Four Good WordPress E-Commerce Plugins

Hello from Allan at MindVisionMedia.net again, I hope this post finds you all well.

I get a lot of inquiries about which plugin or program to use for WP e-commerce. 
I have used several myself and installed and set up several for clients as well and there are 4 that really stick out for user friendliness and cost to get started. 

I would consider all of these to range from simple to moderate in technical detail and ability. Almost anybody can set one of these up in no time depending on how many products you have and the specifics you need for each.

Be sure to check with your hosting company to make sure they have enough WP support to run your e-commerce option. These are all free and offer other features, options and add-ons that you can purchase to enhance your online store and the control features you have.

The first is Ecwid, this free plugin offers a handy e-commerce widget that is easy to implement on any page or post through the use of a shortcode. 

The set up at Ecwid.com is friendly and easy as well providing more options than one would expect from a free service. Once you have your products created and all of the settings configured, it is just a matter of dragging the Ecwid e-commerce Plugin widget into the sidebar of your choice or add the store to a page of your choice using the provided "shortcodes".

The free plan includes all standard e-commerce features, and paid plans start at $15 per month and grant you more advanced features such as discount settings and inventory control. Check it out and see if it's the right e-commerce solution for your WordPress site or Blog.

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Next we have Shopify, get your online retail plan going with this stylish and versatile e-commerce solution. What I like about this one is the ability to customize the look and feel pretty much however you want. 

I have worked on and seen some pretty nice "looking" online stores using this one.

They offer over 100 templates and even have an iPad Point-of-Sale feature that syncs all of your online and brick and mortar products, inventory, orders etc making it easier for business owners to manage their business.

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Probably one of the most known free e-commerce plugins for WordPress  is WooCommerce. This is another option for your online store that offers great themes ($) to help you customize the look and feel of your business.
You get all the basic features including order management, shipping and tax adjustments, customer account area, sales reports, inventory management options, coupon options and a whole lot more. If you are looking for a plugin that is popular, this is it. 

A quick note to consider though is that not all hosting companies offer full WordPress support which can impact whether or not you can run WooCommerce on your server. Check with your hosting company to see if they support WooCommerce before you get all exited, I have had personal experience getting one all setup and the hosting company couldn't run it properly.

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The last one is WP e-Commerce. A bit of a trend setter, this e-commerce option was one of the few solutions for WordPress years ago before a lot of the others were developed. 

Of course this one has everything you need as do most, control over inventory, shipping, discounts, orders, multiple language and currency options, Google Checkout and a lot more, free.

You can buy other features and add-ons to enhance the product but you can definitely get started and go a long way with the free version. These guys were around before all of the options available today so they have had the advantage of finding out what works and what features to provide for those who choose to use this e-commerce option, tried and tested.

So if you are trying to configure an online store or shopping cart, set up an e-commerce site, sell stuff on your blog etc, these 4 WordPress e-commerce options provide enough versatility and comparison to help you make a good decision for your needs. Again just a reminder to check with your hosting company to make sure your choice will work on your current server configuration. Enjoy and happy selling!


by
Allan Whitney
Owner/Administrator
MindVisionMedia.net

WordPress Responsive Theme - Where's the CSS File?

Responsive Theme updates impact thousands of users, cause broken themes and child themes as core files are changed and hidden form access.

Hi folks, @allanmvm here to discuss the recent updates to the Responsive Theme and the many inquiries I am receiving from frustrated and confused users.

As most of us know, using a child theme is supposed to be a good thing, right? Some would argue but the concept makes sense, work on a copy instead of ruining the original,a common sense approach most can digest. 

Typically theme developers make updates to their themes to rectify security vulnerabilities and bug fixes that are needed to enhance or protect users f the theme. CyberChimps however is making changes that are impacting users in a negative way of late. In the last 6 months alone, the Responsive Theme has gone through major changes to core files and recently the main style css file was hidden from access in the themes dashboard theme editor.

Even with a child theme, many discovered a broken site or blog after updating the parent theme. and new users are lost when trying to create a child theme with the latest versions.

In another attempt to assist the many users contacting me about this issue, I have created a short but clear video that sheds some light on the matter. I show where the style css file has been moved to in the latest version, and I also show 2 additional methods of modifying the theme without even creating a child theme at all.

My video tutorials on child themes for the earlier versions still apply if you are using older version 1.9.3 or earlier of which a lot of people are still using believe it or not, especially in other countries.

Check out the short video here:

I hope this short tutorial helps diminish the headaches being felt by many users especially our Newbies (hang in there Newbie, help is on the way)

Visit MindVisionMedia.net to find out more and get help with other issues regarding WordPress Responsive Themes.

Join to get access to FREE downloads and more!

Get your FREE copy of my "Responsive Theme Area Zone Map Guidebook". It shows where everything is in the theme, download it here:
Responsive Theme Area Zone Map Guidebook

By
Allan Whitney
Owner/Administrator
MindVisionMedia.net

WordPress Responsive Theme Custom Home-Style Page Template

Do you use the Responsive Theme from CyberChimps? Do you want to display the Home Widgets 1, 2 and 3 and their respective content on another page of your website or Blog? Well if you do I have a custom Responsive Theme Home Page template for you!

Its called the "MVM Home-Style Full" page  template. It displays the default home widgets that are on the front page of the Responsive Theme and whatever is in them. This is very useful for advertising the content in your home widgets on multiple pages, any page or multiple pages.

I constructed this template for a specific purpose and realized that it has many applications for this theme. The page template is still "responsive" so it will adjust as the other files in your responsive site or blog and it is full width with no sidebars. 

Again, it displays whatever you have in the home widgets already. It does not allow you to separately add content to the widget sections on the page the template is used on. To edit the content, go to your widget area and edit the home widgets as usual. Great for advertising the same content you have on the home page throughout your site!

The package comes with the template file customized by yours truly, instructions and screen shots in a convenient zip file for download and extraction. Load the files to your server as instructed and viola, you are ready to use the Home-Style Full page template on any page or post! Just select the template while in the page or post editor on the right under "templates", you'll see the Home-Style Full template in the selection, apply it and save yoour page, done!

It also comes with my 100% guaranty and support so what do you have to loose for the price of a hamburger?

To get your copy, visit my Products page at MindVisionMedia.net/products

If you have questions, feel free to contact me and I will be happy to assist you.

By

Allan Whitney

Owner/Administrator

MindVisionMedia.net

Is Your Website Dead or Dormant?

Hello, I hope this post finds you well.  

Have you started a website project only to loose interest or give up and let it go? These days, many jump on the website bandwagon and eventually drop off. The reasons are many, but frustration ranks among the top. It all looks so simple on the commercial, just sign up and click a button and you have an instant website, right, wrong! 

A website, even with all of the simple features included in most if not all web builder programs, is still a lot of work. There are so many things to be concerned with and you must have a varied skill-set which includes web design, writing and editing, photoshop and graphics, HTML, CSS among others in order to construct a truly professional site.

On the other hand, it can cost up to $2500 to have a professional website built for your business or small venture and many don't have that in their budget, especially these days. The average cost of a website professionally done, ranges from about $1,500 to $1,8000. These prices are steep and keep a lot of folks from even investigating having a web presence. Also, the time involved in learning all the stuff yourself can be just as dawnting as the prices out there sometimes. Who has the time to maticulously build each aspect of a website and connect it all together so everything works. Functionality and navigation are very important to the process

If you are talking about a simple, 2-3 page personal vacation site with just some images of your trip, thats one thing, but if yoou are trying to build a professional, business website that is functional and professional, then you must have the skills mentioned above or you'll have to outsource the job to someone who knows what they are doing and that can get expensive!

Thats where I come in, Allan at MindVisionMedia.net, I offer website solutions to fit almost every budget. I specialize in Dynamic WordPress websites but can also build static Dreamweaver sites from scratch as well. My 10+ years of experience in all aspects of web design, give me the ability to streamline the process, making it simple and easy on the wallet for many who aspire to have a website. Whether you have a small business or want a personal site, I have solutions for you to consider. 

Don't let high prices keep you from establishing your spot on the web, let me see if I have a solution for your budget that will make it happen for you. 70% of my website clients spend under $1000 for a professional, functional website for their business. I have many solutions in the $500 range also that fit a lot of budgets these days. You get the same professional services offered by the high-price guys, for less! So what are you waiting for, lets do this!

Stop hassling with trying to do it yourself, let me do the work and get you on your way to driving traffic to your site instead of banging your head on the desk for weeks. Contact me via my site at MindVisionMedia.net to discuss your project, let me know your budget and I'll do my best to work with you, thats my promise! Contact me here! 

Web Services Offered:
WordPress Websites
Static Sites
Website Updates or Editing
Banner Design
Ad Design
WordPress Installations
Plugin Installations
Theme Customization
Social Media Integration
Basic SEO Implementation
Custom Flash MP3 Players
Graphics and Logos
Flash Animations
Animated GIF's

Skills:
Web Design
WordPress Web Design
HTML
CSS
Photoshop
Flash Animation
Graphics - Banners - Logos
Video (Shooting and Editing)
Photography (Shooting and Editing)
Social Media Integration
Basic SEO Implementation
Google Adsense and Analytics
Writing


By
Allan Whitney
Owner/Administrator
MindVisionMedia.net

The MindVisionMedia.net General Store is now Open!

The MindVisionMedia.net General Store is now Open!

Hey folks, I hope all is well with you and yours. This is just a quick post to let everyone know that I finally had a chance to open up the Zazzle store I have been discussing for the past year. I have been so busy with training, tutorials and support for the Responsive Theme and others that I couldn't get to it before.

The products range from T-shirts, Hats, Mugs and Novelties. These products show support for MindVisionMedia.net and all of the FREE information, training and support offered at MVM.

As you may or may not know, maintaining a website cost money, maintaining an information site such as mine costs more money and a wealth of time and effort. 

The small revenue generated from the store will help keep MVM up and running, offsetting the costs and allowing me to continue providing free WordPress and web design video tutorials and support information to thousands throughout the international web community as I have for the past year.

When you get a chance, check out the store and show your support by picking up a small gift for yourself.

Click on the MVM General Store Sidebar link to the right or click below to visit the MVM General Store!

<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/mvmgeneralstore*">MVM General Store</a>


By
Allan Whitney
Owner/Administrator
MindVisionMedia.net

4 all NEW Responsive Theme Video Tutorials for 2014

4 Incredible Responsive Theme Tutorials for 2014

Hello from Allan at MindVisionmedia.net, I hope all is well with you and yours. I just wanted to announce that I just released 4 powerful all NEW WordPress Responsive Theme Video tutorials on YouTube.

MindVisionmedia.net is already known for its free resources and Responsive Theme Tutorials but these are new for 2014 and the topics include Creating a Full Width Header and Footer, Transparent Pages, Widgets and White Space and Responsive Theme Basics. With support for the free version of the theme coming to an end, Allan's tutorials are sure to become even more popular in the very near future.

Demand for Allan's assistance is reaching critical mass as he receives requests from all over the world for guidance on this incredible WordPress theme. Hopefully in 2014, Allan will be able to transition a portion of his free services to secure funding, resources or steady income for the MindVisionMedia.net project. Until then it continues to be a labor of love, learning, gratitude from helping the web community and a testament to his skills and abilities. 

Check out a couple of the latest tutorials below:

"Responsive Theme Full Width Header and Footer"

"Responsive Theme Transparent pages"

Enjoy these tutorials and more, visit my YouTube Channel here!


By
Allan Whitney
Owner/Administrator
MindVisionMedia.net

2014 Brute Force Attack against WordPress

2014 Brute Force Attack against WordPress

Hello all, I hope this post finds you well.

This is a Warning Post to ALL WordPress users!

Wordfence, maker of the WordPress security plugin, recently announced that yet another broad spectrum Brute Force Attack against WordPress users happened but at a scale not seen before. The massive attack happened on February 10th, 2014 at approximately 11:00am.

The company is recommending to all of its plugin users to make sure their products are updated to the latest versions. This is however not just an issue for Wordfence users, but serves as a notice to those who don't use a Wordfence product or any product for that matter to secure their WordPress website or Blog. Be aware that such attacks occur and be sure to have unique user names and passwords in place to help protect your site as well as some type of security measures activated either with your host or on your site via plugins, etc.

A Brute Force attack uses computers to make hundreds, even thousands of login attempts to your WordPress website, sometimes these guessing games are successful in figuring out a persons log in information. Most users of WordPress don't realize that every installation of WordPress gets the same user name, "admin". It is highly recommended to change that as well as the password, if the default user name of "admin" is left in place, thats half the battle won for the hackers if they already know that every installation comes with the user name "admin".

In addition, try not to use your browser to remember your passwords and personal information. This information could be compromised and used to access your personal information. Also remember to empty your temporary Internet files and cache when exiting your Internet session. Most browsers have settings that allow you to empty the trash and temp files on exit, this is highly recommended. Also, only trust third party cookies from companies or websites you use and trust, these cookies are usually not rated and could present a risk.

In the end, theres not much we can do if a hacker wants to get in. All we can do is our best to stay informed and united against the trouble it causes for the average user who has no political agenda or impact on a particular community or cause. Its the everyday user who has to suffer from the inconvenience and often hefty expense of being hacked or compromised. This post is just a meager attempt to spread the word about the latest Brute force attack and to remind WordPress users to stay on guard!

By
Allan Whitney
Owner/Administrator
MindVisionMedia.net

Responsive WordPress Twenty Eleven Theme Tutorial

Hello all, I hope this post finds you well.

I just finished a Responsive WordPress video tutorial series part#1 and part #2 on editing the Twenty Eleven Theme.

This still popular theme is great for Bloggers and site builders who are just starting out and those intermediate and advanced users who want to build a custom theme from a starter theme.

I demonstrate some cool tips for this simple but reliable theme. Mostly used for blog’s, this older theme is also useful as a website with features that are great for the beginner and those new to WordPress or who just want a simple blog.

I also show how to add tons of added options and settings to this theme using simple plugins so you can make it look like your own.  Have full control over the colors and essence of your Twenty Eleven site in just a few clicks.

Add video and media content to your widgets with ease and express content more dynamically. Make the simple changes to your site or blog without editing the code!

As an added bonus, I show how to create a child theme for Twenty Eleven, activate and use it as well as what specific plugins to use to enhance your blog or site. 

I have other great tutorials on WordPress and my videos are geared towards the newbie or beginner so you get detailed information that is not rushed like a lot of videos out there. 

Do visit my channel and site for more great Tips Tools and Tutorials form Allan at MindVisionMedia.net, you won’t be sorry!

Watch my Responsive WordPress Twenty Eleven Theme Tutorial Part #1 now:

 

By
Allan Whitney
Owner/Administrator
MindVisionMedia.net

The New WordPress v3.6

 

Version 3.6

Hello, I hope this post finds you well.
As a WordPress fan I am salivating over the release of the new WordPress v3.6! It is going to be the best version yet and they have made adjustments that are both user-friendly and feature-rich. It's not that they made a ton of changes but the few they have made are sure to be a hit. I am so exited!

The new interface is noticeable right away. Better contrast, fonts and arrangement make it easier to read and navigate. A new "ribbon" available at the top of the Post editor makes it easy to select a "post-type" which is becoming a standard feature in new versions of WordPress. There is a new emphasis on expanding the ability to publish posts within a particular and suitable format. With a specific "post-type" WordPress will automatically format the new post for the type of post you are creating.

For example, if you want to embed a video, the new "ribbon" has a selection for that. When selected, WordPress opens an embed box right above your post for you to embed the video code. This is validation that WordPress and the web in general is moving ahead towards a more HTML5 way of delivering content (especially media). Obligatory and proprietary plugins and add-ons like Flash are done with the new open-source delivery system in place now. Funny I should mention that because I just updated my Flash plugin twice (4-times in a month or so) and it has been crashing repeatedly!!