New Semiomantics XO Theme for WordPress

The above Screenshots represent just some of the pages, features and looks the 2012 Edition of the high performance XO Theme for WordPress has up its sleeves. The above site is the fruit of the 2 Days Ycademy Online Seminar for Semiomantics Developers and designers.

The 2012 Edition of XO is focused on even more flexibility in as much as editing, cross-browser and cross-platform compatibility are concerned.

The Site displays perfectly on Mobile devices, showing responsiveness also of the plugged in scripts chosen of which some have been adapted to satisfy the high standards of Semiomantics Publishing Scripts for Excellence.

The site elaborated at the Ycademy Online Seminar this past week-end features some smashing features, such as:

• Background Slideshow, customizable for each page, post or archive
• Built in Directory
• Media Library for YouTube and Vimeo
• Pro-sliders which can be deployed anywhere on the site
• In addition to the responsive design, a separate light Mobile Version is available
• Bold and Efficient Navigation
• Built in Custom Fonts
• Social Network connectivity and publishing
• and much more.

The XO script is well commented and offers designers a clean and straight forward environment for custom developments. XO uses best practices for WordPress development and makes the best use of the possibilities offered by the WP back-bone, assuring smooth integration and optimized conflict handling.

XO is a great playground for designers. The DIY version allows anyone to adapt layout and colors to taste right from the back-office; there is no need to have any knowledge about coding or designing. The theme behaves like a Chameleon and adapts to specific needs with just a few clicks of the mouse: pre-configured layout elements transform your XO quickly into a Magazine, Newspaper, personal Author Blog, a Media Hub, a Shop, a Marketing Machine, a Social Media Publisher, a Product Promoter or a Fan Site or most anything your imagination dictates.

For the professional designer, XO offers a well commented environment. Custom code can be added right from the dashboard or, as I prefer using a child theme. XO is tuned for HTML5 and CSS3 use, making it a modern and inspiring framework for exceptional design effects.

Out of the box, the XO Theme for WordPress provides a stable and reliable, robust and optimized solution for common use. It provides built in features such a slider with multiple transitions and a one click selector for easy use.

Layouts can be easily adapted to needs and purpose of the site. In fact, most custom designers rely on the theme engine to format efficiently layouts.

The site featured in the above gallery uses a few pro plug-ins to add functionality in function of customer requirements. The integration of such add on scripts is a relatively simple process for designers and developers.

XO has been developed for high performance, productivity, excellence in publishing and flexibility. For the professional users, the XO Theme constitues a solid base with a huge potential for customization and creative artistic expression.

The release of XO Version 3.3.x is planned for the first week of February. The present Release Candidate has been thoroughly tested. A few minor issues will be taken care off before XO will be available to the public.

If your site is running on Semiomantics XO suing basic customization, the theme can just be overwritten. (Save your custom CSS beforehand.)

If you are using a custom version with custom developments or a child theme, some of your customization will need to be adapted to the enhancements of XO 2012. This concerns namely custom headers and footers as well as custom functions.

Support for developers and designers is available as usual at our Ycademy Online Calls and Seminars or through Semiomantics Pro Support.

Related posts:

1. Semiomantics XO Blog
2. Facebook Strategy with WordPress
3. Ycademy Online Seminar January 2012
4. Semiomantics XO 2010 Edition
5. WordPress Shop Version 3 by Semiomantics

Bianca Gubalke Mobile

Bianca Gubalke Mobile – a first pre-seminar sketch for a mobile version! The little icons stand for Social Network icons like Facebook, Twitter etc, which I would design myself to fit into the overall picture I have in mind.

Bianca Gubalke Mobile

We are living in times of rapid change and the explosion of the mobile market. People use their mobile phones to search the net, to find what they want, to compare it and – to buy it. Sales figures triggered via the mobile net are staggering – and as web designers we have to adapt – which means also to focus on new technologies and learn new languages.

Over the past years, Semiomantics has always evolved along with WordPress Developments. Remarkably, the latest WP update allows for much more creativity. While our Semiomantics based author blogs display perfectly on smartphones through integration of the right plugins and settings, there’s much more scope that we will be looking into at this weekend’s Ycademy Seminar 2012 – which is also a testing ground for the new Semiomantics XO 2012 – to be released soon.

In that sense, I am looking forward to the evolution of Bianca Gubalke Mobile!

Semiomantics XO with CSS3 and HTML5

Time has come to learn about new technologies available for web designers and developers. All common browsers are increasingly able to read and interpret CSS 3 and HTML5 and about all computers are equipped to read java and jQuery. Therefore new possibilities become available to XO developers which we will focus on during the January Seminar.

XO has evolved over the past 4 years along with WordPress Developments. The theme has become responsive and shows perfectly on smart phones and tablets.

Subsequent to the release of WordPress 3.3.x XO needed some adjustments and updates which we have implemented and tested. New design functions become available for advanced customization. XO remains the most flexible theme for custom development, accessible to most anyone.

The goal of the seminar is to become familiar with XO and it’s new features as well as to learn how CSS3, HTML5 and jQuery allow to adapt XO to most any customer’s needs.

Some of the technical issues we will have a detailed look at are:

• Transparencies with CSS3
• Background Sliders
• Mobile Verions using WPTouch Pro
• Content and Frame sliders with Pro Slider and SlideDeck Pro
• Social Network connectivity with FacePages
• How to make a WP theme responsive (adapting to different screen sizes such as Smart Phones Tablets and bigger)

The most obvious expansions are via plug-ins. We will show how to make the best use of plug-ins for the Mobile Web, Social Networking, Social Media Publishing, Social Network Marketing as well as for more attractive display. Time permitting we will look into additional functions, such as shopping cart or marketing specific scripts.

We also will start looking into another important chapter:

How to convert your XO sites into a Mobile App!

In order to make the understanding easier, we will build a new site during the 2 days event. Please join our pre-seminar call on Thursday to prepare the event by setting up a new XO powered site.

All materials will be provided. You will just need some images/photos, videos and other content you may want to use to populate the XO site.

Saturday and Sunday, 28/29 January, 2012 from 1 pm London time till 9 pm London time.

Tickets are available on our new shop at HIOD.com. Please click on the below image to order.

Discounts as usual for Ycademy Pros: Please mail Bianca at bianca(at)ycademy.com for the coupon code.

Related posts:

1. Ycademy Online Seminar January 2010
2. Ycademy Online Seminar May 2011
3. Ycademy Online Seminar
4. Ycademy Online Seminar April 2011
5. Ycademy Online Publishing Seminar

Trendwise with Semiomantics XO2012

In a world of infinite choice, we all have our personal preferences when it comes to creating the Web Design for our personal websites and blogs – and this is exactly what many of our customers will tell us, especially if they have a business with set colors, fonts and logos. Of course, there are also those who haven’t thought about this issue, who may not want to be bothered with it (as this takes ample time and thought) and who expect us to suggest, advise and guide. This is where we should know and focus on current trends, put our personal priorities on the backseat, and design something fresh, modern and appealing where we are absolutely “Trendwise with Semiomantics XO2012″, which is currently going through a testing phase and will soon be released.

Most importantly, we need to think forward to adapt to the incredible developments and momentum on the mobile web: can people see our web design work on their iphones, smart phones and tablets? This is currently the driving power behind many decisions and as we want our customers to get the traffic and results they expect, this is what we need to focus on and ensure that they too see the advantages of certain essentials they might not initially agree with.

It’s all about functionality and thinking customerwise: let them see what your website is all about fast and in an attractive way, make navigation clear, quick and easy like a dynamic show. And let there be balance!

Trendwise with Semiomantics XO2012

With the new trends 2012 having been set, how can we at Web Design South Africa be trendwise with Semiomantics XO2012, the best WordPress based script to be released soon, and give our website or blog a New Look 2012?

How to give your Author Blog a Trend 2012 Look

Here are a few pointers as to how to give your Author Blog a Trend 2012 Look:

1. Color Trend 2012

I already wrote about the Color Trend 2012 HERE.

To repeat it quickly, the color of the year 2012 is a warm orangy red called “Tangerine Tango”.  It’s not too far off the color I am always using in my personal color scheme that marks “Web Design with Passion”. However, there are other trendy colors like ‘solar power’ and the ‘sodalite blue’ I used in my example above, in connection with ‘tangerine tango’.

Here you want to think of backgrounds, fonts, menu, graphics, links, hover effects etc. – however, don’t overdo it when setting it off against another shade or complementary color. What I learned in Typography many years ago with one of Europe’s two leading authorities in the field and a true friend, Professor Tuenn Konerding (Staatliche Kunstakademie Duesseldorf, Germany), still applies today: experiment massively… but then reduce, keep it simple, don’t use more than 2… maximum 3 colors.

I wish I had a better photo – but I am happy I can call at least this one up – for an extraordinary mind and spirit that left our planet far too early…

Interesting also the trend towards one-page websites and a comeback of the magazine theme (full layout Semiomantics XO). Of course, Apple-style layouts are still en vogue as they are a modern classic and simply good.

2.  Typography 2012

The focus is on bold letters and custom fonts that can easily be read on mobile phones. Interesting here the Google Font Library that can be added in form of a plugin and loads fast while making the look of the website more appealing.

Textures, shades and reflections are ‘in’ as well…

 3. Large High Quality Images

Less text but large, high quality images – meaning all forms of sophisticated Media Design – be it photos, graphics, videos… – especially for backgrounds but also for graphics, sliders (we will come to these) and whatever you integrate into your Website Design to attract and captivate.The use of light or shadow boxes – where pictures can be enlarged in an overlay-  is very much in the trend.

Actually, we have been ahead of this trend with Semiomantics XO 2011 already, and particularly with our comprehensive work on Evolution, my personal favorite… yet unfortunately on Flash which is currently not seen on mobile phones due to power plays between the ‘big boyz’ … but this too shall change one day once even they get it that ‘competition’ is out and ‘cooperation’ is in to save our planet – and this is NOT a trend but a Truth! Ask Steve on Cloud!

Meanwhile Evolution will… well, evolve!

4. Sliders are en vogue

And yet another feature where Semiomantics has been well ahead of the trend: sliders are en vogue! Besides that, in my view they are brilliant, practical, interactive, attractive, seen on the mobile web and add to the functionality of a website. At tleast the ones we use – they do come at a cost, but it’s well worth it – quality always had its price!

5. Connect to Social Networks

Finally, websites and blogs need to offer easy ways – meant are rather ‘loud’ icons (… I leave this to your personal taste…) – to interlink and connect to Social Networks like Twitter, Facebook, Google + etc. Today, people look out where they can connect, follow, share and register … and so the cybernet expands continuously and I sometimes wonder what all of this really means at the end of the day and for our environment! But that’s a topic for another day!

For now… let’s be aware of current trends and advise customers accordingly… there’s lots to play with!

Internet Marketing services

Marketing a product, any product, whether on or offline requires planning. Offline, you need the services of an advertising company to market  your products, or if you do it yourself and use the services of a  publisher and/or leaflet distributor, newspaper/magazine advertising. Online there are many Internet Marketing Services offered that provide effective marketing campaigns with measurable results and Google top ranking.

Internet Marketing

The advantages of Internet Marketing is that it is relatively inexpensive if you compare cost ratios with offline advertising campaigns, online there is much wider audience that a company or small business can reach. With the increase of internet users world wide and today’s technological advances, Web 2.0 strategies  encourage much more consumer interactivity online, product research with smooth and speedy shopping results.

Internet Marketing Services

Internet Marketing Strategy

In order to achieve success in marketing a product online it requires a internet marketer to develop an internet marketing strategy, one that clearly defines and targets a specific audience in order to achieve measurable results. Discuss your specific needs with a qualified IT Cosultant who will guide you through the complexity of  a successful marketing campaign.

Results can be easily measured with the use of web analytics to ascertain the efficiency and value of any marketing campaign providing value for money.

Internet Marketing Services

Internet marketing Services are many and varied. There are many ways in which you can communicate your advertising message to a targeted  audience.

* Email marketing
* Banner Advertising
* Contextual advertising
* Social Media optimisation
* Search engine optimisation (SEO)
* Search engine marketing (SEM)
* Mobile Advertising

just to name few of the methods applied to internet marketing.

Mobile Advertising

Mobile advertising is a recent phenomena, a trend that cannot be ignored. The mobile industry is developing fast and growing. Many of the larger companies have already adopted the mobile medium as a way to advertise their products. Small businesses to are beginning to see the value and are adopting this method of advertising targeting specific audiences.

This page is wiki editable click here to edit this page.

The Purpose of a Website

What is the purpose of a website? And why would you want to have a website if you can get free access to other people’s websites such as to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace,YouTube and others?

Expand your Business to the Internet

For businesses, the primary purpose of a website is to expand business and to mark a presence where existing and prospect customers can be met.  A website allows to bring the sales pipeline right in front of customers, allowing for 24/24 sales activity, follow up and product delivery (for digital products and automated services).

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Best Kicks at Global Sports US

Build Brand Recognition and Notoriety

An important purpose of a website is to build and expand brand recognition. In a fast moving society where visual recognition is important, a permanent visual presence helps to build a reflex. For example: if you see TaxMartPro ads for online tax filing all over the place, the day you need their services, you remember the name and you will look for that company specifically to find the solution to your problem.

Preserve and impact on the Image of the Business – Goodwill

The reputation of a company is defined by what other people say about it. For any business it has become a must, not to abandon Image Building to third party comments, but to get involved in the process of steering the public perception of the business and it’s products, management and culture.

Communication with a market or a social environment

A website allows to reach out for new markets and to be available to potential customers in targeted environments, such as social networks.

Increase the level of service to customers

An important purpose of a website can be to allow 24/24 communication with customers, be it for follow-up and customer care services, support or to build conversation with interested parties concerning the company, the products or more. This last purpose provides companies with feed-back which can be analyzed and give a fair idea about perception and as the case may be popularity.

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Connect with Google Wave

Let other people build your business

An important purpose of a website can be to let other people build your business. The best example are Social Networks or Google. All the content, which is the essence is provided by the Members or Publishers, who also build the conversation, the traffic and who constitute the prospect leads at the same time.More traditional models, such as affiliate programs have the same purpose, however affiliates are paid in liquid for resulting sales or marketing efforts.

Decrease development cost and business expansion budgets

Building an online business structure is cheaper than building an offline shop down-town. Also, open source projects allow to achieve product development without development cost, since developers will contribute for free; examples: Google Wave, WordPress, Drupal, Joomla and more.

Decrease advertising cost

An interesting purpose of a website is to decrease advertising cost per sale. The internet revolution has entailed an advertising revolution. Everybody has the same chances to gain high visibility, using for example Google Ads or Search Engine Optimization. The cost is relatively small compared with the potential output.

Semiomantics and Ycademy offer purpose oriented website building

Semiomantics and Ycademy build customized purpose focused websites. While Semiomantics provides the technical services and infrastructure, Ycademy provides the educational component which allows interested parties to build their own sites or to commercialize similar services.

Author: Yorgo Nestoridis, Media Marketing & Publishing, Founder of YORGOO Publishing, YORGOO Press and Semiomantics. If you enjoyed reading the above, please consider following future tips and strategies by RSS reader, Email delivery, or Kindle subscription.

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Personalized Wedding Website

I am thrilled and honoured to do a Personalized Wedding Website – that’s one of the reasons why you won’t see much of me right now as I am out and about taking photos and/or concentrating on my graphic web design work in Photoshop!

Personalized Wedding Website

Besides the website design, we will be doing all the Wedding Photography here in Cape Town, South Africa, that will then be integrated into the personalized Wedding Website itself.

From Wedding Album to Family Album

In a way, we are starting out as a Wedding Album – however, this will only mark the beginning of the newly wed couple – it’s a promising beginning.

Eventually, the website will develop into a Family Album documenting the couple’s evolution over time.

This website will be a private affair accessible to family and friends only – and as in this case we have family members distributed all over the globe, it’s the perfect vehicle to show and share in a private space that’s not controlled by any Social Network, eg Facebook – but only and exclusively by the website owner.

While nothing on the Internet is 100% private – that’s just in the nature of things – being in control of one’s own name and one’s own website is definitely the best way to direct one’s future on the Internet without third party interference.

If you plan to get married…

Therefore, if you are reading this and planning to get married, make sure you buy your name – ideally on http://yorgodom.com (just a friendly suggestion; I am not an affiliate). It’s less than U$13,00 per year and a good investment into your online future.

I will be back with more as I proceed…

The Internet beyond Facebook with YORGOO and Ycademy

When YORGOO and Ycademy have been created, the vision was to make advanced technology available to a broad audience of online business builders with the purpose to expand business. YORGOO was designed as a free lead and traffic generation program, while Ycademy focused on Online Business Education, Trainings, Coaching and Online Live Seminars.

Facebook for Home Business Builders

Social Networks, such as Facebook have succeeded in offering to large audiences an array of online tools making it easy for anyone to use the Internet to communicate and to link with friends and family. Also, Social Networks provide a platform offering web space for storing pictures, videos and other content. Over 300 Million users populate Facebook, entrusting this social network with private content of all sorts. Social networks have become an alternative for a personal website for a majority of Internet users, seeking an online presence and profile.

There is no need for special education to make use of Social Networks for the purpose of private communication. How about using the Social Network frenzy for developing Home Business?

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Ycademy on Google

Of course the Facebook is not a satisfactory solution for people who are looking for customization and building a personal online image or even a brand. Also, the lack of privacy and the fact to lose control over personal data and contribution create a new awareness with the result of either abandoning the Internet all together, limiting it to email and Skype, or to move a step ahead with a personal website. A personal Web site involves cost and or know-how and is therefore not within the reach of just everybody, namely if the site should be of any quality.

Since April, when Facebook opened its platform for api development, it has become interesting to use the Social Network to gain additional visibility and to use Facebook for our own purpose rather than to work for Facebook. (See some of our earlier posts.)

YORGOO Beyond Facebook

What can YORGOO offer Home Business Builders beyond Facebook? Sure Traffic Exchanges are close to dead or at least, you cannot anymore convince people to sit on a computer and click their fingers wound looking at other peoples pages when there is more fun chatting with real people directly on Facebook.

The internet has widely killed the attraction of MLM, even when it comes to traffic generators; communication is taking place all over in any direction and the annoying MLM top to bottom vertical structure and slavery has been replaced with three dimensional conversation models where there is no more space for restrictions in communication.

The basic problems however remain the same for every business builder: Traffic and Leads remain the fuel for sound business expansion. To that you add conversation, since conversation is what is creating traffic in social network environments.

Also, it is important to protect business assets, such as customer base, prospects, contacts and more. No one right in his mind would publish a list of customers and prospects. Well, on Facebook you can see the contrary: downline models stretch to three dimensional communication clusters within Facebook opening huge vulnerability to a main business asset.

The question is: is there any business made in Facebook? The answer is: No. While contacts may be initiated, the business is closed on external websites.

YORGOO is interested in the free traffic and lead generation and the protection of contacts and conversation related to business. The purpose is thus to provide services which enhance networking, stimulate conversation and create traffic while streamlining and protecting business assets.

YORGOO is being rebuilt to help business developers to take their online activity beyond Facebook Rap.

Ycademy for Online Business related Education

While YORGOO will provide  simple solutions for business development, Ycademy is a learning place with focus on understanding, creating and implementing Marketing Strategies and Business Models for Small and Home Business. Ycademy takes into account that online business requires permanent learning and adapting to new technology and increased potential offered by the Internet. Ycademy is a convenient and accessible solution for acquiring know-how and applying it on the path to profitability. Stop running behind the train, progress with Ycademy at the pulse of time.

Ycademy is driven by the vision that the Internet is not just a place of freedom, but a place where every individual can excel using personal capabilities and potential. Additional, financial benefits are a logical consequence.

For more information about Ycademy, please contact Bianca Gubalke at: bianca (at) ycademy.com.

Ycademy Seminars since 2007

Ycademy Online Seminar on November 21/22, 2009

This week-ends Ycademy seminar focuses on Social Network Publishing and Marketing. We will develop simple concepts to use the advantages for the purpose of Prospecting, Networking, Business Development and Follow-up. The idea is to build an online Face with a high rank on the Likability Index and to communicate that image efficiently to social environments.

As a base we will use a personal website from where communication flows originate and flow to social networks. The flow back from Social Networks is two fold: in form of traffic and in form of content. Special Focus is directed to the actual presence on the Social Network, namely on Facebook. Many tools and features allow users to build an attractive presence on Facebook in order to invite contacts to follow the stream back home.

We will also tackle an interesting strategy whereas the conversation is exported from Facebook to our own environment, be it to our website or to our Google Wave Tool for example.

The seminar will explain the technical mechanisms and then apply them in Workshops where we customize the solution with each participant.

I am looking to an interesting week-end leading all interested parties to new Internet horizons.

Author: Yorgo Nestoridis, Media Marketing & Publishing, Founder of YORGOO Publishing, YORGOO Press and Semiomantics. If you enjoyed reading the above, please consider following future tips and strategies by RSS reader, Email delivery, or Kindle subscription.

Read also:

• Facebook and Home Business
• Aka-Aki
• Social Media Marketing Seminar
• Working from Home News
• YORGOO Daily Mail March 30, 2009

Facebook and Home Business

Facebook and other social networks have become a marketing playground for Home Business Builders. However, the invasion of the Social Environment by MLM freaks and so called get rich quick Home Business Builders is damaging the fun of social networks and may drive people away. Push Marketers spam and infest the environment and it seems that there is no efficient defense Social Networks implement to keep their place clean. The situation is comparable to emailing back in 2003 before the CAN Spam Act was passed.

Facebook and Home Business

Facebook is an ideal environment for Home Business Builders to communicate with friends and family as well as to make new contacts. It makes sense to build a network of contacts who share interests, namely if they are related to the respective home business. In such a case, Facebook can help to expand Home Business provided Home Business Builders learn to market in a way adapted to a social environment.

Ycademy

Social Network Marketing Challenge

Social Network Marketing is a discipline which defines Marketing Strategies adapted to social networks and a social environment in general. Observing the present situation, we notice some extreme forms of namely push marketing in social environments. If you join Twitter or Facebook with an open wall, you will be surprised how quickly your board gets populated with all sorts of content.

Compare it to the following situation: you are sitting in a coffee shop and slurping your preferred Arabica while eating a fresh croissant and every two minutes someone comes to your table asking you to be his or her friend. The next step could then be the “I would like to share my business with you”- Pitch or the “Let me post to your wall when I am brushing my teeth”- Blurp.

No one right in his mind would proceed like that in a coffee shop, and no one right in his mind would not feel irritated if it happened to him in a coffee shop.

I said “in a coffee shop”!

What makes people believe that on Facebook people will react differently?

Facebook is like a coffee shop where you sit with your friends, sharing news, photos, jokes and more. You may be happy with your friends and you may find old contacts you have lost over the years; you may have been introduced by some of your friends to other people and feel fine just sharing one more contact and that’s fine.

But how do you feel, if you get requests from people you have never heard of and without any visible connection to your circle?

And yet, this is exactly the approach of some marketers who try out the most intrusive methods to push their junk onto your wall.

There is no point calling for self-regulation as the CAN Spam Act has proven and there will always be those who damage the reputation of the internet and of Home Business as an industry by unethical behavior. What is ethics online anyway?

Large Corporates and Small Businesses alike are trying to define and to implement their Social Network Marketing Strategies. From Coca Cola to small one man shows, all are facing the same challenge.

Social Network Publishing and Marketing Seminar by Ycademy

Ycademy Online Business Education is designed for small business and Home Business in particular. The Trainings, Coaching and Seminars make the latest technology available to a large audience with the goal to help small business developers to prevent mistakes and to increase productivity. The online environment is changing fast. Flexibility, adaptability and permanent learning are the base for success and expansion.

Ycademy is offering a 2 days Online Live Seminar every month for developers of Small and Home Business. The November Seminar 2009 will be held on November 21/22, 2009 and is accessible from any browser without downloads or special set-ups.

This Month’s topic: Social Network Publishing and Marketing. All Seminar participants will spend most of the time in workshops and implement models live. The linking with multiple social environments is a key factor to efficient streamlined publishing and marketing.

Google Wave at the Ycademy Seminar

All registered participants will get an invitation to Google Wave, the new, revolutionary Communication Tool planned to be released officially later this year by Google. Google Wave clearly points to the future way of communicating and networking online. In connection with Social Networks, Google Wave allows for integration of all commonly used marketing and communication strategies whereas streamlining and security are the essential issues for marketers.

Ycademy Seminar Registrations

Ycademy Seminars are delivered to a small, limited number of live participants in order to take into account each participant’s needs. Marketing Concepts are adapted and customized for implementation to achieve the best results.

Registrations: please click HERE.

To find out more about availability, schedule and agenda, contact Bianca Gubalke at: bianca (at) ycademy.com.

Ycademy Seminar Follow-up

Ycademy Seminars are not just one time events. 2 weekly trainings prepare and follow up on the seminar agenda providing live assistance and in depth knowledge. Seminars and Trainings are recorded and available to all participants.

Author: Yorgo Nestoridis, Media Marketing & Publishing, Founder of YORGOO Publishing, YORGOO Press and Semiomantics. If you enjoyed reading the above, please consider following future tips and strategies by RSS reader, Email delivery, or Kindle subscription.

Read also:

• Google Top 10 Dominate your Keyword 2
• The Internet beyond Facebook with YORGOO
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New Facebook Page

Following up on yesterday’s post HERE, and based on the fact that WordPress now allows for superb – yet quite complex and time-consuming -  integration possibilities with Facebook, all participants of this past weekend’s Ycademy Seminar November 2011 developed a new Facebook Page – also called “Fanpage”.

New Facebook Page

It’s a personal choice as to whether the access to one’s new Facebook Page goes via a so-called ‘reveal page’ – as explained yesterday – or visitors don’t have to go the extra ‘like’ route and can have a quick look without that at what the owner of the Facebook Fanpage has to offer.

While I setup the “like-us” page for the time being as part of the exercise – and I quite like it as I love my owl :) – I would probably prefer to offer the straight route.

For the time being, I integrated an elegant SlideDeck with a number of slides inviting the visitor to click on what interests them – be it to connect and meet me on a more persoanl level – which would obviously be on my Author Blog -, or if they share my passion for photography to go to my Photo Blog… or, if they have a professional interest in what I’m doing and might need a website, then they can go to my Showcase 2010 to check out my work and style and see if that’s what appeals to them. As simple as that.

Facebook Trends

Everybody talks about “original quality content” – yet how many deliver it? And how does it compare to the masses of cyberwaste out there?

From what I hear, the Like-Me button may lose its importance and the new Facebook Trend will be a focus on quality content.

More on this later… at the moment I was just suprised by an impressive snake who snuggled up next to me in the wastebin and refused to move out back into the garden… she preferred a cooler place under my sofa. A bit of a weird feeling to have THIS visitor right next to me… I got her on a photo… but then I had to jump LOL

More later!

Bianca Gubalke on Google Wave

Bianca Gubalke on Google Wave – I am excited about this future-oriented new Communication and Collaboration tool on the Web – and I thank the friend who invited me. As yes. . .  it needs an invitation… and it’s early days. However,  Google Wave can only be as good as the people who actually have it, set it up, test it, work with it and play with it. People like you and me who firstly create and then ride the Google Wave. . .

The Internet is a pretty wet affair… from surfing to waving. . . we stay in the waters and if I look outside it’s a wave all over, a curtain of a wave of pouring rain, day and night, since a week… where is our sunny, hot and simply stunning South African summer? A summer we love to spend on Noordhoek Beach as the kid below just a month or so ago. . . ?

Let’s quickly look at Google Wave. It has a simple layout consisting of 4 modules:

* Navigation in the left column, top – consider it your Inbox

* Contacts in the left column, bottom – sort of your Addressbook or List of Friends (with pictures)

* List of Active Waves in your Inbox – in the middle column

* New or Open Wave in the right column – here is where things happen, here you can write, comment, add images, respond via audio or video, add gadgets (like games, puzzles, ratings, conferences, Google Earth…)  and robots ( eg. for surveys amongst Wave collaborators).

If you are fortunate enough to get a Google Wave account, do what I did right away and check out the many short yet explicit videos that illustrate the many features – and then play with them!

Bianca Gubalke on Google Wave

As with any Social Network, you want to set up your Profile in a professional and branded way. Besides, Google is the Master of the Internet in a way and has found the many versions of YOU anyway – be it in form of Blogs, Websites and other Links.

My Profile about “Bianca Gubalke on Google Wave” is a reflection of what I set up on my general Bio and Profile HERE. If you wish to have a Profile that you can link to from everywhere on the Internet, register for a free account right there and I teach you how to have your own Google-efficient page. Once done, you never have to worry about it again. . . just do the occasional update. The difference here is that this page is under YOUR control – not that of any Social Network or other Program. Be and stay independent – as far as that’s possible on Web2.0.

What still needs to be added is my Picasa Album, which I will do in the near future – then it’s all about the Wave!

What do you do on Google Wave?

A good question: What do you do on Google Wave?

Google Wave is still in a development stage and I assume that those who are fortunate enough to test it right now will provide lots of feedback and valuable input for improvements and adaptations to common needs.

Once the excitement of the new trend is over, I could imagine a very useful tool to work directly on projects with ones’ collaborators and partners from anywhere in the world. This is the thrilling concept behind it as far as I am concerned. If one can stop the spam before it starts and really work within an open yet private and respected environment – that would be perfect!

Here are just a few Benefits that simply trigger faster Action more often:

* The moment someone comes online, one would know through the green mark. Action!

* The moment a wave is updated or gets a new comment, one would know and be able to check immediately without losing time. Action!

* If something needs commenting – it’s instant, whether in the open or in form of private replies.

* If something needs the direct contact – say a document or article needs to be discussed in real time – voila! Let’s talk or even start a conference! Instant Action!

These are amazing possibilities saving  time and making teamwork faster, smoother and more efficient – not to speak about excluding misunderstandings right away through immediate interaction.
What always amazes me with Google is the amount of foresight and preparation at the highest levels. But then if not them… who else could deliver at that level in the virtual world?

So let’s learn all about the new tool and expect lots more to be coming from Google Wave in the future!

Learn Google Wave at Ycademy Seminars

To learn more about Google Wave at Ycademy Seminars get one of the few privileged tickets for the Ycademy November Seminar on 21 and 22 November 2009, totally online and recorded for Seminar participants! Knowledge is Power – and Ycademy Seminars add Action to it, guiding you forward on your personal “Path to Profitability”.

. . .

Read more…

• Google Wave Communication Tools
• Branding your Website
• YORGOO Blaster for Online Tax Filing
• Your biggest Capital Online
• Communication with Birds

Bianca Gubalke on Google Wave

Bianca Gubalke on Google Wave – I am excited about this future-oriented new Communication and Collaboration tool on the Web – and I thank the friend who invited me. As yes. . .  it needs an invitation… and it’s early days. However,  Google Wave can only be as good as the people who actually have it, set it up, test it, work with it and play with it. People like you and me who firstly create and then ride the Google Wave. . .

The Internet is a pretty wet affair… from surfing to waving. . . we stay in the waters and if I look outside it’s a wave all over, a curtain of a wave of pouring rain, day and night, since a week… where is our sunny, hot and simply stunning South African summer? A summer we love to spend on Noordhoek Beach as the kid below just a month or so ago. . . ?

Let’s quickly look at Google Wave. It has a simple layout consisting of 4 modules:

* Navigation in the left column, top – consider it your Inbox

* Contacts in the left column, bottom – sort of your Addressbook or List of Friends (with pictures)

* List of Active Waves in your Inbox – in the middle column

* New or Open Wave in the right column – here is where things happen, here you can write, comment, add images, respond via audio or video, add gadgets (like games, puzzles, ratings, conferences, Google Earth…)  and robots ( eg. for surveys amongst Wave collaborators).

If you are fortunate enough to get a Google Wave account, do what I did right away and check out the many short yet explicit videos that illustrate the many features – and then play with them!

Bianca Gubalke on Google Wave

As with any Social Network, you want to set up your Profile in a professional and branded way. Besides, Google is the Master of the Internet in a way and has found the many versions of YOU anyway – be it in form of Blogs, Websites and other Links.

My Profile about “Bianca Gubalke on Google Wave” is a reflection of what I set up on my general Bio and Profile HERE. If you wish to have a Profile that you can link to from everywhere on the Internet, register for a free account right there and I teach you how to have your own Google-efficient page. Once done, you never have to worry about it again. . . just do the occasional update. The difference here is that this page is under YOUR control – not that of any Social Network or other Program. Be and stay independent – as far as that’s possible on Web2.0.

What still needs to be added is my Picasa Album, which I will do in the near future – then it’s all about the Wave!

What do you do on Google Wave?

A good question: What do you do on Google Wave?

Google Wave is still in a development stage and I assume that those who are fortunate enough to test it right now will provide lots of feedback and valuable input for improvements and adaptations to common needs.

Once the excitement of the new trend is over, I could imagine a very useful tool to work directly on projects with ones’ collaborators and partners from anywhere in the world. This is the thrilling concept behind it as far as I am concerned. If one can stop the spam before it starts and really work within an open yet private and respected environment – that would be perfect!

Here are just a few Benefits that simply trigger faster Action more often:

* The moment someone comes online, one would know through the green mark. Action!

* The moment a wave is updated or gets a new comment, one would know and be able to check immediately without losing time. Action!

* If something needs commenting – it’s instant, whether in the open or in form of private replies.

* If something needs the direct contact – say a document or article needs to be discussed in real time – voila! Let’s talk or even start a conference! Instant Action!

These are amazing possibilities saving  time and making teamwork faster, smoother and more efficient – not to speak about excluding misunderstandings right away through immediate interaction.
What always amazes me with Google is the amount of foresight and preparation at the highest levels. But then if not them… who else could deliver at that level in the virtual world?

So let’s learn all about the new tool and expect lots more to be coming from Google Wave in the future!

Learn Google Wave at Ycademy Seminars

To learn more about Google Wave at Ycademy Seminars get one of the few privileged tickets for the Ycademy November Seminar on 21 and 22 November 2009, totally online and recorded for Seminar participants! Knowledge is Power – and Ycademy Seminars add Action to it, guiding you forward on your personal “Path to Profitability”.

. . .

Read more…

• Google Wave Communication Tools
• Branding your Website
• YORGOO Blaster for Online Tax Filing
• Your biggest Capital Online
• Communication with Birds

Facebook Fanpage

Creating a Facebook Fanpage from our WordPress has become possible and, accordingly, this month’s (current) Ycademy Seminar November 2011 focuses on setting up the Best WP based Facebook Fanpage based on our purpose and online media marketing requirements.

Facebook Fanpage

The question to ask ourselves is: “Who would we like to attract… where… how… and why?” and definitely, we would only want to ‘talk’ to serious people who have an interest in what we are doing, offering or showing them and from where we can expect some interesting ‘conversation’. I am still amazed how this form of terminology is being translated and adapted to a modern online format – but since this is fast becoming the norm, we’ve got to learn the language and be … ‘cool’. LOL

How do we do this – especially if we don’t have the time nor the interest of hanging out on Social Networks all day long as we are busy doing our real business – in my case Web Design and Media related stuff that needs absolute focus, concentration and trips in the ‘real’ world without even a smartphone or any other form of line to attach me … duuuh, which Aquarius likes that anyway???

Talking Facebook Fanpage right now, this is what we are elaborating right now. . . and what you see above is my so-called “Reveal Page”.

What does this mean?

It simply means that only people who have clicked on “Like” get the Inside Story! To others this remains hidden… So while online marketing remains a numbers game at the end of the day, this kind of approach definitely puts quality (meaning the quality of an online relationship…) above quantity.

Having spent some time on Social Networks over the past 2 months or so, and having built some contact of value… I can say, this is what I ‘like’.

Web Design with Passion

My Author Blog Bianca Gubalke stands for “Web Design with Passion” which obviously encompasses many areas of interest… be it Web Development, Web Design, Media Design, Photography, Graphic Design, Editing and Publishing to name the main categories. Once the Facebook Fanpage has been ‘liked’, these categories can be directly accessed and conversation can begin.

The technical setup and implementation will be subject of today’s second day at the Ycademy Seminar. I will be back soon!

Communication with Birds

Communication with Birds is a red thread through my life. . . but this was definitely a Cape White-eye SOS this morning! Panic in my garden!

Social Networks

These tiny birds form large “social networks” outside the breeding season and often visit flowering bushes or berry-bearing plants in large flocks – appearing like shimmering clouds feeding on insects and nectar, berries, fruit and small grains.

As in all Social Networks (in one way or another), Cape White-eyes are very vocal and can easily be distinguished by their soft trilled pee, pree or pirreee callnotes that they use to stay connected, however, what I heard this morning was a highly agitated pitch varying in volume and tempo. . .

Communication with Birds

One doesn’t need a degree in Communication with Birds to understand if something is wrong – and to react accordingly… and fast!

MadMax was with me, so it wasn’t the cat… but it could be a snake, a hawk or a mongoose… to name just a few of many possibilities.

Cape White-eye

Guided by what turned out to be the parents, I discovered a tiny little Cape White-eye (Zosterops pallidus, ‘Glasogie’ in Afrikaans) sitting motionless on the ground – an easy prey for any predator. I had to operate fast to capture the little being and get it into a safe, warm place – while the parents fluttered in great distress around me. . . and MadMax already watched my movements with great interest from my studio. Getting him out there and me inside – the adorable little being warmly covered with my hands – was not an easy operation, however, he also seemed to . . . understand!

Finally, I could check this tiny feather ball without finding any external damage, caress it and get some life back into it… while the parents watched through the windows, cheering with their little voices.

When I was called to my PC to answer a call… the idea of  “Cape White-eye Online” was born!

I took a series of quick – and far from optimal shots photographically speaking – with my Logitech camera, however, you rarely get a Cape White-eye chick this close in front of your lens! And how exciting and touching: you see how it basically ‘woke up’ and then flew onto a window sill – an indication that after all it was well! it could fly!

So I caught it gently and took it to the golden Solandra Maxima tree I told you about in an earlier post – where I know many birds are currently breeding – and let it fly into the air! It was wonderful to see it happy and free… and immediately its parents were around with some tremolo chirps… and life continued as normal!

Read more…

• Malachite Sunbird
• Malachite Sunbird
• Google Wave Communication Tools
• Google Wave Communication Tools
• Sun Sneakers or Snow Hoppers

Facebook Business Account

What is the difference between a Business and a Personal Account? Which is the ideal solution for you and what are the implications of your choice?

First of all, be aware that according to Facebook rules you are not allowed to use multiple Facebook Accounts. However, you may create multiple Advertizing Accounts as a Managed Advertiser having a dedicated Facebook Representative.

You can set up a Facebook Business Account, if you don’t already have a standard account,

Business Accounts are mainly designed for Advertisers and to manage pages.

To create a business account you start by setting up a Facebook Ad or a Facebook Page.Once you have provided the required information, you will be taken to the log-in page and you will be asked if you have already a Facebook Account.  Select “I do not have a Facebook account” and continue by providing email and date of birth.

As the owner of a Business Account you can view and edit your pages and ads, add photos or videos and consult stats relating to your pages and ads.

You cannot see other users profiles or timelines as Business Accounts have limited access to information of Facebook.

You cannot see Facebook content that does not live on your pages.

Business accounts cannot be found on search or added as friends.

Business accounts cannot send or receive Friends Requests.

A business account can be converted into a regular account. Once done, the process cannot be reversed.

The big disadvantage of Business Accounts are their absence from the internal search and friend feature, making it almost compulsory to spend big time and/or money to promote the content.

• facebook business account
• facebook
• disadvantage of business account in facebook
• facebook managed advertisers who have a dedicated facebook representative
• what is a business account on facebook

Related posts:

1. Facebook and Home Business
2. Facebook Strategy with WordPress
3. Facebook Marketing 2
4. Best Facebook Pages
5. Facebook Marketing

High Visibility on Facebook

How about getting high visibility on Facebook without wasting your time there? We will answer this question at tonight’s Ycademy workshop. The idea is to publish to Facebook and to the Facebook related search engines from your own professionally tuned Semiomantics site, preserving at the same time the full control over your  copyrights, your creations, posts and other media content.

mouche_de_beurre2Move your mouse over image or click to enlarge

Mouche de Beurre for Laetitia Paris

Here is what we will look into tonight:

1. 10 Smart ways to gain visibility on Facebook

Lots of smart tips can be found online, however, most are just a lot of work without any real impact. We have sorted the good from the bad and show you what actually works.

2. 3 Efficient Facebook Marketing Strategies

Marketing is not just business; it applies also to individuals. Consider that well wrapped up exhibitionism is what it takes to gain Facebook popularity and you will understand that we are in the field of marketing, re-looking, styling, and showing e-affection hungry individuals the way to the e-Nirvana.

3. 2 Must Have Tools to use Facebook for your Purpose

It’s about connectivity and conversation and it’s about “being found”.

4. 1 Must Have Web site script for Remote Social Publishing

I guess you know what this is all about: the most powerful publishing framework signed Semiomantics.

Author: Yorgo Nestoridis, Media Marketing & Publishing, Founder of YORGOO Publishing, YORGOO Press and Semiomantics. If you enjoyed reading the above, please consider following future tips and strategies by RSS reader, Email delivery, or Kindle subscription.

Read also:

• Facebook and Home Business
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• WordPress for Authors Seminar
• Google Top 10 Dominate your Keyword
• Social Network Publishing

Watercolor Online

Watercolor Online – is this possible?

I loved doing watercolors in the good old days before the PC entered my life, and I still admire artists who really know how to create this form of spontaneously controlled Artwork where everything needs to flow to give a satisfactory if not stunning result.

Either it’s good – or it’s for the waste bin… there’s no inbetween!

The question for me now is:

Can one really achieve anything online that gives a result that can be compared in terms of visual appearance to the traditional Watercolor Technique – Wet in Wet, Washing, Glazing and the subtle methods of dropping colors into the wetness, lifting superfluous pigments off and working over it all when completely dry with a dry brush?

Watercolor Online

Watercolor Online may not be everyone’s cup of tea, however, most people are equipped with digital cameras and can capture their favorite motives – in my case Pictures from my Garden.

Honey Bee on a Bottlebrush

To see whether I could get anywhere near the impression of  Watercolor Online, I manipulated a digital image I took of a Honeybee on a Bottlebrush in Photoshop… and while I obviously have a bigger original, here’s a small version of my series on the topic  “Honey Bee on a Bottlebrush”.

Another question was the presentation on something more ’tissue-like’ without distorting the image itself… and as I have a transparent background on my Author Blog here was the next challenge.

I’m working on more . . .

…

This page is wiki editable click here to edit this page.

Read more…

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• Wegowell Publishing
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• New Web Design for Auctiontalk Live
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Google Wave Seminar by Ycademy

Google Wave will be featured on Ycademy’s November Online Seminar on Saturday-Sunday 21/22 November 2009.

Get your Google Wave Invitation

All seminar participants will get an invitation to Google Wave. Please consider that Google needs to “lick a lot of stamps” to send out the invites; the latest invitations we sent out took 5 days to reach destination.

How to Participate at the Seminar

The Main Topic of the Seminar is Social Network Publishing, Google wave will occupy only about a third of the time of the seminar. To register for the seminar, please click HERE.

Once you are registered, please send a mail to Bianca (at) ycademy.com specifying your Gmail address, so we can invite you to Google Wave.

Some Features of Google Wave

The fun of Google Wave is in the customization of the Tool. You can use it exactly for what you want by pulling in extensions and applications.

Vouliagmeni on Google Wave

Vouliagmeni on Google Wave

Show your friends where you live with a click of the mouse: here you see the insert of Vouliagmeni on Google Wave.

Record Audio Messages

Sound Recorder

Play Sudoku on Google Wave

Sudoku on Google Wave

On Google Wave you can play Sudoku allone or with and against friends – collaborative Sudoku so to speak :-).

Video Chat on Google Wave

At any time just insert a Video Chat:

Video Chat on Google Wave

Add Google Search results to your Wave

Google Search Results can easily be shared by Wave:

Add Google Search to the Conversation

Collaborate with Google Wave

During the seminar we will use Google Wave as Collaborative Platform and use the tool in a productive way. You will enjoy!

Author: Yorgo Nestoridis, Media Marketing & Publishing, Founder of YORGOO Publishing, YORGOO Press and Semiomantics. If you enjoyed reading the above, please consider following future tips and strategies by RSS reader, Email delivery, or Kindle subscription.

Read also:

• Google Wave on Yorgo Nestoridis
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Malachite Sunbird

The Malachite Sunbird – or so-called Green Sugarbird – is endemic to the Cape Peninsula, right at the tip of Africa. It depends on the many nectar-producing plant species and the insects attracted to them on which they feed  – especially the sugarbush Protea, the Pincushion Protea Leucospermum and Pagodas Mimetes, as well as Eucalyptus trees, Agave americana, and the New Zealand Christmas Tree (Metrosideros excelsa) – all of which I grow in my garden here in Noordhoek.

Malachite Sunbird Stamp

The Malachite Sunbird and its joyful voice is such a typical presence down here in South Africa that I decided to dedicate one of my specially designed stamps to it!

Voila the Malachite Sunbird Stamp!

. . .

Read more…

• Malachite Sunbird
• Landscapes Photography
• Communicating with Dolphins
• Communicating with Dolphins II
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Malachite Sunbird

Malachite Sunbirds (Nectarinia famosa, 1766, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa ) are beautiful little emerald jewels on flurry wings. Attracted by the rich colourful proteas and many other flowering species in my garden, I have a couple of them breeding and it’s not rare they even come into my Studio… the event being an absolute highlight for MadMad, my hunter-hearted cat! It really gets the adrenaline up on all sides. . .

Malachite Sunbird

Malachite Sunbirds – also called Green Sugarbirds -  are extremely fast and often mistaken for colibris, who are much smaller though.  I had not yet taken the time to really wait patiently with my Nikon Coolpix P90 to eternalize these adorable little beings, but they come and greet me every morning and evening with their distinctive voices and cascading songs… and yesterday I quickly caught a male on the large Strelitzia Nicolai on my terrace – and this while the storm was roaring and stripes of rain dimmed the light.

Imagine the colours in full sunlight! It’s a photo still to be made… but the rains continue down here at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa – which is totally unusual for this time of the year.

Wildlife Art

From Digital Photography to Wildlife Art – I just love this combination and can lose myself completely in it. I did publish a few of the many artistic versions I created with Photoshop in my Gallery… and these are just some delightful experiments, however, they gave me some ideas for commercialization that I will be investigating and possibly putting into practice. Nothing I haven’t done in my ‘low-tech’ past as an artist. . . sometimes one just needs a hint to remember :)

Exciting!

Read more…

• Landscapes Photography
• Google Wave Communication Tools
• Google Wave Communication Tools
• Sun Sneakers or Snow Hoppers
• Sun Sneakers or Snow Hoppers