Tips, Expertise, Articles and Advice from the Pro's for Your Website or Blog to Succeed
Staying on top of what people are saying or writing about you is about more than ego. It helps you amplify the positive and quickly resolve anything negative—before it blows up. Healthcare providers face a unique challenge when it comes to their reputations. How current and future patients view you […]
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It took some time to find the right place for WPShout in our portfolio, but now we think we're there. We've merged the WPShout and CodeinWP websites together under WPShout's brand and name! 
I do realize that backlinks to URLs disallowed via robots.txt do still have whatever Google's modern version of pagerank is. Depending upon how many incoming backlinks there are, even if Google can't crawl a URL, it might use those external signals to still rank the URL in the search results (albeit with no page title or description).
My question, however, is whether the domain overall is helped? I suspect URLs that are unable to be crawled can't spread pagerank to other pages. By any chance does the domain root get a little lift up? Or does that pagerank completely evaporate at the URL level?
The problem with trying to find the fastest WordPress hosting available is that you can’t really do it overnight. You certainly don’t just want to believe the hosts’ own marketing materials (since I have yet to come across a host that doesn’t say they’re the fastest around), and doing any performance tests of your own will take time. 
In today’s digital era, having a strong online presence is crucial for businesses of all sizes. A well-designed website not only helps in attracting more customers but also builds a professional image. However, selecting the right website design services can be daunting, especially with numerous agencies offering varied pricing and packages. This article will guide you through choosing the best web design services, with a focus on what is best for small businesses and considerations of affordability.
Before diving into the selection process, it’s essential to understand what web design and development services entail. Typically, these services include website layout design, content creation, web development, and maintenance. Agencies might also offer additional services such as SEO optimization, mobile responsiveness, and e-commerce functionalities.
Web design agencies are companies that specialize in creating and maintaining websites. They employ teams of designers, developers, and project managers to ensure that your website not only looks good but also functions smoothly. A reputable agency will work closely with you to understand your business needs and tailor the website accordingly.
When choosing a provider of web design services please consider the following factors:
Web design pricing can vary widely depending on the complexity of the site and the prestige of the agency. Generally, prices can range from a few hundred dollars for a basic website to thousands of dollars for a custom, feature-rich site. For small businesses, understanding the breakdown of costs is crucial to ensure that they are not paying for unnecessary features.
For small businesses, budget is often a significant constraint. Fortunately, there are affordable and cheap web design services that still offer quality. Here are some options:
Small businesses need to be strategic in their web design investment to get the best return. Here are some tips:
To choose the best web design service within a budget, small businesses should:
Selecting the right web design service is a crucial decision for small businesses. By focusing on agencies that offer comprehensive services at affordable prices, and by utilizing cost-effective strategies such as employing freelancers or using DIY website builders, small businesses can achieve a professional online presence without breaking the bank. Remember, a good website is an investment that can pay dividends in terms of increased customer engagement and sales. Choose wisely to ensure that your digital footprint truly reflects the quality of your business.
Web design services encompass a variety of tasks and skills involved in creating and maintaining websites. These services typically include graphic design of the website interface, user experience design, frontend and backend development, content management, and optimization for search engines (SEO). Additional services might also include maintenance, updating content, hosting, and ensuring website security.
The cost of hiring someone to design a website can vary widely based on several factors, such as the complexity of the design, the number of pages, specific features required, and the expertise of the designer or agency. Generally, prices can range from a few hundred dollars for a basic, template-based design to over $10,000 for a fully custom and complex website.
The cost of a web designer can vary significantly. Freelance web designers might charge anywhere from $30 to $100 per hour, depending on their experience and location. Agencies typically offer packages that might start around $1,000 and can go up to tens of thousands for larger, more intricate projects.
Yes, it is often worth paying someone to build a website, especially if you require a professional, customized, and responsive site that aligns with your business goals. Professionals can provide a well-designed site that enhances user experience, is optimized for search engines, and functions smoothly across all devices, which can ultimately help in driving more traffic and increasing conversions.
Yes, you can create a website for free using various platforms such as WordPress.com, Wix, or Google Sites. These platforms offer basic templates and tools that can be enough for a simple personal or small business site. However, free websites often come with limitations such as having the platform’s branding, reduced functionality, and less control over the domain name and SEO settings.
The number of hours it takes to design a website can vary greatly depending on the project’s scope and complexity. A simple website might take 20 to 40 hours, while a more complex site with custom designs, functionalities, and content could easily require 100 hours or more.
The timeframe to design a website can vary from a few weeks for a basic website to several months for a highly customized and complex website. Factors affecting the timeline include the design process, feedback and revision rounds, content creation, and technical development.
The monthly cost of a website can include various ongoing expenses such as hosting, domain renewal, maintenance, and updates. Basic hosting services can start as low as $3 to $10 per month, while more comprehensive managed hosting services might cost $30 to $100 per month or more. Additional costs for maintenance and updates can vary based on the service provider and the level of service required.
The post Choosing the best web design services appeared first on BlogThemeMachine.
In 2024, the landscape for startup funding is more dynamic than ever. Tech entrepreneurs and IT professionals are faced with a myriad of options, each offering unique benefits and suited to different stages of startup growth. With technology sectors evolving rapidly, the right funding choice can significantly influence the trajectory of a tech startup. Whether you are looking for a substantial venture capital injection, a supportive angel investor, an engaging crowdfunding campaign, or government-backed grants, understanding the nuances of each funding source is crucial. This guide aims to navigate through these diverse funding options, highlighting where you can secure the necessary capital to fuel your innovative projects across the United States.
Venture capital (VC) remains a powerhouse for funding robust tech startups with scalable potential. VCs are typically interested in businesses with high-growth prospects and a clear path to significant returns. In 2024, the tech sector continues to attract a significant portion of VC funds, particularly in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and sustainable energy solutions.
Understanding Venture Capita
Venture capital firms invest in startups in exchange for equity. The process usually involves multiple funding rounds, starting from seed capital to series A and beyond, as the company grows and matures. Each round is crucial, often meaning the difference between scaling operations and stalling out.
Top VC Firms in the US
Some of the leading VC firms that have consistently supported tech startups include:
Sequoia Capital: Known for early investments in giants like Apple and Google, Sequoia continues to support new tech ventures that demonstrate potential for market disruption.
Kleiner Perkins: With a history of investing in success stories like Amazon and Twitter, Kleiner Perkins focuses on innovative tech companies across various sectors.
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): A firm that actively invests in tech startups shaping new industries through technology
Approaching Venture Capitalists
To attract a VC's attention, ensure your business plan is thorough and your pitch is compelling. VCs are looking for a combination of a strong team, innovative technology, and a large addressable market. Networking is key; attending industry meetups, startup events, and using professional connections can significantly increase your chances of landing a VC meeting.
Angel investors provide not only capital but also guidance and industry connections that are invaluable during a startup’s early stages. Unlike VCs, angel investors use their personal funds and typically have a more hands-on approach.
Finding the Right Angel
To locate and engage with angel investors:
AngelList: A platform where startups can meet angels and other investors.
Tech Coast Angels: One of the largest and most active angel investor networks in the US, focusing on high-tech startups.
Golden Seeds: An investment firm that supports startups with at least one woman in an executive role, focusing on technology and health sectors.
Pitching to Angels
When pitching to an angel, focus on personal connection and the potential impact of your technology. Angels are often driven by a combination of profit motive and personal interest in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
Crowdfunding is an excellent way to validate your product while also financing it. By presenting your idea to the public, you not only raise funds but also create early adopters and advocates for your technology.
Types of Crowdfunding
Launching a Successful Campaign
For a successful crowdfunding campaign, create an engaging video that explains your technology, showcase potential benefits, and offer attractive rewards for backers. Transparency about your goals and progress updates can help maintain and build trust with your contributors.
In the US, numerous government grants are designed to support tech innovation, particularly in sectors that align with national interests such as healthcare, education, and defense. These grants often provide non-dilutive funding, meaning you don't have to give up equity.
Accessing Government Funds
Application Tips
Government grant applications require precision and a clear demonstration of how your technology meets specific criteria. It’s crucial to align your proposal with the grant's objectives and demonstrate both innovation and potential for commercial success.
As we look to the future, the funding landscape continues to evolve with technology itself. In 2024, new methods of securing funds have emerged, driven by advancements in technology and finance.
Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies
Startups are increasingly turning to blockchain technology to raise funds through Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) or Security Token Offerings (STO). These methods offer a global reach and reduced barriers to entry when compared to traditional funding routes.
AI-Driven Investment Platforms
Platforms like SignalFire and Data Collective use AI to analyze potential investments, making the process faster and more data-driven. These platforms can offer unique opportunities for tech startups that might not fit the traditional VC model.
Advantages of New Funding Sources
These innovative platforms and methods provide flexibility, access to a global investor base, and the potential for rapid fundraising, all while aligning with the tech-savvy nature of your startup.
2024 presents a diverse array of funding opportunities for tech startups. Whether you choose venture capital, angel investment, crowdfunding, government grants, or innovative new platforms, the key is to align your funding strategy with your startup’s stage, needs, and long-term vision.
Now is the time to refine your pitch, research these opportunities, and take the bold steps necessary to secure the funding that will realize your tech ambitions. The future is waiting, and with the right resources, your startup can be at the forefront of transforming the tech landscape.
And 2muchcoffee will help bring your wildest ideas to life!
WordPress has become a global leader as a website builder and CMS platform, hosting the majority of the world’s websites. This leading position didn’t just happen overnight; it’s been more than twenty years in the...
The post A Brief History of WordPress appeared first on 85ideas.com.
How can I indexed backlink instantly. I am building backlinks, but the backlinks are not being indexed. Please give positive feedback.
White label reputation management involves offering reputation management services under the name of another agency. An example would be a digital marketing agency that doesn’t specialize in reputation management entering a white label agreement with a specialist reputation management agency to deliver services on its behalf. In some cases, certain […]
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Do you want to limit comment length in WordPress?
WordPress comments encourage discussions around your blog post content. However, you may find that comments that are very brief or overly long are not very helpful.
In this article, we will show you how to easily limit comment length in WordPress.
An active comment area is a great way to build a community around your WordPress blog. Visitors can give feedback, ask questions, and offer their own points of view on the topic.
However, not all comments are helpful.
We’ve been moderating WordPress comments for well over a decade. In our experience, we’ve found that the most helpful comments are above 60 characters and below 5000 characters in length.
One-word comments are usually not very helpful. In most cases, they are spam comments where the author just wants a backlink from your site.
On the other hand, long comments above 5,000 characters are often rants or complaints. Sometimes, they are not even relevant to the article.
Setting comment length limits in WordPress can improve the overall quality of your comments and discourage spam comments. However, there is no built-in way of doing this in WordPress.
That being said, let’s take a look at how to control comment length in WordPress by setting minimum and maximum limits.
You can limit comment length in WordPress by adding code to your functions.php file. However, keep in mind that the smallest error while entering the code can break your site and make it inaccessible.
That’s why we recommend always using WPCode to insert code snippets into your WordPress site. It is the best WordPress code snippets plugin on the market that makes it safe and easy to add custom code.
First, you need to install and activate the WPCode plugin. For detailed instructions, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Note: WPCode also has a free version that you can use for this tutorial. However, upgrading to the paid plan will give you access to more features like a larger code snippets library, conditional logic, and more.
Upon activation, visit the Code Snippets » + Add Snippet page from the WordPress admin sidebar.
Here, click the ‘Use Snippet’ button under the ‘Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet)’ option.
This will take you to the ‘Create Custom Snippet’ page, where you can start by adding a title for your code snippet. This name won’t be displayed on the website front end and can be anything you like.
Next, choose the ‘PHP Snippet’ option as the Code Type from the dropdown menu in the right corner of the screen.
Once you have done that, simply copy and paste the following code snippet into the ‘Code Preview’ box:
add_filter( 'preprocess_comment', 'wpb_preprocess_comment' );
function wpb_preprocess_comment($comment) {
if ( strlen( $comment['comment_content'] ) > 5000 ) {
wp_die('Comment is too long. Please keep your comment under 5000 characters.');
}
if ( strlen( $comment['comment_content'] ) < 60 ) {
wp_die('Comment is too short. Please use at least 60 characters.');
}
return $comment;
}
This code snippet works by adding a filter hook to preprocess_comment. This filter is run before WordPress saves any comments to the database or performs any pre-processing on submitted comments.
It checks the comment length and displays an error message if it is too short or too long. By default, the comment limit is set to a minimum of 60 characters and a maximum of 5,000 characters in this snippet.
However, to set your own comment limit, just replace the number 5,000 in the code with your maximum limit number.
Similarly, you can replace the number 60 in the code to set a different minimum comment limit on your WordPress website.
You can also change the message that will be displayed on your website when a user exceeds or falls short of the comment limit. Simply type the sentence you want to display after the wp_die lines in the code.
After that, scroll down to the ‘Insertion’ section and choose the ‘Auto Insert’ mode.
The custom code will be automatically executed on your website upon activation.
If you only want to limit comment length on specific website pages, then you can also do that.
Simply scroll down to the ‘Conditional Logic’ section and toggle the ‘Enable Logic’ switch.
After that, choose the ‘Show’ option from the ‘Conditions’ dropdown menu and click the ‘+ Add new group’ button.
This will open a new tab where you must select the ‘Page URL’ option from the dropdown menu on the left.
Next, type the URL of the page where you want to limit the comment length in the field on the right.
Now, the code snippet will only be activated on the page with the URL you have just entered.
Scroll back to the top of the page and toggle the ‘Inactive’ switch to ‘Active’.
Finally, click the ‘Save Snippet’ button to store your settings.
Now, when a user types a comment that falls short of your minimum comment length, this message will be displayed on their screens.
Users won’t be able to post a comment until it is at least the minimum length you chose.
Similarly, when a user types a comment that exceeds your maximum limit, this message will be show on their screens.
This will help reduce rants and spam comments on your website.
Controlling comment length is just one way to increase engagement in your WordPress comments section. This is great for keeping visitors on your site for longer and can even benefit your site’s SEO when users’ comments contain relevant keywords and add context to your content.
You can also easily further improve the comments section on your website using Thrive Comments.
It is the best WordPress comments plugin that comes with a dedicated moderation board, lets you lazy load comments, allows users to leave comments with their social media profiles, and more.
Plus, the tool enables you to add an upvote/downvote functionality to reduce spam and encourage interesting comments on your website.
Thrive Comments even lets you feature encouraging comments at the top and bury offensive or irrelevant comments at the bottom of the discussion section.
This allows you to reward users who are adding the most value to the discussion while politely discouraging other users from leaving unhelpful comments.
For detailed instructions, you may want to see our tutorial on how to feature or bury comments in WordPress.
We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to limit comment length in WordPress. You may also want to learn how to increase your blog traffic or check out our list of the best WordPress plugins to grow your site.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
The post How to Limit Comment Length in WordPress (Easy Tutorial) first appeared on WPBeginner.
Reputation management involves monitoring and influencing your reputation with the goal of both protecting and enhancing it. Given that negative press can spread quickly through news, social media, and other digital outlets, this practice has arguably never been more important than it is today. What Reputation Management Includes Here are […]
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Learn how to use AI for personalized content creation, SEO and customer support. Tom shares how you can get help from AI and LLM in WordPress by using plugins.
Before diving into best practices, let’s quickly revisit why Laravel is a preferred framework for website development. Laravel offers: Laravel Best Practices for SEO-Friendly Websites Conclusion: Mastering Laravel entails not only understanding its core concepts and features but also adhering to best practices for building SEO-friendly websites. By following the guidelines outlined in this blog, …
Continue reading "Best Practices for Building SEO-Friendly Websites with Laravel"
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In today’s digital world, information spreads like wildfire. That includes information about you. What people read about you online—whether accurate or not—impacts your reputation and potentially all Aspects of your life. You want the things people read about you to be true. But keeping track of everything that appears online […]
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I like Melanie Sumner’s coining of the phrase Continuous Accessibility. To me, it’s like a play on the term Continuous Integration (CI) that is very pervasive. We build CI pipelines to lint our code, test our code, and test our code primarily, but all sorts of things can be done. We can test new code for performance regressions for example. So too could and should we be testing our new code for accessibility issues. Continuously, as it were. I’m very guilty of failing at the continuous part. I care about and act on accessibility issues, but I tend to do it in waves or sprints rather than all the time.
I like the career value that Ben Nadel assigns to learning RegEx. He says not a day goes by he doesn’t use them in some form (!). I wouldn’t say that’s true for me, but certainly every week or two I need to think about them, and over the years, my fear-factor in using them has scaled down to zero. They really aren’t that bad, it’s just a long steady learning curve to the point where eventually you feel like even if I’m slow I can ultimately reason this out. Either figuring out an existing one or writing a new one. Ben doesn’t just talk about it abstractly, he lists loads of practical examples.
Before I move on, allow me to show you Hillel Wayne agreeing with Regexes are Cool and Good (that’s my kind of title). Hillel mentions some valid reasons why people have a distaste for them, but then brings up a super good point: RegExes are particularly good when you’ve got some muscle memory for them and use them in little one-off use cases.
… where regex really shines is in interactive use. When you’re trying to substitute in a single file you have open, or grep a folder, things like that. Readability doesn’t matter because you’re writing a one-off throwaway, and fragility is fine because you’re a human-in-the-loop. If anything goes wrong you will see that and tweak the regex.
Heck yeah. If you get good at it, using them for Find/Replace reasons in your code editor can make you look like damn superhero.
Oh and thank heavens for RegEx101 and sites like it. So good.
I really like the CSS only “scroll-to-top” trick that David Darnes created and Stefan Judis wrote up. It’s just so deliciously clever. A scroll-to-top link is just a UX convenience and accessibility feature, as it not only scrolls to the top but moves focus back up there as well. It’s like…
<a href="#top" class="back-to-top-link">Back to Top</a>But where and when do you show it? It could just be down in the footer of a site. But a classy way to do it is to show it on long-scrolling pages pretty much all the time — just not when the page is already scrolled to the top. Say you want to wait until the user has scrolled down at least 200px or something like that. Feels like JavaScript territory, but no, that’s where David’s trick shines: this can all be done in CSS.
The bare-bones part of the trick:
.back-to-top-link {
margin-block-start: calc(100vh + 200px);
position: sticky;
bottom: 1rem;
left: 1rem;
}I like the relative color syntax. Support for it is coming along and it’s in Interop 2024 so “actually using it” isn’t terribly far away. What I like is that it allows you to manipulate a color on the fly in a way that will actually work well without needing anything other than native CSS.
Thought process:
So I’ve got the color:
body {
--color: #f06d06;
}Then I can use it, and I can use my modified version easily.
.box {
background: var(--color);
border: 20px solid oklch(from var(--color) calc(l - 0.5) c h / 0.5);
}I’m using OKLCH there because it has “perceptually uniform lightness” so if I manipulate all my colors the same amount, they will feel the same amount manipulated. I don’t have to use that function, I could use rgb() or hsl() or even the generic color(). That’s the thing with the relative color syntax, it’s not any particular function, it’s largely that from keyword.
I like the idea of things challenging the dominance of npm. Much like Deno is challenging Node, and is literally from the same creator, now vlt is challenging npm and is from the same creator. Well, he’s on the team anyway. I remember listening to Darcy Clarke on Syntax saying some smart stuff about this new package manager possibility. Like, I’m the user, right? It’s my computer, and I’m asking this tool to go get a package for me. Why can’t I say “don’t get the README though, I don’t need it, and definitely skip the 1.5 MB JPG in that README, I just need the JavaScript file.” Makes a lot of sense to me. Give me a pre-built version! Don’t give me the types, I’m not using TypeScript. That kind of thing. I’m sure that like 1% of what this thing will be able to do, I just like the fresh thinking. I’m sure it’s more about the security. We’ve got JSR in there shaking stuff up now too, which I like because it isn’t friggin lowecase.