U.S. Congressman Frank A. Clark once said: “Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.” Yet, the reality is that listening to others as they point out our weaknesses is not always easy. In fact, an upcoming evaluation can sometimes feel more …
Many people wish to expand their brand outside their region by building a remote branch or hiring employees who work virtually. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people had no choice but to work from home. Trying to keep up with communication within your remote team can sometimes get tiring as …
Would you believe that more than 50 percent of your web traffic might be from bots, scrapers, hacking tools and scammers? You’ve probably received an email in your inbox with cybersecurity tips and brushed it aside. Maybe you’ve heard stories of websites being hacked, never thinking you could be a …
Layoutit Grid – Build your ideal CSS Grid with this online tool. Web Layout Best Practices: 12 Timeless UI Patterns Analyzed – A look at UI patterns that are both user-friendly and adaptable to changing trends. Developing For The Semantic Web – Why now is the perfect time to make …
This article originally published on Media Temple’s blog. If 2020 has proved anything, it’s that we work in a world of constant disruption. Whether it comes from a new technology or a worldwide pandemic, Heraclitus was right: “Change is the only constant.” So, how do we maintain some semblance of …
As the COVID-19 pandemic horizon stretches onward and a return to normalcy appears ever more distant, adaptation is the only option. Founders must prepare for a lengthy economic downturn, a slower sales pipeline, extended fundraising timelines and a deeply disrupted workplace — circumstances no one was planning for at the …
The last several years have changed marketing as we know it. Technology is rapidly changing, and it has made social media platforms more prevalent than ever. With more than 3.8 billion social media users worldwide, it is crucial for startups in every industry to create a noteworthy online presence of …
Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of our SAHD Cooking show. Today, we’ll cook Khoa Tom Pla. This dish is rice soup with fish from Thailand. Usually, they eat it for breakfast or lunch. It’s light and not too heavy. However, I usually cook this for dinner because that’s the …
Pricing is one of the most challenging aspects of being a freelance web designer. More specifically, determining what a client will receive in exchange for a particular price. The struggle is real. In my two-plus decades of running a business, this is still an area where I falter from time …
Hey everyone, we have good news. FIRE just got a lot easier. Bill Bengen, the creator of the 4% rule, said 5% is a good withdrawal rate in the current environment (2020). That’s great news for the FIRE crowd. Many of us use the 4% safe withdrawal rate as a …
Establishing a strong business credit profile is an important factor in how a business’ creditworthiness is evaluated when applying for a small business loan. Granted, different lenders have different thresholds for creditworthiness, but the business owner with a good credit profile will have more options available than a business owner …
When starting a new business, many of us tend to focus our time and effort on scaling and getting more and more customers on our website or through the door. As founders, we should be focusing on winning a few loyal customers who could teach us valuable lessons and help …
Reciprocal marketing is a marketing strategy in which two businesses agree to promote each other’s products or content for mutual benefit. In this article, we will look at how startups can apply the reciprocity principle as part of their overall growth strategy. StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products …
This article originally published on GoDaddy’s OpenWeStand.org website. Small businesses across the country have been drastically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Coronavirus Impact Poll, 70% of small businesses are concerned about long-term financial hardship while 58% worry about having to permanently …
Have you ever considered improving the learnability of your product or website? Perhaps it’s your first time reading about the concept of learnability. It’s not an easy task to build a learnable website, as it requires some experimentation and A/B testing. Learnability’s goal is to design a clear interface that …
Webpack has established itself as an indispensable part of the JavaScript toolchain. It has over 55,000 stars on GitHub and is used by many of the big players in the JavaScript world, such as React and Angular. However, you don’t need to be using a front-end framework, or be working …
This article originally published on GoDaddy’s OpenWeStand.org website. Restaurant owners have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, restaurants have depended on serving food to people indoors and in person, but with the lingering threat of the novel coronavirus, small business owners have had to adapt. For months, some …
React is a fantastic front-end library for building user interfaces. When picking a back end to use alongside it, you can’t go far wrong with Firebase, a Backend-as-a-Service (Baas) that makes it easy to add data persistence (and much more besides) to your React app. In this tutorial, we’ll be …
This is a pretty simple question with a more complicated answer. There are a lot of reasons why a business loan application might be denied, but what most small business owners should be asking themselves is, “What can I do to improve the odds of a successful loan application?” Lenders …
Many contestants on ABC’s hit show “Shark Tank” answer “yes” when asked if they have a patent, illustrating that startups may generally appreciate the importance of filing a patent application early to protect their innovations. However, there are a variety of options available when developing a company’s strategy for protecting …
Shopping season is here, and so is the opportunity for ecommerce site owners to grow their business and generate profit. With the shifting global ecommerce climate produced by the recent pandemic, comes the ever growing importance of securing your website to protect your users — and your website’s revenue. The …
Save on the very latest tech during Dell‘s Black Friday Sneak Peek! StartupNation members can save up to 45 percent off with your exclusive member savings now through Monday, Nov. 2. Visit www.Dell.com/StartupNation or call in today to speak with a Small Business Advisor at 800-757-8442. Steps for online saving …
As a small business owner or manager, you are responsible for your customers’ email addresses, phone numbers and billing addresses the second they type the information into a form on your website. This type of data — known as personally identifiable information (PII) — is in high demand among hackers, …
One of the great aspects of being a web designer is in joining the supportive community of fellow professionals. There are just so many people who are willing to share their knowledge and help others learn. There’s a lot of mentoring that goes on. The funny thing is that we …
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many startups have successfully pivoted their business models to accommodate customers and keep their doors open. These same businesses are also keeping a watchful eye on their expenses and finding new ways to save money. Saving money during the pandemic ensures more than the company’s survival. …
This article originally published on GoDaddy’s OpenWeStand.org website. There’s no doubt about it: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday are going to look quite different this year than previous holiday shopping seasons. But, just because shoppers won’t be flooding into your physical store doesn’t mean you can’t take …
October is cybersecurity awareness month, and cybercrime is one of the biggest hot-button issues facing small businesses today. Now with work from home as the new normal, businesses are more exposed to security threats than ever. Today, our friends from Dell and McAfee have joined with StartupNation to provide a …
Can you believe it’s been 10 years since I started blogging? It has been an amazing journey and my life changed in so many ways. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t take up blogging. Thank you so much for your support over the years. …
Believe it or not, a great WordPress plugin is something that can make me smile. If it’s particularly cool, helpful and time-saving, well, I might even become somewhat giddy. For instance, when I first became a user of Advanced Custom Fields and Gravity Forms (and yes, I gladly pay to …
Fastify is a framework designed for back-end web development. It offers a more lightweight alternative to heavier Node.js API frameworks, such as Hapi and Express. From July 2020, Fastify has released its third version of the framework. This third version comes with improved validation abilities to verify incoming and outgoing …
Among the reasons so many people choose WordPress is that it can run on just about any web server. The requirements are fairly basic and something that most web hosts and local servers can handle. But simply installing WordPress in its default state is far different from running a high-performing …
As the U.S. rides out the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic storm, one often overlooked group has emerged as critical ballast for local communities: online micro-businesses. As stay-at-home orders crippled economies, 44% of these micro-businesses moved more of their business to the internet, ramping up their e-commerce efforts and other digital offerings. …
Google wants people to have a good web experience, so it ranks fast sites higher in search results. Of course, that’s a gross simplification but, presuming you’re comparing two sites with similar content and audiences, the faster one should appear higher in results. But how Google measures this has always …
Developing For The Semantic Web – Why semantic markup has become increasingly important for websites. Animating Number Counters – Whether you’re counting up or down, add some animation to your numbers. 5 Things to Tell Your Clients About WordPress Security – Educating your clients is a great step towards a …
When the COVID-19 crisis hit, Jim Masterson had to figure out how to massage a horse online. For more than a decade, Masterson and his wife, Conley, have been the go-to experts for equine performance bodywork. If your show horse got sore after a jumping competition, you could attend a …
HTML is an inherently fluid medium. Text and containers expand horizontally and vertically to use the available space. That fluidity made complex designs more difficult, so by the turn of the millennium, many sites adopted a fixed-width based on popular screen sizes. The process remained viable as screen sizes kept …
Alright, freelancers – it’s time to confess! How many of you are guilty of not communicating regularly enough with your clients? Maybe you’re running behind on your deadline, and you’re too embarrassed to let your client know in a timely manner. Or maybe the client has done something to upset …
Like any business, the key to success in selling your products in an ecommerce business is building relationships. If you have been looking for a way to connect with more customers, it might be a good idea to host virtual parties to generate interest and excitement in your business. In …
Building a team, securing funding, creating an amazing product, marketing, and generating a sales pipeline is difficult enough during a boom, let alone during a global pandemic – all while keeping everyone motivated and morale up. You’ve got a great idea, a great team and are ready to launch your …
People are naturally more driven to achieve their goals when journeying with others. Studies have shown that effective collaboration delivers five times more productivity than acting alone, resulting in higher-performing teams. When working with others, we gain insight that we may have overlooked on our own. After graduating from college, …
Starting an online store is just the beginning. Once you get into the groove of marketing your store and handling orders, it’s time to consider adding advanced ecommerce features, so you can sell more products and increase your profits. In this post, we’re going to cover advanced e-commerce features you …
This past Wednesday, State of Michigan officials announced how the state, with funding from the Federal CARES Act, has awarded relief grants totaling $15 million to Michigan farms and food processing companies. Dozens of Michigan farms and food processors have been awarded these critically needed relief grants in order to …
When React was first introduced, one of the features that caught most people’s attention (and drew the most criticism) was JSX. If you’re learning React, or have ever seen any code examples, you probably did a double-take at the syntax. What is this strange amalgamation of HTML and JavaScript? Is …
Entrepreneurs are rightly focused on building the next billion-dollar business. With so many startup success stories and technological advancements these days, anything is possible. However, as an increasing body of research demonstrates, there is another often forgotten factor that drives startup success: diversity and inclusion. McKinsey, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch …
For a freelancer, referrals can be an essential ingredient to a successful web design business. Booking new clients this way can allow you to forgo at least some of the costs involved with traditional marketing. Plus, there’s something to be said when an existing client goes out of their way …
I’m the founder of Pet Plate, a fresh-cooked, human-grade pet food subscription service. We use only the freshest ingredients to make our veterinarian designed meals, and all of our meals are personalized for your pup based on their specific health needs. My business has grown quickly, and we’ve shipped over …
As more people rely on their personal WiFi networks, it’s more important than ever to ensure every network is safeguarded from frequent online security issues and threats. If you’re seeking solutions to help protect your data and maintain productivity, know that we’re in this together. StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings …
Have you ever had someone tell you that you need to build a brand for yourself? The idea can be confusing as you may not think of yourself as a brand or an asset, but rather as a person. While this is appropriate, to companies looking to hire individuals, they …
Business owners are accustomed to wearing several hats and having control over every aspect of their company, dispensing with any delegation tactics. Recent research from Salesforce found that small business owners are personally responsible for an average of 4.2 roles in their business. While that much work can be exhausting, …
Cybersecurity Awareness Month isn’t a marketing gambit. Now in its 17th year, CSAM is a collab between government agencies and industry leaders, created to raise awareness and provide resources to further a safer internet. People like web designers and developers should look at CSAM as an opportunity to discuss website …
Last week, the president announced that COVID stimulus is on hold for now and that further negotiations on a comprehensive stimulus bill wouldn’t take place until after the election—just weeks away (at this writing). Although there has been a suggestion that some industry-specific relief for the airlines be pushed through, …
Did you know that 43 percent of working Americans report having a side hustle? With an increase in unpredictability around job security, a lot of people are starting side hustles with the intention of turning them into full-time businesses. When starting an online side hustle, most people pursue a business …
There are few pursuits in life that are more rewarding than building your own business from the ground up and seeing it go on to succeed. Entrepreneurship is something that many have aspirations of. It is easy to see why because it also allows you to be your own boss …
With Halloween just a few weeks away, and to help you get the celebrations started, we have a free set of spooky vector vintage stamps for you to use freely in both your personal and commercial projects. You can use them to create graphics for your social media campaigns, for …
The number of options, directions, and aesthetic approaches you can take from simply adding a texture to your design is mind-boggling. Of course, not every design benefits from even the most subtle of textures, but you might be surprised at how a high-resolution texture can bring a design to life. …
Serenade – Tired of typing? Use this tool to write code with your voice. Looking at an Online School Through a Web Designer’s Eyes – The good, the bad and the ugly of the online school experience. Blacklight – See who’s tracking you with this real-time website privacy inspector. Get …
An effective sales landing page is essential if you are selling products or services online. The content and elements of a landing page can be the difference between an interested prospect clicking out of your website or continuing on to buy from you. So, what elements can you add to …
The responsibility of ensuring that a website is protected falls on the website owner, but the security expectation may fall on the web service provider too. As a professional, you are the trusted party and first point of contact. Much of what your clients learn about web technology and security …
It comes with little surprise that as the pandemic grows, the demand for safe, one-stop online shopping options grows, as well. The numbers reported by big-box retailers reflect this logic. Target reported the strongest quarterly sales growth in its history. Walmart touted unprecedented earnings in Q2 which led to a …
Do you keep track of your net worth? Your net worth is simply your assets minus your liabilities. It is a great way to measure your financial progress from year to year. Ideally, your net worth should increase every year, but real life rarely works out that way. There will …
Few things create a flood of new online business seekers like economic uncertainty, but the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly exceptional for one reason: remote work. Now that people have cut commutes and are getting more time at home, that side hustle that’s been shelved for so many years …
Business owners who have mastered networking already know the value of it. We attend networking meetings, Chambers of Commerce events and business after-hours events. We’ll even talk to complete strangers in coffee shops. That’s because good networking done properly can lead to new opportunities and new friendships. I’ve been a …
Did you know that 91 percent of businesses have reported an increase in cyberattacks during COVID-19? Even before the pandemic, 90 percent of businesses said they saw an increase in cyberattacks, and according to another source, coronavirus-related cyberattacks will continue to rise. Chances are, your startup will come face-to-face with …
Hooks have been taking the React world by storm. In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at what hooks are and how you use them. I’ll introduce you to some common hooks that ship with React, as well as showing you how to write your own. By the time you’ve …
React is a remarkable JavaScript library that’s taken the development community by storm. In a nutshell, it’s made it easier for developers to build interactive user interfaces for web, mobile and desktop platforms. Today, thousands of companies worldwide are using React, including big names such as Netflix and Airbnb. In …
When the COVID-19 pandemic started wreaking havoc on small business owners, all I could think about was how much I wished I had more systems in place to earn additional income. If you’re anything like me, you too have been thinking a lot about how to increase your revenue in your …
Economies rise and fall. It’s a cycle that can impact all of us in both positive and negative ways. But freelancers can be particularly vulnerable to these shifts. Working as a solo web designer means that you’re always fending for yourself. Still, an economic downturn makes survival all the more …
You’ve spent the majority of 2020 being told that you must adapt to the pandemic’s new economic landscape in order to stay afloat. Acknowledging this fact is easy: putting it into action in a way that promotes long-term business success, that’s the hard part. While companies across the globe were …
If your business received an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) or Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, you may have determined it isn’t a good fit for your small business for any number of reasons: You just wanted the EIDL grant and not an EIDL loan, You didn’t understand the loan …
With the holidays rapidly approaching, you may already be starting to set out a plan to boost your holiday sales. Ecommerce is going to lead the way this year, as the pandemic continues to drive a boost in online shopping. In fact, ecommerce sales from April to May have already …
Historically, HTML forms have been quite tricky — firstly, because at least a little bit of JavaScript was required, and secondly, because no amount of CSS could ever make them behave. However, this isn’t necessarily true in the case of the modern web, so let’s learn how to mark up …
The world moves quickly. That’s why having access to the latest news and information has never been more important. What’s more, users have developed high expectations when it comes to staying in the know. They want up-to-the-minute news about the subjects that affect their daily lives. Not to mention a …
Do you know any CEOs who have enough time to meet all of their obligations, both personally and professionally? If so, I’d love to meet him or her! While there have been several high-profile breakups this year of dual-CEOs (or should we call them “duel”-CEOs) from the likes of SAP, …
Working from home (WFH) has its benefits for both employees and employers, yet it also presents distinct challenges. One of those major challenges is cybersecurity and following security tips for working remotely. Keeping the computers and login credentials of employees safe as they view sensitive documents and open work emails …
Building and securing a WordPress website is always a challenge. Developers take great care to write solid code and implement features such as security plugins to mitigate the inevitable attacks. Even so, we’re not out of the woods. To paraphrase the old saying: a website is only as secure as …
This article was created in partnership with BAWMedia. Thank you for supporting the partners who make SitePoint possible. WordPress became the Internet’s ultimate website builder. It happened because their design team set that as their goal and worked hard to make it happen. There’s no magic involved here. It was …
Like most entrepreneurs, you have likely spent hundreds of hours developing skills to build your business. By the time you start turning a profit, you’re likely to spend thousands of hours and dollars trying out different business models and seeing what works for you. Many entrepreneurs who start turning a …
When an entrepreneur thinks about creating a new website, one option pops up right away: WordPress, the number one CMS in the world. With 38.4% of websites using WordPress, there’s no room to doubt its prominence. WordPress is to content management what Microsoft is to operating systems, Amazon to ecommerce, …
While online shopping via eCommerce has been growing steadily for years, there’s been an unprecedented explosion since the start of the pandemic. Even if you own a brick-and-mortar store, having an online presence has never been so important. An eCommerce store doesn’t just boost your income. It provides an alternate …
On September 19, GoDaddy launched the Tomorrow Fund worldwide for all its employees. It’s designed to help employees recover from unanticipated events or natural disasters, something many are facing now across the country and globe. I’ve been at GoDaddy a really (really) long time. Granted, it’s not like the old …
Over the nearly 40 years I’ve either owned or otherwise worked in a small business, I’ve observed that even businesses that might not be considered “seasonal” in the traditional sense ebb and flow over the course of the year, creating times when capital becomes tight and the cash flow pinch …
Did you know customer reviews and local search engine optimization (SEO) go hand in hand? Let’s explore how those shiny stars can help improve SEO for your business. “I don’t want to annoy them,” said Katie, “I feel like I’d be imposing if I bugged them for a review.” She …
Launching a side hustle takes a lot of work, and if you want to eventually grow yours into a full-time business, you cannot afford to ignore Search Engine Optimization (SEO). There are an estimated 5.8 billion searches on Google every day, leading to 93 percent of online experiences. In short, …
When you’re running a new startup, you likely have a small budget for marketing and advertising, which means every dollar (and every data point) counts. How can you optimize your limited ad spend to reach not just the most people, but the right people? Are the traditional online advertising …
A sales funnel is an online marketing tool that is built and designed to capture leads from traffic and convert them into customers. They tend to convert 20% to 50% higher than ordinary web pages. A sales funnel typically consists of opt-in pages, order forms, shopping carts, checkout pages and …
To say that we’re in a trying time for business owners, big and small, would be an understatement. But don’t lose hope. With patience and resolve, you and your business can still come out of this headstrong. Take it from me, a veteran rafting guide and founder of Blue Ridge …
Freemium is an extremely popular pricing model for software products, and on paper it looks ideal. The theory is that you’ll entice new customers with a free subscription and withhold certain features for the paid version. Ideally, your free users will love your product so much that they’ll sign up …
Hey everyone, it’s been a rough week of homeschooling at the RB40 household. Our son is learning about fractions and he’s having a really hard time with it. We started off pretty well with the basics, but now it’s getting more complicated. Here is a sample question. Lisa walks 7/8 …
You know how important content marketing is to your business. Your audience is online, and you’ve got to reach out to them. You’re writing optimized posts, creating video content and doing everything you can to entice your customers. However, this is only half of the job. To ensure you’re doing …
