Recently an internet marketing client at Creative Developments web design, located in Scottsdale, AZ, called me requesting help on her WordPress website. Apparently the pages of her site that were previously optimized no longer retained their title tags and meta tags and her analytics were dropping. “I lost my SEO!” she said “Why is my website no longer optimized? Why did my website lose its metatags?”

On the surface of things nothing seemed to be amiss. I optimized her pages and posts using the All in One SEO Pack plugin by By Michael Torbert in conjunction with the Category SEO Meta Tags plugin By Bala Krishna and each page, post and category configuration page had their tags in their proper place.

It had been a couple of months since I worked on this account, though, and the client had made several changes to her WordPress web site since I optimized her initial pages and posts.

I tried an effective way to identify and resolve the issue by first disabling all plugins then reinitializing just the two SEO plugins to check to see if she was still incurring this problem. The problem persisted. I then uninstalled the present version of both the All in One SEO Pack plugin and Category SEO Meta Tags plugin, erasing all files from the server. Next I uploaded an older copy of each plugin, the versions that worked together when I first worked on this account. When I did, the client’s WordPress website once again displayed its tags.

So what happened? Well, the client had updated her plugins as prompted when updates became available. What she did not do was check to see if there was a readme file with installation instructions upon updating her WordPress plugins. If she had, she would have been informed that she needed to patch a file from the All in One SEO Pack plugin in order for it to work in conjunction with the latest version of the Category SEO Meta Tags plugin.

Note: these two plugins are written by different authors.  The Category SEO Meta Tags plugin, although developed to work in association with the All in One SEO Pack plugin, is not produced by the same developers. This can cause incompatibility issues when one plugin is written to a specific version of the other plugin and that dependent plugin in turn has been updated with code modifications. The two plugins may no longer be compatible with each other on the outset. Additional file patching may be necessary in order to synchronize the two plugins.

Conclusion: Beware and be aware; back up your WP database and WordPress files before updating plugins, themes and the WordPress software itself and remember to view the readme documentation that may come with each plugin after each update. It was included with the plugin and its’ update for a reason.

Check back on our blog often for new WordPress tips and advice. Creative Developments is a multimedia website design company, video editing house and internet marketing company providing on-line solutions with a creative edge.

To inquire about our web design, video editing, website search engine optimization (SEO) and internet marketing services for your website or blog or business, call us at (480) 968-5096 or email us at dhannes@develop4u.com. Creative Developments is located in Scottsdale, AZ, servicing the entire Phoenix area, the East Valley, Maricopa County, Arizona and beyond.

If you own a WordPress developed website, chances are you’ll probably run into some sort of a problem that will make you ask yourself one question: What is wrong with my WordPress website? You may follow that up with a long list of expletives. Believe me, I’ve been there.

If your WordPress website is incurring display issues, page breaks, feed breaks, image uploading problems or other system glitches that just suddenly showed up, chances are you are incurring a problem stemming from one of two sources: an incompatible theme or plugin.

If you are incurring site structure related issues having issues such as uploading an image file correctly, aligning an image properly, the most likely culprit is your active theme, specifically the style sheet.

Note: the default theme that is installed with WordPress was written with CSS tags that are tied together with the software (for example WordPress Default 1.6 theme by Michael Heilemann).  If this code goes missing from cascading style sheet(s) within the theme you have installed, layout glitches and breaks may result. Try comparing style.css that is packaged with the default theme with your theme’s css. If any crucial lines are missing in your CSS that are called from WP, try adding them back to your theme’s style sheet code.

If you are incurring system glitches and page breaks, the culprit is more likely an incompatible plugin or update to it. The plugin may be incompatible with the theme, with an updated rev of WordPress or with other plugins.

An effective way to identify and resolve the issue is to first disable all plugins. (Note: you do not need to uninstall the plugin to do this). Then check to see if you are still incurring this problem. If not, you have confirmed that it is one of your plugins that is incompatible. Next, activate plugin one at a time, staring with the most passive plugins, testing to see if the site break is reintroduced after each plugin is activated. Once you have isolated the corrupting plugin, uninstall it and try to find an alternative plugin solution written by another author.

Check back on our blog often for new WordPress tips and advice. Creative Developments is a multimedia website design company, video editing house and internet marketing company providing on-line solutions with a creative edge.

To inquire about our web design, video editing, website search engine optimization (SEO) and internet marketing services for your website or blog or business, call us at (480) 968-5096 or email us at dhannes@develop4u.com. Creative Developments is located in Scottsdale, AZ, servicing the entire Phoenix area, the East Valley, Maricopa County, Arizona and beyond.

“C-PEC Customer Testimonial – After Effects Intro.” Animated Intro. produced and edited by Creative Developments video editors in Scottsdale, Arizona

Client: C-PEC Coin & Professional Equipment Company. This animated video intro. and is part of a customer testimonial video developed for YouTube. This video was produced edited in Adobe After Effects.

Join Creative Developments in honoring our troops, both active and retired, this Veterans Day in Scottsdale, Arizona near Tempe and Phoenix, AZ. We are offering Veterans Day sales and specials on all of our initial website design, internet marketing and video editing services for any United States veteran, active service member or any parent whose child is actively serving.

Scottsdale Veteran’s Day 2011 Specials on new Website Design: If you call Creative Developments November 1-15, 2011, you can earn 20% off new website development.

Take advantage of our Veterans Day Specials in the Metro Phoenix area by taking advantage of our SEO special: optimize your website pages and we will register your website on Google, Yahoo and Bing as well as set up your Google Analytics for free* ($100 value).

*Minimum requirement, seven optimized pages, Cost per page: $25.00.

Video Editing Savings on Veterans Day in Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix: Free DVD development and free YouTube channel set-up for any new client that commits to a video editing project at Creative Developments over the Labor Day holiday weekend in the metro Phoenix and Scottsdale areas.

If you are a vet or have a child who is actively serving in the armed forces in Scottsdale, Arizona and the metro Phoenix Area, you qualify for Creative Developments Veterans’ day sale.

Creative Developments is a multimedia website design company, video editing house and internet marketing company providing on-line solutions with a creative edge.

To inquire about our web design, video editing, website search engine optimization (SEO) and internet marketing services for your website or blog or business, call us at (480) 968-5096 or email us at dhannes@develop4u.com. Creative Developments is located in Scottsdale, AZ, servicing the entire Phoenix area, the East Valley, Maricopa County, Arizona and beyond.

www.aztraumatherapy.com

Trauma Therapists located in Mesa, Arizona, near Phoenix, AZ.

The client hired Creative Developments to develop a new website that included custom developed videos. This site was optimized and registered on search engines by Creative Developments. The client participated in an SEO marketing campaign that included a sustained blogging campaign and a YouTube video campaign for added site propagation.

This site was developed in WordPress using a theme by Template Monster.

SEO Campaign Examples:

Sample Google Keyword Search Result For: “trauma therapist in Mesa AZ”

Google Analytics  – Keyword Report (PDF):
12-01-09 to 11-30-10.

Google Analytics – Dashboard Report (PDF):
12-01-09 to 11-30-10.

Video Examples:

YouTube Channel Name: AZ Trauma Therapy

By David Hannes.

Yesterday one of my clients had a near disaster with her WordPress website. She hosts her WordPress website on a shared server GoDaddy account, which does not offer any comprehensive technical support. After installing new plugins, modifying the PHP files under “Editor” and making changes to the database the site began to malfunction.

It was a WordPress disaster on their end. The site would no longer display in Internet Explorer, the layout was offset in Firefox, something was wrong and they called GoDaddy for help and support. The tech support agents at GoDaddy informed my client that although they do back-up the files on their account, they do not make back-ups of the WordPress database. My client was beside herself. She had made no backup copies of the database, the brains behind any WordPress website.  She had no idea that GoDaddy does not make a back-up copy along with her files as standard practice and policy.

The client requested that GoDaddy do a system restore of her account to the previous day but was denied her request as her account was on a shared server. She pleaded for someone to look at her database, only to be told that GoDaddy policy states that they do not offer WordPress technical support for the dashboard or database. They ended the conversation instructing her to refer to forum help boards, which was as helpful as telling her, and most non techies, to hit her CPU with a baseball bat. She was on her own.

My client then called me at Creative Developments, a website design company in Scottsdale, Arizona, near Phoenix, AZ, for assistance with the WordPress website.  I had seen variations of this disaster on multiple occasions. In the case of this client, she installed an incompatible plugin. She was fortunate that this was a resolvable problem without having to spend a small fortune hiring a database consultant to investigate and fix her DB error.

This problem was entirely avoidable. Be smart. Be preemptive and proactive. Be able to repair WordPress errors, glitches and bugs. Before you develop a WordPress website, host on a server that will offer some modicum of dashboard and database support and will offer back-up support of your database.

For new and existing accounts, install a WordPress plugin or two that automates a database backup procedure and backup your database often, at least once a week and before doing any major revisions to your website. You’ll be so happy you did so when a disaster arises.

Recommended WordPress database back-up plugins:

WordPress Database Backup: An automated and on-demand backup of your WordPress database. By Austin Matzko.

EZPZ One Click Backup: a very easy way to manually do a complete backup of your database and your entire WordPress site. By Joe ‘UncaJoe’ Cook.

Creative Developments is a multimedia website design company, video editing house and internet marketing company providing on-line solutions with a creative edge.

To inquire about our web design, video editing, website search engine optimization (SEO) and internet marketing services for your website or blog or business, call us at (480) 968-5096 or email us at dhannes@develop4u.com. Creative Developments is located in Scottsdale, AZ, servicing the entire Phoenix area, the East Valley, Maricopa County, Arizona and beyond.

By David Hannes.

What do I blog about if I have nothing to say? I’ve heard that asked often. You might be surprised how much you have to say on any number of topics.

I do not accept the comment “I can’t write” from my clients. Yes you can! Let’s start off with what’s relevant to you and your business, industry or service. Chances are that if you were asked “what do you do for a living” you can talk at length about exactly what you do, what problems you may be having and the issues of the day that you may be addressing or resolving. We can talk ad nauseam about what we know and what we do for a living.

If you can talk about it, you can write it down. Don’t tell it to me; tell it to your computer. Go ahead and rant and write it down in a blog. It doesn’t have to be much.Writing  2-3 paragraphs from your smart phone while you are bored and killing time or 300-500 words sent by email should suffice. If you have more to say, by all means rant and get it out of your system, just sit down and type it out and leave the editing and optimization to Creative Developments internet marketing specialists in Scottsdale, Arizona, near Phoenix, AZ.

Other topics to blog about:

Write a review about a specific product that you sell that was just released or is  relevant to your business.

Write a blog providing a tip or advice on a service that you offer.

Comment about something topical in the news that is relevant to you and your industry.

Write a blog related to any upcoming holiday. Never let an upcoming event pass by without piggybacking on top of it. Holidays are a great time to promote a sale or service.

Now get at it and start blogging.

Creative Developments is a multimedia website design company, video editing house and internet marketing business providing on-line solutions with a creative edge.

To inquire about our web design, video editing, website search engine optimization (SEO) and internet marketing services for your website or blog or business, call us at (480) 968-5096 or email us at dhannes@develop4u.com. Creative Developments is located in Scottsdale, AZ, servicing the entire Phoenix area, the East Valley, Maricopa County, Arizona and beyond.

Creative Developments is a multimedia web design company, video editing post production house and internet marketing firm providing on-line solutions with a creative edge.

Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, servicing the entire Metro Phoenix area and beyond, we offer a wide variety of services including web design, Flash animation, SEO marketing, search engine optimization, SMO marketing, social media optimization, organic search engine placement, web content writing, e-commerce support, audio and video editing, video post production, streaming video for the web and DVD creation.

Initial Consultation

Creative Developments provides a free initial on-site* or phone consultation, answering questions and discussing ideas in regards to your project.

Our representatives will advise you on the best way to proceed with you website development, SEO marketing campaign or video editing project. At the conclusion of this meeting you will receive a quote estimating the time it will take to complete your website, video editing project or SEO campaign.

*Note: On-site consultations are limited to residents within a 50 mile radius of the metropolitan New York and Phoenix areas, including Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler and Glendale, Arizona.

Did you find this page by searching for Labor Day Sales in Scottsdale and Phoenix today? Wouldn’t you like for YOUR site pages to be found on search engines as well? Well you can. Creative Developments in celebrating Labor Day in Scottsdale, Arizona near Tempe and Phoenix, AZ. We are offering Labor Day sales and specials on all of our website design, internet marketing and video editing services.

Take advantage of our Labor Day Specials in the Metro Phoenix area and our SEO special: optimize your website pages and we will register your website on Google, Yahoo and Bing as well as set up your Google Analytics for free* ($100 value).

*Minimum requirement, seven optimized pages, Cost per page: $25.00.

Scottsdale Labor Day 2011 Specials on new Website Design: If you call Creative Developments between September 2-6, you can earn 15% off new website development.

Video Editing Savings on Labor Day in Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix: Free DVD development and free YouTube channel set-up for any new client that commits to a video editing project at Creative Developments over the Labor Day holiday weekend in the metro Phoenix and Scottsdale areas.

If it’s Labor Day in Scottsdale, Arizona and the metro Phoenix Area, it’s Creative Developments.

Creative Developments is a multimedia website design company, video editing house and internet marketing company providing on-line solutions with a creative edge.

To inquire about our web design, video editing, website search engine optimization (SEO) and internet marketing services for your website or blog or business, call us at (480) 968-5096 or email us at dhannes@develop4u.com. Creative Developments is located in Scottsdale, AZ, servicing the entire Phoenix area, the East Valley, Maricopa County, Arizona and beyond.

www.cha-chachic.com

Cha-Cha ChiC is a Phoenix based fashion design company that develops Latin Inspired Designer Tees with a lot of heart and a lot of heat. Clothing line is designed by Cathy Garcia.

The client hired Creative Developments to redevelop and upgrade their existing website and port the site to a WordPress environment. This site was optimized and registered on search engines by Creative Developments. The client is participating in an SEO marketing campaign that includes a periodic blogging campaign for added site propagation.