<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" ><channel><title>WordPress Consultant: Judith Kallos, At Your Service...</title> <atom:link href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /><link>http://www.theistudio.com/muse</link> <description>WordPress Consulting and Support Services</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 14 May 2012 18:49:19 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2</generator> <xhtml:meta xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" name="robots" content="noindex" /> <item><title>WordPress How To: Make a Blog</title><link>http://www.theistudio.com/muse/560/how-to-make-a-blog</link> <comments>http://www.theistudio.com/muse/560/how-to-make-a-blog#comments</comments> <pubDate>Fri, 11 May 2012 10:42:26 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Judith</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Blogs & Blogging]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Musings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category> <category><![CDATA[WordPress Tips]]></category> <category><![CDATA[WordPress]]></category> <category><![CDATA[wordpress tips]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.theistudio.com/muse/?p=560</guid> <description><![CDATA[While Blogging is something many folks are doing and many more would like to do, for those just investigating starting a Blog, where do you start? Based on the number of inquiries I get every day asking that very question it is clear that inquiring minds want to know! Even though there are various blogging [...]<p><a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/560/how-to-make-a-blog">WordPress How To: Make a Blog</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse">WordPress Consultant: Judith Kallos, At Your Service...</a></p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While Blogging is something many folks are doing and many more would like to do, for those just investigating starting a Blog, where do you start?</p><p>Based on the number of inquiries I get every day asking that very question it is clear that inquiring minds want to know!  Even though there are various blogging platforms that are available for you to make a Blog, being a WordPress Consultant means that&#8217;s the platform I recommend you use.</p><p>Many hosting companies offer automated installation of WordPress in their control panels for those not into FTP and configuration details.  I use <a href="http://bit.ly/Preferred-HostGator" title="HostGator WordPress Hosting" target="_blank">HostGator</a> because of their ease of use in this regard and their unparallelled support for all my sites &#8212; including this one.  (I never recommend a product or service unless I am using it on my own sites.)</p><p>Blogging is popular because all the Blog owner really has to do is type about their interests, passion, products or services.  Once you have WordPress installed and your chosen Premium Theme in place and tweaked to your liking, the technical aspect of making your Blog is pretty much on auto pilot leaving the Blogger to only have to <a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/1704/wordpress-how-to-3-easy-steps-for-gathering-great-post-ideas" title="3 East Steps for Gathering Great Post Ideas" target="_blank">worry about what they want to write about</a>.</p><h2 align="center">So, how do you make a Blog?</h2><p>Here are some considerations and links to resources here on my site and elsewhere to show you how to make a Blog:<br /><div class='et-custom-list etlist-check'></p><ul><li><strong>If you already have a Web site</strong>, you can easily add a Blog by installing <a href="http://www.wordpress.org">WordPress</a> on your established server.  Or check your Web host&#8217;s control panel (cPanel) for a WordPress installation tool.</li><li><strong>If Blogging for fun or a hobby</strong>, you can setup a free blog @ Google&#8217;s <a href="http://www.blogger.com" target="blank">Blogger.com</a> or <a href="http://www.wordpress.com" target="blank">WordPress.com</a>.  While these services are not as flexible (you do get what you pay for) if you want to Blog purely for hobby (non-commercial) reasons, and don&#8217;t want anything too fancy, either of these services will do.</li><li><strong>If Blogging for business</strong>, you need to get your own <a href="http://bit.ly/Preferred-HostGator" title="HostGator WordPress Hosting" target="_blank">HostGator Hosting Account</a> ($4-$12 a month)</a> so you can have your own domain and use your domain e-mail address.  Free services won&#8217;t do in this case. In addition, Premium WordPress themes are now designed to be a CMS (Content Management System) that includes a Blog.  So you can manage your entire site and Blog at the same time.</li><li><strong>WordPress Themes:</strong> There are a ton of free theme archives out there but you have to be careful because free themes generally include not only the author&#8217;s link in the footer, but links to sometimes questionable sites and affiliate programs as well.</p><p>I have no problem linking to the developer who offers free themes however including additional promo links that many times are encrypted and cannot be removed, is going a bit too far.  You also have to hope that when WordPress updates that those free theme developers will offer an updated version of their theme on a timely basis if necessary (otherwise your site may break when you update WordPress).</p><p>Check that the free theme developer also offers pay-for Premium Themes in addition to their free offerings as this reflects they do understand the importance of supporting their themes as WordPress evolves.</p><p><strong>WordPress Theme Resources: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/5-reasons-to-choose-premium-wordpress-themes/" title="Why Premium WordPress Themes over Free Themes?" target="_blank">5 Reasons to Choose a Premium Theme</a></li><li><a href=" http://www.theistudio.com/muse/choosing-the-right-wordpress-premium-theme/" title="Choosing the Right Premium WordPress Theme" target="_blank">How to Choose the Right Premium WordPress Theme</a></li><li><a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/wordpress-consulting/wordpress-themes/">My Handpicked List of Premium WordPress Theme developers</a>.</li></ul></li><li><strong>WordPress.org Resources:</strong><ul><li><a href="http://wordpress.org/development/">Development Blog</a></li><li><a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/">Documentation</a></li><li><a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/">Plugins</a></li><li><a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/ideas/">Suggest Ideas</a></li><li><a href="http://wordpress.org/support/">Support Forum</a></li><li><a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/">Themes</a></li><li><a href="http://planet.wordpress.org/">WordPress Planet</a></li></ul></ul></div></p><p>Once you have WordPress installed you are then armed with the above resources so you can start dancing at the keyboard!  Want to learn more?  I have a bunch of articles on <a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/category/musings/blogs-blogging/">Blogging</a>, <a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/category/musings/social-networking-musings" title="Social Media Articles">Social Media</a>, and <a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/category/musings/wordpress/wordpress-tips-wordpress-musings" title="WordPress Tips and How Tos">WordPress Tips and How Tos</a> on this site for you to refer to at your convenience.</a></p><p>Have Fun!</p><p>At your service,<br /> <img src="http://muse.theistudiocom.netdna-cdn.com/muse/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wordpress-consultant-judith.png?52eaa6" alt="WordPress Consultant Judith" title="WordPress Consultant Judith" width="88" height="53" class="alignone size-full wp-image-4503" /></a><br /> <em>Your</em> WordPress Consultant</a></p><p><a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/560/how-to-make-a-blog">WordPress How To: Make a Blog</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse">WordPress Consultant: Judith Kallos, At Your Service...</a></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.theistudio.com/muse/560/how-to-make-a-blog/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>2 New Exquisite Responsive WordPress Themes</title><link>http://www.theistudio.com/muse/6163/exquisite-responsive-wordpress-themes</link> <comments>http://www.theistudio.com/muse/6163/exquisite-responsive-wordpress-themes#comments</comments> <pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 17:45:57 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Judith</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[WordPress Themes]]></category> <category><![CDATA[wordpress designs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[wordpress premium themes]]></category> <category><![CDATA[wordpress templates]]></category> <category><![CDATA[wordpress themes]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.theistudio.com/muse/?p=6163</guid> <description><![CDATA[My two favorite theme shops introduced a couple themes this week that have me really excited. Both offer elegant and beautiful designs to allow your business to shine while also being fully responsive. This means your site will display nicely regardless of screen resolution, size or device. Both themes will give your site that professional [...]<p><a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/6163/exquisite-responsive-wordpress-themes">2 New Exquisite Responsive WordPress Themes</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse">WordPress Consultant: Judith Kallos, At Your Service...</a></p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My two favorite theme shops introduced a couple themes this week that have me really excited.  Both offer elegant and beautiful designs to allow your business to shine while also being fully responsive.  This means your site will display nicely regardless of screen resolution, size or device.</p><p>Both themes will give your site that professional polished appearance that is so important to being taken seriously so you are viewed as a credible online enterprise.  At the same time these themes give you the ability to feature your important content and add focus to those areas on your site you know your visitors are seeking out most.</p><h1 align="center">Mobile Responsive WordPress Themes</h1><table border="0"  width="100%"><tr><td><h2 align="center"><a href="http://bit.ly/StudioPress-Decor" target="_blank" title="Mobile Responsive WordPress Theme">Decor from StudioPress</a></h2><p><a href="http://bit.ly/StudioPress-Decor" title="StudioPress Responsive WordPress Theme"><img src="http://muse.theistudiocom.netdna-cdn.com/muse/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/sp-decor-wp-theme.jpg?52eaa6" alt="StudioPress Responsive WordPress Theme" title="StudioPress Responsive WordPress Theme" width="250" height="503" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6164" /></a></td><td><h2 align="center"><a href="http://bit.ly/ET-Trim-Theme" title="Mobile Responsive WordPress Theme" target="_blank">Trim from Elegant Themes</a></h2><p><a href="http://bit.ly/ET-Trim-Theme" title="Elegant Responsive WordPress Theme"><img src="http://muse.theistudiocom.netdna-cdn.com/muse/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/et-wp-trim-theme.jpg?52eaa6" alt="Elegant Responsive WordPress Theme" title="Elegant Responsive WordPress Theme" width="250" height="503" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6165" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><strong>Features:</strong><br /> Genesis Framework, 4 Color Styles, 6 Layout Options, Custom Background, Custom Header, Featured Images, Footer Widgets, Threaded Comments</td><td align="center"><strong>Features:</strong><br /> Unlimited Color Schemes, Dozens of Fonts, Automated Thumbnail Resizing, Optional Blog-style Structure, Alternate Slider Layouts, Advertising Management, ePanel, Page Templates, Shortcodes Collection</td></tr></table><p>Look at your <a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/5595/wordpress-site-stat-tips-you-cant-live-without" title="Hosting Statistics are Helpful!" target="_blank">hosting or Google Analytic stats</a> and see all the different platforms accessing your site and you&#8217;ll see why switching to a theme that takes that into consideration is such a smart move!</p><p>You can&#8217;t go wrong with either of these themes if you are looking to upgrade to keep up with the mobile revolution.  Both themes are backed with quality code and support that is the best in the industry which pretty much makes this decision a no-brainer!</p><p>At your service,<br /> <img src="http://muse.theistudiocom.netdna-cdn.com/muse/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wordpress-consultant-judith.png?52eaa6" alt="WordPress Consultant Judith" title="WordPress Consultant Judith" width="88" height="53" class="alignone size-full wp-image-4503" /></a><br /> <em>Your</em> WordPress Consultant</a></p><p><a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/6163/exquisite-responsive-wordpress-themes">2 New Exquisite Responsive WordPress Themes</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse">WordPress Consultant: Judith Kallos, At Your Service...</a></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.theistudio.com/muse/6163/exquisite-responsive-wordpress-themes/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Listen, Surprise and Delight Your Customers</title><link>http://www.theistudio.com/muse/6153/listen-surprise-and-delight-your-customers</link> <comments>http://www.theistudio.com/muse/6153/listen-surprise-and-delight-your-customers#comments</comments> <pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:56:52 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Judith</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Business Tips]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marketing Tips]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Musings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[WordPress Tips]]></category> <category><![CDATA[wordpress tips]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.theistudio.com/muse/?p=6153</guid> <description><![CDATA[You can have the most well developed WordPress site in your market with the best product at the lowest price and if you don&#8217;t have your Customer Service methodology firmly intact &#8212; you&#8217;ve got nothing! This means everyone in your organization is on the same page when it comes to how to communicate and assist [...]<p><a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/6153/listen-surprise-and-delight-your-customers">Listen, Surprise and Delight Your Customers</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse">WordPress Consultant: Judith Kallos, At Your Service...</a></p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can have the most well developed WordPress site in your market with the best product at the lowest price and if you don&#8217;t have your Customer Service methodology firmly intact &#8212; you&#8217;ve got nothing!</p><p>This means everyone in your organization is on the same page when it comes to how to communicate and assist your potential and current customers.  Excellent customer service naturally should transfer to your supplier and vendor relationships as well.  Solid customer service practices must permeate everything to do with running your business if you are serious about long term success.</p><p>I can tell you emphatically that the key to my success has had at its core my personalized service and support.  Not just when I am wearing my WordPress Consultant hat but with my other sites as well.  I respond promptly, professionally, personally and in detail to all requests I receive.  I manage my ability to do this by making it a priority to organize my responsibilities to allow for the necessary time I need to provide the level of service I am known for and that clients rely on.</p><p>The infographic below gives you a view into the benefits that all the data available to you offer and how you can translate that into the heart and soul of your business &#8212; Your Customer Service.</p><p><a href="http://monetate.com/infographic/the-ultimate-customer-experience/"><img src="http://monetate.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ultimatecustomer_final-620x2434.png" alt="The Ultimate Customer Experience" border="0"></a><a href="http://monetate.com/infographic/">Monetate Marketing Infographics</a><script type="text/javascript">var google_conversion_id=1011239334;var google_conversion_language="en";vargoogle_conversion_format="3";var google_conversion_color="ffffff";var google_conversion_label="dY4pCOKKvwMQppOZ4gM";var google_conversion_value=0;</script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion.js"></script><noscript><div style="display:inline;"><img height="1" width="1" style="border-style:none;" alt="" src="http://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion/1011239334/?label=dY4pCOKKvwMQppOZ4gM&#038;guid=ON&#038;script=0"/></div><p></noscript><script src="http://munchkin.marketo.net/munchkin.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script>mktoMunchkin("092-TQN-434");</script></p><p>Look at your available data, develop policies, have a meeting with your staff and find ways to &#8220;Listen, Surprise and Delight&#8221; your customers!</p><p>At your service,<br /> <img src="http://muse.theistudiocom.netdna-cdn.com/muse/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wordpress-consultant-judith.png?52eaa6" alt="WordPress Consultant Judith" title="WordPress Consultant Judith" width="88" height="53" class="alignone size-full wp-image-4503" /></a><br /> <em>Your</em> WordPress Consultant</a></p><p><a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse/6153/listen-surprise-and-delight-your-customers">Listen, Surprise and Delight Your Customers</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.theistudio.com/muse">WordPress Consultant: Judith Kallos, At Your Service...</a></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.theistudio.com/muse/6153/listen-surprise-and-delight-your-customers/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>
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