It’s okay. You’re human. We all make mistakes, so let’s make this an "opportunity," not so much a failure, and move on to a bigger and brighter future for your blog posts.

By learning from your mistakes you’re sure to increase your credibility, user retention, recognition, and overall effectiveness.

Mistake 1: Lengthy Title

Make your title as short as possible. Reduce numbers that are spelled out to their numerals. Use ampersands instead of spelling out the word "and." Finally, look for unnecessary words.

Why all the work on the title? More services like Twitter and other social sharing services only display about 40 characters. You don’t want your title to get cut off as people are far less likely to click on a link to read an article if they don’t know exactly what it’s about.

Mistake 2: No Featured Image

It only takes a few minutes to make a graphic that you can use for a featured image. These are becoming a standard piece for any posts, so take the time to knock this out. See how nice it makes your post look?

Mistake 3: No Image Titles

This is another item that only takes seconds, and it helps quite a bit with search engine optimization. For example, Google displays images in the main search results. If your images have a title that match the search, your images could be driving traffic to your blog posts.

Mistake 4: Unclear Value Proposition

Right at the beginning of your article you need to be very clear about what you’re article is going to do for the reader. Don’t waste time with a paragraph introducing yourself. Hit them right between the eyes. Your readers are looking for answers. Let them know you’ve got their answers right away.

Mistake 5: Bad Formatting

This is a big issue. Two major formatting issues are creeping into posts: (1) no headers and (2) no whitespace.

Headers, like the ten in this article, help readers skim your content and find what they’re looking for right away. You probably did this yourself with this article, glancing over the headers to see which items you might have missed. Headers work. Use them.

Whitespace is a little more tricky. This can be affected by the blog layout, the text size, or your sentence structure. Generally speaking, try to keep your paragraphs to 2-4 lines. Our eyes are getting lazier and don’t like squinting to find content in a lengthy passage. Shorter paragraghs are generally better.

Mistake 6: Missing Call to Action

Ask your readers to do something. Whether you want them to comment, share your post, or send you the keys to their cars, don’t forget to call them to action. Ask a question as you close, offer a prize for sharing, or let them know how to buy what you’re selling.

Mistake 7: Forgetting Cross-post Links

You can keep readers on your site longer by providing them relevant articles on the same topic. This also helps with SEO, by the way <– (sneaky cross-link example).

Mistake 8: No Tags and Categories

Think this through. Categories are your broadest method of defining a post: design, news, tutorial, feature, how to, and the like. But you can use tags to further define a post. These not only help your readers find your content, but it helps search engines and "related posts" plugins as well.

Mistake 9: Poor Post Scheduling

You probably finished your post and immediately published it, didn’t you? But when are your readers most likely to get on the internet? Schedule your posts to go live when your readers would be online — not at 2AM when you finished it (finally!). Many feed reading sites post your content shortly after you post it, so time it carefully.

Mistake 10: Bad Grammar/Spelling

This should go without saying, but your readers are smarter than you think. Run spell check and review your article for basic grammar. Some mistakes are forgivable and readers will ignore (or just not see) them. Too many and you lose credibility — probably permanently.

Anybody get these right the first time? What other items did you miss? Did I miss any of my own recommendations??

Tara Hornor

Tara Hornor has a degree in English and has found her niche writing about marketing, advertising, branding, graphic design, and desktop publishing. She writes for PrintPlace.com, an online printing company that offers business cards, posters, brochure printing, postcard printing, and more printed marketing media. In addition to her writing career, Tara also enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.

However, before you take up any order for making a website, it’s important to have complete information to start on the right note. There should be easy communication between you and your clients, so that you clearly outline all expectations. Understanding each other, and asking your client some important questions will save both of you time, and reduce the chance of a project failure due to miscommunication. Moreover, it will pave way for a long and lasting business relationship.

Below are 3 sets of questions that I always ask my clients before providing a quote.

Question Set 1: Collecting Basic Client Background Information

The first question set collects some basic background information from the client. Obviously, it’s nearly impossible to proceed without these details.

1. Do you have a website currently?
2. If, yes, then what is the URL?
3. What are your products and services about?
4. What do you like about your current website?
5. What you don’t like about it?
6. Who are your potential customers?
7. Who are your main competitors?

Question Set 2: Setting the Bar

Once you’ve become acquainted with your client’s basic details, it’s time to touch on the level of technical functionality that will be needed to run their site. This question set has been designed to get a read on your client’s technical understanding, and ensure you can meet their expectations beyond the basic look of their site, and within their expected budget and timeline.

1. Do you need any special functions and features in the website? For example, a mobile version of the site or multiple language support?
2. What do you expect from your website five years from now?
3. What is most important for your website to accomplish?
4. What is least important for you in the website?
5. Do you have any preferences on styles colors?
6. What is your budget for the site?
7. What is the deadline for the website?

Question Set 3: Focusing on the Details

The third and final question set deals with your client’s content and extended needs. These questions bring you beyond the general understanding of what your client wants, and gives you the specifics on how to get going.

1. Do you have all the photos and images the site needs?
2. Do you want the logo redesigned?
3. Do you need a copywriter?
4. Do you want to update the content of your website on your own?
5. Is this an e-commerce website?
6. Will you need any SEO help?
7. Do you have a domain and host setup for the new website?
8. Would you like to insert any other special features like forums, login, calendars, blog, or the like?

Final Question: Any Questions?

After you’ve finished grilling your clients, you should ask them if they have any questions. The questions your clients ask are invaluable to meeting their needs, and often very revealing of their understanding of your services. So, always leave some extra room at the end of your conversation to get more details and comments from your client.

But you have an opportunity at this point to make a difference for someone. Besides salvaging a customer and preventing a potential outbreak of negativity, it can be a wonderful feeling when you can help someone fix a problem or even simply make the experience positive despite the customer’s bad attitude. So here are some tips to get you through a conversation with an angry or rude customer. And while most customers only get livid behind the safety of a phone call, the following pointers can also help with face-to-face encounters.

1. Be Respectful

This is a critical moment in the conversation: an angry customer has called and he is lashing out due to something you have zero control over. It’s very easy to lose your own temper, especially when the customer is making the issue personal. Or maybe the customer has decided to passive aggressively throw some insults at you because he had trouble finding a product or the product didn’t meet his expectations.

Wait for it. Once they have had a chance to vent, most angry customers will back down and let you help them. That’s why they called, after all. No matter how hard it is, be respectful. They may have been on hold for awhile before finally getting to you and need to get their frustration out.

2. Listen Carefully

Even while the customer is at the most upset point in her monologue, listen carefully to what is being said. This accomplishes several things at once: it helps you focus on the words, you are better able to ignore the tone, and you can avoid making her repeat herself later. Take notes and listen for patterns. Is shesaying the same thing over and over or is she actually referring to several different issues?

3. Parrot the Problem

Once the customer has calmed down, it’s time to let him know you’ve been listening. Explaining what you understand the problem is to him in a calm manner can go a long way to helping him understand that you have been listening and know what his issues are. Repeating back what you understand are the issues also helps you make sure you are dealing with all the issues. Sometimes customers do not initially express the full extent of the problem — only the part that makes them the most angry.

4. Simple Solutions

Often an irate customer’s problem can be solved with a simple solution. She’s probably not the first to have the issue, so often there is a really easy fix available. After she has had a chance to vent, carefully offer an initial solution. Be careful because you do not want to patronize the customer. Avoid the overly simplistic solutions, like "Have you powered the device on" unless the situation is clearly calling for it. Offering simple solutions is often necessary, but approach this carefully and with sincerity so you can avoid insulting a customer who may not have cooled down just yet.

5. Provide Information

If a simple solution is not available, then you may have to work with the customer to explore the problem more fully. By providing him with information about the product or service, you can start to work through at what point the problem occurred. This is an important step and gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that you are an expert and that you care enough to work with the customer.

6. Find Resources

If you cannot solve the problem for the customer, then you are either going to have to send her to someone who can help or take some time to find a solution. If the customer called on the phone, you may have to forward her to a specialist or tell her you will call her back. Unfortunately, this can really irritate an already frustrated customer. The best way to handle this situation is to tell her you are not passing her off onto someone else. Even better, give her your extension so she can call you back directly if no one else helps or if she runs into roadblocks.

7. Follow Up

Finally, follow up with the customer. This is especially helpful if you have had to forward him to someone else for a resolution. Even if you do not actually talk with him directly during the follow-up, shooting him an email or leaving a voicemail letting him know you wanted to make sure his issue was resolved will mean a lot. You may even want to keep some greeting cards on hand with a custom handwritten note for these situations. Sometimes this extra little act can of following up make a customer feel even more attached to a company after the incident because you have made him feel valued and heard.

Fight It Out (Not)

Finally, the one thing to always keep in mind when dealing with a rude or angry customer is to never resort to a word war. Some customers can get very nasty with throwing insults at you, the one who is trying to help. It can be very tempting to begin throwing insults right back at her. No matter what it takes, resist this temptation. If you are an employee, you could lose your job. If you are the owner, you could forever ruin your reputation and more business than your company can handle, especially if the customer has lots of friends and influence. If you feel yourself on the edge, excuse yourself, put the phone on hold or walk into the employee room. Then ask for backup if needed. Sometimes all that may be needed to deflate the situation is a short break and some support.

Editor’s Note:
One recent, and very relevant example of company destroying, awful customer service, can be found at posted at Penny-Arcade.com. The incident involves the owner of a marketing company (Ocean Marketing) who proceeded to fly off the handle at a customer, and ended up losing a major marketing deal, as well as destroying his company’s reputation. You can read about the antics here.

1. Never Ending Pages

One of the most common mistakes in the designing stage includes setting up long web pages. Users do not like to scroll endlessly unless your content is that impressive. It is best to provide different links for each page rather than listing it out on a single ‘never ending’ page. Most users require information pertaining to a specific topic and if your website does not deliver this information in the least time, you could risk losing several readers.

2. New Browser Windows

Several designers tend to make their websites open new browser windows when a link is clicked. This step is taken by designers to ensure that the user returns to their site. This theory is merely a distraction as most users are accustomed to using the ‘back’ button. It is also unwise to take control away from users by automatically opening new windows even when the user does not want it.

This feature is even more distracting on smaller screens as it is difficult to determine whether a new window has been opened. Unnecessary windows that pop up unannounced are truly a hassle that users face on a regular basis. It is best to provide direct links and allow the user to take control of his/her surfing habits.

3. Unnecessary Use of Flash and Music

Using appropriate music or animation can be a fun addition to your website but overdoing it can fail. Users nowadays are looking for direct information without ‘flashy’ additions. It is best to use visually pleasing graphics and minimal animation to convey your message. It is also not advisable to embed music as it is very distracting and unwanted. Additionally, not all computers, laptops and smartphone devices are compatible with flash.

4. Distracting Advertising

One of the biggest enemies of peaceful web surfing is advertising. Users are often bombarded with advertisements, pop up displays and other distractions when they are trying to look for information. Avoid mixing distracting advertising on the web pages that contain useful information. As far as possible, avoid all forms of annoying advertisement on your website owing to the risks of losing readership, and keep it as relevant as possible.

5. Needless Registration

A number of websites ask users to register and log in for every miscellaneous activity on the website. Although it may be advisable as a marketing move, it is important to understand that internet users prefer options that are free. Forcing users to register to see even the smallest details will end up costing you as the user will simply search for the same information on another website. Whether they have to leave comments or check content on your site, it is best not force users to register.

6. Irrelevant Content

Content is king. You may generate enough traffic by using all tricks and trades of SEO but you cannot retain the readership unless you provide quality content. Users are usually looking for specific information and it is upto you to provide the same. Despite using the right keywords, your website will not rank well unless you have provided specific and authentic information. If the website sells a particular product or brand, make sure to include all the details a potential customer will want to know like price, warranty etc.

7. Unnecessary Web Pages

Do not insert additional pages on your website just to make it appear bulky. Including a separate home page to lead you to the main website is a waste of time for many users and might cost you readership in the long run.

Most companies do not have a problem finding web designers these days with graphic and web design becoming one of the more popular college degrees. The trouble arises with finding a web designer who knows their stuff and also who can keep your information secure. Let’s face it — more and more firms are in-sourcing the development of their websites. This has lots of important benefits, with improved security being a big reason more companies are keeping web developers (and source code) in-house. Whether you want a temporary designer or one to add to your list of employees,, there are a few critical questions to be sure to table so you don’t end up with 3 months of wasted time…or worse.

1. Do you have a portfolio?
   Ask to see what the web designer has already done. This will be a huge
   source of insight into the designer’s abilities. If your interview location has a computer, take the time to pull up a few of the sites the designer has worked on to see what they’ve done before. This lets you ask questions on the fly and probe deeper while you’ve got them right there with you.
2. What sizes of projects have you completed?
   Another critical question
   is to know whether the web designer has worked on projects equivalent to the size of your projects. If they’ve only worked on large teams, they may have specialties but could use help with generalist work. On the other hand, if they’ve only worked on small projects, integrating your 100k+ catalog of projects may be outside their capabilities.
3. How’s your AJAX?
   Interactivity is the new norm. As AJAX support becomes universal, you need designers who are at least somewhat familiar with the tools of the trade and standards.
4. Can you handle HTML5?
   New standards mean revising old techniques. Web designers need to be up to speed on HTML5, especially in those areas pertinent to your website. Video and API treatment are just two key areas of HTMTL5 that are important, so see where their knowledge of this technology sits and if any red flags are raised.
5. Can I see your CSS?
   Of course, CSS is an important part of integrating formatting standards throughout a site. With CSS becoming more and more a part of how web-based documents are delivered, it’s always good to cover this up front. Look over some CSS examples, if available, and see if any concerns jump out.
6. What’s your favorite browser and why?
   This is a great question to ask because it opens up the floor for a conversation. This is more about listening to the designer sitting in front of you and getting a feel for their preferences. Mix it up by asking which browsers they hate and why.
7. Do you integrate search engine optimization?
   Search engine optimization is critical for ensuring your website gets the ever-important organic search traffic. Does the designer know the basics and know how to integrate these into the design?
8. How familiar are you with Section 508 requirements?
   The regulatory environment is just one more layer of complexity of our industry, and Section 508 compliance is becoming more important in certain sectors. Does the designer understand and have experience in developing with section 508 in mind?
9. What programming languages can you develop in today?
   Websites are applications. Short of the most basic, static HTML documents hand-coded in Notepad, most websites require basic knowledge of PHP, C languages, and database integration. Make sure you understand where the designer’s capabilities are. Don’t assume they can handle the language you use without asking.
10. How will you keep our site secure?
    Security with any kind of contact information and credit card data is an absolute must for any website today. Even if you integrate Paypal and let them handle the security piece, your designer should understand how to protect data and even catch potential security flaws.
11. Got references?
    Always get references. You may think you have a mild-mannered web coding genius in front of you, but the last employer got to see an epic World of Warcraft melt-down right before a major roll-out. Take the time to check on a few references.

With those questions in mind, what other big questions should be asked? Any single question jump out that tends to reveal major concerns?

Well, fortunately for you, the dear folks at Microsoft have a built in bitmap editor that is absolutely terrible and almost useless. But, there is hope and a couple ‘o tricks are available to you if you find yourself in a pinch.

1. Image Resizer

Need to quickly resize an image? MS Paint can do that, sort of. Actually MS Paint does this really well with the latest version available. Just open, click the Resize button and tweak. This can save you if you need to create a quick thumbnail or need to send one of your 4 gig images to grandma.

2. Precision Editing with Grids

There’s an infinitely UNtweakable grid feature under View -> Gridlines. No, you can’t adjust the scale or size (psh! who needs THAT?!), but it does help when you need to align elements.

3. Clone Tool? In MS Paint?!

Not really. But you CAN copy sections of an image, paste, and move the pasted portion around until committing changes. This can work as a clone tool if you need to clean up portions of an image in a hurry.

4. Detailed Editing

Need to fix a red-eye issue? What about removing the background from an image? No problem. Just zoom in really, really far and use the Pencil Tool in MS Paint to clean up your image. No, it’s not as easy to use as the Photoshop version, but you shouldn’t leave your Mac at home, now, should you?

5. Image Rotation

You know how it goes. You take a shot with your iPhone and it insists your image is 90 degrees off. Just drop it into MS Paint and use the image Rotation Tool. Even better, it now has the ability to flip an image on its vertical or horizontal axis. Not too shabby.

6. Basic Shapes

You ever try to draw a circle in MS Paint? Don’t. It’s a waste of time. Here’s my best effort to date:

You’re welcome. But you don’t have to stress and strain like I did. Just use the new, built in shapes. You have circles, squares, stars, and other basic shapes. Not to get snooty, but most high-end designs only use these basic shapes, so in theory you could pull off some really great work using this set of tools…just saying.

7. Image Reformatting

Find yourself with a GIF and you really need a JPG? No problem. You can throw that GIF into MS Paint and save as any of the common formats, including PNG. This can come in especially handy when you just need a quick switcheroo.

8. Color Replacement

Believe it or not, you can actually use the Eraser Tool as a color replacer. With the Eraser Tool selected, choose the color you want to replace. Then click-and-hold the right mouse button (yes, Mac users, there’s more than one mouse button). This let’s you only erase the color you selected as your primary color (Color 1). Pretty slick…for MS Paint, I mean.

9. Custom Brushes

Well, not really. But you can use the Selection Tool’s advanced feature to make a custom brush-like experience. Draw the shape you want on a blank part of your canvas. Use the Select Tool to select your little drawing. Click the option drop-down menu and select “Transparent selection.” Now just copy and paste the design.

Do I need to remind you that this isn’t Photoshop, but who left what you know where?

10. Better Brush Sizes

MS Paint only has about three brush sizes micro, xxxx-small, and xxx-small. Useless. But you CAN resize the brushes incrementally using the CTRL and +/- symbols. This lets you get the size much closer to what could be considered reasonable.

Conclusion…

While not a fan, I do realize that MS Paint actually has some basic features that can save the day in a pinch. To their credit, MS has to develop software that anybody can use, so they have to strip the features down to their bare-bones. They succeeded! And with a few tricks and use of some advanced features, you can make it work for you when necessary.

Since Google+ has emerged, the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) world has been all amok with speculation about how shares and +1 will impact the search engine results page (SERP) of various URLs. The short answer: Google+ does have an impact, but early indicators show that standard SEO strategies are still the key.

The Google+ Impact

The biggest reason for an impact is that Google+ is being tracked by Google. A simple way to test this is if you have a WordPress blog. Just install any of the many available Google+ plugins, write a new post, click the Google+ button and within hours the url will show up in search results. When we tested on a unique, long-tail keyword, we found our results in approximately three hours and others have had similar results.

The key here is to understand that you can get fast traction on Google by installing a Google+ plugin on WordPress or even a Joomla blog and clicking the Google+ button. This gets your URLs registered very quickly getting you into search results faster than waiting for the Googlebot to find you. Is it faster than submitting your article through feedburner and the like? That has yet to be seen.

Twitter vs. Google+

On July 3rd, 2011 Google lost its realtime access to Twitter feeds. The result is that it now takes hours, not minutes, for Google to discover and rank content that is coursing through the Twitter banks. This means from a speed standpoint that the Google+ feature is on par with Twitter!

But that doesn’t mean that the Google+ vote means more from a weight standpoint than a Twitter vote. Testing indicates that Google+ and Twitter have approximately the same net effect. Currently Twitter tends to get more traction through retweeting than Google+ generates in additional votes, so Twitter is still king.

What does it all mean?

Standard SEO strategies still apply. Google+ will not be a major game-changer but will eventually have an impact as more and more people begin using it, and only time will tell how many will jump on the Google+ train. Will building Google+ campaigns be the next big short-term key to taking over the #1 spot for competitive keywords? Probably not. But SEO experts will have to take this voting tool into consideration and figure out how to get customers to vote for their sites either within search results or through the Google+ Sparks feature.

Tempting, Dirty, Black Hat SEO Tactics, Who’s Gotten Seduced?

Google’s webmaster tools page actually states that some bad dudes (and may I stress usually without any professional SEO background) “…engage in link exchange schemes and build partner pages exclusively for the sake of cross-linking, disregarding the quality of the links, the sources, and the long-term impact it will have on their sites.”

Who would do this sort of thing? This must be some sort of cheap trick by a second hand car dealer-esque, dirty rotten scoundrel type, website owner (no offense to anyone actually in the car trade – which is probably a very noble and honest industry), who is unwilling to put the time and effort into creating a worthwhile website, and craves instant results. Well this assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. This black hat technique has, shockingly, been a tactic by some major corporations! However, Google has, thankfully, now identified and clamped down on the activities.

It would seem Forbes “knows what sells”
The highest profile offender was Forbes.com (a part of Forbes’ Digital – whose websites apparently collectively reach more than 27 million unique visitors each month, according to Wikipedia). Forbes received a wrist-slapping email from Google (about selling links) informing them that they had “artificial or unnatural links” on their site “pointing to other sites that could be intended to manipulate PageRank”.

J.C. Penny and Overstock Are Proven Fans of “Instant Gratification”
There appears to have been a clampdown recently by Google, as further evidenced with major shopping outlet
J. C. Penney and online retailer Overstock.com, which both received the dreaded ‘penalization’ email from the good people at Google. This turn of events has been fantastic news for everyone involved in professional SEO, as the so-called “Black-hat” tactics that have somewhat soiled the name of SEO, are finally flubbing in their attempts to gain an unfair advantage.

White Hat SEO is a Beautiful and Natural Burst of Fresh Air

Now, after all this filthy and vile black hat talk, it is important to highlight the natural white hat link practices that good SEO craves. These principles should always be practiced by any good search engine optimization company.

1. Deep linking. Links that go to all areas of the site and not just the home-page. A good mix of home page and other page links (ensuring that key words are not overused), as well as full http links (rather than keyword links) is good practice.
2. Natural linking is not reciprocal, which means if a website has a link to you, it looks more natural not to always have a link going back to them. Launching quirky competitions to set the blogging world alive with excitement is a good way to get link without the need to link back. If the competition is of interest to their audience, then both bloggers (as well as traditional websites) will be delighted to inform their audience.
3. Relevant text must always be used. For example, if the website is a bike shop, then the link must be surrounded by information about bikes. All good quality websites relating to bike enthusiasts and (more generic) websites from the region need be considered and ideas brainstormed for possible “link bait” and possible articles to include the keywords.
4. Links are gained slowly, so a colossal amount of links gained at the same time is thankfully easy for search engines to spot. Therefore utilizing social media (such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) is a fantastic way to slowly build relationships online, which can eventually lead to links.
5. Variety is the key, as links with websites with varying page ranks (as long as the content is relevant and is not “spammy” or with a poor reputation) should be gained. For example, universities and councils (if your site has something worthwhile to offer them), media, websites used by the target audience, bloggers, should be contacted in a genuine manner that looks appears you are generally offering news that would benefit or interest the readers of their website.

Following these guidelines will help your website to climb up the SERPs naturally and safely, and will avoid any wrist-slapping from Google – but the secret to successful SEO is establishing links with respected websites. Online, as in life, you are judged by the company you keep. If you associate with dubious characters in your private life, then you will be tarred with the same brush! By hanging out with the popular, well respected crowd, you will be looked upon more favourably and enjoy greater opportunities.

Anyway, for those of you that don’t need the lesson and are here for the eye candy, below you’ll find a list of our 7 favorite jQuery scripts and effects that we have used in our new jQuery template category so far:

#7 Portfolio Image Slider

A slider is a good tool for showcasing a variety of images on the homepage of your website. You could use to to show off your design portfolio, provide snapshots of your services, or even give a quick tour of what you offer. The “Easy Slider” from cssglobe.com really is just about the simplest possible method out there for adding a plug-in slider.

Get the Slider jQuery Script

Where We Use It:

This was one of the first jQuery scripts we implemented. It can be found in our Drafting Table portfolio template:

• See it in Action
• Get the Template

#6 Style Switcher

The style switcher by Kevin Luck, or style sheet chooser, is a script that lets your visitors change the style of your website with a single click. The premise involves creating multiple style sheets that all contain the same css classes but with different properties. When the user selects a link for a particular style, the site switches from the default style sheet to the new one selected. It’s a really simple way to add new interest to the design of your site.

Get the Style Sheet Chooser jQuery Script

Where We Use It:

We added the style sheer chooser to our Design Star web design portfolio template to switch between wild patterned backgrounds:

• See it in Action
• Get the Template

#5 Multi Level Drop Down Menu

Drop down menus are a tidy way to organize your navigation links, especially if you want to give users direct access to a sub page within a main section without having to hop through several pages. The unhiply named “jQuery Multi Level CSS Menu #2” by DynamicDrive.com gives this option, but allows a navigation system that goes 3 levels deep, switching between vertical and horizontal drop down links.

Get the Multi Level Menu jQuery Script

Where We Use It:

The multi level jQuery menu adds a level of depth to the trendy 5 Band music web template:

• See it in Action
• Get the Template

#4 Custom Content Slider

Not to be confused with a main image slider, the content slider actually contains all of the content for your entire site. This means than you will not have multiple HTML pages, and all of your site’s content will be contained within a single HTML file. When you click a button that sends a user to a new page, you simply scroll through to the next section of content. It provides an appearance similar to frames, but I assure you, there are no framesets in this code.

Get the Custom Content Slider from Queness

Where We Use It:

Our cutesy Pet Club website design uses this script to scroll through the content without requiring a reload for each page:

• See it in Action
• Get the Template

#3 Horizontal Javascript Accordion

This script is 1kb of pure awesomeness. It has a similar purpose as an image slider, but instead of sliding your images, it expands and reduces them, enlarging the selected image to full width on hover, and reducing the others back to tab sized. This cool little script is from leigeber.com.

Get the Horizontal Javascript Accordion

Where We Use It:

You could lose hours (or at least minutes) playing with the accordion menu installed on the Big Wind and Solar clean energy template:

• See it in Action
• Get the Template

#2 and #1 Corner Peel & Accordion Content

The final two of our top 7 favorite jQuery template effects are actually contained within the same web design, so I figured why not demonstrate an act of efficiency and group ‘em together?

Corner Page Peel Effect
There’s no better way to add an announcement that will be seen by all of your users on any page of your site. This effect allows you to add some little icon or image to the corner of the page, and then display a full sized promotional message when the user clicks it to peel the corner away.

Get the Page Peel Effect

Accordion Content

Looking to combine the playfulness of an accordion menu with the sleek functionality of the custom content slider? That;s exactly what’s done with the Stemkoski’s “Stupid Simple jQuery Accordion Menu”. It makes navigating your website’s content an absolute blast!

Get the Stupid Simple jQuery Accordion Menu

Where We Use Them:

Both these playful effects have been lovingly applied to the Faber College education template:

• See it in Action
• Get the Template

The above jQuery effects vary in usefulness, admittedly, and I know we have used scripts that have a far more functional benefit. However, these are my favorites, and are often playful and fun. There are dozens of other jQuery scripts used throughout our jQuery template section as well, so feel free to take a browse through all of our current jQuery Templates.

50 Ways to Earn Commissions

You just slip in a tweet, Pete
Write in a blog, Dog
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