No doubt Elegant Themes has created one of the most powerful WordPress Themes in history, Divi. With a background in development and even some basic CSS skills, you can no doubt turn your Divi website into something very powerful, leaving visitors guessing what theme it is that you're using.
When we at KC Web Designz are looking for design inspiration, we will look at other websites in the niche that we are currently working on. With that being said, it’s so easy to pinpoint when someone is using the Divi theme when we visit their website. While we have an article listing the top 5 plugins for your WordPress build, we thought it would be great to dedicate this post specifically for Divi users. This is why we have come up with a list of 5 plugins that will take your Divi website to the next level and make your website stand out from the rest of the Divi users.
Let’s dive in!
Since our go-to form plugin is always Gravity Forms, this plugin is a must on all of our sites that we use Divi on. Before using this plugin we used another one that eventually gave us constant problems. The sites would crash and not load our fonts most of the time which led us to delete that plugin and just start writing our own CSS to customize the looks of our forms. Of course, this took so much time making sure everything was responsive and whatnot.
We then found Gravity Divi Module which works great! We haven’t had any issues with the compatibility of the plugin at all.
What you will notice with this plugin is that you are not able to see your changes until you save and exit the visual builder which can sometimes be a pain but it beats writing your own CSS so we’ll take it!
Once you click into the module you have total control on how the form looks. From fonts to the sizing of the form itself.
If you tend to use Gravity Forms on your Divi website then the unlimited license will definitely be of benefit to you. The unlimited license comes in at $39.99.
Another powerful tool that we use on our Divi sites would be the Divi Ultimate Blog Plugin. If they are utilizing a blog then this plugin is a must for us. We like it simply because it takes your Divi site to another level. By just looking at the blog itself you would have a hard time being able to tell if it uses the Divi theme or not.
The use of the plugin itself is really simple. You go to the Divi Customizer and the first option to select before the General Settings option is the ‘Divi Ultimate Blog Post’. Once you select that option you have a few different options in which you can select which style of blog you are going for.
For $35 bucks this plugin is really easy to use out of the box and for unlimited sites it really can’t be beat.
The Divi Blog Module is another one of the must-haves when it comes to a Divi site that requires a blog. Out of the box, it does exactly what you need it to do so there is no setup required.
Here is one of the layouts that you can use with the plugin.
The thing that is the most helpful with this plugin is that it allows you to have all of your blogs displayed while only showing 3 at a time (or however many you would like to show).
All fonts and colors are editable in the module itself. Just enter into the visual builder and begin making your own personalized blog carousel.
For just $19 this plugin comes in handy. For that price, you are allowed to upload the plugin on 3 websites. The other plan that is available is the unlimited license which comes in at $39 which is the better deal unless you absolutely feel you would only use it one time.
This is by far one of the best Divi plugins available. The Divi Ultimate Header Plugin lets you change out your header and customize it in so many different ways that Divi itself will not allow you to do. You can really get creative with the customizations which will leave your site looking like no other.
Here is a sample of a header we created using the plugin.
As mentioned in the beginning of the article, we feel that if you do use Divi or any theme for that matter, it’s important to still make sure that it's unique and doesn’t look like another website. The last thing you would want is to make a site that looks just like your clients competitors.
For just $35 at unlimited use, it is definitely a plugin that every Divi user should have.
The WooCommerce Builder For Divi is a fantastic plugin for really customizing the shopping experience. This is one of those things that you can EASILY tell if someone is using Divi by looking at the WooCommerce experience.
There are multiple layouts that you can use to not only customize the shopping page but also individual products.
This plugin has a yearly fee of $49 but we believe its totally worth it and it will set your Divi site apart from others.
We hope you were able to learn about if not all, at least one new plugin that you will be giving a try on your next Divi site. We firmly believe that using these plugins will up your Divi game and set your site apart from the competition!
Comment below any plugins that you use on your Divi sites, we would love to hear everyone's go-to’s.
Don’t forget to reach out with any questions you may have and we would be happy to help.
How much does it cost to build a website is a common question that plenty of people ask themselves when preparing to either redo their current site or get a new website from scratch. No matter what field of work you are in, every business should have a website. Your business should be able to make sales not only when your physical storefront is closed for the day, but also if tragedy strikes and you have to temporarily close the physical doors (take covid-19 for example).
While it’s true you can’t pinpoint exactly how much you will pay for a website, we have come up with key factors in determining an estimate on how much you might be charged when looking to start up a new website.
Let’s dive in!
When it comes to determining how much it costs to build a website keep in mind what type of VALUE it will bring to your business.
Let’s take for example if you are in the real estate investing business. You go to a business to get a website built, in hopes that you may pay, let's say less than $500 for the complete build for the site. As you start to go over project details with the company you start to tell them you want the site to look clean and elegant. You mention you want not only to draw visitors to the site but you also want to capture leads so that you can reach out to them in hopes that they have a property to sell.
At this point you are not just asking for a website, you are asking for a SYSTEM. You want them to build you a system that helps add revenue to YOUR business and you want to do it for less than $500…. That is simply not going to happen.
You don't go to a fancy restaurant and hope to get McDonalds prices.
There are a bunch of different options when it comes to the functionality of your website. Are you looking for a storefront to sell your products? Are you looking to gain organic traffic and convert them into paying customers? Maybe you are looking to use your site to just display updated information in regard to the services that you offer? All of these different situations will determine the price of your website.
If you perhaps were looking for the latter of those, just displaying information on your website about your services, this could very well be the cheapest of all other options. In this case you have no complex features that need to be added, so the time that is put into the website build would be very low.
When planning to purchase a website, first write down the website value or what the objective for the website will be.
With so many do-it-yourself platforms for your website build, it’s very important to figure out what you would like to use for your website.
Just to name a few:
The list goes on and on…
Just like with anything else in life, these platforms will cost you. Here is a breakdown of what the price tag would be depending on your platform of choice.
[wpdatatable id=4]The fees above are based on the smallest package they offer which would not include a storefront (if you are looking to sell products).
Wix is definitely good for those who are just looking to get up and rolling with their new website ASAP. It doesn’t take much time to create your website using their easy web building tools. You can also just pick from a massive website template and change out whatever text or images does not apply to your business. Another plus when it comes to Wix is the SEO for your website. Wix does a good job of taking a lot of this off of your plate. Just fill in the info Wix asks about your site such as Meta Tags and Descriptions and they help with getting your website ranked.
The downside is that your website is not transferable. So if you decide to later get a different platform such as WordPress, you would need to have your website fully rebuilt.
Just like Wix, Squarespace is also a great place to get up and running as quickly as possible. The pricing is just a tad bit higher, but just like everything in life, you get what you pay for. There are really great reviews for both companies and you rarely hear any bad news about them. This article by Chris Singleton is really good as it goes into detail about the pros and cons of using Squarespace.
Free of charge, WordPress is one of the most popular CMS platforms out there. Here at KC Web Designz we use WordPress because it allows you to use so many different tools to turn your website into exactly what you need it to be. Well, why is it free some may ask?
With WordPress, there is definitely a learning curve that comes with it. If you want to stand out from the rest of the crowd, you need to design and build your website so that it looks different and not like the rest. This means avoid using pre-built templates that others have used. To accomplish this, you can write your own custom code and build the site from scratch. Or the other option is to use a page builder and create your own custom design.
Elegant Themes (one of the most popular WordPress Developers) had a great breakdown of the pricing when it comes to either getting a custom-built WordPress Website or using a Premade theme and a website builder.
The GoDaddy Website Builder is among the list simply because there are still many people who feel this is an easy tool to learn and build your website with. It's simple, just click the template you want and change out what needs to be changed. The biggest downside to Godaddy in our opinion is that their level of customer service is really low. This comes from offering cheap prices. Since the prices are so low, you have many people who go that route and because of this, they have too many customers that they can't provide the level of service that you really need.
This is going to be a great tool for those who simply want to do it on their own but not spend a bunch of time on it. If you feel you won't need to ever speak with them then this can definitely work for you.
So to summarize, there are multiple platforms that you can have your website built on (not all of them are listed here). Pricing, of course, varies depending on the size of your website as well as the functionality of it.
The main thing to keep in mind is your time. Time is money. So when getting your website started, it will save you money by doing everything yourself if you are one to catch onto things quickly. If you feel it may take you time to learn all the aspects of building a website then that's when a developer would come in handy. The last thing you want to do is not know what’s going on in your business because you are focused on building out your website.
Your domain name as well as a suitable hosting company is just as important as the website itself. Of course you can’t have a website until you have a domain name or a URL. With that name you also need a hosting company to host your website files.
You can take for example a car (your website). It doesn't matter what type of car you have if there is not any gas in the car (hosting account). Depending on the fuel that's put into the car will determine how well that car runs. That being said, be sure to make sure you look into a very quality web hosting company. Getting a bad hosting company can result in slow website speeds, and a hacked website.
Here is a list of reputable hosting companies as well as their yearly fees (fees may differ depending on your time of reading this article)
[wpdatatable id=3]There are definitely more hosting companies than what is listed these are just a select few that we have chosen. The key is to do your research to see which one will be right for the type of website you have. One thing I like to do is actually give their 800 customer service number a ring and see how long it takes them to answer the phone. This helps you to see if you had an issue how long it would take to actually talk to someone.
Remember, you don't put 87 gas in a diesel truck. Similarly speaking, do NOT go with a hosting company just because they may fit your budget. Your “gas” is your hosting company. Don’t ruin your website because you wanted to go the cheaper route.
So to answer the question “How much does it cost to build a website?”, giving an exact amount on a website cost is not really the most realistic because there are so many factors that go into building out a website. Let’s take for example if your car is making a loud screeching noise. You’re not a mechanic so you're not really sure what the noise is but you know it needs fixed. You can come up with an estimate in your head but you won’t know that exact price until someone tells you exactly what is wrong with it. Same with your website, you can go and kind of get an estimate but until you speak with someone and explain the website purpose and so forth, you won’t know for sure how much it will actually cost.
To summarize what we’ve discussed, when pricing out your next project first take a look at the website value. Don’t expect to get this goldmine of a website and only pay crumbs for it.
Next, determine what platform you would like to have it on, whether it be WordPress, Squarespace, etc… Then figure out what company you would prefer to purchase the domain and hosting from.
If you have any further questions please feel free to reach out to us and we would be happy to assist wherever possible.
Leave a comment and let us know who your favorite hosting company is and why, we’d love to hear from you!
No doubt everyone has been affected by the latest global pandemic of COVID-19 worldwide. Schools have closed for the remaining school year, and businesses have shut their doors after years of hard work. What about those businesses that are still floating above water? Is there anything that can be done to help them during this pandemic?
KC Web Designz has come up with 3 things that can assist in saving your business. We are sure that these will assist in keeping your business functional during these troublesome times.
Let’s get started!
We can’t stress this enough, that having a website or some means of online presence is VITAL in keeping your business alive. Unfortunately, due to not having an online presence, some businesses have already closed their doors. During this time of social distancing and shelter-in-place rules, people are not going into businesses, as they are closed for the time being. How else will your business earn income if people are not able to come directly into your store?
Let’s take a look at two major reasons why having a website can be very important for your business and then we will break it down in more detail. Marketing Strategy & Sales.
Marketing Strategy - When you have a website you give your consumers a place to go when they either have more questions or would like to purchase a product. While they can find you on social media, understandably your social accounts will not have detailed information as your business website would have. You also have a chance to rank your website on the major search engines with proper SEO strategies. If you use email marketing with your business, what better place to send those consumers than to your business website?
Your website is “home base” when it comes to your marketing. No one likes a company that just takes from their consumers. What can you give back? If you can provide even a simple post on “how to do this” or “simple ways you can..”, whatever the case may be, what better place to do that than a blog on your own website? Even if you don’t have the time to blog, there are so many other avenues such as podcasts and image galleries.
Sales - As mentioned before, you open to the door to so much more revenue for your business. Instead of marketing to just those in your area or those who may already know about you, you now have a much bigger audience. By implementing proper SEO strategies, you can rank your website to be seen on page 1 of Google. Who wouldn’t want to rank on page 1?
The next time the world is in a panic and everyone is on lockdown, you can remain calm knowing that your business is functional despite it having to close its physical doors.
Another thing to consider is that if your business does not have a plan in which all employees work from home, now is the time to make one. Of course, we would like to just snap our fingers and make this coronavirus disappear but realistically speaking, we know that’s not going to happen. We could very well see it die down, but there will surely be another spurt of cases globally. Knowing this, it’s important for businesses to prepare now so that if and when it does happen, they will be better prepared.
Staying connected with your audience is just as important as having a website. Think about it for a minute. Let’s say you don’t currently have a website but you do have social media. A potential prospect comes to your social account to see if you're still in business during this pandemic. If you haven’t posted any updating news or info on your business then that person could very well believe that you have shut your ‘online’ doors as well as your physical doors. You just lost out on a sale because of your lack of social presence.
Stay updating your accounts and informing others of what’s going on. Even if you give a brief overview of what others can do to remain safe in these troubling times. This shows that your business is not only active, but they also care as well. If email marketing is your thing then send out an email blast to your current customers letting them know you are still in business.
We’ve all received countless emails thus far about COVID-19 from many different businesses and after awhile it can definitely seem annoying. The plus side is that we KNOW they are in business because we have seen emails from them. Even if they are not in business they are at least communicating and letting others know the latest update on when they may open their doors again.
We’ve all heard it before, communication is key, the worst thing is to not hear from someone at all.
There is so much funding that people tend to lose out on simply because they don’t know about it. By now we have all heard of the stimulus checks that will be sent out based on your household income. But what about funding for your business?
If you are at home, this is the perfect time to really read and research these loans and funding options to see if they will be of any benefit to your business. The key is to research funding options. If there is any fine print then be sure to read that as well. The last thing you want to do is make it 10x harder to get out of a hole once all this is complete.
If you have any business insurance policies that cover interruption in business, be sure to contact your insurance company to understand if you can use those benefits during the COVID-19 situation. If you do not have any insurance, then maybe this is the time to see what options are available to you for the future so that you are better prepared.
Just as communication is key, preparation is key also.
To summarize, you first need an online presence, preferably a website. Then you need to make sure you are staying active and staying connected with your audience. Finally, if possible you want to make sure you study the government funding that’s available during this time to see if it would be of any benefit for your business.
If you have any questions about anything or would like some assistance with any of the above steps then please feel free to reach out to us.
If your business is looking to get on page 1 of Google and you don’t have an SSL… chances are, it won’t happen!
Google has been flagging websites that are not secure with an SSL (HTTPS aka the lock on the left side of your URL) and will continue to knock those off of the SERPS. Obtaining an SSL can be a simple and painless process.
There are multiple ways you can get an SSL, rather if it’s a paid version from your Hosting Provider or if it's a free “Let’s Encrypt” SSL that’s added. We won’t go into detail about what the difference is between getting a paid or a free SSL but we will dive into how you can add one to your WordPress website using SiteGround Hosting.
Let’s get started on this SiteGround SSL!
After you log into your SiteGround account with your Username and Password you will be taken to a screen similar to the one in the photo below.
You will select ‘Websites’ from the top navigation.
Once you have chosen ‘Websites’ from the previous screen, you will be taken to a new screen displaying a list of your current websites under your hosting account.
You will choose ‘Add New Site’ if you have not yet added your website to your hosting account. In that case, go through the steps to add the website (after you choose ‘Add New site’, SiteGround will walk you through adding your WordPress website.
If you see your website already listed then your next step is to hit the ‘Site Tools’ button which is listed inside of your website (See Image Below)
After selecting ‘Site Tools’, you will be taken to a screen that looks like the following :
The 2 widgets you want to look for are HTTPS Enforce & SSL Manager (Highlighted in the image above).
Once you select the SSL Manager you should now see a screen similar to the one below :
Make sure your domain is selected and then in the dropdown menu next to it you want to select the ‘Let’s Encrypt’ SSL and then proceed with the ‘GET’ button
The last and final step is to enforce the SSL and this is done in the same dashboard you are currently in from the preceding step.
At the bottom under ‘Manage SSL’ you will see a column titled ‘Actions’. Click the icon with the 3 dots and choose enforce SSL.
That’s it! You just added your SSL on your SiteGround WordPress website. You should now see your URL reflecting your adding of the SSL.
We hope you enjoyed our walkthrough on this, if so please show support by sharing the article with a friend who might be in need of some assistance on adding an SSL to their site.
Looking to obtain a fresh new website along with your SSL on your website? No problem, KC Web Designz will create a great experience for you and your clients by making you a lead-generating website secured with an SSL.
Website creativity is definitely needed nowadays as you advance into a solid website designer. At times though, you may find it difficult to keep that creative spark going. Maybe you're just starting out on the design road and still need a little creative boost? Don't we all?
We have compiled a list of 5 websites that can help in this regard, so get out your notepad and let's get started!
Place it offers mockups of multiple kinds. You can get T-Shirt mockups, bags, books, and many others. For beginner website designers, you may find that the MacBook mockups can come in handy.
Let's say you have designed a website and now want to showcase this design inside a laptop. Placeit will allow you to place your design in the laptop of your choice, giving your clients a chance to see what this design would look like from a responsive standpoint.
This is something that as a website designer you definitely would want to learn how to accomplish without the use of a website like this but when you are starting out as a beginner, Placeit is a big help.
Issuu is a popular digital publishing platform in which it assists with creating ebooks as well as magazines. In web design, this website can come in handy with not only digital magazines but also with restaurant menus.
When visiting a restaurant you have a menu in which you can turn the pages and flip through the menu. Issuu will give your users that same experience by allowing you to create a menu just like so.
Take a look at this example by viewing this restaurant menu.
Envato Elements has a wide range of design elements that can be used on your project. From sound effects to stock videos, there are plenty of creative uses on this website.
I find the best assistance in viewing their WordPress Website templates. This really helps as I can see what on the website I like the best and then customize that in my own design.
The key with design is that you have to be adaptive since design is always changing for the better. Therefore it's important to have a way to keep up with the latest trends. This is one way that you can accomplish that.
We all know about Adobe Stock, high-quality photos and stock video is what they offer. If you're one who doesn't have a photographer, or if your client doesn't have images of their own from their business then this is a great place to go.
What I like about Adobe Stock is that you'll hardly find another site with the images you choose. With the main sites being pexels or unsplash, those images are being used by so many others that it makes it hard for your project to stand out since the same images are floating around on other websites.
I truly feel we have saved the best for last! Dribbble is one of the most amazing websites you can visit for boosting up your website creativity.
I am always amazed at what others have designed and created. The idea here is to not copy what others are doing of course, but really take away key ideas that you could use. For example, you may see how creative someone was in designing a navigation menu. Use the menu design but also add your own creative spin on it. Do that with each part of your website that you find you need help with. At the end of it all, I'm sure your final design is going to "WOW" everyone 🙂
There you have it! 5 Websites that you can use in the future to help whenever you need a boost in your website creativity. Share what sites you tend to use when looking for an extra boost, we would love to hear what others are doing.
Are you looking to start a new WordPress Website? Or maybe you already have a WordPress Website. There are so many plugins in the repository that allow for different functionality on your website. With that being said, how do you know which are the right ones to choose from? We have handpicked what we believe to be the best WordPress Plugins. These plugins should go on every one of your sites no matter what the purpose of your website is.
Let’s get started!
Google Analytics - This plugin definitely comes first in all WordPress Installs. It is very important to be able to track what's going on with your website. I mean how can you make adjustments if you don't know where to make those adjustments, right?
Google Analytics comes equipped with a dashboard that is on the main admin page of your site once logged into your backend. Your able to see most of the things that you can see when logged into your actual analytics account which is why it's really good. It has settings that allow you to see Real-Time Stats as well as select a date range and see what happened in those dates selected. From how many sessions to how many views you were able to get as well as the bounce rate.
Yoast SEO - With SEO being the most important part of any web build, you can only imagine how popular these plugins are within WordPress. Although there are a couple of different known SEO plugins, we feel personally that Yoast has done an outstanding job with what they have created. It’s a free plugin and does have an extended version (Paid) that offers a few more features. For getting basic SEO needs completed, the free version does well.
One thing that's helpful with this plugin is that it’s good for those who don’t know a lot about SEO. Yoast will tell you exactly what you need to do in order to get a ‘Green Light’ (Good SEO Score). Don’t worry if there are things that it asks you to do and your not sure how to accomplish them. Yoast has a link to their site to explain everything in more detail.
All-In-One Migration - The All-In-One Migration is definitely a must-have on a website. One of the main things that come in handy with this plugin is the option to backup your WordPress Website. We all know how important having a backup on your website can be, and this plugin makes it extremely simple to do just that.
Once installed you will have a new custom field on the admin bar back in your dashboard, hover over it and hit the export button. There are multiple options to export your site but the most common would be ‘File’. It will then export your site as well as the database into a ‘WPRESS’ File, in which you can later import this if need be.
WP Fastest Cache - This is also one of my favorite plugins as it ensures your visitors are getting the most up-to-date version of your site each time it's loaded up. This, of course, helps with your website speed making things load a lot faster each and every time.
It comes equipped with a toolbar on the top of your screen as well as a custom field on the left-hand side on the dashboard. From the dashboard select the field on the left side. You will be taken to a screen in which you can select to clear the cache from the entire site. You also have the option to clear any minified JS and CSS files.
Gravity Forms - Almost all websites have some type of form on them, rather it's just capturing emails or grabbing all contact info from your visitors. After using a few different ones some time ago, I’ve found Gravity Forms to be the best one. It has so many things you can do with it besides just creating a form.
If a cost calculator is something you may need on your site, then this could be your all in one solution. One great feature this plugin has is the ability to see every form submission. It has its own database that saves all your submissions to and you can then later go and review that information.
If you have multiple forms you can select the desired form and then review all submissions for that specific form. Have you ever needed an address field? There is an addon that allows the address to be pre-populated. The user won't be able to enter an incorrect address as its pre-populated by google.
Though there are plenty of Plugins that your site can have to add different functionality. These plugins tend to be on every site that we build, no matter what type of site it is.
Let us know what plugins you tend to use on all your websites!
Choosing the best WordPress Hosting Provider can be a difficult task with all the hosting providers out there today. So many of them offer so many different things and some of the things they offer, you may not even know what they mean.
This is why we have put together a list of 3 things you can do to make this an easier process for you.
Managed Hosting vs Shared Hosting is the first thing that would be a good idea to look at. When you have a provider who is offering Shared Hosting Services, this simply put, means that you will share space with other users across the globe who have that same hosting package. Just from that alone, you can see where the troubles ahead would lay. This could potentially harm your website by causing slow website speeds, which would definitely scare visitors away.
If you plan on having high traffic to your website then, of course, this would not be the best option. Plenty tend to go this route for cost reasons which can be understandable to a certain degree. We’ve all heard the saying “You get what you pay for”. This is definitely the case with this type of hosting service. Its almost always better to go for the service that may cost a bit more but will do exactly what you need it to do.
Well, what would be the reasons for using Shared Hosting you may ask? Let’s discuss a few reasons on why Shared Hosting my actually be beneficial for you and your business.
This would be a great option for small business owners or entrepreneurs who have small websites that may be used to display information about them or their business. This would also be a good option for a site that you make as just a hobby. These sites typically will not require tons of space and would give you the opportunity to play around with building sites at no extra cost vs a managed hosting account in which you are limited to the number of sites that you create.
Managed WordPress Hosting, on the other hand, takes a lot of weight off of your shoulders. It can be considered a type of SERVICE more so than a type of Hosting Plan. There can be a few benefits from choosing this type of service so let's take a look at a few of those :
You can view Shared Hosting as a fast-food restaurant while Managed Hosting would be a 5-Star Restaurant. The 5-Star Restaurant is going to be costly but trust that they will lay out the red carpet for you so to speak. You are paying for an experience.
This is probably one of the most important things you can do when choosing a WordPress Hosting Provider. Once you find one that you are wanting to purchase, find their customer service number and give them a call.
When you are calling them you are looking for a few things:
This one may seem obvious but another key thing to do is compare between 2 or multiple choices that you have found. You want to be sure to see who offers the most at the best price. There may be things that one offers that another one doesn’t. There also may be things that are offered by one hosting provider that doesn’t really fit your business needs. Do they have a referral program that could potentially save you money in the long run? Do they offer unlimited SSL’s for all the sites you host with them? These are just a few of the questions you can ask yourself along with a representative at their customer service number.
These are just a few key things that we find can be helpful when looking to purchase a new WordPress Hosting Service and we hope these can assist you in your search 🙂
