Freelancefolder

9 Plugins Your Clients Will Love For Their WordPress Website

Posted March 10, 2010 in Tools/Resources, Web Design 65 Rockin' Comments »

There are countless blog posts with lists of plugins for WordPress, including some great lists here on Freelance Folder, but this post focuses on plugins that will make your clients’ experience in WordPress more enjoyable, easier to navigate, rich with important statistics and completely branded to match their website. For freelance web designers or WordPress consultants, taking a small amount of extra time to set up these plugins can boost the professional appearance of WordPress installations you provide for your clients, strengthen their confidence in you and score high marks as you impress them with their own personal WordPress experience.

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8 Great Apps that Every Freelance Developer Needs

Posted February 18, 2010 in Tools/Resources, Web Design 65 Rockin' Comments »

Every freelancer has certain apps they use in their day-to-day business operations. Developers, especially, have to keep a tool belt full of useful apps that touch multiple areas in development, design, client management and billing.

It’s important not to let your apps rule your working life. If it’s not quick enough, crashes all the time and is too pricey, perhaps you should think about switching to something else.

I’ve tried lots of different apps over the course of my freelancing career, but have only found a few that really speed up my workflow, are inexpensive and intuitive. What are these great apps?

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How to Make Your Portfolio Better Than the Competition’s Portfolio

Posted February 7, 2010 in Business, Web Design 38 Rockin' Comments »

Competition is fierce in the world of freelancing. In the clients’ eyes, one of the few factors that differentiates you from the competition is the quality of your portfolio.

While much of what makes up a portfolio is both subjective and based on personal preferences, there are still several surefire ways to distinguish yourself in the sea of freelancers.

Let’s takes a look at some ways you can make your portfolio better than your competition’s portfolio.

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10 More Essential Plugins Every WordPress Blog Should Have

Posted January 14, 2010 in Tools/Resources, Web Design 64 Rockin' Comments »

WordPress is known for being one of the most powerful open-source blogging platforms today. Not only does it work great for blogs–it also functions as a regular content management system, which also makes WordPress one of the most popular platforms.

One of the reasons that makes WordPress so popular is the free plugin community. Plugins are downloadable add-ons that enhance WordPress’s functionality.

We’ve discussed WordPress plugins before, and now we are ready to share even more WordPress plugins with you. So what are these essential plugins?

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20 Inspiring Personal Portfolio Sites You Should Explore

Posted September 28, 2009 in Inspiration, Web Design 42 Rockin' Comments »

When it comes to working online there is one thing that’s more important than just about anything else — a beautiful portfolio site. Showing off the best examples of your work is a must when you’re trying to win clients online, and whether you are a designer, photographer, or writer, it is critical to have a central portfolio that can do just that.

It’s often tempting to throw up a free theme and get started quickly, but when it comes to creating a first impression, a solid portfolio is the key. Even if you’re new to the world of freelancing, you should consider how to create a portfolio site that not only shows your work but also appeals to your prospective clients.

Here is a list of 20 personal portfolios that will hopefully inspire you and give you ideas for your own portfolio site:

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Top 10 Biggest Website Redesigns of All Time

Posted September 11, 2009 in Showcase, Web Design 52 Rockin' Comments »

In honor of the new FreelanceFolder redesign, we decided to create a list of the top 10 most beautiful, most dramatic, and some cases just biggest website redesigns we could find. Some of these designs showcase monumental leaps in design, whereas others portray a more subdued and calculated approach to redesigning a major website.

Let’s take a look at the list:

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30+ Examples of Big, Bold, and Beautiful Website Navigation Menus

Posted August 27, 2009 in Inspiration, Web Design 47 Rockin' Comments »

One of the most recognizable elements in any website is the design of the main navigation menu. Some sites have large menus, others have small ones. Some sites have bold, attention-grabbing menus, others have something more subdued.

As a freelance web designer, you need to be able to draw upon many different styles depending on the current project you are working on. Since the current trend in design is bigger and more graphical menus, we thought it would be a good idea to offer some inspiration.

In this list we’ve compiled 30 of the most gorgeous navigation menu designs — all of which are big, bold, and beautiful. Take a look and see what you think:

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25 Must-Read Blogs for Freelance Designers

Posted June 23, 2009 in Graphic Design, Tools/Resources, Web Design 33 Rockin' Comments »

So far at FreelanceFolder we’ve had a showcase of 20 Must-Read blogs for Freelance Writers, and also a showcase of 20 Must-Read blogs for Online Entrepreneurs — so it’s only fitting to add to this collection of lists and showcase 25 must-read blogs for freelance designers.

It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to sharpen your skills as a vector designer, a photoshop designer, a website designer or if you’re just looking for resources, inspiration and freebies (like brushes & icons), the websites below will give you everything you’re looking for. I’d definitely suggest checking them all out and subscribing to each of their RSS feeds (I’ve got them all in my feed reader).

Vector Design Blogs

Below are some great blogs specifically written for those of us who are looking for vector tutorials and resources.

AI Burn

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10 Essential Plugins Every Modern Wordpress Site Should Have

Posted May 4, 2009 in Tools/Resources, Web Design 120 Rockin' Comments »

One of the many benefits to WordPress, one of the most popular blogging platform and Content Management System (CMS), is that it is open source software with a very large and dedicated community. There are so many great developers working to make WordPress the best that it can be, that there are thousands of free plugins available to enhance the platform’s default functionality.

There are, of course, too many plugins to list here, so in this article we’re just going to point out the essentials… what I consider to be the bare minimum “can’t live without” list of plugins that should be installed with just about any new Wordpress installation.

If you are new to WordPress, this basic list (which is technically not limited to plugins alone) should help get you started on the right foot. Whether you are running a basic brochure site, or a full featured blog, you should be sure your WordPress site includes these essentials.

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