Welcome to another edition of Sites Weekly.
In this week’s edition, you will find links to articles about the following:
- Content. Why people request more emails
- Design. How colors and fonts impact consumer behavior
- Technology. After GDPR, here come the unintended consequences
- Strategy. 11 ideas for creating link-worthy content
- Future. How strategic moves in tech impact community
- Bonus. The first release of WordPress just turned 15 years old
But first …
Have you seen the new StudioPress theme?
A new StudioPress theme dropped last week, and it’s a beauty.
The theme is called Essence Pro, and it’s a clutter-free theme for sites in the health, wellness, and lifestyle niches. (Although, I will say, I have a sports website that I am thinking about using it for.)
Imagined and built by our own Rafal Tomal and Chris Hufnagel, it’s designed for simplicity, both at the exterior and on the back end, allowing you and your readers to focus on the essentials.
You should check out the demo and see for yourself: Essence Pro demo.
Last week on Sites
How do you attract more search visitors to your site? And more importantly, how do you make sure that the majority of those visitors are members of your target audience? Your keyword strategy will play a huge role in this, and in this episode you will discover three areas of focus that will optimize your keyword strategy for success.
Listen: [59] 3Q for Optimizing Your Keyword Strategy
And now, on to this week’s links …
Content: Why people request more emails
I find the excessive bravado in this post a little off-putting, and I wonder if their customers universally like their emails as much as the writer Leif Abraham seems to think they do … but … I’m linking to it because it does offer a few solid points about writing good emails that I agree with.
1. You need subject lines that grab attention — and the examples here go beyond traditional subject lines.
2. The tip about sending emails that are not branded and thus look like regular, personal emails (except for product emails) is a good one. I have found that works.
3. Getting rid of the “noreply” email address, and ensuring that emails can be replied to is the right and authentic way to do email.
So give the article a perusal. It has some good tips that will help you write better emails.
Design: How colors and fonts impact consumer behavior
This post features a well-done infographic that explains some of the primary impacts of colors and fonts. I’m glad that the main point of the color section is that context matters — because it does.
Learn more about how to make smart color and font choices that fit your brand and drive people toward the action you’re hoping they take.
Two of the most important decisions you will make about your WordPress website are your theme and your hosting. Wouldn’t it be great if they worked together to make your website more powerful?
Now they can.
Discover why over 213,675 website owners trust StudioPress.
Technology: After GDPR, here come the unintended consequences
Check out this excellent lede:
“It’s not the wave you’re expecting that knocks you down when you’re body surfing in the ocean. It’s the waves you didn’t expect, behind that first wave.”
So, what are the potential unintended consequences of GDPR? This post highlights several possibilities.
Strategy: 11 ideas for creating link-worthy content
Yesterday’s episode of Site Success discusses how to build a smart link strategy.
It’s imperative that you don’t focus too much on different linking strategies at the expense of the most important one: great content.
This post from Search Engine Journal complements that episode. It discusses what effective content looks like, and then runs down 11 ideas for creating the kind of content people want to share with their audiences because it is valuable and, in so many other ways, linkable.
Future: How strategic moves in tech impact community
Brian Gardner, founder of StudioPress, was recently asked about the formation of StudioPress and the underlying history of Genesis:
“It’s people who use Genesis to build businesses, whether they’re selling themes, agencies that exclusively use Genesis, folks who build plugins, and so on. That was an unexpected result of Genesis — that there’s a huge community that comes along with it.”
As a byproduct of the thriving business he created for himself, Brian points out that the Genesis ecosystem that formed as a result was a pleasant surprise. It’s no secret just how important that community is to him.
It’s one of the main reasons why Brian felt so comfortable about the idea of selling StudioPress to WP Engine:
“They’ve made it really easy for us to join the family,” he said. “They have a huge pool of resources over there; there’s a lot that they offer and can bring to the table.”
Read at Joining Forces With WP Engine
Bonus article: The first release of WordPress just turned 15 years old
Wow — think about how influential WordPress has been in driving the growth and development of the web.
Then consider that WordPress still isn’t even old enough to drive yet. But at least it can now get its learner’s permit! 😉
So …
Which of the ideas in these posts will you put to good use immediately?
I’ll be back with a new edition next week.
Keep building.