Tips & How-tos Archives - Leslie Newman Design

New release: WordPress 4.9 “Tipton”

November 17, 2017 by Leslie

Yesterday WordPress released a major update, WordPress 4.9.

We’ll handle upgrading our care plan subscriber’s websites to WordPress 4.9. They know that if they see an update notification in the Dashboard we’ll do it for them. They don’t have to worry about it.

If you’re curious about what’s new in this version of WordPress here are the highlights:

Customizer improvements — adding design drafts, locking, scheduling and more.
New and improved widgets (widgets display content in your sidebar, or footer).
Behind the scenes technical improvements, that help keep WordPress sites safe and working reliably. (Sadly the internet is filled with weirdos and robots, trying to hack into anything they can. The mighty coders who work on WordPress are always tightening security.)

If you’re interested, here’s more about WordPress 4.9 “Tipton” at wordpress.org. The WordPress website platform is being continually updated and improved. You know nothing is static on the Internet.

Named after Billy Tipton

Did you know that every WordPress release is named after a jazz artist?

This release is “Tipton” after Billy Tipton, who passed away in 1989 in Spokane, WA. He was 74 years old. Upon his death it was discovered that, although he lived his adult live as a man, he was assigned female at birth. You can read more about his interesting life on wikipedia and HistoryLink.

Keep your site fresh, Google likes that

As usual, we encourage you to keep your website content up-to-date and as fresh as possible. Google likes that. If you have a website built in WordPress, it’s easy to do. The hard part is just finding some time to sit down, take a look at your website and see how you can “freshen” it up. The more often you do it, the easier it will become.

We’re here for our website care plan subscribers. Including tutoring via screen share calls, where we make changes to their site together. We can even record the session and make the recording available for future reference. Learn about our WordPress website care plans.

Need a new or redesigned website?

If you’re an artist, small organization or expert needing a new or redesigned website that’s easy to keep fresh contact us.

Attention artists: .ART new domain available for registrations May 10

May 8, 2017 by Leslie Leave a Comment

.art a new domain option for artists' websites

After what seems like years of waiting, the .art gTLD (generic top-level domains) will be wide open for registrations May 10.* This is a new opportunity for artists to get a targeted and appropriate website domain name.

The price will be about $14.99, which makes it an affordable option. Some of the new gTLDs cost $40 or more to renew each year (.design for example). Some of the short and sweet .art domains have been snatched up in the presale (where prices are much higher), but it’s likely yourname.art is available.

Register yourname.art

So artists, go ahead and register yourname.art. This is a wise move for all artists whether you’re an emerging artist, or a seasoned professional artist. Stake your place on the internet with a clear message you offer ART right there in your URL. If you’re an artist that has a strong niche you could try for a domain name that includes your niche — like petportrait.art (well, not that one, as petportrait.art has been reserved during the land rush period that began in February.) Get creative and search for a domain that fits your work, and would be a Google search term used by your art buyers. (Relevant terms in your URL will help your search engine ranking.)

.art availability

I believe most domain registrars will have .art domain names available, but check with the registrar of your choice as soon a possible. I register and keep my domains at name.com. You may get discount there if you follow this name.com referral link. (And I might get a little credit too.) If you already have a domain registered it’s wise to keep them all with the same company. Moving registrars is a pain (but not impossible).

(May 11 UPDATE: .art is not available at name.com, it’s available at webnames.ca ($14.99), godaddy.com (12.99 1st year) and others, where the price varies.)

A new .art domain could be the inspiration you need to create a fresh new website to showcase your artwork, or you can just point your new .art domain to your existing website. Forwarding a domain can be done simply at your website registrar. When using and publicizing a your new .art URL, include “www” in front of your new domain so it’s clear it’s a website address. With a .com address you can get away without the www, but these new TLDs can be confusing to many folks.

Others options for creatives are .studio .gallery .photo and .pictures

New gTLDs, like (.design, .shop .guru) have are becoming widely used and more are coming online. These topic specific domain allow for better organization of the Web. A previous post covers more details about these new TLDs. Good luck!

* Availability date according to webnames.ca

Start or streamline online sales with the new .SHOP TLD (and what is a TLD anyway?)

September 29, 2016 by Leslie Leave a Comment

Make it easier for people to buy things from you by securing your .shop domain

Are you selling anything online? Or wish you were? Do you harbor a vague, semi-guilty, maybe-one-day-I’ll-get-to-that feeling anytime someone asks you about how to purchase your art/books/wares online? Are you already using a third-party service like Etsy, Big Cartel, Shopify, Society6, or Zazzle?

If any of this applies, we recommend you check out the .shop domain.

Get ahold of the one that goes with your site/brand while it’s available!

It’s release has been highly anticipated and it’s a pretty good deal. I could be a simple URL forward to your existing online shop, or become a fully branded eCommerce site for your business.

.shop is a sweet, simple new TLD that can help customers find your wares.

Wait, what’s a TLD?

Don’t worry, you are not the only person wondering. TLD stands for Top Level Domain. You’re probably familiar with the more common ones such as .com, .org, .net, .edu. It turns out there are about a thousand more (or as many as you can think of). New TLDs have gained steam the last couple of years and new ones are being released frequently. There are a lot of ins and out to the story, but basically, it allows for a lot more targeted organization of the interwebs.

New TLDs go a long way to solve the issue of domain names ‘already taken’

Many common names and/or businesses may deal with completely different subject matter but are competing for the same namespace online. Now there’s an opportunity to have a domain that is more specific. Think .guru, .accountant, .studio, and, the soon-to-be-seen-everywhere, .shop domain.

Using a new TLD can quickly identify the type of content you offer, and help with SEO if it contains a relevant keyword (like “shop”).

TLDs are the wave of the future – they are definitely here to stay. However they can still be confusing, and sometimes people don’t recognize them as valid website addresses at all. For that reason, it can be helpful to include the “www” in front of your new domain, i.e. www.leslienewman.design (yep, we jumped on the bandwagon with the launch of this site last year!).

Beyond useful, there’s a lot of entertainment to be garnered from the new domain possibilities: .ninja, .rocks, .coffee. You can see a comprehensive list here but before you get too enamored, note that not all are available yet and registration and renewal costs vary hugely.

We’re eagerly awaiting the day .ART becomes available, currently it’s listed as TBA. If you’re an artist and yourname.COM domain was snapped up 20 years ago by a real estate agent (true story) you’ll have a chance to get yourname.art.

A note about managing multiple domains

Multiple domains can have a great positive impact on your web presence, and they can also quickly become a headache to manage. On this front, the first rule of thumb is to register all your domains in one place. This doesn’t have to be the same place your website is hosted; many web hosts offer a free domain with your first website, which is okay. However, we recommend keeping your domain registration and website hosting separate, especially if you’re interested in eCommerce, intensive content marketing, or just have an addiction to side projects (like us).

Our favorite registrar is name.com, and another one we like is hover.com. Be warned, most registrars will try to sell you all kinds of other services, which you most likely don’t need. The two just mentioned keep things pretty well streamlined. Most registrars make it easy to set up a “forward” so you can make www.yourname.shop point to the place you sell online.

Back to .shop domain

So, to recap:

You can now register and use .shop domains
Consider having a simple (and memorable) URL forward to your existing online shop
Or plan for the future and grab your desired .shop domain before someone else does
Check the pricing and renewal costs (it can add up over time)
Include “www” in front of your new domain so it’s clear it’s a website address
For your sanity’s sake, keep all your domains at one registrar

We hope this is helpful information. Let us know by leaving a comment below. Sign up for our list to stay connected.

Indianola to India, or how to break free of your comfort zone

June 30, 2016 by Leslie 3 Comments

Ranakpur Jain Temple in Rajasthan India — Ranakpur Jain temple in Rajasthan India

Last June I ran into an Indianola neighbor, Pam Perry, on the ferry. We sat together on our way to Edmonds and she asked how was our trip to Italy? I told her we didn’t go… you know work stuff, finances, excuses, excuses. Pam looked me in the eye and said “What are you waiting for?” Really, she said that, and it was hard to avoid her intensely blue eyes. Pam happens to be a passionate world traveler, a co-founder of a travel company, Grand Asian Journeys. She said I should consider going on a trip with her next February, a trip to Rajasthan, India. Well I didn’t say much, or even consider it at that moment. I had no desire to travel to India. Italy was much higher on my list.

Deciding to shake things up

At home I started pondering the idea, Pam’s “What are you waiting for?” kept creeping into my head. My husband, Tim, was out of town for a week or so, so I had some thinking time on my hands. Hmm, why not? I thought about it some more… maybe it’s time for a shake up, an adventure to alter my perspective? I’m of a certain age, certainly not getting any younger, I’ve been working hard for a long time without a break of more than a week or so, so why not? What WAS I waiting for? Tim came home and I blurted out, “I’m going to India” — at least that’s the way he recalls it.

A perspective shift

Fast forward, and now I’m back from the 15 day adventure. I traveled with my friend Janice, Pam and three other adventurous women and we had an amazing experience. I won’t go into the details, because there are too many. I saw the world from a very different point of view, and it was fascinating.

Well coiffed young men posing for the camera was a common sight.

Painted wedding elephant and his handler waiting for the groom.

Tight streets of old Dehli, tangle of power lines and cords — Crowded narrow streets of Old Dehli, and improvised access to electricity over head.

Anticipation can make you happier

I enjoyed the anticipation of the adventure. Where exactly was I going? The land of 1.3 billion people, arranged marriages, ashrams, magic carpets, Ghandi, and call centers? Certainly I was headed out of my comfort zone. Before I left, I read up and researched as much as my time allowed. I wanted to be prepared for the density, poverty, colors and sensations I would encounter. And I think I was prepared as I could be. Of course the trip was just a sampling of India. It’s a diverse country, with a long and complex history. Read about how anticipating a trip can make you happier in this NY Times article by Stephanie Rosenbloom.

Benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone

My perspective of the world is altered, I’ve seen a fantastic, complicated, beautiful alternate universe. Definitely India is a source of visual inspiration, and I’m humbled by the long rich history of the people and culture.

There’s a big, diverse world out there. As Americans, we live in a bubble, we’re obsessed with ourselves, our work, and our stuff. Most of us rarely consider the rest of the world. I think the we’d be happier people, and the world a better place, if we stopped and occasionally stepped out of our comfort zones. Take a chance on a new experience, approach it with a positive attitude and an open mind. It may not be traveling to an exotic destination but I encourage you to try something new, out of the ordinary, something you never expected to do. What will you do to shake things up?

P.S. I took some 360 images with Tim’s Ricoh Theta camera, below are a couple: the group and our camels on the desert – Jaisalmer, India and a beautiful morning at the Taj Mahal.

Camels and the long shadows on the desert – Jaisalmer, India – Feb. 20 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

Morning at the Taj Majal Feb. 12 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

How to write a blog post without really trying

March 31, 2016 by Myrna 2 Comments

Desk with keyboard, coffee up and iPhone with the timer running reading 8 minutes

Updating your website is always last on the list, isn’t it? Sure okay, basic contact info will get updated out of necessity, but what about that next blog post, or adding new portfolio items on a regular basis? So hard to prioritize.

You’re not alone. We update websites left and right all day long, we’re professionals, that’s what we excel at and love to do. Except for one. Our own. Of course; we are just as guilty as every other small business of prioritizing ourselves last in the service we offer. Case in point: we launched this great new site in October, and how many blog posts are there? Well, we’ve been talking strategy, how to just buckle down and do it, and here’s what we keep coming back to: lower the bar already!

A blog is a useful, easy way to add content that pertains to your work, establishes you in your field, keeps your site fresh, improves SEO and communicates what you’re doing. Heck, communicate that you are doing stuff. When you visit a site and the last blog post is from six months ago, there’s no telling whether that’s because the business has been too busy, or not busy at all. Either way, no news is not good news in this case.

So the next time you’re belaboring over what your next blog post should be, try this trick: log in to your website, click that ‘add new’ link under ‘posts’ (I know, feels like a scary commitment), put your cursor in the main content box, set a timer for ten minutes, and GO! Write nonstop about anything that crosses your mind. Write “I can’t think what to write” or “I need to buy kitty litter” or “I hope I look as cool as I think I do in my new red glasses” … just write. For ten whole minutes without stopping. Remember, no one can see what you’re writing, and you don’t have to hit ‘publish.’ You can keep drafts or delete anything at any time. The point is just to get going, get moving, and I guarantee by the time that timer dings you’ll keep going right along with a sudden idea. A cool new thing you just remembered, something you figured out today that you’ve been puzzling over for weeks, a story about how you met the gallery owner that’s hosting your next show. Who knows. It’ll show up. All you have to do is show up first.