Quick and Easy WordPress Security

It's a sad fact that most people only take the time to protect their WordPress sites after they have been hacked. In all my years supporting CMS's like WordPress, I've had dozens of terrified site owners come to me for help in a panic after their site was attacked. Conversely, I've had exactly zero people ask me how to protect their site before an attack ever occurs.

The following are a few, easy to apply, best practices you can take care of right now to reduce the risk of your site being hacked. You cannot have complete security from attacks; you can only minimize your chances. Anyone who comes to you and says they can prevent your site from being hacked is lying!

My hope is that you'll apply the following suggestions (if you're not using them already) and look into further security measures you can take.

Anyone can do the following suggestions to immediately improve your site's security. But there's much more you can do to better protect your site than what's mentioned in this article. Many advanced security measures require editing server settings and file permissions, which require someone with knowledge of server configuration. If you want to improve your site's security beyond the recommendations in this article, you can learn more or hire a professional systems administrator to review and adjust your configuration.

According to WordPress, the two most common attacks target outdated plugins, or attempting to gain access by using "brute-force" password guessing using automated scripts. The following recommendations will help minimize your risk to these types of attacks.

Using Strong and Long Passwords

You've probably heard this recommendation before if not several times. You're going to hear it again. One of the best things you can do right now to improve your security right now is updating your password so it's longer. (Yes, I said "right now" twice on purpose!)

How long should your password be? According to an online password crack estimate, a password with 16 random numbers and letters will take a computer 2,780,885 centuries to guess. I think that's an unrealistic estimate given that processing power can be increased making cracking programs run exponential faster. This is why I make my passwords at least 20 characters and include special symbols.

You're probably wondering how you're going to remember long passwords of mixed numbers and characters. There are many methods to train yourself to remember passwords from mnemonic memorization to phrases, but I gave up trying to remember passwords a long time ago. I just use RoboForm and let it manage my passwords for me.

I wish we had something better than usernames and passwords for authentication technology, but that's what we're stuck with at the moment. Again, that's why I've relied on RoboForm for the past 10 years.

Don't stop with WordPress

Make sure your hosting account password is long and as well as your SFTP account. (If you're still using FTP, please switch to SFTP, it's much more secure, encrypting your data as it is transmitted between your computer and your website. This means your password is never sent in the clear and cannot be intercepted by an attacker.) And if you don't use FTP at all, delete any unused FTP accounts from your hosting.

What about two-factor authentication?

I use two-factor authentication (password plus a pin number sent to my phone) on sites that support it. For WordPress, I haven't found a two-factor authentication plugin that didn't lock me out of my site, so I can't recommend it right now.

If you're web host supports two-factor authentication, consider enabling it on your account.

Delete logins not being used, especially Administrator accounts

Delete all users from your WordPress site that are not being used. For added security, don't use your administration account for adding articles to your site. Use an account with an Author role instead to add content to your site.

Protect your login page

By default, WordPress doesn't do much to protect your login page. A brute-force attack can hit your login and try thousands of password combinations until it finds one, or until your web host shuts you down because your account is exceeding memory and CPU.

One measure you can take right now is to use a plugin that will limit the number of login attempts before blocking the source of the attack. There are several of these types of plugins available in the plugin repository; one I use is Limit Log Attempts.

You should understand that this type of protection can be undermined. An attacker can spoof where the attack is coming from after each failed attempt, making the plugin "think" each new attempt is legitimate. But a plugin like this can help in attacks looking for low hanging fruit, and since it's easy to add you may as well do it.

There are a number of other advanced measures you can take to protect your login page that include server access settings and configurations. You can start learning about these options by visiting WordPress Brute Force Attacks.

What about changing the "admin" username?

Popular security advice for WordPress is not using "admin" as a username. This may cause a few automated attacks to move on, but only because an attacker chooses not to find your username. It's quite easy to get the usernames of a WordPress site. It's much more important to have a long password.

Don't Login To Your Site on Public Wifi

Unless you're using SSL on your WordPress site or a protected connection, avoid logging into your site on public networks such as free airport or coffee shop Wifi. These networks, or the people on them, can log the communication between your computer and site and retrieve your username and password.

Apply WordPress Updates

I usually pick up a few new clients each month and I'm always amazed when I log in to their sites and find they are a behind in WordPress updates. When confronting one site owner about not applying updates, she told me about a blog post from an "expert" who said it's better to wait a week or two to apply an update because it may not be stable and might cause problems. This is not the best advice.

It's important to stay on top of WordPress updates as most are security fixes that address the latest exploits. Most of the time the hackers know the WordPress team will fix the vulnerability quickly so they count on the thousands of people who are slow to update their sites. It's a race against time and each day you go without updating increases the chance your site may get hit.

It's easy to apply an update and only takes a few seconds. When you see the update notification, just click the update button and the package will download and be installed.

When you see the notification of a new update you can run a backup first and then apply the update. If the update causes a problem with your site, just restore it with the backup you just made.

Minor versions of WordPress, like 3.6.1 or 3.6.2 for example, are commonly security and bug fixes. These versions usually don't introduce new features or deprecate old features that might "break" anything on your site. Major versions, like 3.6, are more likely to cause a problem (if any) because of themes or plugin compatibility.

In a perfect world, you'd have a staging (or test) copy of your site running on the same server that you can test updates to make sure there won't be problems with your site. I know most of you reading this don't have a staging copy of your site so you're best strategy is to always backup before applying an update.

To make the backup strategy work, you need to be confident in restoring your site. Use a tool like BackupBuddy and practice backing up and restoring sites. This exercise will also reveal if your web host has any issues with BackupBuddy.

Remove Plugins

Plugins are one of the most common ways sites are hacked. Delete all unused plugins from your site. Reevaluate the plugins you are using, do you really need them? Can they be replaced by something outside of WordPress?

For example, many people use the popular Contact Form 7 plugin to place an email form on their contact page. Why have a plugin that's used on only one page and probably used a couple times a week? Especially considering that it loads scripts on all your other web pages where it's not used and it might be vulnerable to new exploits and has to be updated periodically. Is it worth the overhead when there are alternatives? If you need a contact form you can use something like Google Docs to embed a form on your site without using a plugin.

Instead of using plugins that post your articles to Facebook and Twitter, you can have the same functionality without plugins by using your RSS feeds with services like Dlvr.it and Twitterfeed.

Take a look at your plugins and only keep ones that are critical to your business. Removing plugins will not only make your site more secure, but it will probably run faster.

Just like WordPress updates, make sure you stay on top of plugin updates.

Avoid plugins that bad ratings or have not been updated in months. This shows a lack of support. If there ever is a vulnerability discovered in the plugin, it may not be addressed right away by the developer.

Learn How to Backup and Restore Your Site

This recommendation doesn't help prevent an attack, but is essential for recovering from one. And since we know that 100% protection cannot be achieved, it's crucial that you to follow this suggestion.

Note I didn't say regularly backup your site. You should regularly backup your site, but backups are worthless unless you know how to restore your site.

Practice backup and restoring your site until you feel comfortable with the process. Then begin backing up your site regularly depending on how much content you publish.

If you don't know where to start when it comes to WordPress backups, a tool I recommend that's both reliable and easy to use is the BackupBuddy plugin.

Resources

As I said at the beginning, there are many more security measures you can take but these can be done right now. For more information about WordPress security, please see these resources:

• Think Your Password Is Secure, It's Probably Not


• Securi blog: http://blog.sucuri.net/


• WordPress's own security recommendations: http://codex.wordpress.org/Hardening_WordPress


• Security alerts: http://safewp.com/category/wordpress-security-alerts/

Essential Elements in Web Design for Increasing Traffic

It's important to keep web designs cutting edge to increase traffic. For eCommerce stores, the need becomes even more important. Business2Community describes the levels of innovation as increasing at a rate that might scare some businesses, but that, instead of being frightened, they should focus on the most essential elements. Here are some of the top ones you should consider including.

Mobile Website Compatibility

One of the most important elements that you must have in a website design is mobile website compatibility. Margin Media conducted a study and found that 48 percent of users will decide against using a business's service if they get to the mobile website and find it doesn't work well.

Blog

Blogs have been around since the early days of the Internet. According to "The History of Bloggin," the first blog post was published in 1997, and it soon became one of the most popular sources of web content. The Search Engine Journal states that blog posts still provide some of the best options when it comes to building up indexed web pages, as long as the content is valuable. You can get a blog started on a number of free services as well as most places where you can build a website for free.

Responsive Design

Responsive design is considered one of the must have components of an effective website, according to eMarketer. It basically means that your website will adjust to fit any screen. It's not all that is involved in making a website compatible with all mobile devices, but it's often an important part. The main benefit that it offers is the fact that the viewing experience will be the same across multiple platforms.

Fast Loading Times

A number of studies have been set up to see how long people will wait for a web page to load. Surprisingly, it doesn't seem to matter whether it's on a traditional computer or on a mobile device. eConsultancy's study found that 40 percent of people leave a website if the page takes more than three seconds in loading time. Mobile Joomla found that the number of pages that potential customers leave increase over 100 percent when it takes more than four seconds, and it goes up 150 percent if the page takes over eight seconds. Sometimes making sure that your web pages load faster will require that the design be streamlined. This is part of the reason that the modern web design has started leaning so heavily toward the minimalist influence.

Single Landing Pages for Each Product

Landing pages have not yet become dinosaurs in the Internet marketing world. While hard sell techniques still provide far lower results than other forms of advertising, certain elements of the classic hard sell campaign can still be beneficial. The landing page is one of these. According to the Marketing Sherpa, the secret is to make sure that each landing page focuses on a single goal. HubSpot's research discovered that many businesses wind up with 30+ landing pages, but that these businesses developed 7-12 times more leads than businesses with a single landing page for all their products, or even less than five such pages.

Is Skype Premium Worth It?

You may be a long time Skype user and wondering if you should upgrade to Premium. If you’d like to upgrade to use group video and make unlimited calls to phones, those are good reasons to consider paying for Skype.

If you’re upgrading just to get premium call quality, then you may want to reassess your needs. Since they rely on the Internet, Skype and other VoIP services are susceptible to call quality issues. However, there might be other compelling reasons to start paying for Skype. In this article I take a close look at Skype Premium and some of the alternatives.

Skype Premium subscriptions feature group video calling for up to 10 people and includes group screen sharing. Currently with free Skype you can have only two on a video call, but you can have up to 25 on a voice conference.

You can make unlimited calls to landlines and mobile phones to a country of your choice. You also get live tech support via IM and no ads in the software.

Skype Premium is reasonably priced at $9.99 USD per month. If you pay annually you can get it for as low as $59.88, which comes out to only $4.99 a month. That’s not bad at all.

Now you may be thinking of upgrading to Premium to use Skype in your business, and wonder how dependable voice and video conferencing is and if it can be relied on for professional meetings.

Skype for Business

One of the complaints I often hear with Skype is that it can be unreliable, especially in multiparty calls. This is a concern if you hope to use Skype for your business.

The problems may not be Skype’s fault. It could be your Internet connection, router settings or something with your ISP, which would affect any VoIP service. Using another service may not improve your call reliability.

Perhaps the best strategy is using several communications services. When your primary service has problems, you switch to a backup. This is a strategy I use, often rotating services to make sure we get through meetings.

Switching services in the middle of a call is certainly not convenient, especially when there are more than two people on the call. The interruption breaks the current stream of thought and you may lose momentum. For one-on-one calls this is less of an issue in my experience.

The key is to always be prepared. For example, for important meetings I may record the session. If anyone has connectivity issues I will continue the meeting and send a copy of the recording to all attendees.

Skype does not have a recording feature built into its software, but it is possible with the use of add-on tools. The tool I use, which is the one Skype recommends, is Evaer Skype video recorder. You can find out more about here:

http://www.evaer.com/

Most people are forgiving when you have technical issues, especially if you have a good relationship with the involved parties. People understand having been there before and realize it’s not your fault. However, when you have a meeting with someone or a group you don’t know very well, it can be another story. A bad connection or dropped call may annoy some in group. It might be better to rely on your mobile or landlines for initial meetings with a new client or partner as you build rapport, then move collaboration to VoIP later.

If you do use Skype Premium for your business, you should have at least one conferencing backup. Here are a few free and low cost VoIP services that can serve as backups or alternatives to Skype:

Google Hangouts

There’s been a lot of hype since the launch of Google Hangouts. Unlike Skype, Hangouts allows video conferencing with 10 people for free.

Hangouts has some nice features such as integration with Google apps, like Google Docs, and live video streaming. The live streaming feature, “On Air,” allows viewers to watch a Hangout live on YouTube. Great for your own “TV” show or other live broadcast.

Hangouts does have some very cool features, and even more impressive is that these features are free. However, for basic chat and one-on-one video calls, I don’t think Hangouts has any advantage over Skype.

When it comes to calling phones Hangouts is limited. Google Voice, which is integrated with Hangouts, only works in the U.S. If you’re outside the U.S. or need to call people outside the U.S. you’re out of luck. But if all your business dealings are within the U.S. or you only need a backup for video meetings, then Hangouts should work out well.

Oovoo

Oovoo was designed for video calling, and it does it well. You can have 12 people on a video call for free. It even has screen sharing and can record calls under the free plan. The Premium plan just removes ads from the software, provides priority support and gives you some online storage for your recordings.

The only problem is getting people to use Oovoo when there’s Skype and Hangouts, which is why I use it mainly for backup purposes. It’s much easier to coordinate and get a group of people connected on a Skype call. It does have a feature that allows people to receive calls without an Oovoo account, but the participation is limited.

Phone Power

If most of your business or personal communication is over the phone, and video conferencing is less of a priority, then Phone Power unlimited business phone servicemight be a better option than Skype Premium.

Phone Power is a top rated VoIP service that provides unlimited calls for as little $8.33 USD a month. You get a phone number for others to call you (additional cost with Skype) and a second phone line for free. It’s packed with features, such as 3-Way calling, call forwarding, 911 and ClickToCall. See all of the 45 features visit here: Phone Power plans

Phone Power is a replacement for residential or small business landline, but it does not offer video calls. If video is not important to you, then Phone Power is the way to go. If you ever need video conferencing, just use Google Hangouts or Oovoo for free.

Other Communications Backups

IM Apps

Look around, these days there are chat programs embedded into many apps and desktop programs. Many offer voice and video, and can be pretty reliable. For instance, sometimes if my gamer buddies and I are using Hangouts or Skype and experience poor quality or drops, we’ll switch to Steam chat and not miss a beat.

Smartphone/Tablet

Once I had a Skype meeting planned and joined the meeting from my desktop computer. Because of poor call quality, I couldn't understand when people spoke and they had trouble hearing me.

I opened the Skype app on my smartphone, dropped off my desktop and rejoined the meeting on my phone. The call was clear. I suppose the improvement was because I was on a different Internet connection, one through my phone provider.

The great thing was that I missed only a second or two of the meeting while I was reconnecting. Since my phone was on my desk I was able to fire up Skype and sign in while I was still in the meeting on my desktop. The switch was almost seamless. This is a case where I used Skype as a backup for Skype thanks for my phone!

This is another example of planning ahead, having not only available backup services, but backup devices too. You may not realize it, but if you have a data plan with your phone or tablet, that’s a backup Internet and communications line you can use when you have issues with your primary line.

So it is possible to effectively use Skype in your business with some planning and preparedness.

Skype’s Biggest Advantage

Possibly the biggest advantage of using Skype is that it’s user friendly and ubiquitous; most people already know how to use it. Everyone in my family uses it to stay in touch more than they use their phones. My relatives in their 70s and 80s are probably the ones who use it the most!

With millions of subscribers, Skype is almost as universal as having a phone number. It’s now integrated with Facebook, and Microsoft has been forcing people to use Skype as they phase out MSN Messenger, bringing even more subscribers. If you want to have a call or meeting it might be a challenge to get other parties to use something else.

This is sometimes an overlooked benefit of using Skype. Sure, you can get cheaper VoIP services, but few can offer hassle-free video calling with almost anyone in the world. I can’t tell you how many friends and relatives I have who depend on Skype to video chat with isolated and elderly family members, and how much they value those calls. You can’t put a price on that.

Is Skype Premium worth it? In my opinion, yes, as long as you have realistic expectations.

WordPress DIY Questions

The following is a collection of the most common questions I receive on WordPress, the world's most popular web publishing platform. These answers can be a great help to any DIYer managing their own WordPress websites. You may want to bookmark this page for future reference.

If you manage your own sites and are wondering if you should use WordPress in the first place, this post will answer your question: Why WordPress May Not Be The Answer

Questions

• What's the best photo gallery plugin?


• How to switch the side column (sidebar) from the right side to left?


• How to add a menu item that goes to another site?


• How do you link to Pages in WordPress to the navigation bar?


• How to add YouTube videos in my blog posts?


• How do I make my WordPress site mobile friendly?


• How can I put my logo in the header of my theme?


• How do I set my site's home page to NOT be a blog page?


• I don't want to show "Meta" or "Categories" on my sidebar - how do I remove them?


• How do I add an email subscription form to my sidebar?


• How do I remove the Date from all of my pages and posts?


• How do I change the copyright and credits in the footer of my theme?


• How can I remove the sidebar from selected pages?


• How do I put Adsense advertisements on my site?


• How do I add Google Analytics to my site?


• How do I put a Google Map on my site?


• How can I move my WordPress site to a new host?


• How do I backup my WordPress site?


• More WordPress training and resources

Many of the answers to these questions relate to theme selection. A good theme with a various configuration options and easy to use administration panel will give you a painless method for customizing your site's layout, style, header and footer. Consider paying for a premium theme that has all the features you want and is easy to use.

What's the best photo gallery plugin?

This is impossible to answer since there are so many photo gallery plugins available with various styles and features. But I am going to answer it anyway since I get this question just about every week.

When selecting a gallery plugin first look at any available online demos. Does it have the features you're looking for? Does it fit in with your site's style?

Read the feedback. How is the support? Is it easy to use? Has it been updated recently?

Free Plugins

The advantage of using free gallery plugins is that you can test various galleries on your site to see which one you like best. You'll also discover if any plugins have problems.

NextGEN Gallery is the most popular free gallery plugin available. Because of its popularity (over 7.5 million downloads) it has good theme compatibility and decent support.

Paid Plugins

Paid plugins often have more features than free plugins and good support. When it comes to gallery plugins, some paid plugin have dazzling visual effects and enhanced customization features. There are some amazing gallery plugins at Codecanyon.net.

The risk of a paid gallery plugin is that it may conflict with your theme and you may not be able to use it, thus wasting your money. The gallery may be difficult to position correctly or have script issues because of other plugins or your theme.

The plugin developer may help you if the problem is a bug with the plugin or if they are interested in making the plugin compatible with more themes. If the developer is unresponsive you may need to try a different gallery plugin.

How to switch the side column (sidebar) from the right side to left?

The answer depends on the theme you're using.

In the Twenty-Eleven theme, go to Appearance -> Customize

Under Layout are options to change which side your content appears or you can opt for no sidebars at all.

Some themes, like those developed by StudioPress, allow you to change sidebar layouts for individual posts and pages if you want that level of control:

The entire site has a default layout which can be set in the theme's settings, the post option overrides the default settings. If no layout is selected in the post, the default sidebar layout is used.

How to add a menu item that goes to another site? How do you link Pages in WordPress to the navigation bar?

Easy.

1. Sign in to the Administration Panel, then go to Appearance -> Menus


2. Next to Select a menu to edit, choose the menu you want to add a link to in the drop down list (some themes allow for multiple menus), or click the link to create a new menu (refer to your theme's documentation for details on custom menus and where they are positioned on your site).


3. Click the Links bar to open the options. Add the URL and use Link Text to display the text you want to appear in your menu. Click Add to Menu and your new link will be added to the menu on the right. Drag your new menu up to reposition it if you like.


4. Click Save Menu.

To add a Page in your menu click Pages instead of Links. Same if you want to have a category in your menu.

You add as many Pages, links and categories to your menu as you like and arrange them as top-level and submenu items. To make any menu item a submenu, simply click and drag the item slightly to the right until you see the dotted outline move. The dotted outline represents the new position of the menu item you selected, where it moves while you drag is where your menu item will be positioned when you let go. Click Save Menu when you are done.

The number of menus you can use and their placement depends on how your theme was designed. Refer to your theme's documentation for details.

How to add YouTube videos in my blog posts?

There are plugins that can insert videos, but they complicate one of the easiest tasks you can do in WordPress.

• Step 1: Copy the link of the YouTube video you want to insert.


• Step 2: In Text mode (not Visual), insert the link anywhere into your post.


• Step 3: Publish or Update your post.

That's it. WordPress recognizes YouTube links and will automatically format the video. No plugins, no embed code. Also works with video links from Vimeo, Viddler, DailyMotion, Blip.tv and other sites.

How do I make my WordPress site mobile friendly?

There are two common ways:

• Mobile "responsive" theme: a theme designed to work on both large and small screens. Basically, the theme rearranges sidebars under the main content, wraps text and scales images for narrow screens.


• Redirect plugin: a plugin that will detect visitors on devices with small screens, such as smartphones and tablets, and redirect them to a mobile optimized version of your site. The mobile optimized version may have a completely different theme than the desktop theme, a version of your site designed and dedicated to small screens devices only. You may also have a completely different website with distinct content for mobile visitors that the plugin will redirect visitors to.

Which is better? It depends. Installing a responsive theme is an easy way to make your website instantly mobile friendly. Some companies recognize that visitors on mobile devices may be interested in different information and prefer to use a plugin that shows these visitors mobile targeted content.

How can I put my logo in the header of my theme?

This is a common question, but the answer depends on the theme you're using.

The overall appearance and layout of your site is determined by the theme, which controls what appears in the header area.

If you have a well-designed, user-friendly theme, adding your logo should be a straightforward task. You may find the option to update the logo in your theme settings.

In the WordPress administration panel, go to Appearance -> Header

This may show the theme options you have available to you in customizing your header and adding a logo.

Some themes add an additional item to the standard WordPress themes menu as seen in the following example for the "Flexibility" theme:

Selecting Flexibility Theme Options from the menu will produce a screen with an array of theme options, including Header Settings which allows you to use a custom image that has your logo:

If your theme does not provide any options to customize the header or insert a logo, then your only choice is to edit your theme's PHP header file. If you don't know how to code PHP you should hire a professional to edit the files. If you're not dead set on using a particular theme that lacks header and logo settings, consider changing themes.

Installing a new theme should not affect your content. It's one of the benefits of using WordPress. If a theme doesn't meet your site's needs you have the freedom to use one that does. In the future you may want to new add features to your site, upgrading themes and plugins is a way to enhance your website.

How do I set my site's home page to NOT be a blog page?

By default WordPress is setup to display your posts in reverse chronological order on the home page. This is how most blogs and news sites are organized. However, you may not want to use WordPress as a blog and have your home page setup differently. Here are your options:

Set your home page as a static Page:

1. Sign in to the WordPress administrator panel. Create the Page you want to show on your home page.


2. In the left menu, click Settings -> Reading.


3. At the top are the settings for Front Page Displays. Select A static page.


4. Select the Page you want on your home page from the drop down list. No need to change Post page.
   


5. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom.

You may have a specific look in mind for your home page, with image sliders, post summaries and other widgets. With plugins, you can add some of these elements to a Page you create for your home page, including animated image sliders.

A better method might be to use a theme that has a home page layout and widgets that matches what you envision for your site. These themes have specially coded the home page to be uniquely different from the rest of the site. Finding these types of themes is as easy as visiting theme sites and browsing screenshots and demos for the look you have in mind. Most themes, especially premium themes, will have documentation on how to properly set up the home page.

I don't want to show "Meta" or "Categories" on my sidebar - how do I remove them?

When you install WordPress the first time, you may see links already in your sidebar. This appears by default and can be easily removed.

Sign in to the Administration Panel and go to Appearance -> Widgets

1. On the right side are the sidebars and other widget areas available in the theme you're using. Click the sidebar area you want to remove items from. It may be labeled 'Main Sidebar' or 'Primary Sidebar'. You may want to refer to your theme's documentation if you're not sure.


2. Once you've clicked the sidebar area it should expand showing the widget items in that sidebar. If the sidebar contains widgets you don't recognize, or is empty, you have selected the wrong sidebar area. Again, refer to your theme's documentation in this case.


3. Click on any widget item you want to remove. Clicking will open the item for editing and will display the Delete link. Click Delete to remove the item, your changes will save automatically.

If you want to add any new widget items for your sidebar, just click and drag an item from the left and release it in the sidebar or other widget area you want the item to appear in. Your changes will save automatically.

When you add a new widget item, review it's settings. You may need to edit the widget's settings for it to work properly.

How do I add an email subscription form to my sidebar?

If you use an email service such as MailChimp or AWeber, the two easiest methods are:

• Creating a form using your email service's tools, and copying the code into a new text widget; or


• Using a plugin.

Popular email service providers usually have tools to create custom subscription forms which allow you to copy and paste them into your website. If using this method you may have use the tool to adjust your form to fit your site's sidebar. It may take a few iterations of adjusting and pasting into your site before you get it right.

Depending on the email service you use, a plugin may be available. If it's a good plugin it may be easier to add a form to your site than using the cut-and-paste tool. You'll have to search to see if a plugin has been developed for your email service.

A plugin worth mentioning is Gravity Forms. This powerful plugin can create custom forms of any size that can integrate with a number of services that include MailChimp and AWeber ("Business" version). It also has add-ons that can integrate with services like PayPal and Authorize.Net (requires the "Developer" version).

For more information about the Gravity Forms plugin, see Gravityforms.com.

How do I remove the Date from all of my pages and posts?

Some themes allow you to edit or completely remove the date and byline information in your posts. Check your theme settings or documentation to see if it offers this option.

There is also a free plugin called WP Date Remove available from the plugin repository: http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-post-date-remover/. This plugin doesn't have any options; it just removes dates site wide. For more control over dates consider a premium theme that has built in settings for date and byline editing.

How do I change the copyright and credits in the footer of my theme?

Most premium themes have settings built in that allow you to edit the footer credits. Some free themes also offer this option, but most don't because having credits in your site's footer gives the developer free exposure. This is yet another reason to use premium themes where you have control over footer.

If you're using a theme that doesn't have settings to edit the footer, you can edit the PHP file yourself. However, if you're using a free theme you could get into trouble with the developer. As mentioned before, a developer often lets people download and use their themes for free in exchange for having their name or site links in the footer. If you edit the PHP file to remove the developer credits, they may view that has breaking the agreement to use their theme for free.

If you want to edit the PHP footer file to add information but not delete anything, that should be acceptable by the developer. Footer credits are usually found in a theme file called footer.php. If you are not comfortable editing PHP you should hire a professional to help. It's literally a 5 minute job for a professional.

How can I remove the sidebar from selected pages?

WordPress lacks control over context sidebar display. Perhaps they feel it's the job of the theme to determine when and where sidebars are displayed. As a result, to control sidebar display you need to use a theme that has this feature or a special plugin. Some themes and plugins also allow you to create variations of sidebars, so you can have custom sidebars that are used on select pages.

There are several plugins available that will add these features to your site. I prefer using a theme that has these features built in. Some plugins I've used seem to slow down my site, while I've never had the same issue using themes. However, you may have no choice but to use a plugin if you don't want to change themes.

To find a plugin you can search the WordPress plugin repository. Be sure to read the comments. If you are considering a new theme, look for one that has dynamic or custom sidebars in feature list.

How do I put Adsense advertisements on my site?

There are two methods of placing advertisements from Google Adsense on your site. One method simply involves copying and pasting the Adsense code provided by Google into a widget area on your site, or in your site's code if you know how. The other method is by adding an Adsense plugin to your site.

You must always obey Google's terms of services which currently say that you cannot place more than three Adsense ads on any given page. You also have to be careful placing pictures around ads, or using text to draw attention to them.

There are a number of plugins that allow you to add Adsense to your site. The Easy AdSense plugin is a popular choice that has a number of ad placement features. Here's more information: http://wordpress.org/plugins/easy-adsense-lite/

How do I add Google Analytics to my site?

Google Analytics is a tool that allows you to measure and analyze the traffic on your site. It is an excellent tool that's free to use. For more information about Google Analytics, I wrote this fine article that gives you everything you need to get started: Use Google Analytics to Know What's Working on Your Site.

To install the Google Analytics tracking code on your site, your theme may have a box you can paste the code into that will automatically place it on all your site pages. You might find this in your theme's settings in the Administration Panel.

If you're theme doesn't have this feature, there are a few different plugins that will do the trick. Here's a popular one that's free to use: Google Analyticator

How do I put a Google Map on my site?

Google Maps are a great addition to web pages, especially sites for businesses that have physical locations. Maps are ideal for a "contact us" type of page.

On Google Maps, you can create a map of any area and select the embed code to add that map to a website. Here are the steps to create a custom map and copy the embed code: https://support.google.com/maps/answer/72644?hl=en

Once you have copied the embed code, you can place it in any post or page of your site. Make sure you're in Text mode and not Visual mode to ensure the code is saved and rendered properly.

Another option is to use a plugin. This free to use plugin can be used to add several Google maps to your site: WP Google Maps

How can I move my WordPress site to a new host?

Basically, moving a WordPress site to a new host is not really a complex task, but it is one you have to be very careful about doing. A problem could cause a lot of headache! If you don't feel confident doing this on your own, have your hosting company perform this operation or hire a professional.

Keep in mind that a typical WordPress installation really consists of two components: the site files and the database. Both need to be backed up and copied to the new host. Some configuration files and database entries need to be adjusted to reflect the new URL and new database settings.

In a nutshell, the following steps are what you need to do:

1. Copy the site files to the folder where the new site will reside


2. Create a new database on the new host and import the old database


3. Edit wp-config.php to the new database settings. If your domain or URL has changed (you moved the site to a folder, www.example.com/blog, or subdomain, blog.example.com) you'll need to do these two steps:


4. Add the following lines in wp-config.php, replacing "example.com" with the right domain:
   
   
   
   1. define('WP_SITEURL', 'http://www.example.com');
   
   
   2. define('WP_HOME', 'http://www.example.com');
   
   
   
   


5. Install the Search and Replace plugin and use it to do a search and replace for your old URL's and change them with your new URL's.

Tips:

• Delete spam comments and site cache if there are any. This will reduce the size of the database and site files and make the transfer go faster.


• Update your old site to the latest version of WordPress. Install a new instance of WordPress on the new host that is the same version of your old site. (Most hosts have a "quick install" feature that will install the latest version with just a few clicks.) Copy just the wp-content folder from your old site and replace the same folder in the WordPress files on the new host. Do step #3 above.


• Use a backup plugin like the fantastic BackupBuddy.

For more detailed instructions, we have a PDF guide that will walk you step-by-step in transferring a WordPress site to a new web host: Transferring a WordPress site

How do I backup my WordPress site?

I'm glad you asked! Backing up your site is a vital task that many people overlook, and that neglect can be disastrous if the site falls victim to a hacker.

As mentioned in the last question, a WordPress site really consists of two components – the files and the database.

You can simply backup your files with your FTP client, just like you would any website. Use your FTP client and connect to your WordPress site, you can then copy the entire site and all of its directories down to your local computer.

The database backup can be done a number of ways; one of the easiest is to perform a WordPress Export.

In the Administrator Panel, go to Tools -> Export. Simply click the Download Export File button and save the file to your local computer. If you ever need to restore the site you can simply perform an "Import".

You can also export the database in SQL format if you prefer. This is my method of choice since I'm familiar with databases and can edit the export file if necessary.

There are also several backup plugins available, some better than others. The best one in my opinion is BackupBuddy.

More WordPress training and resources:

• Getting started with WordPress (PDF or Kindle ebooks)


• How to install WordPress on a web host


• Domain name registration, nameserver setup and FTP tutorials


• WordPress settings

DuckDuckGo Tools and Resources

Many are flocking to the DuckDuckGo search engine as details of PRISM and NSA online surveillance activities have come to the public's attention. DuckDuckGo (or DDG) is one of the few search engines that respects user privacy.

Unlike Google, Bing, Yahoo and others, DDG does not record or collect user information. Search engines like Google and social networks like Facebook typically collect and use personal information to profit from ads and marketing. But as you've probably heard in the news, it was recently discovered that these tech giants and others share this private data, including IP addresses, emails, chat conversations, even Facebook posts, with the NSA and other federal agencies.

After the exposure of the PRISM program earlier this year, DDG's usage has increased astronomically and is currently receiving over 100 million queries each month.

Think you have nothing to hide? The NSA has already demonstrated abuses of their access to private data. Take the example of NSA Officers using collected information to stalk love interests. Who's to say they'll safeguard the data they collect and keep your information out of the wrong hands?

Since DDG doesn't collect user data, they have nothing to hand over to the NSA or anyone else. Of course, if the NSA wants to target a group or individual, they'll certainly get the data they want. DDG or any other privacy service can only go so far. Still, there are plenty of good reasons to use it over Google. Here are a few:

• No "personal search." Google likes to think they know what you want. Since they have your search history, the search engine will show results based on their assumptions about you. It's an annoying feature. People send you links you're not interested it but you click anyway, or your spouse borrows your computer to do a quick search from time to time. Suddenly the search results are showing items you have no interest in. Of course, these features can be turned off but they are on by default with most people not realizing it.


• Google and other search engines use search history to show advertising. Don't forget, Google is not a software company; it's first and foremost a media company that generates revenue from advertisements. If you don't mind being shown advertisements based on what you search for, that's your business (and anyone else who uses your computer). Once at an all day workshop, a manger had his computer connected to the projector. As he looked up information in Google and on some websites for the team, we couldn't help to notice the same flashy dating ads showing up in different places. He was a married man, was he really vising dating sites? Was it even him, did someone borrow his computer to browse dating sites? No one said anything but it didn't go unnoticed and led people to wonder.


• As good as Google is, I often don't find what I'm looking for on the first few tries. Movie times, word definitions, baseball scores, Google excels at the popular searches. It's the longer search phrases or obscure terms I usually have trouble with. Either I get unrelated sites or a bunch of spam sites. I can't say DDG is better at tough searches, but it does surprise me on occasion. DDG's results come from 50 different sources including Wolfram Alpha. DDG also makes an effort to block results from content farm sites designed to game Google's search algorithm and filters.

Since DDG does not collect personal data they don't have any targeted ads or personalized search "features." I like that they filter out content farm sites I get tired of seeing again and again in Google.

If you're thinking of making the switch, here's a collection of DDG tools and resources similar to what the big search engines offer. Be sure to bookmark this page for quick reference.

How to make DDG your browser's homepage, add or change default search provider and official extensions:

• 
  
  Chrome
  
  
  
  
  • DDG Home Page extension (adds an DDG quick launch icon to the Chrome start page)
  
  
  • Official Chrome extension
  
  
  • Make DDG default search provider for Chrome
  
  
  
  


• 
  
  Firefox (version 23)
  
  
  
  
  • To set DDG as your homepage, click and drag the following link to the small home icon in Firefox: DuckDuckGo Homepage. If done correctly you'll receive a popup asking if you want to change your homepage. Click 'Yes' and you're done.
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  • Official Firefox extension
  
  
  • Make DDG default search provider for Firefox
  
  
  
  


• 
  
  Safari (version 5)
  
  
  
  
  • To set DDG as the homepage: visit DuckDuckGo.com. Click the Gear icon, select Preferences. On the Homepage setting, click Set to Current Page.
  
  
  • Official Safari extension
  
  
  • Add DDG as a search provider for Safari (scroll down)
  
  
  
  


• 
  
  Internet Explorer 9
  
  
  
  
  • To set DDG as the homepage: visit DuckDuckGo.com, click Set as Homepage on the bottom right. Also click Add to Browser -> Install IE search provider and check the box to make it the default search provider.
  
  
  • No official extension.
  
  
  
  


• 
  
  Opera
  
  
  
  
  • Add as Speed Dial entry and other integration options
  
  
  • Official extension
  
  
  
  

DDG mobile apps:

• Android: Google Play


• iOS: iTunes

Tools

DuckDuckGoodies are instant answers to common searches, like unit conversions and calculations, that appear on the top of the search results. Google has a similar feature they added to search a couple years ago.

Here's a categorized list of available Goodies with examples: DuckDuckGoodies 


Add a DDG search box to your site:

• WordPress plugin:
  DuckDuckGo Search Widget


• HTML: https://duckduckgo.com/search_box

Advanced searching: operators, switches and filters: DDG Syntax

Support and Community

Main help and support pages: https://dukgo.com/help/en_US

DDG user forums: http://duck.co/

There are lots more resources but this is enough to get most people going. From now on when someone comes to you with a question you don't know the answer to, instead of suggesting they Google it, you can now tell them to Duck it!

Do More – a Lot More, with Dropbox

Most of us use Dropbox to quickly and easily send files to family members or our work colleagues to collaborate on projects. It sure beats using email as an FTP server.

Its simplicity has made it one of the most popular online services in recent years. But what makes Dropbox even more powerful are the third-party apps available that extend its usage. For instance, some online bookstores deliver purchases right to your connected Dropbox account giving you access to your books on all your devices: phone, tablet, desktop, etc. The bookstores use an app to connect to your Dropbox folder and deliver the goods.

Dropbox is also continually adding new features.

Many in my family don't use Facebook, so sharing timely pictures can be a challenge (in other words, extra work!). I've started using Dropbox's picture sharing features to email links to photo albums to family members. Often my pictures are sent as soon as I've taken them. The recipients aren't required to have a Dropbox account to view my photos. Dropbox creates a unique, private link. Unless someone has that link, they won't be able to see my shared photos.

This feature comes in handy in sharing pictures directly from my phone to those who don't use social media. I use the Dropbox app on my Android phone to select which pictures I want to send and select email as the method of sharing. My email receipts receive a link to a page that displays all the pictures I selected.

In two seconds I've shared a photo album of new pictures without using social media, no uploading of image files to a computer and no need to ask anyone to sign up for yet another online photo sharing service. Photo sharing with no hassles or strings attached.

If you use Dropbox and need more space, check out this article: How to Get More Free Space from Dropbox

Here's a look at a few more Dropbox apps that extend its capabilities:

Email Files Directly To Your Dropbox

Send To Dropbox is a free service that gives you a special email address. Send any attachments to your designated email address and they are automatically saved to Dropbox.
The files are stored in new folder aptly named "Attachments" which is under the Apps folder in your Dropbox. You can set up subfolders based on the email subject or date (options pictured above) for better organization.

I find this one handy when people send me attachments I need to save, especially when away from the office. If I can forward an email attachment for saving and move an email out of my inbox from my phone when waiting for an oil change, it's less for me to do when I'm back at the office.

http://sendtodropbox.com

Dropbox Automator

This app can perform a number of automated tasks based on what you save in your Dropbox. Here is the current feature list

• Covert to PDF


• PDF to TXT


• Upload to Google Drive


• Send to your Kindle


• Upload to Slideshare


• Sign PDF (electronic signature)


• Convert eBook


• Upload to Facebook


• Upload to Flickr


• Upload to Google+


• Convert image

I'm sure you're wondering how it works. This setup video may shed some light:



http://wappwolf.com/dropboxautomator

DropVox

DropVox is a cool iOS app that records audio and saves it on your Dropbox. If you've used personal voice recorders in the past to capture ideas, reminders, then you understand how useful this is. I like to use voice recorders when traveling, especially after important meetings. I can summarize the meeting and my thoughts while en route, and when I arrive home I have a complete reference to use for action items or follow up.

The beauty of DropVox is that recordings are already on my desktop when I get home thanks to the Dropbox sync. Also, having recording available across all devices is very handy. I may get an idea and have the impulse to listen to a recording and take notes on my iPad while sitting in my garden. I can do so without having to move files around and losing a step. In the past, such inspiration would be snuffed out after realizing a file I want to use is on my desktop, then having to get up, go to my office, fire it up the computer, copy files and return to where I was. That's why I appreciate tools like DropVox.

Unfortunately, this app is only available for iOS devices at this time:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dropvox-record-voice-memos/id416288287?mt=8

DropItTo.Me

Dropbox has sending to those who don't have an account covered, but what about receiving files? DropItToMe allows anyone to upload file to your Dropbox, even if they don't have a Dropbox account.

Once you sign up for DropItToMe, you're assigned a custom link made from your username, http://www.dropitto.me/username. You also need to choose a special password that will allow others to upload using your link.

Just give anyone your custom link and the upload password and they are free to send files to your Dropbox. DropItToMe is free but there is a limit of 75MB on file uploads.

http://www.dropitto.me

Run Multiple Dropbox Accounts At Once

Dropbox doesn't allow anyone to use more than one account simultaneously. If they did, you could get more free space by signing up for additional accounts. However, there are legitimate reasons to access more than one account at the same time. For example, I support clients who have corporate Dropbox accounts. Often I need to create shared folders to store content that requires more space than my personal account will support.

I usually just use the web interface to deal with this issue, which is not very convenient. There are a couple tools available that can help deal with this problem. There's one is for Windows and another for Macs:

• Windows: DropboxPortableAHK allows you to run multiple versions of a portable Dropbox app that can link to another account: http://nionsoftware.com/dbpahk/instructions


• Mac: Dropbox Encore can run a second instance of Dropbox on a single Mac OS X account: http://www.joyofmacs.com/software/dropboxencore/

Getting these to work properly may take some tweaking. Read up on the instructions and make sure you're up for the install before downloading.

IFTTT

IFTTT (If This Then That) is one of my favorite automation services. It can automate some of the tasks already mentioned in this article: saving email attachments to Dropbox, converting and sending files, saving social media photos.

The power of IFTTT is the number of services (called "channels") it supports.

So what can IFTTT do with Dropbox? Look at the all the channels above and use your imagination!

When you connect two or more channels and define how they interact, it's called a "recipe." To get you going on what you can do with IFTTT and Dropbox, here are some sample recipes submitted by users:

https://ifttt.com/recipes/search?q=dropbox

With any cloud service, be careful what you store, especially if you connect some of these apps. Don't rely on cloud services to store important files and limit your sharing to non-sensitive information. It may not be wise not to trust it for business or backing up critical information. That said, Dropbox is still a convenient, timesaving, productivity tool that you can take advantage of.

Why WordPress May Not Be The Answer

As a website developer and self-proclaimed WordPress expert (a dime-a-dozen these days), I frequently receive questions on whether or not someone should switch to WordPress from [insert other website platform]. Why are people so interested in using WordPress? It is the most popular website platform these days, but what's the problem with other platforms and how does WordPress solve these problems? After consulting for and speaking with hundreds of small businesses, non-profit organizations and website owners over the years, I've discovered that most websites suffer from the same problem.

It turns out WordPress can also have the same problem and switching over may not make a difference. Later in this article I'll reveal the answer to the most common website problem I come across on a regular basis. First, let's make sure you understand a few things about WordPress.

When you talk about WordPress sites, there are two versions:

WordPress.com - Much like Blogger, you sign up for an account and can create a new site. WordPress takes care of the hosting. However, you are limited to the features and options that they provide. There are additional features available that require an upgrade.

WordPress.org or 'Self-hosted' WordPress - You can run a version of the same software used at WordPress.com for free on your own web hosting account, giving you complete control over your site and no limitations. You can use any theme or plugin you want, or customize your site to your liking.

Though the self-hosted version is Open Source and free to use, it does have some costs since you run the software on your own web hosting account. Prices for web hosting start at as little as $3 a month, up to thousands of dollars a month depending on resource needs. Don't forget about the domain name, another $10-15 annual fee. I recommend people spend a little more than $3 a month for hosting to get higher quality service, or you can start out with cheap hosting and as the business grows upgrade later. For more on web hosting please see this free guide.

It's important to understand the difference between the two. For example, going from a platform like Blogger to WordPress.com typically may not make much of a difference. However, converting a site from Blogger to self-hosted WordPress presents a new set of features and options not available in Blogger.

Another aspect of WordPress is that with the range of theme and plugins available, just about any type of website is possible. A picture sharing site, online bookstore, video tutorial site, forum, even a new social network; these are all possible with WordPress and the right add-ons. This is one of the main reasons why it's so popular, but it still may not be a reason for you to use it.

Earlier I promised to address the most common WordPress problem people seek help with. The questions come in various forms: "Should I convert my site to WordPress?", "How can I improve the look of my WordPress site?", or "What plugins should I use?" Usually after a few questions of my own I discover the real problem: lack of traffic and conversions.

Let's talk about traffic

It seems that some people believe that WordPress can somehow bring more traffic. While there are plugins and themes that can help engage your target audience, or implement search engine best practices, there's nothing WordPress can do directly to bring more traffic to your website.

There seems to be a myth that using WordPress will automatically rank your site higher in Google, thus bringing more visitors to your site. Years ago that might have been true, or so it seemed. What really happened is that WordPress had search engine features built-in almost from the beginning. If a poorly coded site was converted to WordPress, you might see a traffic improvement overnight, especially if the competition also had poorly optimized sites.

These days most website owners have become savvy to search engine optimization and WordPress has become the most popular website platform on the web. Chances are your site's competition is either using WordPress or has a search engine optimized website. So if everyone is optimized for search why should Google put your site ahead of the competition in the search results?

There's actually much more at play when it comes to ranking high enough in Google to get a significant amount of traffic. The point is WordPress isn't special anymore when it comes to Google. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't take advantage of it. You can get traffic from several other places: social media, paid sources, email lists, joint venture partners and more.

So traffic can be addressed without having to switch to WordPress, but are there other reasons to use WordPress? Here's a better question you should ask yourself: What is the absolute single best thing for me when a visitor lands on my website? Not sure? Here are a few examples:

• They click an advertisement


• Buy at least one product


• Sign up for my newsletter


• Contact me for more information


• Like or follow the site on social media


• Other?

What is the absolute second best thing a visitor can do? What's the third? Make your own list of desired visitor actions and prioritize it.

Now look at your list. How does WordPress support these actions? Perhaps you can optimize for these activities by selecting the right theme, or installing a few plugins. Perhaps a free WordPress.com site is all you need.

Maybe you don't require WordPress at all. Perhaps you need better copywriting or ad placement, or a few customer testimonials. None of which doesn't require changing site platforms. You may be able to reach your goals with the website you already have.

And that's the answer to second part of the fundamental problem with websites: conversions. When you get traffic to your site, it needs to convert that traffic to visitor actions you define and prioritize.

The solution to the most common problem with WordPress and sites in general is sourcing traffic and doing everything you can on your site to make that traffic convert.

Site Design and Themes

You may wonder about the importance of having beautifully designed theme or entertaining your visitors with fancy effects. This would fall under conversions; sometimes a professional design will help conversions. Conventional wisdom says beautiful web design does matter, however I've also seen many cases where a crappy looking site sells products like hotcakes.

It's much more important to come up with your list of desired visitor actions first and get those optimized on your site than to think about a new design. Think about it. If you provide fitness services, which is better for your site: a custom WordPress theme crafted by a top designer, or a video of a customer talking about how you helped her lose 27 pounds in 6 weeks, with a convenient signup button just below? The latter is much more powerful and will convert more visitors than a fancy site design. And it costs less too.

Once you have your site optimized for conversions buy some traffic from one of the many sources online and measure the results. Tweak your calls-to-action to try and improve your conversion rates. This is how you should work on your site, instead of looking at site platforms or shopping for new themes.

Of course, this article didn't explain how to optimize conversions or where to get traffic. Those are topics for future articles; the main takeaway here is to focus on the real issues your site is suffering from. When you identify the true problems you know what to look for in solutions.

Use Google Analytics to Know What’s Working on Your Site (and What Isn’t)

Google Analytics (or GA) is a software tool that tracks, measures and records visitor activity for websites. Visitor statistics are presented in reports you can view online and download.

These website statistics are the key to understanding exactly how well your content is received on the web.

GA records what visitors do on your site, which pages they read and for how long. What they do after they visit a page, if they go to another page on your site or leave. You get information on the visitor, what city they are in, language they use, even the type of device they used when visiting. You can find out if they've been to your site before, or if it's their first time.

The tool tracks where your visitors came from before they landed on your site. Which search engine they used to find your site, or if they typed the site URL in their web browser. Maybe some visitors clicked a link on another website that brought them to yours. With GA you can see how your visitors found you.

This is a wealth of intelligence you have at your fingertips. If you think it's creepy to track your visitors like this, keep in mind that all this data is anonymous. You may have personal information on your visitors but you still don't know who they are. You don't know their age, their sex, income level and so on. Even with the limited demographics, the data is still invaluable to the success of your site.

The data GA provides can be used in several ways to improve your site and online business.

You'll see which of your pages are more popular than others, which may indicate the topics your visitors are most interested in. This insight can guide you in developing content your visitors want.

If you use social media, you can gauge which of your accounts is sending traffic and which aren't. You can also measure the sites you posted links to your articles from. You can focus your attention on the traffic sources that are sending visitors and spend less time on sources that are less effective. This is immediate action you can take that will make you much more efficient in the time you spend working on your site.

Important to many website owners, you can see how well your site is doing in Google. If most of your traffic comes from sources other than Google, it could mean your site is not ranking well in the search engine. You may want to take a close look at the reasons behind your lack of Google search traffic and explore what can be done about it.

If your site is designed for visitors to make a purchase, or to capture leads, you can measure how effective your site is in leading visitors to the desired call-to-action.

Advanced features allow you to use tracking codes on links that can be used to track email traffic, offline visitors or specific ad campaigns.

All these features and more are accessible via the Google Analytics online dashboard. There is no software to install on your computer, but there is a small piece of tracking code that needs to go on each website you want to track. I'll get into the details how to set up your account and website later.

This valuable software is offered by Google at no cost, with upgrades available for a price. You can have tracking set up for up to 25 domains. The free version provides enough detailed information for most website managers to improve and grow their audience.

It may seem amazing that Google is giving away such a beneficial tool, but don't think for a moment it's out of the kindness of their collective hearts. The data Google collects from sites using this software is priceless; it's a win-win for both parties, with the scale tilted toward Google's end.

If Google having access to data about your site's traffic bothers you, there are alternatives but you're likely to pay for them. Some site tracking services have free plans, but they may be limited in the level of reporting or how many visitors the plan allows.

Most web hosting companies have web server log reports and statistic packages that you may have installed at no cost. I like to use these to compare stats with GA reports. Often, these stat packages lack reporting features, such as custom date ranges, data comparisons, real-time information and others. Look in your web hosting account's admin control panel to see if you have this option available.

I should also mention that many experts believe GA's traffic statics are not 100% accurate. I also feel this way, however, I still use GA to discover site trends and get updates on daily performance.

Another reason to use GA even if the numbers are not precise is that some advertisers and vendors may want to see your analytics reports before doing business with you. Google Analytics has become an authority in web analytics and many businesses only trust their reports.

Setting Up Google Analytics on Your Website

Setting up your Google Analytics account is a straightforward process can be completed in minutes.

The most important part of this process is being able to add the tracking code to every page on your website you want to track.

If you use something like WordPress, you can use a plugin or your theme may have a box you can paste the code into that will automatically place it on all your site pages

If you have a static HTML site, you may need to paste the code on each of your pages and upload them to your web server. If you don't feel comfortable with this, it's an easy job for anyone who knows a little about HTML. Find a friend to help you out or hire someone from Fiverr.com for only $5 to do it.

You need a general Google account or Gmail account. If you don't have a Google account then your first step is to create one.

Once you have a Google account and are signed in, visit the Google Analytics page: http://www.google.com/analytics, click Create an account then the Sign up button on the following page.

On the next page some options are preselected for you. That's fine, go with the defaults.

Lower on the page is where you need to enter some information.

Website Name is just a label that you'll see in the list of sites you have in GA. You can enter the domain name you're setting up.

Web Site URL must be the domain name of the site you are setting up analytics for.

Industry Category is optional.

Select your time zone. This defines the 24 hour period for reporting, so you probably want to use the time zone you're in.

Account Name is another label. This can be the name of your business or other label that represents the all sites you will add to this account.

Data Sharing, I recommend leaving the first option on. It's very useful to integrate your site's analytics with other Google services you may use, like AdWords and AdSense. The others are optional, you can turn them off now and turn them on later if you change your mind.

Click Get Tracking ID then accept the terms of service on the popup.

On the next page page you're presented with the actual tracking code that goes on your site.

Copy this code and paste it in the appropriate location on your site administration panel or directly in your web page HTML code, before </head> tag.

After the code is on your site, refresh the code page in Google Analytics or click Tracking Info in the left menu. You should have a status next to your Tracking ID:

If the status says Tracking Not Installed it probably hasn't been picked up by Google yet. Give it an hour and check again. If after a few hours the status has not changed to Receiving Data you may have a problem. The code may not have been installed correctly or something is blocking it from appearing on your site. You may need to have an expert double-check your site.

If your status is Receiving Data that means GA is collecting statistics from your site. Wait a day and sign in to see full days' worth of visitor stats.

Using Google Analytics

GA has numerous types of reports you may run using various parameters. The types of reports you can generate and display for you will depend on your preferences and what you want to measure.

Reports are organized into four main categories on the left menu:

• Audience


• Traffic Sources


• Content


• Conversions

Within Audience you can run reports that will give you a sense of who your site visitors are. Important metrics in this section are:

• Location: Reports where your are visitors coming from and if they represent your target audience. Important in knowing if you're hitting your target market or not.


• Behavior: Indicates if visitors are returning to your site, or if most people come one time. Shows how long to they stay on your site. This data can reveal weak content if visitors only stay for a few seconds and never return.


• Technology and Mobile: Shows the type of browser or type of devices visitors use when using your site. These two reports can help discover any rendering problems with your pages. For example, if visitors using Android devices only stay on the site for a few seconds, yet iPad users stay on the site 10 times longer, then perhaps your site has a problem with smaller screens. This information is helpful in targeting users of a particular device. You may place an ad on your site or write an article that relates to Android if you find you have a high percentage of visitors using that type of device.

Traffic Sources shows where your visitors come from: search engines, websites, emails, social media, etc. This section provides insight into how well your site is ranked in search engines, which social media activities are benefiting your site and which websites are "talking" about your site. It's critical information that can guide you in growing your audience and traffic.

Under the Search Engine Optimization section of Traffic Sources you have the option of linking Google Webmaster Tools to your GA account. I highly recommend this so you can view search queries. You'll see examples of what people are typing in Google Search to reach your site.

For instance, if you're site is about caring for pet cats, you may see queries like this:

"how to make two cats get along in the same house"

This is valuable in understanding what people are looking for on the web and how your site relates to search. If you may see repeated questions or topics you can develop content for that addresses these trends.

Unfortunately, you need to link your Webmaster Tools account before you can view this data. If you don't have an account sign up for one, then follow the instructions in GA to link it. I'd explain more about using Webmaster Tools, but it's a topic that deserves its own article. If you need help browse the Google support for Webmaster Tools.

In Traffic Sources you can drill down into any of the sources to get detailed visitor or content data on that source. There is also a Social section that groups traffic from various social sites and lets you drill into each one. This is handy because the Sources report shows traffic by referring URL. The report may show visitors from three sources: facebook.com, fb.me, and m.facebook.com when they are all really the same source.

The Content section shows which pages visitors are spending time on and which parts of your site are not being explored. These reports show the pages that are attracting the most visits and may guide you in developing future content.

The Content section has a few other interesting subsections:

• Landing Pages: These are the pages that brought people to your site.


• Exit Pages: Pages that people are leaving the site from. Trends in this section may lead to improvements that can keep people on the site longer.


• Site Speed: I mention this subsection only because it's not very helpful. It's better to use tools such as PageSpeed or Pingdom to measure page speed.


• AdSense: This subsection shows which pages are generating AdSense revenue. The data is not completely accurate, I think because AdSense makes subsequent adjustments that aren't reflected in GA. But the information still tells you which are your most valuable pages, and perhaps which pages you should be promoting. This section requires linking to your AdSense account before it reports any data.

The last section, Conversions, is a little advanced and requires some set up to use. Basically, this section can measure lead generation and ecommerce effectiveness. You can specify action goals that GA will track and report conversion rates. Ecommerce tracking can collect data on specific products, providing insight into which activities and products perform better than others.

Since Conversions requires a little work to set up, if you're interested in using this feature you should read more about it.

Getting the Most from Google Analytics

GA's My Dashboard offers a good at-a-glance view of your site's activity. However, you may want to pay close attention to specific objectives that aren't displayed by the default widgets. With the custom and advanced options, you can create reports that meet your personal and business preferences.

The dashboard "widgets" can each be reordered, removed or replaced by other report widgets. Click Customize Dashboard on the right to change the number of columns you want. Click +Add Widget to display different widgets on your dashboard. Advanced Segments can filter all your dashboard widgets, providing a quick drill down.

Perhaps you find having to sign in to GA each day time consuming. There are a number of convenient alternatives available:

• You can have a daily report emailed to you or have one sent less frequently. Click Email on the dashboard tool bar to set up automatic email reports.


• If you use WordPress, you can install a plugin that will display GA data within the admin panel of your site.


• There are GA apps available for Android and iOS devices. Some are from Google and some from 3^rd party developers.

Keep in mind some of these options provide basic reports and may not allow you to drill down into data or compare date ranges. Still, for quick glance information these are real time savers.

Next Steps

After you've become comfortable with GA, have figured out how to customize your dashboard and set up your phone to display site reports, it's time to get clear on your objectives and define the parameters.

GA provides lots of data, but some types of information may have priority over others with regard to your goals.

For instance, you may need to track web form conversions, the specific keywords that are generating the most traffic, which pages are earning more than $5 a day in AdSense revenue. These specifics can be tracked independently with custom reports.

As mentioned earlier, you can set up an email reports that send your quick-glance dashboard information. Well, you can also set up email reports on any other custom view, so you can pay close attention to the areas of your site that directly relate to your objectives.

GA provides a wealth of valuable website information, but the real benefit comes from knowing what to look for and how to use the data. This article gave you a quick start into getting set up and using GA. Now you need to think about the most important goals for your website and what data you need to help you reach those goals. With GA setup for your sites you can now find that data and ensure it's always up to date and within quick reach.

Tips For Small Business Websites

It doesn't matter if you use WordPress, Drupal, Dreamweaver, these tools won't deliver more visitors or sales to your business. While they can provide valuable online functionality to your business, unless you have the basics covered on your site, these tools are worthless.

I have reviewed hundreds of business websites for clients over the years. While it's great that small business and organizations have an online presence, it's just the beginning. If you haven't given much thought to your website lately, here is something important to think about:

Your website is the online spokesperson for your organization.


Would you allow your staff to ignore a customer or make their shopping experience difficult? Would you hire a sales person that dressed sloppy and refused to answer questions? Of course you wouldn't! But without a well thought-out and designed website, the examples above are what potential customers experience online from your business.

If your website is poorly designed and hard to navigate, you are literally driving your visitors to your competition, leaving them with the impression that you are unprofessional, unreliable and not safe to do business with.

On the other hand, if you have a totally professional looking and functioning website, your visitors have the impression that you pay close attention to every detail. You care about professionalism and you care about them.

Here are few quick design tips that address problems I frequently see on small business sites:

• Ensure you have clear directions on the navigation of your website. The menu should be uncluttered and concise so that visitors can find what they are looking for without confusion.


• Reduce the visual clutter and distractions from your website. Only use imagery and graphics that are essential to showcasing your products or that lead visitors along a path. Only use ads if they don't sidetrack visitors from the primary actions you want them to take.


• Improve your content presentation. Break up long blocks of text with bullets, subheads, product images and demo videos. If a paragraph is too long, you should split it into bite sized chunks. Basically, you don't want to hit visitors with a wall of text. And what does a wall do? It keeps people out.


• Make sure your website complies with basic standards at www.w3.org and that is cross-browser compatible. If your website looks great in Internet Explorer but renders poorly in Firefox and Chrome, you will lose a lot of prospective visitors.


• Fancy widgets that create visual animations and effects may cause problems and annoy visitors. Avoid using scripts and plugins on your site unless to provide vital business functionality. Scripts conflicts can disable certain functions and even crash some browsers. Also, some scripts are not supported across all browsers, so some visitors might miss important information without you realizing it.

Remember, your website is the face of your company online and can have an enormous impact on your business. It is important to take the time to consider solid design principles and best online practices for your site.

On the following pages are more tips and best practices for common problems I encounter with small business and nonprofit websites.

Website Usability

The look of your site is important. However, if it's hard to navigate and the content you need visors to see isn't visible and easily accessible, then your site is just wasting money. Your site won't do a good job in converting visitors to sales and won't be very useful to anyone. Your visitors won't waste time on your site and move on to your competitors.

The usability of your website will ensure it functions properly, is user-friendly, looks great and converts!

Content

It goes without saying; make sure that your content is free from spelling and grammar errors. Write your articles in MS Word or OpenOffice Writer if that helps. As mentioned earlier, break it up long text into small, easily digestible blocks that your visitor can consume quickly without much effort. You should also make sure the font size of your text is large enough to read easily so that your visitors don't have to strain their eyes to read the actual text.

If you are using a professionally designed theme or custom CSS to style your website it will do most of the work for you by setting the font size and spacing out the lines. But it's your job to make sure your articles are easy to read.

Navigation

Make it simple for visitors to find content by using focused and clear navigation. For instance, if you have hundreds of articles on your site and a certain visitor wants to find one specific article, you have to provide them with an easy way to locate it quickly through organized categories and tags.

Provide a search feature on your site. Add a sitemap. Have links to recommended article suggestions and popular posts. If you're using WordPress adding these navigation features is easy through plugins. However, no matter what website publishing platform you use, you need to plan out your navigation ahead of time.

Use a sheet of paper to draft your site's navigation and menus. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What top level categories are most useful to your visitors?


• What calls-to-action do you want to lead your visitors to?


• What other tools can you provide so visitors can find information quickly and easily?

If you get stuck you can get ideas by looking at larges sites like Amazon and EBay to see now they organize their content.

Page Load Time and Browser Compatibility

Website page load time is often overlooked by small businesses. It's important to make sure that your site pages load fast so that you don't lose visitors before they've had a chance to see what you have to offer. Fact: most internet users will leave a site within a few seconds if it doesn't load completely. There are several things that you can do to reduce the load time of your website including optimizing your images and limiting the amount of scripts you run.

It's important to keep in mind that your visitors will use a variety of web browsers when viewing your website, so you will also want to ensure that your website is cross browser compatible.

With WordPress, running too many plugins is often the source of a slow site. Plugins add extra scripts and make calls to the database, which adds to loading times. Many are poorly optimized by developers which exacerbates the problem.

There are many tools available that you can use to check the load time and compatibility of your website. They will also provide you with helpful tips and information that you can use to make sure that your visitor has a smooth and enjoyable experience on your website.

Here are a few free tools to get you started:

• 
  
  Pingdom.com


• 
  
  Google PageSpeed tool


• YSlow

WordPress has a number of plugins available to help speed up page loading. But it pays to first to learn what you can do to improve performance before leaning on plugins. Often there are steps you can take in addition to using plugins.

Audit the links on your site to ensure you have no broken links. There is nothing more irritating to a visitor than clicking on broken links. You can check the links manually whenever you create a new page. However, if you have hundreds or even thousands of pages on your website then you may want to use a good link checking tool like the one at: http://validator.w3.org/checklink

Sitemaps

This section discusses the importance of including sitemaps on your website.

As the name implies a sitemap literally acts as a map of your website. Unless your website is massive with thousands of pages, a sitemap is usually a single page that contains links to each individual page on your site.

There are several formats and options to consider when it comes to creating a sitemap. Sitemaps can be created manually or with a generator like the ones found at: http://www.xml-sitemaps.com

There are different types of sitemaps you may use:

• XML sitemap that can be submitted to Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines to help them crawl your website better.


• An HTML sitemap specifically designed to help visitors to easily navigate on your site


• A text sitemap that displays a plain list of all your pages for use by various sites and apps.

I recommend having an XML version for the search engines, and an HTML version for your visitors. Let's look at a few reasons why a sitemap is important to the success of your site:

Optimization

Sitemaps are very important when it comes to search engine optimization. Imagine what happens when search engine robots scans your sitemap. They will follow the links on the sitemap which leads them to every single page of your site.

Navigation purposes

If your visitors browses your site and can't find what they're looking for, an HTML sitemap gives them yet another option for searching your content. You may be surprised to learn that many visitors will immediately go to your sitemap to get a sense of your content and navigate through your pages from there.

Organization and relevance

A sitemap enables you to have a complete bird's eye view of your site's hierarchical structure. As a result, you will have a nicely organized site with your content grouped by topics or themes. This is great for search engines to understand what your site is about and the related subjects you cover.

Once you have created your sitemap you'll want to submit it to the main search engines: Google, Yahoo and Bing. This will alert the search engines to send their robots to your site to catalog and index your webpages for inclusion in their directories.

Next, the most important tips in this article...

Easy Checkout

Now let's talk about the most important tip in this article: making it easy for your customers to make a purchase.

The primary reason most businesses create websites is to convince prospects to make purchase. Have you ever been to a site and wanted to make a purchase but could not find the buy button, or worse, you figure out how to buy but then nothing happens after you pay? It's shocking now many business websites make the payment process more difficult and challenging than it should be!

That's why when designing your website it's always important to keep in mind that it doesn't matter how good your content is or how good you are at convincing your prospects that they need what you have to offer, they won't make a purchase if they find the process confusing or complicated, or may ask for a refund if you leave the customer in the dark after purchasing.

Here are a few specific design techniques that you can use to ensure a smooth and painless transaction for your customers:

Clear path for ordering

As I mentioned, make sure that your prospective customers can find your order form quickly and easily. You never want to make them hunt for the buy button. You can do this in several ways, one is by writing a clear, concise paragraph to direct your prospects to your order form so that you can minimize the chances of them getting lost. You can also reduce the chances of losing prospects by putting a prominent link to your order page from every other page on your site.

Multiple payment options

Should you offer multiple payment options? Some people may feel comfortable paying via Paypal, others may only want to pay with their credit card and still others might want to send a check. The more options you offer, the better your chances of covering your prospects' desired payment method.

You also want to make your that prospective customer is as comfortable making a purchase from you as possible, so you need to do everything you can to prove that you are a reliable and credible merchant.

To do this make sure that visitors know you are using a secured order form with SSL encryption technology. Most online payment processors like PayPal and Authorize.Net offer this without any extra effort or cost on your part.

Be sure to post security badges and mention that your customer's information is safe and sound when using your site.

A solid guarantee

It is also important to offer a money back or similar type guarantee, so that people will feel confident about buying from you. Make your refund policy clear and easy to follow. This will help overcome any fears your online customers about doing business with you.

Testimonials

If you have a list of happy customers be sure to include their testimonials on your website in a prominent place, for instance, with in the sales copy and below the order button. This will help make new customers feel more confident when making a purchase from your website.

By taking the time to include these basic elements within your web design you can make your prospective customers feel confident and safe and such during the checkout process, which will help increase your profits too!

Be available to help

Always include some form of contact information on your sales page. A helpdesk or ticket system is an excellent feature to add to your site. Even customers who purchased offline can use the site for fast, convenient support, which is great customer service.

Capture Emails

Keep in mind only a percentage of your site visitors will directly lead to a sale. You should employ an email capture system on your site for those who aren't ready to buy right now, but may purchase from you later on.

The same lessons apply to asking for an email address as asking for a purchase: make it convincing and make it easy. Why should a visitor give you their email address? Give them something for free, a coupon, exclusive content, something compelling. Make it easy to opt-in; don't have them fill in a 20 question form. Don't waste their time, just get their email.

Mobile Website

I'm amazed that in 2013 there are still so many sites that are not optimized for phones and tablets. If you have a site, check your server stats or site analytics and see how many visitors are browsing your site from mobile devices. The number may surprise you. The average for many sites these days is 20%. If you don't have a mobile site, that's 20% of your online business you can wave goodbye.

At this time there are two most popular ways to go mobile for your site. The first is having a responsive design for your site, that is, a single site design that works on large and small screens.

The second methods involves having a second website designed and dedicated to handheld and tablet sized screens. Each site may have some code to detect the type of device is trying to view the site and redirect the visitor to the appropriate site if necessary.

There are arguments as to which method is better, but there is no argument for completely ignoring mobile visitors.

Creating a second website just for mobile visitors seems like a considerable undertaking, but here is a video overview for planning a mobile website that explains it doesn't have to be a lot of work: http://www.techiediy.com/planning-your-mobile-website

If you use WordPress it's easy to mobile optimize your site. Both options, responsive design or dedicated mobile site, can easily be added by installing a plugin or mobile responsive theme.