And there’s going to be a bit more ads on your Tumblr property. Don’t want to stick around? This guide will show you how to move your custom domain Tumblr account to a self hosted WordPress install.

But before we begin, let’s understand what we’re getting into.

Self hosted WordPress vs. WordPress.com

It’s the oldest question in the book:

What’s the difference between self hosted WordPress and WordPress.com? 

Self hosted WordPress (WordPress.org)

If you want full control over your WordPress install, domain, and brand — this is where you move your Tumblr content to.

So, what do I mean by control?

You can customize your theme and plugins. It’s your content to do whatever you want with. You won’t have to worry about some big brand swooping in with big bucks to change the course of your publishing platform.

What you need to be prepared for:

• Find a WordPress hosting company
• Choosing the right plugins and theme for the job
• Keep up to date with WordPress updates and security patches
• Migrating the data

Why you want to do this:

• Full control of data
• Install any theme or plugin you want
• Use your domain for something more than just a WordPress blog

Migrating the content from Tumblr is the easy part. What you really want to ask yourself is, am I ready to install, manage, and pay for hosting? 

WordPress.com

Sign up for an account and WordPress is ready to rock.

You’ll enjoy easy access to WordPress and the latest and greatest from Automattic. Reblogging other WordPress blogs, following authors, and all for free.

Sounds great, let’s do this thing!

What you need to be prepared for:

• Migrating the data
• Back to another giant platform
• You don’t have full control

Why you want to do this:

• You don’t want to do any heavy lifting
• You’re not thinking of doing anything else with your website
• Umm…plugins?

If you’re someone who just wants to go on auto pilot, WordPress.com might be the place for you. If you’re done dealing with others deciding on what happens to your publishing platform — go the self hosted route.

How to move from Tumblr to WordPress

This tutorial assumes you’re using a custom domain on your Tumblr account and you’re moving to self hosted WordPress. If you’re using a free version of Tumblr’s subdomain, you’re going to need to install a redirection plugin for your URL’s to work properly. We won’t be covering that in this guide.

1. Register an app using Tumblr API

1.a Login to your Tumblr account and visit this link http://www.tumblr.com/oauth/apps. Click register application

1.b Fill out this form to the best of your ability. You don’t need to spend too much time here, jus the domain and contact will do.

1.c Keep this screen open as we’ll need the keys for later on.

Now onto the WordPress side of things…

2. Install the Tumblr importer in WordPress

1.a Click on Tools > Import

2.b Click on Tumblr

2.c Click on Install Now

2.d Click on Activate Plugin & Run importer

2.e Click on Authorize Application 

2.f Click on Allow

2.g Verify all your posts are accounted for, select the Author you want to import as, and click import this blog.

And we’re off to the races!

Pretty painless if you’re migrating from a custom domain on Tumblr to your own domain on WordPress. As stated above, if you’re going from mysite.tumblr.com there’s going to be a bite more you will have to configure to get the URL’s working 100%.

Any questions? Let us know!

Pitchy pitchy, selly sell

Don’t want to go this alone or have questions about migrating from Tumblr to WordPress?

Check out our Launch Session for 1 on 1 coaching and WordPress advice.

One of our WordPress experts will schedule a training webinar with you to handle all the fun questions for first time WordPress users.

• How do I setup WordPress the right way? 
• Can I install an e-commerce store with WordPress?
• How do I start reaching more of an audience with my WordPress blog?

You need serious WordPress advice and we’ve got it for you. What are you waiting for? Schedule a Launch session today!

The post How to move from Tumblr to WordPress appeared first on Slocum Design Studio.

Are they as great as we hope they will be?

In this episode of PressThis, Dan and I look at the upcoming changes and what we should expect to see in the upcoming version release. Excited to hear what you think abou the world’s most popular web publishing platform in the comments!

PressThis: WordPress 3.6 Beta review

Watch on YouTube

Major features we discuss: 

• Post Formats
• Improved Autosave (leverage browser storage)
• Improved UI for menus
• Improved Revisions
• Editorial flow Didn’t end up making the cut, but was slated to.
• WordPress 2013 theme

Hater’s gonna hate

Let me just jump right out in front of that speeding bus before this begins.

I love WordPress and that’s no surprise. I think WordPress is about to hit a major growth and maturity spurt.

• Is it a blogging platform or web app framework?
• Is it made for the masses or for the technically inclined?
• Developers or designers?

Right now, as far as I know, it’s goal is to be the #1 web publishing platform in the world. According to this site, we’re a tick over 7 billion human beings. Do you know how difficult it is to design a website that 5 people have a hand in? Now picture building an app that powers 17% of the internet’s web properties.

Fun stuff.

So before the hater’s hate, here’s my opinion on the upcoming 3.6 version

What I like

Good news first? Great.

Progression

I love the fact that the software is progressing in a great direction. There’s plenty of ways for folks to get involved with this process but I’ll save that for another post.

Menus Simplified

The simpler the better. The menu system has always been a bit clunky, but nice to see they are starting to clean that up. Of course if you’re running a simple blog there’s not much to worry about. If you have even 20+ pages that you’re constantly working on, this is a welcome improvement.

Autosave & improved revisions

Yahtzee! As I draft this post I’m worried I might drop WiFi and lose everything. (although the view is amazing and worth the risk.) Revisions moving to a cleaner more intuitive UI is also something I’ve been looking forward to. Thanks everyone!

What I don’t like

Tuck and roll. Go.

Twenty thirteen theme

It’s not the design. I repeat, it’s not the design that bothers me. It’s the theme of the design. It’s a blogger’s dream yes. Enter biased opinion: As someone who primarily works with startups, small business, and e-commerce shops if this is their first view of WordPress — it doesn’t scream “You run your business on this.”

So my “dislike” for it is purely in theory and not where I would like to see the perception of WordPress headed. Fire away.

Post formats

Meh. (I can feel the mob staring at me.)

I’m so-so on the concept. In all honesty it’s the WYSIWYG concept that’s really hurting the ease of use. Perhaps not for you and I but if you spend time training WordPress newbies, this is a biggie. Once we finally get over the hurdle of front end vs back end we tell them — “It’s just like using Microsoft Word.”

Nice try.

I know post format is an attempt to bridge this gap, but it seems that it’s just adding another layer for someone to grapple with. By no means do I think this is an easy problem to solve either. But what can we do with the editor? Think: Medium and Ghost.

Agree or disagree?

These are just high level features I’ve outlined. There’s a lot of other development advancements that go into a release. We’re just looking that the larger features/enhancements coming in the next month or so.

What do you think about the upcoming 3.6 release?

(Side note: I actually DID lose connectivity while writing this. I can’t wait for 3.6 )

The post WordPress 3.6 Beta review: It’s not all rainbows & unicorns appeared first on Slocum Design Studio.

The fruit of our labors is upon you, this ultimate resource for WordPress slider plugins.

Watch the video as well as read below for all you need to know about sliders and which one(s) to select.

(note: to get one of the featured plugins, we have provided a link resource at the bottom of the page)

And the Winner is…

In looking at a combination of price, support, usability, and workflow (common elements of a good PressThis review), Matt and Dan decided that Soliloquy (link in the “Get a Slider Plugin” section) was the absolute best WordPress slider plugin.

It’s fantastic ecosystem and expansion to other mediums like Instagram was a major plus.

It’s pricing model was also simplified and easy to understand.

$19 is the price to get it on your website, while developers can look forward to the $99 plugin with unlimited websites, premium support, and access to all of the add-ons (like Instagram).

It is easily the most visually pleasing and easy to use WordPress slider for developers, designers, business owners, and bloggers.

Close Second Goes to…

SlideDeck 2 is another very visual option for those of you looking for the kitchen sink.

This slider plugin allows the user to put video sliders via Vimeo on their website as well as tons of different templates.

The downside to the plugin is the cost (it is the most expensive on all accounts, from individual to developer), but this plugin also gives the user the largest amount of options from any plugin we reviewed.

WordPress Slider Plugins on an Ecosystem

There were two particular sliders we looked at during our time reviewing plugins that were especially interesting.

WooSlider, from show favorite WooThemes, is a part of Woo’s particular ecosystem. While the plugin by itself costs at least $29, it works wonderfully with their other plugins, like Sensei and WooCommerce.

Being a part of an ecosystem can be important, where as a client you can get everything you need in one place and for a small fee.

The other ecosystem we seldom talk about on the show, yet one that deserves mention, is StudioPress.

Their plugin, Genesis Slider, is a great addition to their library of cohesive plugins.

With StudioPress, you buy the Genesis framework and get access to the different plugins for no extra charge.

For the Minimalist

Nivo Slider is a very minimal theme that focuses on making a clean and easy slider.

We found the transitions to be a bit on the slow side but loved how effortless back-end navigation and editing were.

There was a clear description of what was contained in each slider from within WordPress (via small thumbnail preview) as well as displayed shortcode to make it easy to embed into any page or post.

There were far fewer options than the other guys, but in a world of modern design and simplicity of layout, this plugin may be a good fit for your website.

Not Mentioned in our Video Series

WOW Slider was another option we looked at for a potential slider plugin.

This is another interesting choice, as an external application for Windows or Mac is required.

The application takes care of the editing and creation of sliders. Once finished with the edit of the application you can export the file and implement it using their free plugin for WordPress.

How do Sliders Work?

Sliders were actually created as a part of jQuery, a platform completely separate and different from WordPress.

Know that, while these plugins are great and valuable tools to generate and display sliders on your WordPress-powered website, they are nothing without an appropriate theme.

Your theme needs access to the slider technology via jQuery coding in order for these sliders to do anything.

One of the elements of this architecture that we did not touch upon in our videos is Flexslider from WooThemes, which is a fantastic toolkit that supplies you with jQuery code to get a slider interface that works on both computers and touch screen smartphones running Android or iOS.

Get a Slider Plugin

Here is an all-encompassing list of the different slider plugins available, along with their respective price.

• Soliloquy ($19 for one user, $99 for a developer)
• SlideDeck 2 ($49 for one user, $99 for three user, and $149 for developer)
• WooSlider ($29 for one user, $49 for five user, and $99 for developer)
• Nivo Slider ($19 for one user, $49 for three user, and $99 for developer)
• Slider Pro ($25 for a one user license via CODECANYON)
• Smooth Slider (Free)
• Genesis Slider (Part of 59.95 Genesis Framework)
• FlexSlider (Free jQuery slider toolkit)
• WOW Slider (Free software and plugin)

Slider Comparison Videos

Here are some resources to other videos we have posted, comparing the plugins a bit more in-depth.

• SlideDeck 2 vs Smooth Slider
• Slider Pro vs Nivo Slider
• WooSlider vs Soliloquy

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Check out the rest of our blog or better yet, SUBSCRIBE for even more juicy WordPress goodness.

The post WordPress Slider Plugin Roundup appeared first on Slocum Design Studio.

Few of them stick.

Is Twitter’s new social media platform, Vine, going to be enough to revitalize a company struggling to maintain its ground?

Will the Twitter Vine Grow?

New social app Vine released a couple weeks ago, and it is a new twist on an old favorite.

Vine from Twitter is best described as a video version of the popular Instagram. Instead of photos, people take videos that last a few seconds.

This is all done on a mobile platform and is not supported by computers or anything like that.

So, where does Vine fit in the grand scheme of your marketing efforts?

Just like Instagram, the use is much more light than that of a traditional social media network.  The nice thing about this app is more its connection to Twitter.  In this way, people with existing Twitter accounts can communicate with small video messages.

Using Twitter as the backbone, you can post small video gifs of new products or company logos.

Streaming over Cable

With the popularity of Netflix and Hulu continuing to grow, it is only a matter of time before most people leave media services like Comcast and Verizon.]

Traditional advertising means are switching over to the Internet world, and so should yours.

If you have something to advertise, it may be better to do so online.

The Digital Storefront

E-Commerce threatens to put an end to brick and mortar stores in many ways, but companies have to embrace the change that the Internet brings rather than run from it.

Use the Internet as means to enhance your physical presence.

If you are a restaurant, consider using the Internet to revolutionize the way people order from your menu or contact the business.

Link to Articles

Why Streaming Content Will See Continued Growth

3 Things Brands Need to Know About Vine

Beyond Link Building: Using Links and Content to Hit Business Goals

How to Make Your Website more Interesting and Linkworthy

Has e-Commerce Killed the High Street?

10 Trends for Logo Designing in 2013

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The post Is Vine from Twitter the Next Big Thing? appeared first on Slocum Design Studio.

After enduring one of the worst blizzards in recent New England memory, the boare of SEO Lunch are back.

Matt and Dan look at the emergence of co-citation in search engine optimization and discuss the fall of typical practices like utilizing anchor tags and alt tagging.

What is Co-Citation?

Co-citation refers to the amount of times a keyword appears near another keyword.

In one of Rand Fishkin’s Whiteboard Fridays, Rand talked about how this form of Google algorithm may overtake simple anchor tags and title keywords.

As a business, this means that it may become more difficult to be seen online without a well-rounded and all-encompassing online presence.

Basically, if “John Doe Pizza” is looking to land for “Boston Pizza Place” on Google, it may be better to get your business’s name near “pizza” or “Boston pizza” or “pizza place” on other websites than to simply write “John Doe Pizza: The Best Boston Pizza Place” as the title of your next blog post.

Build your Brand, not your Links

In one of the more important articles we looked at, the line between promoting links and promoting the brand is discussed.

As search engine optimization becomes more personal and organic, it is important to promote your brand through non-technical means.

This can be done through many different avenues, from guest blogging to viral or guerrilla marketing.

Resources

• Windows 8 and the New York Times Explore New Concepts in Advertising
• Usable Guidelines for Sensible Mobile Design
• Transform Link Building into Brand Building
• How to Build your Presence with Reverse Guest Posting
• 16 Marketing Pick-Up Lines

Happy Valentine’s Day from Slocum Studio

We are here sharing the love and sharing our knowledge of the upcoming web world with you folks.

Share back! A like goes a long way!

The post Co-Citation over Anchor Tags and Valentine’s Day SEO appeared first on Slocum Design Studio.

This can be for the purposes of college or other form of education.

It can also be for employers looking to show employees how to perform a certain task and need a form of certification.

Matt and Dan look turn their attention to the newest WordPress plugin from WooThemes, Sensei.

Sensei by WooThemes

As you can see from the video, Sensei is a great and unique plugin that may or may not work for your business, depending on the need.

As a way to allow students or employees to take quizzes, it is a very effective plugin that utilizes the WordPress core framework nicely.

Pricing for the Plugin

Typical of all WooThemes Plugins, Sensei comes in three pricing flavors

• $79 for a single user
• $129 for five users
• $279 for unlimited users

Potential Problems for the Plugin

There are two major points of contention one may have with the plugin.

The first problem is that for people who are new to WordPress, there is the inherent issue that they will not know how to build a good online course for their students.

The workaround here is to hire or get someone to create all of the online courses who is more knowledgeable of the inner workings of WordPress.

The second potential issue is the fact that on the large scale, it may have been better for WooThemes to create a special interface within WordPress to allow better management of the large group of individuals taking in course work.

By default, WordPress is not exactly elegant at managing large databases.

Other plugins may need to be installed for that sort of management for now.

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If you like what you are reading, know that is a larger part of our extensive coverage of WordPress plugins that we release on a weekly basis.

To be informed of the newest, best, and coolest plugins as they arrive on our doorstep, please subscribe to our blog.

The post Create an Online Course: Sensei by WooThemes appeared first on Slocum Design Studio.

If you are trying to get a simple slider plugin that is fun and effective AND responsive (capable of being displayed on cell phones and tablets as well), look no further.

Matt and Dan take a look at WooSlider from WooThemes and Soliloquy from Soliloquy.

WooSlider from WooThemes

Pricing: $29 for one user, $49 for five users, $99 for unlimited users

WooSlider takes the concept of the WooThemes ecosystem and runs with it.

The interface looks very similar to the other WooThemes plugins like WooCommerce and Sensei.

While the options screen is a little convoluted to use, it is very simple to post and edit sliders onto your website using this plugin.

Soliloquy

Pricing: $19.95 for single user, $99.95 for developer license

Soliloquy is a slider plugin designed solely as a slider plugin.

The images and sliders here have a very simplistic look to them and are equally as easy to create as those on WooSlider. Both plugins utilize the WordPress core to function, so people who are comfortable using that interface and coding will be right at home.

The Verdict

Use our video resource to come to a better conclusion as to which to use.

For more wonderful coverage of plugins on the WordPress framework, please subscribe to our blog!

The post The Best WordPress Slider Plugin: Which Should You Choose? appeared first on Slocum Design Studio.

General Changes/Fixes:

• Library has been completely revamped; it’s now easier to use and more visually appealing
• With the launch of the Twenty Twelve theme on WordPress.org, the theme itself is completely retina display ready
• For Developers: AJAX functionality has been added to the media library in its use and also in the meta data association with images
• Editor: Prevent certain HTML elements from being unexpectedly removed or modified in rare cases.
• Media: Fix a collection of minor workflow and compatibility issues in the new media manager.
• Networks: Suggest proper rewrite rules when creating a new network.
• Prevent scheduled posts from being stripped of certain HTML, such as video embeds, when they are published.
• Work around some misconfigurations that may have caused some JavaScript in the WordPress admin area to fail.
• Suppress some warnings that could occur when a plugin misused the database or user APIs.

Security Fixes

• A server-side request forgery vulnerability and remote port scanning using pingbacks. This vulnerability, which could potentially be used to expose information and compromise a site, affects all previous WordPress versions. This was fixed by the WordPress security team. We’d like to thank security researchers Gennady Kovshenin and Ryan Dewhurst for reviewing our work.
• Two instances of cross-site scripting via shortcodes and post content. These issues were discovered by Jon Cave of the WordPress security team.
• A cross-site scripting vulnerability in the external library Plupload. Thanks to the Moxiecode team for working with us on this, and for releasing Plupload 1.5.5 to address this issue.

Read the official release post for more information.

P.S. – We’ve updated all of your plugins and themes as well.

The post Hosted WordPress Clients: We’ve Updated to WordPress 3.5.1 appeared first on Slocum Design Studio.

That means that the popular (or not so popular) Google update has seen 24 iterations of its fresh algorithms.

Google Panda Update

The 24th iteration of Google Panda is out, and it affects 1.2% of all search queries.

Considering there are thousands upon thousands of search queries conducted daily, that is a big deal.

The point here is to be responsive to change as a business. Revisit old webpages and update content. Continuously check what is driving traffic to our website.

Most importantly, keep building on the content front and pander to the panda.

The 80/20 Rule

As Matt and I discuss in the video, don’t waste your time working on projects or content that is not going to be effective.

There is a huge time and money sink into building a great place for people to go on the web. So don’t squander it on the little things that people will not watch.

Put 80% of your effort into the stuff that really works. We would even consider that number changed to 100%.

Email Outreach 101

Below is an article resource to write and effective outreach email.

Here is a breakdown of the steps involved:

1. Get a Branded Email Address (@businessname.com)
2. Contact the RIGHT person (Not too big/not too small)
3. Use an enticing yet not “spammy” subject line
4. Personalize the greeting
5. Be direct and brief with your message
6. Use a signature that matches the message and company tone

Follow those steps and you are well on your way to getting people to respond to your email asks.

Article Resource:

80/20 Rule and How it Applies to SEO

Google Panda Version 24

Write an Effective Outreach Email

Make Life Better by not Answering Email

Get the Most Out of Startup Weekend

Deliver a Media Interview like a Pro

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For more of this great content, please subscribe to our blog to get fed well with wonderful SEO insight.

The post Google Panda Update History and the SEO 80/20 Rule appeared first on Slocum Design Studio.

On this episode of PressThis, the guys look at the changes made from the earlier version of the world’s most popular WordPress e-commerce plugin.

What’s New in WooCommerce 2?

• Hold Stock for orders (for a certain period of time until the order goes through or is cancelled)
• New Shortcodes for Best-Seller and On Sale tags
• Simplified interface for creating product designation
• Resend email orders

More to Come

We will be continuing to provide coverage for the new release of WooCommerce 2 as it heads towards its January release date

If you have any questions about the beta or the new finished product, please let us know.

We will eventually release a WooCommerce how-to, so please subscribe to our website to receive the content.

The post What’s New in WooCommerce 2 appeared first on Slocum Design Studio.