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Torque
Since
June 28, 2018

Tom Rankin

Tom Rankin is a key member of WordCandy, a musician, photographer, vegan, beard owner, and (very) amateur coder. When he's not doing any of these things, he's likely sleeping.

What Should You Recommend Clients Use – A Page Builder or the Block Editor?

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Community

Published

May 6, 2019

2 Comments

There’s been enough talk lately about how to create content within WordPress that it warrants further attention. While there are technically still the same number of available options – i.e., the native editor or a third-party page builder plugin – choosing between them is causing confusion thanks to the new Block Editor. In fact, the decision between the two is often simple. While the Block Editor and your favorite page builder may look similar on the surface, there are plenty of inherent differences. This means if you take the time to compare them directly and bring your client’s needs into play, choosing […]

9 Projects for 2019: A Look at WordPress’ Priorities for the New Year

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Community

Published

April 30, 2019

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The WordPress community is many things, but one’s for certain – there’s never a lack of productivity. The past 12 months are the perfect example. During that time we’ve seen the release of WordPress 5.0, the introduction of the Block Editor, and much more. However, the machine never stops running. Matt Mullenweg’s most recent State of the Word address introduced nine priorities for the platform throughout 2019. Understanding what these are offers a glimpse into the future development of WordPress. In this post, we’ll look a closely at Matt Mullenweg’s “9 Projects for 2019”, and discuss how they might affect you […]

How WordPress Licensing Works (And Its Role In the Platform’s Success)

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Beginners

Published

April 22, 2019

2 Comments

Most people with an interest in WordPress know about the GNU Public License (GPL). However, few understand exactly what it means and why it matters. While this knowledge isn’t pertinent to your day-to-day work in most cases, it can help to shape your overall mindset and approach to WordPress development. What’s more, the GPL is more central to WordPress’ (and by extension your) success than you may realize. The built-in freedom it provides lets users, site owners, and developers all work towards a better and stronger platform, one that’s suitable for many types of applications and projects. In this article, we’ll look […]

Back to Reality: 4 Things to Expect from WordPress in 2019

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News

Published

April 15, 2019

No Comments

2018 is over – in fact, we’re nearly to May already. After the big WordPress 5.0 launch around Christmas, coupled with a quick break to recharge, the focus is now on how the platform will develop during the next year. As with previous years, there are some exciting developments in the pipeline. Some you could have seen coming from miles away, while others are a little more unexpected. In either case, it’s important to know what’s coming, so you can start making preparations now. In this post, we’ll take a broad look at what the entire community of developers, clients, […]

WordPress’ New Block Editor: How to Inform Your Clients

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Community

Published

April 8, 2019

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WordPress 5.0 is now live, which means the new block-based editor is now a fully-fledged part of WordPress’ core. As such, if you’ve not yet spoken with your clients about this update and its likely impact, you’re already late to the party. This means time is of the essence. Fortunately, there’s not too much information your clients will need to know. In fact, the process of getting them up to speed should be quite simple, especially if you take the time to help your clients test the new editor along with their plugins and themes, before updating their live sites. […]

How to Create an Effective One-Page Website

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Community

Published

April 1, 2019

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Sometimes, one page is all your website really needs. However, designing an effective one-page site requires special considerations – not least of which is deciding whether you should actually create one in the first place. Of course, no one format is perfect for every website, and one-page sites have many pros and cons. However, they can be very useful in the right situations and are often best designed similarly to a landing page. By thinking about how you’ll ‘funnel’ the visitor down the page, you can speak more effectively (and persuasively) to them. In this post, we’ll talk about why you might […]

A Request For Content: How to Get Usable Information When Beginning a Design Project

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Community

Published

March 20, 2019

2 Comments

A key part of any design project is to eventually strip away the dummy data and populate it with client-specific information. This can be difficult, however – especially if you’re relying on the client to provide content. The broad answer to this problem is to put a solid plan into place beforehand. This involves having a clear structure in place for the site itself, and knowing exactly what content you’re going to need. Then, you just need to communicate your requirements early and clearly. In this post, we’ll look at how to request the content you need from clients, and more […]

The WordPress Coding Standards: An Introduction

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Development, Featured

Published

March 18, 2019

1 Comment

We often talk about how important it is to write quality code when it comes to creating WordPress products. However, that isn’t just about professionalism and pride. Practically any site can break due to poor-quality code, which could do serious damage to your professional standing. Fortunately, what ‘quality’ means has been distilled into the WordPress coding standards. These will help you ensure that your code is up to par, and give you a roadmap of sorts to follow when working on important projects. In this post, we’ll look at the WordPress coding standards in more detail. We’ll also introduce the […]

How Live Chat and Chatbots Can Help You Deliver More Efficient Customer Support

Filed Under

Development

Published

March 11, 2019

No Comments

If you’re wondering how much time you should dedicate to answering support queries, we recommend picking a number and doubling it (at least) – it’s that important. However, this doesn’t mean you have to always be personally involved in that support. In fact, there are plenty of fully- or partly-automated solutions to help you handle client queries. Options such as live chat and chatbots can enable you to deliver high-quality customer support, while also saving you time to devote towards other aspects of your business. In this post, we’ll look closely at the challenges and impact of customer support. Then […]

A Developer’s Guide to Social Media Customer Support

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Community

Published

March 4, 2019

2 Comments

It goes without saying your that customers or clients are the most important element when running a one-person (or micro) business. Given the complexities of the client-developer relationship, you’d be well-served by making it a priority. This is especially true when dealing with a customer or client who’s had a less-than-stellar experience. For better or worse, you’ll probably discover their problems first through social media. Given the high level of activity on those platforms, this is understandable. However, as you’re no doubt be aware, social media is less than forgiving towards poor experiences. This means you’ll need to make sure […]

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