While there is no shortage of themes, page and app builders, or design aid services and resources, you still have to do some searching to make certain you choices are quality choices. This short list of high quality items covers most of the bases, and you can select one or more of these products or services with confidence. You naturally want to get your money’s worth, and that will definitely be the case here, plus one or two freebies have been included to sweeten the pot. If you see an item of interest, click on the hyperlink that takes you to a website for additional details.
WordPress Themes
With its incredible new page builder as its central feature, the release of X Theme’s Version 4 has created more than just a stir. Cornerstone, the new and innovative page builder, created a virtual storm of rave reviews. Its intuitive, app-like interface, in combination with Themeco’s diverse selection of design elements, makes page building almost ridiculously fast and easy. X’s other features may have temporarily been taken out of the limelight, but it must be remembered that they are the reason this theme is ThemeForest’s fastest selling theme of all time, and will likely remain so. Your purchase of this theme gives you access to the many plugins created for WordPress by Themeco, plus you will have access to a dynamic community site, to information-rich forums, and to a user support team that is second to none in the industry.
Enfold is an exceptionally easy to use WordPress theme. It is in fact its usability that has made this theme Themeforest’s best-rated top seller. Import a demo with a click, and you are ready to start building, or you can import several demos, and use design elements from each. Once you start building your very first website, you will understand why the editor is considered to be the easiest to work with of all of the WordPress themes. A multiplicity of features is a good thing to have, but they must be easy to put to use, and it is Enfold’s focus on decisions rather than features that makes it the powerful and delightful WordPress theme it is.
The first thing you may be tempted to do when visiting Be Theme’s website, is to browse through its 100+ pre-made layouts. In fact, they are so prominently displayed, you can hardly avoid doing so. These layouts include virtually any category you will be likely to design a website around. They represent design concepts, and they are definitely idea generators. They are also completely editable. These layouts will get your project off to a fast start, and Be’s 40+ other features will enable you to maintain your momentum. If you need it, you can expect more than a little help from the world-class support team, which is at the ready 24/7, and is a team that is well known for its rapid responses. Be is intuitive and lightning fast to work with, and by far one of the best choices you can make.
Website Builders and Platforms
XPRS is more than a little different. If you are a whiz with Lego, you will feel you are in familiar territory when you first start using this website builder. XPRS’ building block system, which is embedded in its CMS, is called Polydoms. The building blocks differ from Lego blocks however, since they can be edited and modified. This website builder is also somewhat of a different breed in that you will not require the use of plugins to get your work done. It is free for students, artists, and non-profit organizations to use. Professional users pay yearly fee of $250, and receive unlimited licenses in return, allowing them to manage hundreds, if not thousands of clients’ sites. XPRS is incredibly easy to use and a real timesaver. Check it out.
Webydo is a full-service SaaS platform led by its growing community of more than 175,000 designers and web agencies. This cloud-based, responsive web platform allows designers create, manage and publish their clients’ websites, code-free. With one-click hosting and client billing as standard features, Webydo eases the designer-client interaction brining a new level of professionalism to the website creation process. Webydo also enables you to manage multiple clients’ sites through its customizable dashboard. Excelling in design craftsmanship demands using the right tools: Developers have WordPress. Amateurs have Wix, Weebly and Squarespace.
WordPress Page Builders
To say that Themeco’s recent launching of their Cornerstone page builder created some excitement would be an understatement. This innovative tool became an instant hit in the web design community, and its users are still raving about it. Many drag and drop page builders are easy to use, but few do most of the editing and previewing on the front end. Cornerstone features side-by-side, interactive displays of the edit and preview processes, making it possible for you to see the edits as they happen, and in a clutter-free environment. This page builder is definitely worth looking into.
Themify Flow is another WordPress page builder that features front end editing. You can see the status of your work as you are building a page, obviating the necessity of having to check back later to see what you did. The number of templates you can design has no limit, the styling of individual design elements is quick and trouble-free, and you have total control over your layouts from start to finish. These characteristics makes Themify Flow difficult to ignore as a page builder of choice. One more thing: Since it is open source, you can use it for free!
Project Management and Collaboration Tools
If your project management tools have not been giving you the performance you need, Nutcache is the ideal solution you’ve been looking for. The same is true if you are looking for a better way to manage and improve your team collaboration efforts. This tool is a definite program management asset for tracking time, expenses, and project status, and for organizing and storing comments, documents, and project notes in its collaborative boards for eventual sharing. You will always be kept aware of your project’s status and your team will always be kept in the loop.
Some project planners and task manager tools only succeed in creating more work and more stress; objectives they were designed to minimize. Azendoo offers a more relaxing way to approach your work, yet keeping everything under control. With this task manager and project planner working for you, you can finally relax without fearing that everything will suddenly go out of control. Part of the secret to this application’s success is that it was intended for use as a collaborative teamwork tool. It offers an ideal solution to any issues you may be facing in attempting to keep your projects on track.
Converting Designs to Code
When your design is complete, and you are ready to let the developers take over, look to PSDGator to take your PSD files and convert them into W3C valid HTML/CSS, or HTML5/CSS3 if you prefer. One of the excellent features this service offers is to review your design and specification to see it if there are any outstanding issues to resolve before they commence with the coding. If you have existing sites that require recoding to become responsive, PSDGator will to that for you as well.
HTML 5 slicing is their team’s specialty, and Direct Basing’s clientele consists of freelancers to Fortune 500 companies, and everyone in between. Whether your design has been captured in PSD files, Adobe Indesign or Illustrator files, they will make it web browser-ready. Fast loading time is always a top slicing priority, whether your need is for web pages, newsletters, emails, or web shops.
40 Dollar Markup converts Photoshop designs to W3C valid HTML/CSS. They also recode legacy PC websites to bring the code up to standard, and they convert desktop designs to responsive designs. This service does not use automated software. Everything is hand coded, and once the code has been delivered to you, 40 Dollar Markup will be there should you be in need of further support.
Hosting Services
If using a large, well-established hosting service will make you feel more comfortable, Glowhost will be an ideal solution. They have a reputation for providing the fastest and most accurate hosting services in the world, and their servers are located in 16 locations around the planet. Specialties include managed dedicated, managed cloud, and complex service cluster hosting services. Glowhost is definitely worthy of your consideration.
Whatever level of hosting support you require, Site 5 has a plan for you. Any plan you choose offers unlimited bandwidth and disk space, a disaster recovery backup service, free migrations, and 24/7 phone support. That’s a good deal for a low price. You also have the option to choose the hosting location, a choice which can influence how fast your website will load. Contact Site 5 by email or live chat if you would like to know more.
Stock Photo Agencies
With its library of 26 million images, Bigstock is aptly named. The number may seem overwhelming at first, but you will find it easy to quickly drill down to a few quality examples of what you are looking for, whether it is a photo, a vector, or an illustration. Take advantage of the 7-day free trial offer and pick up to 35 free selections to get started. After that, you can make your purchases by subscription or by prepaying for credits.
Stockfresh also has a library that features millions of items, and they claim to have the best prices on the market for high-quality photos, illustrations, and vectors. As an added feature, the Stockfresh website is responsive, so you can browse their offerings, and make your selections, while you are out and about. Both prepaid and subscription plans are available.
Web Apps
If you do some or all of your marketing via email, the Sendloop web app might be just the right tool for you. It has everything you need to conduct you email marketing campaigns, including an excellent selection of mobile device-ready email templates, an online image editor, and a drag and drop email page builder. This high-quality specialty item is definitely worth a look.
Typeform did to forms what Tesla has done with cars: completely redesigned online forms from the ground up. Typeform creates a beautiful and conversational form experience for your audience. You can embed images and video seamlessly into your forms to further clarify your questions. Build quizzes, take online payments, and even tell stories. The free version has crazy options.
UI Kits
Vonn Material Design Mobile UI Kit
When you need to design an Android mobile app in a hurry, and one that will feature a stunning array of material displays, the Vonn UI Kit can save your day. This drag and drop kit includes a selection of 100 classy templates placed in 9 convenient categories, so you can always find the template you need in order to get started in no time at all. Download the files on Photoshop and you are ready to go!
The Ink iOS Mobile UI Kit is the right solution for you if speed and ease of use are among your top priorities. You can quickly create apps and/or prototypes using any of the 120+ Photoshop and Sketch screens included in this kit. They have been placed in 7 convenient categories to help you quickly zero in on exactly what it is you need. This mobile UI kit will make a nice addition to your toolkit.
Icons and Fonts
The name says it all. The way icons are displayed on mobile devices can make the difference between your design’s success or failure. The Icons Responsive library features more than 1000 scalable and responsive icons. They come in 4 sizes, and they are presented in outline, flat-filled, and round container styles. The icons are also in a vector format for editing purposes.
TrueSketch Hand-Drawn Font with Ornaments
TrueSketch fonts are completely handcrafted, practical to use, and fun to work with. Handcrafted fonts can be used for many things, but they can at times play a major role in helping to establish a brand. The package includes both standard fonts and italics, and a nice selection of stylistic alternatives. Desktop, web font, eBook, App, and Server licenses are offered.
Final remarks
Everything you see here is top quality, whether it is a product, a service, or a resource; so you need not be concerned about making a bad choice. If you have seen something of interest, visit the website and explore what the product or service provided has to offer. You might even want to do some comparison shopping.
We are always interested in whether you found something of interest or not. If you know of a product or service you feel should be included in our listings, let us know. Leave your ideas or comments below, and make it a point to visit us again.Advertisements:
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Multipurpose WordPress themes are becoming more and more popular these days. For the price of a single theme you acquire a so-called all-in-one theme, a tool that allows you to create multiple variations of design, and structure your site, literally, the way you want. We’d like to introduce you to one such theme that has recently been launched by TemplateMonster.
The theme is called MONSTROID and it’s more than just another WP theme.
It’s a theme that you can use for any type of website no matter what your level of experience. Monstroid comes with a pack of child themes, 120+ PSD files, 50+ licensed images, 23 powerful plugins, and 145 pages with multiple layouts, styles, UI elements, typography options, animations, etc. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. Let’s take a closer look at what lies behind Monstroid and the unique possibilities it offers.
Child Themes. Users of Monstroid don’t have to confine themselves solely to the design of one specific theme. In Monstroid’s package there are also 4 child themes for different niches – an artist portfolio, an educational resource, a corporate portal and an interior design site. Soon this number will grow dramatically as every month the team behind Monstroid will release about 15 child themes for various niches – and you will get completely free access to them.
Style Options. You can display elements in 4 different styles, namely grid, masonry, flat, and masonry flat.
Just choose the most appealing way of arranging them on the page, from neat tiles split with small gaps, to clearly delineated boxes made as a single entity. You don’t have to stick to only one style. Elements of different pages can be arranged in different ways.
Now let’s proceed to Monstroid’s functionality. It is equipped with useful features for any user, regardless of their skills and needs.
Unique Features. We’d like to start our overview of Monstroid’s functionality with its unique backend features. Take a look at them below.
WooCommerce Integration. Today, a lot of people place orders online instead of visiting shops. For that reason, store functionality is vital for everyone who wants to increase sales and reach more representatives of the target audience. Monstroid is an indispensable assistant in this situation, as it is powered by WooCommerce. It has multiple shipping options, payment gateways, currency switcher, Ajax cart, tax calculator, simple coupon system, and much more.
As for child themes of Monstroid, they are also WooCommerce-ready. So choose any design you like and start selling online.
Backup Option. No one is safe from mistakes while customizing a website. That’s why a backup option is a must-have for everyone. Using Monstroid you can back up both content and settings and return to them whenever you don’t like the outcome of your customization.
Feel free to adopt any changes to your site, as it will always be secured against any unforeseen circumstances.
Essentials. Monstroid is also supplied with essential features that can reinforce the impact of your site on the web. Here they are.
The Monstroid package is loaded with more than 20 powerful plugins that can be used to work with this theme, and also independently of it. Check some of them below.
Monstroid comes with a large number of other useful goodies. Let’s take a look at all the bonuses you’ll get with the theme.
50+ Licensed Images. With Monstroid you receive more than 50+ high-quality images portraying miscellaneous topics. You can use them however you want, for example as featured images for your blog posts.
Documentation. Monstroid comes with detailed documentation that covers every feature and option the theme has. It is a great guide and the first place to go for anyone who requires any kind of assistance with Monstroid.
Video Tutorials. There are also video tutorials available for Monstroid, so in case you’re more of a visual type of person, you can always watch how to install and customize Monstroid with a package of video lessons.
Free support and lifetime updates is probably where Monstroid stands out head and shoulders above others. The Monstroid team claims that ticket response time will be in the range of 2-4 hours maximum. In fact, they decided to go even further. You can talk to the support team using live chat! The chat is available in your admin panel. No need to create tickets and wait for hours.
These features are completely free, no additional fees or premium packages required. Considering that the theme provides lifetime updates, this is indeed a great addition to the Monstroid package.
We understand that it is hard to pick a premium WordPress theme that fits your needs. There are many themes available and each one has some great options and features. But despite the fact that Monstroid is a brand new theme, it definitely has some great potential. It is built right, and provides you with everything you need to create top-notch websites with amazing design and functionality. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to check the theme in action yourself!
AUTHOR’S BIO: Nick Campbell, the author of this article, is fond of writing posts on various subjects, particularly web design, e-commerce, social media, marketing, business, and education. He has been involved in the content creation sphere for more than two years. Nick is primarily focused on covering modern trends in a specific industry to help his readers keep abreast of the latest news. If you don’t want to miss any brand new developments in the aforementioned topics, follow Nick Campbell on Google+!Advertisements:
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Building web projects can be troublesome when you need to work in a single development environment. This often limits your work to a certain desktop or laptop with the appropriate software. Cloud-based alternatives provide tools for anyone to scrap together quick web projects rendering immediately in the browser.
It seems like new IDEs are being launched online every year. I’ve organized a small collection of powerful online coding environments where you can write HTML/CSS/JS codes and see how they render in real-time. Each of these webapps is free to use and many provide unique links for sharing your work elsewhere online.
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WordPress 4.2.4 is now available. This is a security release for all previous versions and we strongly encourage you to update your sites immediately.
This release addresses six issues, including three cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and a potential SQL injection that could be used to compromise a site, which were discovered by Marc-Alexandre Montpas of Sucuri, Helen Hou-Sandí of the WordPress security team, Netanel Rubin of Check Point, and Ivan Grigorov. It also includes a fix for a potential timing side-channel attack, discovered by Johannes Schmitt of Scrutinizer, and prevents an attacker from locking a post from being edited, discovered by Mohamed A. Baset.
Our thanks to those who have practiced responsible disclosure of security issues.
WordPress 4.2.4 also fixes four bugs. For more information, see the release notes or consult the list of changes.
Download WordPress 4.2.4 or venture over to Dashboard → Updates and simply click “Update Now.” Sites that support automatic background updates are already beginning to update to WordPress 4.2.4.
Already testing WordPress 4.3? The second release candidate is now available (zip) and it contains these fixes. For more on 4.3, see the RC 1 announcement post.
