Easier Writing and Editing in WordPress 3.9 (Have You Upgraded Yet?)

Posted: 06 May 2014 03:40 AM PDT

WordPress 3.9, named "Smith", came out mid-April … and if you've not upgraded yet, you definitely should.

This version has introduced some significant changes to the visual editor, making it easier than ever to write, edit and publish great-looking posts in WordPress.

Here's a quick run-down of some of the new features that relate to the visual editor (for more features, see the official WordPress announcement).

You Can Paste in Text Directly From Word

I never had problems posting directly from Word previously, but I know some people struggled with messy styling. Now, you can simply paste straight into the visual editor (the "Paste from Word" button has gone).

You Can Crop and Rotate Images

Uploaded an image that's not quite right? Rather than deleting it and starting over, you can make adjustments directly in WordPress. You can also drag-and-drop images straight into the visual editor, rather than having to open the uploading window first.

There Are Slightly Different Buttons in the Visual Editor

While version 3.8 changed the look and feel of all the buttons (now I'm used to it, I love it), this new version has changed what's actually there.

This is the 3.8 version:

wordpress-buttons-3point8

And this is the new 3.9 version:

wordpress-buttons-3point9

I really like the new "horizontal line" button — to the right of the blockquotes button — which saves me having to enter these as <hr/> in the HTML view.

As mentioned before, the Paste from Word button is gone (no longer needed), and it's interesting to see that the "Distraction Free Writing" button is gone too.

So … have you upgraded yet? Do you have a favourite new feature? Let us know in the comments.

Wanna learn how to make more money with your website? Check the Online Profits training program!

Does Your Blog Make New Visitors Feel Welcome?

Posted: 05 May 2014 01:09 PM PDT

If you’ve been running your blog for a while, especially if you have a loyal following of long-term readers, it’s easy not to think much about new visitors.

But of course, if you want your blog to grow, you need to cater for newcomers. They need to feel welcome – not excluded by loads of in-jokes, or confused about what’s happening on your blog.

These four tips should help you strike a good balance, so that visitors are able to find their way around quickly, but long-term readers don’t feel like you’re constantly re-explaining the basics.

#1: Have an Up-to-Date About Page

Regular readers aren’t likely to visit your About page (unless, perhaps, they’re blogging about you and want some extra information). Newcomers, though, will often head there on their first visit.

If your About page is clearly out of date, it’s not going to create a good impression. And even if new visitors don’t realise that you’ve not updated it in months (or even years!), old information is unlikely to help them understand your blog and feel at home.

#2: Explain Series of Posts

If you’re part-way through an ongoing series of posts, it’s easy to assume that everyone has read the previous posts in the series and knows what’s happening. But if someone comes to your blog for the first time, they may well end up beginning half-way through the series.

This is why it’s always a good idea to include an introductory line or two at the top of your series posts (you can see how we did this for each of the Writing Clinic posts).

#3: Make it Easy to Subscribe

If someone new enjoys your blog, they may well want to subscribe to read more. Make sure it’s as easy as possible for them to do so. This means:

Including a link to your RSS feed (could be an icon or a link).
Including the option to subscribe by email – unless your readers are quite techy, you’ll find most people prefer this.

Some new visitors may be quite new to blogs in general, so give clear instructions on how to subscribe. You may want to avoid using the word “subscribe” as people might think it means they’ll have to pay.

#4: Have an Uncluttered Sidebar

Most new visitors will arrive on an individual blog post, not on the home page of your site. So even if you have a static homepage that acts as an introduction to you and your blog, it’s important that your sidebar helps them find what they’re likely to be looking for.

It’s up to you what you include, but you’ll at least want to consider:

A short “About” section.
A list of blog categories.
A list of top posts.

Take a look at your blog today. What one thing could you do to make it more welcoming to new visitors? Let us know in the comments.

Wanna learn how to make more money with your website? Check the Online Profits training program!

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