How to Install a Reading Progress Bar

How to Install a Reading Progress Bar

In this short video, I show how to create a reading progress bar using a free WordPress Plugin called Reading Progress bar from Jean-Baptiste Audras. This is ideal for websites with blogs or long form content where your readers will see their progress as they scroll down reading. It keeps a custom colored progress bar at the top of the screen just below the URL address bar of the browser and scrolls from left to right as the reader continues to scroll down the page.

How to Transfer A Domain from GoDaddy to Another Host

How to Transfer A Domain from GoDaddy to Another Host

Over the years it has become a little easier to find certain domain information on various hosting provider control panels. However if you’re not in these areas often like a developer, it could be a bit confusing on how to find the information you’re looking for without clicking around and seeming to be going in circles. With the following screenshots and steps you’ll be able to find your domain authentication code (AUTH) in order to transfer your registered domain from GoDaddy to another hosting provider.

To start you’ll need to log into your account and get to My Products. From there you’ll see your list of domains. Click the MANAGE button to the right of the domain you’re looking to get the AUTH code for.

MyProducts

Once you click that you’ll be taken to the Domain Settings page. Scroll down from this view.

Domain Settings

Next you’ll want to edit the domain contact information. If this shows a different name, address, or email address you’ll need to update this before you continue further. Otherwise the AUTH code that you want to retrieve will be sent to the person listed and email address listed here.

Contact Information

Next you’ll need to update the Domain Lock. By default you’ll usually find this set to “On”. But in order to transfer the domain away, you’ll need this to be toggled off. This is a security feature to help keep your registered domain from being illegally or illegitimately transferred to a new owner.

Domain Lock

So click the “edit” button and flip the toggle to turn this option off. Then you’ll see the “Get authorization code” link below. Click that and this will prompt an automatic response to email the code to the email address that was listed above in the Contact Information area.

And that’s it. The code is usually emailed out in minutes, where you can then initiate the domain transfer with your new hosting provider by using the AUTH code. Transfers usually take 7-10 days, but we’ve been able to process some in one day if all the domain transfer acknowledgements happen as soon as they are received. What normally happens is when a transfer request is sent, the registered email from the current hosting provider is sent an email to acknowledge the transfer. In that email is a link to a secure page to either accept or deny the domain transfer. Once that is completed there may be another email to the new hosting account to also acknowledge the transfer. Once approved the release is usually done in hours, though internet propagation can take 24 hours.

We hope this was helpful for you! If you have any questions be sure to Contact Us.

When Doing Your Own Redesign Takes A Long Time

When Doing Your Own Redesign Takes A Long Time

We’ve all been there. Some of us more than others – yet still the idea of a redesign initially starts out with great aspirations, then leads to feverish or lackluster enthusiasm weeks later. Let me back up and explain my story.

It’s been probably three or four years since our last redesign of the Design Theory Website. Years ago I can remember when I first tried WordPress and had a blog in a sub-domain while having our main website in HTML on the root. It worked out better than I could have expected and within about nine months I was ready to convert everything into one site on WordPress.

Fast forward to present day, and I can honestly say that I’ve been working on this redesign for about two months. Not consistently, more on-and-off. Reason being is that, well, we’ve been busy. Being busy is a good thing when you’re a creative but only to a certain point. Some of our best ideas get filtered into our client websites and strategy efforts, meanwhile our own website gets the cold shoulder.

Why Are We Taking So Long

To be honest and short, we want a really good and clean experience for you. We want all of our services laid out in a way that is easier to navigate, lead/sales funnels created with purpose, and products easier to identify and purchase. What we’ve learned over the years is that the customer experience is what matters the most in any website. It kind of needs to be catered to them more so than what I think the website should be designed like.

Another reason for the redesign is to make the new website load much faster than the current one does. Realizing that more web traffic is done via mobile browsers than desktops, we have to make sure that our website loads smooth and fast on hand-held devices. Make sure that it’s also Google Mobile Friendly is key too. It’s important to make sure that the almighty Google deems our website acceptable.

Lastly, we believe it’s time for a refresh. There are a lot of ideas that we want to do that include a rebrand, but we’re going to have to hold off on some of those bigger and more time intensive initiatives to be able to focus on tangible goals and a timeline. Good ideas are great but they’re truly a dime a dozen. It’s really about executing and to be able to launch some of our more necessary ideas we have to stay focused. When it comes to our customer redesigns we treat them the same. We come up with a lot of great ideas from improved functionality, new software, and new graphics, but we also stage things out in milestones so that there is always something to look forward to over the next several weeks and months.

As you can see we’ve got a lot to consider with our redesign. It’s more important to us that it’s done right than just putting together a new design and layout without constructive though behind it for usability. Have you been thinking about a redesign of your website? What is holding you back from getting started? Let us know in the comments below or contact us directly if we can help.

Client Transparency in Creative Development

Client Transparency in Creative Development

Earlier this week I did a presentation at my local WordPress Orlando MeetUp about Client Transparency. This talk was a really open look at what it’s like being a creative, dispelling some perceptions on the creative lifestyle, as well as some insight into the thought process of a designer or developer working with the average client. I’ll be honest and say that most of these views are my sole perception, however many other creatives have echoed the same emotions and feelings.

The purpose of this though was to bring some light and understanding to both sides of the table when it comes to working through creative projects. The better both creatives and clients understand and respect each other, the better the development process will be and increase working relationships for long terms.

If you were unable to attend the live presentation, it was recorded and will be shared soon.