Service Providers: are you looking for a way to keep track of your projects all in one place (including budget, payments, and deliverables)? In January 2010 I began using the system at Mavenlink. My clients are loving it, and it’s the perfect way for me to organize my projects and communicate with clients through the entire process from beginning to completion.

They will soon be adding the abilities to do proposals and contracts in the system as well! Be sure to check them out…they are currently offering a free 30 day trial!

What is the difference between Customizing an existing WordPress Theme and Designing a Unique (sometimes called “Custom”) WordPress Theme?

I’m asked this question alot…

The most important thing to remember when you’re comparing prices, is to make sure you’re comparing “apples to apples” when it comes to what you’re getting.

Whether you download a “free” theme from the WordPress Theme Gallery, or you purchase the license for a theme…you already have a majority of the work done for your design. The coding of the theme is there, you just need it “tweaked” to be what you want for your website. That “tweaking” means creating/adding/editing some graphics such as your logo, buttons, headers, etc. and editing the color scheme in most cases. If you’ve found a theme that meets most of your needs, there’s no reason to pay the higher rates associated with something totally custom!

If you just cannot find a theme that meets your specific needs, then it’s worth the time and money to have a unique WordPress Theme designed for your business. WordPress offers such functionality and flexibility, that once you have that unique theme created, you will end up spending much less in the long run. Make certain that your Unique WordPress Theme design is cross-browser compatible, and easily upgradeable, so that your design will stand the test of time! Be prepared to provide details of what you want your site to accomplish, and exactly how you want the layout of not only the home page, but any interior pages. Remember, with page templates, you can have many different layouts within one theme! You can also have your blog posts publish to a page within the site, rather than having a separate login for your blog.

Be sure to have each designer list what’s included in their “custom” wordpress theme, and question anything that’s not perfectly clear to you. Always ask whether the fee includes customizing an existing theme, or creating a unique one from scratch. Doing this will insure that you receive the best option for your budget!

Find Out What Classic Creations Design can do with WordPress!

Your website hosting company DOES make a difference!

For a while now, I’ve had email server issues, and it’s driven me to the brink of insanity! Last week, my site’s load time slowed down so much that even I was frustrated by it. Posting to my blog became a 2-3 hour ordeal!

Time to take action! Just because my site had been hosted at the same place for 5 years didn’t mean that I needed to stay loyal! I finally took some time out, and moved my entire site to Classic Hosting. All of my other sites were there, and just because my main site is done in WordPress didn’t mean it would be impossible to move!

What a difference! My site is now FAST and my email troubles are all gone! There were only a couple of bumps in the road during the move, but my tech guys were there in a flash to help me.

Don’t be intimidated by the fact that your site is in WordPress. It’s much easier to move than you think! I’ll post all the steps to easily moving your WordPress site, next.

I’ve been wanting to blog about my crazy Summer for months now! I started June this year, with a situation that truly frustrated me, and it quickly turned into one of those “What??!” types of things. I’m hoping I can help you avoid the same type of situation with some advice:

1) Never hire friends just to “help them out”. If they need help, there’s probably a reason and you should stay clear from a business standpoint. Be a FRIEND-listen and respond, but don’t take their issues into your business. Keep in mind, though…if you know your friend well, and know their work ethic is excellent, that changes the dynamic completely!

2) Before you recommend another service provider to your clients, be sure you know that provider’s work ethic very well. Recommending someone without a good one [work ethic] can and will come back and reflect poorly on you…causing you to have to repair relationships.

I’ve spent too much of my Summer recovering from my “What??!” situation – and it’s been a heart breaking waste of energy (because I could have avoided it all).

Friends are personal, Clients are business. Sometimes one can also be the other. Use your judgment and think it through seriously, before mixing them.

Well, in my case it would be becoming a writer. I have written marketing materials and website content in the past, but I was PAINFULLY slow. When I write things I feel I have to let them “ferment” before I can actually use them. I love to write, I love to tell stories, but I’m not the most comfortable person doing those things in front of people LOL.

So, I was reading blogs, and found this great post on one of my favorites: http://www.copyblogger.com/better-writer/. Reading this post made me feel better about my style (or what I always thought was a lack thereof) of writing. This has inspired me to finally get a hosting account for NolaCooper.com (which I’ve owned for years), and use it as a personal blog to just “play around” with. I’ll be spending my spare time creating a custom magazine style theme for the new site, and setting it up in WordPress very soon. I’m already excited!

Just taking a quick minute to post a link to the WordPress Codex: Hardening WordPress. Great information about keeping your WordPress website secure!

A few years ago I worked with my friend Elizabeth Varian on a website for a wonderful lady named Lori Saitz. Lori’s incredible products were truly an amazing concept to me at the time, and I knew that she would be successful…not only because of the product, but also because of her attitude and professionalism.

Since that time her business HAS grown, and just recently – March 24, 2009 – one of her products (Zen Crunch) was featured on the Rachel Ray show as the “Snack of the Day”!

The absolute best part of Lori’s business-Zen Rabbit Cookies, is that it’s built around the concept of expressing Gratitude. No matter what you need to show your appreciation for, or to whom you need to show it, she’s got a product for you! It’s a great way to say “Thank you!” to your customers or clients! And don’t forget, next Wednesday is Admin Professionals Day…why not pop in over at Zen Rabbit and show your gratitude for all your VA does to help make your business successful?

After posting the Google updates yesterday, I spent some time on my own error page (also known or titled as a 404 page).

Start your own tour of your error page with this thought…when someone lands here, they’ve either clicked an old link, a poorly coded link, or typed in a bad url. Does that mean I want them to leave my site?

Of course not!

What you want to do is guide them to the important areas of your site.

First of all explain to them (in laymen’s terms) where they are…instead of titling the page “404 Error-Page Not Found”, why not say something like “That Page Isn’t Here”?

Next offer either a link to your Site Map, or if you feel you have the space, put a copy of your site map on the page.

Are you building a list? Is the form prominently displayed in your sidebar navigation? If not, why not include a section with your list form? Make it look nice!

WordPress sites offer some great opportunities for your error page via plugins and other coding. For example on my own error page I’ve included “Most Popular Pages”, as well as a feed to the most recent post on this blog, and an additional search form.

You could also use this as a page to highlight your most popular product.

The main thing to remember is that your error page is just that…a page of your site! Don’t leave it blank, and lose the additional opportunities it could be generating for you!

I’ve been sitting at my desk for 3 days trying to work AND get organized for the coming year. One of the things I like to do every year is create a reading list–books I feel will enhance my life and my business. Here is what I’ve come up with so far, for 2009:

• Living The 80/20 Way: Work Less, Worry Less, Succeed More, Enjoy More

• Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be: A 90-Day Guide to Living the Proverbs 31 Life

• The 25 Best Time Management Tools & Techniques: How to Get More Done…

• Shine: 5 Principles for a Rewarding Life

And personally, I have friends who’ve talked me into reading the “Twilight” series…so that will be in addition to the above.

Do you have a reading list? If so, share it with us!

I’ve been away awhile, busy on several projects. One of those has been an incredible learning experience for me in the form of eCommerce website solutions. I’ve been looking over the WP eCommerce Plugin for a few months now, and admittedly a bit hesitant to “take the plunge” and use it in a design. However, I quickly realized that when it comes to ease of use within a WordPress website, this would have to be the short answer! I’m so glad that I finally came to that conclusion!

With the help and guidance of Trevor Holewinski (of PokerPlasm.com fame), I’ve completed my first WP eCommerce site using the plugin. Would you like to see the results? Visit KStyle Studios, and check it out! This plugin will allow owner Karen Simpson the ability to upload and add products in the future without having to contact her webmaster. She’ll also be able to make simple changes (such as price, description, etc.) on her own.

I recommend paying the $25 for the gold upgrade to the plugin…for such a small fee you gain an incredible amount of flexibility in your cart: Multiple images/product views, more Payment Gateway Options, product search capabilities, (product) grid view, ability to sell digital products, advanced shipping methods, cross-selling, a coupon system, and more! I have to say this is one of the best WP plugins I’ve ever downloaded!