WordPress

WordPress is web software that allows you to create websites and blogs.

Mapleridge Recreation Centre Site Launch
Mapleridge Recreation Centre Site Launch avatar

 in Design & Development / Hosting and Domain Registration / Website Management / WordPress Development  tagged domain registration / Hosting / Mapleridge Recreation Centre / photo gallery / responsive design / slider / WordPress by

Black Cap Design launched the redesigned & rebuilt Mapleridge Recreation Centre website earlier this year.  Mapleridge, located in Peterborough, Ontario, is a drop-in centre for people over 50 who are looking for social, physical and educational programs, activities and events.  Mapleridge is a community-based not-for-profit organization operating out of a beautiful new building in Peterborough’s west end. Black Cap Design worked with the Mapleridge Board of Directors to develop a website that could be easily managed by staff and volunteers.  […]

3 Things Every Website Owner Should Have
3 Things Every Website Owner Should Have avatar

 in Hosting and Domain Registration / Website Management / WordPress Development  tagged backup / Black Cap Design / CMS / control panel / database / domain registration / Joomla / web host / WordPress / ZenCart by

If you own or manage a website there are 3 things you should have at your disposal. The contact and login information for your domain registrar (where your www address is registered) The contact and login information for your Web Host. If your Web Host doesn’t have a Control Panel for you to log into, you should consider moving your site to a Web Host that does (see: “What is this ‘Hosting’ Thing and Why Should I Care?“) An up-to-date […]

One Page Websites – Pros and Cons
One Page Websites – Pros and Cons avatar

 in Content and Format / Design & Development / Search Engine Optimization (SEO)  tagged meta data / mobile devices / Search Engine Optimization / Search Engines / SEO / tabs / WordPress by

Mobile devices have become the driving force for recent changes in website design. Handheld devices with small screens have created a demand for responsive design; layout that changes automatically to suit your device type and screen resolution (see our blog post titled Responsive Web Design: The Silver Bullet for Mobile-friendly Websites?). This means Web Designers and Developers are on the lookout for new ways to present information that will work on both large and small screens. Enter the “one page” […]

4 Reasons to Start a Business Blog
4 Reasons to Start a Business Blog avatar

 in Blogging / Communication / Search Engine Optimization (SEO) / Website Management / WordPress Development  tagged blog / blogging / CMS / Search Engine Optimization / SEO / social media / target audience / web content / WordPress by

If you’re like most business owners, your goals likely include improving the SEO of your website, positioning yourself as a leader in your field, marketing your products and services, and gaining new customers or clients.  Adding and maintaining a blog on your business website can help you achieve all four of these objectives and save you money in the process. 1. Improve your Organic SEO If your website displays on the first few pages of an online search, you will […]

Andrew Benedetto Site Launch
Andrew Benedetto Site Launch avatar

 in Design & Development / Website Management / WordPress Development  tagged CMS / responsive design / web design / WordPress by

We recently completed a website project for Andrew Benedetto, a Psychotherapist and Jungian Analyst, providing client-centered therapy in Toronto Ontario. Andrew came to Black Cap Design by way of Sharp Connections, a Toronto-based technology consulting company, and frequent collaborator with Black Cap Design. Andrew was interested in being able to manage the site independently, so we recommended the WordPress Content Management System – which provides him complete control over his website content. Andrew played a key role in selecting images […]

Get Your Website Working for You
Get Your Website Working for You avatar

 in Communication / Content and Format / Design & Development / Website Management / WordPress Development  tagged blog / web design / web development / website / WordPress by

I had a conversation with a new client recently.  His employees have been encouraging him to “get a website and join the 21st Century“.   He said “I guess they’re right, but we’re already really busy and I’m not sure we can take on more business right now“. It’s true – having a website can generate more business – but it can also work for you by reducing your workload. This particular client receives a ton of calls from prospective customers […]

Yes Indeed – Your WordPress Website Just Updated Itself!
Yes Indeed – Your WordPress Website Just Updated Itself! avatar

 in Communication / Website Management / Website Security / WordPress Development  tagged CMS / WordPress by

I wrote briefly about this back in October (WordPress Security: Fact or Fiction?) but it’s definitely worth mentioning again: WordPress now has the ability to update itself!  Not only that, your WordPress site sends you a friendly email message telling you about it! How cool is that?  If your site is powered by WordPress version 3.7 or newer it has the ability to conduct minor security updates independently. Lately, I’ve been receiving messages from clients asking me questions like “Is […]

Blogging for Fun
Blogging for Fun avatar

 in Blogging / Communication / Content and Format / WordPress Development  tagged blog / blogging / WordPress / writing. by

Blogging can be a great hobby.  A growing number of bloggers are taking to the Internet to share their interests by writing on a wide range of topics.  The WordPress CMS blogging software is flexible and easy to use so we recommend it for anyone interested in starting a personal blog. To learn more about WordPress blogs, visit our post “Blogging Software“. People who start a blog are usually the folks who enjoy writing, educating, helping or just connecting with […]

Blogging Software
Blogging Software avatar

 in Blogging / Communication / Design & Development / Website Management / WordPress Development  tagged blog / Blogger / blogging / CMS / Content Management System / dashboard / web developer / weblog / website / WordPress by

The word ‘blog’ is short for ‘weblog’.  A blog is actually a website with a standard structure that allows you, the blogger, the ability to regularly record and share information, opinions, images, videos and links with a world wide audience.  If you want to blog, you will need to make a few decisions. Do I want a basic blog or do I want a website that has a blog as one of the pages? If you already have a website, […]

Managing Your Online Presence with a Personal Website
Managing Your Online Presence with a Personal Website avatar

 in Blogging / Communication / Marketing  tagged blog / career blog / career management / career portfolio / Google ranking / SEO / social media / WordPress by

Develop your online brand with a personal website or blog built by Black Cap Design! Website Designer and Developer Pat Kenney will create a customized site and Project Manager Carrie Wakeford will help you develop content to showcase your skills and experience. In addition to being a Web Project Manager, Carrie offers her skills as a seasoned Career Management Consultant and Résumé Writer.  It all starts with the results of a Google search.  Have you Googled yourself lately? Are you […]

Responsive Web Design: The Silver Bullet for Mobile-friendly Websites?
Responsive Web Design: The Silver Bullet for Mobile-friendly Websites? avatar

 in Content and Format / Design & Development / WordPress Development  tagged mobile-friendly / responsive design / WordPress by

There has been a lot of buzz lately about Responsive Website Design.  I’ve recently read several articles suggesting responsive design is the future of the Web and without it, sites are not truly mobile-friendly.  What is responsive design, and does it live up to the hype? Let’s start with some historical context.  In the early days of the Web, computer monitors were massive, but the screens were quite small.  To accommodate small screen size, website layouts were narrow.  As screen […]

Blog vs Newsletter – Top 10 Advantages
Blog vs Newsletter – Top 10 Advantages avatar

 in Blogging / Communication / Marketing / Search Engine Optimization (SEO) / WordPress Development  tagged Black Cap Design / blog / blog post / constant contact / e-newsletters / keywords / MailChimp / newsletter templates / pull marketing / push marketing / RSS / Search Engine Optimization / SEO / social media / target audience / web log / WordPress by

In this corner, we have “Blog” the young up-and-coming contender, prepared to challenge for the title.  And in the other corner we have “Newsletter” the experienced fighter and current crowd favorite.   The result: a technical draw.  Research shows that no one needs to throw in the towel just yet.  Both Blog and Newsletter have their strengths, and when they work together they have the ability to captivate the entire audience. Ok, enough of the boxing references. Most people are familiar […]

New Site for the Lakefield Horticultural Society
New Site for the Lakefield Horticultural Society avatar

 in Design & Development / WordPress Development  tagged Lakefield / web developer / websites / WordPress by

We recently had the pleasure of working with the Lakefield Horticultural Society to design and build their new website.  We communicated closely with the Society’s Past President, Brenda Ibey who provided a clear vision for the the new website, and contributed many of the beautiful images featured on their site. Lakefield Horticultural Society volunteers work hard each year to beautify the village of Lakefield, Ontario and provide a trove of information about gardening and horticulture, including hosting monthly speaking engagements. […]

Improving your Website SEO?
Improving your Website SEO? avatar

 in Blogging / Search Engine Optimization (SEO)  tagged CMS / keywords / organic search / Search Engine Optimization / Search Engines / SEO / sitemap / social media / web content / web developer / webmaster tools / website / WordPress by

Your web developer may have already explained that your website will move up and down in search.  For example, today you may be on page 1 and tomorrow you may find your site on page 3 of a Google search.  Your search results will also vary depending on which search engine you’re using, e.g. Google, Bing or Yahoo.  Where your site shows up in search will depend on the specific combination of words you’re using, however there are many other […]

WordPress: Pages vs Posts – What’s the Difference?
WordPress: Pages vs Posts – What’s the Difference? avatar

 in Blogging / Content and Format / Website Management / WordPress Development  tagged child page / dashboard / how-to manuals / menu / RSS / Search Engines / social media / Web page / Web Pages / WordPress / WordPress training / XML by

For people who are new to WordPress, one of the first questions that arises is “what’s the difference between Pages and Posts?” The next time you’re poking around the administrative dashboard of your new website, have a look at the navigation menu.  You’ll see several tabs including a ‘Posts’ tab and a ‘Pages’ tab. If you click on each of those tabs in turn, you’ll notice the settings for pages and posts look pretty much the same.  You can create […]

WordPress Security: Fact or Fiction?
WordPress Security: Fact or Fiction? avatar

 in Hosting and Domain Registration / Website Management / Website Security / WordPress Development  tagged CMS / Hosting / Plugins / static website / web host / WordPress by

One of the biggest shifts in website development in recent years has been toward sites that can be managed independently – commonly referred to as Content Management Systems (CMS) or “dynamic” websites.  WordPress has emerged as the leader due to its flexibility (with over 27,000 free plugins available for download), its intuitive administrative console and huge developer community. What many people don’t realize is that any website that enables browser-based editing (the ability for you to manage your own content […]

Selecting a CMS (Why WordPress is King)
Selecting a CMS (Why WordPress is King) avatar

 in Blogging / Hosting and Domain Registration / Website Management / WordPress Development  tagged CMS / Drupal / Hosting / Joomla / Linux / Open Source / PHP / Search Engine Optimization / SEO / static website / WordPress by

“I need a website that I can update myself, but I have no idea where to start.”  This is something we hear a lot from people looking to establish a presence on the Web.  It’s not surprising given the range of options available. A quick search for “Choosing a CMS” will return a mind-boggling amount of sometimes conflicting information.  So, where to start? Selecting a Hosting Platform (Choose Linux) It actually doesn’t matter if you’re opting for a static website […]

Building a Website: Your Role in the Process – A Great Webinar
Building a Website: Your Role in the Process – A Great Webinar avatar

 in Website Management  tagged branding / CMS / Content Management System / Open Source / TechSoup / WordPress by

At Black Cap, we regularly get questions from clients like “what’s involved in getting  a website project rolling?”, “what do you need from me?”,  and “what’s better – a custom-built CMS or an open source CMS like WordPress?”.  So, we were excited to find this great webinar – because it covers these questions and many more.  The presenter takes a common sense approach, using plain language…no technical jargon! When we first listened (it’s audio with PowerPoint) we wondered if the […]

New Logo, New Site!
New Logo, New Site! avatar

 in Black Cap Design - An Introduction  tagged Black Cap Design / blog / CMS / web developer / website / WordPress by

Hard to believe it’s been 8 years.  Black Cap Design started unofficially in 2005 and officially in 2006 and the little Black Cap logo has been our emblem from the start. What’s that old saying about the ‘shoemaker’s children having no shoes’?  So true! We’ve been so focused tending to our clients’ websites, the Black Cap site and logo were needing a fresh coat of paint.  With a little help from Adobe Illustrator and a large pot of coffee, the […]

What is SEO? How to Get Found By Search Engines!
What is SEO? How to Get Found By Search Engines! avatar

 in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)  tagged alternate text / Bing / Google / HTML / keywords / meta tags / organic search / reciprocal links / robots / Search Engine Optimization / Search Engines / SEO / site redesign / text / web crawlers / web design / web developer / WordPress / XML / Yahoo by

What is SEO? SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization. It’s nerd-speak for making your site accessible to search engines. Popular search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing are massive catalogues (think the phone book on steroids) of information about the websites that comprise the Web. Just how many sites are out there? As of October 2013, there are an estimated 767 million active websites! (Source: http://news.netcraft.com/.) No wonder it’s tricky getting your favourite search engine to find your […]

Finding the E-Commerce Solution that Works for You
Finding the E-Commerce Solution that Works for You avatar

 in Website Management  tagged E-commerce / online sales / Payment Gateway / PayPal / Plugins / selling / shopping cart / WordPress by

If you’re in the business of selling goods or services, or looking to raise funds, the Internet can be a powerful tool. E-commerce provides you with instant access to a global marketplace at a fraction of the cost of a brick-and-mortar store.  If you already have a storefront, an e-commerce site will allow you to expand your reach and offer your customers an alternative. But just having an online store isn’t your ticket to instant success. Like brick and mortar […]