In this GeneratePress review, I’ll share my recent experiences using this lean, page builder friendly WordPress theme. So far, I’m enjoying it a lot! So much so that I’m currently finishing my first GeneratePress-based website, and have another in the making. I’m also working on this site (for my music production project, Tazmanian Ninja). All three websites were […]
Hestia Theme Review – Well-Intended… But…
This in-depth Hestia theme review expands on my extensive WordPress theme comparison What’s the Fastest WordPress Theme for Your Page Builder? In that comparison, Hestia didn’t do too well. In fact: it came in last, performance-wise! Fortunately, ThemeIsle (the makers of Hestia) were quick to shoot me an email, wanting to find the cause and […]
What’s the Fastest WordPress Theme for Your Page Builder?
With WordPress page builder plugins like Beaver Builder, Divi Builder, and Elementor constantly evolving, becoming more and more powerful tools for new and pro web designers alike… What’s left for the WordPress theme to handle? The answer? Your site’s header, footer and stuff like search results, archives, tag and category pages. But even those can now be handled […]
A CoSchedule Review by a Happy Content Marketer
Ahhh… Content marketing and social media marketing: either you love it – or you hate it. Or somewhere in between. Me? Honestly I can sometimes feel overwhelmed by it. Hence I always strive to simplify it as much as possible. I even made it a challenge and shared the journey. Truth is, I’m not a […]
Elementor Pro 2’s New Theme Builder vs Beaver Themer
Anyone who has looked at Beaver Themer can see that Elementor Pro 2’s theme builder feature is conceptually a carbon copy clone of Beaver Themer. The main selling point of Elementor Pro 2 is its included theme builder. “Included” is the key word here. Elementor’s theme builder is a surreptitious attempt at matching (i.e. blatantly […]
Why the New Gutenberg Editor is a Vital (and Long Overdue) Step for WordPress
The huge outcry was likely an unintended backlash spawned by Gutenberg's 100% open development process. The developers wanted feedback from the WordPress community, early in the process. A choice we should all appreciate and applaud. Few seemed to appreciate it, however. They did get some feedback, though. Oh… my… Feedback is what they got. To […]
A Blissful Social Warfare Review – Social Media Icons Done Right
Social media icons should be a simple, trouble-free affair. Yet I’ve had my fair share (pun intended:) of problems with them. Indeed, social media icons are a necessary evil: temperamental and occasionally problematic – yet more or less mandatory for most websites. We want visitors to share our content – so it makes sense to […]
Is Yoast Premium Worth It? My Underwhelmed Review
When I recently realized the Yoast Premium upgrade would let me optimize each piece of content for multiple keywords, I was thrilled. That’s a feature I’ve been wanting for years! While doing keyword research, I often find several keywords to target. Typically alternative spellings or long-tail variants of the main keyword. The thought quickly crossed my […]
Thrive Architect Review – a Landing Page Builder for Marketers
Now that you’ve been assured of my integrity and heartfulness, here are my experiences with Thrive Themes (and in particular Thrive Architect) – or as they’d say in Germany: my “Thrive Themes erfahrung” :o) Thrive Themes isn’t German, though. It originates from Switzerland. Thrive Themes often make me think of Germany (even though they’re from […]
Full Width Backgrounds and Color Overlays in Thrive Architect vs Elementor vs Beaver Builder [video]
But what if your theme doesn't include an adequate page template for that purpose? And what if you're overall happy with your theme and not in the mood for a time-consuming switch to a more “page builder friendly” WordPress theme? Are you out of luck? Nope. Fortunately, both Elementor and Thrive Architect have good solutions, […]
Your New Year’s Success Principles (free worksheet!)
A new year has begun, and with it comes a great chance to reflect on the year that’s gone by – as well as your plans for the coming year. Time for some new year’s resolutions, right? Wrong. New year’s resolutions don’t work for most people. Why new year’s resolutions don’t work There are two […]
Elementor Pro Review – All You Need to Know
In this factful (and hopefully tactful) in-depth Elementor Pro review, I’ll first assess the free Elementor plugin, followed by the Elementor Pro plugin: what extra features will it give you? Is Elementor Pro worth it? Let’s get on with it – let’s cut right to the cheese! Oh! Oops… Sorriiii, my bad… I meant chase… Let’s […]
Your Peak Brain Score – Does Peak Brain Training Work?
What’s your Peak Brain Score? Is your Peak Brain Map accurate? Are Elevate, Lumosity and Peak brain training scores correct? I asked Peak’s expert! You know those days when you simply can’t accomplish what you set out to do? To train my focus, I’ve been using the Peak brain training app (for iOS and Android) consistently, […]
Rainmaker Digital Services? What happened to the Rainmaker Platform? Any alternatives?
Update, May 15th, 2019: Just a I predicted in 2017 (see my original post below – under the “Wild Speculation Alert” headline) Rainmaker Digital Services has now been 100% acquired by Nimble Worldwide. Needless to say (my prediction considered): it doesn’t surprise me. That whole joint-partnership thing Copyblogger / StudioPress did back then, seemed to […]
Fastest WordPress Hosting Update! Flywheel vs WP Engine vs Bluehost vs Media Temple vs Pressable vs StudioPress Sites
Update: the WP Engine PHP 7 results are in! Download the updated report and read the results below! When it comes to hosting your WordPress website, you want it to be fast-loading. And when it comes to hosting in general, we all know you get what you pay for. Right? Right. Still, there must be […]
Elementor Page Builder – the Fastest Meteor to Hit Planet WordPress
The first time the Elementor page builder popped up on my radar, was mid-2016. Since then, in little over a year, this remarkable WordPress page builder has gained magnificent momentum, and not only caught up with, but outpaced its biggest rivals Beaver Builder and Thrive Architect (f.k.a. Thrive Content Builder). Take a look at this screenshot […]
Beaver Themer Review – the Limitless Pill for Beaver Builder
If you’ve read my Beaver Builder review and Divi vs Beaver Builder speed comparison, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of Beaver Builder (and less so of Elegant Themes’ Divi – even with the improvements in Divi 3). Beaver Builder is a flexible and powerful WordPress page builder – without the complexity seen in other WordPress themes and […]
Your Fear Isn’t Real – It’s Anxiety!
The other day, I decided to confront one of my fears. After I’d done so, I had a realization that I decided would be a good kickstart for my YouTube videos. You can watch it here (and don’t be afraid to have a reaction – having a really good laugh is okay): So… What can […]
Need a Color Scheme? Spectrum by Eigenlogik is a great ColorSchemer Studio alternative!
Update, May 21st, 2017: ColorSchemer Studio has been discontinued. Fortunately, Spectrum (a great alternative to ColorSchemer Studio) is still available and was recently updated to add compatibility with macOS Sierra. The app hasn’t changed much (if at all) UI-wise since this review below was published, so it’s still as valid as ever (and I still […]
Simplero vs Teachable vs Kajabi – a Simplero Review Based on 8 Years of Experience
November 2018 Update: I sadly can’t recommend Simplero any longer, due to repeated, severe disappointment in some of their business practices I’ve experienced on behalf of myself AND some of my clients. Want an example? How about this: raising prices 4x (FOUR times!) and telling your loyal customers to pay up or move somewhere else??? […]
Divi vs Beaver Builder – Which is the Fastest WordPress Page Builder?
You do want a fast website, right? Most of us do. It’s with great pride that I hereby welcome you to the fully updated and revised Divi vs Beaver Builder WordPress theme speed test! Note: for reference, I’ve archived the 2016 version here, as a PDF you can download should you wish. To speed up […]
The Latest in Managed WordPress Hosting: a StudioPress Sites Review
Despite my intergalactically high intelligence (no less! ?) I must admit I hadn’t seen this one coming. Yet, now that it’s here: it’s an obvious move by Rainmaker Digital (formerly Copyblogger) to release a hosted WordPress service, in the “tradition” of WP Engine, Flywheel, Pressable, and Media Temple, to name a few of the big-name players. […]
The Best MailChimp Alternatives in 2017 – a ConvertKit Review by WebMatros
In this fresh ConvertKit review, I’ll explore one of the absolute best MailChimp alternatives in the email marketing automation arena: ConvertKit. What are its pros and cons? Is it a viable MailChimp alternative? Or just a dumbed-down ActiveCampaign copycat? Read on! To bring you as much value as I can with this review, I looked […]
How to Market Yourself (and Make a Difference) if You Have Too Much To Do: Month 7 on My Journey to Joyful Digital Marketing
On my continued journey towards joyful digital marketing on the Rainmaker Platform, I’ve been wondering… how to market yourself (and make a difference) if you’re feeling overwhelmed by having too much to do? The answer seems to be: removing (even more) obstacles… Last month I shared why I decided to stop freelancing fully and completely. I did so […]
Letting Go of Clients – to Focus 100% on Digital Content Creation: Month 6 of My Journey to Joyful Digital Marketing
In last month’s Rainmaker Marketing Journey update, I shared how my lack of so-called WIP (work-in-progress) limits clogged up my content creation process. Realizing that is indeed helping me unclog my content creation process. However, I also mentioned a few other factors hindering my content creation process from flowing freely. I’m referring to freelance web design done for clients. That […]
Can RescueTime Challenge You To Be More Productive?
RescueTime is one of the world’s absolute best productivity apps. Still, imagine it also had a Productivity Challenge feature – motivating you to be more productive at work? As a solopreneur, a singular entrepreneur, a small business owner if you will: I need all the help I can get, to be more effective – be more […]
Optimize your WordPress SEO with the Beaver Builder Theme & WordPress Category Page Descriptions
If you’re using the Beaver Builder theme and the Yoast SEO plugin (f.k.a. the WordPress SEO plugin) chances are you’re missing out on one of the simplest to pursue, yet powerful to do, WordPress SEO tips known to man. It was pioneered/popularized in the classic Thesis WordPress theme by DIYthemes (Chris Pearson) all the way back in 2011 or so. […]
How my Content Creation Process got “Totally Clogged Up!” (Rainmaker Marketing Journey – Month 5)
True to my promise in last month’s results update I’ll keep future updates from my Rainmaker Marketing Journey short’n’sweet, starting with this one! In this post, I’ll share how my content creation process got totally clogged up, leaving “almost there” blog posts unpublished! But first, without further ado: what I hope to be my last month […]
My Journey to Essentialist Marketing on the Rainmaker Platform – Month 4 (August) Results
To say that last month’s marketing challenge report was delayed, would be an understatement. Now, this month’s report has been even more delayed. Truth is, I’ve been thinking. About strategy. You see, I realized that I didn’t have any! Oh yes, what I did have was lots of scrappy notes in paper form, in Evernote, OmniGraffle, […]
Is the CoSchedule Headline Analyzer worth your time? [VIDEO]
As part of my ongoing Rainmaker Marketing Challenge and initiative to rid myself of the many marketing tools I’ve been using – I’ve been wanting to test the accuracy of the CoSchedule Headline Analyzer. I’ve used it numerous times when crafting headlines for my blog posts, call to actions, headlines for landing pages, Hello Bars […]
Headway Themes 4 Review – Revised and Twice as Ranty
Update on April 2, 2019: Redirected links to the Headway fork “Blox” to this post instead, as the project seems abandonware. My alternative recommendations below still hold true! Update on February 13, 2018: As a Headway Themes alternative, I still recommend Beaver Builder (as mentioned below). However, while writing my review of Thrive Architect, I felt […]
My Journey to Essentialist Marketing on the Rainmaker Platform – Month 3 (July) Results (or lack thereof… but there’s holiday pictures!)
It’s high time for the monthly results report from my Rainmaker Marketing Journey :o) Somewhat overdue, the delay is due (pun intended) to most of July (and first week of August) being dominated by one vacation after another. I’ve been in England for the EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival) 1-day electronic dance music festival, with a luxurious stay in […]
My Journey to Essentialist Marketing on the Rainmaker Platform – Month 2 (June) Results
In April I began a journey towards simpler, more focused digital marketing. And hopefully as a welcome bonus: less stress – and more success:) I’ve given myself a 12-month digital marketing challenge: How much can I grow my business by using ONLY the digital marketing tools available on the Rainmaker Platform? Essentially reducing my digital marketing to the […]
My Journey to Essentialist Marketing on the Rainmaker Platform – Month 1 (May) Results
Last month I began my journey towards simpler, more focused digital marketing. And hopefully as a welcome bonus: less stress – and more success:) Basically I’ve given myself this 12-month digital marketing challenge: How much can I grow my business by using ONLY the digital marketing tools available on the Rainmaker Platform? Essentially reducing my digital […]
My Journey to Essentialist Marketing on the Rainmaker Platform – Month 0 (April – the baseline)
I guess you can say I went through “a phase” during my latest 3 blog posts. In vivid Technicolor (and with some ambivalence) I went from: admitting my failure to properly market my membership website (not taking full advantage of the Rainmaker Platform’s many built-in content marketing tools) and, as a result; contemplating how my business and solopreneurial life […]
One Conscious Marketing Channel to Rule Them All
Last week I wrote a blog post sharing what I see as my failure to properly market my membership website, products and services – not taking full advantage of the Rainmaker Platform’s many built-in content marketing tools. That realization got me contemplating: how would my business and solopreneurial life look, if I deliberately chose to […]
Great Idea? But… I Ain’t No Digital Marketing Specialist!
Hmmmm… I must admit that I have some doubts about this idea of “simplifying my marketing to its bare bones essentials” that I blogged about last week. Truth is, I’m not 100% confident it’s such a brilliant idea after all; for me to narrow-mindedly rely 100% on just the Rainmaker content marketing platform? I fear painting […]
My First Year on the Rainmaker Content Marketing Platform – a Review (how did it go?)
When I migrated my membership website from a self-hosted WordPress + WooCommerce concoction to the Rainmaker content marketing platform, I desperately wanted to escape the “plugin-updates-always-breaking-something” conundrum. Happily, I can declare that my switch to Rainmaker absolutely got rid of my frustrations. So far so good great! Secretly, I also had another, additional hope: to rely 100% on what the […]
The FULL Beaver Builder Review
I recently designed a client website using the infamous Beaver Builder plugin, including the Beaver Builder theme. If you need a WordPress page builder, I recommend you read this, my full Beaver Builder review – in which I pit it against Divi, Thrive Architect and the Headway WordPress theme. As you could read in my recent Divi review, […]
My (brutally honest) Divi Review – a Troubled WordPress Page Builder
In this brutally honest Divi theme review, I look at the pros and cons of a popular but troubled WordPress Page Builder. Divi ain’t dumb, it’s just a theme with an attitude. Why? Read on! When Google in early 2015 announced that “website mobile-friendliness” would soon be included as an SEO ranking signal in Google’s […]
How to Create a Genesis Child Theme From Scratch (inside Rainmaker)
Note! This is just one of several Rainmaker posts – Be sure you check out everything I’ve written on the New Rainmaker Platform! In my previous Rainmaker-series blog post, I discussed Rainmaker’s themes and design functions. Most of them are very easy to use, and customize to your needs. But what if you have… ahem… ehm… special needs… […]
A New Genesis Framework Review (on the Rainmaker Platform)
Note! This is just one of my Rainmaker posts – Be sure you check out everything I’ve written on the New Rainmaker Platform! As you could read in my previous blog post, I recently switched this, my whole website – from being a self-hosted WordPress installation on Media Temple hosting – to Copyblogger’s relatively new Rainmaker Platform. Rainmaker is a remixed WordPress-version, tailor-made for […]
Headway, WordPress, Multisite, Domains – Easyfied for You
WebMatros / Headway Hero member Ngozi wanted to know how she can run multiple Headway websites, from the same WordPress install. Quickly, my comment spiraled into a mega-comment, worthy of inclusion in Guiness’ Book of World Record’s (for longest comment ever), so I decided to turn this into this impromptu blog post, so you may benefit as […]
This Website is Now on the New Rainmaker Platform!
Note! This is just one of my Rainmaker posts – Be sure you check out everything I’ve written on the New Rainmaker Platform! I did it. I’ve converted my whole website, including its membership area: to Copyblogger’s refreshing, relatively new Rainmaker Platform. In case you haven’t yet heard about Rainmaker.fm – or the Rainmaker Platform – it is Copyblogger’s WordPress-based, […]
My Complete Media Temple WordPress Hosting Review
This is my freshly updated 2015 review of Media Temple’s managed WordPress hosting offer. So much has happened since I published the first review, just one year ago. Enjoy reading it – and let me know what you think! (in the comments) Tip! Check current hosting discounts, offers and coupon codes here » A year ago, Media Temple launched […]
HitTail – a Google Keyword Tool for the Lazy Ones
Keyword research takes time. Too much time! Can HitTail help? I say it can, and here’s exactly why it’s such a powerful Google keyword tool for your website! Fresh for 2015, this HitTail review (one that I’ve been wanting to write for a while now) will show you a unique Google keyword tool that’s built […]
The Fastest WordPress Hosting – at a Discount (really)
The fastest WordPress hosting (as fast as managed, premium WordPress hosting) can be made very cheap. Use my guide and Media Temple discount code!
An Unusual Rainmaker Platform Review – A New Membership Platform
Update! This is my first review of the New Rainmaker Platform. I’ve since written several follow-up blog posts on Rainmaker. See them all here! Welcome to my perhaps slightly unusual review of Copyblogger‘s new Rainmaker platform. A platform that can help you build an audience for your business, by letting you easily publish content, in the form of blog posts, podcasts, […]
The Most Frustrating Thing About WordPress
Today I answered the annual WordPress survey. You should do so to! In the text area for what frustrates me the most about WordPress, here’s what I wrote: “That each page only has one content area. Would be great if WordPress could offer a better solution than custom fields for that. More like concrete5 or […]
The Parallax Scrolling Effect – Plague or Panacea?
Yesterday, I spent a whole day digging deeper into responsive design, mobile-friendliness and parallax backgrounds. I wasn’t a big fan of parallax backgrounds… and after my research and testing: I’m still not a fan of parallax backgrounds;) They’re resource-intensive (often slow/lagging), not mobile-friendly (mostly don’t work on mobile devices), consume bandwidth… and often: they make […]