Monarch: The Leader of a New Generation of Social Plugins
Each and every one of us comes across interesting pieces of information in our daily news feed, or as we are casually surfing the web. At times, we even feel the urge to share some of those articles, videos, images, etc with the people we know. We can either act on it or not, and if we do, the social media buttons present on that web page might really come in handy; with a special emphasis on ‘might’, because those buttons may not exist, or they may be appear to be irksome, or difficult to reach. In that case, it takes less than a second to decide whether we are better off without following or sharing anything further.
Tips for Designing a Beautiful Single-Page Portfolio Website
Many trends in general web design can also be applied to single page layouts. But there are some unique features to the lone webpage which can add more flavor into a design. Like most of the web design field, common sense and user experience always trumps inessential creative ideas.
But that doesn’t mean anybody can just understand the best techniques for creating a single page design. In this post I’d like to share a few ideas on how to create usable, tactile portfolios with content featured on a single page. Mobile users are growing rapidly so you have to be thinking about clickable and swipeable interfaces at all times.
How to Really Accomplish What You Need to Get Done by Becoming More Accountable
We’re well into 2014 by now. How are you coming with your annual freelance web design business goals?
That’s what I thought. But don’t worry. It’s not just you. Most of us are behind on our goals.
One of the biggest perks of freelancing is also one of the biggest problems. To be precise, the problem is the fact that you don’t answer to a boss.
Most freelancers that I know love the fact that no one is looking over their shoulder to make sure that they get their work done. And I agree. Not having a boss can be great.
- Want a day off? Just take it.
- Having trouble getting started in the morning? No problem. Get up later.
- Don’t feel like working today? Then don’t.
- Do you dread working with that problem client today? Put it off until tomorrow.
You get the picture. There’s a lot of freedom when you’re a freelancer.
Unfortunately, sometimes that freedom means that you don’t get your work done. You may miss deadlines. You may not keep up with your accounting tasks. You might put off marketing until you have no clients coming in.
It’s easy to see how freelancing freedom can be detrimental to your web design business.
Fortunately, you can do something about it. You can choose to be accountable. In this post, I’ll explain how accountability can improve your productivity and help you to get more done. I’ll also describe what to look for in an accountability partner and list some possible accountability partners.
What You Absolutely Must Know Before You Form a Web Design Partnership
Should you work with a freelance design partner?
The answer is “maybe.”
Not every freelancer is cut out to be in a partnership. And not every pair of freelance designers who decide to work together succeed.
For many, working with a freelancing partner is the best thing that ever happened to them. But for others, forming a partnership results in nothing but chaos and misery.
What’s the difference?
That’s an excellent question, and one that we’ll explore in this post. We’ll look at why some partnerships work and others don’t. I’ll also provide five tips to help you form a working web design partnership.
If you liked this post, you may also like 10 Essential Guidelines for Freelance Collaboration.
Avoid These Top Complaints when Developing Mobile Apps
Mobile apps are a growing trend these days with 22% of the population across the world owning smartphones and 6% owning tablets. According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 56% of American adults own a smartphone. Many businesses now offer loyal followers apps in place of their website to provide convenient and quick access to their information.
Are You Really Ready for Freelance Web Design after Graduation? Check Here First
You’re about to graduate. Or maybe next year will be your last year of school.
After graduation, you have your career all planned out. There’ll be no traditional 9-to-5 grind for you. Your future is in freelancing… or so you think.
I have one question for you. If you plan to become a freelance web designer after graduation, are you really ready?
You may think you are ready to begin freelancing right out of school, but chances are that you’re not.
Fortunately, there are some steps to take to prepare yourself for freelance web design even before you graduate. In fact, the earlier you start preparing yourself for freelancing, the better.
So, if you’ve still got another year of school, be glad. That gives you some extra time to get yourself ready for freelancing.
However, if you’re graduating this year, don’t panic. There are still some steps you can take to get ready for freelancing.
In this post, I list over ten ways that students can prepare themselves for a future in freelance web design before they finish school.
If you like this post, you may also like Freelancers, Use this 22-Point Checklist to Find Out How Professional You Are.
iPad POS: The Next Generation Solution For All Retailers?
Are you one of those people who hate to wait in lines to bill your purchases? Well, wait no more, as iPad and Wi-Fi based Point of Sale systems are now here to stay. iPad POS systems are the wave of the future and they offer multiple benefits that will streamline your billing process by as much as 60 percent. 
The business website Entrepreneur, states that retailers have yet to jump on to the handheld POS system but its popularity is a given. In fact, the Alabama State University Stadium was the first to incorporate the virtual billing system for its concession vendor service during the first game of the year. The handheld billing systems made it possible to clear a record 5721 sales in the matter of a few hours. This rapid billing system impressed other stadium owners as well and handheld billing systems may be expected to be implemented at all major stadiums in the US. Although this does seem impressive, is it really possible to phase out the traditional billing register and use only tablet-based systems?
6 Extremely Crucial Choices That Determine Your Freelancing Future
Ultimately, freelance web design is all about choices. The choices you make as a freelancer will determine your business success or failure.
The best course for a freelance web designer is to proactively plan how you will approach each choice. You can always change your approach later if you feel that something is not working for your business.
The alternative of not planning means that your business will sort of drift along. You’ll deal with each new situation as you face it, but you don’t really have a plan. You’ll probably base your decision about each situation on how you feel or the latest article you read. Your business direction will seem faltering and inconsistent.
If you’re extremely lucky (and very talented) your web design business may be okay drifting. You just might make it. You’ll probably be pretty frustrated, though.
Most freelance web designers, however, need to be intentional in order to succeed. In this post, I list six crucial interrelated choices that every designer needs to make in order to run and maintain a successful freelance web design business. (The advice can apply to other types of freelancers as well.)