How to get stats using MonsterInsights on your website.

August 15, 2019 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

young woman in red beanie with statistic papers on wall, laptop on desk back to audience with caption how to get stats using monsterinsights on your website

When I wrote my first blog post back in 2007, I thought I knew who my audience was. Without analytics, I would have written for the incorrect audience for years. Thankfully since then, I have started using analytics to determine who my audience was, and you should too.

When you obtain stats about your website by using MonsterInsights, it removes all the guesswork.

There are a handful of WordPress plugins that we use on every website for our clients. One of those plugins is the Google Analytics plugin called MonsterInsights.

MonsterInsights creates a easy way to set up Google Analytics on your website. Once setup, it provides access to all kinds of stats in one place. Statistics that would otherwise need a header code or another more difficult application to retrieve.

In actuality MonsterInsights can do much more than just Google Analytics. Say you have a Woocommerce store and want to track your customers behavior, there is a simple enhanced eCommerce tracking you can turn on. Perhaps you have a form that you want to track engagement or a particular event on your WordPress site you want to track. You guessed it MonsterInsights can help with those as well.

So how does one get started getting stats using MonsterInsights on their own website? You ask.

First, head on over (after reading this of course) to the MonsterInsights website and download the plugin. You can also find the plugin in the WordPress plugin repository if that is easier.

After grabbing and downloading the plugin, next comes installing it to your site. If you are unsure about how to install a plugin, we can help or there are plenty of tutorials out there that can show you how.

Once the plugin is installed, you will see a new menu item in your WordPress admin dashboard. Select the Insights » Settings page in the dashboard and type in the license key. If you don’t have a license key yet you can obtain one on the MonsterInsights webpage.

Okay now that the heavy lifting is done, next we need to connect it to your Google Analytics account so all the little monsters can work their magic. Click the “Connect MonsterInsights” button just below where you activated your license. You will then be asked to login into your Google account. If you have many Google or G-Suite accounts like we do, be sure to select the one that you used to create your Google Analytics account (it will save you headaches trust me).

Next you will have to grant the typical permissions for MonsterInsights to access Google and validate that you are human, no DNA required though.

Wallah! You did it! You successfully connected MonsterInsights to Google Analytics!

Now you can now start working with the Analytics Dashboard inside WordPress.

Snapshot of MonsterInstights WordPress plugin dashboard stats

So all that hardwork and now what? You might ask.

MonsterInsights gives you access to great analytics right inside your website dashboard. You can adjust the settings inside the dashboard to give you the statistics that matter the most to you. For example say you are a blogger that uses alot of different affiliate link trackers. There is specific tracking built into the dashboard that will show you the traffic associated with each applicable link.

What if you use that same link more than once in a post?

You guessed it, there is also a way to enable tagging to specific links, allowing you to track not only the links, but the actions taken on the separate links to see which one happens to get most traction.

Whatever your goals are for tracking your web traffic, the dashboard is customizable to fit virtually any need and is also easy to use. So whether you just want to see how much traffic your site is getting, or want to know exactly what action a user took while visiting your site, the MonsterInsight plugin is the way to go.

In conclusion, our recommendation on how to get stats for your website is byusing MonsterInsights. So be sure to grab your copy of the plugin today and discover how much information your own website holds.

Never Underestimate The Influence Of Favicons.

July 21, 2019 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

Google warned us, yet few paid attention or even knew what they were talking about, what even is a favicon?

Recently, as Google does periodically, they rolled out some changes to the way we search, or at least the way they want us to. As they explained, especially when it comes to mobile search, they want websites to be easily identified and scannable. One way of implementing this was to utilize the ever so common favicon.

So what does that even mean?

For starters, a favicon is a small image icon that represents a website or at least should. Granted there are plenty of websites that are out there that are unidentifiable in this manner and are missing said icon. If you or your web designer failed to add a favicon to your site, perhaps with Google’s prompting now is the time.

What should a favicon be exactly you ask. Well generally speaking it should be something that is a representation of either your logo or theme. This enables users to quickly recognize your site over others when either searching or in their bookmarks.

How do I best resize my logo to make a favicon?

Depending on your web application or theme, it may suggest a specific size recommendation to upload. Usually, a minimum would be 16×16 pixels to 48×48. It can also be a good practice to use various sizes so that they format and scale appropriately on different devices. That being said, best practice is to not necessarily use a 16×16 size as Google will rescale it to that size anyway.

What kind of file should the favicon be?

You can use a JPG, GIF, or PNG for most browsers without any issue. However, best practices would be to use the ICO file format to ensure all browser compatibility.

What is an ICO?

An ICO is an image file that is formatted specifically for computer icons in Microsoft Windows. ICO files can contain one or more images of different sizes, depths, and colors for appropriate scaling on various browsers and device sizes.

How can I create an ICO?

There are numerous ICO converters online that can create ICO favicon files for you for free. Many of these converters require you to set the parameters of the file sizes that you want, otherwise, they default to 256 pixels which is the maximum size. It is best practice as mentioned previously to incorporate a few variations of image sizes in the favicon file for your website.

Next steps for SEO with Favicons

According to Google the favicons and the homepage in which they reside must be crawlable. Favicons should be a representation of your brand and easily identifiable. Also, make sure that the icon is not offensive in any way or Google will set it back to a default image icon. Google has already begun penalizing sites without appropriate favicons that go against their guidelines.

If you do not currently have a favicon on your site, we might suggest that you either create one yourself, contact your designer, or of course we are happy to help as well. Google is constantly making changes to the SEO algorithms, especially when it comes to mobile searches. The next step beyond mobile search will be voice search, which we will address in an upcoming post.

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Why We Went to WordCamp Europe

June 30, 2019 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

When the opportunity to travel to WordCamp Europe came up to speak about what we love to do, it was an easy decision.

As a web design agency, one way we love to give back is to participate in our local WordPress community through WordCamps. When the opportunity to take our passion globally at WordCamp Europe came about it took our sharing to a whole new scale.

WordCamp Europe 2019 Berlin Germany banner

I had the blessing to be invited by the WordCamp Europe organizers to speak about my passion for serving nonprofits as a web designer in Berlin, Germany. It’s not every day that I get an invite like that so of course, it was a resounding “yes!”

People ask me all the time, why do I speak at WordCamps? If I were to provide a one-word answer to that it would be “community”.

Whether speaking at local WordCamps of a few hundred or one as big as WordCamp Europe that had a record-setting attendance of almost three thousand. One thing remains consistent and that’s the community.

The WordPress community in which we live and love to work is open source in many ways, not simply their code. We are open and share our knowledge with one another. The WordPress framework is built on the premise of always being open source and so are the people that work with it. In addition, if you ever need help, there is always someone willing to lend a hand.

Speakers, sponsors, vendors, and attendees alike all gathered together to share with each other. Sharing their knowledge, passion, and insights on a platform we have all grown to love.

WordCamp Europe 2019 held at the Estrel Berlin Hotel and Congress Center in Berlin, Germany. From the opening remarks to the side conversations in the hallways, the venue filled with an energy that was palpable. There were 97 countries representing a global community of WordPress enthusiasts. All gathered together to share in a common thread, their love for WordPress in a way I have never seen before.

Events of this size do not happen overnight. Many months of planning and execution by the outstanding volunteers and organizers made it come off without a hitch. Their months of painstaking planning paid off.

A great deal of information shared by many fantastic speakers from all over the world from three different stages. Each one contributing their small part back into the WordPress community.

Connections made, business cards exchanged, ideas shared, and friendships created.

I had the opportunity to open up track two of day one of the conference. Above all turn a room full of strangers into friends within minutes. I shared about web design techniques that I have found to work while designing websites for nonprofits. Being able to share my passion from a stage like that was well, humbling.

stage presentation Charles Johnston WordPress for nonprofits at WCEU

An engaged audience had great questions right after my talk. We continued those conversations as we passed one another in the hall or around the vendor area or in the cafe. It was fun to read the tweets and social feedback as well.

It was amazing to watch people from all backgrounds and nationalities come together in such a global community. At HeartWired we talk about our passion for serving those who serve their local and global communities. WordCamp Europe exemplified that mantra.

As I unwind my mind from a whirlwind trip to Europe and back. One thing I can say, if the opportunity comes where I am invited again to speak at WordCamp Europe which will be in Porto, Portugal next year, or any other WordCamp out there, it would again be a resounding “Yes!”

In conclusion, I want to thank the WordCamp Europe organizers, volunteers, speakers, speaker wranglers, emcees, founders, vendors, sponsors, attendees. Without each one of you, there wouldn’t be a #WCEU!

So You Want to Create a Website

March 18, 2019 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

Every day hundreds if not thousands of websites are launched. Blogs, stores, lead magnets, businesses and personal brands no matter the kind they all fall into the same category, an idea someone wants to visualize. So you want to create a website, here are some of the things you should know.

Start with a Plan

From a one page simple design to a labor-intensive database requiring many man-hours of development. Without a plan, you will spend unnecessary money and waste a great deal of time. Having a plan will save you and yourself, your designer or developer many moments of anguish, anger, and aggravation.

Do it Yourself?

There are many options out there for those that are ambitious and want to create their website themselves. From drag and drop website builders like Weebly or Squarespace to a bit more involved frameworks such as WordPress or Joomla, there are also custom options if you are comfortable with coding as well. The real question is are you saving money by doing it yourself? Or would you be better off to pay an expert to ultimately save you time and headaches? which would, in fact, save you more than just money in the long run.

You are Your Brand

I cannot tell you how many people get stuck trying to find just the right logo or custom URL and never get started. The best logo you have is your head-shot the best URL is your name. Okay so the first part you hopefully took with a grain of salt, but your name in a logo could work just fine. Yet, your name is the easiest brand you have to promote so if you can grab a vanity URL as it go for it! People will remember who you are long before what you do or sell.

Pick a CMS

If you are like me and you tried your hand at MLMs, you would know the first thing they teach is the value of your “list.” Same goes for your website just don’t spam people and lose your friends and family over it. Of course, as primarily a WordPress agency we would be remiss to not mention that has a fantastic CMS built right in. There are others as well such as Weebly, Squarespace and the like and while we are biased any would work, and we will be happy to move you to WordPress when you are ready.

Integrate your email

Once you have a list, even if it is just your mom, you will want to be able to notify them when you have a new blog post or perhaps a sale or special event. We recommend Constant Contact as we are certified partners and can help set you up with robust emails that get opened. There are other options as well and while we can help, you likely won’t be as happy, but that is just our own biased opinion.

Hosting Matters

There are hosting options for well any budget and need. We use and are agency partners with Flywheel which is built solely for WordPress and nothing else and we think that is awesome! We also can now offer domain and hosting options for other services as well and would be happy to share with you which hosting solution works best for you. Some things to keep in mind are things like SSL, CDN, level of support, backups, malware scanning and more but we will leave that all for perhaps another blog post or conversation.

So What is Next

Creating a website can be intimidating and a daunting task for even the technically-abled. Whether you choose to take it on yourself or choose to hire a designer, the best thing you can do for your brand is to take it online. If you are already online, perhaps it’s time to give it a fresh new look. Either way, if you need some help or just want to see where things stand, we are here to help.

Whether you want to create a website, redesign your current site, get some quality hosting solutions, email marketing, or check out your reputation online shoot us a message, send us an email or give us a call or text we are here to serve.

Cracking The Web Design Process Code

February 23, 2019 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

Ever wondered what process a web designer goes through when preparing to take on a new client? If you are curious keep reading for a behind the scenes “sneak peek” of sorts on the process that we follow while meeting with a potential client.

One thing I personally love about running a boutique web design agency is the ability to share others’ stories. Stories are at the center of every client and their business or organization. As a web design agency, we follow a creative process that allows us to visually relate that story online.

Research

Knowing your client goes beyond just what they may or may not tell you during their discovery session, not that they are hiding anything but they may not feel it is important. Doing a somewhat deep dive on the client, their customers, social media, and more allow us to better understand who they serve. When someone looks to hire a web designer, they usually think they know what they want before they ever call to set up their consultation. When they get to talking to us the project they thought they wanted many times changes in scope as they share their story.

Client Story

Your story as a client is one that only you can tell. No matter how small of a gesture or reflection back into how you got started, we focus on the nuances behind the story. We spend time researching you and your story long before we sit down to hear you tell it. Stories are shown through the clients you currently serve to the social media posts you share. We know you will be a bit guarded when you meet a stranger for the first time. The more we know about who sits across the table from us, the easier we can put you as well as ourselves at ease.

Ask Questions

Too many designers make assumptions that they know what is best for their clients. We at Heartwired are firm believers that the client knows best, even when they don’t know they know. Some of the questions we ask whether in the form on our website, on the phone, via chat or email may seem simple or silly. However, we have found asking questions gets you comfortable to share the real you. Many times it is in the things you don’t say that we find the most about you and your story.

Listen

When talking with a potential or even current client it is often what they don’t say that matters most. They likely have a frustration point they are looking to solve. Whether it be lack of sales, or traffic or perhaps conversion into sales. They will say things like “the site does not work” or is “not being found”, or they want it to look like their competition. One of the easiest things to change is the website.. or even the designer. Truth is without appropriate planning, marketing, and a strategy it won’t matter how pretty your site is.

A web designers job is to translate their clients’ needs and frustrations into actionable changes that make sense.

Its the small things

Whether it is a change in a page, or the client’s overall approach to their website, many times it is the small things. Small things like the placement of a button, a font adjustment, or color, the things that seem to not really matter actually matter most. When we pay attention to the details, it allows us to hear what they are really saying. Details many times are hidden in the things the clients don’t say. Sometimes that can be while they share their story about their business and why they started in the first place. That glimmer in their eye or the slight welling up of emotions as they share their “why”.

It is in those moments that as a designer we can find the heart of their story and how we can help design their story in a way only they can tell. It is in these moments that as the owner of a boutique web design agency like HeartWired, that I truly find the love in what we do.

If you would like to learn more about how we are cracking the web design process code at HeartWired we would love to learn about your story. Contact us today to get started in sharing your story.

3 Reasons Why WordPress is Best For Your Non-Profit Website

November 7, 2018 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

Did you know that WordPress is now powering 28% of the web?

Everyone knows by now that your website is the digital first impression of your company, or as Nonprofithub.com likes to call it “a window into the soul of your organization.”

And when done right, it is the gift that keeps on giving for your volunteers and donors alike.

In this article, I will break down why WordPress is dominating the industry, and why it is the only content management system I use to build websites for my non-profit clients.

But first, what is a WordPress Content Management System?

It isn’t just a tool for building a website, it also keeps your web presence organized and maintained over time without having to use code, and… it’s FREE to use!

User-Friendly

The ease of use when it comes to WordPress blows other content management systems out of the water. Whether you are the CEO, a volunteer or employee updating blogs, the WP platform can be taught to anyone on your team no matter what their technical skills are. The writing and publishing interface along with formatting, inserting images and links is as simple to learn as Microsoft Word!

Scalability

For smaller organizations looking to experience major growth over the next 5 or 10 years, you won’t ever have to worry about upgrading to another platform because WordPress is designed to scale based on your needs. From one page sites all the way up to multi-page sites with large amounts of content, WordPress can handle it all.

Security

WordPress prides itself on making security it’s top priority. Some examples of non-profits that are powered by WP are The Jane Goodall Institute, CURE International and the We Promise Foundation. web design may not be the top of a nonprofits list. nonprofit webdesign

According to WordPress developer Matt Mullenberg, WordPress is widely used and trusted by some of the largest and most security-focused organizations in the world. But there are some tips and best practices that you will want to verse yourself in such as password protection, running updates and carefully selecting plug-ins to prevent hackers.

There are dozens of more features and capabilities such as themes, plugins, and widgets that I am more than happy to teach my clients!

At HeartWired Technical we are passionate about serving non-profit organizations and take pride in building beautiful, customized and practical WordPress websites that our clients love.

Please reach out to us today if you are looking to revamp your current website or build a new one!

Brands, Engage Online! Your Customers are Waiting!

July 9, 2018 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

In today’s fast paced world, customers want engaging content. Content that is mobile-friendly and easy to access from their smartphones on the go. Businesses that want to engage with their customers as well as gain new ones must adapt to the every changing flow. The way you used to do business where you posted an ad online or did a email blast every once in awhile is just not enough to hold your potential client’s interest much less attention.

Brand engagement with those that are looking for their good or services will differentiate themselves from their competition by interacting and being found.

No matter your brand, it is time to engage online, your customers are waiting.

Social media channels of brands especially small businesses many times go left unattended. If you have not posted within the last week or so, you likely have lost customers. They are not interested in doing business with a brand that is not interested in them. And yes, they will leave you for someone else without thinking twice.

Lack of engagement shows lack of interest, whether true or not, perception is reality.

Same goes for your company website. If your site is aged and has not had any recent post activity. Your brand is perceived to be stale.

If you suffer from broken links, poor images or your site’s user experience is below par. It may be time to redesign and refresh your site. You might think you don’t have time or the know how to make your site come alive. There are web designers that would be more than happy to help you out and get you up to speed with your clients and their needs.

Have you gotten a 5 star review from a enthusiastic client, yet you did not respond? A few seconds of your time could easily create a return loyal customer and even generate new ones.

No longer is it okay to think that just because your company is on social media that means you are socially relevant.

Having a website is no longer enough, your visitors want interaction. In the age of chatbots and AI, a site with a “please email us at” is no longer enough.

Is your company “voice friendly”? That means when they search for a restaurant, dog groomer, or whatever “near them” are you the one being found? You might be thinking that is crazy as you say “Ok Google” or “Hey Alexa” in your home, office or just on your phone. Voice is not only the future it is now.

No matter the way you choose to engage with your customers, the key is that you do. You spend time, energy, and money creating your brand. It is time you spend similarly on engaging with your customers the way they want to be engaged.

How are you engaging with your customers? We would love to hear your thoughts on the future of brand engagement. Leave a comment and share your thoughts and ideas below.

Some of the Best Business Advice Was From The Guy Washing My Car

June 17, 2018 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

This may sound a bit obscure, but as a local small business owner, some of the best business advice I have received was from the guy washing my cars.

A few months ago my neighbor was having his cars washed and detailed. Busy running my business, our vehicles were in need of a good detail themselves. I went next door and hired the guy and his team on the spot to clean our cars as well.

As he finished up cleaning our cars, we got to talking about his business. He shared with me some of his recent wins in the car detailing industry. He mentioned how a program through our local Chamber of Commerce really changed the way he ran his business.

Small businesses depend on other small businesses to survive. If we fail to support one another we all lose.

This program he mentioned I had heard about at a couple of Chamber council meetings but had not given it much thought. When he shared about how the program worked and that it was open to anyone in the community. Whether you were a business owner or just someone who had a dream. It did not matter if you were a Chamber member or not. He peaked my interest, if for nothing else but the passion in his voice as he shared how it helped his business grow.

That evening I went online and found information about the Jax Bridges program through the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce. Submitting my application I felt unprepared and unequipped to join the program based on the questions on the application. Little did I know that those questions proved how ready I was for the program.

After a few more steps in the process, a couple weeks had passed I was accepted into the next cohort of Jax Bridges.

Little did I know that the next twelve weeks of my company’s existence would change how I did business entirely.

Jax Bridges is a program provided through the Entrepreneurial Growth Division of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce. It gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to vet their product or service. They take you through the process of creating a business model, value proposition, capability statement and so much more. It is an educational opportunity based on real life experiences rather than the antiquated ideas taught in textbooks. All of which provides each entrepreneur the tools and skills to be successful.

Business owners are inundated with what business advice that generally amounts to little more than opinion.

Jax Bridges gives you not only advice but actionable ways to implement the tools step by step to build your business. Whether you are a fledgling startup or a veteran business owner, everyone can reap the rewards and benefits learned in the program.

After graduating from cohort 8, my business, the way we interact with our customers and community is forever changed. We have more focus to provide the services to the clients we serve. By leveraging our resources we are prepared to scale our business in a way I could never have imagined or even attempted a short three months ago.

Now you may be wondering how is it that not only a business changing, but in some aspects life changing organization like Jax Bridges stay somewhat unheard of? The answer is simple, they need no advertising or marketing plan themselves. Graduates like myself spread the word organically. After 8 cohorts there are enough coin holding ambassadors in and around Jacksonville to keep Jax Bridges going for years to come. In fact if you happen to know an entrepreneur or small business that just does things differently there is a good chance they too hold the coin to success.