“Blog Design for ROI Rule #6: KISS Headers, Navigation, and Sidebars” plus 1 more |  |
| Blog Design for ROI Rule #6: KISS Headers, Navigation, and Sidebars Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:03 PM PST This guest post is by Gab Goldenberg, author of The Advanced SEO Book. This post is the sixth in a series on blog design for ROI. Previous posts in the series were:
One area that blog designers regularly get wrong is the design of secondary elements, and I should know, since I made the error myself. In this 2008 screenshot of my blog, the header, sidebar, and navigation are roughly as loud as a drunk protesting he shouldn’t be thrown out of the bar. Maybe louder!  The sidebar was screaming for attention, distracting people from reading the post content Not only was my sidebar loud, but the ample whitespace in the header drew attention to my slogan. At the same time, the dark contrasting background I’d used for my main navigation and breadcrumb trail drew eyes there. There was no clear focus to the design at all. You might think that this was an accident, that I wouldn’t have made such a loud sidebar if I’d known better … I wish. Really, my idea was that having a prominent sidebar would allow me to periodically try different marketing messages there in order to gain more business. Similarly, I wanted people looking at and clicking on the navigation since the pages listed there were sales-oriented. Considering the popularity of widgets (typically styled sidebar boxes like the one above) in the world of WordPress blog design, I’m probably not the only one prioritizing the sidebar over the main content. So today’s rule really just has a simple message for myself and my fellow business bloggers. Keep It Simple, Sam: the KISS rule applied to blog headers, navigation and sidebarsSimpler headersTakeaway #1: Don’t distract visitors with big logos and branding. Either offer an opt-in form in that space or just tone down the branding and move your content up vertically. Surprise! People’s top priority in visiting your blog is not to admire your logo and branding, nor the sidebar and your awards. It’s not even to click around your navigation. Your visitors’ number one priority is to read your content. What do many of us do? We load up large header graphics and massive logos, which not only push our content further down the page, but also distract the eye and brain from their goal:  Peter Shallard’s blog features a very large header  A mega-sized logo takes pride of place at MogulMom – but she’d be even more successful than she is by scaling down her logo Of course, this delaying and distracting of readers with large branding graphics is counter-productive. Why? It’s a waste of space to use XXL branding, because we could instead prioritize the email signup form, which definitely feeds our long-term audience growth. Another reason is that we want visitors to start reading fast, so we can maximize repeat visits and build our audience. Simpler sidebarsTakeaway #2: Don’t distract visitors with long blogrolls, loads of award badges and other unruly sidebar features. Keep the sidebar’s visual weight secondary, and minimize the clutter. Chances are that your awards and reads you enjoy are not directly relevant to the specific post somebody has loaded or to the given archive page, let alone the About Us or Contact pages. So why not move the blogroll, category and tag links to their own separate pages? Have a page with links to your favourite blogs. Add another page to serve as a general archive clearinghouse with links to each category and tag page. What should you feature in your sidebar instead?
And what about subscription calls to action? As I mentioned earlier, it’s best to place these in visually prominent areas above and below the main column rather than in the sidebar. If that’s not possible, then the sidebar is the next best place. Think of your sidebar as a complement to your post, and you’ll be more successful than if you see the sidebar and post as competing for attention. Simpler navigationTakeaway #3: Your primary menu has a place on every page … but a secondary place. Remember how my blog’s menu drew attention to itself with rich colours, instead of helping eyes rest on my content? Learn from my mistake and keep your navigation’s visual weight secondary. A light grey or white background will do, and the breadcrumb navigation really does not deserve to be at the center of things, much less to have a highlighted background. For more on visual hierarchy, see this great post on Search Engine Land and this one on the 4 degrees of visual hierarchy in wireframing. Keep it simple!The massive header branding does far less for you than either getting the visitor to join your newsletter or read some content—so use your space accordingly. To the same effect, reading post content is more important than clicking links in the main navigation, blogroll, or discovering the admiration some other group has for your blog. Making the sidebar visually loud makes it harder for people’s eyes to read the post normally. Keep it simple and watch your readership grow! Gab Goldenberg and Internet Marketing Ninjas are developing a book based on this series – get your free copy at http://seoroi.com/blog-design- Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger Blog Design for ROI Rule #6: KISS Headers, Navigation, and Sidebars     |
| 10 Essential WordPress Security Plugins For 2013 Posted: 07 Jan 2013 06:04 AM PST This guest post is by Anders Vinther of The WordPress Security Checklist. Now that we have left 2012 behind, we can start planning 2013. And there is no better time to review the security plugins you use on your WordPress site. Last year important new security plugins were released, and some of the existing plugins were updated. The great challenge when it comes to WordPress Security Plugins is to find the magic combination which gives you optimal cover without conflicts or overlapping functionality. Here we bring you the winning combination for a prosperous (and safe) 2013. Let the party begin! Make sure only invited guests pop inWhen you throw a big party, you’d best think about who you let in. Otherwise the party might get out of hand. These clever little plugins are your broad-shouldered bouncers. And they mean business! WP Login Security 2This is a personal favorite of mine. It’s very clever. If an unknown guest arrives at your party your bouncer will ask for ID, but you can walk straight in. Similarly, the plugin will send a verification email to the registered email address of the user if he tries to log in from an unknown IP address. Only if he validates the IP address by clicking on a link in the email will he be allowed in. This is a very effective way of stopping brute force attacks. Even if someone does guess your userid and password, they still can’t get in. If, on the other hand, you log in from a known IP address, you are let in straight away. Resources:
Semisecure Login ReimaginedAt your party, the bouncer will make sure no one eavesdrops when you whisper the secret password in his ear. Ideally you would want to send your login information over SSL when you access your WordPress administration panel. However, there is a cost involved in obtaining a SSL certificate and if you are on a shared server you would also need a dedicated IP address. This plugin is the next best thing for those of us who’d rather spend our money on party hats. It will automatically encrypt your login information so it is much more difficult for an outsider to steal your credentials. Resources:
Login Security SolutionThis is the mother of all bouncers. He will only accept photo ID, he can check the expiry date and you can tell him that library cards are no longer accepted. He can even throw out people who fall asleep on the premises. Or, in technical terms: with this plugin, password strength is enforced, password aging is an option, and password resets for all users can be forced. And you can even log out idle sessions automatically. Another clever feature of this plugin: instead of locking out IP addresses of brute force attackers it will slow down the response times gradually. This means that you can get your own password wrong without being locked out, and it will still make brute force attacks almost impossible. Resources:
WordPress Firewall 2This is the wall around your house that makes sure no one sneaks in through your backdoor or a window, bypassing your bouncers. It’s very important. Windows Firewall 2 inspects all incoming traffic to identify if anyone sends you malicious requests or tries to inject data into your database. Resources:
Block Bad QueriesThis plugin is like the barbed wire or the broken glass on top of the wall. Yes, the internet is really a bad neighborhood! BBQ extends your firewall and helps filter incoming traffic to stop known bad guys. Resources:
Keeping tabs on what goes on in your houseOnce your party is going you want to keep an eye on what is happening. If someone breaks your TV you’d like to know who’s responsible and how much damage was caused. These plugins are your eyes and your ears. And they are awake! WordPress File Monitor PlusThis is like having surveillance cameras in every room of your house and taping all the action. If anything goes down you can see exactly what happened. WordPress File Monitor Plus tracks changes to your file system. If any files are added, removed, or changed you will be notified by email. Neat. Could be an invaluable help in cleaning up after you have had visitors! Resources:
WP Security ScanAlthough you love opening up your house for the big party, there are still some rooms you do want to keep away from your guests. Locking a few doors will make sure the cats can only play where you want them to. WP Security Scan checks your file and folder permissions and a few other things to make sure everything that should be locked down is locked down. Resources:
Curing the hangoverDepending on the success of your party you might end up with a bit of a hangover the day after. But we’ve got the cure for you. Update NotificationsThis good old trick could save you from getting a hangover in the first place: take a couple of headache tablets before you go to bed. By using Update Notifications you’re stopping the headaches before they begin. Keep your WordPress site updated at all times and you won’t see the bulk part of the threats circulating the net. This plugin automatically sends you an email when there is an update for your plugins, themes, or core WordPress files. Resources:
WordfenceIf you are not feeling well, knowing why can make the difference between recovering quickly or suffering for a long time. If you know you are dehydrated you can drink some water. If you know you have got an infection, penicillin might be the remedy you need. Wordfence is one of the newer security plugins. However it has matured very quickly. One of the great features of Wordfence is that it will compare the plugin, theme, and WordPress core files on your installation with the official version in the WordPress repository. If there are any discrepancies, the plugin will send you an email. It will also scan your site for known malware, phishing, backdoors, and virus infections. Resources:
Sucuri WordPress Security PluginIf you are really out of luck, you might pick up some kind of disease at your party. This is the risk of mingling with many people. In this case, you might have to go to the doctor. Sucuri is more than just a security plugin. In fact, their WordPress plugin is probably one of their least-known products. Sucuri is a company that specializes in cleaning up infected websites. If your luck is out and your site is infected, they will clean it for less than it would cost you in coffee if you wanted to figure it out on your own—provided you know what you are doing. And they will keep your site clean for a year after that. The WordPress plugin adds a web application firewall and malware file scanning. The web application firewall will communicate with Sucuri servers, so if one site is under attack from certain IP addresses they can be blocked across the network immediately. Resources:
Enjoy 2013!With a little bit of preparation, you will be able to throw fantastic parties in 2013, and you and your guests can amuse themselves without worrying about accidents or bad guys ruining everything. Make sure your WordPress site is in good shape and ready to bring you a very prosperous 2013! Check out Anders Vinther's free WordPress Security Checklist, which is all about protecting your WordPress assets properly and sleeping well at night. Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger 10 Essential WordPress Security Plugins For 2013     |
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