‘Tis The Season To Be Jolly With These Christmas WordPress Plugins

It’s the most wonderful time of the year indeed and what better way to spread the holiday cheer than to give your visitors a taste of Christmas on your website with these fun and cheery Christmas WordPress plugins.

Advent Calendar

Advent Calendar is a simple calendar plugin to show off a list of 24 days before Christmas. Each day can be viewed automatically once published. A preview of the featured image for that day is also displayed with a link to the actual page.

WP Super Snow

WP Super Snow is an awesome, customizable, and very lightweight free Christmas snow falling plugin that uses jQuery and CSS3. Create your own winter scene and add falling snow flakes to your website. You can also customize these snow flakes using various configuration options in your WordPress Dashboard.

Snow Storm

Snow Storm is a simple and festive Christmas plugin that displays falling snow flakes on the front page of your WordPress website. Give your visitors a glimpse of winter wonderland and let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Christmas Countdown Clock

Christmas Countdown Clock is a countdown plugin that displays days and hours until Christmas day. Select from a range of designs, sizes, background colours, pictures, and animations to build up excitement for the big day.

Christmas Snow – Snow Fall WordPress Plugin

Christmas Snow will turn your WordPress site into a snowy WordPress site – a great marketing move especially if you are targeting the Christmas Season Sales. This plugin has around 25 different types of snow flakes to choose from. You can create multiple types of snow flakes, control the number, speed, rotation speed, snow flake size, wind direction, and opt enable or disable for mobile devices.

Christmas Animation – Pro WordPress Plugin

Christmas Animation – Pro WordPress Plugin can be used to add fun, quirky animation Effects to welcome your visitors. You get 30 Christmas images to create multiple animations you can show on posts or pages. You can control image speed, size, rotation speed, and the slide in and slide out effects.

Have fun with these plugins and give your visitors something to smile about this Christmas.

Top Selling WordPress Themes Just for You

Want something new to add to your WordPress theme collection? Here are some of the most popular and top grossing WordPress themes to consider. Check out why these themes are doing so well in the marketplace:

Kallyas Responsive Multi Purpose WordPress Theme

Kallyas Premium WordPress Theme is an ultra-premium, modern, and highly-responsive WordPress Theme built for today’s websites. It’s super flexible, clean design clean code, and touts itself as one of the most complete theme ever created. This theme integrates most if not all of the major features you will ever need or want in a theme: customizable Page Builder, responsive layout, smart loader, SEO ready, WPML ready, WooCommerce ready, multiple modern sliders, MailChimp newsletter integration and adaptation, and so much more. You also get bonus headers (Christmas and Easter) as part of the theme package.

Enfold Responsive Multi Purpose WordPress Theme

Enfold Premium WordPress Theme is a clean, super flexible and fully responsive multipurpose WordPress Theme ideal for business websites, shop websites, and creative agencies or freelance designers portfolio website. The Theme is built using the Avia Framework. From layout modification, styling, color choices, font choices, predefined theme skins, support for the WPML MULTI LANGUAGE plugin – Enfold has everything you need and more. The theme also includes a dynamic template builder to help you create the website you need in no time.

Kutcher Studio

Create your dream design studio website with Kutcher Studio Premium WordPress Theme. What’s great about the theme is that the developers can install it for you as seen in the demo that way all you need to do is customize. The theme comes with more than 60+ useful and flexible shortcodes including a shortcode generator, optimized code, responsive and retina display ready shortcodes to build professional and complete layouts easily. Other features include a Layout Builder is fully compatible with plugins and is translation-ready with WPML (WordPress Multi Language Plugin) to build complex layouts easily with support translation of your content, a portfolio system that supports multiple stylesMasonry style, Grid Style, Videos, Images, among so many other features that will blow you away.

Tisson Premium WordPress Theme

Tisson is a fresh and modern multipurpose WordPress theme that can be used for any type of website. This premium theme allows you to build your website based on blocks and standard pages using the theme’s Page Builder. This theme is 100% retina ready and responsive, SEO ready (compatible with Yoast and AIO SEO), and it is WPML and translation ready. It includes a Drag and Drop content builder, the Revolution slider, and XML file with demo content – all to get your site up and running in no time.

Glider – Clean and Flat Stylish WordPress Theme

Glider Premium WordPress Theme is a stylish, multi-functional, responsive, ultra-modern theme with a flat UI that will fit all types of websites. From professional corporate to personal blog, this theme’s features can meet any website’s requirements. Easy to use options and features allow you to build and organize your content the way you want it: 7 splendid layouts, easy to use admin panel, 7 useful plugins (Visual Composer, Page Builder, 3 sliders, Mega Menu and Pricing tables), among the plethora of theme options.

Central – Versatile Multi Purpose WordPress Theme

CENTRAL is a dynamic and highly versatile multi-purpose WordPress theme that gives you the ability to create stunning animated pages that will make your website stand out. You have the option to: Choose between 4 fluid AJAX animations, create unlimited Parallax pages, take advantage of awesome Revolution Slider. Build your website: using a highly intuitive and friendly-to-use framework, mix full width and standard grid customizable headers, or get creative with modular shortcodes. Choose from two different animated types of infographics, and so many other features and functions to create the stunning website of your dreams.

WordPress Themes 2014? What Does the Future Hold?

Did you know that there are approximately 8 months and 2 weeks till January 2014? What?! 2014 already? You might think that’s still too far away but in reality, big businesses usually have 2-year, 3-year, and 5-year plans already pencilled in place. It’s not unusual for them to think beyond today and they probably already have activities and processes scheduled even beyond that time frame.

So what’s our fearless forecast for 2014? Is it too early to tell? Let’s take a few “wild” but calculated guesses on what we think is to come.

Mobile – The Handheld and Portable Desktop

This forecast is not new and developments in the past 2 years or so have all been pointing to this direction. Smartphones, tablets, androids, iOs devices are more and more in stiff competition with each other as people rely more and more on their devices to get everything done. As this trend continues, WordPress theme authors and developers need to think of ways, as early as now, not just adapt to the move but perhaps innovate something revolutionary that will inspire a fresh way of doing things. The move towards drag, drop, click one button, one size fits all types of themes is great but could always be better – more personalized, easier to customize and brand, and perhaps an easy to maneuver app-like admin panel – especially on a tiny 3.5” inch display using a tiny unwieldy touch keyboard.

Retina Display

Manufacturers of LCD, LED, HD and all the other display devices are probably well into production already filled with orders for the Christmas season and early next year and we bet that retina display is high up in one of their specs somewhere. What to do? WordPress authors and developers need to update, create, and optimize themes in anticipation of that. Apple is already set to require retina display in their iOS apps which means all current apps need to be updated and all future apps need to be designed with this in mind. Android phones are probably not too far behind. Mobile versions of WordPress themes need to anticipate this as well.

User Friendly Analytics

As Google continues to purge the SERPS from “spammy” and over “optimized” websites, perhaps more simple and built-in tools to help provide the average WordPress user the statistics needed to analyze and improve key aspects of his or her website. There are numerous plugins that add functionalities like performance and analytics to determine site speed, word frequencies, user interactivity, analytics and all those wonderful tools but it would be nice to have all these capabilities, in simple user friendly format, already built into the theme to reduce risks of compatibility issues.

Design

Simple and minimalistic designs will continue on till the next year with designs becoming more and more intuitive eliminating a lot of code fear and analysis on the part of the user. Features will still be consumer driven but will eventually be trimmed down to the essentials as more and more WordPress users become more educated and less “awed” by multiple sliders and 1000+ ways to change colors and backgrounds.

More Social

Social networking through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other similar websites have made it so simple for people to connect with each other. WordPress themes need features like these that make it as simple and as easy for the website owner to encourage more user interactivity within his website and his other social media networks. The flow from website to social networks needs to be seamless and streamlined to encourage more interconnectivity, engagement, and exchange. It’s part of the high quality ranking site Google equation.

Of course, nothing is carved in stone and anything can happen between now and then. These are fearless or fearful forecasts, you might say. It does help to understand how businesses move – whether they are aggressive or conservative in their strategies, and to keep abreast of what is going on in the whole web design industry in general. That way, your efforts as a WordPress professional will be more strategic and more deliberate.

Top 5 Themes for Non-Profit Organizations

It’s now that time of the year when most of the world celebrates Christmas. It is the season when the Christian world reflects on the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ which ultimately leads to his sacrifice on the cross so people may live a much better life in Him. It is also during this time when people are reminded to think beyond themselves and work towards causes to make the world a better place to live in. In the spirit of Christmas, we are featuring top 5 best selling and well rated themes for non-profit organizations:

1. Churchope

Churchope is a WordPress theme designed for churches. The homepage features a great slider perfect for giving visitors a brief presentation on what the church mission and beliefs are. The theme has capabilities for embedding videos as well as playing audio tracks. It also has a great calendar system to keep church members updated on the next church event. Overall, whether it’s viewing or listening to the latest sermon online or catching up with the next church activities, Churchope meets those needs and so much more.

2. WP Church

This is another theme that’s perfect for churches. It has an amazing slider set on a wood finish background. WP Church also gives visitors the chance to watch videos and audio tracks, listen to preaching or testimonies, and keep track of event countdowns on a dedicated event page. It also has a special scripture tool that automatically adds scripture text when the scripture reference (e.g. Ps. 121:1) is typed.

3. Campaign

This is a special theme for individuals running for public office. Candidate updates and news may be posted as well as a schedule for campaign events & sorties. There’s also a special tool for capturing names & email addresses of constituents and supporters and even a special, easy to set-up donation button. This theme can also be used for fund raising, charity events and the like.

4. Earth

This premium WordPress theme is designed for today’s eco-warriors. The environmental movement relies heavily on images to tell the stories of how the planet’s resources are being depleted because of human and industrial factors. Earth has great multimedia presentation capabilities that can help tell that story. This theme has an amazing slider that capable of embedding powerful video presentations to stir up conservation. It also has great sortable portfolio pages perfect for documenting various conservation projects of any environmental organization.

5. Animal Care

Animal care is a theme designed for cause oriented groups or movements who want to establish an online presence. This theme’s home page has a beautiful slider that can be used to effectively communicate the organization’s mission. The theme has allotted ample space for images, blog pages, and there is also a special box for special news posts regarding the organizations activities. Interested parties are given an opportunity to donate via a special donation button on the homepage.

There are more themes out there designed for non-profits. Hat tip to all the designers and developers who have created these themes to help the advancement of great causes.

eCommerce WordPress Themes 2013: Trends

eCommerce has been around since the late 1990s and has been a steadily growing phenomenon over the last few years. As the Internet continues to grow in coverage and in technology, so will the number of consumers who utilize eCommerce tools as their main means of purchasing goods and services over the Internet. In a recent marketing study commissioned by Google, it was found out that 80% of shoppers today do preliminary research online before they actually do their purchase. In light of the rising dominance of eCommerce, here are some trends to watch out for in the next 12 months:

1. Mobile

In a previous article we mentioned that 2013 is likely the year mobile devices will take over. An analysis of 35000 Shopify stores predicts that 1 out of 4 eShoppers this Christmas will do so from a mobile device and this will grow to 43% next year. With 5 Billion mobile phone subscribers expected to convert to smartphones and other handheld devices, developers need to pay attention to truly responsive design with the use of flexible images. Developer also need to put focus on eCommerce engine optimizations for 3G networks found in developing countries where the bulk of smartphone conversions are expected to happen.

2. Shopify

Providers specializing in eCommerce infrastructure are gaining headway. One of the leaders is Shopify, providing its users with easily customizable and highly functional hosted web stores. For a monthly fee starting from $29, one can enjoy estore services without much hassle. WordPress theme developers need to deliver powerful themes with great eCommerce functionalities that are easy to use and available to the WordPress market at a competitive price.

3. Social Media and Viral Marketing

We cannot neglect the way social media has shaped the way people interact and experience the web. Facebook, Twitter and Youtube have taken traditional word of mouth marketing to the next level enabling the emergence of the viral marketing phenomenon. With the continued popularity of Pinterest, Google+, and the recent premium ad services on Facebook, shoppers can easily share and appreciate product details as never before. Product features and price comparisons can be shared to thousands of consumers all in a matter of seconds. New WordPress eCommerce themes should be integrated with various social media tools as well as simple and easy to understand statistics and analytics tools that can provide usage information and statistical data as to how their businesses are doing in light of their social media efforts.

4. Google Shopping

Google has just completed converting Google shopping into a fully paid listing service of products and services. This means only stores who subscribe to Google’s pay per conversion scheme get in the list. WordPress eCommerce themes should be able to support various shopping and payment options while taking note of client demands to integrate the Google shopping system into their websites. Developers must be able to figure out how to generate price comparisons using regular Google search results and integrate these as they design and develop their WordPress themes.

eCommerce has a bright future ahead as the shopping experience becomes more and more digital. WordPress authors and developers have the unique opportunity to create the themes that addresses these developing trends that will make website owners choose WordPress as the eCommerce CMS of choice.

When Is The Best Time To Sell WordPress Themes?

Like any other product, the demand for WordPress themes does have seasonality. In our observation, theme sales do well from January to March then slows down from April to May. Summer months are usually slow while sales pick up in the fall with a dip around Christmas time.

Seasonality in any product or service is determined mainly by socio-cultural factors in the marketplace. In most markets around the world, economic activity is dependent on holidays or the absence or presence of school. There is also the aspect of climate, where people tend to stay indoors more during the cold months.

In the case of theme sales, it can be said that this phenomenon is mainly driven by the level of activity a person has during a season. Great sales during the first quarter of the year may be attributed to more free time for buyers to stay online as the kids are still in school and most folks prefer to stay indoors during winter. This means people have more time to tinker with their websites during this time and spotting opportunities for improvement or change could mean upgrading to a newer WordPress theme or buying and installing a new plugin. The spring slowdown correlates to the physical activities associated with this season: spring cleaning, gardening, putting away winter stuff, etc. Sometimes the lure of the outdoors is greater than staying inside the house, what with the weather becoming more pleasant and warmer. When summer kicks in and as the kids are out of school, that’s when all the vacations, trips and out of town activities happen. People tend to relax a bit more and work on websites take a back burner during this time. As kids go back to school in the fall, sales gradually picks up as people find more time to focus on work before the next big holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, roll in. Spending patterns during Thanksgiving and Christmas usually turn towards gifts, gadgets, and other stuff to buy online unless WordPress authors take their cue from the season and create enticing special prices for WordPress theme packages or bundles.

Knowing these patterns, how do you align development and marketing activities for your themes? It would be wise to have your development activities lie heavily during the spring and summer months. That way, your resources do not have to compete with the demands of development and marketing at the same time. The best time to strengthen core technology, respond to emerging design trends, is during these lean months. As fall comes, resources can be shifted to marketing and after sales support as sales starts picking up. This is the right time to introduce new products and manage customer satisfaction as they adapt to your new themes.

Recognizing these consumer patterns may help you plan your annual business cycle as you make those critical decisions to save time, effort and money in your WordPress business.