Weekly Roundup – Guy R Cook 20130727

50 Homepage Website Layouts using Featured Details & Icon Lists by Jake Rocheleau

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Explaining Markdown The trend of icon detail lists has be rising very quickly but silently. I have not seen many other designers writing about this topic, and my hope is to shed light onto the trend with some beautiful examples. Generally startups and smaller Internet-based websites utilize these icon details for pitching their product to customers.

Homepage layouts are also the typical place to find these details because it will capture visitors landing right on the website. Some icons are very large, others are tiny and stacked in rows of 6 or 8 features. Other icons are colorful or flat or shiny and many other various styles. The point is to give recognition for these icon-centric interface features which really to present a beautiful product to interested consumers.

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Shared this for the excellent keep it simple calls to action this model presents!  And if these 50 ideas don’t work, let me know what you came up with instead ok?

Guy R Cook - President vDomainHosting, Inc

Freemium
and the links to go with that word.

5 ways developers fail at freemium games

Freemium Games Explained!  – Dual currencies and more.

Freemium Is Irresistable, Even For Successful Game Companies

Advanced Link Tracking Code from Google

It’s listening really well, that enables you to hear the sound of one hand clapping.

7 Benefits of App Authorization for Sweepstakes

To make sweepstakes perform better, here are 7 benefits explained.

by

The Evolution Of Quality Score

Even if you don’t care much for a history lesson, it may help paint a picture of why QS exists in the first place, and the evolution of factors may give you some insight into what Google cares about.When I started working at Google in 2002, Quality Score didn’t exist. But what set Google apart from the other PPC ad systems at the time was how they determined if ads were relevant enough to warrant an impression. In addition to having a team of humans reviewing all ads, the system was also monitoring the click-through rate (CTR) of every keyword — if a keyword’s CTR fell below 0.5%, it would become disabled for poor relevance. Google was using the wisdom of the crowds to let its users determine which ads should show and which shouldn’t.The problem with disabling keywords at an arbitrary CTR level was that advertisers were unhappy to see some of their keywords disabled forever (unless, of course, they knew of the workaround to resubmit the same keyword with different capitalization). So, we started to evolve the system. Instead of disabling keywords, we came up with new statuses like “slowed,” “in trial” and “on hold.”

Know Thy Fans – Be Relevant In Your Fan Acquisition Efforts

Before you pull the trigger on a sweepstakes to win a new iPad, diamond earrings, or luxury vacation, ask yourself if the people who enter your contest are doing it because they are potential customers and want to engage with your brand, or if they’re just using you for a chance to win that shiny new gadget/sparkly/getaway.
— another great post from the WooBox website @ http://blog.woobox.com 

5 Landing Page Headline Formulas Tested

By

While there is no shortage of articles that list different headline formulas that you can use on your landing pages, there really isn’t much research available on how these formulas actually perform in real life on real landing pages.

How to Deactivate All Plugins
When Not Able to Access WP-Admin

Often times during troubleshooting, hosted WordPress, many sites will recommend deactivate all plugins and activate them one by one. What’s worst is sometimes you get locked out of your WordPress admin panel, so you can’t even deactivate the plugins in an easy way. If you have ever faced the white screen of death, then you know exactly what we are talking about. In this article, you will be shown how to deactivate all WordPress plugins when not able to access wp-admin area.

JoomlaShine Power Admin

Very often JoomlaShine sees reports from users about how difficult it is to do simple tasks in Joomla such as changing module positions, hiding an article’s title or relocating menu items. Thus, we decided to take a good look at how people use Joomla and created an ultimate solution to make such processes much easier and joyful.  Have a look.

Weekly Roundup – Guy R Cook 20130720

Guy R Cook - President vDomainHosting, Inc

https://www.facebook.com/help/332626706817162/

Managing facebook Ads With Power Editor

You can’t currently create Custom Audiences within the self-serve ad tool, although you can select ones that have already been created. You’ll need to use Power Editor to create them. Power Editor is a bulk ad editing tool created by Facebook. It’s a browser plugin that currently works with most browsers. Simply go to Facebook Power Editor to get started.

Tech and Coffee mug arrived today.

Tech and Coffee #publichangouts is run by a bunch of tech savvy people. Below are a few examples of the topics we may discuss;

  • G+ Features
  • Linux / Windows / Mac / UNIX
  • General Computing
  • Mobile Devices
  • Code / Hacking
  • Videography & Photography
  • Coffee
  • Sleeping
  • News and Current Events

Tech and Coffee Mug

When Device Recognition and Programmatic Buying Intersect – A Mobile World Where Everyone Wins

So how can publishers take advantage of this opportunity? How are OpenX and AdTruth using technology such as universal device recognition to deliver more effective mobile ad inventory with high quality mobile audiences? And how does Real Time Bidding (RTB) work for publishers on mobile devices? – See more at: http://blog.openx.org/07/todays-webinar-when-device-recognition-and-programmatic-buying-intersect-a-mobile-world-where-everyone-wins/#sthash.UMhOAS8U.dpuf

Jaana Nyström

Works at Social Media entrepreneur. Google+ Discuss TC.
Lives in Jyväskylä, Finland
468,415 have her in circles

Screen Sizes for mobile phones

Doing research for Mobile Phone screen sizes, got this link

http://screensiz.es/phone

There are quite a few great, thorough keyword research guides on the internet (see herehere, and here). In general, they tell you to follow this process:

  1. Create a seed list of starting terms
  2. Expand your list using keyword research tools
  3. Refine your list with competitive research

The KISSmetrics Guide To Keyword Research – Part I: Keyword Discovery http://blog.kissmetrics.com/keyword-research-part-1/ 

Keyword Research for Web Writers and Content Producers http://www.copyblogger.com/keyword-research/ 

How to do Keyword research – The beginners guide to SEO http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/keyword-research

Google XML sitemap validator tool

http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/seo-tools.html

A tool which will validate your xml sitemap and optionally ping Google to inform them of their location.

Our xml sitemap validator will inform you straight away if there are any problems with your sitemaps allowing you to make changes prior to submitting it to Google.

You can also optionally ping Search Engines with the whereabouts of your sitemap. Supported search engines are:

  • Google
  • Bing
  • Yahoo
  • Ask.com

Please note that we would recommend you inform Google of your sitemaps via the Google Webmaster Tools.

Longitude / Latitude

 http://itouchmap.com/latlong.html   To find the latitude and longitude of a point Click on the map, Drag the marker, or enter the…Address:

PSAMA Pulse Awards

The PSAMA Pulse Awards highlight the region’s best marketing strategies, creativity, and results. This award recognizes marketers who best understood the pulse of their audience, and really embraced the marketplace and its objectives. This is the only marketing awards competition of its kind in Washington State. Awards Category finalists are chosen by a professional panel of judges, but the ultimate winners are chosen by you.

http://pulseawards.org/

Shopcade

Shopcade is your personal shopping app. Discover new products, create lists of the things you want, and get exclusive deals. ~ Twitter: @Shopcade; Instagram: @Shopcade; FB: Facebook.com/Shopcade     Found on Pinterest @ http://pinterest.com/shopcade/

Chocolate Festival links

Build has begun for space for the Chocolate Festival here are some links I came across in researching for this event.

 Orange County Chocolate Festival! http://www.occhocolatefestival.com/
21st Annual Oakdale Chocolate Festival  http://www.oakdalechamber.com/chocolate-festival-rootmenu-41
Lewisburg, West Virginia Chocolate Festival http://www.lewisburgchocolatefestival.com/
Cincinnati Chocolate Festival 2012 — A Bigger Box of Chocolates! http://cincinnatichocolatefestival.com/ 
Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival | the UK’s Original, Award Winning, Biggest & Best Family Friendly Chocolate Festival http://www.ramsbottomchocolatefestival.com/ 
Colorado Chocolate Festival http://www.chocolate-festival.org/
The Chocolate Festival – Welcome to the Chocolate Festival  http://www.festivalchocolate.co.uk/

How to Find Great Content to Share on Twitter

What content are you sharing on Twitter?

Do you struggle to find interesting, relevant things to tweet about every day?

Weekly Roundup – Guy R Cook 20130713

Guy R Cook - President vDomainHosting, Inc

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1O7pTJ/:6oIbVPeA:2lOR.IFu/weavesilk.com/?fls/   found weavesilk.com by accident via StumbleUpon.com as a part of setting that up in Chrome browser.

http://www.google.com/script/start/   Google Apps Script is a JavaScript cloud scripting language that provides easy ways to automate tasks across Google products and third party services and build web applications.
 
 If you’re on Twitter, make sure you’re following @vDomainHosting for more updates.
Check My Links – Check My Links is a link checker that crawls through your webpage and looks for broken links.  Available for Google Chrome browser in the store for extensions.
Configure dual delivery – Understanding the legacy server primary configuration

What Does it Take to Be on the First Page of Google?

Recently Netmark.com performed a massive correlation study to better understand Google’s algorithm after the Penguin 2.0 update. The data from the Netmark research was not only useful for the correlation study, but also allowed viewing the search results from a lot of different perspectives. In the linked infographic, (checkout the vDomainHosting Pinterest if you like Inforgraphics) Netmark evaluated the top 10 search results in order to understand what it takes to be on the first page of Google.

Lightbox Ads 

Lightbox ads bring full-screen creative to the scale of the web, helping you engage consumers with your brand’s story. They begin in standard, scalable ad units, but then expand into a near full-screen canvas that supports full rich-media capabilities. Embed a YouTube video, game, or shopping experience in your ad to grab your customer’s attention. Lightbox Ads qualify user engagement by requiring users to hover over the ad unit for two-seconds before expanding.

Two links from Stumbleupon in the past week I”m sharing here are these:

Excel Formulas: 10 Formulas That Helped Me Keep My Job

and

Free online file converter

The entire collection is at this link  http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/guyrcook  Follow other StumbleUpon users to see their favorite websites, videos, photos and images from across the Web.

Add a Pinterest button or widget to your website. You can also add a Pin It button to your iOS or Android app.

Everything You Need to Know about the new +1 on Google+

5 crazy SEO mistakes not to make in WordPress  – thanks wordtracker.com

A part of the above got me some other resources for WordPress and use of categories and tags.

and

What Are Tags?  – your blog’s index words.

And I liked

Lorelle put it best by defining categories as your blog’s table of contents, and tags as your blog’s index words.

How to Get Google’s Verified Authorship for your WordPress Blog

How To Be Included In Google’s News Feed

JOOMLA TIP

If your Joomla 2.5.xx install errors in the Extension Manager saying:
JFolder::create: Could not create directory
Warning: Failed to move file!

Try this fix that worked for me:

1 go to the directory where I installed Joomla.
2 find configuration.php file
3 change access level for this file to 755: it is necessary for the changes to remain
4 open it and Change next lines to:
var $log_path = ‘./logs’;
var $tmp_path = ‘./tmp’;
5 than save it.

Be sure you reset your permissions back to 444 on the configuration.php file

Glassdoor.com
http://fwisp.com/tag/web+design   fwisp-Top Business & Financial Blogosphere Links
http://blogmarks.net/   Blogmarks.net is a social bookmarking service.
http://www.arto.com/ On Arto you can share pictures, videos,

create friendbooks, make a blog and much more.
You can participate in fun quizzes, interesting
threads in the forum and join thousands of groups
– or try some of the fun games.

 
http://n4g.com/    Hottest Game News & Rumors | N4G
 
http://www.corank.com/user/guyrcook  A better way to get, keep and share the web you want
http://my.vcita.com/vdomainhosting is the profile page for this service.
Everything Your Small Business Needs Online!
Client Engagement, Management and Retention
by vCita.com and so far like it.  The profile is at

Weekly Roundup – Guy R Cook 20130607

20130607

Added tweet post so that KEEK account could be verified, in Twitter and it got added to the Facebook ‘automagically’

Upgraded Dropbox to version 2.0.26

http://www.justin-klein.com/projects/facebook-photo-fetcher/
Facebook Photo Fetcher is a WordPress plugin that allows you to quickly and easily generate WordPress photo galleries from any Facebook album you can access. So, as a test, http://fathomsofun.org/blog/concerts-by-the-bay-20130606-hook-me-up/ was created.

Ifttt.com allows you to syndicate to over 50 different sites.

BlogCatalog.com – helps you connect with other bloggers to share ideas and posts

DemandStudios.com – distributes your blog posts to publishers like USAToday.com, Salon.com and eHow.com

Amazon.com – submit your blog to https://kindlepublishing.amazon.com/gp/vendor and get paid when Kindle owners read it.

NetworkedBlogs.com – Get found and get more traffic when you submit your blog. Also links to Facebook.

Alltop.com – syndicates content in every category, from autos and food to business and sports.

Scribnia.com – the source for reader reviews of the web’s bloggers and columnists

Syndic8.com – syndicates blogs that cover a wide variety of topics, one of the most popular syndication services.

EvanCarmichael.com – If you provide business-related content, this site is a must.

OutBrain.com – syndicates your blog posts to sites like CNN.com and FastCompany.com

20130606

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO/IEC_27002#Implementation_example_of_ISO.2FIEC_27002  example of information security policies, a good starting resource to review your 5 year old policies.

20130605

http://fosterinternetadvisor.blogspot.com  An excellent blog, Foster’s Forum by name.
Google Apps
Google Apps is a cloud-based productivity suite that helps you and your team connect and get work done from anywhere on any device. It’s simple to set up, use and manage, allowing you to work smarter and focus on what really matters.

20130604

Listen To Your Customers

http://evernote.com/skitch/  Get your point across with fewer words using annotation, shapes and sketches, so that your ideas become reality faster.  A great addon for Evernote.

RE:  The setup of Google Apps accounts – What you’ll do in the setup wizard (see above)

Our easy-to-use wizard will walk you through all the steps in the setup process, without disrupting your web site or email system. Here’s what you’ll do:

  1. Verify domain ownership << Wait 15 min to 48 hrs for this to be done.

  2. Create user(s)  (Use the email instructions tab, copy those into Keypass and cc to Project Manager that are sent to the GMAIL address of the new user)

                  A.  The next step prompts me to setup billing.

  1. Run a pilot if you need to test the product or deployment process

  2. Activate email and setting up access on mobile phones

  3. Decide whether to migrate your old data, and how much to migrate

  4. Add core Google apps such as Calendar, Drive, and Sites

  5. Add apps from the Google Apps Marketplace to make your business more productive

20130603

BING site verifications, check & confirm they’re correct.
Updated blog roll on Tumblr with the Hubspot top marketing blogs
17 Essential Content Templates and Checklists By far, the most popular post ever published at the Content Marketing Institute

How To Setup WordPress SEO by Yoast

http://www.getawaymavens.com/
Getaway Mavens | Travel Blog | Offbeat Escapes in the Northeast

Weekly Roundup – Guy R Cook 20130531

20130526
Found Staticgram http://statigr.am/viewer.php#/myFollowers/ (login with Instagram) on the blog from Route 6 traveler http://www.getawaymavens.com/  Malerie Yolen-Cohen
Updated Filezilla and shared in Google Plus Update 20210206 – Now using WinSCP for file transfer
https://www.facebook.com/US.Route.6.California will add link for the invitation to visit the Route 6 display at the fair
http://www.lonepinefilmfestival.org/  added link for that event in FB too.
Got email about a great infographic from Mashable, via MarketingTechBlog (adding that to the blog roll I think) http://www.marketingtechblog.com/
-Evernote updated to version 4.6.6.8360 (268868)

Penguin 2.0: Four Facts You Should Know

Webmaster Guidelines

Best practices to help Google find, crawl, and index your site
http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35769

Bing Webmaster Tools Help

How to Find Inbound Link Data
http://www.bing.com/webmaster/help/using-the-inbound-links-tool-a75f3640 

20130527

 vDomainHostingBusinessCard2013
Worked on new business cards in OpenOffice.org having trouble with printing on the HP D5360 printer ( connected Linux Mint, resolved)
http://mywindows8.org/check-which-tcpip-ports-are-in-use/ to check which port are listening and for what IP
netstat -aon | more at the command prompt
20130528

 Want an easier to remember URL for your Google+ Local Page? Use gplus.to to shorten the link.
 gplus.to/vdomainhosting = vDomainHosting
 Changed JustForKitsap blog back to the old theme today  http://www.justforkitsap.com/theblog/
20130529

Automation Comes to Content Marketing

http://www.digiday.com/brands/automation-comes-to-content-marketing/   Content marketing, the catch-all phrase for brands becoming publishers, has created a new set of tech startups looking to cash in by bringing efficiency to the process.
20130530

http://www.business2community.com/author/tatiana-liubarets   This post is to share the name of a blogger I came across today, that at first instance impressed me with her content.    I’ve read many over the years, this is one of those ‘pearls’ that I find, and I’ve shared her profile link so that you too can subscribe and follow her writing.
snooze
 Windows 8.1  unveiled will it change your mind about windows 8
http://lee-soft.com/vistart/windows-8-start-menu.html for Window8 to have a start button
20130531

Weekly Roundup – Guy R Cook 20130524

Weekly Roundup of content shared from the desk of Guy R Cook – Web Developer

Using Website Analytics to provide answers to the following important questions.

Bing Business Portal is now Bing Places for Business and just today had time to look see. https://www.bingplaces.com/ is where you end up after using the bookmark sent as http://www.bing.com/places in the email I got on 5/20 Claim your business, get verified, etc, etc.

http://voices.yahoo.com/four-tips-creating-great-landing-page-12133174.html?cat=15 from the voices.yahoo.com on Yahoo, a well written piece on Landing Pages.

New Google+: Stream, Hangouts, and Photos My tasks are added to now, sorting things out in the new features, which ones are keepers and which ones I”m going to wait on.  A LOT of things added at once will make things busy for a time I’m sure.

Weekly Roundup – Guy R Cook 20130517

Weekly Roundup of content shared from the desk of Guy R Cook – Web Developer

lnkd.in/29eWrR  The question is favorite CMS. The answer is Joomla.
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http://www.slideshare.net/guyrcook1/business-plan-21043522  Business plan by  on May 12, 2013
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http://pinterest.com/pin/204843483023864305/  vDomainHosting, Inc via Your Social Media Company
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http://t.co/kBQ5vFhFB0 Should Your Business Be on Pinterest?
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http://pinterest.com/pin/204843483023864352/  Who Really Uses LinkedIn?
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Woody Alen said it best:  85% of Success is just showing up.
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Wow! I have just updated bunch of things on my WordPress sites thanks to @ManageWP :)/ https://managewp.com 
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B2B Marketing: 9 Ideas for Solving Your Biggest Content Challenges http://goo.gl/fb/T6Exe 
from B2B Thursday, yesterday PM  some good ideas about Content Marketing challenges.
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http://www.portorchard.com/footferry/ coded a schedule, and today added light-box powered logo’s in the bottom.