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10+ Best Free Gutenberg Ready WordPress Themes

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Hosting

The post 10+ Best Free Gutenberg Ready WordPress Themes appeared first on HostGator Blog . There are hundreds of thousands of WordPress themes on the market. A lot of them are free while some cost more than a few hundred bucks. Finding a theme that suits your WordPress site’s style and is compatible with all the plugins you use is very difficult. If you want to use WordPress’ new Gutenberg editor , then you need a theme that is compatible with it. With thousands of themes to choose from, most of which aren’t compatible with Gutenberg, I wanted to make it easier for you to find the perfect theme. So, here’s my collection of the best free Gutenberg-ready WordPress themes right now. What is Gutenberg? Gutenberg is the latest page/post editor that comes with WordPress. If you are a fan of the original, the classic WordPress editor, then it might take you a few minutes to get comfortable with the new editor. Gutenberg is WordPress’ attempt at creating a drag and drop page builder that can make it easier for beginners and novices to create beautiful looking pages. If you want your website to stand out, you need your content to stand out in your niche. The easiest way to do this is by improving the design of your blog’s content. Now, if you hire a programmer to do it, it will cost you well over $500. But with a tool like Gutenberg , you can do it all by yourself within minutes… for free. Why you need a Gutenberg compatible theme? If you want to use the new Gutenberg editor and take advantage of all the wonderful tools and widgets it has to offer, then you need a WordPress theme that is compatible with Gutenberg . Most themes on the market, even the premium ones, aren’t compatible with Gutenberg. If you use a theme that isn’t compatible, most of your pages will break in unexpected places. If you don’t want your blog to break right when you catch your big break, then you should only use a theme that is compatible with Gutenberg. To make it easier for you to find the perfect theme, we have made the following list of the best free WordPress themes that are Gutenberg-ready. Best Free Gutenberg Themes 1. GeneratePress Best suited for: All types of websites, is a Multipurpose theme. Sites having this theme activated: 200,000+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/generatepress/ GeneratePress is one of the most popular WordPress themes out there. Unlike some other themes on this list, this is a multipurpose theme. That means, you can use it to build almost any type of website you want. Whether you want to use it on a travel site or cooking blog, you can easily customize this theme to suit your niche. You can customize almost all elements of this theme without writing a single line of code. This theme is made to be a lightweight kickstarter for any kind of a project based on WordPress.  They offer a big library of importable templates for all types of websites including travel, cooking, and personal blogs. You can also use this theme to build an eCommerce site and sell your products online. Features: Clean minimal design that is suitable for all types of websites. A huge library of hundreds of design templates available to choose from. Easily customize almost all aspects of the theme’s design. Compatible with all page builder plugins on the market including Gutenberg and Beaver Builder. Translation ready and supports over 20 languages. A lightweight theme that won’t slow down your website. 2. Gucherry Blog Best suited for: Personal Blogs, Travel Blogs, and blogs that display large images. Sites having this theme activated: 700+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/gucherry-blog/ GuCherry Blog is a beautiful free WordPress template designed for blogs. It offers a very clean, minimal design that focuses the user’s attention on the content. If you are looking for a theme for your personal blog, then this is one of the best options. You can easily customize this theme to suit your personal style by changing the colors and typography of the design. It comes with full support for page builders like Gutenberg. It is optimized for speed and is translation-ready. This theme is perfect for bloggers who want to start a blog , build an audience online and stand out in their niche. It offers a simple design and comes with everything you will need including social media share buttons and a lot of built-in widgets to choose from. It is also SEO optimized so that you can focus on creating content without worrying too much about the search engine bots. GuCherry blog is designed to be fast and offers lots of space placing advertisements on your blog. You place ads on your blog with just a few clicks in many different places without editing any code. Features: A minimal design that will help you stand out in your blogging niche. Lots of places to place ads on your blog to earn a side income. Optimized for SEO and fast load times. Easily customize everything from the colors to typography. Built-in support for page builders like Gutenberg. Translation-ready and supports RTL languages. A theme best suited for bloggers. 3. Getwid Base Best suited for: Startups, Digital Agencies, and Portfolio websites. Sites having this theme activated: 700+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/getwid-base/ Getwid Base is a free WordPress theme that is designed specifically to work with Gutenberg. Getwid Base theme is a part of Getwid, a bundle of multipurpose blocks designed for Gutenberg. To get the most out of this theme, we recommend that you install the Getwid plugin but even without the bundle, this theme has all the features you will need. It offers a beautiful, minimal design that is compatible with Gutenberg. It is best suited for digital agencies, startups, and portfolios. Although it is designed for digital agencies and startups, you can customize it to suit whatever niche you are in and change the design to suit your brand style. Features: A theme that is built specifically for Gutenberg page builder. Customize the theme easily with just a few clicks without touching code. You can add more blocks and widgets compatible with this theme by installing the free Getwid Gutenberg bundle. It comes with a simple design that looks great on all devices. 4. Page Builder Framework Best suited for: Agency Sites, Portfolios, and Service Businesses. Sites having this theme activated: 10,000+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/page-builder-framework/ Page Builder Framework is a free WordPress theme that is designed to be super fast. It is a lightweight theme that weighs less than 50 kb and doesn’t slow down your website. If you need a clutter-free, minimal design that you can customize yourself without editing code, this theme is a great option. This theme is designed for page builders like Gutenberg and Beaver Builder. You can easily customize all aspects of this theme’s design to suit your personal style. This theme scores 99% on all speed test tools like YSlow, Pingdom, and GTmetrix. It loads in less than 100ms. Features: This theme is built for speed and will never slow down your website. Customize all aspects of this theme’s design with just a few clicks. Designed to be compatible with all page builders including Elementor and Gutenberg. Responsive design that works on all screen sizes. WooCommerce support, if you want to build an eCommerce store. 5. Mission News Best suited for: News and Magazine sites, and sites with lots of content. Sites having this theme activated: 3,000+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/mission-news/ Mission News is a free WordPress theme designed for news and magazine websites. The design is clean and makes your website look like a classic news site. It’s fully responsive and looks great on all devices no matter the screen size. The layout of this theme is minimal, clean and focuses attention to the content. It is fully compatible with Gutenberg, Elementor, and some other page builder plugins. It also offers WooCommerce compatibility so that you can build an online store within a few minutes. This theme is optimized for speed and loads really fast. Features: WooCommerce support allows you to build an eCommerce site without writing any code Easily customize all aspects of your website’s design using the customization options. 100% responsive and looks great on all devices. Compatible with Gutenberg and Elementor. 6. Storytime Best suited for: Personal Blogs, Story Blogs, and Author Blogs. Sites having this theme activated: 1,000+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/storytime/ Storytime is a theme designed for authors and creatives. If you are a writer or really want to showcase your work, this is the theme for you. This theme comes with hundreds of customization options. You can choose from 2 blog layout options and 10 sidebar options. It is fully compatible with Gutenberg and is designed with the tool in mind. It also comes with its own built-in Gutenberg blocks you can use to improve your content. The theme offers a fully responsive minimal design. It offers a beautiful layout design that focuses attention on the content of your blog. If you are starting a personal blog and want to stand out in your niche, this theme is one of the best options. Features: Fully compatible with page builders like Gutenberg. Comes with additional built-in Gutenberg. Easily customize the theme using WordPress Theme Customizer interface. Hundreds of customization options so you can customize the design to suit your brand. 2 Blog layouts and 10 sidebar positions to choose from. 7. Music Lite Best suited for: Music artists, Bands and Musicians. Sites having this theme activated: 2,000+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/music-lite/ Music Lite is the free version of Music Pro. The free version of the theme comes with dozens and dozens of customization options. If you want more customization, then you can always upgrade to the pro version. It is built on a responsive framework to make sure it always looks good across different devices. It is also retina-optimized to look good on a large screen and high resolution displays like Apple’s products It comes with a tour dates page that you can easily customize and change dates on for your fans and followers. The theme comes with custom page templates that you can use to build your whole website in only a few minutes. It also comes with multiple column layouts. This theme allows you to easily customize the logo, the header, and even the background without writing any code. Features: The design is built on a mobile responsive framework and works on all screen sizes. Tour dates pages where you can list your tour dates with just a few clicks. Easily customize the theme using WordPress’ Theme Customizer tool. Custom page templates. The theme comes with multiple column layouts to choose from. 8. Portfolio Lite Best suited for: Photography Portfolio, Creative Portfolios, Freelancer Portfolios. Sites having this theme activated: 2,000+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/portfolio-lite/ Portfolio Lite is a portfolio theme for creatives. It offers a very unique design to help you stand out of the crowd. The design is very minimal to focus the attention on the portfolio items. If you are a freelancer and need a site to show off your work, this is the best theme for you. It comes with a sidebar menu on the left to allow for easy and minimal navigation. This theme will allow you to build your portfolio online in only a few minutes. This theme is best for portfolios with lots of images. It is best suited for people who wish to show off their designs or photography. It comes with a few different page templates to choose from for your portfolio items. You can easily create a slideshow for your portfolio within seconds. Features: A clean minimal layout to show off your creative portfolio. Showcase large images in a beautiful layout. Different page templates for portfolio items to choose from. Get more features by purchasing the premium version of this theme. Dozens of customization options and support for WordPress Theme Customizer. Support for Gutenberg and other Page Builders. 9. Davis Best suited for: Personal Blogs and sites that are more focused on the content. Sites having this theme activated: 3,000+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/davis/ Davis is a minimalistic WordPress theme that you can either use as a framework to build your own theme or you can use to build a superfast website that scores high on all page speed test tools like Google PageSpeed. It is super lightweight and weighs only 61 kb. This theme offers a super minimal design that focuses the attention on the content. It is fully responsive, looks great on devices, and comes with a dark mode option. It also supports featured images, and aside post format. This theme is built to be fast and minimal and to be used as a framework to build upon and as such doesn’t offer many options or customization features. It is pretty minimal. Features: Fully responsive design. Super minimal, clean design. Super lightweight theme that weighs only 61kb and loads really fast. Comes with full support for Gutenberg and other page builders. 10. Block Lite Best suited for: Creative portfolio sites and photography portfolios. Sites having this theme activated: 1,000+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/block-lite/ Block Lite is a theme that is built for the Gutenberg editor. It comes with dozens of customization options that you can use to customize all aspects of the theme. It offers a responsive design that is minimal and looks great across all screen sizes. This theme is best for showcasing your creative portfolio. If you are a designer or a photographer, this theme will allow you to focus the visitor’s attention on your portfolio items. It is retina optimized to make sure the design looks great on even large-resolution displays. Block Lite’s premium version offers dozens of more customization options and features. Features: Easily customize the design of this theme using WordPress Theme Customizer. Customize the Typography and use any of the free Google Fonts you like on your website. A clean, minimal design best suited for showcasing creative portfolio items like pictures and designs. 11. Atomic Blocks Best suited for: Blogs and websites that need a minimal design. Sites having this theme activated: 2,000+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/atomic-blocks/ Atomic Blocks is a free WordPress theme that offers a simple design. It is fully compatible for Gutenberg page builder. This theme is a part of the Atomic Blocks plugin. The plugin adds more blocks to the Gutenberg builder. With this theme, you don’t need to download a hundred different plugins. It comes with blocks for everything including pricing table, newsletter sign up forms, post grid blocks, call to action blocks, testimonial block, sharing block and much more. Although this theme offers a minimal design and is best suited for blogs, it can be easily customized and used to build any type of a website. Features: Add dozens of new blocks to Gutenberg page builder by installing the accompanying Atomic Blocks plugin for free. Simple, responsive design. Dozens of theme options to help you customize the design without touching a single line of code. Fully compatible with Gutenberg and other page builder plugins. 12. Richone Best Suited For Minimal, basic portfolio sites. Sites having this theme activated: 600+ Download/preview link: https://wordpress.org/themes/richone/ Richone is a clean, beautiful portfolio theme that is compatible with Gutenberg editor. It offers a super minimal design that looks clean and focuses attention on the portfolio items. This theme offers full support WooCommerce so you can create an online store on our own. This theme comes with dozens of customization options so you can customize everything from the typography to the color scheme of the design. It offers a widget sidebar at the bottom. Features: WooCommerce ready so you can build an online store in minutes. Fully compatible with Gutenberg. Comes with custom page templates so you can build your website in minutes without any code. This theme is optimized for SEO, so you can focus on creating content. Fully responsive minimal design that focuses attention on the content Wrap Up All of the themes in this list support Gutenberg and will help you create content that stands out of the crowd. Most of these themes not only support Gutenberg, they also support other page builder plugins like Divi and Elementor , and others. If you are still having trouble deciding which theme to go with, let me make it super easy for you: If you need a theme that loads up really fast, then go with GeneratePress . It’s mostly a theme framework to help you build super fast websites. It comes with dozens of customization options and is really lightweight. If you produce a lot of content on your website, then go with Mission News . Although it’s a theme built for news sites, it is fully customizable, so you can easily customize it to suit your needs. If you want more Gutenberg blocks than the defaults, then go with the Getwid theme and download the accompanying Getwid plugin to add more blocks to the Gutenberg editor for free. Are you using a free Gutenberg compatible theme that has been left off this list, and you think is worth mentioning? If so, we would love to hear all about it in the comments! Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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SSD vs HDD

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Hosting

The post SSD vs HDD appeared first on HostGator Blog . Every year, the technological devices we use—and increasingly depend on—seem to get smaller and more powerful. And yet somehow these machines manage to hold large quantities of files, media, and applications. That’s possible because of the data storage technology available to manufacturers and consumers today. And in the world of storage technology, there are two main options: SSD and HDD . Your average consumer rarely has to worry about the difference between the two, but for the tech savvy, understanding the difference in how they work and the relative benefits of each can be valuable. This article will compare SSD vs HDD to help you decide which option is the right one for you. What is SSD (Solid-State Drive)? The solid-state drive is a relatively recent data storage technology that uses memory chips to store information. SSDs use the same technology that flash drives do, but on a larger scale. Specifically, they’re made up of NAND (negative-and) memory chips that house a number of memory cells. There are three types of memory cells: Single-level cells (SLC) Multi-level cells (MLC) Triple-level cells (TLC) SLCs can only hold two bits of data (a 1 or 0), which means a higher level of precision, but higher cost. MLCs hold two bits of data per cell, and TLCs three—each increase in bits leads to a tradeoff in precision and speed, but means greater affordability. With technological advances over time, SSDs have been able to hold more NAND chips with more memory cells, increasing power and storage capacity, while reducing cost. Many new computer models now come with SSD hardware and external hard drives that use SSD drive technology have become more common and accessible. SSD Pros: 6 Reasons to Consider SSD Over HDD SSDs are growing in popularity for good reason. The technology has a number of important benefits that make them a good choice for most tech manufacturers and users alike. Here are six of the main reasons to consider SSD over HDD. 1. They’re fast. Because a SSD drive has fewer moving parts in the way they function, it works more efficiently. On the user end, that means your devices work much faster. If you’re tired of watching the spinning ball of death (or throbber , if you prefer the more technical term) while you wait for files to open or pages to load, then you need a data storage option that works faster. This is a significant category where SSDs win, which is one of the biggest reasons many prefer them. The speed at which your computer or other devices you rely on work makes a discernible difference in your day to day life. SSDs increase convenience and efficiency, and thus make your life easier. 2. They’re quiet. Another benefit of SSDs using technology that doesn’t involve a lot of moving parts is that it means they can run without making as much noise. SSDs are virtually silent. If you prefer to do your work (and play) without the extra white noise that HDDs make when they get into gear, then SSDs are your best choice. 3. They’re reliable. Fewer parts also means fewer opportunities for pieces to break or wear out. SSDs can generally be counted on to last years, or even decades, without needing any repairs. And like most technologies, the longer companies work on them, the more reliable they become. Every year only increases the lifespan of new SSDs, which was already long to begin with. 4. They don’t use much energy. The efficiency in how SSDs work also means that they don’t use as much energy as HDDs. That means your computer’s battery power will last longer, and your electric bills could be lower. For anyone conscious about their energy usage and looking for ways to cut down, this is one small choice that can make a difference. 5. They’re light and portable. This is especially convenient when it comes to laptops or other devices you need to move from one place to another frequently. The technology SSDs use is relatively small and lightweight, which means products that use an SSD will be more convenient to carry around. 6. They’re versatile. Because SSDs can be made with different types of memory cells, numbers of chips, and design approaches, you have a lot of options when it comes to their shapes and sizes. While replacing the drive in your computer requires finding something that’s the right fit, for other purposes like choosing an external drive, you have more choices. SSD Cons While the pros are compelling, there are a few potential downsides to consider when it comes to SSDs. 1. They’re expensive. The biggest drawback of SSD in relation to HDD is that it’s more expensive. While the technology is getting more affordable every year, SSD is still quite a bit more expensive than HDD drives. And the types of SSDs that deliver better performance or more storage space, such as those with SLC or multiple NAND chips cost more. 2. They often have a smaller capacity. Related to cost is the issue of storage capacity. The more files and data you have to store, the more you’ll have to spend on an SSD big enough to fit them all. For creators with especially high data storage capacity needs, SSD is often prohibitively expensive, where HDD drives with a comparable storage size cost quite a bit less. 3. In some cases, you’ll face compatibility issues. If you’re looking to replace the drive you have in your current computer and the device now has an HDD, there’s a chance that an SSD won’t be compatible. Many computers that now come with HDDs are designed to be compatible with both types of storage drives, so you have the choice to trade up down the line. But older devices, or more affordable ones, may only be HDD-compatible, so you have to make sure switching to SDD is even an option before you consider it. What is HDD (Hard Disk Drive)? A hard disk drive, sometimes just called a hard drive, is a data storage device that stores information on rotating magnetic disks. The technology includes an arm with a head that floats above the disks until called on to write data on the disks in tiny tracks, much like a miniature record player, then “read” or retrieve the data as needed. It’s an older form of computer storage, developed in the early days of computers and refined in the decades since. For a long time it was the dominant computer data storage option, but as SSD technology has gotten more advanced and, crucially, more affordable, it has begun to lose ground in popularity.  Nonetheless, it’s still easy to find and a better option in some use cases. HDD Pros: 3 Reasons People Prefer Them Over SSDs Hard disk drives have a different set of benefits they offer in comparison to SSDs. Here are the main reasons some people prefer them. 1. They’re more affordable. HDDs cost quite a bit less than SDDs, and always have. While over time as SDD technology advances, the difference in cost narrows, it’s still considerable enough that you can expect to spend a lot less if you opt for an HDD. This is true across use cases—computers, external hard drives, and web hosting servers that use HDDs will consistently be cheaper than those of a comparable size that use SDDs. If price is your biggest deciding factor, you can check out our cheap dedicated server hosting plans here. 2. They’re better for high-capacity storage. For anyone that has a lot of files, media, and applications that require a significant amount of space, HDDs are an affordable option for managing larger amounts of storage. HDDs can go up to two terabytes in laptops and ten terabytes in desktops. 3. They’re a proven technology. While both technologies have been around for some time now, HDDs are the legacy tech of the two. The longer a technology has existed, the more time companies have had to work out any kinks and improve upon it, and HDDs have existed for decades. Part of the reason you get to pay less for an HDD is because of that extra time experts have had to advance the tech and make it work better for less. HDD Cons There’s a tradeoff to any choice you make, and HDDs of course have several areas in which they’re the weaker choice. Here are the main reasons not to go with an HDD. 1. They’re slower than SSDs. As previously mentioned, the technology behind HDDs is simply less efficient. For users that means everything you do with them will be slower. With your computer, you’d face a longer time waiting for the device to boot up and slower load times when opening files and media. With external drives, it means backups and transfers take longer. And with web hosting, it can potentially mean slower load times for your website. All those times you spend waiting can really add up and make your days more inefficient. 2. They’re loud. The technology behind HDDs involves spinning disks and that spinning makes noise. Whenever the drive goes into high gear saving or accessing data, it gets louder. If you have a device that uses HDD, then you’re probably all too familiar with the spinning noise. It can be distracting as you work, and cause problems with family members or roommates you share a space with. If you care about keeping some peace and quiet in your home or workspace, an HDD can work against you. 3. They’re vulnerable to damage. Because the technology involves a number of different moving parts, there are more opportunities for parts to wear out or break. HDDs therefore tend to have a shorter lifespan than SDDs, and are more prone to needing repairs. While they cost less upfront, HDDs can cost you extra down the line when you have to replace them sooner, hire a professional to fix them, or deal with lost productivity because they’re not working properly. 3 Main Uses for Different Storage Solutions As we’ve touched on a bit in the comparison, there are three main use cases where you’ll have a choice to make between SSD vs HDD. 1. Computers All computers need a hard drive to store the operating system, applications, and various files users need to store on the device. When you’re looking for a new computer, you can find both models that use SSD and HDD. Typically, SSD computers are higher end and will cost you more upfront, and most Apple computers now come only in SSD versions. But for those needing to pinch pennies, or who want more storage for the money they spend, you can find HDD models as well. 2. External Hard Drives External hard drives come in handy both for making backups, and storing any files you don’t want taking up space on your computer. If you own a lot of games, movies, or other files that take up a significant amount of space, storing them externally can open up space on the computer itself so you don’t run out as fast. You can find plenty of choices for external hard drives, both SSD and HDD. HDD options are typically cheaper and sometimes much larger. SSD ones are smaller, lighter, and more costly for the amount of storage you get. 3. Web Hosting Servers A sometimes overlooked area where you have a choice between HDD and SSD is when it comes to choosing your web hosting, particularly if you invest in dedicated server hosting . Some web hosting providers will allow you to choose between an SSD or HDD plan. As you’d expect by this point in the piece, and SSD plan will typically cost more but deliver more speed (twice as much, in the case of HostGator’s plan). But for websites with less storage or bandwidth needs, an HDD plan can offer savings. Other Storage Options While SSD and HDD are your main options in many contexts, we now also have a couple of alternatives in some use cases. Hybrid Drives While not as common as SSDs or HDDs, in the past few years an alternative that combines the best of both worlds has come onto the scene. You can find computers and external drives that use both types of technology in order to provide the faster speed of an SSD, with the affordable higher capacity of an HDD. A hybrid drive will store the files you access most on the SSD part of the device, so you can load them quickly; while the files that mostly stay in storage without frequent access can be stored on the HDD part of the device.   Cloud Storage While computers require a physical drive to function, for many other data storage needs you can now turn to cloud options. Cloud storage is a popular choice for backups and any files or programs you have that won’t fit on your computer. And web hosting companies now frequently offer cloud hosting plans as well that offer significant storage options and faster speeds. Make the Right Data Storage Choice For You All of your data storage options have unique benefits and drawbacks. Deciding between SSD vs HDD will require figuring out your particular situation and priorities. Do you have a tight budget and need a large amount of storage space? Or is convenience and speed more important than cost? Now you’ll know how to make an informed choice that best suits your needs. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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Hiring Independent App Developer

Posted on September 1, 2018 by Hosting

Looking for an independent Apple App developer, good portfolio required and able to work project based. We have some imminent projects comin… | Read the rest of http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1728182&goto=newpost Continue reading →

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5 Live Social Video Ideas for Small Businesses

Posted on April 12, 2018 by Hosting

The post 5 Live Social Video Ideas for Small Businesses appeared first on HostGator Blog . Social Live Video Ideas from 5 Successful Brands Live social video is essential for marketing teams. With irrelevant messages consuming customers’ attention, your team needs content that will stand out from the rest. And that’s where live social video becomes valuable to your small business. “Live streaming videos give you the chance to attract a much larger audience and generate more traffic and online visibility. Because of its immediate interaction, you can entice more viewers than you would from just a simple status update or post,” states Maggie Munley , account manager at Corporate Communications. Dust off your favorite outfit. It’s time for you to step in front of the camera. Here are five live social video ideas to get you started.   1. Interview Thought Leaders Education is important in today’s society. People are always seeking knowledge to advance their careers, help their businesses, or just find a product at a cheaper price. Knowledge is definitely power. If you’re seeking to impress your audience on live social video, you’ll want to start by interviewing thought leaders in your industry. Experts can offer unique insights on how to tackle small and big challenges affecting your consumers. By interviewing them, you also shine a light on your amazing brand. You’ll want to select thought leaders that your customers respect. So take the time to research the latest blogs, attend a few conferences, or listen to several podcasts. These spaces are prime areas to find well-qualified experts. But don’t miss the opportunity to interview the thought leaders on your team. They work day in and day out in particular areas that may interest your audience. Below is an live social video example from Socedo , a lead generation platform. While streaming on Periscope, the company interviewed their head of sales about direct messaging in the B2B social media marketing. You’ll also want to think about the topic and interview questions. Poll your audience before the chat and take live questions during the interview. That way, you’re engaging with the customer and not talking at them.   2. Explore Behind the Scenes Your team’s tasks and responsibilities may seem routine (and even mundane). Everyone is doing their job to contribute to a greater cause—the customer’s satisfaction. However, that’s not the case for your social media followers. You do something extraordinary in their eyes. You make a product they adore! On any given day, your team is working behind the scenes, planning new product launches, arranging customer appreciation events, or speaking at a major conference. Those actions you call “small” are a really big deal to your customers. People enjoy getting the inside scoop on what happens within your small business—and live video makes it possible. “Use streaming to create conversations, give customers important information, and highlight fans, partners, employees, and new technologies (and share the spotlight). Sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses is yet another way to thank your biggest fans and enable them to help share your brand story,” says Kathy Klotz-Guest , founder of Keeping It Human. The New York Times is revered for its crossword puzzle. On Facebook Live , the team solves the puzzle with its followers. Plus, they give hints and viewers can put their guesses in the comments section. Let your creativity run wild to show off your behind-the-scenes moments. It’s your opportunity to give your brand a personality.   3. Announce New Products You’re constantly seeking different ways to create brand awareness. You want to drive sales, too. Live social video can provide a helping hand. Streaming the announcement of your new products gets consumers excited. It’s a chance to see your product in real-time for the very first time. And guess what? They don’t have to leave their home or office. Then, your product announcement becomes a full-fledged event. On live video, you can explain the product features, demonstrate how it works, and talk to customers. “Sharing the event with your audience can make them feel included and enthusiastically engage with your brand. If it’s not exactly viable to host an event on your own, you can still engage your audience by getting involved in a much bigger event and then sharing live videos of how you’re helping out,” writes Inc. contributor Shane Barker . Time magazine highlights how to use Barker’s advice. When Apple made a big product announcement, the media publisher streamed the live event on its own YouTube channel. Bringing attention to industry news also can score you a larger audience. Whether it’s your product or industry news, make sure to invite your customers to the event. Their presence can lead to sale now or in the future.   4. Perform How-to Presentations When it comes to bringing products to life, there’s nothing better than a how-to presentation. It’s your moment of glory to give consumers that aha feeling. Demonstrating your product or service is an effective approach for prospective and current customers. When you turn on the camera, your main objective is to show them your product’s value. Before you get started, decide on what you want to demonstrate. You don’t want to risk fumbling over your own product with a live audience. You also don’t want to spend an hour or two explaining something; you’ll lose the attention of the audience quickly. Next, select who will be your on-air talent. You want a team member who can talk naturally about the product and won’t freeze up if he makes a mistake. You want someone who can handle the technical difficulties. How-to presentations don’t have to convey a serious tone. Have fun with your audience. Check out this example from Dunkin’ Donuts . It’s a light-hearted live video to celebrate their super fans on Valentine’s Day . Killer presentations are all about organizing your ideas before the camera turns on. Do the hard work up front, so you can have fun with your customers on live social video.   5. Support Your Cause Sometimes, live social video isn’t all about you. If you want to generate brand awareness, your small business must spotlight other causes. Today’s consumer is searching for ways to connect with brands. Supporting your favorite charitable causes is one route to displaying your brand’s values. Maybe you donate a percentage of your sales to a local nonprofit. Or your team volunteers at a specific soup kitchen every year. Those defining moments give consumers an inside look at your small business. With live video, you can capture the selflessness of your team. Michael Quoc , founder and CEO of Dealspotr , offers his perspective: “Live streaming makes your brand feel real. It’s an opportunity for you to be less polished and more authentic. You can show the human side of your team versus the scripted, commercial side.” ASPCA hosts live adoption videos for rescued animals. It’s heartwarming and sincere. Audiences have no choice but to like and share the video. These videos would be perfect for a small business to show their support. There’s a wide-range of nonprofit organizations looking for help. Lend support to a cause that matters to your team.   Lights, Camera, Action Live social video is making a splash in every industry. Consumers want to see your brand’s personality and the people behind it. Engage your audience by interviewing thought leaders with bold ideas. Announce upcoming product ideas to gauge consumer interest. And of course, give your favorite nonprofit cause some support. It’s time for your close up. Start creating your own live social videos. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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New Apple App Store Guidelines Will Impact SMBs Using DIY Tools

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Hosting

New Apple App Store guidelines state that apps created from “commercialized template or app generation services” will be rejected from inclusion in the App Store as of Jan. 1, 2018. Continue reading →

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