WordPress 3.1 is out!  It has a new admin bar and adding links is “42x faster”.  If you have WordPress installed, you will want to update it.

Tip: Make sure you backup your files, deactivate plugins, upgrade, then reactivate plugins.  While rare, I have had instances in which the plugins will through it all out of whack!

If you are a client and want us to handle the backups and upgrades automatically, make sure to contact us and ask us about doing that for you.

If you have WordPress installed, you will see this plugin as it comes with each installation of WordPress.  It is by Matt Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress.  If you are an avid WordPress fan, as I am, you probably can relate to this question every time you update your plugins or WordPress itself.    For that half second, you think, should I delete Hello Dolly?  Every time, I swear I can hear Matt Mullenweg cringe at the very thought of deleting Hello Dolly.

I am writing this post in defense for Hello Dolly.  :-)

It is described as:

“This is not just a plugin, it symbolizes the hope and enthusiasm of an entire generation summed up in two words sung most famously by Louis Armstrong: Hello, Dolly. When activated you will randomly see a lyric from Hello, Dolly in the upper right of your admin screen on every page.”

While I will admit, I typically do not have it as an active plugin, I think it would be a shame if I deleted Hello Dolly as after  all isn’t it the least we can do to say thanks to Matt Mullenweg?  He has given us WordPress, such an amazing piece of software all for the price of “Free 99″.   This plugin has been at the core of WordPress and has witnessed the uprising of WordPress.  It has been there through the ups and the downs.  To uninstall is like removing a child from its mother.  In my opinion, WordPress and Hello Dolly go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly.

So in answer to the question of whether to keep the WordPress Plugin Hello Dolly, I say astoundingly YES.

What are your thoughts?  Do you keep or delete Hello Dolly on your WordPress Installations?

We recently got done with the www.eztwistballoons.com.  This website was made for EZ Twist Ballons in order to sell their patented EZ Twist Balloon Tool.  With this tool you can create twisty balloons for your next party or event!

The website includes a fully function shopping cart, embedded Youtube video’s, a integrated newsletter, and much more!  It is also a CMS website so the customer can easily change the website and update it as needed.  It has a shopping cart that fully integrates with UPS Shipping rates and so the rates are automatically calculated based on the location of the order.

As usual we installed Google Analytics on it and the traffic for their website has been increasing ever since its launch.

What is the difference of WordPress.org and WordPress.com?

In a nutshell:

WordPress.com is a FREE service that is hosted by and at WordPress.com.  It is similar to Blogger, which many people refer to as blogspot.com.  You have NO hosting fees, but you are tied down more and cannot install custom themes and custom plugins etc.

WordPress.org is the main domain for the WordPress Community.  With WordPress.org you are basically downloading the latest version of WordPress and installing with your hosting account.  The software is FREE, but you have to host it yourself at some hosting company that supports hosting WordPress, as in Webnovate.

Hosting is rather cheap and you have a ton of options with WordPress.org and you have support from the entire WordPress.org family.  Wordpress is growing and growing and there seems to be more and more plugins and themes, information, and support.

WordPress is rather easy to install.  There are a few things you want to do from scratch to help your SEO out as in changing the permalinks.  If you are a non-techy person and want us to install it for you, just give us a shout and we would love to help you out.  If you host with us, then we will set it up for you for FREE.

Friends for Sight launched their new website at www.friendsforsight.com.  Friends for Sight is a non-profit organization that helps prevent blindness in Utah.  They provide vision screening for children for Amblyopia (Lazy-Eye Blindness) and preserve sight.   Since 1955, over 521,024 children – that’s over “A Million eyes” – have been screened. In addition, over 374,022 adults have been screened for Glaucoma, the sneak thief of sight.   Since they established the high school drivers training vision screening program in March of 2001, 100,416 students have been screened in schools throughout the state.

Webnovate developed the website below with a full editable Content Management System (CMS) and embedded their Youtube Video on the website.   We also setup an online donation page using Authorize.net in order for prospective donors to contribute to their great cause.   If you would like to dontate to thier cause, please visit their online donation form at http://www.friendsforsight.org/donations/donate/.

Friends for Sight

Don’t forget to donate $2 when you renew your Utah Drivers License and License Plate Tag.

Friends for Sight - Check the Box

Is your company looking for a Content Management System?

Content Management Systems (CMS) are a valuable tool to many small businesses.  They offer you the ability to login and edit your webpage without the need for a web developer.

So what is the difference between Custom Web Design and a Content Management System?  They each have their advantages and disadvantages.

Content Management Systems

Advantages:

• They give you the ability to make changes or edit your websites content rather easily without the need to call a web developer.
• They are typically less expensive than custom web design as the “framework” is typically set in place.   The best way to think about this is by using a house as a metaphor.  A house has its framing done and then you go in and decorate or plugin your paint colors, pictures, etc.   With a CMS you have the framework laid out as in different boxes etc.  You then modify the CMS with your companies information, pictures, etc.   There are different “frameworks” that you can work with, but the main point is that each “framework”, as plans to a house, are preset and then you can populate the content.

Here are some examples of our Content Management System and some websites we have developed using it:

Content Management System Example

Content Managment Example

Custom Web Development

Advantages:

• You have the ability to be very creative as you can do pretty much anything you can dream of as things are not predefined.  For example, you can place an image anywhere on the page etc.
• Your website can be as unique as you need and you can focus on all aspects marketing.  For example, you can really get down to targeting your demographic with custom designs that represent your corporate image and tie that into your branding and other marketing avenues.

Here are some recent samples of our Custom Web Design work:

Custom Web Development Example

Custom Web Development Example

Webnovate is a full service Utah Web Design firm.  We offer full realm of options for your small business as each business is different and has different needs.  We provide Content Management System websites as well as Custom Web Design.  We provide a FREE consultation in which we can come meet with you see what woul be best for your company!     Contact us today or fill our our RFP Form to see what we can do for you!