one key tip for a successful project
Many clients fall into the temptation to try to make multiple technological changes at once. Sometimes you have to do it all, but if you can convert a large project into smaller phases, the likelihood of success is higher and often will take the same amount of time. You may have come across the term KISS, however I prefer “less is more”.
securing devices
Another day, another headline about a hardware security vulnerability. While I no longer focus on supporting hardware for clients, I can’t ignore it. Hardware and various devices are an essential part of modern businesses. With that in mind, what are easy-to-implement actions you can take to protect your technology and help to prevent or mitigate disaster?
brief thoughts on digital clutter
Before I return to the topic of documentation, I want to take a brief moment to discuss digital clutter. We hear that “storage is cheap!” Yes, that’s true. We are also told, “simply search for what you need”. Yes, that is also true. In this post I’m going to challenge you to rethink the “keep everything” policy. Why? One question I’m often asked is how one deals with digital clutter. Clients approach me looking for a magical solution.
the cost of a new website
While clients come to me to answer their technical questions, the biggest one is how much will it cost? The answer is always: It depends.
Last summer, my world was turned upside down. It was then that I made unexpected discoveries of strength and resilience.
This new project, pen at work was born of those experiences. I will teach and share the methodology I use to find order in that chaos known as life. There will be worksheets, tutorials, tools, and eventually workshops. Want personalized attention? Yes, I will continue to offer one-on-one consulting.
pen at work: prioritize · evaluate · negotiate, a PEN is all you need.
WordPress updates of interest
As always, there are updates! Is it important that you read the change logs? No, though I think it's a good idea. It is important to keep your WordPress system up-to-date. There are often new features that slip in which can improve how you work. If you have questions or are worried about updating, please contact me!
After the flurry of GDPR updates, many plugins are seeing minor updates as fixes are coming out now either to address inadvertent bugs introduced during that process or to further improve them.
Yoast SEO is at 7.6.1 and was released on June 7, 2018. This release brings many fixes in addition to shortening the maximum meta description length from 320 to 156 characters (per google).
Jetpack is at 6.2.1 and was released on June 5, 2018. This update fixes some bugs related to AMP pages, Gutenberg editor, support for Content Options, and improvements to the Cookies & Consent Widget in addition to toher miscellaneous fixes and updates.
BuddyPress is at 3.1.0 and was released on June 5, 2018. This release is a maintenance release and fixes 23 bugs.
Information as of 8a on 13 June 2018, when this list was compiled.
I'm best known for my work in helping clients create and maintain their WordPress websites. However, there is much more I can do to help your small business technology! Are you looking for technology that works together and with you? I can help you sort through and figure out what works for you and your specific business. Would you like a better understanding of the technology you use so that you can make changes or hire an assistant? Together we can work through your current systems and write up a guidebook specific to the needs of your business. Are you still using technology you don't like because the thought of migrating is just too much? I can help you evaluate new systems and figure out a migration plan and process. Contact me to get started.
There's also my new project, pen at work, which provides thoughtful ways to manage the chaos of your daily life. I hope you'll enjoy my first worksheet, a versatile planning grid. This project has its own a monthly newsletter which lands in your inbox on the last Tuesday of each month, please subscribe if you're interested!
I hope you find this newsletter interesting and helpful for you and your small business. Please reply and let me know what you think. Thank you.
