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10 Great WordPress Plugins in 2023

WordPress is a highly flexible content management system for website creation. A key reason for this flexibility is the wide variety of plugins available. You can add features and other improvements to your site.

The thousands of available useful WordPress plugins cover almost every feature for any type of website. Your website’s niche determines the kind of plugins you should have. There are some great WordPress plugins that every blog site needs; security, speed, SEO, and contact form, to name several.

The most effective WordPress websites create an enjoyable visitor experience. Whether you’re blogging about the latest fashion trends or selling products for your brand, you can enhance your website. Do it with one or more of these ten great WordPress plugins.

1. Brizy: The Best Website Builder for Non-techies

You might want to approach Brizy with caution because once you start using it, no other website theme builder you might try will ever seem as easy to use. Even better, you can download this WordPress website builder for non-techies (and for techies as well) for Free.

With the Brizy WordPress theme builder at your fingertips, you can –

build a brand new website or upgrade an existing one;
create dynamic templates for your blog and archive pages, headers, footers, custom pages, and more;
enjoy instant access to 150+ customer-friendly pre-made templates;
build your blog exactly as you envisioned it;
easily customize your WooCommerce shop site.

Brizy’s Theme Builder, Global Blocks, and Global Styling features are right at your fingertips, and WooCommerce integration is also included.

You can also choose the 100% White Label option if you wish to brand the Brizy Builder as your own. A Pro option is available.

Click on the banner to learn more about Brizy and download it free.

2. WpDataTables – WordPress tables plugin

While there are a host of good reasons for using wpDataTables, the main benefit is that it works with any WordPress theme, it can create a responsive table in minutes, and it requires no coding to use.

With this WordPress tables plugin, you can take advantage of a host of useful features that include –

four chart-building engines: Google Charts, Highcharts, Chart.js, and the new Apex Charts;
connecting to multiple database sources, e.g., MYSQL, MS SQL, and PostgreSQL;
fine-tuning a table or chart to make it responsive or editable and using conditional formatting to highlight critical data;
the ability to create tables from a nested JSON file;
and use dynamic single-cell shortcodes in many different options;
integration with Elementor, Divi, WPBakery, and Avada.

wpDataTables is a robust table and chart-building plugin that’s remarkably straightforward. Just click on the banner to learn more.

3. Amelia – WordPress booking plugin

Amelia is a WordPress booking plugin that can fully automate and streamline its appointment booking operations when added to a business’s WordPress site. This makes Amelia an excellent choice for beauty, healthcare, fitness, consulting, educational, and similar client-dependent businesses.

The Amelia plugin can –

manage an unlimited number of appointment bookings at multiple locations, and do so from a single platform and dashboard;
enable clients to book appointments online 24/7;
easily manage group appointments, package bookings, and events;
send notifications and reminders to clients via Email or SMS, and make payments online with PayPal, Stripe, Mollie, or Razor;
customize booking forms to match its host’s brand.

Click on the banner to find out more about how the Amelia WordPress plugin could be used to upgrade your business’s booking operations.

4. Slider Revolution – more than a WordPress slider plugin

Slider Revolution is a WordPress plugin that is more than just a slider plugin. It’s a highly popular plugin that designers rely on to create visuals they know their clients and customers will love.

Slider Revolution features –

250+ website and slider templates designed to impress;
innovative website animation effects and other features that push the boundaries of what is possible in web design.

Slider Revolution is trusted by over 9 million users around the world.

5. WordLift – AI-powered SEO

Structured data helps your website speak the language of Google, and WordLift is the most innovative way to create one.

It is an AI-powered SEO tool that:

adds structured data to your content;
creates a Knowledge Graph that makes it easier for Google to understand the relevance of pages, their relationship, and their value;
build up the expertise, authority, and trustworthiness of your website.

As a result, you get more organic traffic and audience engagement.

6. TheDock – Ship Solid Websites

TheDock is a design team-oriented WordPress theme builder that supports collaboration, speeds up website design, and helps to create sites that look sharp, perform great, and are easily maintained because of its –

custom Post Types and Custom Fields;
speedy page load;
flexible auto-adjusting layout system with UI components;
white-label builder for sharing access to TheDock if you want to;
built-in features that assure excellent security and easy maintenance.

7. Download Monitor – Best WordPress Download Manager

Download Monitor is a WordPress downloads manager that can help you streamline your business operations without having to go through the process of setting up a complicated or costly tracking solution.

With the Download Monitor plugin, you can –

track any type of file download (ZIP, PPT, XSLX, PDF, etc.);
assemble aggregated file download statistics about different file download types;
establish access rules based on user roles and download quotas.

8. Essential Grid – best WordPress grid plugin

Essential Grid is, by all accounts, the best WordPress grid plugin on the market. Essential Grid makes it ever so easy to spice up your websites by using it to create superbly engaging and professional-looking galleries.

This WordPress plugin can give you –

stunning, fully customizable boxed and full-width to full-screen grid layout options and various grid designs;
responsive designs that enable you to control grid appearance on various devices;
access to social media content.

9. LayerSlider – Best WordPress Slider Builder Plugin

LayerSlider is the best WordPress slider plugin, but it is not just for sliders. Create image galleries, popups, landing pages, animated page blocks, parallax and scroll scenes, and even full websites.

LayerSlider –

will fit your needs and is easy to use;
can spice up and add flair and style to an otherwise run-of-the-mill website;
supports any WordPress theme and page builder;
features 210+ highly customizable websites, slider, and popup templates.

10. YellowPencil – Visual CSS Editor

YellowPencil is a visual CSS editor you can use to customize any WordPress site in minutes.

Key features include –

a complete visual editing interface that allows you to redesign a page with a few clicks;
a simple interface that does not require coding;
the capability to edit any font and any color;
the capability to visually edit a design element’s size, margin, and padding properties;
the ability to undo/redo mistakes.

*******

It is almost needless to tell any WordPress user how important plugins are for a website. A good WordPress plugin has the power to boost the success of your business online by adding a range of helpful features and functionality to your website.

In this article, we have shared our expert pick of 10 great WordPress plugins for your websites in 2023.

[– This is a sponsored post on behalf of BAW media –]

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17 janvier 2023/par Service comm.

Why Web Design Still Matters in 2023

Actualités, Actualités

As we move into 2023, there are an increasing number of ways companies can engage with their customers. And as the number of apps, browser extensions, social media feeds, newsletters, vlogs, and podcasts grows, you can be forgiven for thinking that websites are a little less essential than they were in say, 2021.

However, the truth is that websites remain an irreplaceable part of the digital landscape and they will continue to be into 2023 and beyond.

Websites, as the keystone of a centralized, privately run digital experience couldn’t be more relevant. Unlike competing technologies, websites allow almost total control of their source code, and that provides an opportunity for skilled designers and developers to compete against the biggest names in their clients’ industries in a way that simply isn’t possible in tightly governed systems like social media.

Not only does quality web design help businesses increase their traffic, but it can increase the quality of that traffic; an attractive and user-friendly web page will encourage web users to stay on the page longer, and explore more of the content it links to.

Websites vs. Social Media

For many brands, the option they turn to for connecting with customers is social media. Particularly platforms like Facebook and Instagram. While billions of us are happy to while away our free time on social media, it’s not a great platform for informed decision-making or task fulfillment. For any form of productivity, websites are superior:

Flexibility: Websites can be customized to suit a company’s vision and values, whereas social media tends to magnify accounts that reflect its own values.
Ownership: When you publish on your website you own your content, when you post to social media the platform tends to own your content.
Investment: As we’ve seen recently with a certain bird-themed social network, you can spend years investing time in your social media channel only to have it canceled by an individual with his own agenda.
Findability: Websites are discoverable on search engines, and although algorithms govern these search engines, competition across different search engines keeps search algorithms honest. Social media networks each use a single algorithm making them free to skew browsing any way they choose.
Scaleability: Websites can take advantage of the latest technologies to improve user experience, on social media user experience is governed by the network’s decisions.

Websites vs. Apps

When it comes to owning a piece of the internet, a connected app feels like ownership. However, websites have a number of benefits over an app, from a superior user experience to lower development costs. And ultimately, apps are also controlled by 3rd parties.

Accessibility: Websites are universally accessible, while apps are usually limited to certain operating systems or platforms. If you want to distribute to devices, you’ll need to be approved by the store owner who can (and will) change the terms and conditions of store distribution without consulting you.
Flexibility: Websites provide a greater level of flexibility and scalability than apps.
Cost-effective: A simple website can be created and launched in a weekend, they are considerably more cost-effective to develop and maintain than apps.
Findability: Search engines have evolved around website technologies, and it is far easier to create a discoverable website than an app that ranks high in an app store.
Universality: Websites have lower entry costs for users, and there aren’t any downloads or purchases required.
3rd-party features: Websites can integrate 3rd-party content like chatbots, payment gateways, and forms, that generally require licensing to include in an app.

Websites vs. Podcasts and Vlogs

There’s no question that podcasts and vlogs are engaging types of content. However, they are very limited when it comes to different kinds of experience. These tend to be passive, linear experiences. Even if your podcast opens itself up to listener interaction, your customers are still passive consumers.

Cost-effective: Websites can be set up very cheaply, podcasts and vlogs on the other hand require high-production values to compete.
Longevity: Well-written website content can remain relevant for years, the lifespan of a vlog or podcast is often just a few months.
Flexibility: Websites can embed podcasts and vlogs, as well as virtually any other content; podcasts and vlogs can only ever be podcasts and vlogs. Websites will continue to evolve long after podcasts are obsolete.
Simple: There is now a range of no-code options for creating a reliable website, meaning it can be done with little to no skills or experience. Podcasts and vlogs require a great deal of technical knowledge to produce.
Findability: As with other technologies, podcasts and vlogs can’t compete with websites when it comes to search engine optimization.
Faster: A well-designed website is much smaller than a podcast or vlog, making it cheaper and easier to access, especially on a cellular network.

Websites in 2023 and Beyond

In 2023 websites will still be a critical part of a successful business strategy and web designers will continue to be essential members of any team.

Websites continue to offer numerous benefits over other technologies including increased flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and superior search engine opportunities.

Unlike social media platforms that allow you to customize a few assets like avatars and colors, websites can be completely customized to fit the tone and style of a brand. Additionally, websites have a far lower barrier to entry than podcasts, vlogs, or apps. While apps may offer a richer set of features than a website, that is offset by the restrictions on platform and device capabilities that apps impose.

Websites will continue to evolve as the tech landscape changes. New ideas for consuming digital media will appear over time, offering unique new experiences — for example, mass adoption of AR (Augmented Reality) is just around the corner. However, the website is perfectly evolved for the types of simple customer interaction that businesses rely on, and will continue to matter in 2023 and beyond.

Featured image by fullvector on Freepik

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28 décembre 2022/par Service comm.

11 Best Video Editing Apps

Actualités

We’re living in a world where video content is everywhere. So if you’re not creating videos, you’re probably consuming them. It’s a massive part of our online lives.

Video is also more popular than ever before. According to statistics, 78% of people watch online video content weekly, while about 55% of internet users view videos daily. And that number is only increasing as time goes on.

That means that if you want to be successful, it’s essential that you learn how to use video editing software and create compelling visual content for your business or personal brand.

When you’re ready to start editing your videos, you’ll want to consider a platform that’s easy to use, has plenty of features, and makes it easy to share and collaborate with others.

There are many video editing programs, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Some are free, and others cost money, but they all have something to offer.

Here are some of the best video editing tools on the market today:

1. Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the most popular video editing software packages, and for a good reason. It’s an excellent tool for both beginners and professionals alike.

With Adobe Premiere Pro, you can create professional-quality videos, add motion graphics and effects, create titles, and much more. The software is easy to use, but there is a steep learning curve. If you’ve used Adobe Creative Cloud applications before, Premiere Pro will seem more familiar. That said, Creative Cloud Learning Center offers many materials for users at every level.

To start, open a project and import your video and audio files using the media browser. You can also use dynamic linking to bring in Illustrator, Photoshop, and After Effects files. Then create or edit the sequence, add titles to your video, and add transitions and effects. You can edit colors, mix audio, change speed, and export your video file.

The user interface isn’t too complex, considering it’s a video editing platform with many editing options. The UI consists of panels, a workspace, and a blue highlight. After using Photoshop and Illustrator for so long, the panels were easy to understand.

The best part? Premiere Pro’s customizable workspace!

You can arrange the panels however you want and save different setups for different projects or tasks. For example, you could have one workspace with your video and audio files open and another workspace with only your timeline open.

As you resize one panel, the other gets resized to adjust automatically—this makes it a cinch to move around the interface to find what you’re looking for.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the workspace:

On top, you will see a menu including assembly, editing, color, effects, audio, graphics, and library.
Assembly is where you import your files. You cannot simply drag & drop your files here.
Editing is where you can mix your audio and video and drag & drop them into your timeline.
The color area will give you outstanding control over your video colors.
On the right side, you will see color balance details; on the left, you will see the Lumetri Scopes of your video clip.

Key Features:

You can import single or multiple images from other Adobe applications such as Illustrator and Photoshop.
You can add animated graphics and edit them.
With Fram.io, you can get time-stamped feedback from the reviewers.
It offers stunning video and audio transition effects and lighting effects.
Version 23.0 offers the best titling toolsets, with the ability to bulk-edit your clip titles in the timeline and flexible alignment controls.

Pros:

It offers a 7-day trial period, where you can try out all of its features to see if it is the right fit for your business.
It has a flexible and customizable workspace.
The site’s learning center is packed with valuable resources.

Cons:

It takes some time to get used to it.
It doesn’t offer a freemium version.
The program has a lot of effects you may never use.

Pricing:

It starts at $20.99 for 100 GB of cloud storage.

2. Pinnacle Studio 26 Ultimate

Pinnacle Studio 26 Ultimate is one of Pinnacle’s more powerful video editing software. It lets you create stunning videos with accurate keyframing, high-level performance, and professional-level editing.

Pinnacle Studio’s interface looks like a mini version of Adobe Premiere Pro, but some crucial differences exist. For example, Pinnacle Studio doesn’t have as many effects or color correction tools as Premiere Pro.

The first thing I noticed when I started using the editor was its color grading controls. The toolkit lets you adjust your clip’s tone, brightness, hue, and other color levels.

You can also create animated video overlays to direct viewers’ attention to a specific part of the screen. These overlays can contain any image, logo, graphic, or text with a transition.

In addition to these features, you can also create video masks and edit YouTube videos, drone videos, 360 videos, and other types of videos.

Key Features:

It lets you make targeted edits with motion tracking.
You can create two types of video masks: shape masks & panel masks. You can use them to add creative effects to your video, censor a part of the video, overlay some elements of the video, and even use it to hide objects.
Smart object tracking lets you create shape-aware masks in the video, and smart technology means you don’t have to recreate masks for each frame.
Have you seen those popular gaming videos on YouTube? You can make them with MultiCam Capture 2.0 Lite, which allows you to record your screen and add audio overlays. This product is also suitable for making tutorial videos.

Pros:

It offers MultiCam editing.
Its UI is clean and easy to navigate.
In addition, they have plenty of helpful information and learning material on their website.

Cons:

It’s costly.
With so many effects and detailed masking features, it can confuse some users.

Pricing:

It starts at $129.99 for the complete version.

3. Apple Final Cut Pro

Apple Final Cut Pro is a powerful video editing tool for Mac users. It’s been around for years, but it’s still one of the most popular options for video editing. The software has many features, from basic video editing to advanced compositing.

From editing, mixing, audio, motion graphics, object tracking, and color grading to plugins, cinematic mode, and effects, it offers everything a professional video editor would want.

There are many built-in effects and transitions which you can use to enhance your videos. For example, you can add titles and text to your footage by dragging the product onto your footage or clicking on it directly from the library window. This is much faster than using hundreds of effects individually, which takes much more time than this method!

In addition, the newest version of the Final Cut Pro 10.6.2 makes it easier to track down duplicate clips in the timeline and timeline index, as they’ll be highlighted automatically. It also improves speech clarity by using machine learning to minimize or adjust background noise levels. And it’s easier to move, rotate, and resize clips.

Final Cut Pro is also optimized for Apple Silicon, Mac Studio, and Macbook Pro, which means you can work with high frame rates with high performance. Let’s take a look at some of its key features.

Key Features:

Apple Final Cut Pro lets you move and trim your clips seamlessly. It also enables you to pack multiple video and audio clips into one bundle with its compound clips feature.
You can add metadata tags to your clips, which will help you find them quickly. You can create custom column views and sort your clips by proxy or media types.
The Duplicate Detection feature highlights duplicate clips in the timeline.
With its Multicam editing feature, you can automatically sync up to 64 angles of videos with different frame sizes, frame rates, and formats.

Pros:

UI is easy to understand and navigate.
It offers magnetic timelines.
It provides a free trial.

Cons:

Available for Mac OS systems only.
Very expensive. If you need it for a shorter period, you cannot get a monthly or yearly subscription.

Pricing:

It costs $299.99 for a one-time purchase.

4. CyberLink PowerDirector

CyberLink PowerDirector 365 is a powerful video editing program that is especially easy for beginners.

What’s appealing about it is that you don’t need to have any experience working with editing software—PowerDirector provides amazing customizable templates. The templates save plenty of time, as they are organized into proper categories such as Beauty, Business, Design, Education, and more.

Focused on making video editing easier for people without technical know-how, PowerDirector offers essential editing tools with advanced features – such as Mask Designer for creating images, text, and custom masks.

It also has a Title Designer that lets you add animated stickers, shapes, and call-outs to your video. Choose from a drag-and-drop menu for motion graphics, sound effects, and special effects. You can also add animated stickers, shapes, and call-outs to your video using its PIP Designer.

Key Features:

It offers AI Motion Tracking, which means you can add text and graphics that will directly follow the object’s motion in your video.
It offers automatic AI Object Detection.
You can use its Chroma Key feature to use the green screen effect.
It lets you correct the colors in your video in one click.
You can also use its preset lens correction feature to remove distortion in your video and change video speed.

Pros:

You can add multiple trackers and apply different effects to each for motion trackers.
A free trial is available.

Cons:

If you apply reverse, it gets applied to the entire video.
Expensive monthly subscription.

Pricing:

It starts at $99.99.

5. Apple iMovie

Apple iMovie is the best free video editing app that comes with all Macs and iOS devices. It’s also an excellent choice for beginners.

You can use iMovie to edit videos, add music and effects, and create slideshows. It’s also great if you need to make simple edits, such as trimming clips or adding transitions.

It allows you to create/edit your videos in 4 simple steps:

To start a trailer using iMovie, first select a theme from Apple’s pre-designed themes. Then add visual effects to your video. Next, add the music of your choice, choose one of Apple’s pre-designed templates, and your video is ready to export.

To make a movie, select a project and photos and videos to add from the library. You can record directly in iMovie before editing. Like other phone apps, you can add text, effects, and music to your video.

Next, trim and arrange your clips and images in the timeline. When you’re done with that, click the Add Media button to add a soundtrack to your project. Your track will be automatically placed in the beginning and will fit your clip length. You can also add sound effects by browsing and selecting from their built-in sound effects.

Next, add your titles and text. You can make title screens, end credits, or other text elements with this feature. In your timeline, click the clip and then click Titles in the toolbar and choose from the title styles to add your titles.

You can now add filters to your videos to give them a complete makeover. Click the Filter button and choose from the built-in filters, and then preview your video as you choose the effect.

Now, you’re ready to export your video file. To do so, click on the Share button in the project browser and then choose Email or Text Message.

Yes—it’s that simple. So simple that even a complete newbie can get started right away.

However, note that iMovie is suitable only if you want to create basic videos, such as slideshows, short clips, and home movies. If you’re looking for more advanced features like motion graphics or adding filters to your videos, then Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro might be better suited for you.

Key Features:

The Magic Movie feature allows you to create videos with pre-styled templates and added titles, music, and transitions.
Storyboards: You can select from 20 storyboards with different genres, such as cooking or science experiment, and more.
Cinematic Mode: You can edit clips shooted in Cinematic Mode on iPhone 13.
Extra Special Effects: Add special effects such as slow-motion, speed it up, and use picture-in-picture and split-screen effects.
High-Fidelity Filters: It comes with 13 video filters to help you add a professional and cinematic look to your video.

Pros:

It’s free! If you have an iPad, Macbook, (or iPhone), then you already have access to iMovie.
The app lets you crop, trim, and adjust the brightness of your footage before you start editing it, making it easier to start creating a movie right away.
Lots of different templates are available for creating different types of videos (like slideshows with music)

Cons:

Not available for Android, Windows, or Linux systems.
It’s a basic video editing software – with limited editing options for professional video editors.

Pricing:

It’s free for all users.

6. Adobe Premiere Elements

Adobe Premiere Elements is a video editing program that offers the best of both worlds: it’s simple enough for beginners to use yet has enough advanced video editing features for professional editors to create stunning content.

The software also uses artificial intelligence to help you add cinematic effects to your movies.

Starting with the specifications, Premiere Elements offers a range of tools to help you resize and trim clips, add effects or overlays, and much more. In addition, its 2023 version comes with Adobe Sensei, which means you can add effects to your videos with one click. You can also use its newly-added audio tracks and slideshow templates to change the look and feel of your entire video.

You can also arrange your photos and videos in any way you want in the element organizer. It brings together all the photos from different locations on your computer and saves them there, so you don’t have to find them separately in different folders.

You can also import files from your camera or card reader by selecting the import option ‘From Camera or Card Reader.’

Adobe Premiere Elements offers a user-friendly workspace that groups its features into Quick, Guided, and Exper views. You can choose any of these depending on your level of expertise.

If you choose Quick, you can trim video clips, create a movie by putting photos and videos together, and also choose never to see this option again.

In Guided view, you can get a step-by-step guide throughout the creation.

Expert view offers more advanced tools and features – for example, an audio mixer or time-stretches abilities.

In addition, video tools let you mark and extract favorite moments, freeze a frame as an image, track moving objects, and smart-trim low-quality parts of the clip. You can adjust the audio balance with the audio mixer and narrate clips.

However, most of its features are designed for beginners rather than for professional videographers.

Key Features:

AI & Automation: Premiere Elements uses Adobe Sensei AI technology to automate common video editing tasks. You can add effects used in some popular artworks, and the program will automatically adjust them to match the aspect ratio you choose.
Guided Edits: It offers 26 different guided edits that you can customize to suit your needs.
Templates: It offers plenty of slideshow templates, backgrounds, and patterns.
Organization: It automatically organizes your files according to date, subject, people, and places.

Pros:

It offers three views based on complexity.
It provides in-depth guides for users.
Guided edits are available.
It offers a free trial.

Cons:

It has limited features for professional filmmakers.

Pricing:

7. Clipchamp

Clipchamp is another easy-to-use video software for beginners on this list – and it’s ideal for small businesses looking to create videos for marketing purposes. It’s a template-based video editing program, so each stage of the process is faster.

The app comes with pre-shot videos that you can use in your projects. These videos are in a 16:9 aspect ratio, and they are royalty-free. Click on the stock video tab to add these videos to your project.

There will be multiple categories to choose from, and once you find your video, drag it and drop it into the timeline. Now you can start editing them!

You can also use its beginner-friendly video templates from the video editor homepage. Once you add a video to your timeline, it will automatically fit into the aspect ratio. But if you want to edit the video size, just click on the aspect ratio on the right side and choose from the options.

Now, you can make changes to the text and title. On the right side of your screen, click the text box and edit the text in the window that opens. You can also change other aspects of your project this way, such as the font, alignment, color, or transparency.

With its branding features, you can add logos or brand colors to your videos, which you can use in all of your videos.

Now, you can either use templates audio or add your own. If you want to upload your audio, upload it to the editor and drag and drop it into the timeline.

After that, you’re all set to export your video. Again, you can choose from three video resolutions: 480p, 720p, or 1080p.

Key Features:

Video Editor: It comes with customizable templates, which you can trim, cut, rotate, crop, and add images and audio to. You can also balance color and do much more.
Stock Library: Its stock library has free stock videos and audio tracks – you just have to add your own titles and other minor changes. It also comes with a free camera recorder which lets you add filters, balance colors, and adjust contrast in your footage.
Text-to-speech: With its AI voice generator, you can choose from 170 voices to add a voiceover to your video.
Green Screen: Remove unwanted elements while shooting using the green screen, then remove them while editing with the background removal feature.
Video Overlay: You can spice up your videos with animated graphics, stock videos, transitions, and more using its built-in styles.

Pros:

There Are so many templates to choose from.
It’s very affordable and also offers a free version.

Cons:

It offers limited options for professional filmmakers.
Rendering takes more time than it should.

Pricing:

It starts at $11.99 per month or $119.99/per year (if you pay yearly).

8. Coral VideoStudio Ultimate

Coral VideoStudio Ultimate is one of the powerful video editors that starts you with basics and takes you through very advanced editing features.

To get started, you have to import your media into the library folders. Then, you can simply drag and drop your files or click on the import button and choose your file from the media browser.

Just like any other video editing software, you can drag and drop your media files to your timeline to start editing them.

Choosing an instant project template will help you get the result quickly. Now you can trim your clips, adding transitions, effects, and more.

To add a title to the video, click the title button [T] and add text. In addition, you can add transitions between your clips by dragging the transition thumbnail to your timeline.

Once you have added your video, you can add filters, effects, and music. Just click the respective button and follow the instructions. Once everything is done, you can save it and share it on blogs or websites, email or social media channels, YouTube, and more.

Key Features:

Drag and Drop: Drag and drop elements in your timelines, such as a text box, an effect, or a transition.
Color Grading: Using color grading, you can enhance your video by boosting the colors and correcting their balance.
Premium Effects: Use animated AR stickers, Face Effects, blend overlays, and more.
Advanced Tools: Make your videos stand out with cinema-grade effects using masking, facial recognition technology, dynamic split screen templates, and more.

Pros:

Online reviews hint at its fast rendering speed.
Screen Recording is available.
One-time fee structure.

Cons:

There aren’t enough effects and transitions available.

Pricing:

It costs $99.99 / one-time payment.

9. Movavi Video Editor

If you’ve been in the industry for a considerable time, you must have heard of Movavi Video Editor.

It’s a powerful video editing software that allows you to edit videos, create slideshows and convert videos from one format to another. It is an award-winning video editor with readymade intros, keyframe animations, and many special effects.

Let’s see how to edit a 4K video in Movavi. As you see in the screenshot below, the user interface is spotless and straightforward. You just have to click on the “Add file” option to start importing your 4K video into the library and then add it to your timeline to begin editing it.

You’ll see icons for transitions, filters, and more on the left panel. From there, you can add different effects to your video. To cut your video into multiple parts, look above the timeline — you’ll see an icon for “Split Clip.” Select the clip and move the red marker to where you want to cut. Then click on the split icon.

You can also add titles to your video by clicking on the title tag in the left pan. Simply select the one that you want to use and drag it to the timeline. Now double-click on the title in the timeline and start editing the text.

After adding titles and special effects or transitions, save your file. Make sure you save in ultra-high definition.

Key Features:

AI background removal: Change your video background without using a green screen – with the power of AI.
AI noise removal: Its AI-based noise removal tool will help you remove car sounds, wind sounds, or other unwanted sounds.
Special effects for Youtube: It offers five frames and an exclusive pack of effects for YouTube.

Pros:

You can directly upload your finished video on TikTok.
Clean user interface.
Free version available.
The video editing app has sound-accompanying transitions.

Cons:

Slow rendering.
It does not offer more advanced features for filmmakers.

Pricing:

It costs $74.95 for a one-time license.

10. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is an excellent video editing program – with a free version with many high-level features that you would expect from a much more expensive product. DaVinci Resolve also makes other products specifically for editors, including keyboards, color grading panels, and more.

In its latest release, they have included support for Blackmagic Cloud and Blackmagic Proxy Generator. You can host your media library on this cloud and share your work with other collaborators and editors.

To start editing in DaVinci Resolve, you must import your video by dragging and dropping your videos from the hard drive to the media pool on the top of the screen.

Many professional video and audio file formats are supported, including H.264, H.265, DNX, Blackmagic RAW, and more. You can mark the part of the clip that you want to use by specifying a start and endpoint for it.

Once you’re done adding clips to the timeline on the right side of the screen, you can edit them further using options from the editing overlay. This tool can replace, insert and overwrite clips in your movie project.

DaVinci Resolve has a library of 30 different transition effects, including wipes, dissolves, warps, flares, and more. All you have to do is select the effect you want and drag it into your timeline on top of a clip.

You can also add 2D and 3D titles to your project from the title library. Drag Fusion Titles from the library onto the timeline to add a title. You can then customize the text, font, color, etc.

You can do much more with videos, such as making animations, creating soundtracks, controlling the speed of your video, and adding picture-in-picture effects, dynamic zoom effects, and timeline curves.

Key Features:

Multi-User Collaboration: It’s possible to work with editors, visual effects artists, colorists, and sound engineers who are also online at the same time.
Fairlight: It features tools to produce audio. You can use up to 2K tracks at a time.
Media and Delivery Page: It offers a fullscreen workspace to prepare clips, sync audio, and organize media files into bins.
Resolve FX: You can add advanced effects such as blur, noise, light effects, beauty enhancement, image restoration, and more.
Color Collector: DaVinci’s 32-bit image processing enhances your photos, making them look their best.

Pros:

It offers a free version with various editing options.
The paid version is also affordable, considering the features you get.
Clean and easy-to-use UI.

Cons:

Steep learning curve.

Pricing:

It costs $295 for features like stereoscopic tools, Resolve FX filters, more Fairlight FX audio plugins, and advanced HDR grading.

11. Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is an easy and simple video editing software that frequently updates with new features and advancements.

Using the software is incredibly easy. You can create a new project for every video or start working on an existing project from the file menu.

Then you can import video, audio, or image by clicking on Import Media from the drop-down menu. You can either drag and drop your files in the library area, click on import media in the library, and select from the media browser.

Now add this video file from the library to your timeline to start editing.

This can be done in two ways: drag and drop it to the timeline or right-click on the clip and choose the action from the insert, add to a new track, overwrite and append options.

This UI is straightforward, you don’t have to go back and forth, and mostly all options are on a single page. You can start adding titles, effects, animations, etc., by dropping them in the timeline. Then, select the option from the top of the window.

That’s it. Your first video in Wondershare Filmora is ready to be saved and exported. Click on the Export link on the topmost menu, choose the location, enter the video name, choose format, and click the Export button.

Filmora has the edge over other video editors, such as Adobe Creative Cloud, in its price point. Its rendering speed and performance are comparable to those of Creative Cloud products, but it lacks more advanced features, such as motion tracking and speed remapping. If you don’t require those features at all, though, it’s a good choice.

Key Features:

Split Screen: It offers a split-screen template where you can add multiple videos in one to make it more fun. It has more than 30 split-screen templates.
Keyframing: Enlarge, narrow, or rotate your clips with its Keyframig feature and create many more visual animations.
Motion tracking: It automatically tracks the object movement and lets you pin the graphic or other elements to move in the same motion.
Screen Recorder: It allows you to record your screen with system and microphone audio.
Video effects: It offers over 900 video effects, including titles, filters, transitions, motion, and more.
Green Screen: You can change your video backgrounds or elements with the green screen.

Pros:

Great selection of features
Easy-to-use interface
Fast rendering.
A free version is available.

Cons:

So many features might be overwhelming for new users.
Users have reported that the software sometimes crashes.

Pricing:

It starts at $19.99 per month.

12. FlexClip

With FlexClip It’s very easily to create and edit videos for the brand, marketing, social media, family, and any other purpose.

You can make a Video in 3 Steps :

Add videos or photos from computer or stock libraries,
Add text, music, elements, and more to customize your video,
Export your video, then share it via a link or post to social media platforms.

FlexClip is a simple yet powerful video maker and editor for everyone. It help users easily create compelling video content for personal or business purposes without any learning curve.

Key Features:

AI auto subtitle generator, GIF maker, image background remover, screen recorder and video converter supported.
Millions of Royalty-free Stock Media including photos, videos, and music.
4000+ exquisitely-designed templates in diverse categories.
Cloud-stored function for trans-devices editing, anywhere and anytime.
Storyboard and timeline mode for both beginners and professionals.

Pros:

Great selection of features
A free version is available.

Cons:

Pricing:

It starts with a free licence and go at $19.99 per month for the business licence.

Frequently Asked Questions about Video Editing Platforms

What is a video editing platform?

A video editing platform is a software platform that allows you to edit your videos, photos, and other media files.

How do I choose the right video editing platform?

The first thing you should do when choosing a video editing platform is to find out whether it supports the features you need for your project. Then check if it supports multiple file types and if it has tools for basic editing.

How much does a professional video editing platform cost?

You can find affordable professional-grade video editing software for less than $100 per year. The more advanced platforms with additional features cost more, but they also offer more capabilities than basic ones like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker that come free with your operating system.

How do I edit a video?

Editing a video can be done on any video editing platform. The process of editing varies from platform to platform, but the basic steps are the same:

Import your media (photos and videos) into the program
Arrange your media into a sequence for your video
Add transitions between scenes or clips
Add titles and other text elements to enhance visual storytelling
Save the project file

What features do video editing platforms have?

Video editing platforms provide many features to help users create their own videos. Some of these features include:

Video creation and editing tools
Audio mixing capabilities
The ability to add titles, images, and animations

Over to You!

The choice of a video editing platform can be one of the most important decisions you make when creating your video. First, you must choose a platform that will allow you to create high-quality videos suitable to your requirements. And if you’re looking for a basic and free video editor, there are options for that too.

If you’re a professional, use advanced video editing software tools like Adobe Premiere Pro, Pinnacle Studio 26 Ultimate, and Apple Final Cut Pro. They will take time to get used to, and you’d have to shell out a considerable budget, but it will be well worth it.

If you’re an amateur or a beginner, I recommend using Movavi Video Editor Wondershare Filmora or Clipchamp. They are easy to use and the best bang for the buck.

And if your purpose is just to create personal videos for your family and acquaintances on social media, then you can use a free video editing software like Apple iMovie.

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The post 11 Best Video Editing Apps first appeared on Webdesigner Depot.

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7 décembre 2022/par Service comm.

How To Use MQTT in Dart

Actualités, Méthodes et organisation des process IT

Dart is a client-optimized language for developing fast apps on any platform. Its goal is to offer the most productive programming language for multi-platform development, paired with a flexible execution runtime platform for app frameworks.

MQTT is a lightweight IoT messaging protocol based on publish/subscribe model, which can provide real-time and reliable messaging services for connected devices with minimal code and bandwidth. It is widely used in industries, such as IoT, mobile Internet, smart hardware, Internet of vehicles, and power and energy.

Source de l’article sur DZONE

2 décembre 2022/par Service comm.

Top iOS Automation Tools and What Their Code Looks Like

Actualités, Méthodes et organisation des process IT

The yearly increase in iOS device sales has set the bar high for the assured success of iOS. However, when it comes to testing these devices, purchasing devices with various HW specs and iOS devices isn’t viable for SMEs and startups. Additionally, there are better testing solutions than manual testing due to scalability and low-efficiency concerns.

Although iOS is still a more closed operating system than Android, you may use various free and open-source technologies to build effective automated tests. It makes iOS app testing activities simpler and more efficient for developers and testers using a cloud-based testing solution.

Source de l’article sur DZONE

2 décembre 2022/par Service comm.

They’Re Live! 10 Great Black Friday 2022 Deals for Designers and Agencies

Actualités, Actualités

Looking to save big and make your web design job easier at the same?

This carefully picked list includes top-tier quality items that have already been used by hundreds of thousands of people like you.

From WordPress themes, plugins, web apps, website builders, and illustrations, this list has everything for everyone.

Check all these 10 excellent deals for designers below:

1. Amelia

Amelia is a WordPress booking plugin that saves businesses time and money from the beginning by replacing their manual or semi-automated appointment and event booking operations with a fully automated one.

Amelia is easy to set up and use. Fitness centers, consulting organizations, training institutions, beauty salons and spas, photographers, medical centers, and other businesses that rely heavily on client and customer appointment or event bookings will profit from using it.

Clients can go online to make appointments 24/7, change or cancel appointments, and make payments. They can also purchase tickets for events and add special requirements.
Amelia automatically sends notifications, reminders, and follow-ups by SMS, WhatsApp, and email (reducing no-shows while keeping clients aware of upcoming special sessions or events).
Amelia also manages group appointments, packages of appointments, employees’ schedules, special days, and days offs.
All the above can be managed at one or multiple locations from a single dashboard.

Amelia integrates with Google Calendar, Google Meet, Zoom, and Outlook Calendar. Click on the banner to learn more about what this amazing application could do for your business.

2. wpDataTables

Creating an informative table or chart for your website can be pretty labor-intensive.

You may have to work with and organize copious amounts of data.
You need to avoid compromising your website’s design at the expense of getting the tables or charts you want.
Your tables and charts may need to be responsive, editable, informative, and readable.

wpDataTables plugin does all the above for you and more. It is packed with powerful table and chart-building features that include –

4 chart-building engines: Google Charts, Chart.js, Apex Charts, and Highcharts
The ability to accept data from multiple database sources and in numerous standard formats
The ability to highlight critical data, or color code data using Conditional Formatting
A wealth of powerful data filtering and sorting features
Live data from Google spreadsheets or JSON API

wpDataTables integrates seamlessly with Avada, Divi, Elementor, Gutenberg, and WPBakery. Click on the banner to learn even more about this popular WordPress plugin.

3. Trafft

To automate a booking operation, you might need one tool to book appointments, one to accept payments, another to manage employee schedules, and so on. Of course, if your business provides services at multiple locations, then you would multiply the number of tools times the number of locations, and you’ll be good to go.

Or, you could go with Trafft, a single tool with which you can manage all of the above, at multiple locations, all from a single platform.

Clients can book appointments online 24/7.
They can make payments online using PayPal, Stripe, Mollie, or Authorize .net.
Trafft sends reminders and notifications automatically via email or SMS.
Trafft integrates smoothly with Google Calendar, Google Meet, Outlook, and Zoom.

Click on the banner to learn about all of Trafft’s booking capabilities. You’ll be impressed.

4. WordLift

WordLift helps your website speak the language of Google. This way, your content will be discovered by users, giving you more organic traffic and helping your business website achieve excellent rankings.

WordLift uses AI to transform unstructured content into structured data that search engines can understand.
WordLift creates a knowledge graph, automates SEO tasks, and analyzes search intent.

Other features include automatic schema markup, content recommendation widgets, WooCommerce, and Image SEO, all designed to improve user engagement.

5. Total WordPress Theme

Three words summarize Total: flexible, easy, and complete. This aptly named WordPress theme is WooCommerce compatible and has everything you need to create one-of-a-kind sites.

Total puts excellent selections of demos, templates, and postcards at your fingertips.
The popular Slider Revolution plugin is included, as is Total’s flexible drag-and-drop page builder.

The 50% Black Friday discount is automatically applied when you order.

6. TheGem – Creative Multi-Purpose & WooCommerce Theme

TheGem – the versatile WordPress website builder – offers unlimited customizations, plenty of design & marketing focused features, an extended library of pre-built designs, and the fastest loading times:

You have ready access to a rich selection of 400+ pre-built websites in outstanding design quality
It enables you to build every part of your website right away in Elementor or WPBakery: headers & footers, WooCommerce pages, blogs, mega menus, popups, and much more.
You’ll love the 5-star user support, just as have 60,000 others.

TheGem can be yours at a 40% Black Friday discount.

7. Mobirise Website Builder Software

The best offline website builder for 2022 is free to use. That is in itself a great bargain. Mobirise’s team has sweetened the pot by offering a 33% Black Friday discount for their All-in-One Kit with its 175 premium themes and extensions.

Mobirise is strictly drag-and-drop and features huge selections of blocks, templates, icons, and images.
Your site is yours to host anywhere you want

More than 2 million sites have already been created using Mobirise.

8. Embed Instagram Feed

Instagram offers a terrific way to promote your business’s products or services. Its focus on visual communication makes it an extremely effective marketing tool.

It takes but three simple steps to embed Instagram into your website.
A variety of display options are available.
Your feed will be fully responsive and compatible with mobile devices.

An Instagram feed is yours at a 33% Black Friday discount.

9. Getillustrations Web and App Illustrations Bundle

Getillustrations is loaded with trendy illustrations you can pick and choose from, download once, and use forever.

Selecting one or more of the 13,000 different illustrations in over 100 categories can definitely add spice to your web designs.
Illustrations come in PNG, SVG, Ai, Figma, and Sketch formats and Getillustrations adds new ones every week.

Use the EliteDesigners25 code to get your 25% Black Friday discount.

10. Rey Theme

Rey is an innovative WooCommerce theme that is loaded with WooCommerce-friendly features and is easy to set up and use.

Key WooCommerce features include filtering, search, templating, and navigation.
Rey’s smart search helps site visitors find exactly what they want
Quickview and Ajax search is also available

Headers are customized for eCommerce, and visitors will appreciate Rey’s helpful cart, wish list, and checkout features.

Black Friday is not far off. Before you know it, many producers of WordPress themes, tools, and services will be offering tempting discounts.

Even if you come across a deal that appeals to you, it doesn’t hurt to look around to see if you can find a better one.

Keep in mind that the quality of a product or service is more important than its reduced price. It’s always best to pick and choose carefully. So, we’ve put together this list of the best Black Friday deals for 2022 to help you do just that.

[- This is a sponsored post on behalf of BAW media -]

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23 novembre 2022/par Service comm.

27 Best Small Business Ideas for Designers

Actualités, Actualités

Designers have a wide range of lucrative career options.

This resource puts together some of the best small business ideas to help chart your career path.

It covers the market size, earning potential, estimated startup cost, the target audience, and the value they bring to the table. You’ll also learn how to launch the business, the required training and licenses, and a few companies already killing it in the space for your inspiration.

So, let’s begin.

Table of Contents

Online Course for Designers and Animators

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Graphics Design Business Serving Brick-and-Mortar Outlets

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Graphics Design and Animation Coach

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

WordPress Themes and Website Templates

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Email and Newsletter Templates Creator

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Fonts

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Graphics Templates and Marketing Collateral

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Presentation Template Designer

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Custom T-Shirts and Screen Prints

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Comics

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Sewing Patterns and Fashion Designs

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Wrap Designer

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Videographer and Video Editor

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Online Freelance Designer

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

NFT Artist

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Event Designers

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Extended Reality Designer

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Photographer and Photo Editor

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Sell Coloring Books

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Products and eCommerce Packaging Designer

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Publish Books and eBooks

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Printing Press

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Website Design Services

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Graphic Design Academy

Target Audience and Value

Design Teams

Image Credit: Medium

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

YouTuber

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Newspaper, Magazine, and Catalog Design Agency

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

Online Drawings and Handcrafts Sales

Target Audience and Value

How to Launch

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Example of Businesses in this Space

How to Choose the Best Business Ideas as a Designer

1. Online Course for Designers and Animators

The demand for digital designers will grow by 23% until 2031—faster than America’s 5% average occupation growth rate. And the market for online courses will grow at the same speed to reach $198 billion in sales by 2030.

Also, 87% of managers said hiring more UX designers is their organization’s top priority.

Earning potential: $19,500 to $135,000 annually (or $69,900 average).
Top marketplaces: Udemy, Udacity, Skillshare, LinkedIn Learning, Thinkific, Alison, AppSumo, CyberU, PluralSight, and self-hosted options.
Estimated start cost: $8,000 to $36,000.

Target Audience and Value

Create and sell online courses based on your transferable design skills. Let’s explore five options:

1. Motion Design Courses

Students pay about $85 to $600 for motion design courses.

And students can recuperate their investment quickly since motion designers earn between $58 to $300 per hour.

2. Product Design Courses

Jaguar C-X16 Design. Creative Commons.

Product design courses are between $85 to over $4,000.

Product designer roles pay about $115,000 annually. And finding employment is easy, as over 70% of hiring managers have increased their designer hires.

3. Graphic Design Courses

Art Director and Graphic Designer Peter Cocking, on utilizing white spaces. Creative Commons.

Top-earning graphics designers earn about $43 an hour or $90,000 a year. So, you can sell this online course for $85 to $15,000 per student.

4. User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Design Courses

Pixabay image

UI/UX online course creators usually take $85 to $2,500 per student. And students who become top earners take home up to $174,000 a year or $84 an hour.

5. Fashion Design Courses

Wikimedia Commons

Fashion designer courses cost $40 to $4,000.

However, top designers earn over $90,000 a year. So your students can get outsized value from their investment.

How to Launch

Launch your online design course in seven steps:

Find a simple course idea
Outline the course
Create the first module
Build your sales page and join marketplaces
Create your thank you page
Write your sales emails
Launch your course

Most people get stuck in the ideas phase. Instead, find a simple course idea based on your skills and launch it.

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Course marketplaces have unique education requirements. So check the publisher requirements of the platform you want to launch the course.

However, most marketplaces do not require special certifications to launch a design course.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Adobe After Effects: Complete Course from Novice to Expert by Louay Zambarakji.

Courses from Motion Design School.

2. Graphics Design Business Serving Brick-and-Mortar Outlets

Graphic design for brick-and-mortar outlets can be a quick way to start your small business for designers. These businesses use graphic design services to create marketing collateral, like flyers, presentations, and brochures, to send brand messages to their audience.

The increasing demand for designers drives consistent global graphic design market growth, currently valued at around $43.4 billion.

Earning potential: $35,000 to $66,000 per year (or $47,921 average)
Top marketplaces: Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer.com, SolidGigs, and self-hosted options.
Estimated start cost: $2,000 to $10,000.

Target Audience and Value

You can provide graphic design services to countless small businesses, and some of them include:

1. Ice cream shop

Image credit: Fiverr

You can create packaging designs and logos for those planning to own ice cream shops. The top Fiverr designers charge around $25 per project, while some value their services up to $260 per project.

2. Landscaping Business

Image credit: Fiverr

Most landscaping businesses need graphic designers to help with custom 3d Landscape concept design and illustrations for their client’s properties—some designers on Fiverr charge around $180 per project and up to $480 for premium service.

3. Catering Business

Image credit: Fiverr

Catering business logos on Fiverr costs $5 to $100 per project. However, some top designers charge up to $450 for premium services.

4. Food Truck Business

Image credit: Fiverr

Professional food truck and trailer wrap designers on Fiverr charge $25 to over $100 per project. You transform the designs into formats such as AI, JPG, and PDF to provide multiple use options for the business.

5. Pet Sitting

About 70% of U.S. households own a pet. That’s approximately 91 million households, nearly ten million more than the population of Germany, the EU’s largest population, making a pet business lucrative.

You can design logos and marketing materials for pet-sitting and dog-walking businesses. The standard rate on Fiverr is between $5 and $100.

How to Launch

Start your graphic design small business in six steps:

Build your portfolio by offering free designs
Name your graphic design business
Build a basic website
Create social media accounts
Join top graphic design marketplaces
Build your email lists and run ads

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Starting this new business doesn’t need special certifications and licenses. However, pursuing certifications like Adobe Certified Associate and other courses on Udemy and Coursera can advance your credibility.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the small businesses making waves in this space are:

Landor & Fitch.

Polar.

3. Graphics Design and Animation Coach

Graphic design and animation coaching is one of the best small business ideas to start as a designer. Consider this career path if you’re curious about designs and motion graphics and are passionate about teaching.

Employment for professionals in this field will grow by 5% from 2021 to 2031, as fast as the average for all occupations.

Earning potential: $79,153 average compensation per year.
Top marketplaces: Udemy, Coursera, Alison, Fiverr, and self-hosted options.
Estimated start cost: $0 to $15,000, depending on whether you run the coaching business from home or the office.

Target Audience and Value

Let’s explore some of the coaching services you can provide:

1. Personal Training and Coaching

Image credit: Iveta Karpathyova Studio

One-on-one graphics and animation coaching via Zoom is in high demand. You can sell your training and coaching service on your website or online marketplaces. Some personal trainers charge about $650 for a three-month-long session.

Most non-marketplace users often charge more. For instance, Iveta Karpathyova, a graphic design personal trainer, takes about $2,000 for eight hours of private one-on-one instruction.

2. Graphic and Animation Coaching for Design Teams

You can use RFPs to find companies who want to train their in-house design teams in 2D or 3D animations. Also, you can target companies that use graphics to boost user engagement, like UX professionals.

Austin Saylor is an example in this space. He earns up to $10,000 from his training program for graphic design teams.

3. Online Courses

Image credit: Udemy

You can create online courses and sell them on marketplaces like Udemy, Coursera, and Alison if you don’t have the resources for one-on-one coaching. For instance, some animation courses on Udemy cost between $20 to $139 for old students or between $14 and $24.99 for new users.

How to Launch

Start your graphic design and animation coaching small business idea in seven steps:

Get professional training
Develop your business plan
Design your coaching courses and certificate of completion
Set your coaching fees
Set up your payment methods and plan your business finances
Choose a coaching business name
Create a logo and your brand identity
Set up your coaching website and social media presence
Design your marketing plan

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Once you possess transferable design and animation skills, you don’t need special training, certification, or licenses to operate a graphic coaching business. However, getting certification training will advance your qualification and give you the confidence to train people.

Some options include:

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some businesses offering graphic design and animation coaching services are:

Austin Saylor

Iveta Karpathyova Studio

Falcon Visuals

4. WordPress Themes and Website Templates

A WordPress theme and website template development business is one of the most lucrative small business ideas for designers.

The WordPress platform controls nearly 65% of the CMS market share and powers 43% of all websites. That’s a staggering 82 million, meaning there are about three times more WordPress websites than the number of web developers worldwide.

Shopify comes a distant second, powering only 3.5% of all websites. However, WordPress has over 11,000 themes. As a theme developer, you can tap into this lucrative market.

Earning potential: $12 t0 $12,000 per theme or template
Top marketplaces: Envato, Creative Market, and Codecanyon.
Estimated start cost: Premium WordPress theme builders costs between $99 to $200

Target Audience and Value

Some of the most successful business ideas or markets to explore in this field are:

1. WordPress Themes Development

Image Credit: Themeforest

Bestselling themes on Themeforest cost $39 to $69, while the most expensive options go for $6,000 to $12,000. Also, Fiverr developers charge up to $1,000 for custom WordPress theme development.

2. Site Templates Development

Best-selling site templates on Themeforest cost between $12 to $49. The high-priced ones go from $200 to $1,000. The price range for popular themes on Creative Market is the same as on Themeforest. However, the most expensive options range from $520 to $5,000.

3. Landing Page Templates Development

Landing page creation is a lucrative business because of its high demand for lead generation. The best-selling landing page templates on Themeforest cost $12 to $39, while the expensive ones go for $59 to $118, making them affordable.

How to Launch

Launch this new business idea with these simple steps:

Pick a niche
Develop your business plan
Set your pricing
Plan your business finances to understand the overhead costs involved
Design your themes and site templates on your computer
Develop the theme with premium theme builders like TemplateToaster or outsource to freelance theme developers.
Create a free version of the theme
Test your theme or site templates
Join a marketplace and sell your theme
Promote your business with paid ads

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

You don’t need special training, certification, or licenses to build a successful career as a theme developer. In addition, some theme builders don’t require coding knowledge.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some theme developers on Fiverr and Themeforest are:

Zainshabirdev

Scrn

5. Email and Newsletter Templates Creator

Email template development is another good business idea to explore.

There are over four billion daily email users, sending and receiving more than 306 billion emails daily, making it an effective channel to reach and engage customers. Also, data shows that 37% of brands are increasing their email budget.

As an email and newsletter templates creator, you can design beautiful templates for small and medium-sized businesses that can’t afford an in-house design team, digital marketing services, and marketplaces.

Earning potential: $10 to $150 per project
Top marketplaces: Themeforest, Fiverr, Creative Market, and self-hosted options.
Estimated start cost: $0 to $200

Target Audience and Value

You can offer your service on several marketplaces and your website. However, these options provide the most straightforward way to make it big in this field.

1. Themeforest Email Templates

Themeforest’s top-rated email templates cost about $8 to $116. Most of these templates have between 100 and 1,500 sales, indicating high demand for Themeforest email templates. The most expensive option currently costs $117 for the regular license and has sold over 100 copies.

2. Fiverr Email Templates

Demand for Fiverr email template creators is also pretty high. The best-selling professionals take between $10 to $25 per project. However, hand-coded responsive HTML options go as high as $80.

3. Creative Market Email Templates

Creative Market has over 1,500 email templates. The popular designs go for $10 to $39, while the most expensive templates cost between $50 and $150. Most designs are for MailChimp, Campaign Monitor, and Constant Contact platforms.

How to Launch

Launch your email and newsletter design business in these few steps:

Pick a niche and develop your business plan
Set your pricing
Design your email and newsletter templates
Test on different devices such as desktop computers, mobile, and iPad
Join marketplaces and sell your templates
Create a logo and business website
Join popular social media and build your online presence
Market your business

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

You don’t need special training or licenses to create email and newsletter templates. Instead, strong customer relationships and positive reviews are what you need to thrive in this field.

Example of Businesses in this Space

You can build a profitable business in this field. Let’s see a few of the successful ones for your inspiration.

SendX

Stripe

6. Fonts

Typography is one of the financially rewarding home business ideas for designers.

Custom fonts allow businesses to create unique brand identities to stand out from the crowd. As a result, this space holds limitless opportunities for typographers.

For instance, IBM paid over $1 million annually to use Monotype’s warhorse font Helvetica before developing its IBM Plex typeface.

Other companies like Netflix, Airbnb, and SAP also invested in custom fonts and typefaces to reinforce brand messages and save on licensing fees. So you might want to explore this small business idea. You can also structure it as a consulting business.

Earning potential: $30 to $300,000 for bespoke font
Top marketplaces: Envato, Creative market, Fiverr, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: $200 to $1,200

Target Audience and Value

The best target audience for this small business idea is brands that want to create a unique identity to differentiate from the competition. Some of the places to sell your service are:

1. Envato

Envato has an extensive library of over 30,000 stunning fonts and types.

Many small business owners and online businesses use the marketplace to find unique fonts. Envato users with an active subscription can download the fonts for any project and marketing campaign.

The individual plan costs $16.5 monthly, while the team plan is available at $10.75 per member. The enterprise plan requires a custom quote.

2. Fiverr

Fiverr is a great place to start a typography business as a beginner. Small business owners and online businesses use it to hire affordable typographers. The platform currently hosts over 2,000 custom font services.

Typographers on the platform charge between $10 to $30 for custom fonts. The top earners take home over $60 for premium services.

3. Corporate Clients

Experienced typographers can explore this option.

Creating bespoke typefaces for corporate clients may cost up to $300,000. First, however, you’ll need to demonstrate your value by building a strong portfolio and understanding how to craft a pitch, an offer, and a closing.

How to Launch

Typographers are in high demand. Start your typography business in five types:

Design your fonts
Build your website and plan your marketing
Join marketplaces and sell your fonts
Build your prospects list
Send custom font design proposals to prospects
Market your business with paid ads and on social media

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Typography is one of the most lucrative home business ideas for designers today. You can start this small business without special certifications and licenses.

However, taking typography courses on Udemy and other learning platforms can help you master your art and design better fonts.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the businesses in this field are:

Typotheque

Fontfabric

7. Graphics Templates and Marketing Collateral

Marketing collateral is media and graphics materials organizations use to support their sales efforts and advance their brand messages.

It includes anything from brochures, business cards, and posters. These materials give prospects the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions.

Creating them as graphic templates lets people customize and use them as they wish, enabling a much larger potential audience size. For example, as a marketing collateral designer, you could also run a consulting business as part of your larger offering.

Earning potential: $10 to $1,300 per project.
Top marketplaces: Envato, Creative Market, Fiverr, and self-hosted options.
Estimated start cost: $200 to $1,200 to get a good computer.

Target Audience and Value

The target audiences for this small business idea are social media managers, cleaning services, brick-and-mortar stores, and dog-walking businesses.

Also, targeting profitable niches like small business owners, personal training businesses, and property managers can lower your customer acquisition and overhead costs.

Let’s examine some graphic templates and marketing collateral you can design for clients.

1. Brochures

Image credit: Envato Elements

Brochures are some of the most widely used marketing collateral.

Creating them as customizable graphic templates and selling them on marketplaces like Envato and Creative Market allows you to attract many users.

You can also offer custom brochure design services on Fiverr. Designers on the platform take between $10 t0 $150 per project.

2. Business cards

Image credit: Envato Elements

Custom business card designers on Fiverr charge between $10 to $640 per project. Some premium services go for as high as $1,300. You can also sell on Envato to earn money from users’ subscription fees.

3. Flyers

Image credit: Fiverr

Flyers are another in-demand marketing collateral. Nearly 50% of surveyed companies said that door drop campaigns are essential to their marketing strategy.

Offering custom flyer design services to these businesses can help you make it big as a designer. Pro-verified designers on Fiverr make between $100 to $495 per project.

Their premium packages cost as much as $1,295.

How to Launch

Launch this small business idea with these six steps:

Get a nice laptop and internet connection
Create an actionable business plan
Define your target market and ideal customers
Build your portfolios
Join marketplace
Create a sales page to attract non-marketplace users
Join social media platforms
Promote your business through paid and organic marketing channels

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

You need special training or a license to start this business at home. However, an impressive portfolio will help you land high-paying clients more quickly.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the businesses in this field are:

Trpeski Design

Brand Design

8. Presentation Template Designer

Creating an entire presentation deck from scratch can be challenging for non-designers.

As a result, 79% of presenters use pre-built templates to find inspiration, streamline their workflow and create stunning presentations in a few minutes. So this is an excellent business idea for designers.

You can explore opportunities in this field to shore up your income and build a flourishing career.

Earning potential: $90 to $6,000
Top marketplaces: Envato, Creative Market, Fiverr, etc.
Estimated start cost: You can start the business with just a computer. It costs between $200 to $1,200 to get a good one.

Target Audience and Value

Businesses in high demand for presentations, like landscaping businesses, property managers, startups, and consultancy businesses, are your targets. Also, executives and busy business people need you too.

Others include personal trainers, social media managers, and cleaning businesses.

Let’s explore some templates you can start with and what each brings to the table.

1. Marketing

Image credit: Envato Elements

Marketing presentation templates do the heavy lifting for salespersons, enabling them to create their presentations and slides quickly. Your presentation design agency can charge between $90 to $6,000 per ten slides.

However, selling on marketplaces enables you to access a ready market with minimal marketing efforts.

2. Pitches

Image credit: Fiverr

A beautifully designed pitch deck helps startup entrepreneurs to make a lasting impression on potential investors. So they often prefer to use templates to create theirs or outsource the project to professionals like you.

You can join marketplaces to reach potential clients more quickly, and there is a lot of money to make from those platforms. For example, pro-verified sellers on Fiverr earn between $100 and $1,500, while premium packages can go for as much as $3,000.

3. Key Notes

Professional keynote presentations from pro-verified designers on Fiverr are between $360 and $650 for the basic package. Non-pro-verified professionals on the platform price their service between $10 to $200.

Presentation design services hourly rate on Upwork ranges from $20 to $95. Some charge as high as $130 per hour.

How to Launch

A presentation template design business is a great business idea to pursue as a designer. You can launch yours with these six steps:

Buy a good computer with enough graphics card
Create a business plan
Define your market and ideal prospects
Build your portfolios
Create your website and join marketplaces
Plan your marketing strategies
Launch your templates

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

You don’t need any special training, certifications, or licenses for this small business idea. However, an impressive portfolio and many positive customer reviews will do.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Let’s examine some professionals in this space.

24Slides

BrightCarbon

9. Custom T-Shirts and Screen Prints

The high demand for customized wear makes custom T-shirt design a thriving enterprise. Future Market Insights estimated that the market size of global custom T-shirt printing would exceed $3.5 billion in 2022.

Furthermore, they believe it will grow by 9.7% CAGR over the next ten years to reach over $9 billion.

Earning potential: $5 to $1,200 per project and up to $1 million a year.
Top marketplaces: Teespring, Zazzle, CafePress, Redbubble, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: You can start a custom T-shirt design business with $0 from home if you already own a computer and internet connection.

Target Audience and Value

Build your business for these audiences:

1. Custom T-Shirt Design Marketplaces

Image credit: Teespring

Joining and selling your designs on custom t-shirt marketplaces like Teespring (now, Spring), CafePress and Zazzle is your best bet to hit the ground running immediately. T-shirt designs on Teespring can cost as much as $49.99.

2. Fiverr

Pro-verified custom t-shirt designers on Fiverr take home between $125 and $450 per design. Premium packages can go for as high as $1,200—other gigs in the category cost between $5 and $30.

3. eCommerce Store

An eCommerce store for your custom designs lets you control your marketing and the ideal audience you want as customers.

You can also connect the online store to print-on-demand platforms like Printful to run a full-fledged online t-shirt business. There is no limit to how much you can make from this business. Some sellers earn up to $10,000 monthly.

How to Launch

Follow these six steps to launch this business idea:

Find a t-shirt niche
Create your t-shirt design
Join marketplaces to sell your designs
Create an eCommerce to promote your business
Connect your store to print-on-demand software to drop-ship your custom-printed wear

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

You don’t need any special training to thrive in this space. Getting many positive customer reviews and referrals can help advance your business.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Many designers are in this space, offering custom T-shirt design services to individuals, groups, and local businesses. Some of our top picks for your inspiration are:

Custom Ink

Mandem

10. Comics

Comics are graphic novels. It’s popular among kids and teens. Fortunate Business Insights estimated that the comics market size will reach $12.81 billion in 2028, up from $9.21 billion in 2021. It grew by a staggering 12% in 2020.

Analysts believe it’ll grow at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2021 to 2028.

Earning potential: $63,167 per year for comic artists and about $210 per project for comic artists and color stylists.
Top marketplaces: ComicConnect, Subzero Comics, and LiveAbout
Estimated start cost: $200 to $1,200 to get a good computer

Target Audience and Value

Comics are lucrative when you build the business around these audiences:

1. Comic Artist

Image credit: Cbr.com

You can try your hands here if you can create attractive graphics and illustrations for comic books. Professionals in this field typically earn over $63,000 a year. But they vary from city to city. For instance, San Francisco, California comic artists take home over $95,000.

2. Comic Book Letterer

Advanced skills in color flattering can also help you get something tangible out of this space. Some professionals in this field earn between $5 to $25 on Fiverr. The verified professionals take between $100 to $210 per project.

3. Color Flatter

Color-flattering services on Fiverr are in high demand. Most color stylists on the marketplace charge between $5 and $40. As a verified professional, you may earn up to $100.

How to Launch

Comics are another successful business idea you can consider as a designer. It’s not expensive to launch, and you can run it 100% from home.

Start your own business in these few simple steps.

Pick a niche and define your market
Develop your business and marketing plan
Set your price
Join marketplaces to sell your service
Create a website to target off-marketplace audiences
Promote your business

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

You don’t need special certification or licenses as a comic artist. However, professional courses on Udemy and other learning platforms can advance your skills.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some professionals in this field are:

Jorge Jiménez

Image credit: Cbr.com

Freyady

11. Sewing Patterns and Fashion Designs

The U.S. 2022 fashion design market size stands at $2.9 billion. Data shows that the market size declined by 1% between 2017 and 2022. However, analysts believe the value will grow at 0.9% in 2022.

Earning potential: Earn up to $130,000 annually.
Top marketplaces: Fiverr, DressX, Replicant, Dribble, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: $200 to $1,200 to get a good computer

Target Audience and Value

Set your sights on these markets to make it big in this field.

1. Fashion Designers

Creating and selling your designs to top-rated designers is one of your best bets to earn big from this small business idea. Most bespoke wears cost several thousand dollars, and many designers won’t mind paying hundreds and thousands of dollars for your designs.

2. Online Marketplaces

Image credit: Fiverr

Joining marketplaces will save you a lot of marketing costs, and there is also money to make from the platforms—top professional stylists on Fiverr earn $100 to $300. You can also sell your designs on Dribble.

3. NFT Fashion Marketplace

Image credit: Replicant

NFT digital fashion marketplaces like Replicant are reimagining fashion designing businesses, allowing anyone to try on a digital garment.

They are a new and growing trend. Jumping in right away lets you secure a space before it gets saturated. And the digital fashion business is financially rewarding.

For instance, the best-selling digital garments on Replicant cost around $35, while the most expensive digital fashion wearables sell for as high as $68.

How to Launch

You can launch this business idea in these steps:

Pick a niche and define your fashion style
Develop your business and marketing plan
Create a physical version of your NFT
Choose and blockchain for your NFT and set up your digital wallet
Select an NFT marketplace
Create a business website to promote your digital fashions
Join social media to improve your online presence

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

The fashion design business doesn’t require any special training, certification, or licenses.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the businesses in this space are:

Olivia Goodall

Trend Miles

12. Wrap Designer

The wrap design business is one of the most profitable business ideas to start as a designer.

Several organizations and individuals wrap their vehicles for branding and aesthetic purposes.

In addition, a vehicle wrap is cheaper than a painting, driving its demand in the U.S. The global automotive car wrap film market was $4.9 billion in 2021.

Analysts estimated it will grow at a CAGR of 22.2% from 2022 to 2030.

Earning potential: $21 per hour
Top marketplaces: Wrap Stock, Fiverr, Design Hill, Upwork, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: $200 to $1,200

Target Audience and Value

Wrap design small businesses can target:

1. Auto Shops

Many auto repair shops in the U.S. offer car wrap services. You can create and sell your designs to them. They charge clients between $2,500 and $5,000 to wrap their vehicles, so it’s fair to expect some money from them for your design.

2. Car Owners

Top-rated custom wrap designers on Upwork charge between $30 and $50 hourly rates. Several have earned $10,000 to $60,000 creating and selling bespoke wrap designs on the platform.

3. Marketplaces

Image credit: Wrap Stock

You can upload and sell your designs on marketplaces like Wrap Stock.

Here, you don’t have to worry about marketing or running ads. Instead, the platform handles every aspect of the process, enabling you to focus on creating stunning designs.

How to Launch

Launch this wrap design small business idea in these steps:

Pick a niche
Develop your business plan and sales processes
Create your designs
Turn your designs into templates downloadable in different formats
Join marketplaces to sell your design templates
Create a website to promote your business
Offer custom design services

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

This small business idea doesn’t require special training, licenses, or certification. However, building your portfolio and generating positive reviews can advance your credibility.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the professionals in this space are:

Inflamez Designs

Sean P

13. Videographer and Video Editor

About 87% of businesses use video as a marketing tool.

YouTube, the world’s largest online video-sharing platform, has over 122 million daily users. They watch over one billion hours of content each day. Every minute, creators upload more than 500 hours of videos. These make video editing a lucrative business.

Earning potential: $49,496 average base salary per year
Top marketplaces: Upwork, Fiverr, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: $250 to $1,020 for professional video editing software yearly subscription

Target Audience and Value

Let’s explore some ways you can earn money with your skills:

1. Marketplace

Image credit: Fiverr

Most video editors sell their services on Fiverr, Upwork, and other talent marketplaces. They charge between $10 to $40 per gig on Fiverr and an hourly rate of $10 to $25 on Upwork. You can join both marketplaces to maximize your options and reach a wider audience.

2. Portfolio Website

Create a portfolio website to target non-marketplace audiences and sell your service. It lets you take charge of your marketing, build your customer list and manage your customer relationships 100%. The median hourly rate of video editors is $20.

How to Launch

Videography and video editing are profitable business ideas. Launch yours in these simple steps:

Pick a niche and your target audience
Write a business and marketing plan
Buy video editing software
Join marketplaces
Create a website to promote your business
Run ads and market your service

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

This small business idea doesn’t require special training and licenses, especially if you want to run it from home. However, getting professional video editing training and certification can help you become a better video editor.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some businesses in this field are:

Tasty Edits

Replayed

14. Online Freelance Designer

The freelance industry currently contributes about $1.4 trillion to the U.S. economy. With over 58 million people offering freelancing services in the country, analysts believe it will grow to become the U.S. majority workforce.

A career path as an online freelance designer lets you have a slice of the pie.

Earning potential: $25 to $150 per hour
Top marketplaces: Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: $200 to $1,200

Target Audience and Value

An online freelance design offers limitless opportunities to designers. The small business idea will stay true to its potential when you build it around these target markets:

1. Marketplaces

Joining a marketplace gives you instant access to ready-to-buy customers—beginners in this space charge between $10 and $80 on Fiverr. Pro-verified experts earn up to $800. Upwork graphic designers take $14 to $95 per hour.

2. Freelance Website

A website lets you create a unique brand identity for your graphic design business.

It also allows you to approach your prospects directly, control your pricing and scale your business over time. The $20 to $150 average industry hourly rate is encouraging, and you can charge more as your business advances.

How to Launch

Action the steps below to launch this small business idea.

Pick a niche and define your ideal clients
Create a marketing and business plan
Build your portfolio
Set your price
Join marketplaces
Create a small business website

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

A freelance graphic designer doesn’t need any special license or training. However, acquiring advanced design and marketing skills improve their odds of having a successful career.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the top professionals in this field are:

Dimi Designs

Gaurav C.

15. NFT Artist

NFT lets owners prove authorship and authenticity, future-proofing digital assets. It’s one of the latest in-thing today and a trend that is not dying off soon.

The value of the global non-fungible token market was $4.6 billion in 2021. Analysts estimated that the market size will grow at a staggering CAGR of 23.9% between 2022 and 2028 to reach nearly $20 billion at the end of the forecasted period.

Earning potential: $96,643 average annual salary (the top 10% earn about $360,000 yearly)
Top marketplaces: Fiverr, Upwork, OpenSea, SuperRare
Estimated start cost: $200 to $1,200 for a computer with a sound graphics card

Target Audience and Value

Let’s examine some target audiences for your NFT art business.

1. NFT Creators

Create unique NFT art collections and sell them to NFT creators with the metadata. You can sell the service on Fiverr and Upwork. NFT artists on Fiverr charge between $40 and $150 for basic packages, while those on Upwork collect up to $5,000.

2. NFT Marketplaces

Image credit: OpenSea

You can mint your art on NFT marketplaces like OpenSea, SuperRare, and others if you’re uncomfortable selling them to third-party NFT creators. The opportunities in this space are limitless. For example, some NFTs on OpenSea sell for as high as 19 ETH floor price.

How to Launch

Launch this NFT art small business idea in these few simple steps:

Define why you’re going into the business
Pick a niche
Join marketplaces to sell your art
Set up an Ethereum wallet If you wish to mint your arts
Find a minting platform that meets your needs
Mint and sell your NFT arts

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

You don’t need any special training or license. However, you can take online NFT minting courses on Udemy, Coursera, and other learning platforms to master the art.

Also, the business doesn’t have special license requirements.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the professionals in this field are:

Nyolings

Shallu N

16. Event Designers

Event designers work with planners to help them put details into their decorations. However, unlike planners focusing on event logistics and ensuring everything is on schedule and running smoothly, event designers transform the space and bring clients’ visions to life.

Earning potential: $43,977 median annual salary (the top 25% earns up to $50,000 annually0
Top marketplaces: Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer.com, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: $300 to $3,000 to start the business from home. It’ll require a laptop, project management platforms (for example, ClickUp), and virtual event design software (3D Event Designer).

Target Audience and Value

Segment your audience, targeting these markets:

1. Corporate Organizations

Most organizations and companies hold at least one corporate event, such as annual general meetings, award ceremonies, and product launches. You can work with them to plan out the design and decoration. Payment is usually per project, and it’s encouraging.

2. Event planners

Image credit: Harpers Bazaar

Partnering with event planners is your odds-on-favorite to ensure a steady supply of gigs. So, you don’t need a big marketing budget. Most event planners are already entrenched in the system and can quickly put something on your plate.

3. Catering Services

Catering services are another solid option to explore. Most caterers want to know how to set up their buffet and other items to ensure a seamless workflow. You can create multiple floor layouts of the event space to show them ways to arrange their stuff.

How to Launch

Launch a successful event design small business idea in these six steps:

Define your target audience
Buy project management and virtual event design software
Create virtual event designs to show off your skills
Join marketplaces
Build your websites and create social media accounts
Collaborate with event planners
Market your business to build your clientele

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

This small business idea doesn’t require any special training, certification, or license.

However, professional certification and training in project management can make you a better event designer. Also, you’ll need a strong customer relationship, positive reviews, and a referral network to thrive in this space.

You might not need special licenses to run the business from home.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the businesses in this field are:

Encore Event Design

Mindy Rice Design

17. Extended Reality Designer

Extended Reality (XR) is the catch-all term for all immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR).

Mordor Intelligence predicts the XR market valued at $26.05 billion in 2020, will grow at a staggering CAGR of 62.7% between 2021 and 2026 to reach $463.7 billion. A career as an XR designer can bring a lot to the table.

Earning potential: $106,097 average salary per year.
Top marketplaces: Unity Asset Store, Unreal Engine, Oculus Rift Store.
Estimated start cost: $62 to $23,200.

Target Audience and Value

Who is your target audience in this space? First, let’s examine the top two and what you can gain from them.

1. XR Developers

Image credit: The Academy of International Extended Reality

You can have a lucrative career as an XR designer, working with extended reality developers to create cutting-edge XR applications for forward-thinking businesses.

While designers focus on figuring out the “whys” and ‘what’s” of the projects, developers’ interests rely on transforming them into a reality.

Typical XR designers earn around $106,000 annually. The more experienced hands go home with over $215,000 each year. So you’re getting in early on an industry poised for rapid growth.

2. Marketplace

Selling your XR assets on specialized marketplaces like Unity Asset Store, Unreal Engine, and Oculus Rift store lets you access a ready market, minimizing the efforts you need to put in to build your clientele.

You can also list on Upwork to diversify your income. For example, XR designers on the marketplace earn $20 to $85 per hour. Some designers have earned over $500,000 selling their skills on the platform.

How to Launch

These steps can help you launch this XR design small business idea:

Pick a niche
Write a business plan detailing the market opportunities you wish to exploit
Register your business if you’re renting an office space
Acquire XR hardware and software
Create your marketing plan and launch your website
Join marketplaces to sell your service
Hire and train your staff, including a social media manager and digital marketing professional
Collaborate with XR developers

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

This Extended Reality design small business idea doesn’t require any special licenses.

However, you’ll need specialized training and certifications to advance your credibility and credentials. Some of the top-rated in the industry are

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the professionals in this space are:

Jalaj S.

Or Fleisher

18. Photographer and Photo Editor

The photography business is competitive, and you can build a sustainable career, even while working from home, with the right skills.

The future outlook for the industry looks promising.

Analysts expect the global market size to reach $44.07 billion in 2025 from $32.92 billion in 2020, meaning, in three years, the global photography business value will be more than half the Serbian GDP, a country of over seven million people.

Earning potential: $29,230 to $109,760 per year (the average base annual salary is $60,298)
Top marketplaces: Fiverr, Upwork, Pixabay, Shutterstock, Getty Image, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: $10,000 to $15,000.

Target Audience and Value

You can work with these people as a photographer and photo editor:

1. Event Planners

Image credit: Expert Photography

Event planners can guarantee you steady gigs. Working with them means you don’t have to worry about prospecting, writing proposals, and closing clients.

Some professional photographers charge between $75 and $300 per image, while experienced ones may earn up to $1,000.

2. Marketplace

Marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork are other excellent options for beginners. For example, photo editors on Upwork take home about $20 to $100 per hour; some have earned over $250,000 since joining the platform.

3. Commercial Photography

Image credit: Expert Photography

Commercial photography is one of the most lucrative options in this field. The professionals here earn between $800 to $5,000 per day. The licensing fees often start from $250 and may get as high as $10,000.

4. Stock Photography

You can start a stock photography website or join already established stock photo websites like Shutterstock to sell your photos. Monthly subscriptions on Shutterstock cost between $49 to $479. The platform has paid over $1 billion to contributors in the last 15 years.

How to Launch

Launch your photography and photo editing business in these steps:

Find your niche and target market
Pick a nice location if you wish to run a brick-and-mortar business
Register your business to legalize it
Open a business bank account and set up accounting for the business
Check with local authorities for the necessary permit
Get photo editing business insurance
Purchase photography equipment, gear, and photo editing software
Create a unique brand identity for the business
Develop your business website and add your business to social media
Build your portfolio
Join marketplaces

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

This business model doesn’t require special training, licenses, or certifications.

However, investing in professional courses can help you become better at what you do. Online courses are a great place to start. For example, you can check Udemy and Coursera for top-rated photography courses.

When creating a website for your business, consider taking marketing and customer relationship courses to improve your client acquisition skills.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the businesses for your inspiration are:

Seatown Photo

James Maher Photography

19. Sell Coloring Books

A coloring book is one containing line art for coloring with the crayon. It’s a healthy way to relieve stress, calm the brain and help the body relax.

The adult coloring books market peaked between 2014 and 2017. It sold over 12 million books in 2015, up from one million copies the previous year.

Although on a decline today, exploring options in this field can be lucrative.

Earning potential: $10,000 to $40,000 monthly
Top marketplaces: Amazon, Lulu, Etsy, and self-hosted options.
Estimated start cost: $200 to $1,200 for a good computer

Target Audience and Value

Create and sell coloring books online. You can begin with some of these marketplaces:

1. Children’s Coloring Books

Children’s coloring books are popular on Amazon. A quick search shows over 80,000 results—the top-rated books on the marketplace cost between $5.99 and $12.

2. Adult Coloring Books

Lulu is an online self-publishing book company. Creating and selling coloring books on the platform lets you reach over one million monthly visitors. They also handle inventory and fulfillment. A paperback coloring book on Lulu sells for up to $16.

3. Teenagers

Teenagers use coloring books, and you can target teen themes that attract that audience. These books typically cost $8 to $38. You can even publish digital versions of these coloring books.

4. Teach People to Create and Sell Coloring Books

If you’ve found success creating and selling coloring books, you can teach others how to do it. Typically, these courses cost $14 and $50 and can attract over 5,000 students.

How to Launch

Follow these steps to start selling coloring books:

Pick a niche
Write and design your book
Decide on whether to self-publish or use publishing companies
Format and edit your book
Design the cover art or outsource to freelancers
Sort the copyright and ISBN
Set the pricing
Upload and sell your book
Promote your coloring books on social media

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Selling coloring books doesn’t require any special training or certification. You don’t also need special licenses to run this business.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the professionals in this field are:

Michelle Lawrence

Karen Sue Chen

20. Products and eCommerce Packaging Designer

Product packaging designers develop eye-catching labels and product packages that meet safety and packaging regulations. In addition, they often work closely with the marketing team to create designs that reinforce the brand’s messaging.

Analysts expect the market size of packaging design services to reach nearly $32 billion in 2030, up from $21.9 billion.

Earning potential: $37,000 to $80,000 annual base salary (the average salary for packaging designers in the U.S. is $51,000 yearly)
Top marketplaces: Fiverr, Upwork, 99Designs, and self-hosted options.
Estimated start cost: $62 to $23,259.

Target Audience and Value

Getting gigs is the most challenging aspect of this business. Some sources you might want to explore are:

1. Brick-and-Mortar Retail outlets

Image credit: Johns Byrne

Approach and pitch your packaging designs to nearby brick-and-mortar stores. Also, run paid adverts to reach more businesses and direct them to your website to schedule a discovery call—a typical packing designer charges between $80 to $100 per hour.

2. eCommerce Stores

Image credit: PakFactory Blog

Many eCommerce stores fulfill their orders. Work with them to design custom packaging to ship their orders. You can reach them online via paid and organic promotions.

The $80 to $100 hourly rate is the competitive fee for designers in this niche.

3. Marketplaces

Product packaging designers on Upwork take between $20 to $100 per hour. Also, pro-verified designers on Fiverr earn $500 to $1,000 per project. So, there is so much money to make from this channel.

How to Launch

Start your product packaging design business in these simple steps:

Study the different product packaging needs to understand your audience’s needs.
Select a niche for your business.
Build your portfolio.
Set your price.
Determine your positioning for differentiation.
Establish your brand identity.
Join marketplaces.
Create a website and join social media platform.

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

This business idea doesn’t require any special certification and training to start. However, obtaining packing training, licenses, and certificates can set you apart from competitors.

So consider these options:

Certified Packaging Professional (CPP)
Certificate of Packaging Science (CPS)
Certificate of Mastery in Packaging Management (CMPM)

Also, check with local authorities for necessary licenses.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some businesses and professionals in this space are:

Johns Byrne

Paul Virian

21. Publish Books and eBooks

Publishing books and eBooks is an excellent way to monetize your design skills.

A career as an author is financially rewarding, and the future also looks promising. A report by Technavio shows that the electronic books market will grow by $6.93 billion between 2020 and 2030.

Also, published books don’t have recurrent expenditures. So you have nothing to lose exploring your options in this field as a designer.

Earning potential: 70% on every book sold on Amazon Kindle
Top marketplaces: Amazon, Lulu, Apple Books, Kobo, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: $0 to $4,000.

Target Audience and Value

You can write books based on your transferable skills, case studies, or the latest trends. Some of the platforms to self-publish your work are:

1. Amazon

Amazon receives over two billion monthly visits, making it the biggest platform to self-publish books and eBooks. Most books on the marketplace are available at $2 to $30. So, some authors earn between $5,000 and $8,000 each month.

2. Apple Books

Self-publishing on Apple Books lets you target a wide range of Apple device users, including CarPlay and Apple Watch. Apple has sold over two billion iOS devices, and over 100 million people use Macs worldwide. So the Apple Book brings so much to the table.

3. Online bookstore

You can sell through your website if you drive enough traffic to the online store and fulfill your orders. Your online store allows you to set your price, control your messaging, target your ideal audience and manage your customer list.

How to Launch

Follow these steps to turn this small business idea into a reality:

Pick a niche
Choose a topic and write your book or eBook
Edit your book or hire a professional editor
Design your book cover or outsource
Format the book or hire a freelancer
Choose a self-publishing platform and upload your book
Create an online community for your books business
Hire a social media manager and digital marketing services to promote your books

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

You don’t need special training or certifications to start a book or eBook publishing business. However, getting and flaunting them can boost your credibility and show off your expertise. Also, advanced book publishing and formatting courses can help you create better-looking and attractive books.

You can find and take these courses on Udemy, Coursera, and Alison.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some designers in this space are:

Debbie Millman

Ellen Shapiro

22. Printing Press

The printing business is financially rewarding. About 25,000 U.S. companies are into commercial printing. They generate nearly $900 billion in revenue annually, more than the Saudi Arabian GDP and almost half that of Italy—the EU’s third-largest economy.

Earning potential: $65,000 for operators to $100,000 a year.
Top marketplaces: Yelp, Craigslist, Nextdoor, and Yellow Pages.
Estimated start cost: Industry leaders reported spending $146,000 to $400,000.

Target Audience and Value

Set up your printing press to target these audiences:

1. Businesses

BluSky ETO

The global commercial printing market is lucrative and has impressive long-term growth potential. You can have a slice of the pie by providing printing services to businesses like marketing collateral, catalogs, magazines, product labels, and packaging.

The U.S. has over 10 million companies, so you always have options.

2. Political and Social Campaigns

Image credit: ABC News

Thousands of political and social campaigns happen in the U.S. yearly, making campaign posters and signage printing a thriving business.

The 2022 market size for printed signage alone is $33.9 billion, and analysts expect the number to grow at a CAGR of 2.8% to reach $40.08 billion in 2028.

3. Authors

The number of books published yearly in the U.S ranges from 500,000 to one million, excluding self-published authors. In 2021, the country sold over 826 million physical books, that’s nearly three books per citizen on average. So you can earn big printing books.

How to Launch

Launch your printing shop in ten steps:

Define your target market and develop your business model
Rent office space in a nice location
Register your business to make a legal entity
Open a business bank account and set up accounting for the business
Check with local authorities for the necessary permits and licenses
Secure a business insurance
Purchase and set up the equipment you need for the print shop
Create a logo for a unique brand identity
Develop your business website and join social media platforms
Develop your marketing plan and run promotions

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

A printing press doesn’t require any special training and certification to start.

However, you should comply with OSHA requirements and regulations. Also, check with the local authorities to learn other necessary environmental, health, and safety requirements.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the businesses in this space are:

RRD Printing

Taylor Printing Solutions

23. Website Design Services

The 2022 total number of web developer and digital interface designer jobs in the U.S. is around 200,000.

However, Statista believes the number will reach 229,000 in 2032, while the total number of web developers and designers will grow to 205,000, so there’ll be enough jobs to go around.

Earning potential: $3,000 to over $75,000 per project.
Top marketplaces: Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer.com, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: $62 to $36,061.

Target Audience and Value

Model your small business web development idea around these markets to have a home run.

1. Local Businesses

Image credit: Unsplash

Small businesses and eCommerce stores drive the growing demand for business websites. A web development agency’s custom services cost between $15,000 and $30,000. But more complex site design projects can go as high as $75,000.

2. Charities

Image credit: Unsplash

Charities are another excellent option for web designers. Most of them need simple websites. So you’ll be looking at making $2,000 to $5,000 per project as a freelancer. And you can command up to $30,000 if you’re an agency.

3. Marketplaces

Verified professional web designers on Fiverr walk away with $100 to $5,000 after each project. They priced some of their premium packages up to $12,000.

Web designers on Upwork charge between $25 and $150 per hour for their services.

How to Launch

Follow these steps to start a web design agency:

Define your target market
Rent an office space if you wish to run an out-home agency
Register your business to make it a legal entity
Secure a business insurance
Choose a business name and create a unique logo
Develop your business website and set up social media accounts
Build your portfolios
Create a marketing plan and run promotions

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

Once you have the requisite skills, you don’t need special training or certification to launch a web design service. However, enrolling in project management certification courses can help you seamlessly manage your workflow and customer expectations.

Other necessary certifications are:

User experience and usability courses to build sites with frictionless navigation
Search Engine Optimization certifications for search-friendly designs
Conversion rate optimization courses to create high-converting websites
Graphic and 3D animations to create stunning graphics

Example of Businesses in this Space

Check out these businesses to see what other people are doing in this space:

MWD Web Design Inc.

Colton J.

24. Graphic Design Academy

A graphic design academy might cost you an arm and a leg, but it’s lucrative, as most soft skill training centers.

Data shows that the global soft skill training market reached over $24 billion in 2020, and market analysts believe the number will grow by a CAGR of 12.3% between 2022 and 2027 to reach $47.2 billion in 2027.

Besides the financial rewards, a career as an instructor can be fulfilling. You should consider this career path if you have a passion for teaching or other transferable skills to share with others.

Earning potential: $39,000 to $93,000 yearly total pay (average salary is $56,438 per year)
Top marketplaces: Yelp
Estimated start cost: $14,491 average startup cost for skills training center

Target Audience and Value

Some of the target audiences for this business idea are:

1. Design Teams

Image Credit: Medium

Approach nearby businesses and show them how your training program can help advance the skills of their design team and save the company money. Then, negotiate your pay based on the value you are bringing to the table and what you think the business can afford.

2. College Students

Image Credit: Ms. Magazine

College students are excellent targets for graphic design training skills. Reach those that are interested in acquiring graphic design skills with paid ads.

You can run foundational, undergraduate, and postgraduate programs to cater to all categories of students. For example, some training schools charge up to $40,000 for postgraduate graphic design degree programs.

3. Graphic Designers

Professional graphic designers are always looking for ways to advance their design skills. You can target this segment with professional certification programs or bootcamps. You might also partner with reputable certifying bodies like Adobe to offer their certification programs.

How to Launch

Follow these steps to launch your academy:

Develop your training programs and modules
Set your training fees and payment plans
Rent a training center in a good location
Register your academy
Secure the appropriate licenses and insurance policy
Design your training center to set the right ambiance
Create a logo for the business
Design a website with online learning features to cater to out-of-location students
Set up your social media presence
Develop your marketing plan
Hire and train your staff

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

You’ll need a license to run a degree-awarding training center.

Also, it would help if you had more than transferable graphic design skills as an instructor. Your students expect you to have professional certifications and specialized training from recognized bodies.

Some top options are:

Adobe Certified Associate
Graphic and Digital Design Certificate (Parsons School of Design)
Udemy or Coursera professional graphic design and animation courses
Master’s degree in graphic design

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some graphic design training centers are:

The New School

Certiport

25. YouTuber

YouTube is not just a video-sharing platform. It’s also the second-largest search engine after Google. Over 2.6 billion people use the platform once a month. They spend about one billion hours daily watching five billion videos.

A career as a YouTuber is financially rewarding but never a walk in the park.

Identifying your target audience and creating content that addresses their pain point is the most straightforward to succeed in this space.

Earning potential: $80 to over $55,000 monthly.
Top marketplaces: YouTube.
Estimated start cost: $150 to $1,100.

Target Audience and Value

You can target prospective graphic designers or designers with your video. Some ways you can monetize your YouTube content are:

1. YouTube Ads

Joining the YouTube partner program is the most popular option for monetizing YouTube videos through YouTube ads.

However, to qualify, you’ll need to rake in at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 video watch hours in the past year. Then, you can earn between $2 to $12 per 1,000 views.

2. Sell Merchandise or Courses

Another way to monetize YouTube videos is by selling merchandise. If you don’t have any physical product, you can promote your design courses before or after your YouTube videos and drop the purchase link in the video description.

3. Sponsored Videos

Image credit: Fran Patrillo.

Influencer marketing is reimagining how brands connect with their customers. YouTube is the second most popular platform for influencer marketing. Join the train if you have a large and engaged following.

Several brands can pay you $500 to $10,000 to recommend their products. Some may even pay up to six figures for a YouTube campaign if they are sure of the results.

How to Launch

Follow these steps to launch a career as a YouTuber:

Understand your audience and find your niche
Create a YouTube channel and brand yourself
Decide on the monetization strategy
Invest in good camera and gear
Acquire video editing skills and video editing software if you don’t want to outsource
Develop your content calendar
Create your first video and upload
Optimize your video for search engines
Run YouTube to promote your videos

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

You don’t need special training, certification, or licenses to become a YouTuber.

However, taking video editing courses can save you a lot of money. Also, if your business model centers on teaching your audience design skills, you should acquire professional certifications in the field to advance your credibility.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the designs YouTubers making a wave in the industry are:

4 The Creatives

Graphic Island

26. Newspaper, Magazine, and Catalog Design Agency

The global digital newspaper and magazine market, valued at $34.2 billion in 2021, will grow at a CAGR of 4.2% between 2022 and 2028 to reach $45.6 billion. The industry looks promising. You can register your agency and run it from the comfort of your home.

Earning potential: $35,000 to $67,000 base salary per year (the average is 48,289 yearly)
Top marketplaces: Fiverr, Upwork, Legit, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: $2,300 to $5,200

Target Audience and Value

Some of the target audiences for this business are:

1. Newspaper and Magazine Companies

Image credit: Envato

Partner with newspaper and magazine companies. Offer to handle their designs to save them the cost of maintaining a full-time in-house team. Working with them can guarantee you a steady supply of jobs. Negotiate your pay per page or project.

Some magazine designers charge $50 to $90 per page.

2. Marketplaces

Join marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork to build your client base and portfolio incrementally. You can earn between $10 to $55 by selling your service on Fiverr. Some designers on Upwork charge about $30 and up to $750 per project.

Catalog designers on the platform earn between $20 and $100 per hour.

3. eCommerce and Retail Businesses

eCommerce brands and retail businesses are your largest audience. Most of them use product catalogs and magazines to spread their marketing messages.

You can approach them for custom designs or target them with customizable templates on your websites or third-party template marketplaces like Envato or Creative Market.

How to Launch

Follow these steps to launch this business at home:

Identify your target market
Choose a name and register the business
Get business insurance
Buy design software
Create a website and set up social media accounts
Hire and build your remote team
Design newspaper, catalog, and magazine templates to build your portfolio
Join marketplaces
Promote your business

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

You don’t need special training, certification, or licenses to run this business model. However, you can find relevant professional courses to advance your skills.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the professionals in this field are:

Corey F.

Luis L

27. Online Drawings and Handcrafts Sales

You can build a sustainable career selling custom drawings and handcrafts art collectors. Statista projected that the global arts and crafts market will grow from $35 billion in 2017 to $50.9 billion in 2024.

Besides the tempting financial rewards, the business lets you express yourself and bring your imagination to life.

Earning potential: $12.5 to $49.84 per hour (the average hourly rate is $20.97)
Top marketplaces: Etsy, Shopify, Fiverr, and self-hosted options
Estimated start cost: $200 to $1,200 for a personal computer and software.

Target Audience and Value

Build your business around art lovers. It helps you lower acquisition costs and maintains a high conversion rate. Some small business ideas in this field are:

1. Offer Custom Art

Image credit: Yasmeen A

You can make a lot of money creating custom art for clients. Since they’re tailor-made and provide personal significance and uniqueness, most collectors will be okay with paying more to have them on their walls.

Commissioned paintings from experienced artists cost $100 to $10,000.

2. Start Online Craft Store

Image credit: The Indian Express

An online store for your craft business lets you transform your passion and creativity into a business. Moreover, it’s lucrative so that you can earn a good living.

Candle making, jewelry, and headbands are some craft business ideas for your inspiration. Others include embroidery, home decor, sculpture, and decorative pillows.

Also, sell your crafts on Amazon, Etsy, and other marketplaces to reach more people.

3. Sell Your Drawing Online

Image credit: Artmajeur

Create stunning hand-drawn images and sell them on art marketplaces like Shutterstock and iStock. Also, sell on your website to cater to non-marketplace users.

Additionally, license your art to businesses for commercial use. It’s where the money is. You can make between $100 and $10,000 from licensing fees.

How to Launch

Follow these simple steps to launch your online drawing and handcrafting small business ideas:

Identify the gap in the market—decide what you’re going to sell
Define your target audience and pick a niche
Name and register your business
Create a logo and brand your business
Design your website and set up your social media
Create sales pages and join marketplaces
Plan your supply chain and order fulfillment
Make your crafts or sample drawings
Promote your business

Required Training, Certifications, or Licenses?

This business model doesn’t require special training, certification, or licenses. However, check with local authorities to learn what applies in your area.

Example of Businesses in this Space

Some of the design businesses making it big in this space are:

Cedar and Sail

Artisaire

How to Choose the Best Business Ideas as a Designer

We have explored some of the best small business ideas for designers. When you start your journey, choose options that match your passion and career objectives.

And remember to use this resource to start on the right footing.

Featured image via Unsplash.

Source

The post 27 Best Small Business Ideas for Designers first appeared on Webdesigner Depot.

Source de l’article sur Webdesignerdepot

21 novembre 2022/par Service comm.

15 Best Podcast Hosting Platforms

Actualités, Actualités

Podcasts are on the rise. In 2020 consumption of podcasts reached 332.2 million internet users, and this number grew to 383.7 in 2021. And it is increasing steadily – with the number of listeners slated to reach about 509.4 in 2024.

Podcasts have moved from a niche market of discussants in their parent’s basements to being spread across the globe into everyone’s earsets.

However, it’s more complex than just creating a decent show and uploading it. First, your website needs to be able to handle the traffic, lest you want your listeners attempting to sign up for your newsletter on a frisbee. But where does one start?

And that’s where podcast hosting sites come into the picture!

You need a podcast hosting service to publish your podcast episodes online and make them available to your audience. Podcasts are called interactive audio content for a reason. Your podcast listeners can get in touch with you through the comments section, emailing you their feedback, sharing your episodes on social media, and more.

It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to become a mega-star or want to solidify your brand; knowing which podcast hosting platform to use is essential to the podcasting process.

In today’s article, we have covered the 15 best podcasting sites. So whether you are looking for free or paid podcast hosting sites, we have covered everything in detail.

1. Podbean

Podbean is a podcast hosting and monetizing platform that lets you publish your podcasts in minutes. Just set up some basic information about your podcast – and you are set to publish your first episode on Podbean. With Podbean’s intuitive user interface, getting started with the service is as easy as pie!

In the above image, you can see how Podbean will ask you to set up your podcast. Podbean makes it easy to create a professional-looking site from title and description to category and podcast logo. Once you upload your episode, you can also pick a theme for your site.

As you see in the below image, you can customize its fonts and colors and test the audio and appearance before it launches.

Podcasts can also be listened to on Apple, Google, Shopify, and other podcast apps. If you want to embed your podcast on your website or blogs, Podbeans Embeddable Players will make that easy for you. The Embeddable player is also customizable and lets you add branded elements, making the design professional.

You can even connect your social media handle with your Podbean account to directly share podcasts on your social pages.

It doesn’t skimp on statistics, either. Podbean statistics will give you all the insights you need to know about your podcast’s audience, including the top 10 episodes, how many downloads there are at a particular time, where your customers come from, and user retention data.

All in all, it’s a great option to get started with your podcasting journey. However, one downside is that the podcast website isn’t as polished as some podcasters might prefer.

Other key features include

You can host audio and video files without limits on storage and bandwidth.
You can personalize your podcast with your own domain.
You can also schedule your podcast episode in advance.
Once you publish your podcast, users can access it on Alexa devices.
Its Mailchimp integration will help you collect emails for future distribution.
You can monetize your podcast using ads.
Live stream your podcast with a remote co-host or guest.

Pros

They offer a free plan, which provides iPhone and Android app players with 100GB of monthly bandwidth and their own podcast site.
Even though the interface is very intuitive, the resources in their knowledge base will be helpful to beginners.

Cons

You can’t host video podcasts unless you are on their Plus & Business plans.
The podcasting website should be more professional.

Pricing

It starts at $9/month for unlimited storage space, unmetered bandwidth, distribution on significant podcast apps, customizable themes, and more.

2. Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout is a podcasting platform that provides hosting, promotion, and analytics solutions. You can directly distribute your podcast on Google, Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Alexa, Overcast, and more through Buzzsprout.

You can start with easy and free learning material provided by Buzzsprout, including podcasting guides, courses, video tutorials, industry podcasts, and community.

It’s also worth noting that Professional-sounding podcasts don’t come easy. That’s why Buzzsprout’s MagicMastering tool is available for you to use. It’s an audio filter that sweetens your podcast and optimizes it for the best industry standards.

That said, the Magic Mastering feature is only available with the pricier plans, so you’ll have to shell out more money for it.

You don’t have to worry about optimizing your episodes yourself either because Buzzsprout optimizes all episodes in terms of file type, bitrates, ID3 tags, etc.

The best part is that it has dynamic content flexibility, letting you decide whether audio should go at the beginning or end of an episode. It does everything to make your podcast search engine friendly, including transcribing each episode for people with hearing disabilities.

Buzzsprout’s users also usually have good things to say about the platform.

For example, Neil Thacker, founder of Casual Car Guide, who uses Buzzsprout himself, is a big fan of the platform.

Thacker says,

“I have been lucky enough to host a few different podcasts in various industries. Every time, my hosting platform of choice is Buzzsprout. They just get it. Buzzsprout makes it super easy to publish and syndicate your podcast episodes across various mainstream streaming platforms and directories.

If you need a website for your podcast, Buzzsprout gives you the tools to create one. Simply pick a domain and host your podcast there for the world to see. It’s quick and easy to set up and won’t cost you the earth. Go, Buzzsprout!”

Other key features include

It offers a customizable podcast player that lets you skip to the next track or move backward. You can also share your episode on social media and make the player match your website’s branding.
One account can hold multiple podcasts and team members.
You can find all the necessary help through its YouTube channel and Facebook community.
It integrates with tools such as Chartable, Podtrac, Hindenburg, and more.
It also offers Visual Soundbites to match your brand colors.

Pros

It offers competitive pricing and features.
Clean & easy-to-use UI.
Plenty of learning resources.
Free version for 90 days.

Cons

Limited upload time, even with paid plans.
Your episodes will be hosted only for 90 days with the basic plan.
The basic plan does not include Magic Mastering.

Pricing

Starts at $12/month for 3 hours of upload, advanced statistics, unlimited storage, and more.

3. Simplecast

Simplecast is the all-in-one solution for your podcasting needs – including podcast publishing, distribution, analytics, and sharing. Whether you’re a large or small business, it also has similar tool access for all sizes of companies.

Your podcast can be set up anywhere, including Shopify, Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, and other podcast directories. Simplecast gets your podcast on these directories and apps as soon as you publish any episode and then automatically sends it to your listeners.

Then it will provide you with advanced analytics to show how many listeners you have, how many downloads you get, your listeners’ locations, and more. See below for a visual representation of how this works:

It also has a website. That’s right; you’ll get your own website.

This website automatically updates as you publish new episodes and is customizable, mobile-friendly, search engine optimized, and Google Podcast optimized. You can even use your own domain names.

In addition, it allows the user to manage multiple shows in a single account. The image below will show you what the Podcast Dashboard looks like. It displays the number of episodes for each show and other information, such as role and owner.

Other key features include

Its audio analytics come in easy-to-understand visuals and show you different trends – for example, which device listeners use to listen to your podcasts.
Simplecast’s framework is a rock-solid, no-nonsense platform that keeps your stream playing 24/7.
You can import your existing podcast from any platform with just a few clicks.
You can use its players to embed your podcasts on your web.

Pros

All of its plans offer unlimited uploads and storage.

Cons

It does not offer a free version.
I see users getting frustrated with the limited customization options for website themes.

Pricing

It starts at $15/month for two seats, unlimited storage and uploads, basic analytics, a custom domain, a customizable website, and more.

4. Anchor.fm

Anchor is one of the – if not the best free podcast hosting services by Spotify that takes care of creation, distribution, monetization, analytics, and more.

Creating Music+talk episodes on Anchor is as easy as pie. Choose any song from Spotify’s library, place it in your episode builder, add an audio file that you wish to go with the music file, and then submit your episode for review.

Some of the best ways to make money from your podcast are by building an audience and monetizing that audience. And with Anchor, you can monetize in various ways, including by adding paid advertisements to your podcast or asking for donations from listeners.

In addition, the IAB 2.0-certified metrics from Spotify let you measure your podcast’s performance in detail. For example, you can see where listeners are abandoning you on the track and adjust accordingly by adding content that really matters to them. You can also see what type of listeners interact with your podcasts – how old they are, what gender they identify with, and more.

Luciano Colos, founder and CEO of PitchGrade, who uses Anchor for his own podcast, talks about his experience with the platform.

He believes that the end-to-end control of the whole process is what makes Anchor.fm unique.

Colos further shares,

“Even if you’re not a technical person, the interface is so simple that you’ll be able to learn it in minutes. I’ve been using it since the day I started my podcast, and I’m so glad I found it. It’s also worth mentioning that the support on the platform is great. If you ever have a question, you can contact the staff on their Discord channel and will get an answer within minutes.”

Other key features include

All the content rights are yours.
You can distribute your podcast to Google, Apple, Pocket Casts, Spotify, and more.
You can directly record from your phone, tablet, or computer and sync them to all devices.
You can create both audio and video podcasts.
The episode builder has easy-to-visualize building blocks.

Pros

Anchor offers free and unlimited hosting in all plans.
Easy monetization options, that too with ads in your own voice.
You can distribute your podcast to all major podcasting platforms.

Cons

You can host only one podcast per account.
Interview features on phone hosting are limited.
Customer support is limited to online resources.

Pricing

It’s a free platform.

5. SoundCloud

SoundCloud is a platform for both streaming audio and hosting podcasts. Majorly, it’s a popular music-sharing platform, but it also offers a robust podcast-hosting platform used by over 75 million people worldwide.

Creating a SoundCloud profile is also as simple as pie. You can personalize your profile with your own username, profile URL, custom profile image, and header.

SoundCloud is also one of the few podcast-hosting platforms that allow you to create a community around your podcasts. This is handy if you want to grow awareness about your podcast among other users.

Users can comment on specific moments of the track, and other users can see those comments when they reach that moment on the track.

The podcast hosting platform is available for Android and iOS, and you can sign up for free. Of course, there’s an affordable fee for upgrading your account to a creator account.

In addition, SoundCloud lets you distribute your tracks on various channels, including Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and more.

Then you have the SoundCloud Analytics dashboard that gives you a quick overview of the number of streams, revenue, and top tracks — but it’s not as detailed as you can get with other podcasting sites. After all, it’s a music streaming platform primarily rather than one specifically for podcasts.

There is little to no knowledge on their website for beginners, which is another disadvantage. That said, it’s pretty easy to use, so anyone without experience in podcasting can easily use the platform.

Other key features include

SoundCloud allows you to share your music on Apple Music, TikTok, Spotify, and more.
Except for the free version, SoundCloud offers unlimited upload time.
If you have collaborators in your profile, you can split the payments with them.
You can also schedule your podcast releases in advance.

Pros

It offers a free plan with 3 hours of upload time.
The hosting fee is affordable.
Listeners can comment on specific moments from your track.

Cons

Many users report that it takes a long time to load the track.

Pricing

It starts at $2.50/month for monetization, distribution, promotion, and split payment features.

6. Transistor.fm

Transistor’s like other podcasting platforms – you can create a podcast from scratch or import it from another platform. Just follow the instructions, and you’re good to go.

Once your podcast is recorded and ready to go, you can invite multiple members to contribute. Its analytics software provides clean visuals and robust insights into listener trends.

For instance, the below image is an overview of the podcast performance:

Now observe that the amount of data and clear visuals make this less overwhelming. As you can see, it gives you insights into average downloads per episode for the specific period, estimated subscribers, and total downloads (month-wise visual presentation).

In addition to providing one-click submissions to significant podcast platforms such as Spotify, Google, Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, and more, Transistor also offers one-click submissions to search engines like Listen Notes and The Podcast Index. Transistor is one of the few podcasting hosting platforms to provide a service like this.

Corey Haines, Founder of SwipeWell, shares his experience with the platform,

“I’ve been super happy with Transistor.fm for hosting all my podcasts. Instead of paying for each one individually, Transistor allows me to host all the podcasts I want for a single price. This made me feel free to experiment and start as many podcasts as I wanted. They also have great integrations, analytics, and sharing capabilities to embed on a website or newsletter.”

Other key features include

You can create, import, and host multiple podcasts in a single Transistor account.
You get a unique RSS feed, advanced analytics, a basic webpage, and collaborator invites for each podcast you create.
The analytics tool gives you insights like the number of plays, total plays per episode, average download, devices, and more.
It offers a podcast player that you can embed on your website, landing page, or tweet.

Pros

Multiple podcast hosting options allow you to test different podcast formats for varied groups of listeners.
You can host unlimited podcasts in one account.
It offers a free trial.

Cons

The starter plan, which is a paid one, does not include dynamic ads. It also does not allow you to automate YouTube posting.
There are plenty of resources in their knowledge base, but finding what you’re looking for is confusing.
Only the Business plan allows you to remove Transistor branding from the player.

Pricing

It starts at $19/month for unlimited podcasts, private podcasts, live customer support, a built-in podcast website, and more.

7. Libsyn

Libsyn has the tools to help you get started regardless of your level of podcasting expertise. It assists you in recording, publishing, distributing, and monetizing your podcasts.

The best part? You can host both audio and video podcasts on Libsyn.

To get started with Libsyn, you’ll have to provide a few details, including podcast title, subtitle, description, category, owner’s name & email, author, website URL, and more.

The below image shows what the Libsyn podcast settings look like:

You can also add your own artwork to your podcast. Click “Add artwork” or drag and drop the images in the upload area. Suppose you don’t have your artwork ready. In that case, you can design one on Canva – Libsyn’s integration with Canva makes creating a professional-looking podcast cover simple without any graphic design experience.

Once you are ready with everything, publish your podcast and distribute it to the platforms where your listeners could be, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Play Music.

Libsyn gives you more ways to make money with your podcast, including advertising and subscriptions. For example, you can pitch to the big advertisers on Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast Marketplace or build a community of members who get exclusive access to your content.

Antreas Koutis, Administrative Manager at Financer, shares his experience with Libsyn,

“When I started podcasting on the side, I wasn’t sure which hosting platform to use. There are a lot of options out there, and it can be overwhelming to try to figure out which one is the best. After trying out a few different platforms, I found that I liked Libsyn the best.

It was easy to use and had all the features that I was looking for. I also liked the fact that they offered unlimited storage and bandwidth, which was important to me since I wanted to be able to grow my podcast without having to worry about running out of space. The only downside is that it can be a bit expensive, but overall I thought it was the best option for me.”

Other key features include

Its podcast players allow you to drag and drop your uploads, and you can create an episode from any page.
You can also publish your episodes in batches or pre-schedule them.
With Snippets, you can create a description for your podcasts just once and reuse it with every post.
It provides IAB Tech Lab Verified Stats, which means you can trust the accuracy of the data.
Get access to advanced analytics, including an interactive worldwide map, listener app analytics, demographics, and more.

Pros

Podcasting can be a cinch for anyone who starts with Libsyn’s in-depth, step-by-step guides and other valuable resources.
Its integration with Canva helps you design your artwork with ease.

Cons

The basic plan does not offer unlimited storage or uploading hours.
For advanced features, the price is quite high.

Pricing

Starts at $5/month for 3 hours of uploading, 162MB storage, stats snapshot, basic social promotion, unlimited bandwidth, ad-free website, and more.

8. Podcastics

Podcastics is a complete suite of tools for hosting, sharing, and monetizing your podcasts. The prime reason to give Podcastics a try is its 1-month free trial – no credit card required! And you don’t even need the training to use this platform. But if you need assistance, there’s plenty of help in the help section.

It takes just a few clicks to get Podcastincs up and running. The editor is clean and self-explanatory, as shown in the image below. Just follow the steps, and your podcast will be ready in minutes.

Moreover, if you already have your podcasts on the Apple Podcasts platform, you can easily import all of them into your Podcastics account in just two clicks. Simply type your podcast name in the search box and select yours from the list that appears. This will collect and save all your data, such as titles, descriptions, episodes, etc.

Podcastics is also one of the few podcast hosting platforms that allow you to host multiple podcasts with unlimited episodes under one roof.

Once your podcast is up and ready to be distributed, you can share it with the world on major listening platforms such as Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and more. Podcastics makes distribution so much easier by automatically creating an RSS feed for you.

Its magic link never misses redirecting your listeners to the correct platform. You can also add QR codes to your magazines or print flyers to get user subscriptions.

Other key features include

You can host multiple podcasts in one account.
It also records heat maps for you with the most and least active time during the week.
The text editor lets you insert links and lists and style your fonts in episode descriptions.
If you are using a free version, you can use your own server to upload your podcasts. Paid plans offer to host by Amazon Servers.
You can also monetize your episodes using Patreon and affiliate programs.
You can segment your podcasts into sessions and assign episode numbers.
You can schedule your podcasts for specific dates & times.

Pros

It saves your time with the duplicate episodes feature; then, you can edit a few details and post another episode in minutes.
Its description snippets eliminate the redundant task of adding a few same elements for each episode.

Cons

Although it contains so many advanced features, newbies can quickly become confused by the program for the same reason.
For the free plan, you have to use your own server.

Pricing

Starts at $8/month for worldwide distribution, easy import, unlimited episodes, private/unlisted episodes, and more.

9. Spreaker

Spreaker comes with a bundle of tools for you to create, distribute, monetize, grow an audience, and track the progress of your podcasts. You can host and monetize your podcasts with programmatic ads from big brands, such as Green Chef, Lego, Swag.com, CareerBuilder, and more.

Spreaker’s how-to guide for podcasting will get you started in no time. Once you have your podcast’s name, length, and format ready, Spreaker Studio will help you record it, add sound effects, and crop or trim your audio. Finally, add the cover art, and you are ready to publish your first podcast on Spreaker.

Martyna Inkielman, Community Manager at PhotoAiD, shares her experience with Spreaker,

“I find Spreaker the best and most reliable platform. My favorite thing about it is that it provides most of the essential features in one place – pretty much everything related to your podcast can be done on Spreaker. It’s also very intuitive, so it’s effortless to use, even for beginner podcasters.”

Martyna mostly has good things to say about Spreaker, but one thing that bothers her – it doesn’t support video podcasting, so she can’t post on YouTube with it.

Other key features include

With Spreaker, you can share your podcasts on Google Podcasts, Amazon, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio.
For monetizing, Spreaker inserts relevant ads in your podcasts no matter how new your episode is.
For analytics, you can choose the plan for the level of detail you need about your podcast interactions. From downloads to listeners’ geolocation, Spreaker shows you every statistic vital to you.
Spreaker Enterprise offers full-stack audio publishing, single-click distribution to various podcast channels, ad campaign manager, and more.

Pros

You can monetize your podcasts regardless of the size of your audience, the number of downloads, or your account age.
You can see real-time analytics of your podcasts because of their IAB Tech Lab certification.

Cons

Users have reported limited options for customer service.

Pricing

It starts at $8/month for 6-months statistics, 100-hours storage, auto-upload to Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, and more.

10. Podomatic

Podomatic allows you to build your podcasting career in four easy steps: create a free account, record and publish, submit your podcast to big podcast platforms such as Spotify, and keep repeating.

To upload media, you must first add it to Podomatic’s library of supported file formats. It supports file formats including m4a, mp3, mp4, BMP, jpg, png, mp4, m4v, and more.

Podomatic will store your audio and video files in an unpublishable section if they are larger than 350MB, lack an extension, or has an unsupported extension.

To upload a podcast, you only need to determine the title, tagline, cover art, description, category, tags, and language. Then, once published, you can start monetizing it using Patreon, Popcorn, and What For Apparel ads.

You can also get stats on your podcast, including total plays, mobile plays, embeds, downloads, visits, and more. The service goes further into analytics to show your performance over a selected period of time, the performance of individual episodes, and listeners’ graphs.

Other key features include

You can store up to 6 hours of recording (free) or 500MB of files.
It gives you 15GB of bandwidth for a month.
It also offers free tracking of your podcasts daily.

Pros

You don’t pay for your first 20 episodes.
Its premium plans are affordable.
Premium plans offer unlimited bandwidth and storage.
Be it a computer or mobile – you can record and publish high-quality episodes.

Cons

It doesn’t allow the scheduling of episodes.

Pricing

Starts at $2.49/month for 100GB bandwidth, 2GB storage, and more.

11. Blubrry

Blubrry is a podcast hosting platform where you find easy podcast migration from other platforms, live customer support, and in-depth statistics. Blurry is also ready to host your single podcast or a whole slew of them.

With Blubrry, you can get more than just a podcast hosting service. You can grow your audience and connect with listeners by using Podcast Audience Surveys. These surveys give you valuable information about your audience, allowing you to develop a more robust publishing strategy.

For instance, you can see who completed your surveys and see their entire profile with information like identification, age, employment, education, demographics, audience’s listening habits, feedback, and more.

Once you’ve got all these metrics in place, you can then use them to compare and contrast with one another to come up with a more robust publishing strategy. This is something that no other podcast hosting platform does.

Blubrry also offers a free and optional managed WordPress website – designed with all the necessary modules a podcast website needs. In addition, this site automates podcast publishing on your website by using PowerPress Plugin.

And if you’re not looking to host an entire website, Blubrry offers a podcast landing page with a quick display of the show and listen and subscription module.

Want to further know where your listeners are coming from and which device they’re using? Blubrry Stats can help you analyze all of that!

However, it’s worth noting that Blubrry’s Standard plan is so basic that you can’t even use your own domain with it. It doesn’t come with advanced statistics or additional themes and plugins either – so be prepared to buy a pricier plan if you want all of those features.

Other key features include

It allows private podcasting for secured delivery of audio and video to any device.
It comes with a podcast media kit – which gives you an overview of your podcast performance.
It also lets you choose your own logo, branding, and theme.
You can also use your own domain with its advanced plan.

Pros

Additional storage is available for an extra charge.
Listeners’ survey helps build a closer connection with the audience.
Its visual reports are detailed and easy to understand.

Cons

Both paid plans offer minimal storage. The maximum is as little as 400MB.

Pricing

It starts at $10/month for 125MB storage, standard statistics, monetization, email and phone support, unlimited downloads, a custom embedded player, and more.

12. Captivate.fm

Captivate takes pride in its simple, easy-to-use dashboard that covers all the necessary functions and metrics to create, distribute, monetize, and promote your podcast.

Although it does not come for free, the range of hosting features and storage and upload capacities makes the price worth it. Captivate is designed by podcasters for podcasters, so it knows about their needs.

Creating a podcast in Captivate is a 5-step process. First, you’ll need the podcast name, author name, podcast cover art, description, category, directory setting, and more. Once you have all the necessary details, you can start importing your podcast into the Captivate Dashboard.

Then copy your current RSS feed into the current feed URL box and choose the current host—and voila! You are ready to go.

As soon as you publish your first episode, your podcast can be listed on one of the directories that Captivate integrates with.

With Captivate Analytics, you can see total downloads, total listeners, unique listeners, website traffic, listener demographic, and more.

It also offers responsive podcast websites where you can select from 3 templates, add bios, sign-up forms, lead generation modules, and more.

Nina Paczka, Community Manager at Resume Now, shares her experience with Captivate.fm,

“What I like the most is their dashboard – minimalistic yet providing everything you need. If you’re experiencing some trouble, Captivate’s team is there to support you. Considering the above, there’s nothing to dislike there. The platform offers a seven-day free trial. All paid plans cover unlimited podcasts and team members, with access to analytics and marketing tools.”

Other key features include

Each plan offers unlimited podcasts and unlimited storage.
You can import, add, and edit podcast transcriptions within Captivate thanks to its support of podcasting 2.0.
It offers an international support team of 11 that covers four time zones, which means no matter where you are, their customer support will always be available.
It offers Advanced IAB Tech Lab-certified podcast analytics to all podcasters.

Pros

Their blog section is the source for every little question you could have while you are using this platform.
Analytics goes deeper with each metric giving you a complete picture of your podcast performance.
It offers a 7-day trial with all the features.

Cons

It does not offer a free version.

Pricing

Starts at $17/month for 12K downloads, unlimited podcasts, unlimited uploads & storage, podcasting 2.0 support, and more.

13. Sounder

Sounder is another podcast platform on this list that offers tools to monetize, analyze, and promote your podcast across global directories. It follows IAB & GARM industry standards to generate accurate episode ratings, transcripts, keywords, summaries, and more within seconds.

You can create your podcast on Sounder either from scratch or by importing it from an existing platform. Once you sign-up for a free account, you can start with the podcast by entering details such as title, description, category, and artwork.

You can tinker with many more details, including your podcast’s name and description, author name, language, timezone, and more. While setting up these details, you can enable monetization by simply clicking on the relevant option. And that’s it!

Now you can create an episode by uploading an audio file and adding its title and description. Here you can set episode numbers, types, and artwork. You can also pre-schedule them.

If you’ve enabled monetization, you can select whether pre or post-rolls ads should go to your show.

Once you publish your podcast, Sounder will help you distribute it to popular listening apps such as Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, and more.

With Sounder Analytics Dashboard, you can get insights into streams, listeners, revenue, listeners’ demographics, keywords, referrals, and more.

Other key features include

You can have up to four collaborators on your podcast.
You can publish your podcasts under custom domains.
It comes with a podcast player with audio search functionality.
You can host unlimited podcasts in one account.
If you have 50K+ streams per month, you can get early access to host-read DAI opportunities.

Pros

Unlimited podcasts.
Offers a free version for limited features.
UI is clean and intuitive.

Cons

Only offers audio podcasting.
You cannot create membership programs.

Pricing

Available on request.

14. Fusebox

If you’re looking for an affordable podcast hosting platform, then Fusebox is the tool for you! It’s also pretty easy to use and provides a step-by-step guide through the entire process.

To start a podcast using Fusebox, you need to choose whether you’re starting a new podcast or importing from an existing one. In the below image, you can see that the UI is straightforward and easy to follow, even for newbies to podcasting.

If you’re creating your podcast from scratch, you must be ready with the details, such as the podcast title, description, and cover artwork.

Here’s what the form will look like:

You can also import data from your existing podcast by simply entering your feed RSS URL. It will lead you to the subscription page, where you can select a free or pro plan.

If you’re a new user of Fusebox or creating a podcast for the first time, you should enable Easy Hosting from your dashboard. It comes in every paid subscription.

Here, Fusebox will find your podcast and import all the files and data into your Fusebox account – you can just sit back and relax.

Once you’ve set up podcast information, you can start customizing your podcast player. The Branding page lets you select the brand colors that match your podcast or website branding.

You can also add a call to action – a button that prompts listeners to buy your music or sign up for your mailing list.

You can further:

Control the speed of the player
Add a download button and subscribe button
Include a custom URL that sends listeners directly to your online store when they click on the cover art in their iTunes library.

Other key features include

Customizable podcast players will help you stay aligned with your branding.
Fusebox focuses on the metrics that count, such as downloads, referral sources, and top-performing podcasts and episodes.
The easy hosting feature comes with step-by-step instructions to create podcasts.
The built-in mobile player allows you to target listeners on the go.
The podcast player comes with a download, subscribe, and social sharing buttons.
It offers three types of podcast players – including sticky player, full player, and single player.

Pros

Its podcast players are customizable.
Easy, self-guided UI.

Cons

The free version forces you to use your own host and gives you a single-track player with limited customization features.
The starter plan includes only single-track players. To offer the rest of the players to your listeners, you’ll have to upgrade to the Pro plan.

Pricing

Starts at $7.50/month for a single track player, essential analysis, easy hosting, and more.

15. RSS.com

Rss.com is a podcasting app for people on the go. It’s like a Swiss army knife for busy podcasters, with features such as cross-platform analytics, automatic podcast distribution, and unlimited audio storage.

You can start by creating your podcast from scratch or importing it from an existing podcast platform. Both are super easy. To create from scratch, you will need to enter its title, description, language, and more.

Check out the image below to see what you will need:

As you can see, the UI is clean, easy to use, and self-explanatory. Every field is explained as you fill it out, and tips appear onscreen if you need more information. Once you create your podcast, you’re ready to upload your first episode.

The good thing about episodes is that they can be assigned season numbers, episode numbers, and types – giving you the flexibility to publish your episodes in the form of different series or trailers.

If you want to monetize your podcast, you’re in luck – RSS has in-built tools for that. The activation process is also easy and just takes one click.

Rss.com offers you three ways to monetize your podcasts: donations, bitcoin payments, and sponsor ads.

You can also distribute your podcast to listening platforms such as Google, Amazon, Spotify, Samsung, Amazon Music, and more.

Other key features include

Its all-in-one dashboard shows you a complete picture of your podcasts. You can see scheduled episodes and navigate to your podcasts, analytics, distribution, or settings. You can also create a new episode from the dashboard.
Its cross-platform analytics enables you to compare the metrics from different sources. For example, you can determine which podcast channel gives you more listeners or downloads.
It uses podcasting 2.0 – which means you can transcribe your audio and use them for SEO purposes.
From analytics, you can determine the best time to publish your episode and schedule it for the right time.
With its embedded episode player, you can easily embed your podcast to any third-party website.
You can get more reach using social share buttons on your podcast players.

Pros

You can add chapters and soundbites to your episodes.
You can schedule episodes in advance.
Your podcasts are automatically distributed to popular podcast platforms.
It offers a free podcast website.
Each plan includes a free trial with no credit card.
Affordable plans.

Cons

Does not support mobile apps.
No forever-free plan.
Does not support any WP plugin.

Pricing

It starts at $4.99/month for unlimited episodes & audio, cross-platform analysis, RSS feed, free website, custom embedded player, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions about Podcast Hosting Platforms

1. What is a podcast hosting platform?

Podcast hosting platforms are the middleman between you and your audience. They’re a necessary part of the podcast ecosystem — they provide the basic infrastructure that makes it possible for you to create and publish your show.

2. How do I choose a podcast hosting platform?

There are many factors to consider when choosing a podcast hosting platform, including:

Cost – How much does it cost to use the platform? Paid services don’t always offer better features than free ones, but they may come with more support options or other perks.

Features – What does the platform offer in terms of features? Does it have things like automated episode creation, automatic distribution, social media integration, and more?

Support – How good is their support team? Can you reach them if you need help?

Bandwidth – The amount of data that can be transferred from one location to another in a certain amount of time (usually measured in bits per second). The more bandwidth available on your account, the more listeners will be able to download your episodes without having their connection interrupted or experiencing any buffering issues.
A built-in audio player – This allows listeners to listen to your episodes without having to download an external app or visit another website. You can even add social sharing buttons so people can easily share your episode on Facebook or Twitter.

3. Do I need to use a podcast hosting platform?

If you’re just starting out, then it might be easier for you to use a podcast hosting platform because there are so many options available. However, if you have some experience with WordPress, then you can host your own podcast to avoid paying monthly fees and have more control over your content and website design.

4. How does podcast hosting work?

Podcast hosting services provide a platform to upload your audio files as well as convert them into an MP3 format. After uploading your content, it will be available on their servers so that anyone can access them online.

Most of these services also offer some basic analytics and statistics that help you track how many people have listened to your podcast and where they live.

Some even offer more advanced analytics like ranking charts, number of downloads per episode, etc., which helps you understand what people like about your show and how they listen to it (e.g., through mobile devices).

5. What do you mean by “Hosting?”

Hosting refers to storing your files on the Internet. It’s like storing your files on an external hard drive, except that they’re stored online rather than on a physical device. When you upload an episode to a podcast hosting platform, it will be saved there so that listeners can access it easily.

6. How do I upload my podcast?

You need to sign up for an account with a podcast hosting platform (like Libsyn). Once you have your account set up, there is usually an upload tool that allows you to select the files from your computer and add them to your account.

7. What are the best podcast hosting platforms?

Libsyn, Buzzsprout, Blubrry, and PodBean are all popular options for podcasters. It really comes down to personal preference and what type of features you’re looking for. You can also check out our post on how to choose a podcast host if you need more information on making this decision.

8. Can I use iTunes or Stitcher?

No, those aren’t podcast hosting platforms — they’re directories that people use to find podcasts. You’ll need to host your own MP3 files off-site so that they can be accessed by these directories (and other apps/devices).

9. Do I need a website?

No! Your podcast will be hosted on a website provided by the platform you choose, so you don’t need your own domain name or web hosting account. You may want to create an email address for your show so listeners can contact you directly with questions or feedback, though.

10. What are the different types of podcast hosting?

There are two main types of podcast hosting: free and paid. Free hosts do not give you full control over your episodes, while paid hosts usually offer more features and flexibility.

Ready to start podcasting with a suitable podcast host?

Hopefully, we’ve answered a few of your questions and given you the information you need to help you pick the right podcast host for your needs. Whether you’re looking for the best professional podcast host, the cheapest option for monetizing your podcasts, or something in between, there are podcast hosting sites out there that will help you meet your specific requirements.

We think the best way to choose whichever podcast hosting service is right for you is to check out how they handle certain features and what level of support they offer.

Note that free podcast hosting services are a great way to get your podcast started. The free option is perfect for a hobbyist or someone who is interested in the process of making a podcast. From there, you can upgrade to paid accounts for a more dedicated podcast hosting service with some of these platforms or go with a self-hosted option.

Whichever you choose, make sure you read the fine print, so your podcast isn’t censored for inappropriate content or hurt yourself by not having the proper legal disclaimers in place.

Featured image by Freepik.

Source

The post 15 Best Podcast Hosting Platforms first appeared on Webdesigner Depot.

Source de l’article sur Webdesignerdepot

2 novembre 2022/par Service comm.

10 Best Website Builders for 2023

Actualités, Actualités

When you need a website, you have two options, you can hire someone who’s an expert in website building to design it for you, or you can make it yourself.

Hiring someone with experience building a website means you’ll get a more professional result, and you should achieve a good return on your investment. However, hiring a freelancer or a design agency has plenty of pitfalls. Budgets can spiral, timescales get stretched, and the end result might not meet your expectations.

The answer might be to build your own website using a website builder. And the best site builders are designed to help you do just that — most don’t require any design or coding knowledge.

Creating a website with a website builder is usually cheaper than outsourcing the job, and the results can be almost as good as a bespoke website. There are even some free website builders out there.

The key is to choose the right website builder that ticks all your boxes and delivers what you want without paying through the nose for bells and whistles you don’t need.

We’ve tested the best website builders on the market. We’ve quizzed professionals and first-time users. We’ve poked around in the dark corners of UIs. All to bring you this guide to the top website builders on the web. This comprehensive guide to the best website builders for 2023 contains everything you need to know when selecting a site builder.

What To Look For in a Website Builder

The most significant obstacle people face when using website builders is you don’t know what you don’t know. There’s so much information online that it’s hard to know where to start.

That’s why we put together this guide to the best website builders, so small businesses everywhere can make an informed decision about website building.

Choose a Site Builder With High-Quality Code

The first thing you need to look for is production-ready code. That means source code that is modern, robust, and hack-free. (All of the website builders on this list meet those criteria.)

Identify What A Successful Website Looks Like To You

Professional designers start by identifying a website’s purpose. Websites perform best when they have a clear purpose.

If you’re a wedding photographer, you will want to showcase your portfolio and generate new leads. You’ll want to sell products online if you own a clothing store. If you’re a community group, you want to raise awareness and encourage public interest.

Whatever your goal, a website builder listed below will help you achieve it. And choosing the best option for you will be a more straightforward process if you’re clear about that goal to start with.

Think About Design Flexibility

One of the defining characteristics of any website builder is how flexible its designs are. Some of the best website builders give you complete control over every detail of your design. Other website builders limit you to choosing from a selection of pre-designed blocks.

If you’re prepared to compromise on your design, you will have more options. On the other hand, if you want to achieve a specific look, you may need to opt for a more flexible website builder.

Be Honest With Yourself

Next, consider your own level of experience and the amount of time you have to invest in learning to use a tool and build a website. Some website builders will get you online fast, but even some of the best website builders take a little time to learn.

Some people can spare 3–4 hours every weeknight to learn how to leverage a complex website builder — that helps a lot when building a complex site like an online store. Other people have family commitments or social engagements and just need to get something done fast.

There’s no right or wrong answer. You don’t need prior experience, and you don’t need to commit to an evening course to get online. If you want to put a website online in 15 minutes and then forget about it, that’s fine. Make sure you choose a website builder that can help you do that.

Check Out the Support Options

Speaking of your experience, we don’t want to put a damper on things, but what will you do if something goes wrong?

Websites experience problems from which website builders are not exempt. Most of the best website builders use a CDN (Content Delivery Network) for web hosting. But CDNs aren’t infallible.

Some site builders offer a free domain, and all of the best website builders allow you to use a custom domain name and free SSL certificate. What happens if there’s a problem with it? Does the site builder’s support extend to domains?

Happily, most website builders offer an excellent level of customer support. So before you start, check what help you’re entitled to and how to get assistance should a problem arise.

Make Full Use of Any Free Trial

Most of the best website builders offer a free trial or even a free-forever package. The free trial is your opportunity to try out the UI (User Interface) and get a feel for the product.

All the website builders we’ve listed below specialize in a particular type of site. Most cater to small business owners. Each has pros and cons and can help you achieve your online goals. However, in the end, the success of your site comes down to you; you can use a free web builder and still succeed if you’re willing to put in the work.

Trust your instincts: if you find a particular site builder intuitive, then the chances are you’ll be able to create a great website with it.

Wix: Best Website Builder for Small Business Owners

Wix is widely considered to be one of the best website builders of 2022, and a quick glance at its extensive list of features will tell you why we expect it to still be the top website builder platform in 2023.

First up is a vast number of templates giving you more selection than almost any rival. There’s so much choice that you’ll probably spend longer choosing your template than actually building your site!

Wix’s editor uses an intuitive drag-and-drop editor that enables anyone to create just about any design. It’s not the most straightforward editor on the market. Still, Wix has extensive documentation, so if you have the time to tackle a modest learning curve, you should quickly get to grips with the UI.

Of course, Wix also includes core features like custom domain names and free SSL certificates.

On top of these features, Wix provides various marketing tools to help your site grow toward profitability.

Finally, for freelancers and web design agencies, Wix provides Editor X, a professional solution for creating multiple websites for clients. Editor X is an excellent addition to Wix’s lineup. However, it’s not the best option for design agencies (keep reading to find out which tool we think tops Editor X).

Wix Features

Wix is the biggest website builder in the world and includes hundreds of features that make building a website simple. Here are just some of the highlights.

Huge Range of Templates

Wix boasts a huge range of 800+ customizable templates for every kind of business, from online stores to simple marketing sites.

Intuitive Drag and Drop Editor

Wix’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes it a simple task to achieve almost any design with little to no design experience.

There are a couple of downsides to this approach. Firstly, many small business owners opt for a website builder because they need a guided design process — unlimited options can actually make things harder. Secondly, the highly flexible design system Wix offers can introduce unexpected bugs at different device sizes.

Editor X

Editor X is Wix’s solution for freelance designers and web design agencies. It allows you to build client sites with dedicated tools for professionals.

App Market

Wix’s AppMarket is a dedicated app store with hundreds of plugins that enable you to expand your website’s capabilities quickly and easily. You’ll find everything from table reservation apps for restaurants to social media integrations.

Velo

Velo is Wix’s open development platform for building web applications. This is an ambitious project that aims to move web builders into areas in which they typically cannot compete: complex web apps.

For most businesses, Velo is far beyond what you need; for most app developers, it isn’t enough yet. But it’s great to know this opportunity is on the horizon.

Ecommerce

Wix has a range of tools to help your ecommerce business grow. There are coupons, discounts, bookings, and shipping tools.

Ascend

Ascend is Wix’s built-in marketing suite. It includes a CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) which is excellent for fostering long-term business relationships and eliminates the need for a third-party app.

Email Marketing Tools

Email is still the most effective way of staying in touch with your customers. Wix’s built-in email marketing tools make it easier to manage email campaigns, all from your Wix dashboard.

Free Domain

Wix will even give you a free domain for a year on everything except its basic package.

Pros

Relatively intuitive design process
Excellent documentation and quick-start guides
Reliable and secure system
Huge range of tools
Extensive plugin market

Cons

Sites are less responsive than some rivals
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) options are limited
Difficult to change templates once you’ve selected one
Image and video-heavy sites perform poorly on mobile devices
Design flexibility can introduce unexpected bugs

Pricing

Wix has multiple tiers of pricing depending on the features you require.

Note that the availability of some Wix plans varies depending on your location.

Website Plans

Website Plans are aimed at those users creating an individual site.

Combo: $16 per month — 2 Gb bandwidth and 3 Gb of storage, plus 30 minutes of video streaming.

Unlimited: $22 per month — Unlimited bandwidth, 5Gb storage, 1 hour of video streaming, and access to marketing tools.

Pro: $27 per month — Unlimited bandwidth, 50Gb storage, 2 hours of video, marketing tools, social media tools and priority support,

VIP: $45 per month — Unlimited bandwidth, 100Gb storage, 5 hours of video, marketing tools, social media tools, and priority support.

Business & Ecommerce Plans

If you want to accept payments online with Wix, you’ll need a business plan.

Business Basic: $27 per month — 20Gb storage space, 5 hours of video, online payments

Business Unlimited: $32 per month — 35 Gb of storage, 10 hours of video, multiple currencies, multi-channel selling, dropshipping, product reviews

Business VIP: $59 per month — 50Gb of storage, unlimited video, marketing, and sales tools, dropshipping, product reviews, and a loyalty program

Enterprise Plans

Wix provides custom solutions for enterprise customers. If you have a large site with complex needs, then Wix can design a complete solution for your brand. Contact Wix directly for pricing.

Bottom Line

Wix is one of the best website builders available for creating your own website. Its flexibility, massive range of features, and ability to scale are ideal for many new and established businesses. But, if anything, Wix’s vast range of options can be a hindrance and make its learning curve a little steeper than necessary.

Wix is a great allrounder, but it’s not the easiest, cheapest, or fastest website builder. So keep reading to discover the best alternatives to Wix.

Squarespace: Best Website Builder for Creatives

Squarespace is the ideal website builder for anyone for whom aesthetics are a primary concern; it boasts the most beautiful templates of any website builder.

On its higher tier packages, Squarespace allows ecommerce sites to host their own checkout. This is radically different from some website builders further down this list and ensures a consistent customer experience while maintaining a secure checkout.

For professional designers, Squarespace offers Circle, an invite-only program for professionals creating multiple sites in Squarespace. To qualify, you must build at least three websites on the Squarespace platform.

Squarespace Features

Beautiful Templates

Squarespace has hundreds of templates, widely considered to be amongst the most beautiful designs of any website builder.

Additionally, you can purchase Squarespace templates at a number of different design marketplaces, giving you even more options.

Powerful Ecommerce Features

Squarespace has everything you need to power an online store, from selling an individual item to a huge product range. You can even sell online classes.

Integrated Marketing Tools

Squarespace includes integrated marketing tools like email campaigns that carry your branding from your site to your customers’ inboxes.

Squarespace also includes a very capable blogging app with all the features you need to start publishing content that will engage your users and boost your position on SERPs (Search Engine Ranking Pages).

Circle

Circle is Squarespace’s partner program for professional web designers. You will need to build at least three Squarespace websites to qualify.

Members of Circle get free educational content to keep their skills up to date and access to product betas.

Pros

Award-winning templates
Incredible customer support
Seamless integrations
Simple but powerful ecommerce features
Create a stunning site in 15 minutes

Cons

Steeper learning curve
Limitations on navigation
Slower than average page speed
Premium-priced plugins
No free domain
Custom CSS restricted to the business plans

Pricing

Squarespace offers four simple pricing plans. Additionally, you can save up to 30% by opting to pay annually instead of monthly.

Personal: $23 per month — 2 contributors, curated templates, simple analytics, mobile version of sites

Business: $33 per month — unlimited contributors, business tools, advanced analytics, ecommerce with 3% transaction fees

Basic Commerce: $36 per month — unlimited contributors, business tools, ecommerce analytics, merchandising tools, 0% transaction fees.

Advanced Commerce: $65 per month — Everything in the basic commerce package plus abandoned cart recovery, subscriptions, advanced shipping options, and discounts, as well as APIs for third-party integrations.

Bottom Line

Squarespace offers undeniably beautiful sites. Its editing experience takes a little getting used to but is far from complex. Its simple, transparent pricing means your costs are predictable, and there is genuine value in its 30% discount for paying annually.

Due to its shallower navigation, it’s best suited to smaller online stores with dozens rather than hundreds of products. However, artists and craftspeople will love selling their work on Squarespace.

Shopify: Best Website Builder for Online Stores

Shopify is the best-known website builder for creating an online store, and for a good reason. Few website builders manage to handle online sales with the grace of Shopify’s ecommerce features.

That does not mean it’s without its failings. The biggest issue for most Shopify users is the restriction on the number of product variants, which is capped at 100, and always seems to be reached too quickly. Another common gripe is the styling restrictions placed on the cart in the name of security, which prevent anything but basic styling from being applied to your checkout process.

Shopify is one of the best online website builders, but it eschews the usual drag-and-drop interface approach and instead uses templates and editable code.

Templates typically come with styling options, and there is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) style editor for adding content. However, you’ll need to hire a developer or learn basic coding to customize your template significantly.

The upside of this approach is that there’s a vast Shopify ecosystem, with thousands of templates and plugins available in the dedicated store and on third-party marketplaces.

Shopify Features

Vast Number of Templates to Choose From

Shopify has a huge number of templates, there are hundreds of native templates, and there are thousands more available from third-party marketplaces.

Extensive Plugin Store

Shopify has an extensive plugin store with 6500+ add-ons, from apps to improve your UX to helpers to simplify third-party integrations with SaaS (Software as a Service) like Mailchimp and AliExpress.

Social Media Integration

Shopify isn’t just an online store; it makes selling products across multiple channels, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even email, a simple process.

Industry-Leading Education

Shopify has a plethora of resources to help you create an online store and maximize your sales. It provides online courses and community resources and a dedicated and knowledgeable customer support team.

Pros

Highly optimized checkout
Recognized and trusted platform
Sell across multiple channels like Etsy and Facebook
Huge app store
Manage large inventories easily
Fast customer support

Cons

Checkout has limited styling options
Coding knowledge is needed to fully extend Shopify
No simple drag-and-drop editor
Additional costs if buying a template or plugins
Steep learning curve compared to other website builders
Limits on the number of variations per product

Pricing

Shopify offers three website plans. You can save 50% if you pay annually instead of monthly.

Note: in addition to your plan, Shopify charges a per-sale percentage plus $0.30 for online transactions.

Basic: $29 per month — Basic reports, 2 staff accounts, 4 inventory locations, up to 77% shipping discount, 2.9% + $0.30 fee per transaction

Shopify: $79 per month — Professional reports, 5 staff accounts, 5 inventory locations, up to 88% shipping discount, 2.6% + $0.30 fee per transaction

Advanced: $299 per month — Custom reports, 15 staff accounts, 8 inventory locations, up to 88% shipping discount, 2.4% + $0.30 fee per transaction

Shopify is aimed at small businesses but also provides ShopifyPlus, an enterprise-grade solution for high-volume businesses that starts at $2,000 per month.

Bottom Line

Shopify sets the bar for ecommerce solutions. When it comes to selling online, it’s the first choice for many businesses.

Shopify occupies the middle ground between website builders and custom solutions. As such, making changes is difficult. Once you’ve chosen your template and exhausted the built-in features of the template, your only recourse for further changes is to hire a developer (or learn to code).

Shopify is laser-focused on ecommerce, so it’s a poor choice for anything but ecommerce. However, if you’re aiming to quickly establish an online store with scope to grow, Shopify is impossible to beat.

Webflow: Best Website Builder for Design Agencies

Webflow is a website builder geared solidly towards freelancers and design agencies concerned with building a website for their clients.

For professional website designers who possess at least a passing understanding of HTML & CSS, Webflow is an ideal way to create a website.

With its white labeling and a complete CMS (Content Management System), Webflow allows you to serve sites to clients as custom builds. Clients can then edit content in a simplified dashboard called Editor; this lessens the learning curve for clients and avoids the risk of them fiddling with site-breaking settings.

Webflow Features

Full CMS

Webflow employs a full CMS (Content Management System) to separate design and content and allow you to use data to create a website rapidly. In this respect it’s like a the best elements of Wix and WordPress combined.

Powerful Design Process

With Webflow you have the option to fully customize almost every aspect of your design, without code.

Start with a blank canvas, or a template, then use the drag-and-drop editor to add HTML elements onto your page. Create reusable symbols to speed up your site creation.

White Labeling

White labeling means teams can create client sites in Webflow without the client knowing how the site is built — design agencies don’t have to worry about clients cutting out the middleman and going straight to Webflow to save money.

Webflow Enterprise

Most website builders are out of their depth when it comes to enterprise-grade sites with high volumes of traffic. Not so Webflow, which delivers advanced security, traffic scaling, and guaranteed uptime for its enterprise customers.

Pros

Comprehensive SEO tools
Extensive customization options
Industry-leading documentation
Excellent for client work
Fast customer support
Awesome free plan

Cons

Not beginner-friendly
No plugin store
HTML & CSS knowledge advisable
Membership sites are only in beta
Complicated pricing
Eye-wateringly expensive

Pricing

Webflow offers a multitude of pricing options depending on whether you’re an individual, a reseller, or an online store.

If you’re running an individual site you’ll need either a website plan or an ecommerce plan. If you’re an agency planning to resell Webflow to your clients you’ll need a workspace plan for your team in addition to a website or ecommerce plan for every client site you publish.

Website Plans

If you’re an individual, Webflow provides three plans to choose from. You can save up to 22% by opting to pay annually instead of monthly.

Basic: $18 per month — 0 CMS items, 500 form submissions per month, 50Gb bandwidth.

CMS: $29 per month — 2,000 CMS items, 1,000 for submissions per month, 200Gb bandwidth, and up to 3 guest editors

Business: $49 per month — 10,000 CMS items, 2,500 form submissions per month, 400Gb bandwidth, up to 10 guest editors

Ecommerce Plans

To unlock features specifically designed for online selling, you need to opt for one of Webflow’s ecommerce plans. You can save up to 30% by opting to pay annually instead of monthly.

Standard: $42 per month — includes everything in the individual CMS plan, plus 500 products, 2% transaction fee, and a maximum of $50,000 in annual sales

Plus: $84 per month — includes everything in the individual business plan, plus 1,000 products, 0% transaction fee and a maximum of $200,000 in annual sales

Advanced: $235 per month — includes everything in the individual business plan, plus 3,000 products, 0% transaction fee, and unlimited annual sales

Team Plans

For teams, Webflow offers workspace plans in addition to website and ecommerce plans. There is a free plan while you learn Webflow, and you can save up to 33% by paying annually.

Note that team plans are charged per seat, so for example, the cost for four designers of the Growth package is $240 per month (not $60 per month).

Core: $28 / seat per month — for small in-house teams, up to 3 seats, a maximum of 10 unhosted sites, custom code and code export.

Growth: $60 / seat per month — for growing in-house teams, up to 9 seats, unlimited hosted sites, custom code, custom export.

Freelancer: $24 / seat per month — for freelancers or small agencies, up to 3 seats, full CMS access on unhosted sites

Agency: $42 / seat per month — for agencies, up to 9 seats, full CMS access on unhosted sites

Large teams with more than 9 team members will need to contact Webflow for its enterprise plan, which promises unlimited seats.

Bottom Line

Webflow is aimed at design agencies and freelancers who need a web host for client work and is one of the best website builders for managing multiple sites.

Due to its advanced feature set, Webflow is relatively complex to use. However, it is far simpler than a bespoke site, and anyone with a cursory understanding of web technologies should master it in a short space of time. Additionally, its Editor feature simplifies it for clients.

Unfortunately, Webflow’s ecommerce plans are expensive and ecommerce features are limited. Anyone looking to sell online might want to consider other site builders instead.

If you’re a design agency building multiple client sites, Webflow is an excellent platform to adopt…if you can afford the team plans.

Duda: Best Website Builder for SEO

Duda website builder has been outperforming its rivals since 2021, when Google introduced Core Web Vitals and, in the process, made SEO all about speed.

Duda produces blazing-fast, reliable sites and, in doing so, ticks all of Google’s boxes for a quality site that it wants to rank highly.

On top of this, Duda provides a white-label option, allowing design agencies to build sites for clients on the platform. In fact, this is what Duda was initially created for.

Duda offers beautiful design in a simple-to-use package. As such, it produces some of the best no-code websites.

Duda Features

Simple Editor

Duda offers a Simple Editor option that allows you to provide your clients with a simple website builder of their own. Predesign elements that work together, then let your clients combine them in whatever way they please.

Clients will feel empowered, and you get a website project out the door with less work and fewer revisions.

White Labeling

Duda is aimed squarely at freelancers and design agencies that want to foster an ongoing relationship with their clients.

Team Libraries

Build your own library of widgets, templates, and sections. Share across your entire team, so client projects are created with your in-house approach.

Omni-Channel Ecommerce

Duda enables ecommerce sales across the web and social media, with your inventory synced everywhere you sell, from Facebook to eBay and Amazon.

Managing a store is simple with store management apps for iOS and Android.

Pros

Extremely fast page speed
Beautiful templates
Award-winning customer support
Intuitive drag-n-drop interface

Cons

Relatively expensive
Limited plugin store

Pricing

Website Plans

Duda offers three pricing plans for websites, and you can save up to 33% by paying annually instead of monthly.

Basic: $19 per month — 1 website, email customer support only, no team or client collaboration

Team: $29 per month — 1 website, email chat and phone customer support, up to four team members, white label client access

Agency: $59 per month — 4 websites, priority email chat and phone customer support, up to ten team members, white label client access, widget builder, export control

Duda also offers custom plans for clients with enterprise-grade sites; contact them directly for pricing.

Ecommerce Plans

Duda provides ecommerce features as an add-on, which means if you want to use Duda to create an online store, you need to sign up for one of their website plans as well as one of their ecommerce plans.

Note: you can pair any of the ecommerce plans with any of the website plans; they don’t need to scale together.

You can save up to 25% on Duda’s ecommerce plans by paying annually instead of monthly.

Standard: $8 per month — Up to 100 products

Advanced: $22 per month — Up to 2,500 products, sell subscriptions

Unlimited: $49 per month — Unlimited products, sell subscriptions, Square PoS integration

Bottom Line

SEO is a complex subject, and many factors feed your ranking on Google, Bing, and other search engines.

What is universally accepted is that fast pages translate into a better ranking.

If you’re looking for a blazing-fast website builder to help you establish a strong online presence, Duda must be near the top of your shortlist.

WordPress.com: Best WordPress Website Builder

WordPress is a juggernaut of an app; its rise has been unstoppable, and 43% of the web is made up of WordPress sites. Furthermore, WordPress.com — not to be confused with WordPress.org — is a WordPress site builder. That means all you need to do is log in and have all the power and flexibility of WordPress at your fingertips.

The downside to all this power is that WordPress.com is a big step up in complexity from most of the site builders on this list. It’s not as complex as its self-hosted sibling, but you’ll still need to spend some time getting acquainted with the advanced features.

You’ve probably heard that WordPress is insecure. We’re sorry to say that’s true. WordPress’ main vulnerability is its third-party themes and plugins — the commonality of a WordPress site means criminals consider it worth exploiting. WordPress.com web hosting is considerably more secure than self-hosted WordPress.org, but hey, it’s still WordPress.

But if you decide the security risk is acceptable, WordPress.com offers an ecosystem of themes and plugins unparalleled for its range and variety.

WordPress.com Features

Huge Ecosystem

WordPress has a vast ecosystem, perhaps the largest of any design software. There are thousands of professionally designed themes, and over 50,000 plugins, providing enormous scope for customization.

When vulnerabilities are found, more often than not, it’s the result of a flaw in a plugin update. So if you install a lot of plugins, you are exposing yourself to increasing security risks.

Unfortunately, in order to take advantage of the WordPress ecosystem, you need to be on one of WordPress.com’s higher-priced plans.

Secure Web Hosting Service

WordPress sites are notoriously insecure, but WordPress.com solves most of the issues thanks to a dedicated security team.

Drag-and-Drop Editor

The whole WordPress community has been working on evolving the design process from coded templates to a drag-and-drop editor called Gutenberg. Gutenberg started out small, but it gets better all the time and now offers a good level of design control without overwhelming beginners with too many options.

Pros

Generous free plan
Intuitive drag-and-drop editor
No installation required
Great live chat support
Ideal for blogging
50,000+ plugins
Vast number of templates
Secure web hosting service

Cons

Unintuitive
Slow page-load times
Persistent security concerns
Premium templates and plugins are restricted to more expensive plans.
SEO locked behind more expensive plans

Pricing

There is a generous free plan that is ideal for getting started. Beyond that WordPress.com offer four price tiers. You can save up to 50% by paying annually instead of monthly.

Note: many of WordPress.com’s best plugins are not free; make sure you budget for the cost of any plugins you intend to use.

Personal: $4 per month — Remove WordPress.com ads, collect payments

Premium: $8 per month — Remove WordPress.com ads, collect payments, earn ad revenue, install premium themes, Google Analytics integration

Business: $25 per month — Remove WordPress.com ads, collect payments, earn ad revenue, Google Analytics integration, install plugins, automated site backups.

eCommerce: $45 per month — Remove WordPress.com ads, collect payments, earn ad revenue, Google Analytics integration, install plugins, automated site backups, accept payments in 60+ countries, top shipping carrier integration, premium design options.

WordPress.com also provides WordPress VIP, an enterprise-grade package that starts at $25,000 per year.

Bottom Line

Opting to use WordPress.com boils down to one thing: building a website with the WordPress ecosystem. That means you must select at least the Premium price tier (to install premium themes) or the Business price tier (to install plugins). As a result, WordPress.com, on the lower packages, has limited appeal.

WordPress.com is one of the better choices on this list for blogging. If you hope to attract a lot of organic traffic from search engines, then WordPress.com’s blogging heritage will serve you well.

GoDaddy: Best Website Builder for Marketing

GoDaddy is best known for website hosting but does not have the best reputation regarding reliable software; however, its web builder dispels that myth by producing good quality code and decent page speed.

Unfortunately, it achieves its performance by limiting your design options. For example, you can’t add individual elements to your site; you must add whole sections and customize them. However, suppose you don’t feel particularly confident with design. In that case, having someone else make those decisions for you can be a real bonus.

A big flaw with GoDaddy’s ecommerce features is that the checkout isn’t hosted under your domain name; it’s hosted on a third-party website. Consumers are increasingly concerned about scams, and the site URL changing this way can feel like a real red flag.

GoDaddy website builder has a version control system built in. This helpful feature allows you to revert back to an older version of your site. So if you make a change, undoing it is just a couple of clicks. That’s great for websites that want to make temporary, seasonal changes to their website and then revert back to the everyday design.

GoDaddy Features

AI-Powered Advice

GoDaddy uses a surprisingly effective AI to offer advice, helping you to establish an online presence and boost your business.

Integrated Marketing Features

GoDaddy has some of the most comprehensive marketing tools of any website builder. SEO, social media, and email marketing can all be employed to connect with and retain customers.

Hundreds of Themes

GoDaddy offers hundreds of customizable themes that you can edit with no technical skill or experience.

Free Image Library

Lots of businesses struggle with images when they first start out. GoDaddy has a built-in library of professional images that you can use until you have your own.

Pros

Award-winning 24/7 support
Very simple to use
Quick build process
Add-on tools

Cons

No plugin store
Limited SEO, especially on lower plans
Limited styling options
Ecommerce checkout hosted elsewhere

Pricing

GoDaddy offers four simple pricing tiers. You can save up to 37% by paying annually instead of monthly.

Note: The availability of GoDaddy Plans varies depending on your territory.

Basic: $9.99 per month — 1 social media platform, 5 social posts per month, 100 email marketing sends per month

Premium: $14.99 per month — Unlimited social media, 25,000 email marketing sends per month, SEO tools, group events, paid appointments

Ecommerce: $16.99 per month — Unlimited social media, 25,000 email marketing sends per month, SEO tools, group events, paid appointments, product listings, flexible payments, promotional features

Bottom Line

GoDaddy isn’t the best overall website builder, and neither is it the cheapest website builder. But it is a good, solid, middle-of-the-road choice for small businesses.

Where GoDaddy website builder does excel is in the business tools that come with its site builder platform. Its marketing tools are excellent, and its new AI-powered hints are a great way of guiding you toward a profitable site.

Wrap all of this up at a competitive price, and GoDaddy is worth a look if you want to do all your web design and promotion in one place.

Carrd: Best Website Builder for One-Pagers

Carrd is website builder software for anyone building a one-page site. One-page sites are ideal for product microsites, event sites, small companies, time-limited promotions, contact forms, and many other websites.

One of the most complicated tasks when a software company sets out to create a website builder is navigation. Carrd circumvents that problem by eliminating the need for navigation, which results in a more straightforward UI, compact code, and faster page speeds.

There is a bit of a learning curve with Carrd. For example, it helps if you understand the basic principles of CSS. But if you don’t, the documentation will help. And getting to the nuts and bolts under the hood of your site can give you a real sense of ownership.

Carrd allows you to build and publish three sites for free. But if you want to publish more than three and use pro features like custom domains, it will charge you $19 per year — that’s just $1.58 per month.

Carrd Features

Sensational Value

Carrd is one of the cheapest website builders around. At just $19 for an entire year, you normally struggle to find plain web hosting this cheaply.

The price reflects the limited feature set — Carrd lacks the marketing and SEO tools that the top website builders have — but for many small businesses who just want to establish an online presence quickly, a one-page site is exactly what they need.

Custom Code

Unlike many of the premium website builders on this list, Carrd allows you to use custom code on its sites.

Custom code requires a little more knowledge than the average site builder, and many people prefer a drag-and-drop interface. However, adding custom code to Carrd is far easier than adding it to Shopify, for example.

Widgets

Carrd refers to its plugins as widgets. It doesn’t have a full app market or ecommerce features, but you can add widgets from services like Stripe and PayPal to expand the capabilities of your Carrd site.

Pros

Very low cost
Perfect for one-page sites

Cons

Steeper than expected learning curve
Limited to one-page sites
No free domain or free SSL certificate

Pricing

Carrd allows you to publish three branded sites for free. It only has one paid plan, which is billed per year. Carrd also provides a free seven-day trial.

Note: Carrd’s Pro plan allows you to build multiple sites.

Carrd Pro: $1.58 per month (billed annually at $19) — build more than three sites, custom domains, signup forms, payment forms, Google Analytics, widgets, custom code

Bottom Line

Carrd is an excellent website builder that outputs solid production code. If you need to get a one-page site online fast, then Carrd is a perfect choice.

At just $19 for a whole year, Carrd is one of the best-value website builders on this list.

Unfortunately, one-page sites typically have a limited lifespan, and sooner or later, you’ll want to expand. At this point, Carrd will cease to be a viable option and you’ll have to look at other website builders.

But at this price, you could have a one-pager up in the next 15 minutes. That’s hard to knock.

Square Online: Best Website Builder for IRL Businesses

Square Online is part of the Square product range that includes one of the most popular PoS (Point of Sale) solutions. Square Online is an excellent option for brick-and-mortar businesses that exist IRL (In Real Life). It’s also one of the few entries on this list that qualifies as a free website builder.

Square acquired the Weebly website builder in 2018 and redeployed staff to develop Square Online. Although Weebly continues to exist, all development seems channeled into making Square Online’s ecommerce features the best option for building an online store.

Square Online is more straightforward than Shopify for building an online store and offers a range of tools to integrate online and offline business.

Square Online is perfect for businesses that need an online store but feel website building is too technical. Its broader ecosystem of business tools means you can do everything digital in one place, with a consistent set of UIs and workflows, which makes things easier.

Square Online Features

POS Migration

If you’re already a customer of Square’s PoS (Point of Sale) products, then you can export your inventory from your PoS device and import it into your online store, saving yourself hours while ensuring that your products are synced.

Multichannel Sales

Square Online is just part of the Square group of products. Consequently, your sales aren’t limited to your website. As well as the obvious PoS option, Google, Instagram, and Facebook integrations are available.

Restaurant Tools

Square is particularly well-suited to restaurants, bars, and cafes. It provides scheduling software, team management, and loyalty cards, all of which make running a service business online a cinch.

Pros

Simple e-commerce features
Intuitive UI
Integration with the Square ecosystem
Generous free plan

Cons

Limited design options
Lengthy website building process

Pricing

Square Online offers three price plans, all of which are priced monthly but billed annually. Its lowest-priced tier is free, except for card processing fees.

Note: different pricing plans are available in different territories.

Free: $0 per month — Unlimited products, sell on social media, SEO tools

Plus: $?? per month (billed annually) — Free tier features, Advanced item settings, Accept PayPal

Premium: $?? per month (billed annually) — Plus tier features, reduced processing rate, real-time shipping rates

In addition, Square Online offers an enterprise solution for high-volume, multi-location businesses. Contact Square directly for pricing.

Bottom Line

With the financial backing of its parent company Square Online has the resources to evolve into a world-leading website builder; it just hasn’t gotten there yet.

Like a couple of other website builders on this list, Square Online is aimed directly at anyone who wants to build an online store — or, in fact, commerce in general. So you should look elsewhere if selling online isn’t central to your site.

But suppose you’re already invested in the Square ecosystem with PoS devices in physical locations. In that case, using Square Online is a no-brainer.

And if you’re willing to look past some of the design restrictions in favor of good customer service and the potential of a growing platform, then Square Online is a solid choice too.

Zyro: Best Budget Website Builder

Zyro is exceptionally cheap, especially for building an online store. But don’t let that fool you into thinking Zyro website builder is low on quality. On the contrary, hidden behind the low-ball sales pitch is a competent website builder with many features.

Zyro gives you complete control over the placement of your content, something that only Wix can rival.

Zyro offers an outstanding balance of powerful customization but not too many tools, so you won’t be overwhelmed by all the options.

Zyro doesn’t have a built-in app store like some rivals, which means you have limited options to expand the functionality of your site. However, it does offer some third-party integrations to services, so you’re not entirely without options.

Zyro Features

Intuitive Editor

Zyro does a tremendous job of getting new businesses online because you don’t need any experience to use this very simple site builder.

Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Many website builders usually scrimp on the extras and claw back a little money by charging extra for hosting. Not so Zyro, which provides unlimited storage and bandwidth.

Branding Tools

Zyro includes a logo maker, so if you’re starting from scratch, you can get give yourself some professional gloss with a shiny new logo.

Pros

Affordable
Great value ecommerce
Responsive templates
High-level control of design elements
Live chat support
Drag-and-drop editor

Cons

Basic blog options
Only basic SEO tools
No built-in app market

Pricing

Zyro offers two price plans, one for simple small business websites and one for ecommerce.

Note: Zyro offers regular discounts of up to 75% off its packages. These discounts are time-limited, but once they expire, they reset. So you won’t miss out if you decide to think it over.

Website: $2.99 / month — free domain, free email for 3 months, marketing integration, logo maker

Business: $3.99 / month — All of the features of the Website tier, plus sell up to 500 products

Bottom Line

With its AI-powered logo maker, fast build times, and simple options, Zyro is committed to getting you online fast.

We really didn’t like the deception of placing a fake countdown on the price discount. And hiding the increased renewal price in small print isn’t a good look for Zyro either. That type of blackhat UX doesn’t have a place on the modern web.

However, the prices beat almost everything except free website builder plans. In addition, Zyro’s ecommerce package is one of the most affordable options on the market, with an equally generous 1% transaction processing fee.

If you want to set up a side business over a weekend or even over your lunch hour, then Zyro is an excellent choice.

Website Builder FAQs

What is a website builder?

A website builder, or site builder, is a service for creating a website without any design or coding skills. The most popular website builders are designed to democratize the web by helping anyone build a website quickly and easily.

It sometimes helps to have some design ideas, and some website builders will allow you to add custom code if you want to, but neither is required.

With a website builder, all you need is the desire to create a website.

Are websites built with website builders as good as professionally built bespoke websites?

Because website builders are created with many potential uses in mind, they use generic source code. Unfortunately, this means that their code is typically less streamlined than a bespoke site.

However, over the past few years, the code quality that website builders generate has improved enormously. Now, many professional design agencies use website builders instead of coding their own websites.

If you have a very specialized site in mind, like a SaaS (Software as a Service, then even the best website builder won’t be able to create it. But for marketing websites and online stores, website builders are an ideal way to build a website.

How much do website builders cost?

The cost of a website builder varies from product to product. There are free website builders available, but many of the top website builders charge a monthly fee.

For one of the best website builders, you can expect to pay a subscription based on the features you require. Expect to pay more for e-commerce features, marketing features, and a flexible drag-and-drop interface.

There are sometimes hidden costs, such as a card processing fee for online sales.

If you opt for a website builder that uses templates or plugins, you may need to pay for those in addition to the subscription.

You don’t need to pay for web hosting services; web hosting should be included.

Most website builders offer a limited free plan or a free trial, so you can test out features before opening your wallet.

Is a website builder suitable for a small business?

It depends on the nature of your business. For example, suppose you’re setting up an online store or a professional service like plumbing or landscaping. In that case, a website builder or perhaps a specialist e-commerce website builder could be ideal for you.

On the other hand, if you’re running a business like a car dealership or a travel agency — where you need lots of individual listings — that is a little beyond what website builders can do. In that case, you’ll probably need a complete CMS (Content Management System).

If you are building a complex app or SaaS, then sorry, but website builders can’t manage that; you’ll need to hire a professional developer or improve your coding knowledge.

How hard is it to use a website builder?

You don’t need web design experience to use a website builder; they are designed to get new businesses online without professional assistance.

Some website builders are more complicated than others. Typically, the more features there are, the more time you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the user interface. A website can be created quickly with a drag-and-drop editor, but you may find you need to put in a little more work if you’re creating an online store.

As a guide, if you can use email, a web browser, or a document processor like Word or Pages, you’ll be able to use a website builder to build a website.

Can you use a custom domain name with a website builder?

Custom domains, like myawesomewebsite.com, can usually be used with website builders.

Be aware that some website builders charge more for this option. But equally, you may be offered free domain name registration, at least for the first year.

Do I need web hosting services to use a website builder?

You don’t need to worry about a web host; that’s part of what you’re paying the website builder to provide.

Many website builders even host your site on CDNs (Content Delivery Networks), making your site faster for a global audience.

Depending on your package, most website builders restrict the storage space you can use (the total size of all of your files combined). Some website builders also limit the bandwidth you can use (the total size of all the files users access on your site combined).

Do website builders perform well on search engines?

Getting your site to page one on Google is the primary aim for most businesses.

Many professional techniques boost your site up search engine rankings, but they all boil down to publishing good content and fast page load times.

You’ll find plenty of blog posts online claiming that website builders output low-quality and slow code. This used to be true, but in recent years the code website builders’ output has improved significantly.

A good website builder (like the ones on this list) won’t guarantee good search engine ranking, but the top website builders include marketing features that will help.

How long does it take to build a website with a website builder?

Some website builders can get you online in under five minutes. Others require hours of build time.

Typically, the more complex a site is, the longer it will take. Ecommerce, for example, will take longer than a simple résumé webpage.

Additionally, websites are not a once-and-done task. You will need to update your site, change information, and add features throughout its life.

But you’ll find that most website builders make this easy by taking away the hard work. As a result, most first-time website builders discover that they enjoy making websites, and some even decide to become professional website designers!

What is a drag-and-drop editor?

A drag-and-drop editor is exactly what it sounds like. You drag an element into position by clicking on it, and you drop it into place by releasing the mouse button when it’s positioned as you want it.

A drag-and-drop editor is considered a premium feature of the best website builders, but some people do prefer to make changes with code or via a simple form interface.

Which is the best website builder?

There isn’t a catch-all approach to building a website. The right website builder for you might not be the right website builder for someone else.

As you can see from the list above, Wix is a solid all-rounder, whereas Shopify is excellent for creating an online store. However, there are many occasions when other website builders would be a better choice.

Sometimes it comes down to something as simple as feeling an affinity with the website builder’s philosophy. If you find a website builder intuitive and it provides all the features you need, it’s the right website builder for you.

Featured image by upklyak on Freepik

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Source de l’article sur Webdesignerdepot

24 octobre 2022/par Service comm.

Why Do WordPress Theme Backends Have to Suck? (Hint: They Don’t!)

Actualités, Actualités

Whether you’ve worked with a few WordPress themes to design websites or worked with many of them, you’ll no doubt agree that plenty of WordPress themes that are visually gorgeous on the front end can be terribly unattractive and extremely awkward to use on the backend.

Working with a WordPress theme can sometimes be difficult, but it can be different.

Want proof? Look no further than with BeTheme.

BeTheme, with 260,000+ sales and counting and a 4.83-star user rating, is one of the top 5 best-selling WordPress themes of all time.

In this article, we’ll show you one of the many reasons why this is the case by focusing on how BeTheme’s backend is designed to make web design tasks more manageable.

Enhance your workflow experience with a WordPress theme backend that won’t stress you out

Once you install BeTheme, you’ll almost immediately notice it’s different. Instead of a drab and often unintuitive WordPress backend, you’ll suddenly be confronted with a clean, well-organized dashboard and toolset.

You haven’t actually lost anything. WordPress, with its impressive assortment of content management tools, is still there. Be’s backend is a visually appealing space in which you will take pleasure to work.

If only the rest of WordPress could follow suit.

If you haven’t worked with BeTheme recently (or at all), why not let us walk you through several of its most helpful backend features.

Starting with:

1. Dashboard Design

BeTheme’s dashboard is conveniently located directly beneath the main WordPress Dashboard link. So you won’t waste time sifting through the sidebar trying to find your theme’s settings, and everything displayed in the dashboard is designed to help you get the most out of your WordPress theme.

Clicking on the BeTheme or the Dashboard link gives you immediate access to the following:

Theme registration information
BeTheme’s step-by-step website creator
A Navigation bar that directs you to BeTheme’s frequently used tools
Plugin status and updates and new features announcements
The latest additions to BeTheme’s ever-growing library of pre-built websites
Beloved BeTheme integrations

It takes a minute to fully appreciate how helpful this dashboard will be.

2. Dark/Light Mode

Research on dark mode benefits is inconclusive. But since so many people seem to like it, it is offered as an option in many popular apps and devices.

Dark mode users will tell you that they experience less eye strain, they sleep better, and their device’s batteries last longer than is the case with light mode.

BeTheme’s backend offers a dark mode option, and you are encouraged to try it.

If you feel it beneficial, so much the better, and you needn’t concern yourself with what the research indicated, or didn’t indicate.

3. Step-by-Step Website Creator

When you first install a WordPress theme, it’s not uncommon to spend some time trying to figure out what to do next. The theme’s advertisements may highlight a selection of impressive demos, but where are they more exactly?

Of course, you’ll eventually find them, but is whatever difficulty you may have encountered necessary?

BeTheme removes that impediment.

You will notice the Setup Wizard under BeTheme (and in the dashboard as well.) Click on the wizard, and with its step-by-step website, you can:

Give your website a name.
Select the page builder you want to work with and choose your preferred editing mode.
Pick an ideal pre-built website based on your new website’s industry or niche.
Easily replace existing content with your own.

The entire process of loading your brand-new site and page builder into WordPress takes a minute (or more like 30 seconds once you are used to it).

4. Pre-Built Site Previews

With BeTheme, you can choose from more than 650 pre-built websites. New ones are being added as we speak, and they’re delightfully easy to find. Just look under the dashboard’s Websites link or Pre-built Websites in BeTheme’s sidebar menu, and there they are!

You’ll be familiarized with the available design aids and options in no time, and you’ll find it easy to incorporate the latest design trends into your websites. BeTheme has even placed previews of its newest pre-built websites in your dashboard to help you along.

You may choose one of the latest pre-built websites to work with, or you might find one or more others you particularly like. Pre-built sites you do not plan to work with can still be sources of inspiration.

Whatever your choices, you’ll find it easy to incorporate the latest trends into website designs.

5. Plugin Manager

BeTheme’s Plugins area differs from what you see in the WordPress plugins area. You’ll find several of these differences to be particularly helpful in that BeTheme’s plugins manager enables you to:

View the active plugins you’ve installed.
Update plugins when necessary.
Install and activate plugins only when it’s required.

The last item is essential in that plugins do not appear in the WordPress plugin manager until you have installed them. Not having to install plugins you will not need will help keep your website operating at a high level of performance.

6. BeTheme Support

WordPress is a powerful content management system and an extremely popular one. It may, in fact, be the most powerful and popular system of its type.

WordPress is also community-driven to a considerable extent, which can sometimes create user inconvenience. As a user, you might sometimes have to dig to find answers to your questions or get help when needed.

You don’t have to experience that inconvenience to get support from BeTheme.

To gain access to BeTheme’s support center, you need go no further than BeTheme’s sidebar or dashboard to access self-support options or open a ticket for direct assistance.

7. Theme Options

Plenty of well-known WordPress themes have theme settings customization capabilities. With BeTheme, it’s easy to set brand colors, choose custom fonts, and establish global layouts. The same holds for configuring responsiveness, performance, and accessibility, all of which are essential for optimizing UX and search engine functionalities.

The problem with most theme options is that they can only be modified from the main WordPress dashboard. So if, while designing on a page, you suddenly realize a portion of its design hasn’t been configured correctly, or you’re dissatisfied with any design segment, you’ll have to save your changes and go to your theme’s backend to make the necessary fixes.

From the BeTheme dashboard inside the BeBuilder BeTheme, you can modify your Theme Options without having to interrupt your workflow.

8. White-Label Mode

A final feature of the BeTheme WordPress theme’s backend you should become familiar with is BeCustom. This critical feature is located under BeTheme in the sidebar.

BeCustom enables you to access some white-label regions in BeTheme.

You can use BeCustom to:

Substitute Be’s branding with your business’s branding to reinforce your name with your clients.
Disable any features your clients have no use for and deny access to any features you do not want them to modify while at the same time making the WordPress theme’s backend easier to work with.
Create an extra user-friendly and secure WordPress login.
Customize the dashboard’s “Welcome” message.

Make Your WordPress Design Projects Simple to Handle With BeTheme

Is there anything BeTheme doesn’t do?

Most likely, but nothing that would adversely impact your design effort.

This multipurpose WordPress theme’s hundreds of pre-built websites will help you get virtually any website project off to a rapid start and headed in the right direction.

BeTheme features the fastest and most powerful page builder for WordPress.

You will have total control over every feature and facet of your website’s UI.

In short, BeTheme offers the finest way to manage any web design project within WordPress.

[- This is a sponsored post on behalf of BeTheme -]

Source

The post Why Do WordPress Theme Backends Have to Suck? (Hint: They Don’t!) first appeared on Webdesigner Depot.

Source de l’article sur Webdesignerdepot

18 octobre 2022/par Service comm.

Notre différence

Notre différence : Redonner du sens à la performance

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– En restant objectifs dans le conseil car détachés de tout partenariat constructeur et/ou éditeur.
– En sollicitant de façon flexible et dynamique notre équipe d’experts métiers, fonctionnels ou techniques constituée exclusivement de consultants externes accrédités, gage de vous fournir le meilleur niveau d’expertise sur les projets.
– En apportant une organisation éprouvée sur des projets stratégiques de PME-PMI ou les attentes des grands comptes

Notre organisation est ainsi totalement établie sur l’écoute de vos besoins et l’élaboration de réponse les plus adaptées à vos challenges pour vous permettre d’apporter une réelle valeur ajoutée à vos processus et projets d’entreprise.