Web Design, Programming, and Business
One of our clients was looking for a solution that would allow them to play video that was embedded on a scrolling page BUT only when they came into view. That way, the videos would start playing only when the site visitor could see them. After looking at a couple of different solutions, I realized that the best approach was to write some custom JavaScript that would utilize the Vimeo player API...
Recently due to the coronavirus pandemic, many workers are transitioning to working from home. Many web designers have already been working remotely for years, so it’s nothing new for them. Although I prefer to work out of my office, I’ve done my fair share of telecommuting. We also have several members of our team work remotely on a regular basis. I’d like to share a few of my tools and tricks...
Comparing 16 of the most popular registrars, the 5 best values for domain name registration are: Namecheap: $8.88/year (includes domain name privacy and 1 email account) Dreamhost: $9.99/year (includes domain name privacy and 1 email account) OVH: £9.99/year (UK only, includes domain name privacy and 1 email account) Ionos (1&1): $10.33/year (includes domain name privacy, email account is...
After you sign up for a Mailgun account, you will need to add a subdomain to your domain name and configure your MX records for that subdomain. You can then create a new SMTP user account with password. With those account credentials, you can send emails through Mailgun’s SMTP server using server “smtp.mailgun.org” and ports 25, 587, or 465. What is SMTP and what is the purpose? As we use Gmail...
You’ve built the perfect WordPress site but you’re noticing that it takes a while to load. Even worse, Google has noticed and you’re losing search engine traffic because of it. Here’s a few tricks I’ve learned to get top scores on Google PageSpeed Insights, Google’s tool to measure site performance. With all the images and JavaScript required to make a website these days, it can cause your...
If designing a compelling user interface isn’t in your wheelhouse but actually building that UI is, this article is for you! I’ve listed some resources here that would be useful to graphic designers and web designers too. What image editor should I use? You’re not a designer so you don’t need Photoshop, Illustrator, or Sketch. These are all fine applications but are a bit overkill if all you...
WordPress 3.7 ushered in automatic updates. We all sighed with relief and the satiating knowledge that our WordPress sites were forevermore safe and secure. Beer tabs cracked, colleagues slapped each other on the back, and a new world of internet security was ushered in. If only this daydream was true! The WordPress automatic updates do promote better security, but they’re only incremental...
That little fox you see above…just think of him as the sneaky, malicious hackers that are trying to get into your website to wreak havoc. You’ve heard us say it here, and you will probably hear us say it again at some future date beyond today: keeping your WordPress installation and plugins up to date is a critical part of owning and maintaining your website. WordPress accounts for 23...
If you work with websites then you’re well aware of the necessity of keeping your sites up to date and secure. 2014 has been a record year for malicious hacks when it comes to the wide world of the web. It seems every other day we’re reading about another major business or retailer whose site has been compromised. Whether you’re maintaining a massive site for a world wide...
Web Design, Programming, and Business
Professionally building websites since 2002, I've worked at Microsoft, multiple agencies, and a few web design businesses of my own, including White Whale Web, a Boise-based web development agency. Previously, I was an owner of Thrive Web Designs from 2015 to 2022. I've taught classes, run design groups and even ran a benefit auction for 4 years in my free time. I love sharing and giving back to the web/creative community.