If you haven’t got the time to learn HTML, CSS or PHP to create your own WordPress theme, you’re in luck. I’ve recently been reviewing premium WordPress themes for a project I’m working on and have decided to post some of the best ones I’ve found on the blog.
There is a common misconception with premium themes that I once had as well..
“Well, if it’s premium, that means I have to pay for it! I can probably find a free theme that is sufficient for me.”
I used to think that way, but look at it from an experienced designer/developer… If you can find what you are looking for, pay a decent price for the thing and get your site deployed, you can spend your time developing your business rather than looking for a free template that looks similar to the initial well designed premium theme.
In economics, this is known as, “Opportunity Cost”, but I will digress and get to the themes.
Enough Chatter – Show me the Goods
1. Effective Solutions
This theme is perfect for a company that offers creative services. The clock and overall design is very professional and leaves a fantastic first impression on the buyer.
A quick look under the hood (so to speak) tells me that the code is clean, efficient and easy to follow. Search engines will have no problems finding content that its users post using this template.
Price: $44
Demo: Click Here
2. Decore
Simply, a perfect theme for designers.. customizable front page images make this template an excellent candidate. A very professional look, I might add, and add the Jquery slideshow in the front, you’ve got an excellent template.
Clean code also makes this theme easy to read by the search engines.
Price: $52
Demo: Click Here
3. Marshall
A slick designer friendly theme that is easy to customize. The gradients really add to the overall look and it looks very nice.
Again, clean code makes this template great. These authors really know how to eliminate unnecessary code from their themes.
Price: $52
Demo: Click Here
Overall Outlook on Premiums
If you are serious about your online business generating more revenue for your company, don’t sweat the price. Think of it as an investment rather than an expense. I’d highly recommend TemplateMonster.com for all of their excellent authors creating wordpress templates.
Is Video Right For Your Blog? An In-depth Look At How Video Can Enhance A Website
Video blogging is certainly nothing new. Although text-based content has always been the foremost blogging medium, bloggers have been using video for several years now in an attempt to diversify their offerings, post updates more quickly, and to convey certain ideas and information that are most easily understood through visual means. But video blogging has only grown in popularity over the past year. I’d venture a guess that this is the result of two factors: one, that embedded video advertising has become incredibly popular and profitable, and two, that the corporate world and business speaker for conferences are increasingly using video communication, in turn causing a trickle-down effect into the blogosphere.
The growth in its popularity, however, should not underscore the fact that video blogging is not for everyone. If you’re considering adding some videos to your blog, here are a few considerations to keep in mind:
What does your reader want?
The mantra that the “customer is always right” applies just as well to the blogging world as it does to a traditional small business. The satisfaction of your customers translates directly into Page Rank and advertising revenue. When contemplating the addition of video to your blog, then, you should keep the needs and wants of your readership base foremost in mind. Would your readers appreciate diversification or would they rather stick with pure text? Would their comprehension of your content be enhanced with the addition of video? Don’t pursue this any further if you cannot satisfactorily answer these questions.
Can it help SEO?
The addition of video blog posts can have a beneficial impact on a site’s SEO practices. This will only happen, though, if videos are posted with appropriate keywords and tags, if a portion of the site can be established as a dedicated video archive, and if all videos will be embedded into the site. If you’re able to make these modifications alongside your switch to video blogging, then the move may bring your some highly worthwhile benefits. If not, you may only harm your SEO by adding video.
Can you keep it clear and professional?
Some people are better at speaking in front of a camera than others. Along these lines, some bloggers are far better at writing text content and find themselves out of their element when they start incorporating video into their blog. If video blogging is to be worthwhile, the blogger should be able to clearly convey the content in a video post in a manner that is professional, engaging, and consistent. Do a test run, film a couple video posts, and see if you have what it takes. Since the quality of your content should ultimately be of utmost importance, don’t diversify simply for the sake of diversification if you expect that your quality levels will decrease in the process.
Conclusion
Hopefully these tips can help you decide whether video blogging is right for your site. A successful video blogger can widen his readership base, breed a livelier blog, boost SEO, and attract more lucrative advertisers. But all of these benefits can get turned on their heads if video blogging is not done well. Before taking the plunge, it’s important to make sure that video blogging is right for your blog – and for you.