Marketing

GDPR and The Launch of WordPress 4.9.6

Posted on | by moocow

At Moocow we’re all about knowing what’s best for your business, whether it’s trending tech news, the latest updates, design tips or marketing tactics. And when it comes to getting you your perfect website, we pride ourselves on making sites that are both manageable and secure.

Following the launch of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation laws (GDPR) which began May 25, WordPress have made some important updates to privacy and maintenance options for site users. GDPR requires businesses or web page owners to be clear and upfront about how they’re using, collecting or sharing your personal data. It also means users have more choice and control over how their data is stored and shared.

Due to this, WordPress have decided to release WordPress 4.9.6 – the Privacy and Maintenance release. Features that can be found within the update include automatic changes to the comments section where users will be given options to whether their details will be saved on the browser. You can now also create a privacy policy page using a new default menu feature on the WordPress dashboard.

Although allowing for a speedier process, WordPress still recommends to add the privacy policy manually to the footer on each page of your website also. Webpage owners can also export or erase a clients data and send automatic requests asking for permission via email. WordPress have also created a handbook that guides you through privacy policies when using plug-ins which you can learn more about here.

95 other updates and modifications have been included in WordPress 4.9.6. including:

  • “Mine” included as a filter in the media library.

  • When displayed in admin, plugin-ins will now show the minimal PHP version required.

  • New PHP polyfills for forwards-compatibility and proper variable validation have been added.

  • TinyMCE updated to newest version (4.7.11).

Take a look at the WordPress site here to read up on the more in depth details on all the updates included.

 

Get the Party Started and Celebrate the WordPress 15th Anniversary on May 27th

Posted on | by moocow

At Moocow, we love all things WordPress. It’s free, open source, available in 69+ languages with over 50,000 plugins. I mean, what’s not to love? Over the years the popularity of WordPress has grown immensely. W3Techs reports that WordPress now powers over 30% of sites on the web. And it’s no wonder when they have such great extras on offer.

On May 27th, WordPress with be celebrating its 15th anniversary of WP’s original release, and they’re holding a worldwide party, which you’re all invited to. To get involved, check out the WordPress 15th Anniversary website and find out whether there’s a party you and your mates can tag along to nearby, and RSVP to the event.

If there isn’t, then why not get cracking at setting one up yourself? Brighton has a huge creative network when it comes to design, and whether you’re a developer, copywriter or graphic designer, we all have one thing in common – we’d all rather swap a day at the office for an afternoon spent in one of Brighton’s many beer gardens. So why not get involved and get posting about your very own WordPress Birthday Party.

You can even get yourself some special 15th anniversary WordPress swag. In tribute to the anniversary, WordPress have added a money off code CELEBRATEWP15 to get 15% off all accessories till the end of 2018. So whether you end up hosting your own WordPress party, bake a WordPress cake or even just get your hands on lots of cool new merch, make sure you get posting using the #WP15 hashtag online to help celebrate WordPress worldwide.

 

Take a Closer Look at Your SEO and Avoid These Optimisation Misconceptions

Posted on | by moocow

At Moocow, we pride ourselves on having the most up to date knowledge on the latest web news, tips and trends. With technology and techniques developing daily, Moocow are continuously working hard to help find new ways to develop your business.

Myths in SEO are often formed when people are not up to date with their SEO knowledge, or when businesses create SEO ‘tips’ that are a con to get you to pay out big money for techniques that don’t really matter all that much.

Since the turn of 2018, we have seen rapid changes to the way SEO works across many web design platforms. Below we’ve cleared up a few fibs you might have been told previously in regards to your website’s SEO.

 

Keywords do not matter as much as they used to – TRUE

There is a great deal of focus put on keywords, however they may not be as important as many think. They are useful too have but do not necessarily need to be your primary focus. It’s a case of still having them but not making them the full focus. It’s still important to use keywords in meta descriptions tag lines and titles on your web pages, however there are a ton of other important ways that can get you discovered quicker.

 

You can reach the number one spot for a certain keyword – FALSE, you can’t anymore

It is no longer possible to reach the number one spot for a certain keyword due to the way Google has recently changed the way their rankings work. Unless you’re a big corporation like Apple or Coca-Cola where your search results would automatically lead you to a top spot, you can no longer predict what will be at number one for a particular keyword search. You could type in ‘mobile’ into Google search one day and it come up with a bunch of info on mobile first, but the next day it could just as likely come up with a page on baby toys.

 

Link building is dead – FALSE, it’s more alive than ever

It’s a common misconception that link building is “dead” however this just isn’t so, and has been largely discussed by companies such as Moz and Forbes. If anything, it’s link farms that are dead. According to Moz, using anchor text and links to “topic-specific”sites will still help to attract traffic to your site. The more attention your site receives, the easier it will be for Google to rank it higher in search engine results. Working alongside other companies through social sharing can benefit your company awareness greatly also.

 

SEO companies can guarantee to get you #1 ranking – FALSE, no one can

Despite what many companies would like to brag, no one can guarantee this. And this is the sort of con to watch out for when looking for a company to help with your SEO. A reliable SEO company will be able to work with you to make your site consistently popular on Google and improve its rankings. This will not necessarily mean being able to achieve that number one spot. When it comes to getting help with your SEO, look for honesty over false prophecies. You don’t want to be left out of pocket and without the results you wanted to achieve in the first place.

 

Different pages should have different keywords – FALSE

This really isn’t necessary, as although the importance of keywords are still relevant, it’s still only a minor part of what helps rank your website. It makes sense to have your primary keyword featured across your whole site, as that’s what Google picks up and makes searches relevant to your business. You don’t need to bother creating a ton of background pages each with different keywords, as it’s likely to make your rankings more confusing.

 

 

Google Hints on Gmail Update and Improvements

Posted on | by moocow

At Moocow, we pride ourselves on having the most up to date knowledge on the hottest tech trends and web news. With technology and techniques developing daily, we’ll make sure you’re getting the latest info on what’s happening in the world of web.

Google has recently revealed that it will be making new updates and changes to its Gmail service. Although an official date has not been set for the release, sources have hinted that an unveiling may happen during Google’s yearly developers conference, which will be hosted this year on May 8th. The company has previously revealed upcoming developments at similar events.

Remaining fairly ambiguous with their announcement, Google are yet to clearly define exactly what changes and improvements we can expect to see. However, in a recent report from Android Authority, they have indicated towards ‘draft phase’ changes that we might be able to expect, including a feature for “snoozing” emails, “smart reply” options and other additional features that can already be found in the Gmail mobile app. The makeover seems to include a shift in making the browser version match up with its little brother app.

Although seemingly in its early stages, a launch of Gmail’s new updates are no doubt clearly in sight, and we can hopefully look forward to some handy web browser improvements headed our way in the near future.

 

 

7 Reasons Why You Should Choose WordPress to Host Your Website

Posted on | by moocow

At Moocow, we pride ourselves on having the most up to date knowledge on the latest web developments and web design trends. Our job is to seek out the best in high quality web hosting, security and SEO awareness. When it comes to choosing a platform for your hosting, WordPress ranks higher than any other hosting service. Below are our 7 reasons why WordPress is top of the leaderboard.

Deciding on a platform to host your website is one of the first points to consider when getting started in creating a new or updated site. The platform we think ranks above all the rest is WordPress. This open-source CMS works as an ideal model for creating a wide variety of sites for both small and large businesses, ranging from e-commerce to blog based designs. Still not convinced? Well here’s our reasons why…

It’s popular

WordPress sites account for over 25% of sites on the web, with 1.1 million new domains being created every 6 months. The incredibly popular platform is even available in 62 different languages, making it accessible to businesses worldwide.

It’s beginner friendly

WordPress is easy to use, even if you haven’t had much experience. It allows you to add pages, blog posts, text and widgets at the click of a button. Even if your site is being professionally designed, it will be easy for you to make additional changes or touch ups yourself.

You’ve got access to tons of Themes and Plug-ins

WordPress guarantees access to a huge variety of themes and plug-ins compared to other sites. No matter what your business or blog, they have themes to suit all. From Jetpack, Yoast, Revslider to Woocommerce and Mailchimp, there are so many options to help improve your site.

It’s highly secure

WordPress core software is highly protected and comes with access to great plug-ins such as Wordfence to give you extra defences alongside firewall and malware scans. WordPress also offer plenty of guides and tips to keep you secure savvy.

It will improves your rankings

WordPress genuinely has the ability to help you rank higher in search engines. “WordPress” is searched 2,740,000 times every month, making it one of the highest searched keywords on Google. And WordPress has plenty of great SEO plug-ins and built-in features to optimize each page on your website.

It’s known for its great support

Need help? WordPress has a great technical support team on hand to help with any customer queries you may have. Their engineers offer first rate customer support and quick fixes to any technical issues, and you can access their support services easily online.

No.1 for media

If you’re wanting a website that can handle a multitude of different media content, WordPress handles images, audio, video and plenty more with ease, making it simple to upload and insert content when writing a post or a page.

SEO Tips and Trends for 2018

Posted on | by moocow

At Moocow, we pride ourselves on having the most up to date knowledge on the hottest tech trends and web design news. With 2017 over, it’s time to take stock on what we’ve learnt over the past year and get ready for what the new year has in store for the world of SEO. Take a look at our advice below and get ahead of the game with essential SEO tips and trends for 2018.

Voice Search

Voice search is becoming increasingly popular with a surge in voice search and smart speaker sales. Both Amazon Echo and Google Home have become household favourites. Marketers feel voice search has a higher ability to analyse what shoppers are looking for specifically when compared with traditional search options.

Keyword Planning

When it comes to keyword planning it can be hard to get accurate advice without paying for help such as through Google Analytics Keyword Planner. Up your game when choosing good keywords by using free tools such as Moz’s Keyword Explorer tool. This can help you to get accurate information that can rank the best keywords to target relevant to your business.

Optimising Titles and Meta Descriptions

You can optimise Titles and Meta Descriptions on your web pages by ensuring things such as correct word length, correct keyword usage and making sure your keywords are featured in your tags and URL. This way they are more likely to rank higher in search engine results.

Keep Up To Date

Be sure to keep social media channels up to date and produce and publish new content weekly. Make sure content is of your best quality, is descriptive but gets the point across easily, and is enjoyable for your audience to read. Be sure to use relevant keywords and use both external and internal links to relevant content.

Link Building

Link building, when used correctly and adheres to a specific budget, can be extremely beneficial to SEO. Networking with other companies can be extremely beneficial to landing you “guest spots” or social media takeovers on as many public and published sites as possible.

10 Of The Best Tech and Web Design Email Newsletters To Subscribe To

Posted on | by moocow

At Moocow, we pride ourselves on having the most up to date knowledge on the hottest tech trends and web news. With our latest research, we’ve compiled a top ten list of what we believe are some of the best web design email newsletters to subscribe to, packed full of helpful tips, tutorials and freebies to get you going in all areas of design.

If you’re looking to get your hands on the hottest web development, coding and design news, subscribing to these email newsletters will leave your inbox filled with the best info, resources and design inspiration from masters in the world of tech.

The Download – A newsletter that appears daily in your inbox curated by MIT’s Technology Review. It’s one of several of MIT’s technology review and aims to offer a complete low down on what’s going on in the tech world.

Recode Daily – A round-up of the best news and trends relating to both tech and business. Signing up grants you access to articles and podcasts on what’s trending in areas including Commerce, Social media, Enterprise and Mobile and info on any upcoming events.

The Webdesigner Newsletter – Created specifically for developers and designers, the Webdesigner targets those wanting access to handy resources and plenty of free stuff. Top subjects include UI, HTML, Typography and help with design inspiration.

Hacking UI – An extremely useful product design and front-end development newsletter, dishing out articles, podcasts & master classes. Covering everything from VR, UX Photoshop and general web design.

Web Tools Weekly – If you’re searching for the latest info on tools for front-end developers, the Web Tools newsletter will be just the thing for you. This weekly newsletter offers tips and tutorials, and an inside guide to the latest apps, scripts and plug-ins.

Sidebar – Designer, developer and entrepreneur Sacha Greif’s daily newsletter showcasing her 5 favourite design articles, interviews and resources of the day. Helpful info on UX design, image freebies, CSS help, design program guides and general news in the world of web.

wpMail – A free, weekly WordPress Newsletter for general WordPress users with a handful of WordPress news and articles featuring SEO tips, themes and plug-ins.

MasterWP – Another weekly newsletter from WordPress, this time aimed at professionals who are proficient in all things WP. Every Wednesday get your hands on a variety of artciles, apps, tools and extras that will make life easier for WordPress pros.

DevTips – A collection of weekly developer tips from front-end developer and expert Umar Hansa. Those who sign up will get a developer tutorial or tip sent to you as a gif. Great for info on CSS, JavaScript, network issues and UI.

Frontend Focus – A once a week bundle of the best front-end news stories, tips and tutorials. From HTML, CSS, WebGL, Canvas, browser tech and more, the newsletter also includes the latest job vacancies in the tech industry if you’re currently looking for a career or new job as a developer.

 

Web News: Tweetstorm Feature Hidden on Twitter Android App

Posted on | by moocow

Twitter continuously leads the way as a successful social media platform for businesses, but let’s face it – the one major difference between Twitter and other social media sites such as Facebook, is the length of posts you are allowed to Tweet. For some users, this has helped simplify things when creating a post – allowing them to Tweet info that is direct and uncomplicated. However for many – the 140 character limit can be particularly frustrating, especially when you feel you’ve got a lot more to say.

Recently it has come to light that hidden within Twitter’s Android app is a “Tweetstorm” feature, allowing users to post what can be seen as a thread of tweets continuing on from a discussion or theme. To do this you simply need to post a tweet, and then continue to post replies to keep the thread going.

The screenshots depicting the “Tweetstorm” were posted by a Twitter user under the false name of Devesh Logendran. After being tweeted by The Next Web’s Social Media Director Matt Navarra, the images have since gone viral and are now trending across major tech news sites. The pictures show the posts split up as individual tweets posted as a thread, with the end showing a longer “tweet count”.

 

 

So, should Twitter make plans to scrap their current character limit? Does this current restriction put off those new to Twitter? Or do shorter posts help businesses get more direct messages across to their audiences?

Despite being largely talked about across the world of web, Twitter has refused to make a statement on the finding of the feature. So keep your eyes peeled and hopefully in the near future the adjustment will be made usuable on all of Twitter’s mobile platforms. In the meantime, users will have to look to Storm It on Android and iOS to create Tweetstorms of their own.

Tech News: Google’s Getting a New Homepage for the First Time in 20 Years

Posted on | by moocow

At Moocow, we pride ourselves on having the most up to date knowledge on the hottest tech trends and web news. With technology and techniques developing daily, we’ll make sure you’re getting the latest info on what’s happening in the world of web.

Google’s famous search engine was launched in 1997, and since that day its iconic homepage has yet to change – minus a few animation tweaks to the logo when a celebratory holiday pops up. Despite boldly clinging to its design for 20 years, Google has finally announced that it will be giving its home page a brand new makeover, with the launch of a personalised news feed added to the browser version of the original Google search bar. 20 years is a long time to wait to make such a change, which makes this pretty big news for the company. So why now? You might be asking. The change comes after a massive surge in the amount of AI being used to predict search queries which is fast becoming a replacement for traditional search engines, a trend that is expected to continue to rise considerably in the future. According to recent statistics released, 99.9% of Google’s revenue is from the use of “search and video advertising”, and with search engines becoming a dying format, Google needs to up its game to stay ahead of its competitors. Google’s plan is to develop a news feed style homepage similar to how Facebook and other sites operate, with predictions of searches, latest news and what’s trending. So if you’re a Google user, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for some significant upcoming changes.