As the content of a WordPress site grows (using this site as my case study) search results will also grow. Typically on a WordPress site the search results will either show the post content, the excerpt, or a limited version of the content. WordPress does not highlight the words in the content which match the search terms, nor does it automatically display the relevant sections of a post's content when using the excerpt or a limited version of content. This can lead to potentially unintuitive … [Read more...]
Responsive Image Srcset Sizes
So you are using WordPress right? Or maybe another modern CMS which supports responsive image srcsets? Alright, so you are a true pioneer rocking your own framework? Regardless of how your images get those helpful "srcset" attributes, this article will apply to you. Real quick refresher... the srcset attribute allows your browser to select the appropriate image src based on the current screen size and pixel density. This way you can load retina images or smaller versions depending on how you … [Read more...]
Going Codemirror
A few years ago (2015) to be exact, I needed a way to to be able to highlight some code on my website. At the time I was writing example filters for my free plugins with the developer docs pages. I went to the community to see what I could find and came up with a plugin called WP-Syntax. This plugin had a few shortcomings so I ended up creating and maintaining a fork or it (which admittedly I often do with any 3rd party code I use) WP-Syntax allowed for adding special <pre … [Read more...]
Case Study: Going PWA
Over the past couple weeks I have had the privilege of deep delving into Progressive Web Apps. In case PWA is new to you, I will give you a quick rundown. PWA is a relatively new format for building websites that can be installed on mobile devices or even desktops as applications. You're website still functions as a website, but gives users the option to install it run it like a normal app instead of in a browser. If I don't say so myself, "It's really cool". Here are just a few of my … [Read more...]
A/B Testing In Under 90 Minutes
There comes a time in all our projects where we have a bright idea we think will improve user interaction. Maybe we want more users to signup to our feed. Maybe we want more users to buy our products. Whatever the case, we want to role out our idea which we "know" will achieve our goal. But wait....! What about social variables? Sometimes users just don't want to buy things or sign up for stuff. Sometimes users are online less often or have other life factors which affect interactions. Month … [Read more...]
Case Study: Getting a site indexed on foreign search engines
One of my awesome clients recently gave me the challenge of getting their website indexed on some foreign search engines. This task was a great fit for me because of my long time background working with localization. While I was confident from the start that I could deliver, it was certainly not without challenges. Unique challenges: To index on foreign search engines, the content must be translated. The site receives millions of visitors a month. The site has numerous vital features … [Read more...]