how to

How to Measure Images with Chrome Developer Tools

September 18, 2017 by Jessica Goddard

Today I’m going to address a question that I get asked a lot by web designers.

“What size does my image need to be?”

Often when editing an existing website there are images that need to be replaced and designers want to make sure the new image is the right size (or aspect ratio) to keep the design intact. I’m going to show you how to use the Chrome Developer Tools to find the size of any object on a web page, but specifically in this example an image.

First you have to open Chrome Developer Tools. You can do this by opening the Chrome menu (three little dots at top right of browser) and selecting “Moor tools” then “Developer tools.” My preferred method of accessing the toolbar is actually just pushing the F12 key on my keyboard because I open and close the developer tools a lot when I am working.

Once you have the Developer Tools open, click the inspector button (top left of developer toolbar) then hover over the element you want to measure.

Keep in mind that responsive elements on a website will change size based on your screen resolution and/or window size. So, if you make your window smaller, you will see the element size change.

If you have you have other questions like this, let me know and I’ll address it in a future post!

Selecting Free WordPress Plugins in Four Steps

September 15, 2017 by Jessica Goddard

One of the great things about WordPress is the abundance of free plugins that are available to extend the functionality to meet your website needs. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad plugins (think security concerns) out there that make choosing the right plugin a little difficult. Here are the steps I follow for selecting free plugins for myself and my clients.

Google it!
Yes, WordPress allows you to search for plugins within the admin interface, but I prefer my trusty friend Google. My Google phrase tends to be something like “wordpress explanation of functionality” (ie: wordpress simple seo). I like to open tabs for each plugin I’m interested in then start comparing the metrics listed below.
Compare metrics.
In the right column of a WordPress plugin page you’ll find a set of metrics that are invaluable for choosing which plugin(s) to try.
- Last updated. This will tell you how active the developers are and how likely it is that this plugin will work with your current version of WordPress and with future updates. Also, active development means the plugin is likely to stay up-to-date with security essentials. Plugins that haven’t been updated for more than two years will display a warning.
- Active installs. In this case, popularity does matter! Active installs lets you know how many other WordPress sites are actively using the plugin. It’s a safe assumption that if a lot of people are using the plugin it is of good quality.
- Ratings. I’m going to assume you are familiar with the way ratings work. I like to pay particular attention to the ration of good to bad ratings and will read reviews of the bad ratings if I’m particularly concerned.
Read descriptions.
Yes, I read the descriptions after looking at the metrics (because honestly it takes more time to read than look at numbers). Don’t forget to check out the screenshots that are (hopefully) provided. You have a good idea what you’re looking for and you’ll quickly be able to decide if a plugin will meet your needs.
Try it out!
The only way to 100% know if a plugin is going to work for you is to try it out. Luckily we’re talking about free plugins so the only thing this will cost you is time. Always take a backup of your site before installing a new plugin and, ideally, install on a staging (cloned) version of your site.

Now, sometimes there is not a free plugin that will provide the features and quality that you need and you must find a premium plugin. Luckily a lot of premium plugins also have a free version so you can get a feel for what they provide. When it comes down to it, consider the value of your website and it may be easier to spend money on good quality plugins.

My Simple WordPress Update Process

September 7, 2017 by Jessica Goddard

I love WordPress. It’s relatively simple, very powerful, and easy for my clients to manage. The one aspect that can get a little hairy is keeping everything updated (which is essential for the security of your site). I typically perform updates twice a month, sometimes more often when there is an urgent security release, and this is the simple process I use to minimize issues.

BONUS PREP STEP: Create a document that details what each plugin on your site does, that way when you update plugins you will know which element(s) of your site you need to test.

Simple WordPress Update Process

Backup your WordPress files and database and download the files to your computer. BackUpWordPress is one of my favorites for its simplicity. I typically keep one set of backups on my computer at any given time (meaning each time I take a new backup I delete the old one).
Update the plugins using WordPress’ easy update page. If you have a lot of updates at once or if you are using a plugin that has major significance on your site consider updating just a few plugins at a time.
Test your site to confirm everything is still functioning as expected. Remember to clear your cache (if necessary) to confirm all changes have gone through.
Update and test the theme you are using the same way you updated your plugins.
Finally, perform any updates to the WordPress core and, again, clear your cache and test the site.

That’s it! You should be able to sit back and relax knowing your site is up to date and working beautifully. Should you encounter an issue, you can always reach out to me, or check out Codeable or WP Curve.

Four Steps for Reversing the Downward Spiral

September 5, 2017 by Jessica Goddard

I often describe my life, or events in my life, as being like a spiral. Good creates good and bad creates bad. At any moment in my life (or day) I feel like I am either spiraling upward or downward. In my experience, the good kind of operates on its own, not needing much effort other than my acknowledgement. The bad? Well, I gotta stop that one in its tracks.

As someone with anxiety and depression it doesn’t take much to make me feel like everything is crumbling around me. In early 2015 a stomach flu swept through our house and to say it knocked me out would be an understatement.

Since then I’ve learned to be much more mindful of that downward spiral and attempt to stop and reverse the trend as soon as possible. Following are some of the steps I take to stop and reverse the spiral:

Acknowledge there is a trend. If you continue to go on in your current state of mind without acknowledging that things are crumbling it will just continue to get worse. Stop and admit that things aren’t OK and it’s time to take action.
Assess what is contributing to the spiral. Whether it’s something tangible, like business or house work, that is making you feel down or if it’s more of a mental battle, you need to sit down and figure out all of the contributing factors. Create a list if that helps you. Face those problems head on.
Give yourself space to feel down. It’s OK to not feel happy and positive all the time. Sometimes life is just plain hard. Allow yourself to feel these emotions. Take a little time to just feel sad or mad. Sometimes we just need to break before we can rebuild.
Create a plan for changing the course. Now that you’ve identified what is causing the spiral and allowed yourself to feel all of the effects, it’s time to take action. Start figuring out what little things you can take care of that will have a positive impact. The more you do, the easier it will get.

If you’re like me you may become afraid of feeling good because, inevitably, you will fall again. As difficult as it may be you have to allow yourself to feel better, and give yourself grace in the process. You may stumble, but if you continue making intentional choices toward an upward spiral you will be successful.