How to Avoid the 6 Clients that Could Hurt Your Business
As freelancers we have a love/hate relationship with our clients. Without them we would be penniless, but at times they can make our work unbearably difficult. How do we handle the clients who don’t pay us, take all our time, and make our job harder than it needs to be? In my career I have worked with hundreds of clients and thankfully most have been amicable. But, every once in a while, one will come along that takes the wind out of my sails and this can potentially hurt my business if I let it. Knowing how to handle these unmanageable clients has helped me avoid potentially toxic situations.
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A Handy Guide to Better User Experience
In simplest terms, UX, also known as user experience or user usability is the way most basic users feel about using an application, a program, a website or anything. User Experience is based on the reactions and responses the user performs and provides. While it can seem related to gaining feedback, it is actually not the same. User Experience is meant to understand and make the user reach the “final goal” which is defined by the owner of the product. Whether this goal is getting the person to subscribe to your newsletter, or make him buy your new t-shirt, the main goal of the owner is to make the user’s way as easy and hassle free as possible. There are many factors which can influence a user’s experience with your system/product. The following are some of the most important factors.
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How Ruben Gamez Turned Bidsketch Into A Successful Online Business
Ruben Gamez is the solo founder of Bidsketch , an online proposal software website for web designers. In only a year and a half, he managed to take Bidsketch from a humble side project that he started while having a full-time job to a full-time business that allowed him to quit his job and enjoy the freedom he has always desired. How did he do that? Today, Ruben shares his story with 1WD readers.
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5 Easy Steps on How to Deal with Online Stealing
Dealing with thieves in real life is bad, but meeting them online any better. Having the things you’ve been working on for a long time stolen — sucks. In this article we’re going to review some very effective ways how you can fight online stealing, mostly relating to websites. The things which have to be considered as stolen must be related to the website concept, layout, functionality and features. Content should also be considered, however it is much harder to prove that a custom post belongs to you — it should be identical (copied) in order to prove that the original content was posted on your website. For domain names, there is just a single way on how to show that you’re the only person who has the right to use a name in the domain — trademarking the domain! A great example is how Facebook has tried trademarking the “face” word in the online world, by this starting a “domination” on the internet.
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6 Must Read Tips Before Registering a Domain Name
There are many things a web designer has to think of when designing a website. Moreover, if he has full responsibility, he has to come up with a good domain name as well. Although many think it is not so important, the domain name is as important as your company name, the website or the Facebook page. Having a good domain name will many times not only bring you more traffic, but also make your webpage easier to remember – and this brings traffic too.
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Stop Designing User Experience! I Mean It!
User Experience this! User Experience that! Stop it, will you? There’s plenty enough research done about User Experience . Now, can we please start designing? The problem with the Internet is that literally anything can go viral in no time. Same has happened with the keyword User Experience (UX as the nerds call it). Wasn’t aesthetically pleasing design the end goal for every designer? Then, from where did this term UX find place in our brains and how come it dominates our thoughts? Isn’t an aesthetically pleasing design that delights our user enough to keep them riveted?
Well, lots of questions there. I might be acting a bit extreme but I am a bit upset. I am upset with the trend that has forced an average designer to read tons of content about User Experience just to understand whatever it is. For me, UX is totally unrealistic. And whatever is unrealistic cannot be designed. Let me prove my point!
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Make Everyone Jealous with Green Themes, Palettes and Artworks
Soon you’ll make everyone green with envy by showing off your newfound knowledge of this month’s colour! Read on for some interesting bits of trivia, tips, puns and finally, as always, a showcase with a little something for everybody. Enough beating around the bush, let’s get to it!
Other color of the month you might enjoy:
December - Colour Chronicles: Bold Brown
January - Colour Chronicles: Brilliant Blue
February - Set Your Website on Fire with Red Themes, Photos, and Palettes
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Market and Sell Your Digital Goods the Right Way
In previous years, digital marketplaces have evolved significantly. Day by day, more and more designers, developers, photographers and musicians of all levels have started to begin their experiences with marketplaces and selling digital files online. These ‘stock markets’ represent a good source of revenue for people of all skills, from beginners to advanced, that is why if you have not started your adventure with these places that are great for generating income, you should consider it right now.
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7 Creative Ways to Use HTML5 Canvas
One of the most exciting features of HTML5 is the <canvas> element that can be used to draw vector graphics, create amazing effects, or produce interactive games and animations. Canvas is supported in all modern browsers, including the upcoming Internet Explorer 10, but a little help from JavaScript allows older versions to adapt. It was originally designed by Apple for creating lightweight dashboard widgets on its mobile devices, but is now an openly developed W3C spec which grants it enormous flexibility and application.
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Increase SEO Juice for Your Website with Internal Linking
Are you thinking about building a website or a blog? Perhaps you have recently built a website for yourself or your business? Whatever the situation be, one thing that is absolutely critical to your new site’s success is Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Optimizing your website for search engines can be one of the most overwhelming tasks for new website owners. Everyone wants their website to come up at the top of Google search results. Unfortunately, most website owners don’t realize just how much work it takes in order to make that happen.
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