Welcome to another edition of Sites Weekly.
In this week’s edition, you will find links to articles about the following:
- Bonus. The truth about net neutrality is not that complicated
- Content. What do you do when you don’t know what to write?
- Design. A useful tool for cleaning HTML code
- Technology. Are your email lists and subscribers protected?
- Strategy. Guidance on how to pick the best domain name (from folks who really know)
But first, we are going to kick off this week’s newsletter with a reminder about our huge Black Friday sale currently going on …
This year’s Black Friday discount is active!
And it’s massive:
- For new customers: 25% off all themes at StudioPress
- For existing customers: 50% off all themes at StudioPress
Click here to shop for themes and save.
Last week on Sites
In this 28-minute episode, Sean Jackson interviewed Brian Gardner — the creator of StudioPress — to discuss his views on design and where StudioPress development is heading.
Listen: [24] Brian Gardner on the Future of StudioPress
And now, on to this week’s links, with a switch in order. We’re starting with the bonus link this week, because it deals with an issue of great importance to everyone, especially those of us who create content and make a living from the web.
Bonus article: The truth about net neutrality is not that complicated
Seth Godin bottoms-lines the net neutrality issue for us in a recent blog post:
“If net neutrality in the US is taken away, everyone will pay more, service will cease to be universal, the poor will lose something they need more than ever, and some lobbyists will be very happy.”
Seth’s post about the topic includes additional insight, a link you should read with a more expansive history of the net neutrality issue, and a call to action for how you can make your voice heard.
We’re all in this together. Let’s do what we can to keep the web open and fair. I just clicked the link in the blog post and left messages for both of my senators. I hope you’ll do the same.
The simple truth about net neutrality (Seth’s Blog)
Content: What do you do when you don’t know what to write?
I always get excited when Sonia’s editorial roundtable emails pop up in my inbox. And this one was especially fun to contribute to.
Everyone who creates content, especially written content, deals with intermittent feelings of a creative crunch. What should I write next?
What separates professionals from amateurs is the ability to power through such instances and find the next useful idea to write about, even if it may not be the transcendent, world-altering idea that we sometimes fool ourselves into thinking needs to be at the heart of every blog post. 🙂
How to Find a Juicy Writing Idea When Your Creative Well Has Run Dry (Copyblogger)
Design: A useful tool for cleaning HTML code
I’m nothing close to a developer, but I still often find myself needing to copy/paste HTML code from one source into a new place. I’m guessing you probably do too, at least from time to time.
One common place where this happens for me is copying/pasting text from online newspaper articles. It will often include extraneous code that I don’t need — and can cause weird formatting issues if I don’t remove it.
Well, here is a simple tool that will help you remove all the nonsense and get just the HTML code you want. Add this to your web design bookmarks list.
Clean Messy HTML Codes with HTML Washer (Hongkiat)
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: Are your email lists and subscribers protected?
I have to admit, this isn’t something I’ve thought a lot about. So I’m glad I stumbled upon this article, which includes fives best practices to ensure email security.
Here is one that stuck out to me: “Develop an emergency plan in case your subscribers become victim to a cybercriminal spoofing your brand. Don’t wait until it happens; get ahead of the situation to ensure brand reputation and sensitive data are protected.”
Email security: What marketers need to know (MarTech Today)
Strategy: Guidance on how to pick the best domain name (from folks who really know)
Choosing a domain can be fraught with disappointment (when the domain you really want is taken), indecision (when you don’t know whether to err on the side of keyword specificity or catchy/clever branding), and even frustration (when you’re ready to start posting content, but you can’t get past the part of choosing your dadgum domain!).
So let the grizzled veterans at ProBlogger guide you with their podcast episode on how to choose a domain for your blog. (Note: If you prefer reading, it includes links and a transcript.)
4 Things to Consider When Choosing a Domain Name for Your Blog (ProBlogger)
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.