Higher Google Rankings

Graphic Lux recommends several ways to achieve higher Google ranking

, ,

How to get higher Google ranking?

Success in the digital world is heavily dependent on Search engine optimization (SEO). Irrespective of the kind of business, the ranking of a website in search engines such as Google is something a business owner must consider seriously. An effective SEO strategy is indispensable for online visibility, attracting new clients, growing a business, and boosting profits. Graphic Lux shares tips to achieve higher Google ranking.

1. High-quality, SEO-optimized content

High-quality content is the key to SEO success. With the introduction of Google’s EAT criteria: expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness in 2018, the yardstick for content quality is sky-high. To attract search engines, businesses need to populate their website with quality content that is original and error-free.

Content should be in shorter chunks, keyword-rich, mobile-optimized, written to address the specific needs of the target audience, and should include relevant links to additional internal and external content.

2. On-Page SEO

High-quality content also needs to be optimized for search engines. Here’s how businesses can manage that:

  • Choose one primary keyword for the page and three to four related keywords.
  • Include the primary keyword in the URL.
  • The primary keyword must be included in the title tag, meta description, and H1.
  • Content should be high-quality and written according to eighth-grade reading level.
  • Create a content structure to make it easily scannable such as bullets and H1 headings.
  • Include at least one image to make the content attractive.
  • Insert links to high-quality sites with good Google rankings in the content.

3. Use Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other sites leading to the clients’ site. This is one of the most heavily weighted Google ranking factors. When a site is consistently referred to by other quality websites, Google recognizes that it’s trusted. Incoming links to a website content from high-authority domains establish a site’s authority, bring in traffic, and improve the search ranking.

4. Security

Digital security is indispensable. Great content won’t matter if the platform is not accessible and secure. High-quality backlinks cannot be generated on a website that is not viewed as trustworthy. To ensure website security, use HTTPS encryption and acquire an SSL certificate of the site. A secure connection between the platform and the end-users offers protection to the users.

5. Improve page speed

Top-positioned Google sites average a load time of fewer than 3 seconds. For e-commerce websites, 2 seconds is the acceptable threshold. According to Google Search Central, Google aims for less than a half-second. And with the latest Page Experience Update in June 2021, it is imperative to work on improving page speed. This update is intended to bring a better experience to users by prioritizing pages that offer a quality page performance — i.e. fast load times, and a non-shifting, stable page.

To speed up a website, business owners can minimize HTTP requests, minify and combine files, and use asynchronous loading for JavaScript and CSS files.

6. User engagement

Beyond quality and SEO-optimized content, there is one more crucial criterion for SEO success – engaging content. Google uses the artificial intelligence tool called RankBrain to assess user engagement. This tool looks at elements like click-through rate (how many people click when presented with a search engine result) and dwell time (how much time people spend on a site).

For better user engagement, use a clear site architecture that makes navigation simple. High-quality web design, engaging images, and captivating infographics also keep the visitors engaged.

7. Mobile-SEO

Mobile SEO is the process of optimizing a website to ensure that the site looks great and functions properly on mobile devices. This provides a positive site experience to users since it looks great on any device, regardless of the screen size. A website that is not mobile-friendly can hurt both the SEO and the audience’s perception of a business. In fact, 52% of users are less likely to engage with a company again due to a bad mobile experience.

The majority of all web traffic worldwide is now generated by mobile phones. Recognizing the importance of on-the-go web browsing, Google has explicitly stated that mobile-friendliness is a SERP factor.

8. Crawlability 

Crawlability ensures that search engines can discover a site amidst billions of live web pages. “Googlebot” is constantly crawling the web, looking for and indexing pages. Some of the most common reasons Googlebot misses sites is that the site is newly launched, the site’s design makes it difficult to crawl effectively, or the website policy blocks Googlebot from crawling.

The IT team should allow Googlebot to access any CSS, JavaScript, and image files used on the website. Google Search Console helps monitor and maintain a site in Google. It’s a place for submitting the sitemap, and it shows the web crawlers’ coverage of the site.

Why Graphic Lux?

Graphic Lux offers an array of digital services to clients across Buffalo, NY. It is a one-stop-shop for a business’ digital needs:

  • WordPress Website design, consultation, maintenance, and SEO: Graphic Lux specializes in WordPress website design and has over 12 years of experience. It can help build a WordPress custom theme from scratch or take a pre-existing theme and customize it as per client needs. The team also keeps the site running smoothly, without any downtime.
  • Hosting: The team offers the assurance that a website will be online and available for customers and visitors with all its data intact.
  • Brand building: The team can help create a strong brand identity for the client by optimizing the content using visual devices.
  • Dedicated support: With years of experience and unrivaled expertise the Graphic Lux support team will understand the client’s concerns and goals to give them peace of mind.
  • Responsive web design: Graphic Lux is on the cutting edge of designing and delivering responsive web and mobile apps. Its solutions decrease time to market and reduce maintenance costs.
 How to get higher Google Rankings?

For more information, email [email protected] or call at (716) 712-4589.

Contact Information:Graphic Lux

1 W Seneca St Suite 29-M18
Buffalo, NY 14203
United States

Matthew Lux
(716) 712-4589
https://graphiclux.com

/by
Eight tips to write effective SEO Content

Graphic Lux Shares Eight Important Tips on SEO Content Writing

, ,

Eight tips to write effective SEO content

Content is king but search engine optimization (SEO) is the kingmaker. As the consumers become overwhelmed by endless content online, SEO and content need to work in tandem for successful results. Content needs to be relevant and fresh while SEO needs to acquire better page rankings to be able to make an impact. Graphic Lux, an SEO expert, shares some tips on effective SEO content writing.

  1. Know the target audience

Without understanding the needs of the target audience, writing content is futile. Writing content that is of interest to the target audience is important. All content doesn’t need to focus on the product or service on offer but can include industry-related topics that assert the company as an authority. Content that is SEO-friendly and relevant to the audience is the first step towards a successful content writing strategy.

  1. Create powerful headlines

An intriguing and precise headline is more likely to hook a reader. Including rich keywords in a headline are crucial for impact. Moreover, writing interesting meta descriptions that elaborate on the topic can prove to be very beneficial. The title of the article and meta descriptions need extra attention as they are the ones that show up in search results.

  1. Use relevant keyword phrases

The keyword phrases that people type into search engines when seeking information are the ones that must be inserted in the content. This makes the content searchable, raising the traffic on the concerned site. These keywords must be used in headlines as well as the main content to inform the search engine and the reader about the post topic. However, keyword stuffing can backfire by irking the readers or leading to penalties by search engines. Keywords must be used naturally, without force-fitting. Certain SEO tools like Semrush can be used to acquire keyword data.

  1. Structure the content

No one wants to read a blob of text that is unstructured and lengthy. In an age of short attention span, readers want their information quick and simple. Breaking the content into short, digestible chunks of information heightens the likelihood of it being consumed for intended impact. Bulleted points and highlighted text usually make a difference. Using proper tag hierarchy when tagging headlines H1 to H6 helps maintain a well-structured article.

  1. Invest in visuals

Human beings respond better to visuals. Adding images in a blog post goes a long way in visual communication and retaining the reader. Promoting the content across various social media channels while pinning images to a Pinterest account increases the number of avenues for the traffic to flow in.

  1. Leverage social media

Social media is an indispensable tool when it comes to expanding the reach and promoting the shareability of content. Articles must be posted on social media sites with engaging descriptions and calls-to-action. Needless to say that each blog must have share buttons to promote the content. Tools like Twitter Cards for Twitter or Open Graph for Facebook can help improve click-through rates.

  1. Include plenty of links

Link building is an important ranking factor for SEO. Google search engines are inclined towards keywords and keyword phrases that include a clickable link. Use hyperlinks to related articles and products offered by the client, or use links to other industry references. Including links at the beginning or end of the article and closing with a call-to-action that links to the client’s contact page are an effective SEO strategy.

  1. Monitor activity

Results must be measured to determine the effectiveness of the SEO content strategy. Google Analytics allows the tracking of page views and the average time spent on a page. Measure the bounce rate and time on site to understand how users are interacting with the website after landing on the content. A drop in these two factors may indicate the brand needs better content. The number of social interactions such as shares and likes also highlight the virality of the post. These tools and activities can help determine the success and failure of certain content and help adjust the strategy.

search engine optimization

Why Graphic Lux?

Graphic Lux offers an array of digital services to clients across Buffalo, NY. It is a one-stop-shop for a business’ digital needs:

  • WordPress Website design, consultation, maintenance, and SEO: Graphic Lux specializes in WordPress website design and has over 12 years of experience. It can help build a WordPress custom theme from scratch or take a pre-existing theme and customize it as per client needs. The team also keeps the site running smoothly, without any downtime.
  • Hosting: The team offers the assurance that a website will be online and available for customers and visitors with all its data intact.
  • Brand building: The team can help create a strong brand identity for the client by optimizing the content using visual devices.
  • Dedicated support: With years of experience and unrivaled expertise the Graphic Lux support team will understand the client’s concerns and goals to give them peace of mind.
  • Responsive web design: Graphic Lux is on the cutting edge of designing and delivering responsive web and mobile apps. Its solutions decrease time to market and reduce maintenance costs.

For more information, email [email protected] or call at (716) 712-4589.

Contact Information:Graphic Lux

1 W Seneca St Suite 29-M18
Buffalo, NY 14203
United States

Matthew Lux
(716) 712-4589
https://graphiclux.com

/by
Tips to Choose the Right SEO company in Buffalo NY

Graphic Lux shares tips for choosing an SEO company

, ,

Choose the right SEO agency

Amid thousands of SEO agencies in the market today, businesses are spoilt for choice and confused by it as well. Choosing the right SEO company can be the difference between a flourishing or a failing business today. Not only is it important to choose the right SEO company, but it is also imperative that businesses choose an SEO company that is right for them. Graphic Lux, a WordPress design expert, shares tips to choose the right SEO company.

1. Define SEO goals

Before setting out to hire an SEO company, a business should know what it hopes to achieve with SEO. Is the business seeking a sales boost by ranking for certain keywords? Are there concerns regarding the website’s bounce rate? Is the business aiming to increase its conversion rate? Is there a need to build a social media following, create sponsored content, or use other services that go beyond SEO? Knowing which area of online presence needs to be addressed makes SEO decisions much easier. Undergoing a digital marketing analysis by an SEO agency may help identify the area to focus upon.

2. Ethical practices

Researching SEO and understanding how it works helps companies differentiate between ethical and Black Hat SEO practices. Black Hat SEO is a term for unethical optimization practices that generate traffic swiftly and also get a company banned online as swiftly. Shortcuts like buying links, keyword stuffing, and cloaking violate search engine rules and can impact the rankings of a website. A good SEO requires a deep understanding of how search engines work, attention to detail, and constant modifications since Google’s algorithms change almost weekly.

3. Check out reviews

The most honest and unbiased opinion about a company can only originate from reviews. Businesses can check out the testimonials and reviews about an agency online. Sites such as Google, Yelp, and Glassdoor may prove helpful. There are a lot of lists out there but it makes better sense to ask for reference within one’s professional network. Businesses can also request case studies from the agency by calling them up or submitting a form online. A reputable agency can also provide a reference.

 4. Define the KPIs to chart progress

As the goals get defined and options are narrowed down, businesses must ensure that the SEO company they choose to work with has a clearly defined method of working and charting the progress.

Identifying the key performance indicators or KPIs is imperative. The SEO firm must understand and identify the metrics that are important for a business and translate that information into digestible data. Some of the important KPIs to consider may be based on the Organic sessions, Conversion rate, Keyword rankings, Google crawling mistakes, and Page load time.

 5. Effective communication 

Since it takes time and patience to build organic website traffic, businesses need to have a foundation of trust and strong communication with their SEO company. An SEO team that communicates effectively is indispensable for a constructive working relationship. An SEO specialist team must communicate the progress made in terms of the KPIs by analyzing the data and constantly working to improve the effectiveness of the SEO processes.

Why Graphic Lux?

Graphic Lux offers an array of digital services to clients across Buffalo, NY. It is a one-stop-shop for a business’ digital needs:

  • WordPress Website design, consultation, maintenance, and SEO: Graphic Lux specializes in WordPress website design and has over 12 years of experience. It can help build a WordPress custom theme from scratch or take a pre-existing theme and customize it as per client needs. The team also keeps the site running smoothly, without any downtime.
  • Hosting: The team offers the assurance that a website will be online and available for customers and visitors with all its data intact.
  • Brand building: The team can help create a strong brand identity for the client by optimizing the content using visual devices.
  • Dedicated support: With years of experience and unrivaled expertise the Graphic Lux support team will understand the client’s concerns and goals to give them peace of mind.
  • Responsive web design: Graphic Lux is on the cutting edge of designing and delivering responsive web and mobile apps. Its solutions decrease time to market and reduce maintenance costs.
 Tips to choose the Right SEO Company

For more information, email [email protected] or call at (716) 712-4589.

/by

Professional Web Design Company Seamlessly Merges Design and SEO

, ,

The Role of Search Engine Optimization in Website Design: Tips and tricks

Graphic Lux is a dedicated team of web professionals offering specialized web development services, including WordPress development, website maintenance, SEO content creation, brand building, web hosting, and more. They understand the importance of building an effective web presence to promote healthy business traffic. Web design and SEO professionals tailor every project to maximize customer interaction and satisfaction.

Below, Graphic Lux discusses how web design and search engine optimization work together to create success. Keep reading for the low-down on surprising ways SEO appears throughout quality web design and some tips and tricks used by experts in the field.

The Role of Search Engine Optimization in Website Design: Tips and Tricks

Tip #1: Good Overall Design

When most people think about search engine optimization (SEO) for websites, keywords and page content come to mind. While it’s true that much of the work for SEO happens during content creation, SEO also plays a vital role in how that content is displayed.

A well-designed, high-ranking website offers its users pages that are free of clutter and to-the-point. Each page within the website needs to have a clear and easily located purpose. Any necessary interactive elements should be placed and designed in such a way as to be discreet but inviting.

Website development experts have the benefit of knowing what drives quality user interaction on a website. These professionals create eye-catching, clear user interfaces to generate positive visitor experiences, build a successful brand reputation, and improve search engine rankings.

Tip #2: Target the Right Audience

Perhaps one of the most critical components of establishing a high-quality, effective web presence is understanding the needs and desires of the target audience. Successful companies and brands know exactly what their customers look for in a product or service and seek to improve to meet those expectations more effectively.

With so many unique people in the world, it can be a challenge to have a focused perspective on what a customer base needs. Web SEO professionals study consumer habits, web traffic, and other patterns to get a more accurate picture of what people experience and search for.

These experts build web pages and create content that puts the consumer’s needs first and upfront, reducing the number of steps between the customer and the end goal of the interaction.

Tip #3: Keywords, Keywords, Keywords

Keywords are a natural byproduct of having a clear understanding of the target audience or consumer base. Knowing the goals, needs, and wants of website visitors helps web developers single out best-use keywords. Keywords function as a critical part of SEO web design.

SEO content creators use keywords in nearly every web page element or piece of content, including meta descriptions, anchor text, title tags, and more.  Well-placed, tastefully-used keywords help search engines rank a web page’s relevance and usefulness for individual searches. What’s more, keywords help visitors know they’re in the right places for the products or services they need.

Web development and SEO professionals create high-quality, readable SEO content to improve any business page’s ranking. For SEO content to be effective, it must be informative, concise, and well-written.

For more information about SEO and web development, reach out to Graphic Lux today at (716) 712-4589 or follow them on Facebook for more helpful tips

Contact Information:Graphic Lux

1 W Seneca St Suite 29-M18
Buffalo, NY 14203
United States

Matthew Lux
(716) 712-4589
https://graphiclux.com

/by
Specific SEO Keywords

Graphic Lux explains the different types of SEO keywords

, ,

Types of SEO keywords explained

In the digital era, what sets a business apart from its competitors? The right SEO keywords. Graphic Lux, an SEO services company in Buffalo NY, dives into the various types of SEO keywords that businesses must be aware of as they aim to appear in their potential customer’s searches.

SEO keywords are the words or phrases that people utilize to search for information, products, or services of their interest online. They are the building blocks of search engine optimization. These words or phrases are also used by internet search engines to rank and sort content on the internet.

Businesses must choose keywords for SEO beginning with strategic keyword research. This requires an analysis of the volume of monthly searches and the competitiveness of the businesses’ potential target keywords in terms of search and paid difficulties.

The types of keywords discussed below vary in terms of word length, search volume traffic, and search or paid difficulties. They are defined by the number of words they contain and their role in the web page content. Moreover, they are also shaped by the various stages in the consumer’s purchase journey including Buyer Awareness and Discovery, Consideration, Conversion and Purchase, and Re-engagement.

General Types Of Keywords

1. Short-Tail Keywords

Head keywords or generic keywords usually cover broad search terms that normally attract high volumes of search traffic. With their length of only one to two words, these keywords are high in competitiveness in search ranking.

2. Mid-Tail Keywords

Commonly consisting of two to three words that offer a better description of what the user searches, mid-tail keywords often shift from having a high traffic volume and more competition to having low traffic volume and less competition.

3. Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are the most descriptive and target-specific keywords with four or more words. With typically a low traffic volume and lesser competition compared to the first two types of SEO keywords in SEO, long-tail keywords enable better ranking and easier conversion.

Must-have keywords 

1. Primary Keywords

The main topic or idea on a web page content becomes the primary keyword. Every single page on a website must have a single primary keyword to target. For instance, laptops.

However, stuffing the keyword is not advised for the search engines, especially Google, will most likely penalize the web page for it. Consult an SEO expert to identify the right primary keyword for each web page.

2. LSI Keywords (Latent Semantic Indexing)

These are related keywords that search engine systems view as semantically related to primary keywords. These are various sets of words surrounding a topic that consumers type in search engines.

Essentially, a web page must have a single primary keyword and at least three or more LSI keywords to maintain a variety in target keywords, avoid keyword stuffing and cover a wide range of search terms used for a particular topic.

Industry & Business Specific SEO Keywords 

These keywords are targeted specifically to the industry, its target customers, or the market.

 1. Market Segment Keywords

These are keywords that are related to general industries, brands, or products. Customers usually use a broader terminology for their product research, which is also the first stage of their purchase journey.

2. Customer-Defining Keywords

These keywords are used by a subset of the audience or customers to define a very specific need and user. For instance, laptops for professional graphic designers.

 3. Branded Keywords

Branded keywords, as the name suggests, are specific to a specific brand that a customer is searching for. It may include a brand’s name along with specific product descriptions, or a product name, or a product type.

 4. Product Keywords

These keywords are typically used by e-commerce retail stores of products from different manufacturers in a particular niche. These are search terms that specifically seek certain products and services of a company. For instance, MacBook Pro laptop specs.

 5. Competitor Keywords

Researching the keywords being used by competition is a good practice that ensures that a brand can target similar buyer interests and potential customers who are yet to become aware of the brand or its website. Being aware of a competitor’s top products and keywords can help a brand understand the target audience’s needs and generate fresh ideas for SEO strategy.

 6. Geo-Targeted Keywords

These types of keywords target a specific country, state, city, or neighborhood. They are essential for local businesses looking to reach users in their local area. Moreover, these keywords are typed by users who are looking for physical stores or service locations near them. For example, Microsoft laptop shops in Buffalo, NY.

 Buyer Intent Keywords

Buyer intent terms show the searcher’s intent to buy or purchase a product or service. These can be used across the customer purchase cycle and may not mean a purchase right away. These keywords are very important in SEO as they help identify the stage of the purchase journey that a customer is currently in, also called a funnel.

 1. Informational keywords

These keywords are used in a buyer’s awareness stage of the journey. They often use informational keywords with an awareness of a problem and the intent to know or learn about a possible solution.

 2. Navigational keywords

Searchers use navigational keywords in the consideration phase of the buyer journey. They are researching different brands and visiting different websites to identify the best solution to their problem.

 3. Transactional keywords

This type of keyword is used by searchers who are in the conversion phase of their journey. The research is complete, the solution has been identified, and they are looking for the right place to purchase the product or service.

Researching the right keywords in SEO and analyzing them is a massive and ongoing task. Graphic Lux can simplify these processes for organizations with its team of SEO keyword research specialists.

Why Graphic Lux?

Graphic Lux offers an array of digital services to clients across Buffalo, NY. It is a one-stop-shop for a business’ digital needs:

  • WordPress Website design, consultation, maintenance, and SEO: Graphic Lux specializes in WordPress website design and has over 12 years of experience. It can help build a WordPress custom theme from scratch or take a pre-existing theme and customize it as per client needs. The team also keeps the site running smoothly, without any downtime.
  • Hosting: The team offers the assurance that a website will be online and available for customers and visitors with all its data intact.
  • Brand building: The team can help create a strong brand identity for the client by optimizing the content using visual devices.
  • Dedicated support: With years of experience and unrivaled expertise the Graphic Lux support team will understand the client’s concerns and goals to give them peace of mind.
  • Responsive web design: Graphic Lux is on the cutting edge of designing and delivering responsive web and mobile apps. Its solutions decrease time to market and reduce maintenance costs.

For more information, email [email protected] or call at (716) 712-4589.

Contact Information:Graphic Lux

1 W Seneca St Suite 29-M18
Buffalo, NY 14203
United States

Matthew Lux
(716) 712-4589
https://graphiclux.com

/by

Did WordPress's Automatic Update Break Your Site?

,

Have you ever opened your email and saw a message like this?

If you haven’t seen this email, then most likely you have something like define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', false ); in your wp-config.php file which will disable WordPress’s automatic updates.   If you have seen this email then at least you can be confident that your WordPress Core is up to date but can you be confident that your website is still working properly?

Time To Check On My Website

Once you see that email message the first thing you do (or should do) is open up your website to check on it to make sure everything is working and looking normal.  After clicking through a bunch of pages in detail you find everything seems good.  Great news, you dodged another bullet!  What if everything isn’t working and looking normal?  Error messages at the top of the page, broken layouts, plugins stop functioning correctly and the white screen of death can happen if your theme, plugins and core are not all up to date.  Even if they are you can still have issues depending on your theme and your plugins and how quickly the developers have updated them to be compatible with the new WordPress core.

My WordPress Website Is Broken.  What Should I do?

If you website is broken the first thing you should do is see if your host, developer or YOU have properly setup automatic backup’s of your website’s files and database. What’s that you say?  You do not have any backup’s configured?  That’s a major NO NO.  Now your site could be broken for few days before you figure out what is wrong or find someone else fix the problems.

How Could I Have Avoided This?

The best way to avoid downtime, and issues like these is to have a WordPress Maintenance Plan in place.  These plans will keep your WordPress core, plugin’s and themes up to date.  Automated daily backup’s, security monitoring, security scans and database optimization also come with any of these plans which will keep your website healthy and running smoothly.

 

Sign Up For Our Free
Wordpress Maintenance Consultation

[contact-form-7 id=”9457″ title=”Wordpress Maintenance Consultation”]

/by

Why Website Maintenance Should Be On Your Mind

,

Why Website Maintenance Should Be On Your Mind

The problem for many WordPress websites is that they have been neglected, and out of date.  The WordPress CMS core, plugins, and themes are in need of basic updates/upgrades while security monitoring and daily backup’s should be taking place.  Without these updates/upgrades your WordPress website could be susceptible to malicious attacks/hacks, and slower performance times.

Just like any software, websites require maintenance to keeping the site working properly. Avoiding website maintenance is like not having regular oil changes on your vehicle. You wouldn’t drive your car very long if you didn’t look after its maintenance, would you? Well, the same process is true for your website. Your website should always be live, ready for customers and presenting your business at its finest.

Websites Are Not a “Set and Forget”

If you don’t have website maintenance carried out monthly, you may actually be throwing money out the window. When visitors go to a website and find things wrong with it, they often don’t stick around. Many website owners never check their website to see how it’s functioning. Missed website issues or downtime can lose you potential customers.

The Benefits of Maintenance

Many people don’t realize the benefits of site maintenance:

The website performance, it’s load time, downtime and uptime, is all dependent on the WordPress software and plugin functioning as they should (and on the recent version).

The website growth, it’s fresh content, analytics monitoring and design changes, is all dependent on you having someone making sure all updates to the website are done in a smooth and error-free fashion.

Maintenance Workflow

At Graphic Lux we take great care to first backup the website, and check the website after our updates for any issues. Our software keeps a record of plugins we update so if there is ever an issue we see what plugin version was changed and revert back. Also included in our monthly maintenance report are the performance and security scans. If in the event we ever catch a plugin issue, it becomes a support ticket and we address it before you ever know there’s a problem.

Want to maintain your website yourself?

Maintaining your site yourself could cost you more than you may think. If you just update from your WordPress admin, you wouldn’t have a record of what was done. If an update to a plugin created an issue a couple weeks later, it would be difficult to know what changed and how you should revert back without restoring a very old backup (and possibly losing content changes, sales orders, contact entries, you name it).

It Costs More to Fix Than to Maintain

Inexperience and neglect can damage the look and functionality of your website. When that happens, you have a choice to make. One, you try and fix it yourself, in which case you may do further damage. Or two, you can then pay the (sometimes hefty) price for someone experienced to fix it. Just like your car, it costs more to fix it than it does to maintain it properly. Regular oil changes help keep your car running properly, regular site maintenance helps keeps your web site running properly.

Call in a Professional

Why not deal with what you know best and let us deal with what we know best? Would you try to fight that court battle without a lawyer? Then why try to maintain your own website if you’re not a web professional? By securing an experienced web professional to update and maintain your site properly you are actually saving potential lost sales and visitors.

If you’re interested in securing a maintenance contract for your web site, please view our WordPress Maintenance Plans to see which one fits your needs.

FIND YOUR WORDPRESS MAINTENANCE PLAN

/by

WordPress 4.5 broke my website!

,

Why did WordPress 4.5 break my website?

WordPress’s Core will automatically update your website to the latest WordPress version when the newest version has been tested and deemed safe for release, unless you have preventative measures already in place.  Wordpress 4.5 included many new updates and changes which can all be seen here: https://codex.wordpress.org/Version_4.5

One of the biggest problems we have noticed is not with WordPress’s update but with the WordPress theme that is being used.  Wordpress updated it’s jQuery library and in doing so many websites broke because of the coding changes and their conflicts with the javascript of the theme.

There are other problems we have seen that broke other users websites but for the most part it usually had something to do with the jQuery update.

How can I fix this?

There are a few solutions to fix this issue but you most likely should have a development team to help you.

The best solution would be to update the core to 4.5, then update all the plugins, and update the theme (always make a backup of the files and database before you do this).  Usually if you have all the latest plugin’s and the latest theme files implemented on your site any broken area’s should be corrected.

Another solution would be to replace the new jQuery library with the last version.  This is not the best idea because once another WordPress version is updated on your site it will overwrite the older library.  Use these files here and replace the current folder located here: wp-includes/js/jquery.

How can I prevent this in the future?

The best way to prevent WordPress 4.5 or any newer version from breaking your website in the future is to have one of our WordPress Maintenance & Care Plans.  We not only make sure your website is updated to the newest versions of WordPress, plugins and themes, but we also go in on a daily basis and actively watch your site(s) for security and malicious activity, create daily backup’s, clean up spam, database overhead, monitor website uptime, and more.

You can always set your wp-config file so your site does not automatically update.  You can find more information about how to implement that here: https://codex.wordpress.org/Configuring_Automatic_Background_Updates.  This way you can have time to test the new version and make sure it works with your website before pushing these updates LIVE.

/by

5 Reasons Why You Must Have A Responsive Website

Responsive web design put simply is a website that responds to whatever device it is viewed on, that could be a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, phone or watch.

If you had a website designed before 2011-2012 your website is probably not responsive, and this could mean you are losing out on customers & sales.

Reason being is that over 50% of internet searches are now done on mobile phones and tablets (iPads) and if your website is not responsive it will not show well on those devices and your potential customers will leave your site and go and find one they can read properly.

The good news is that Graphic Lux designs all websites to be responsive, and we can help you convert your site today!

5 reasons why you must have a responsive website

Early in 2013, Google announced their AdWords migration to Enhanced Campaigns, which is resulting in advertisers being automatically “opted-in” to tablet advertising. What has this meant for our clients? The need for a website that works on a variety of devices and screen sizes.

While the Google AdWords Enhanced Campaigns transition is a great reason for our clients to begin to develop responsive websites, there are many other benefits to a responsive website as well. Here are the top five reasons for updating your website to leverage responsive website design.

Competitive Edge

Responsive design is still in its infancy, and not many people have taken advantage of this highly effective technology. If your company is considering updating its brand presence, explore the advantages of responsive design. Chances are, your competitors have not yet embraced it, but you definitely should!

Your prospective customers will get a much better experience on your site, and are more likely to convert – whether that conversion is filling out a form, or making a purchase. This opens the door for your company to reach more customers, more effectively.

Flexibility

Do you know the size of your mobile phone screen? What about the screen size of the mobile phone you had five years ago? Screen sizes are constantly changing—and we see this not only in phones, but in desktops and tablets as well.

As new devices and displays are developed, screen sizes are constantly changing. With a responsive website, you do not need to spend your valuable marketing and IT resources on updating your site for new devices. Instead, your website will be displayed based on the size of the screen – looking great on screens of any size.

Save Time (and Money).

When you build a responsive website, the site is the same across all devices. However, using CSS media queries, you are able to adjust elements for a given screen size. Though this sounds complicated in a technical sense, it provides a great time-and-money-saving benefit to marketers. Make a change once, and it is reflected across all devices.

Consistent Look & Feel

Fonts, color schemes, button styles and imagery. With a responsive website, you are able to provide your users with the benefit of one, consistent user experience. Whether a user is coming to your website to shop, or to research an enterprise software, the simpler you can make their experience, the better.

Google, Google, Google (Did we mention Google?)

When Google makes a recommendation, you better take it seriously. When Google recommends something, we should probably listen. On the Google Developers website, “Google recommends webmasters follow the industry best practice of using responsive web design, namely serving the same HTML for all devices and using only CSS media queries to decide the rendering on each device.” Google actually recommends that developers leverage responsive design and development techniques when building their websites.

Why would Google make such a recommendation? Responsive websites provide a better, more consistent user experience – plus, many experts suggest that Google prefers responsive sites, as they are easier to crawl (overall, resulting in search engine optimization benefits).

If a new website is a part of your marketing initiatives, consider making the change to Responsive Website Design. This is a technology that is not expected to go anywhere, and will help ensure that your company’s website is up-to-date in regards to technology for the next few years.

/by

WordPress Care Plans & Why You Need Them

,

Why WordPress Care Plans and what the heck are they?

It’s no secret that in the Web Design industry, most companies are great at working on projects but generally stink at the on-going support of a site. It doesn’t matter how easy the update or request is, the industry is just generally bad at caring for clients in this way.

But why is this? Is the developer or designer entirely to blame? No. It’s also the client’s fault. Clients are generally bad at sending accurate information. They’ll send the contents for a new page over the course of 10 emails that have a sentence like “Oh and also…” When the designer finally posts the content is the client realizes they have typos or further edits. It’s not that these types of changes are hard to fix, they’re just generally annoying and interuptions in the course of a work day.

So then if designers are slow and clients are unclear and inaccurate, what’s the solution? Well I can tell you that billing hourly for a text change doesn’t make designers and clients best of friends. I can also tell you that a client sending 10 emails to explain themselves to the designer also doesn’t lead to friendships.

We found the perfect solution!

WordPress  Care Plans!

Here’s what our Wordpress Care Plans offer and why you need one.

/by