Are you hoping to go on a long-deferred vacation? You may find that one of the hardest parts about traveling is figuring out where to go. In this article, we share seven tips that will help you pick the perfect location. From figuring out when you should go to how to find deals, here’s everything you should ponder when planning your next vacation.

1. Consider Your Vacation Availability

The first thing you should do is determine how long you can go on vacation.

If you only have a couple of days, you clearly won’t have enough time to travel across Europe. On the other hand, driving two hours for an overnight stay near a local attraction would be an easy getaway.

Knowing how crowded somewhere will be is important to prepare for when looking at your availability. Look at all national training and federal holidays and try to avoid major weekends where places will have limited availability.

2. Determine Your Interests

Your interests will also help you narrow down your destination. Make a list of things you want to do while on vacation.

Maybe you want to try snowboarding. Or maybe you want to be near a lake for paddle boarding. Perhaps you hope to start your own travel blog.

Identifying your desired activities will also help you pick dates for your vacation. After all, if you want to go snowboarding, you probably won’t vacation during the summer months…unless you choose another hemisphere.

You should also look at a destination’s peak season. Some locations are busier than others during specific times of the year. Not only can this increase the trip’s cost, but it can also add stress due to the volume of people.

3. Decide on a Vacation Budget

Your budget is one of the most important things you should consider when planning a vacation. While vacations are supposed to be fun, you don’t want to end up in debt afterward. To keep that from happening, sit down and determine how much you can spend.

Regardless of where you’re traveling, your biggest expense categories will most likely be lodging, food, transportation, and entertainment. Based on your income, figure out how much money you can allocate to each expense. Make sure you set a daily budget, or per diem, for miscellaneous purchases.

Budgeting first makes it less likely you’ll exceed your financial limits. It also helps narrow down where you can travel to, making it easier to make a decision and establish your travel priorities.

4. Factor In the Climate

Do you prefer vacationing in warm locales or somewhere cold? Do you want to see the ocean or be surrounded by mountains? Figuring out the kind of weather and scenery you prefer will help you pick a location, as well as when to travel.

For example, let’s say you’ve always longed to travel to Arizona. If you don’t want to go when it’s hottest, you definitely shouldn’t travel there in the summer. Instead, you might look at other western states with cooler climates like California or Colorado. Or you can wait for fall or winter, when Arizona weather is delightful.

Knowing your ideal vacation environment can help you figure out where and when to travel.

5. Know Who’s Going

Before planning a trip, you should determine whom you’ll be traveling with. Is this a family vacation? A trip with your friends? A solo outing? Knowing who’s coming will help you decide where and how you travel.

When traveling with multiple people, not everyone has the same schedule or interests. For instance, if you’re traveling with kids, you’ll probably have to go during the summer when they’re out of school. If you’re traveling alone, on the other hand, your schedule can be more flexible.

Traveling with others means you’ll have to make different considerations for accommodations and activities. While adding travel companions increases overall costs, it also allows the possibility of cost-sharing. That’s why it’s important to figure out an accurate headcount and how it affects your budget sooner rather than later.

6. Do Your Research

Before deciding on a vacation spot, make sure you do your research. While Google is a great source for finding all kinds of information, be smart about how you research. After all, you’re using this information to help you decide where to travel. You’ll need to ask the right questions.

While you are comparing and contrasting possible destinations, consider which might be safest for tourists. With your budget in mind, you should research the average hotel cost, the best places to eat, public transportation options, etc. This info will help you narrow down your list and better plan your trip itinerary.

You should also ask around with your friends and family. It’s possible either they or someone they know has traveled to your destination. They can give you specific travel advice and help you catch can’t-miss experiences.

7. Check the Vacation Deals

If you don’t have a specific location in mind, consider going where the deals are. Airlines, hotels, and third-party sources like Groupon are constantly running vacation specials. While these promotions vary, there’s a good chance you could find one that suits your vacation preferences.

You should also think about signing up for loyalty programs with hotels and airlines. This way, you’ll receive emails whenever they’re running a deal. If you have an airline credit card, make sure to book your flight with it so you receive benefits. Some banks even offer deals for their consumers flying certain airlines.

It’s important to be mindful of your travel timing. As mentioned earlier, some places are more expensive than others during certain seasons. There’s a good chance you could save a ton of money simply by traveling during the off-season.

Choosing a travel destination doesn’t have to be stressful. Using the tips above, you can plan a trip you and your travel companions are bound to enjoy.

The post How to Choose Your Perfect Vacation Destination appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Fortunately, digital filters can help wipe away “polka dots” from the photos we send or post online. But all the filters can’t change the reality of having less-than-perfect skin.

In other words, acne stinks. It’s embarrassing. It’s frustrating. And it’s confusing. For example, why do some pimples go away after a few days whereas blackheads stay on for weeks? Why do siblings often have very different experiences with their skin? Why can some kids eat fast food without acne repercussions whereas others pay for every bite of a greasy pizza?

There aren’t any specific answers to these questions. However, they all point to a single fact. Acne affects approximately 50 million people each year and yet it remains a very individual experience. It’s one-of-a-kind on every level, which means it needs a highly personalized diagnosis and solution. Until now, it’s been difficult for many people to get the treatment they need due to a few key reasons.

Historic Roadblocks on the Journey to Blemish-Free Skin

One of the biggest issues facing acne sufferers is finding a qualified dermatologist in their area. Certainly, plenty of dermatologists are available on the market. They’re not all accepting patients, though. Plus, many have months-long waiting lists. Alternatively, their offices may not be located in convenient places.

Another concern involves perceived and real costs. When you’re a budget-conscious person, you want affordable answers to all your medical concerns. Dermatologist appointments may be expensive, especially if they’re not covered by insurance. Even if your dermatologist accepts insurance, co-pays may be daunting — and that’s before treatment ever starts.

The final challenge? Getting customized care and attention. Acne is not a one-size-fits-most phenomenon. If your first treatment plan doesn’t work you might have to wait months for a follow-up appointment. That’s just not good, particularly when you’re trying to defeat the blemish battle as quickly as possible.

Are these stumbling blocks aggravating? Yes. Can they make you feel like you’re never going to beat the pimple predicament? Sure. Don’t give up! The good news is that all those barriers can be bypassed with acne treatment provided by online healthcare service provider Nurx.

Bypassing Major Obstacles to Effectively Defeating Acne

The Nurx service is unique in the world of acne treatment. Rather than operating in a brick-and-mortar office, Nurx makes use of telehealth and digital touchpoints. No more driving to a dermatologist’s office and waiting for hours. You can stop trying to find a dermatologist that practices in your area. No more wondering if you have to give up on your dreams of a filter-free selfie.

The Nurx process begins with a request from you as a potential patient. Simply answer questions and share your health history with Nurx and upload a few photos — you can do this any time, day or night, no appointment needed. The photos are necessary to give your Nurx medical provider a sense of what type of acne you have, where it’s located, and how severe your acne is. Your provider will ask about your history with acne.

Be honest and thorough. You’ll get the best results by being completely upfront.

After receiving your digital request and images, a licensed medical provider will review your case using his or her expertise. You’ll receive a plan for treatment that fits your needs based on the details you shared and Nurx will send your medications discreetly to your door.

This type of one-on-one online care wouldn’t have been possible years ago. Today, it’s a game-changer. From stressed-out college students in dorms to busy working professionals in rural communities, anyone over the age of 18 can take advantage of Nurx. Teenagers under the age of 18 can also use Nurx with parental consent after they request a prescription. In fact, removing barriers to inclusive and equitable healthcare has become Nurx’s calling card — and it’s why the company continues to get rave reviews.

Care Options That Tackle Tough Acne

You might be curious as to how personalized acne treatment can be. Many people find success by combining several common treatment types. However, teaching you how to combine them perfectly is the role of the Nurx medical provider.

For example, some people respond well to a limited course of oral antibiotics. Remember that in the United States, you can’t buy antibiotics over the counter. You need a prescription for them. Therefore, it’s great to be able to get some antibiotics through Nurx to jumpstart your acne treatment.

Whether or not you need antibiotics, you may also be prescribed topical treatments like tretinoin, topical antibiotics or a cream containing a high percentage of benzoyl peroxide. People with periods may receive a prescription for birth control pills or spironolactone, to regulate your hormones since hormone fluctuations are an acne trigger for many people.

Ultimately, you get the advantage of a telemedicine program that’s designed to fit your lifestyle and medical concerns. And you can expect to pay an affordable price whether or not you’re covered by insurance.

Beautiful, Clearer Skin Is Just the Beginning

Although Nurx has cornered the market on fast, effective personalized acne treatment, its site tackles medical needs beyond mild, moderate, hormonal, and body acne. Consider all those other topics that can be difficult to talk about or hard to get treatment for such as reproductive health, HPV screening, and HIV PrEP medication. They’re all available through Nurx’s online system, too.

At the end of the day, acne sometimes can go away on its own after years. Why wait, though? If you can get individualized attention now without leaving your home, you’ve already removed one snag toward having clearer skin. Even if you’ve worked with a dermatologist in the past you can still take advantage of Nurx as a resource.

Loving and pampering your skin with the right treatments just got simpler. Ditch the filters and grab a device. An individualized acne solution built for you could be on its way faster than you can say “best selfie ever.”

The post This Telehealth Company Will Personalize Your Acne Treatment appeared first on The Blog Herald.

As a first-time entrepreneur, you may assume you have everything under control when it comes to your new business’ financial budgeting. However, you may neglect a few crucial costs. Four common overlooked expenses for startups are listed below. You may miss these as a first-time entrepreneur.

1. Business Insurance

Business insurance is more expensive than you might expect, especially as you begin to hire staff.

When you hire staff, you might underestimate the cost of additional liabilities. These business insurance expenses include the following:

a) Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ compensation costs represent the benefits you must pay to an employee who is unable to work (whether temporarily or permanently) because of an injury sustained on the job.

These expenses vary a great deal depending on your line of business and the number of employees.

For example, workers’ compensation policies for office personnel are typically far less expensive than policies covering tree trimmers. Since one field is far more likely than the other to sustain work-related injuries, the premiums are priced accordingly.

b) General Liability Policy

For the sake of your new business, you’ll possibly be required to carry a general liability insurance policy. This is an easy one to overlook when budgeting, especially if you don’t have physical premises.

The useful thing about general liability policies is that they can cover more than just property damage and injury.

Policies can also offer some protection against lawsuits related to libel, slander, defamation, or copyright infringement. For anyone taking part in marketing, blogging, or publishing, that coverage can be especially helpful.

2. Employer Payroll Taxes and Other Fees

New employers sometimes make the mistake of only accounting for wages in their overhead budget. While that is certainly a vital component, there is a multitude of other taxes and fees that rack up expenses. These include employer FICA taxes, federal and state unemployment taxes, and payroll processing fees.

To get a more accurate picture of your upcoming overhead costs, you can utilize a payroll calculator. Alternatively, you can request an estimate from your payroll processor.

Additional payroll costs certainly aren’t the only sneaky budget breakers, though.

With cash and check payments becoming increasingly rare, customers generally prefer electronic means of payment. While there are definite perks of this system, processing fees can really take a bite out of your profits.

Depending on the credit card, processing fees usually average from 1.5% to 3.5%. Of course, there are many options apart from credit cards. PayPal, international wiring companies, and payment plan facilitators such as Synchrony all have their own rates.

If you’re trying to determine your cash flow and don’t take these fees into consideration, you could come up short.

3. Software License and Subscription Fees

With the digitalization of various business operations, your business might need to turn to different computerized systems to help automate operations. These systems do not come without a price, of course, but you might forget to include the costs in your budget.

Most of these systems need to be paid monthly, quarterly, or annually. You will be required to pay a recurring subscription charge in order to access the product throughout the subscription period. If you stop paying for the subscription, you will lose access to the product.

On the other hand, you might choose to make a one-time payment for a perpetual license. With the license, you can keep the product and use it perpetually. However, after a specific period of time, you will no longer have access to continuous product updates or technical support.

For example, if you use QuickBooks only for bookkeeping rather than payroll, you might not need updates. If you use QuickBooks to run payroll, however, you will need to upgrade periodically to access current payroll tables and tax rates.

4. Annual Expenses

You can forget to include large annual expenses during your startup budget.

These are expenses or the estimated aggregate amounts to be incurred in connection with your company during the applicable calendar year. They include costs for business registration renewal, tax preparation, and personal property or real estate taxes.

a) Business Registration Renewal

Business registration fees are usually small, but they do vary by state.

While the amount is usually not one that is going to break the bank, it’s still something to account for. Failure to file on time will cost you fines, yet another of your overlooked expenses, so make sure to mark your calendar to renew.

b) Tax Preparation Costs

Tax preparation costs are the costs incurred in the preparation of your tax return for the year.

This might be negligible if you are confident in preparing your own return. If you engage the services of a CPA, however, this can run into hundreds or thousands of dollars.

In addition, the IRS requires Form 5500 tax returns for certain retirement plans. So if your startup wishes to offer a 401k plan to employees, that is another annual expense to consider.

c) Personal Property/Real Estate Taxes

You might also overlook personal property and real estate taxes in your startup budget. Depending on your state and local rates, real estate taxes alone can be substantial.

This typically only applies if you own a structure. Sometimes, however, you’ll factor these into monthly rent payments for leasees.

Personal property or use tax, in general, refers to assets other than land or permanent constructions.

Not every state requires this type of tax. Those that do, however, typically collect on large or expensive equipment. This would include construction equipment, dental x-ray machines, and other depreciable items.

The Bottom Line

It can be exhilarating to start a new business. However, getting caught up in the excitement and forgetting the intricacies of budgeting can lead to poor performance of the business.

So set aside some money for any unanticipated or forgotten expenses. The majority of businesses fail because they do not have enough cash on hand to deal with unanticipated challenges that arise during the business season.

If you want your new business to boom, pay attention to your budgeting process, account for overlooked expenses, and seek financial budgeting help from experts!

The post 4 Overlooked Expenses That Can Blow Your Startup Budget appeared first on The Blog Herald.

There are two important questions you need to ask yourself when it comes to membership plugins. The first is do you need a membership plugin and the second is why your blog needs one. Having this plugin for your page gives you the opportunity to give your member base perks and special access for their loyalty. It is also a great way to keep your members engaged. On top of these, and probably the most important, is that a membership plugin gives you back control over how your blog community behaves within your website. This could come in the form of gated content, download limits, special access, and more.

Hence, you might want to take a look at these plugins. They are some of the best WordPress has on offer in regards to making your regular viewers honorary members of your website.

Paid Memberships Pro

Considered as one of the most trusted membership plugins for WordPress, Paid Memberships Pro is a worthy investment. It boasts of its completeness making it the one-stop shop for all your membership management needs. The best feature yet – if you want to use the plugin for just one license, they offer it completely free. It is highly customizable and flexible making it seamless to use for any of your websites.

The problem is, all its additional features do come with a hefty price of $297 per year, for five licenses.

Notes:

• Free signup for all users, offers basic features with no support
• Basic plan is $297 a year for five website licenses and $597 a year for unlimited licenses
• Probably one of the most expensive of all

Wishlist Membership

Wishlist is one powerful membership plugin for WordPress. It boasts of providing premier, “every-feature-you-need” with its standard membership. Wishlist Membership promotes itself to be an all-in-one toolbox that will get its users unlimited membership levels and unlimited members.

On the downside, it’s not the best plugin here for new users. It’s quite advanced and would need a seasoned blogger or website admin to operate. It’s also quite serious and usually reserved for the bigger businesses. Why? Wishlist Member does not have a free trial, but they do offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Users will be required to pay at least a single site license and could request a refund (“no questions asked”) in case the plugin is not the best fit for your blog.

Notes:

• Premium version is $149/year for single-site license, $399 for multisites (up to 20 sites).
• Advanced tool for advanced users
• Plenty of customizable membership options

MemberPress

MemberPress is often considered unanimously as the best among all WordPress membership plugins. One thing which earned this plugin much praise for many users is how easy it is to use compared to the more intermediate Wishlist Membership. For new bloggers, the cost of $179 a year is already a good deal in exchange for its ease of use.

Additionally, MemberPress integrates with a wide range of third-party solutions making payment processing, email marketing automation, and even page building easier. Such flexibility does come at a cost, though. MemberPress does not offer a free trial. But they do offer a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Notes:

• Basic plans for single site access starts at $179 per year
• Pro plan for up to 5 site access is rated at $399 per year
• Not ideal for big businesses as there are no plans for access for more than 5 sites
• Versatile plugin with lots of conveniences for the admin
• Easy to use

WP Members

What WP-Members can boast is that it is the original membership plugin for WordPress. It may be old, but it is surely in active development. It is up to date with whatever is current with WordPress.

It may not be the best membership plugin on the internet, but an open-source membership plugin is hard to come by. Despite being free to use, it can still fare well compared to its competitors. It is easy to set up and simple to use. Plus, its flexibility and customizability are admirable.

Notes:

• Offers all basic or standard membership plugin features you could ask for
• Basic support is available for all users, but developers offer premium support (for a fee)
• Premium extensions are also available for download (for a fee)

Restrict Content Pro

Another premium tool in our WordPress membership plugins list is the Restrict Content Pro. You could say that it’s as easy to use since Restrict Content Pro mimics the look and feel of the WordPress admin dashboard– something you should already be familiar with.

The plugin is also designed to fit seamlessly with any theme without any need for custom CSS. Its developers also made sure to reduce potential clashes with other plugins that are possibly installed on a user’s website.

Notes:

• Costs $99/year for single-site, $149 for five websites, $249 for an unlimited license, and a one-off fee of $499 that provides your websites iThemes Security Pro and BackupBuddy access
• Also guarantees full control for membership restrictions
• Blends in seamlessly with WordPress dashboard

RELATED: Learn from Business Entrepreneurs Who Take the Time to Train Others

S2Member

If free WordPress membership plugins are more your speed, then look no further than s2Member. It has been in existence for a while now and has a dedicated user-base as well. Now, since it’s free, you obviously have to give up a few things. In this case, s2Member isn’t exactly known for its user-friendliness.

It’s more suited for advanced users and those who know their way around WordPress. Still, it’s free and also comes with a pro version; it also comes with its own range of functions similar to the more heavyweight plugins in this list like the content dripping, integrations, and payment gateways. Meanwhile, the pro version’s pricing isn’t too steep.

Notes:

• Has a generous free version
• Pro version costs $89/year for a single-site license, unlimited sites cost $189
• Not beginner-friendly

Paid Member Subscriptions

Another option for those of you who want WordPress membership plugins with free versions would be Paid Member Subscriptions. It’s pretty straightforward and is all about gating some of your content, products, or site sections to non-members. Thankfully, setting it up is easy (installation) but the functionality isn’t as flexible as the others.

Its latest feature is the Pro version that offers licenses for unlimited websites. Other than the features for the basic plan, the pro version has PayPal integrations, content dripping, invoicing, and more. The pro version also offers multiple subscription opportunities per user.

Notes:

• It has a fully functional free version
• Single-site license starts at €69/year
• Multi-site license starts at €149/year
• Not as robust as the others
• Better suited for online stores

LearnDash

LearnDash is not a membership-dedicated plugin. But it is an all-in-one learning management system that has membership plan options. LearnDash is highly versatile and comes with great options for membership tiers and other conveniences.

Its features, for that matter, are similar to the best plugins in this list. LearnDash’s integrations list is also extensive and includes Slack, WooCommerce, bbPress, and even other membership plugins like MemberPress. The cost? Quite high, consequently.

Notes:

• Single-site pricing starts at $159/year
• Easy to use
• Highly flexible

aMember Pro

It is a longstanding, comprehensive membership tool that has been in existence on the internet for almost two decades. What it boasts best about is its lifetime license that involves a one-time payment of $149.36.

It’s also not free but comes with a plethora of payment integrations for your site members (over 200) and an unlimited allowance of members. One of the good sides to this is that aMember Pro is not a WordPress dedicated plugin. This means you could use it with any CMS that allows integration into WordPress. But, be wary of compatibility issues that might arise.

Notes:

• Tool costs $149.36 and can then be used as a plugin for an unlimited number of sites
• Extensive payment integration options

MemberMouse

What is admirable about MemberMouse is its questionnaire that matches you with a membership model that fits your needs and your blog best. This is a great, informative tool for start-up bloggers who are just starting to explore membership plugins for their use. It is user-friendly from installation, dashboard use, up to member management.

MemberMouse also has a 14-day free trial, something that other membership plugins do not have.

Notes:

• Offers a $29/month basic plan, and $199/month premium plan
• Measures the plan per members instead of per site (as compared to its competitors)
• A bit pricey for its features, compared to its competitors
• Offers discounts for annual subscriptions

Magic members

The Magic Members website boasts of its user-friendly interface. Users can easily download and install this plugin to their websites with minimal to no programming necessary. It also seamlessly integrates with multiple payment gateways like Paypal, Stripe, AlertPay, ClickBank, and more.

One special feature of Magic Members that rarely exists on other membership plugins is its pay-per-view and pay-per-post access. Although we aim that our websites get members that subscribe, and stay subscribed, this kind of setup does not exactly work with every subscription.

Notes:

• Offers a one-time payment of $97 for a single license and a one-time payment of $207 for unlimited licenses
• Training videos are available for all users
• Pro packages offer store credits to certain website and perks

On a final note, make sure to review each of the plugins’ offerings to ensure that your website needs are covered, especially if you’ve chosen the premium ones.

RELATED: Membership Services: Worth The Effort to Create and Develop?

Updated January 2022

The post 11 Best WordPress Membership Plugins appeared first on The Blog Herald.

These plugins pretty much tinker with your website’s images to make them optimized. There are plenty of benefits for doing that but the primary ones would be to make them fit in better with your content and to stop them from slowing down your website. That is why they are necessary for most blogs since a blog without images is basically handicapping itself.

So, in order to have the best of both worlds, image compression blogs exist. You can have your images and they won’t slow down your website. These godsend packets of software can rescue your blog and server from damaging slowdowns and ghastly formatting. Here are the best image compression plugins for your blog.

Smush

Here we are with one of the most popular options among image compression plugins, Smush. Aside from the cute and appropriate name, Smush just crushes most of the competition due to its generosity. It’s a free plugin that also offers an all-in-one solution to most things pertaining to your images in WordPress.

This can be lossless image compression, bulk compression, lazy loading, image resizing, and a lot more. Of course, one of Smush’s best selling points is how it promises to leave the image quality intact despite the compression. Smush also gives you an unlimited allowance for its free version, though the catch is that this only applies for images 5 MB or below in data size.

Compress JPEG & PNG Images

Another generous free option would be the aptly named Compress JPEG & PNG Images. This plugin is pretty straightforward and does what it’s named after. Expect its functionality to be not as versatile as Smush, however. Still, because of that, it might be a lighter plugin or software for your website.

In any case, Compress JPEG & PNG Images lets you automatically compress or optimize images on the fly as you upload them. You can even set a maximum custom upload size so you don’t have to tinker with it every upload. The allowance is more or less generous, however, since Compress JPEG & PNG Images only allows you to optimize 100 images every month for the free option.

EWWW Image Optimizer

Despite the comical name, EWWW Image Optimizer is the real deal when it comes to image compression plugins. Like the previous option above, it lets you optimize your images as you upload them. You can even use this to compress your previously uploaded images in bulk in case you want to fix some of your past errors for the older content.

Compression is also performed on your own servers which eliminates the need for an account. Optionally, you can let EWWW Image Optimizer convert any image you have to a lighter and more optimized format. It’s a free plugin as well and you’ll only have to pay for premium if you want compression qualities higher than 80 percent.

RELATED: How to Optimize eCommerce Product Images for Search and Social Media

ShortPixel Image Optimizer

Like Compress JPEG & PNG Images, ShortPixel Image Optimizer only allows for 100 images per month if you’re running on the free option. However, one of the most outstanding features for it is how upon installation and getting an API key, ShortPixel Image Optimizer immediately begins compressing images.

It even has the courtesy to store your original images in a separate folder. This, in turn, allows you to do some comparisons on how this image compression plugin performs. The plugin even lets you choose how you compare the images and formats.

reSmush.It

reSmush.It has most of everything the other plugins in here have from bulk compression of older images to automatic upload compression. Of course, you can also choose levels and customize how the plugin resizes and compresses your images.

In that regard, it’s also similar to how Smush handles its free plan; reSmush.It only allows compression and optimization for images sized 5 MB or below. Anything higher and you’ll have to avail of the premium plan. The plugin’s developers are also proud of how they made the plugin simple and a breeze to use; you can start any operation in as little as two clicks.

Imagify

Imagify has one of the best user interfaces as far as image compression plugins go and also comes in a free option. Nevertheless, you might find Imagify’s free plan more limiting as it calculates the allowance differently. Instead of limiting the number of images or the max image size, Imagify will give users a monthly limit of 25 MB total image data size.

For this, you can have the same or similar functionalities as some of the top image compression plugins on this list. The plugin does allow you to restore some of the media it has compressed back to the original version quite easily.

Lazy Load

As for this final plugin, it doesn’t exactly optimize or compress images directly. Instead, it uses the lazy load method; that is, it only displays the images which the website visitors only need to see. This frees a huge bandwidth for your servers and will certainly speed up your website. It decreases the number of requests needed when loading a page, thus improving the loading time.

Lazy Load is pretty much a dedicated plugin to lazy loading. It’s a great alternative to image compression or optimization especially if you run a photography website and don’t want to tamper with the image quality. It’s also free, like most of the plugins here so it’s up to you which one appeals to your needs and wants best.

RELATED: StickPNG: A Blogger’s Haven For Personal Use Images

First published in 2020; updated 2022

The post 7 Top Image Compression Plugins For Your WordPress Blog appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Uploading and downloading works on the internet is a gray area for many. A lot of photographers and artists do not get attribution for their work while many content creators do not acknowledge the origin of the images that they use. Crawlers and browser search algorithms are much stricter now when it comes to reusing works without licenses. A webpage could be taken down for simply re-using an unlicensed image.

This is why it is inevitable to purchase licenses of works from artists and photographers on the internet. Google Image Search even has a feature that links to the licensing of images on their search results. However, not every writer has the capacity to purchase licenses for their works all the time. The great thing is that artists and photographers are willing to share their work online for free, these are called ‘creative commons’.

Here are some websites where writers could get news-related images for free:

Superfamous

If you are looking for any artsy images, then Superfamous is the place to go. The collection does not have that many photographs and does not necessarily focus on a particular topic or genre. However, anyone looking for a show-stopping piece may visit the website to choose from any of the stunning images in the collection. The deal about Superfamous images is that they all have creative commons licenses. This means that they are free to use as long as proper credit is provided.

Travel Coffee Book

The best travel moments can never be captured by photographs, but they do come close if taken with great care. Travel Coffee Book is one of the best depositories of travel and landscape images on the internet. It pretty much covers almost every corner of the globe from Asia to Europe. The website was created in 2014 and the owner does explicitly say that the images could be used for free. However, the creator does accept donations or minimal payments from those who are generous enough to pay for as low as $5.

KaboomPics

This website is very similar to popular image collections like Pixabay and Pexels. According to the website, the photos could be downloaded and used for both commercial and non-commercial use. They do not require attribution. The images could be used on books, posters, shirts, or whatever. This is as long as the images are not used for any criminal, illegal, or offensive activities. The owners are only very strict about redistribution of the images, altered or not. What they are strict about is selling the image as a ‘stock photo’ on a separate website.

Gratisography

This is a good collection of the ‘non-standard’ stock photo. The images are quite artistic, in a quirky kind of way. All the images are free and could be used even for commercial uses. The rules about the redistribution of the images, just like in Kaboom Pics, are very strict. Images should not be sold by anyone as a stock image, since the images are downloaded for free.

Death to Stock Photo

What is great about Death-to-stock is that they have not only images but videos and vectors as well. The images are all unique and authentic. All the artworks could be used for both commercial and non-commercial uses. However, unlike other websites, Death-to-stock is free only for 14 days. Subscription is required for a minimal fee, in financial support of the artists creating all the pieces on the website.

Jopwell Collection

Talk about taking stock photos to a whole new level! These are great photos that are not cringe-y and meme-able like your standard stock images. It features real people and real communities. One of the main goals of the images is to not only represent inclusivity but also practice it. Many of their images, feature models of different races and genders. A lot of their editors, analysts, leaders, and the like are Asian American, African American, Hispanic American, and even Native Americans. The Jopwell collection provides hundreds of free-to-download images that can be used by anyone, as long as proper credit is given back to Jopwell.

All in all

There are multiple sources for images online. The websites indicated above are among the best to use for free images. However, downloading and reusing images are always tricky. For safety, always attribute the sources of an image and backlink to their accounts. This not only helps the artist but is also a nod to respecting their work.

Also Read: Platforms for Guest Blogging and Why You Should have Collaborative Content

First published in October 2020; updated January 2022

The post Sites to Get Free News-Related Images appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Identify the Problem

As with any reclamation project, the first step is to define the problem. It might seem obvious to simply pick out the blogs with the lowest engagement metrics on your site and work on them first. And while that may be a good place to start, a blog with high engagement can still cause a company a lot of trouble if it’s not contributing in a positive way. (I.E. if it contains offensive, inaccurate, or plagiarized content.) So prioritize which blogs need the most immediate attention. 

Fact-Check

One of the worst things a copywriter can do is make an egregious factual error in a blog post. If, for instance, a writer claims that a product is lightweight and easy to carry, but it is in fact, quite cumbersome and weighs several hundred pounds, consumers are going to be confused (at best) or irritated by these falsehoods. Fact check all of your blogs to make sure they align with the true nature of your products or services. 

Change the Focus

Most companies market their product or service to several different buyer personas. As such, it makes sense to tailor specific blog posts to specific types of consumers. However, it’s possible that a blog post written for one kind of customer is actually more applicable to a different group. If one of your blogs is struggling to gain traction, consider changing its focus and remarketing it to a different kind of customer. What may not resonate with one group, it could be a smash hit with another. 

Get Creative

There are tons of ways to make a blog more interesting, from editing out long, dense sentences to adding new images, graphs, or videos. Whether your business blog focuses on sophisticated lab equipment like culture dishes or something as common as office supplies, blog design can have a massive influence on how customers perceive a post.

Delete It

Some blogs are simply more trouble than they’re worth. If a blog is actively hurting your company’s reputation, then get rid of it. Removing one blog isn’t likely to affect your SEO efforts or make your operation look unprofessional. 

First published in 2019; updated December 2021

The post How to Improve Bad Blog Posts appeared first on The Blog Herald.

You might be a great writer but still struggling to make a decent income. If that’s the case, then you might be missing your client process.

Creating excellent blog posts is one thing. Managing your clients the right way is another. How to do that? Well, read on!

Offer discounts

Offering discounts make potential clients choose you because of your service’s affordability. But this doesn’t mean that you’re getting the rough end of the deal. Even though you’re offering cheaper services, you still get more clients and more money in the end.

One way to do this is by offering quantity discounts. The more blog posts your client orders, the more significant discount they get. You want to stand out because it’s a competitive world out there. Offering discounts help you with just that.

Showcase your testimonials

You’ll look good if your clients see what people think about you. Put your previous client’s testimonials on your blog. It lets your potential clients know what to expect from you. Good reviews are the foundation of trust. And when they trust you, they’re most likely to hire you. Just make sure that the testimonials are from real people. You can also include their name and profession beside their testimony.

Use screenshots and stats on your blog

Another cool way to give more value to your clients is by presenting them with reliable facts. There are times when words can’t fully explain what you’re trying to point out. Good thing there are screenshots. This help because it can efficiently relay the message to your readers.

This is very useful if you’ve got a tutorial blog full of technical instructions.  Putting statistics also backs up your blog. It supports the ideas you’ve presented, making it look legitimate and factual. Just be sure that the stats are from a reputable source.

Ask your clients questions

What usually happens when negotiating with a new client is we immediately say yes. We don’t bother asking questions because we want to look confident and able. That helps at the beginning. But you’re just increasing the risk for complications later on.

You won’t have enough information to do the job properly. You’re also likely to get lost as you go deeper into the project. What would you do when that happens? You’re going to get back to the client and ask them things you should’ve known in the first place. Not only will you look unprofessional, but you’ve just wasted time. Ask as many questions as you can. It’s the recipe for becoming a great blogger.

Provide an easy way to receive payments (without being a brat)

You won’t be a freelance blogger if you don’t do it for a living. As obvious as it may sound, that reality is what keeps your career intact. That’s why you need to make sure that the payment process is easy.

It shouldn’t be a hassle for your client to pay you, and for you to receive the money. You can do this by using an invoice template generator like HubSpot’s. This will make it easier for you to notify your client about the payment. It’ll also help you receive the payments in time.

Promote their posts

Being a freelance blogger isn’t all about the writing. It’s also about the sharing. Your blog posts would be useless if no one reads it. When you’re through writing, you want to share it out with the world. There are lots of ways to do that. Working on your email marketing, social media, and SEO campaign are some of them. You can also use JustReachout to maximize your reach.

Conclusion

Income stability is an issue most freelance bloggers face. But with the help of these tips, there’s no doubt you’ll get over this common problem. Also remember that reputation, consistency, and continuous improvement are the pillars of being a great blogger. Keep these in your mind, and you’ll surely reach greater heights in no time.

Related posts:

How to Transition from Your 9-5 Job to Being a Freelance Blogger

How to Apply for Freelance Blogger Work (Yes, there’s a right way)

First published in 2018; updated December 2021

The post How to Provide Even More Value to Your Clients as a Freelance Blogger appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Some people just wing it when writing their blog posts, and they may achieve a certain level of success with this process. However, if you want your content to cut through the clutter and provide your readers with the blog content possible, you must consider taking a more deliberate approach with your blog writing. It starts with your research process.

This post will help you refine how to research content for your blog post. This step-by-step process will help you produce valuable, actionable, and helpful content. And by using the same process in all of your blog post research, you can build a rabid blog following.

Scour the Web for Competition

Once you have a topic you want to discuss on your blog, check out what other websites say about it. A quick search on Google will reveal to you the top pages discussing the topic.

These pages are ranking on top of organic search for the topic, which means they’re doing something right. From here, collect what you feel are the top pages from the search result and analyze them. 

Figure out what made Google decide that these pages appear as one of the top pages for the topic. Read the content and check out the questions it answers and subtopics it covered about the subject. Also, check out the formatting of the posts—see if the content has lots of images or videos.

List down the good things that you think and feel the pages did to warrant their rankings on Google search. Then take these things and apply them to your content to make it as good—if not better—than the competition. Doing so should convince Google that your page should eventually rank on top for the topic.

Search for Questions to Answer About the Topic

The researched pages in the previous step should provide you with enough information to write your content. But you want to get over and above to make the best possible content about the topic you wish to cover.

So to help expand your research, you must look for additional questions you should discuss and answer in your content.

There’s a People Also Ask (PAA) section from Google search containing the most relevant questions about the topic.

If you click on one of the questions to reveal the answer, two additional questions appear at the bottom of the section to provide you with more questions to consider answering in your content.

You can also go to Quora to find the top questions people ask about the topic.

More importantly, you can find multiple answers to each question, making research much more effortless. You can simply compile the best answers from here and rewrite them into your article to make them your own.

Use Answer the Public as well to exhaust all possible questions you should cover in your article. 

It produces a multitude of questions you can answer in your article. You can also use an alphabet soup section as additional subtopics or write a brand new article for each keyword suggestion.

Finally, another neat tactic you can use is blogger outreach. While this is commonly used to acquire backlinks to your site, you can use the same process of reaching out to bloggers. But instead of asking them for backlinks, ask them for answers to some of the questions you wish to answer in your blog post.

By targeting influential bloggers for their quotes to include in your post, you can get them to answer the tough questions you encounter in your research. At the same time, you build relationships with them that you can further leverage in the future—it’s a win-win!

Build Your Outline

Finally, you should have all the necessary information to help you produce an outline for your article.

The advantage of developing an outline before writing it is to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your piece. Aside from adding the subtopics and questions you plan on discussing in the article, you should also include the following:

• Statistics to help support your arguments and points. Refer to reliable case studies from authoritative sources like Statista to erase all doubt about the validity of the findings.
• Images and videos you should include in the article. Sites like Pixabay and Pexels are good places to start searching for free stock photos. Ideally, you should edit them using Canva to make them unique since there’s a good chance other sites will be using the same stock photo you want to use. As for videos, find the most relevant ones on YouTube to embed in your article.
• Internal and external links to include in the post. Ideally, you should always strive to link to relevant internal pages to prevent people from leaving your website. But if you haven’t any relevant content about the subtopic or idea, it’s best to link to a reliable source instead. The goal is to provide value to readers by pointing them to great content that will help explain the subtopic in greater detail.

By laying down all the information you must discuss in your article, writing will be much easier.

Conclusion

The key to writing a great blog post lies in how you conduct your research before writing it. The research is time-consuming, which leaves you better off passing this responsibility to a website content service provider like TopContent. But if you want to acquire this skill so you can implement it across all the articles you’ll be writing moving forward, it’s best to follow the simple steps above now.

The post How to Research Content for Your Blog Post appeared first on The Blog Herald.

One Secret of Successful Bloggers

Why do you think some bloggers get loads of traffic on their website while others in the same niche, perhaps with just as much talent, don’t?

You might want to look at the individual topics each blogger is tackling. Tone can be another indicator. To consistently get eyeballs on your posts, you need to create some excitement for readers.

The reality is that controversy – along with good storytelling – goes hand in hand with being interesting. If you do something different from what everybody else is doing, inevitably you’ll end up in controversial territory – whether the controversy is quite subtle or truly inflammatory.

Being controversial in blogging means writing in a way that sows intrigue and division in opinion among readers. A controversial topic sparks debate and discussion in online forums for example. People tend to react emotionally to your emotive content.

How Being Controversial Works Commercially

When you suggest something that is in stark contrast to the norm, you get your audience thinking. Each person starts to form an opinion and wants to discover more, whether their goal is to be informed or try to test or confirm their views.

By creating a little intrigue, you can dramatically boost your ability to attract readers. And blogging for traffic is one of the key strategies for building a successful blog.

As an example, suppose you run an ecommerce site that sells protective face masks. Although masks might be an easy sell these days, you could struggle to get attention with your bland medical-looking offerings.

Substitute the drab with some colorful masks and unique designs – perhaps including some that look like they may not work well – and your online store could take off. You may not even need to change your product line. You could just use promotional images that look the most “controversial” to bring in potential buyers.

Controversy Example: Corporal Punishment Debate

The topic of how to discipline your children is a good one for showing the power of controversy. A divide exists between parents who believe that spanking is vital in disciplining their children and others who shun the practice. A growing number, probably a majority, favor a penalty-based discipline system (i.e., psychological punishment).

“The Slap” is a TV series that owes it success to controversy and tension created around corporal punishment. The story launches from a central moment when an adult slaps an unrelated child at a social gathering. Trailers for the show raise questions in the minds of the potential audience about whether the slap could at all be justified, and what the ramifications would or should be.

Tip 1. Maintain Your Site’s Credibility

Before posting controversial stuff, one tip is to think about how this step could affect credibility. For certain industries, such as education, luxury products, and legal services, having a prestigious brand is highly valuable.

You don’t want to throw away your reputation in a desperate grab for readership. The trick is to be controversial in a way that still protects your blog’s good standing.

An example of how to walk the fine line comes from the post “50/50 Custody Not Working… when co-parenting has negative effects on kids”. While this is a controversial topic for divorced parents, the article is actually balanced and strongly researched.

In this child custody example, the website is able to bring in readers with a somewhat controversial headline and subject. But the article also comes off as reasonable, and considerate to different points of view. Controversy is used to build readership. At the same time, the reputation of timtab.com, which delivers parenting plan services, is at least preserved.

Tip 2. Respect Different Opinions

One definition of “controversial” in the dictionary is subject to dispute or contention. A coin always has two sides and many issues have more than that. A controversial blog topic should be something that might spark debate. Readers will normally have differing viewpoints on morality or how to solve a certain problem or issue.

If some people would feel strongly about their stand on an issue, and struggle to keep their thoughts to themselves, they are more likely to react to your blog. But you still need to keep your presentation and any discussion healthy.

Be balanced and a fair moderator to any arguments. Your readers will respect you for this and you’re less likely to lose readers or customers. Remember, even when being controversial, the goal is to pump up your readers and not alienate them.

Tip 3. Have Supporting Evidence Where Needed

Proper research and documentation on your blog topics should normally be a priority before you post your written words in public. Your content should have an actual basis, especially the more controversial is the subject. In this way, you can always defend what you write by citing credible sources, with statistics if possible.

Celebrity gossip is a good example to illustrate the point that your research needs to be solid. Most people will not admit this, but malicious talk on blogs about actors, actresses, politicians and rich entrepreneurs consistently attracts a huge pool of readers. People are interested in the personal lives of individuals who are in the limelight.

Suppose you have a celebrity gossip post that becomes viral, and the celebrities themselves read it. Be ready for court cases for libel to be thrown against you. Without good research behind the story, you might need a lawyer to respond to damages claims.

Tip 4. Stay Away from Truly Dangerous Topics

Create controversy – sure – but without the possibility of inciting anger, aggression, or worse as a reaction to your blog. For example, topics to avoid include How to Make Explosives, or How to Stop a Public Figure, or How to Spread Viruses.

In extreme cases, the CIA or the Department of Homeland Security might track you down because your topics are too sensitive. You could be accused of inciting people to commit acts that are dangerous.

Tip 5. See What is Creating Headlines and Controversy

If you’re struggling to find controversial topics for your particular niche, one strategy is to see what is trending more generally in the community. Then you can try to inject those subjects into your blog or social media accounts, such as by linking a topic to a famous person.

Some tips from Shane Barker are to keep a tab on current affairs, pick social issues, and set up your own opinion polls. You can also see what topics on major news outlets and social media platforms are gaining the most shares and comments.

The post How Being Controversial Can Work as a Blogging Strategy appeared first on The Blog Herald.