes fail miserably.

  2. Classy Looks

    Looks does matter especially when we are facing stiff competition to stand out as a brand in a crowded market. Not to forget the rich aesthetics that a professional theme endows your website which will make your brand leap out among your competitors on the web.

  3. Support (very important)

    Website maintenance is of extreme importance in order to keep your website updated, especially if yours is an online business. At a time when number of customers making online search before buying a product is at its peak and still growing at lightning speed a reliable technical support will keep your business engine humming with life.

    If you thought you can do without any technical support, think again. Does CSS/HTML/PHP or Javascript sounds alien to you? Then you do need a strong technical support to combat any technical glitches.

  4. Responsive Design (Mobile Friendly WebDesign)

    Browsing the internet and looking for information online has become second nature to the mobile generation. To make the browsing experience more favorable to the mobile audience Google introduced the mobile friendly/responsive website as mandatory element for better rankings. A free theme does not come with a guarantee of a highly developed responsive theme.

    A complicated of difficult to navigate menu and other elements can have a major impact on your mobile audience which now comprises of 52% of the global internet users.

  5. Cost

    All these advantages mean a very high cost. If this is what you have been thinking all these while let me break this news to you. Professional theme does not require you to break the bank in order to get one. There are numerous themes available on themeforest which are affordable and worth the cost since a website is one of the most valuable marketing asset you are going own for a long time.

    Now that you have a good idea on why pay for themes, you might require the assistance to perform the design. Hiring a developer, checking with him what theme he uses, taking a look at his earlier designs, installing WordPress a good host, installing the theme, doing the right coding, launching the site on https, all of these require an expert service; looking for one? Ask us right now, at QeHTML!