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 a site for my electronic music production project, Tazmanian Ninja. All three websites […]
Hestia Theme Review – Better than Before
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 […]
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, […]
Elementor Pro Review – What You Should 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 […]
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 – a 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 […]
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??? Insanely […]
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 […]
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 a strong […]
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 […]
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 […]
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!
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 […]
Fastest Managed WordPress Hosting Comparison – WP Engine vs Flywheel vs Media Temple vs Synthesis
Important!There’s an updated, vastly expanded version of this speed test comparison, to find the fastest WordPress hosting. Check it out! In this mammoth, epic managed WordPress hosting comparison, I share with you who I’ve found to be the fastest managed WordPress hosting provider. I ‘ll pit WP Engine vs Flywheel vs Media Temple and Synthesis. An exciting fight for sure! Tip! Check current […]
The WP Engine Review Worth Reading
This will be one of the best WP Engine reviews you’ll ever read. I’ll do my best to make it so. Read on! Tip! Check current hosting discounts, offers and coupon codes here » Web hosting relationships – and their relation to your WordPress web hosting woes You know the story. Just like romantic relationships, most […]
My Honest Dynamik Website Builder Review (updated)
This is an updated and revised review of my original Dynamik Website Builder review. Disclaimer: Since I already own and use several other WordPress theme frameworks, I asked Cobalt Apps for a complimentary license, so I could write this review. So in a way, this review has been sponsored by Cobalt Apps. Rest assured though: This review is in no […]
WordPress Jetpack Publicize for Custom Post Types
This is a short blog post, to quickly share with you how to enable automatic social media sharing of custom post type content, in WordPres, via the Jetpack plugins’ Publicise module. In case you don’t know what the WordPress Jetpack plugin is – and what its Publicize module does – here’s a short backstory: the […]
An Update on the Headway Hero Video Tutorial
Today’s january 28th. The anticipated launch date of my Headway Hero video tutorial. Anyone who knows me well, will attest that I’m quite serious (arguably to the extent of being rigid) about dates, appointments, and my work. I hate when people change plans or don’t live up to their promises. Yet here I am. Is […]
How to Design Your Own WordPress Website: Announcing Headway Hero
Without further ado and to cut a long story short: my long-awaited Headway video tutorial / online course will begin: Tuesday, January 28th! That’s in less than 3 weeks:) If you’ve been asking yourself: “how do I make my own (WordPress) website” this is the tutorial that will show you how to make your own […]
A Mixpanel WordPress Plugin (in 3 easy steps)
This post isn’t about cookies. It’s about finding a Mixpanel WordPress plugin. I already moaned about cookie notices in a previous blog post. It’s not worth reading, honestly;) Nevertheless, we live in a world of cookies. If in doubt, just ask the EU “Cookie Club” who came up with the lame idea that all European websites using cookies […]
How to Blog for SEO? Use Google Search Console Like a Pro
Of course, you should never write for SEO purposes only. But if you are serious about your blogging – and want your efforts to pay off, and be read by real people: you’ll need to make sure they can find your hard-earned content in Google, Bing and the rest of the search gang. Some years ago, […]
Headway 3.6 beta – hopefully room for improvement?
The Headway theme holds so much promise. It’s the only theme framework that really does deliver what it says on the box. Using Headway, you can – in real life, not some upbeat marketing fantasy universe – design your own WordPress website, without coding. That’s why I’m such a big fan of Headway and recommend it so […]
Death of The Professional Web Designer
I’ve wanted to get this off my chest, for so long. Here we go: A sense of redundancy – and immense future potential Even though I make most of my living as a web designer, I have this growing, inner urge; to teach my clients how master their websites themselves – and not depend on me to do […]
The Best WordPress Theme Framework For You: Free Guide!
It’s become more and more clear to me, that many are in doubt about which WordPress theme framework to choose. There are so many, and they all differ vastly from each other. There’s the drag & drop PageLines DMS, there’s the maverick Thesis 2.1, Headway 3 with its innovative Visual Editor, then there’s trusty Genesis now at version […]
Update on the Upcoming Headway Video Tutorials
My long-promised, long-awaited upcoming Headway video tutorial has been delayed for longer than I feel good about. Honestly. I embarked on creating these Headway tutorials, to help you design and build your own custom, 100% unique Headway site. And many are waiting eagerly for my Headway tutorials, which only serves to confirm the need for such a comprehensive […]
PageLines DMS Review – a WordPress Theme Revolution?
PageLines DMS was “secretly rumored” for a while, and some weeks ago, some official info was finally launched. The PageLines team have definitely held their cards close to their chest, in an almost Apple-like top-secret fashion. Probably due to two reasons: 1. To avoid getting ripped off before even entering the market. Andrew Power’s confabulatory blog […]
PageLines DMS is not the only DMS in town!
There’s a new blog post over on the PageLines blog, titled “What is a DMS?” stirring up the imminent launch of PageLines DMS that will début this coming Wednesday. Update 31-7-2013: PageLines DMS review is now online! (but be sure to also read this blog post as well, it contains additional information!) The blog post lists […]
Thesis 2.1 and The Future of DIY Web Design
As most regular followers of my site will know, I was not impressed with the long-awaited release of the Thesis 2.0 theme framework for WordPress. Matt Cutts (Google’s SEO representative) and Sugar Rae Hoffman (a former Thesis evangelist) and many others have also jumped ship after the disastrous Thesis 2 release. Pre-launch, I had high […]
Headway 3.5 Wrappers: Fluid header, footer and everything in between!
No WordPress theme framework is perfect. And even more true: No WordPress theme framework is perfect for everyone. That said, I overall like the Headway theme more than any other WP theme. It’s flexible, innovative and a huge productivity booster… But alas – it’s not perfect! I have a widescreen monitor… Gimme a widescreen theme […]
How to Design a WordPress Theme From Scratch: No Coding!
As a professional WordPress web designer I often meet clients who would love to design their own WordPress theme. They wanna be able to move stuff around on the page, change font sizes, play with colors, build tailor-made landing pages, etc. All without needing to hire the services of a pro like me. I’m fine […]
Review of the Canvas WordPress theme framework from WooThemes
This is a review of the Canvas WordPress theme framework from well-known premium WordPress theme makers WooThemes. A framework is a clean theme, ready for you to skin/customize with your own design preferences. Why use a theme framework? The benefit of a theme framework is that you start from a more or less blank starting […]
The Genesis WordPress theme framework 2.0 – Have you seen the new preview?
Version 2.0 of a major WordPress theme framework is always exciting! October 1’st last year, DIYthemes released Thesis 2.0 – which, as you may know; I was sadly quite disappointed with. Luckily I have the Headway theme framework which I love for its drag’n’drop layout editor. But, some people prefer to code the their WordPress […]
Interview with Grant Griffiths from Headway Themes [podcast]
Note: There’s now an audio transcription at the bottom of this blog post:-) Today I had the pleasure of speaking to mr. Grant Griffiths from Headway Themes. Grant is dad to Headway lead developer, Clay Griffiths. We had a talk about how it works out working together in a son/dad constellation, as well as the […]
The Soliloquy WordPress slider plugin – Does it kick SlideDeck 2 in the pants?
I’m a SlideDeck 2 user, a mammoth, very flexible WordPress slider plugin. I’d never heard of the Soliloquy WordPress slider plugin until I read about it on Chris Lema’s blog. According to Chris, Soliloquy is considerably faster than my usual go-to slidedeck plugin, SlideDeck 2. When I also came across a video about Soliloquy, made by the […]
Is SlideDeck 2 the worlds best WordPress slider plugin?
Sliders, slideshows, slidedecks… Whatever you call them, they’re ubiquitous. They’re everywhere. For good or for bad. Mainstreamed and popularized by Apple. So if you have a WordPress website, chances are that you’ll also want or need a WordPress slider plugin of some sort. But which one? Free or premium? Simple or advanced? Basically, the way […]