I've been noticing some questions floating around about QR (quick response) codes and why or how to use them. Although, I don't consider myself an expert in many things, I can sa
Yes there are many things you should have in mind when creating QR codes. I think a lot about the location. I look to place them where people have the time and opportunity to notice and scan them. And also probably the most important thing of them all: Always have the costumers in mind, when you create QR codes! I use zumoqr to create my QR codes, and can highly recommend this system.
Patty, I LOVE QR codes...when used properly! LOL
I can't tell you how many times I've been in stores where I whip out my Handy Dandy QR code reader, scan the code and have an employee come up and ask me what I'm doing. At which point I train them on QR codes and how they work...or should work.
My biggest pet peeve with QR codes is the fact that the business promoting it does not take the consumer into consideration.
As a consumer I get very frustrated when I feel like I have wasted my time and energy scanning a QR code only to be taken to the home page of a website or worse yet that the QR code is so small it won’t even scan. (I've had that happen with Haagen Dazs ice cream and the QR code was so small it wouldn't scan)
Think about it this way. If you were going to download a QR code reader to your phone, scan the QR code and wait for it to take you somewhere wouldn't you want it to take you to a place that is going to benefit you?
For example, if a Realtor has listed a property and placed flyers outside of the home with a QR code on it, that QR code should not take a potential client to the home page of the Realtor but to a Virtual Tour of that particular home.
Or let's say your shopping for running shoes and the company has a 10% off coupon waiting for you as soon as you scan their QR code. Once you scan it, you are taken to a page that gives you the code for the cashier to put in the computer and Viola, you just got 10% off.
Some useful ways you could use a QR code on your website are:
Scan to download your contact information on the users phone
Download an app you have for them
Download directions to your place of business
Save a coupon that can be redeemed in the future
One way you could use the QR code for Wealthy Affiliate would be to put up flyers around your area, at the kids daycare or school, or anywhere you think people could benefit from Wealthy Affiliate. (which is pretty much everywhere lol)
You could either send them to Wealthy Affiliate, your site that promotes Wealthy Affiliate or better yet a short 30 -45 second video that explains the benefits of joining Wealthy Affiliate.
The opportunities for QR codes are really endless. Just keep in mind the end user. Walk through the steps you are asking them to do and ask yourself if this is something worth doing.
I'll leave you with an amazing video of how QR codes in Korea are used. Pretty cool stuff!!!
http://youtu.be/nJVoYsBym88
I KNEW I saw potential there! What an awesome video but I'm not sure how smart they are for smaller businesses.
I DO like your your suggestions though so, I guess they are a better idea for those of us who already own smart phones with a scanning app (or maybe just your camera works?)
Thanks so much for taking the time to add this to our discussion. :)
Yeah in Korea and Chine a QR code reader is already built into the phone. Here in the US we have to find an app, download it then use it.
For small businesses, it could work on business cards, car magnets and even shop windows. Scan this QR code for great deals or check us out on Facebook and have the code direct them to their fan page. It's actually great for small businesses. Cheap and can be very effective. I've actually suggested to some of my local clients and one of the Realtors had a HUGE magnetic sign made up for his van with just the QR code.
When scanned it takes them to a specific mobile site where it has his listings and contact information. He's had a lot of success with it for sure.
~ Audrey
Hey Audrey,
This is a such a brilliant and informative comment, you should convert it into training immediately!
You've made me realise why I have had such a *downer* on scanning QR codes, apart from the fact that you have to load an *app* prior to scanning, it's because every time I've used them they've returned generic rather than specific interesting and actionable info.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and ideas. Kudos!
Rich. x
Rich, thank you so much for your kind words. Can you tell I love this topic? LOL
I've done quite a bit of research on QR codes and like I said I do love them when they can benefit the end user.
I have my grand daughter today and tomorrow but I will definitely put together a training on them and give some other suggestions on how best to use them.
Thanks again for the vote of confidence!!! I so much appreciate it. :)
~ Audrey
Well done Patty for putting up this post.
I have used QR codes before but the generator was changing the links to include their own aff link and I haven't touched them since.
Neil
Thanks Neil,
Wow that sounds dodgy. So I guess using something like goo.gl with .qr at the end is actually a very easy solution to avoiding being "scammed" by the generator. Thats good to know.
I'm hoping to get a good understanding of how to use them to our fullest advantage.
Perhaps I will attempt a training on them too. But, probably not....Lol :)
I have always wondered if these are useful. I see them EVERYWHERE, but I've never actually used one myself. I'm pretty low-tech, so I'm not even sure how they work or if people use them.
Is the deal that you just take a picture of the code and it takes you to a website? Or do you need a special qr scanning app?
I'm hoping to get some insight in this discussion. I am primarily using mine to have a "prettier" way of sending people to WA without them "seeing" my affiliate link. I just have it on my phone and when I'm talking to a possible referral, just have them "scan" it and off they go to the sign up page of WA.
You have to have a scan app that will process the code. Similar to barcode scanners but they have them for all types of mobile devices and most are free.
How do you approach the subject of scanning the code? It seems to me the most natural way would be to tell them the name of the website.
Though I people are forgetful, and this would at least give you the angle that they can 'store' it to sign up later.
Have people given you any funny looks when referring the site? Maybe I have a sleezy way about me, but I always get the, "Oh, so do you make money by bringing me to the site?"
I always offer the information upfront.
This is my mini spiel: "there are two memberships, starter and premium, I recommend you begin with the starter membership, it's free and you get two websites as well as access to a wealth of training. Then move on to premium if you like what you see. I'm a premium member so I get $1 credit, that I can use towards my membership after you sign up but I would honestly refer WA even if I didn't make a penny. Once you join you'll understand what I mean, it's the best place to learn about online business."
Or something along those lines. Just be natural and honest. :)
I just put the codes on my site today, It seemed like a handy thing have in most cases for simplicity and reader friendliness.
I discovered that the Ultimate TinyMCE plugin has a QR code maker in it. I just activated that and it puts a unique code on each post or page and I don't have to do anything more.
I don't know maybe the independent sites are better than the plugin though.
Any review about the plug-in? I think it would be helpful if does not create problem in word press site. Not all plug-ins are trouble free.
There's a large number of us here at WAU who have been using Ultimate TinyMCE for a long time, both the Lite and Pro versions, without encountering any problems. You can download the free version here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/ultimate-tinymce/ Rich.
Yes, they have marketing ideas like t-shirts, coffee mugs and other "gifts" or merchandise. I guess you can truly customize them with colors and things...lol. Enjoy :)
See more comments
I've been noticing some questions floating around about QR (quick response) codes and why or how to use them. Although, I don't consider myself an expert in many things, I can sa
I love using QR Codes for my marketing, online and offline. You can make up flyers and post up anywhere you like..intrigues people I think. These are a big part of the Internet now and will be in the future.
I have my own site which gives you the option of creating 3 different types of QR CODE. You can make one for an URL, Virtual Business Card, and Phone number. The virtual business card is very popular at the moment.
I don't think a lot of people know what is happening on the Internet now and into the future. Just let me tell you it has a lot to do with mobile and technology, and if you're thinking of starting to do something with mobile, lets just say now would be a good time to jump on board.
It's pretty crazy how things on the Internet can move so fast, just like in 1997 when the pioneers jumped on the Internet and built a website. They basically left their competitors in the dust. Everyone who didn't or thought about it, must be kicking themselves right now. I it's fair to say this is happening again on the Internet.
You can just see the trend these days. them little 2d barcodes are popping up just about everywhere, shops, consumer products etc. I love the VBC because it scan and save that's it, no typing..how good is that.
Yes there are many things you should have in mind when creating QR codes. I think a lot about the location. I look to place them where people have the time and opportunity to notice and scan them. And also probably the most important thing of them all: Always have the costumers in mind, when you create QR codes! I use zumoqr to create my QR codes, and can highly recommend this system.
Patty, I LOVE QR codes...when used properly! LOL
I can't tell you how many times I've been in stores where I whip out my Handy Dandy QR code reader, scan the code and have an employee come up and ask me what I'm doing. At which point I train them on QR codes and how they work...or should work.
My biggest pet peeve with QR codes is the fact that the business promoting it does not take the consumer into consideration.
As a consumer I get very frustrated when I feel like I have wasted my time and energy scanning a QR code only to be taken to the home page of a website or worse yet that the QR code is so small it won’t even scan. (I've had that happen with Haagen Dazs ice cream and the QR code was so small it wouldn't scan)
Think about it this way. If you were going to download a QR code reader to your phone, scan the QR code and wait for it to take you somewhere wouldn't you want it to take you to a place that is going to benefit you?
For example, if a Realtor has listed a property and placed flyers outside of the home with a QR code on it, that QR code should not take a potential client to the home page of the Realtor but to a Virtual Tour of that particular home.
Or let's say your shopping for running shoes and the company has a 10% off coupon waiting for you as soon as you scan their QR code. Once you scan it, you are taken to a page that gives you the code for the cashier to put in the computer and Viola, you just got 10% off.
Some useful ways you could use a QR code on your website are:
Scan to download your contact information on the users phone
Download an app you have for them
Download directions to your place of business
Save a coupon that can be redeemed in the future
One way you could use the QR code for Wealthy Affiliate would be to put up flyers around your area, at the kids daycare or school, or anywhere you think people could benefit from Wealthy Affiliate. (which is pretty much everywhere lol)
You could either send them to Wealthy Affiliate, your site that promotes Wealthy Affiliate or better yet a short 30 -45 second video that explains the benefits of joining Wealthy Affiliate.
The opportunities for QR codes are really endless. Just keep in mind the end user. Walk through the steps you are asking them to do and ask yourself if this is something worth doing.
I'll leave you with an amazing video of how QR codes in Korea are used. Pretty cool stuff!!!
http://youtu.be/nJVoYsBym88
I KNEW I saw potential there! What an awesome video but I'm not sure how smart they are for smaller businesses.
I DO like your your suggestions though so, I guess they are a better idea for those of us who already own smart phones with a scanning app (or maybe just your camera works?)
Thanks so much for taking the time to add this to our discussion. :)
Yeah in Korea and Chine a QR code reader is already built into the phone. Here in the US we have to find an app, download it then use it.
For small businesses, it could work on business cards, car magnets and even shop windows. Scan this QR code for great deals or check us out on Facebook and have the code direct them to their fan page. It's actually great for small businesses. Cheap and can be very effective. I've actually suggested to some of my local clients and one of the Realtors had a HUGE magnetic sign made up for his van with just the QR code.
When scanned it takes them to a specific mobile site where it has his listings and contact information. He's had a lot of success with it for sure.
~ Audrey
Hey Audrey,
This is a such a brilliant and informative comment, you should convert it into training immediately!
You've made me realise why I have had such a *downer* on scanning QR codes, apart from the fact that you have to load an *app* prior to scanning, it's because every time I've used them they've returned generic rather than specific interesting and actionable info.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and ideas. Kudos!
Rich. x
Rich, thank you so much for your kind words. Can you tell I love this topic? LOL
I've done quite a bit of research on QR codes and like I said I do love them when they can benefit the end user.
I have my grand daughter today and tomorrow but I will definitely put together a training on them and give some other suggestions on how best to use them.
Thanks again for the vote of confidence!!! I so much appreciate it. :)
~ Audrey
Well done Patty for putting up this post.
I have used QR codes before but the generator was changing the links to include their own aff link and I haven't touched them since.
Neil
Thanks Neil,
Wow that sounds dodgy. So I guess using something like goo.gl with .qr at the end is actually a very easy solution to avoiding being "scammed" by the generator. Thats good to know.
I'm hoping to get a good understanding of how to use them to our fullest advantage.
Perhaps I will attempt a training on them too. But, probably not....Lol :)
I have always wondered if these are useful. I see them EVERYWHERE, but I've never actually used one myself. I'm pretty low-tech, so I'm not even sure how they work or if people use them.
Is the deal that you just take a picture of the code and it takes you to a website? Or do you need a special qr scanning app?
I'm hoping to get some insight in this discussion. I am primarily using mine to have a "prettier" way of sending people to WA without them "seeing" my affiliate link. I just have it on my phone and when I'm talking to a possible referral, just have them "scan" it and off they go to the sign up page of WA.
You have to have a scan app that will process the code. Similar to barcode scanners but they have them for all types of mobile devices and most are free.
How do you approach the subject of scanning the code? It seems to me the most natural way would be to tell them the name of the website.
Though I people are forgetful, and this would at least give you the angle that they can 'store' it to sign up later.
Have people given you any funny looks when referring the site? Maybe I have a sleezy way about me, but I always get the, "Oh, so do you make money by bringing me to the site?"
I always offer the information upfront.
This is my mini spiel: "there are two memberships, starter and premium, I recommend you begin with the starter membership, it's free and you get two websites as well as access to a wealth of training. Then move on to premium if you like what you see. I'm a premium member so I get $1 credit, that I can use towards my membership after you sign up but I would honestly refer WA even if I didn't make a penny. Once you join you'll understand what I mean, it's the best place to learn about online business."
Or something along those lines. Just be natural and honest. :)
I just put the codes on my site today, It seemed like a handy thing have in most cases for simplicity and reader friendliness.
I discovered that the Ultimate TinyMCE plugin has a QR code maker in it. I just activated that and it puts a unique code on each post or page and I don't have to do anything more.
I don't know maybe the independent sites are better than the plugin though.
Any review about the plug-in? I think it would be helpful if does not create problem in word press site. Not all plug-ins are trouble free.
There's a large number of us here at WAU who have been using Ultimate TinyMCE for a long time, both the Lite and Pro versions, without encountering any problems. You can download the free version here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/ultimate-tinymce/ Rich.
Yes, they have marketing ideas like t-shirts, coffee mugs and other "gifts" or merchandise. I guess you can truly customize them with colors and things...lol. Enjoy :)
See more comments
My website will be an instructional website and I plan on implementing two to three blogs with instructional video (and photos) a week. I will not be able to sit in front of a comp
i think leoemery study case is an awesome insight. Try to wrap up your videos within 2min. But its all depend on your niche. If it is instructional video then try to wrap in 5 min.
I use a Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 and Camtasia Studio 7.
The webcam is a couple of years old now but because Logitech produce up to date drivers I have never felt the need to upgrade it.
They are Mac compatible.
Neil
Hey Patty - no I understand training videos are usually longer
And yes clips or teasers do work if done right - the trick (lack of a better word) is make the clip/teaser short - think of how the use to tease you at the end of a soap opera -
So you could do something like - "In today's video I'm going to show you how to ..... and then then direct them to the video on your site through a link.
It's a matter of testing as well -
Cheers
Leo
You're right it does depend on the video - but using video to strictly market getting them to you site is the goal, and do it as fast as possible.
But if your site is about remote control planes then the videos will be done differently and would be longer.
One of my primary sites I use the videos to specifically drive traffic to my site - and these videos are all on page one according to their key words. And the videos have helped pull my content onto the first page as well. It's all in how you perform the SEO for each video.
If you plan on hosting your videos on Youtube, then length is something you should test and take into account.
Youtube has some great analytics tracking stats that you can access for your videos.
One of the analytics features is called "Audience retention", this will show you in detail how long people are watching the video before moving on, you can even break it down by country date etc.
This feature alone is very good because it can help you improve your videos, for example if you notice a huge drop in the audience retention at the 3:40 second point, you can study the video to see what could possible be causing them to leave at that point.
Something else to keep in mind is that the average percent of time a video is viewed is now part of Youtubes ranking factor.
Great point the length of your videos is very important.
The objective of my marketing with video is to get the eye balls on my video and then get people off You Tube and to my site.
Regarding viewer retention -
The average YouTube video is 5 minutes long - this is for all of YouTube:
70% of viewers remain for 30 seconds –
50% of viewers remain for 60 seconds
24% of viewers remain for 2 minutes.
If you had 100 people watching your video at the 2 minute mark only 25 people will be watching
I've been video marketing for many years and one of my mentors and teachers Dave Kaminski did a study with over 24 million video views and it was determined - that at the 1:12 mark you will still have 100% of your viewers and then after that people will start to drop off.
With that in mind and from a marketing point of view I keep my videos around a 1:30.
People have very short attention spans - especially on YouTube - like I said my goal is to get them off YouTube on on my site.
Now with that said when I do a training video such as for WA that time is longer because it is a training video and people know the training is the training - but your certainly don't want to drag on and on.
Cheers
Leo
Hi Leo,
I know my videos always end up being way much longer than I'd like them to be, ideally I'd like them to be around 5 minutes, well that's if it's a tutorial type video.
I believe it also depends on the type of video the person is searching for and if they expect it to be a short video or not.
The one youtube channel that I add tutorial type videos too, my goal at the moment is to just continue to add videos on a regular basis, gain subscribers, views, social activity etc, that should help boost my reach and video ranking.
If I understand correctly, according to Youtubes latest changes if I focus on driving viewers to my site, it's going to effect the ranking of my videos/channel.
Leo,
Thanks for putting in those numbers.
I'm just not thinking that thoroughly about it yet, it's great to have all this advice to guide my thinking in the right direction. :)
My site will be instructional and i don't know that I will be able to keep the videos that short but will at least keep these numbers in mind as I'm filming and editing.
Since you have much experience in video, may I ask if a "clip" would be well received? Then a link to the whole video at my site? Do you think this would "hurt" me? Or should I try and edit a "teaser" for each one? This seems like lots of work and I don't know if it would be worth the extra effort? What is your opinion?
Hi Patty
I agree with Carson - 10 minutes max - as far as I'm see longer ones, but in my view they could often be split into two. Besides there's nothing worse than trying to find your place on a long video.
Just a personal view.
HI Beverley,
Excellent points as usual. :)
You are so good about keeping the visitor in mind, I (and many others) could take a lesson or two from you about that.
Thanks!
iMovie is great for filming and putting together our video's. Kyle and I use a piece of software called "ScreenFlow" by a company called Telestream (For Mac only), it's very similar to imovie.
Any web cam will do just fine, if you can record in HD then you'll get a better output in your video.
Video's that are TOO long can be boring for people to watch. A lot can be said in a 10 minute video or less.
In regards to hurting rankings, no, video's are actually very good for rankings but you want to also have associated CONTENT with the video so it is picked up by the search engines.
Carson
Thanks so much Carson.
I'm very excited about getting into video for my site. I definitely won't want to bore my visitors and will work hard to keep them as short as possible (the videos that is, not my visitors...lol)
I will look into screenflow and see if that's a good option for me. I haven't tried Imovie but know a few people (all 15 and under and related to me) that have used it to make some great "movies". I figure if they can do it, I should be able to figure it out.
One more quick question, how does google know if my content is associated to the video? It will all be completely related so I don't think I have anything to worry about. Unless, i need to do something specific to my videos to help google classify them together?
Thanks again for your advice!
See more comments
Best equipment or software for video editing
My website will be an instructional website and I plan on implementing two to three blogs with instructional video (and photos) a week. I will not be able to sit in front of a comp
i think leoemery study case is an awesome insight. Try to wrap up your videos within 2min. But its all depend on your niche. If it is instructional video then try to wrap in 5 min.
I use a Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 and Camtasia Studio 7.
The webcam is a couple of years old now but because Logitech produce up to date drivers I have never felt the need to upgrade it.
They are Mac compatible.
Neil
Hey Patty - no I understand training videos are usually longer
And yes clips or teasers do work if done right - the trick (lack of a better word) is make the clip/teaser short - think of how the use to tease you at the end of a soap opera -
So you could do something like - "In today's video I'm going to show you how to ..... and then then direct them to the video on your site through a link.
It's a matter of testing as well -
Cheers
Leo
You're right it does depend on the video - but using video to strictly market getting them to you site is the goal, and do it as fast as possible.
But if your site is about remote control planes then the videos will be done differently and would be longer.
One of my primary sites I use the videos to specifically drive traffic to my site - and these videos are all on page one according to their key words. And the videos have helped pull my content onto the first page as well. It's all in how you perform the SEO for each video.
If you plan on hosting your videos on Youtube, then length is something you should test and take into account.
Youtube has some great analytics tracking stats that you can access for your videos.
One of the analytics features is called "Audience retention", this will show you in detail how long people are watching the video before moving on, you can even break it down by country date etc.
This feature alone is very good because it can help you improve your videos, for example if you notice a huge drop in the audience retention at the 3:40 second point, you can study the video to see what could possible be causing them to leave at that point.
Something else to keep in mind is that the average percent of time a video is viewed is now part of Youtubes ranking factor.
Great point the length of your videos is very important.
The objective of my marketing with video is to get the eye balls on my video and then get people off You Tube and to my site.
Regarding viewer retention -
The average YouTube video is 5 minutes long - this is for all of YouTube:
70% of viewers remain for 30 seconds –
50% of viewers remain for 60 seconds
24% of viewers remain for 2 minutes.
If you had 100 people watching your video at the 2 minute mark only 25 people will be watching
I've been video marketing for many years and one of my mentors and teachers Dave Kaminski did a study with over 24 million video views and it was determined - that at the 1:12 mark you will still have 100% of your viewers and then after that people will start to drop off.
With that in mind and from a marketing point of view I keep my videos around a 1:30.
People have very short attention spans - especially on YouTube - like I said my goal is to get them off YouTube on on my site.
Now with that said when I do a training video such as for WA that time is longer because it is a training video and people know the training is the training - but your certainly don't want to drag on and on.
Cheers
Leo
Hi Leo,
I know my videos always end up being way much longer than I'd like them to be, ideally I'd like them to be around 5 minutes, well that's if it's a tutorial type video.
I believe it also depends on the type of video the person is searching for and if they expect it to be a short video or not.
The one youtube channel that I add tutorial type videos too, my goal at the moment is to just continue to add videos on a regular basis, gain subscribers, views, social activity etc, that should help boost my reach and video ranking.
If I understand correctly, according to Youtubes latest changes if I focus on driving viewers to my site, it's going to effect the ranking of my videos/channel.
Leo,
Thanks for putting in those numbers.
I'm just not thinking that thoroughly about it yet, it's great to have all this advice to guide my thinking in the right direction. :)
My site will be instructional and i don't know that I will be able to keep the videos that short but will at least keep these numbers in mind as I'm filming and editing.
Since you have much experience in video, may I ask if a "clip" would be well received? Then a link to the whole video at my site? Do you think this would "hurt" me? Or should I try and edit a "teaser" for each one? This seems like lots of work and I don't know if it would be worth the extra effort? What is your opinion?
Hi Patty
I agree with Carson - 10 minutes max - as far as I'm see longer ones, but in my view they could often be split into two. Besides there's nothing worse than trying to find your place on a long video.
Just a personal view.
HI Beverley,
Excellent points as usual. :)
You are so good about keeping the visitor in mind, I (and many others) could take a lesson or two from you about that.
Thanks!
iMovie is great for filming and putting together our video's. Kyle and I use a piece of software called "ScreenFlow" by a company called Telestream (For Mac only), it's very similar to imovie.
Any web cam will do just fine, if you can record in HD then you'll get a better output in your video.
Video's that are TOO long can be boring for people to watch. A lot can be said in a 10 minute video or less.
In regards to hurting rankings, no, video's are actually very good for rankings but you want to also have associated CONTENT with the video so it is picked up by the search engines.
Carson
Thanks so much Carson.
I'm very excited about getting into video for my site. I definitely won't want to bore my visitors and will work hard to keep them as short as possible (the videos that is, not my visitors...lol)
I will look into screenflow and see if that's a good option for me. I haven't tried Imovie but know a few people (all 15 and under and related to me) that have used it to make some great "movies". I figure if they can do it, I should be able to figure it out.
One more quick question, how does google know if my content is associated to the video? It will all be completely related so I don't think I have anything to worry about. Unless, i need to do something specific to my videos to help google classify them together?
Thanks again for your advice!
See more comments
There seems to be a plug-in for everything. I understand that some plug-ins are safe to use but, some are very dangerous and could "break" your site and force you to start all ov
I had a site that went haywire when I updated and it was a plugin that made it go nuts...Welshy helped me out with it....thanks Craig...now that was a while ago...but in general...as few as you can get away with...and if needed yes make sure that they are being used by many...no guarantee but it sure helps....Carsons suggestions are a must in my opinion...
Check out the plugin as much as possible, of course ask here is anyone using it...
As Beverley points out we all will use different plugins for our own purposes...and a leap of faith may be necessary...have done it many times and in the most part they have all been great....
Now with being an premium member you have access to unlimited free sites and they are great to practice that sort of stuff on...so I suggest get a practice site and if it does not work on it delete it or try and fix....it makes it easy as you will see if you can do it and if it works properly...
Any way that is my two cents hope this helps....
I also recommend watching the amount of plugins - 1 important rule I go by is to never install a plugin with only a few positive ratings.(this info is available from the search results) ...If it hasn't been installed by a significant amount of people and received a significant amount of positive ratings.. I suggest staying away from it.
Look at the details before you install it, see the number of downloads and the ratings
The number of plugins will be affected by the type of site you want to run and personal choice.
Carson recommends Google Analytics plugin - I never use a plugin - because I add the code to files and then view the results through Google. That's just because I was taught that way. You will find members do things in different ways
There may be plugins that you need - I for instance need a membership one for my new site. There may be ones you want just out of personal choice. It is a bit of trial and error and as Carson say ask other members what they're using. If they come back with several choices well you just have to take a leap of faith and give it a go.
A rule of thumb that I like to go by is: "The less plugins the better". There is always a chance that a plugin could break your site, that's just the nature of adding plugins to your site.
A plugin is a piece of code that is inserted into your site to extend the functionality. While a lot of them are programmed very well and work great, there are also many that are created by people who shouldn't be creating plugins.
My suggestion is to ask people here at WA which plugins to use. Creating a discussion here in classrooms is a great way to get feedback on a particular plugin.
A few plugins that I encourage people to use are:
Google Analytics for WordPress (for tracking)
All in One SEO Pack (for optimizing)
Google XML Sitemaps (for letting Google know about your content)
Sociable (for sharing)
SI CAPTCHA Anti-Spam (for comment spam protection)
Askimet (for comment spam protection)
If in doubt, you can always ask folks here at WA if they have tried a particular plugin.
Carson
To plug-in or not to plug-in, that is the question.
There seems to be a plug-in for everything. I understand that some plug-ins are safe to use but, some are very dangerous and could "break" your site and force you to start all ov
I had a site that went haywire when I updated and it was a plugin that made it go nuts...Welshy helped me out with it....thanks Craig...now that was a while ago...but in general...as few as you can get away with...and if needed yes make sure that they are being used by many...no guarantee but it sure helps....Carsons suggestions are a must in my opinion...
Check out the plugin as much as possible, of course ask here is anyone using it...
As Beverley points out we all will use different plugins for our own purposes...and a leap of faith may be necessary...have done it many times and in the most part they have all been great....
Now with being an premium member you have access to unlimited free sites and they are great to practice that sort of stuff on...so I suggest get a practice site and if it does not work on it delete it or try and fix....it makes it easy as you will see if you can do it and if it works properly...
Any way that is my two cents hope this helps....
I also recommend watching the amount of plugins - 1 important rule I go by is to never install a plugin with only a few positive ratings.(this info is available from the search results) ...If it hasn't been installed by a significant amount of people and received a significant amount of positive ratings.. I suggest staying away from it.
Look at the details before you install it, see the number of downloads and the ratings
The number of plugins will be affected by the type of site you want to run and personal choice.
Carson recommends Google Analytics plugin - I never use a plugin - because I add the code to files and then view the results through Google. That's just because I was taught that way. You will find members do things in different ways
There may be plugins that you need - I for instance need a membership one for my new site. There may be ones you want just out of personal choice. It is a bit of trial and error and as Carson say ask other members what they're using. If they come back with several choices well you just have to take a leap of faith and give it a go.
A rule of thumb that I like to go by is: "The less plugins the better". There is always a chance that a plugin could break your site, that's just the nature of adding plugins to your site.
A plugin is a piece of code that is inserted into your site to extend the functionality. While a lot of them are programmed very well and work great, there are also many that are created by people who shouldn't be creating plugins.
My suggestion is to ask people here at WA which plugins to use. Creating a discussion here in classrooms is a great way to get feedback on a particular plugin.
A few plugins that I encourage people to use are:
Google Analytics for WordPress (for tracking)
All in One SEO Pack (for optimizing)
Google XML Sitemaps (for letting Google know about your content)
Sociable (for sharing)
SI CAPTCHA Anti-Spam (for comment spam protection)
Askimet (for comment spam protection)
If in doubt, you can always ask folks here at WA if they have tried a particular plugin.
Carson
I love using QR Codes for my marketing, online and offline. You can make up flyers and post up anywhere you like..intrigues people I think. These are a big part of the Internet now and will be in the future.
I have my own site which gives you the option of creating 3 different types of QR CODE. You can make one for an URL, Virtual Business Card, and Phone number. The virtual business card is very popular at the moment.
I don't think a lot of people know what is happening on the Internet now and into the future. Just let me tell you it has a lot to do with mobile and technology, and if you're thinking of starting to do something with mobile, lets just say now would be a good time to jump on board.
It's pretty crazy how things on the Internet can move so fast, just like in 1997 when the pioneers jumped on the Internet and built a website. They basically left their competitors in the dust. Everyone who didn't or thought about it, must be kicking themselves right now. I it's fair to say this is happening again on the Internet.
You can just see the trend these days. them little 2d barcodes are popping up just about everywhere, shops, consumer products etc. I love the VBC because it scan and save that's it, no typing..how good is that.