Online, your business must stay relevant to stay competitive. A whopping 94% of visitors reported they closed out of a website or didn’t trust it simply because of an outdated design. (Source) Growth-Driven Web Design (GDD) is a new approach to web design that stops this issue in its tracks. In a Growth-Driven Web Design approach, websites are
WordPress
WordPress 5.0: What You Need to Know
The times they are a-changing. In the beginning of December, WordPress began rolling out the new version of their editor, which drastically changes how the interface looks. If your website was built in WordPress you may not have seen the change just yet, but it's expected to roll out on every website within the next few
How to Know When It’s Time to Redesign Your Website
If your website was last updated in '97 and features a flashing rainbow background...you probably already know it's time for an upgrade. But often it's not easy to tell when a site needs a simple refresh or a full-scale redesign. Does a website made in 2010 need to be redesigned? What about one made in 2015? The truth is there is no set
The Anatomy of a Successful Website
Did you bring your scalpel? We're continuing our dissection of successful marketing tools to narrow in on what makes them work. Today we're slicing open some successful websites to see how they're built. It's Mobile Responsive 80% of people use a smartphone daily, according to Google. If your website isn't ready for them, they won't stick around.
Staying in Control of Your Website: Why Your Host Matters
One of the first questions we hear from new customers is: what the heck is web hosting, and why do I have to pay for it? Think of a website as an apartment. You own anything that goes inside your apartment, but you still have to pay rent to live there. In order for your website to appear online, you have to rent out the space. That's where a web
Why Your Website is Scaring People
Gather round, I have a terrifying tale. And every last word is true. There was once a website...a seemingly normal website. But underneath the surface, dark forces were at work. Visitors would come, but they wouldn't stay. The contact form was so unused it gathered dust. No one could find it on Google. Business began to die. Sound familiar? If
WordPress Alert: Will The New Update Break Your Site?
This Tuesday, WordPress unveiled their latest update - WordPress 4.6 Pepper. The update comes with some slick new features (more on those later) but also a warning - make sure you install it correctly, otherwise your site will be kaput. Do I Need to Do Anything?Well, that depends:✓ I Host With BizzyWebIf you host with BizzyWeb, we automatically
Let It Go: Removing Products From Your Website
Let it go, let it go Can't sell this thing anymoreSometimes, your business needs to tap into your inner Elsa. If a product has stayed its welcome, it's time to let it go. With e-commerce sites, we spend so much time adding products that the idea of removing one is horrifying. So when you have to cut a product, a grand solo on top of a mountain is
What Type of Website Does Your Business Need?
From Facebook to Forbes, the web allows for seemingly endless complexity. When it comes to building your business's website, however, it's best to start simple. Almost every business will fall into one or two of only three major categories: B2C, B2B and/or eCommerce. Those acronyms probably look familiar to anyone exposed to online marketing, but
Back to Basics: 4 Videos to Watch Before You Build Your Site
The internet is awash with tips and tricks on how to build the "best" website. Everyone has a different opinion when it comes to what makes a website truly fantastic, but nearly ever expert will say that a successful website is:Easy to useEngaging Accessible to as many users as possible Current and regularly updatedEven if you already have a
10 SEO Mistakes You Can Avoid [Infographic]
Rank Better in Search - Avoid These 10 SEO Mistakes Did you know the top three search results 61% of all clicks? Or that 75% of search engine users never look past page one search results? Search ranking continues to be a vital component of any online marketing strategy. To improve your ranking through organic search, avoid making any of these
Get to Know WordPress With These 4 Videos
Posts, pages, menus, oh my! And what the heck is a widget? Sorting through all of the features WordPress has to offer can be overwhelming. Fortunately, WordPress is easy to use once you know the basics. The trouble is figuring out what those basics are. You may have already seen some of our tutorial videos, but are looking for a bit more context
Big Changes in Mobile Search Coming April 21 – Is Your Website Ready?
Google recently announced that on April 21 it's making mobile-friendliness a ranking signal for searches performed on mobile devices. Mobile-friendly sites use responsive design, an approach to web design aimed at creating an optimal viewing experience (easy to read with minimal resizing or scrolling) across a wide range of devices (from desktop
WordPress 3.8 Released
The newest version of Wordpress has been released. Wordpress is Bizzyweb's favorite content management system and the majority of the sites we have put together are powered by Wordpress. Created in 2003 as a blogging tool, Wordpress has become a popular tool for creating websites and it's popularity continues to grow. All versions of Wordpress are
5 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade To WordPress 3.6 Oscar
Are you wondering about how to increase traffic to your website? To get people visiting, coming back, and spending more time on your site, these days it’s all about media content. WordPress has made it easier than ever to produce media-rich blogs by making their newest version WordPress 3.6 “Oscar” available to the world to download. In this
Buzz Builders Webinar for 12/19: WordPress 3.5 “Elvin”
Have a question? Submit it below under "Speak your mind"! Tis the season for giving, and the WordPress community got a shiny new present with WordPress 3.5, affectionally referred to as "Elvin"! Media management has historically been one of the trickier parts of website management on WordPress. In this FREE Buzz Builders call learn about how
FREE Buzz Builders Webinar for 8/22: Website Usability
This week's FREE Buzz Builders Webinar will be focused on website usability. Dave will go in-depth about contact forms and calls-to-action. This informative session will help you solve your website issues and give you some helpful tips in making the most of your website. Note: This Event will be held via Google Plus Hangout. Please register
FREE Buzz Builders Webinar for 8/15: Social Media Strategy
This week's FREE Buzz Builders Webinar will be focused on setting up a social media strategy. We will cover how to create an effective plan to create more business for your company and more customer/client interaction. Having a strategy is important for the success of your campaigns. Note: This Event will be held via Google Plus Hangout. Please
Buzz Builders for 8/8: Special Google Event on Google+
This week's FREE Buzz Builders Webinar features Ben Theis from Google. Ben will offer behind-the-scenes information and tips on Google, and this month he'll focus on Google Plus, Google's new social media tool. Google+ Overview +1 button and how it helps your site and SEO Google+ features (circles, hangouts, search, events) The first nine people
FREE Buzz Builders Webinar for Wednesday, Jun. 20: WordPress 3.4
WordPress version 3.4, codenamed "Green," was just released and has some significant upgrades for users and developers. This week on our FREE Buzz Builders webinar (noon on Wednesday) we will cover the major updates, which include theme customization, custom headers, Twitter embeds, and HTML image captions, and more. Join us and get to know the ins
Project the Right Image with a Professional Website and Social Media
The following is reprinted from the April 2012 issue of New Business Minnesota. For a full copy of the articles, download this PDF or click the image to the right. Use These Simple Tips to Get the Customers You Want. Projecting the right image to your customers is one of the best ways to gain their trust and business. If you use the right tools,
Register NOW for “Target Marketing” talk Thursday!
TOMORROW -- on Thursday, September 22 from 3 to 5 p.m. -- BizzyWeb's Dave Meyer will be giving a talk on "Fishing for Sales With Online Marketing" at the Startup Meetup for New Business Minnesota. We hope you can attend! As of this writing, 141 people are already registered. We'd love to see you there. Register now! This free workshop - Sept. 22
Important Support Reminder: TimThumb Update Required for Affected Sites
Earlier this month, hackers began exploiting a vulnerability discovered in an image-resizing utility called TimThumb. This tool, which is widely used in over 40 million WordPress powered websites, was used on many BizzyWeb websites created before October 2010, and requires an update and/or removal to fix the vulnerability. Any BizzyWeb customers
Fishing for Sales with Online Marketing
The following is reprinted from the August 2011 issue of New Business Minesota. For a full copy of the articles, download this PDF or click the image to the right. Your Tackle Box Should Have the Right Lures to Catch What You’re Looking For. Finding customers can feel a lot like fishing: Sometimes the fish are biting and sales are coming in as fast
5 Things You Need to Know to Generate Buzz Online
The following is reprinted from the March 2011 issue of New Business Minesota. For a full copy of the articles, download this PDF or click the image to the right. Social media has changed the way people interact with businesses on the web. A simple website with text from your brochure (that hasn’t been updated for months) is no longer enough. To
WordPress 3.1 Goes Live
WordPress 3.1, code named "Reinhardt" (in honor of guitarist, Django Reinhardt), was rolled out Wednesday and includes some handy improvements for users. Easier linking, a new site-wide admin bar for logged in admins and editors, and custom post formats are now available. BizzyWeb will be updating qualifying sites as soon as we've verified plugin
Use Web Design and Social Media to Look like Goliath on David’s Budget
How a few well-aimed rocks can put you on a level field with the big guys The following is reprinted from the February 2011 issue of New Business Minesota. Dave Meyer, BizzyWeb president, will be offering a live presentation in association with this article in early April Before you spend a lot of time making yourself look big, make sure you’re
WordPress 3.0 is out! Lots of features coming to our clients
WordPress 3.0, codenamed "Thelonius" (in the long tradition of naming releases after Jazz greats), is now officially out. From the WordPress blog (with a few edits from me): "WordPress 3.0, the thirteenth major release of WordPress and the culmination of half a year of work by 218 contributors, is now available for download (or upgrade within your
WordPress 2.8 bakes in ease of use
I'm very excited about the latest release of WordPress, codenamed Baker. This release will offer my clients a simpler, more customizable interface. Among highligts (from the WordPress Blog): First and foremost, 2.8 is way faster to use. And there is now contextual documentation for the functions in the file you’re editing linked right below the
WordPress 2.7 “Coltrane” launched – it’s a new game
There's lots new at WordPress.org today -- version 2.7 is out. "Coltrane" includes a completely new look, and streamlines a lot of the processes that have historically taken a lot of time. But it's more than just candy and shortcuts, as the intro blog post by Matt notes: Next you’ll begin to notice the new features subtly sprinkled through
Innovative Use of WordPress: The WordPress Link Directory
I'll be following this series. Great read -- already thinking of ways to get folks to submit links here. This will be the first in a serious of posts devoted to highlighting new and interesting ways people are using WordPress. I already have at least 3 amazing uses of WordPress lined up that you probably have never seen before and are sure
New info page added on WordPress development
I've just added a new page to the site explaining a little bit more about how WordPress works and how my clients benefit from this extremely robust, easy to use platform. With WordPress, to add a page you just click a button, fill in the headline, write some text (in the visual interface), and hit "Publish." Writing news posts is just as easy, and
WordPress for iPhone rocks
Just installed WordPress for the iPhone and am trying it out for the first time. Works just fine, although I'd love to be able to type sideways for bigger buttons. You can even add images from your phone! From yesterday: Very sweet.