Lead Designer for Rainmaker Digital, Rafal Tomal, has gifted us an early Christmas present with his newest Child theme for the Genesis Framework – called Journal.
It just so happens to be FREE and you can download the theme right now, right here:
GET IT HERE!
Looking for a simple personal blog theme? Journal is a perfect solution.
The theme was created with the mobile first approach which greatly influenced both the navigation and layout. It is beautifully responsive and fluid which you can quickly test by resizing your browser window.
Journal has its unique twists which one would expect from Mr. Tomal! It doesn’t have visible sidebars, but the primary sidebar is hidden behind the screen which can be accessed by clicking the “Menu” button. You can use it to place your navigation or a search box. It has a limited height, so try to keep your navigation short if you want to fit it on smaller screens.
Each post sports a different banner image. Cool!
If you need any help installing and configuring the Journal theme, please contact me at 561.906.3436.
– By Marcia Coffey
Find Marcia on Google+
Call Marcia at 561.906.3436
Responsive Web Design
Still Fighting Zillow? Are You A Realtor Fighting The Last War?
Something struck me when I watched Zillow’s latest tv ad, what they call the Find Your Way Home commercial.
Let’s rewind and cue it up…
SCENE 1. KITCHEN – MORNING
A mother sits at her kitchen table, mountains of dishes in the sink, looking at her iPad. Closeup of daughter sitting on her lap, face of her husband on monitor while they talk about a house they are both researching on the Zillow app.
It continues … in the car, at work, improbably even to purchasing the house so it seems.
So where is the realtor in all this?
How important really are those IDX listings on your website?
Ever notice that most buyers contacting you have already started looking for homes for sale on the Internet, and don’t need your help finding a home?
Bottom line: visitors to your website aren’t coming for the search experience anymore!
What’s more listing search activity is moving almost exclusively to apps.
It’s hard to fight the trends
Did you know? Zillow claims over 50% of the fast-increasing mobile traffic. It’s much easier to pull up listing details on a smartphone while in the car, than to “log on” to a website at home.
Some experts believe that local agents and brokers cannot compete with the big real estate brands when it comes to listing search.
What to do?
Think differently about your website. Focus on what you as an agent or broker are uniquely positioned to win. Showcase your expertise and knowledge of your local marketplace. Set yourself apart.
Embrace content marketing joyfully 🙂 Develop a gang busters blog with the latest news, tips and resources about your local market.
Make sure you have a mobile-ready website that will make you stand out from the crowd. I mean, you’re gonna look good – you just can’t help it!
Take a look at the Winning Agent Pro Theme.
Looks amazing on a full-sized retina display all the way down to an iPhone, shows off your listings with the IDX feed if you wish, and showcases your local content via your blog.
Today we’re in the midst of a real estate revolution driven by technology. Call Marcia to discuss how you can take advantage of this ever-changing landscape!
– By Marcia Coffey
Find Marcia on Google+
Call Marcia at 561.906.3436.
Follow @jmgroupdesign
Why You Need a WordPress Site For Your Business
It’s easy to fall prey to what look like simple solutions.
Some will tell you you don’t need a website for your business … you just need a Tumblr page, a Facebook page, or some other “ready in 5 minutes” solution. “It’s free! It’s quick!” they say.
But it’s also dangerous. And here’s why.
It’s rented land.
Bookstores, restaurants, and other brick-and-mortar businesses face this every day. Leases expire, rents go up, businesses can’t survive the additional financial pressure. The only way around it is to own the land your store is on.
Work for yourself … not Facebook. Facebook can change their terms of service whenever they want, without asking you. They can also delete your page just because they feel like it.
If the only place you get traffic is Google (either through organic search or pay-per-click), you work for Google.
If 80% of your new customers find you on Pinterest or LinkedIn, you work for Pinterest or LinkedIn.
You have a much better option. You can rely on yourself, and use Facebook and Google and Pinterest as outposts to support your business.
Don’t Build Your Business on Someone Else’s Platform
There are at least two assets you should be building today:
- A well-designed WordPress website with your own hosting account.
- A reputation for providing impeccable value.
Here are a few resources to get you started:
For professional-looking design right out of the box, as well as state-of-the-art code and security, take a look at StudioPress premium themes* for WordPress.
If you need a robust web host that uniquely offers WordPress support 24/7 and unlimited domains, I enthusiastically recommend BlueHost*.
You’ve put a lot of time and effort into your business. Don’t risk it by building your business on someone else’s land. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever before to create a site that you truly own and control.
– By Marcia Coffey
Find Marcia on Google+
Call Marcia at 561.906.3436.
Follow @jmgroupdesign
- Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.
How To Create A Tiled Mosaic Image Gallery
My cousin has an idyllic life! You can see why in the gorgeous photo gallery below.
He happens to be an architect with a designer’s eye and an iPhone. From lakeside still lifes to sunflowers in a field, John paints a detailed canvas of life on Deering Lake in New Hampshire.
His work inspired me to create this beautiful Tiled Mosaic Image Gallery which you can easily do for yourself on your own website.
How To Create A Simple Tiled Mosaic Image Gallery
A summary: This is a pretty simple process of installing and configuring the Jetpack plugin with Tiled Galleries and Carousel. After that you just need to create a standard WordPress gallery with specified settings.
Then you will just throw in a little code to your functions.php file to widen the gallery. Finally, some styling/css is needed to fine tune the carousel. And, you’re ready to go!
For the very detailed tutorial with all the steps, css and code snippets on how to set up this gallery, you will want to review the Minimal Genesis Themes page HERE.
– By Marcia Coffey
Find Marcia on Google+
Call Marcia at 561.906.3436
Simply Pro Genesis Theme
A picture is worth a thousand clicks. This is why Instagram based their business model around pictures. Two connections worth taking seriously these days when it comes to your ever-challenging marketing efforts!
Simply Pro, the newest Genesis theme from Studio Press, maximizes your Instagram exposure with a SnapWidget photo gallery built right into the footer.
A very modern theme that showcases beauty, Simply Pro follows the design trends set by the top bloggers.
This minimalist theme comes packaged with customizable colors, so you can change whatever color to fit your needs. Other great features include a responsive styled slider, floating social media icons, minimal share buttons and the ability to upload your own logo or simply type your blog name in. It’s also responsive and looks great on any device!
Click here to see the Simply Pro theme in action.
– By Marcia Coffey
Find Marcia on Google+
Call Marcia at 561.906.3436