Free Goods Of The Week – Apr. 15
April 15, 2025
Free Goods Of The Week – Apr. 22
April 22, 2025
Valuable Tips | Interesting Articles This Week
Each WordPress release celebrates an artist who has left an indelible mark on music. WordPress 6.8, code-named “Cecil,” honors the legendary pianist and jazz pioneer Cecil Taylor. Classically trained yet relentlessly unconventional, Taylor reimagined the piano as a percussive instrument—layering tone clusters, polyphony, and rhythm into a sound both chaotic and precise. His music defied expectations.
2024 was the year of AI tools. Thousands of new apps launched — some just photo generators and gimmicks, others much more useful. What stood out to me were the tools that actually helped you get things done. This list comes from a16z’s AI Unwrapped , which largely features consumer apps for personal use. I’m calling out a few favorites from categories like productivity, audience growth, learning,
Custom GPTs Secrets: How to Get Great Results Every Time
Frustrated by inconsistent results from ChatGPT? Wonder how to get lightning-fast, high-quality outputs without using prompts? In this article, you’ll discover how to build and refine custom GPTs that consistently deliver reliable results—saving you time and helping you easily scale your content, marketing, or business workflows. Why Marketers and Entrepreneurs Should Use Custom GPTs While […]
How to Transform Still Images Into Live Videos for Free With the Latest AI Tools
The latest advancements in AI art have taken over the internet. It seems like many people are enjoying the ability to instantly make their vision come to life. One thing that hasn’t gotten as much attention is that you can take AI-generated images (or any images for that matter) and transform them into videos. In this quick guide, I’m going to show you just how you can do it.
What’s New in WordPress 6.8? (Features and Screenshots)
WordPress 6.8 is finally here ?, and we’ve been testing it since the early beta. It’s the first major release of 2025 with several important changes. You’ll notice speed improvements after the update, thanks to the new speculative loading feature that makes pages feel like they load before you click them. This update also introduces better design tools, stronger password protection, and a more p
Welcome aThemes to the WPBeginner Family of Products
Today, I’m extremely excited to share that aThemes is joining the Awesome Motive network, and they’re now part of the WPBeginner family of products . aThemes is a popular WordPress theme company known for building beautiful website templates that are optimized for speed and performance. Over 130,000+ websites use aThemes’ WordPress themes and plugins to build an online presence, launch online sto
EDD Cancellation Survey Review (Why Are Your Customers Leaving? Get Answers!)
Cancellations used to be a blind spot for us with our WordPress plugins. We had a general sense of why people might leave, but no consistent data to confirm it or to act on. After struggling to justify improvements without clear insights, we turned to the EDD Cancellation Survey plugin by WP Sunshine. We implemented […]
The HubSpot Blog’s TikTok Marketing Report: Insights from 1,000+ Social Media Marketers
I first downloaded TikTok during college to scroll through comedy and pop culture discourse. But then, as I grew as a marketer, I started seeing some serious potential everywhere. And I’m not the only one who noticed. TikTok has evolved beyond just dance trends and viral challenges into a genuine powerhouse for brands connecting with audiences authentically.
If three people are coming over for dinner, does that stress you out? What if it’s 17? If you’re giving a talk explaining your strategy to four people, does it feel like a high-risk event? What if it’s 54? How many more people are required before it flips to stressful? Because the last person is just one person. If you’re performing in an auditorium, there are still only thirty people you can see
WordCamp Europe 2025: Sali, Basel!
WordCamp Europe 2025 will be held in gorgeous Basel, Switzerland, from June 5 to 7. It will bring together open source enthusiasts, developers, and WordPress professionals from across the region—and the world! This year’s event offers fresh perspectives, engaging conversations, and countless opportunities to connect with the WordPress community, agencies, and innovators over three action-packed
How to Set Up Kinsta Automatic Plugin Updates (and Keep Round-the-Clock Site Security)
Robust site security starts (and sometimes ends) with a regular update strategy. Rather than manual updates though, you can go hands-off! This post will look at the Kinsta Automatic Updates functionality—a complement to the native WordPress auto updating.
Using AI to Get Your Business Branding Right — My Favorite Tips and Tools
I grew up a Nintendo kid (and yes, that includes the original NES console and Duck Hunt Zapper). For those who remember the Nintendo GameCube, you know a memorable brand experience. How could anyone forget this nine-second clip of branding brilliance? Whenever I think of “branding,” I go back to my memory of the GameCube boot-up screen and the feelings of joy and anticipation it evokes.
How to Add Login with Phone Number via OTP in WordPress
Remember when email and password were the only way to log into websites? Times have changed, and now many users expect the convenience of logging in with their phone numbers. After helping different people set up phone-based login systems on their WordPress sites, I’ve learned which methods work best – and which ones to avoid. I’ve tested everything from premium plugins to custom solutions to fin
How to win an argument with a toddler
You can’t. That’s because toddlers don’t understand what an argument is and aren’t interesting in having one. Toddlers (which includes defensive bureaucrats, bullies, flat earthers, folks committed to a specific agenda and radio talk show hosts) may indicate that they’d like to have an argument , but they’re actually engaging in connection, noise, play acting or a chance to earn status. It can be
Brand Building Brilliance from Best Buddies
Before this week’s master found her path to the nonprofit sector, she worked with big brands like Pepsi, Frito-Lay, and FedEx. And even founded her own small business clothing line. Now, she leads communications and partner engagement for state development initiatives for Best Buddies International, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of people with Intelligence.
In a hurried world with infinite content, it’s worth considering that you’re no longer paid by the word when you write, in fact, you should pay for every extra word you use. Be as brief as is useful.
It can take seven years to get a PhD. And a month to write a useful business plan or a year to write a book. And yet, when AI shows up, our mistake is thinking that if we can’t find useful brilliance in one simple prompt, it’s broken. Imagine what you could discover and create if you spent an hour focusing on just one piece of output. I’m seeing illustrations, narratives and research
Kinsta Automatic Updates: Everything You Need to Know!
As a WordPress site owner, you likely have a bunch of plugins installed on your site. You also have a few different themes that you like to switch between every now and then. The question is, are you keeping everything up to date? Because if you’re not, you’re exposing your site and your business to […]
How to Integrate Laravel into WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide
By themselves, Laravel and WordPress stand alone as solid and highly versatile tools for building websites and applications. Bring them together, and the result is a mighty powerhouse that combines the user-friendliness of a world-class content management system of a Content Management System with the strength and scalability of a powerful PHP framework. In this […]
WordPress Shifts to Only One Major Release in 2025: What to Expect
During the last week of March, nearly 30 WordPress core committers, project leaders, and team members gathered to discuss WordPress’ release schedule. According to the meeting notes, the conversation was prompted by organizations reducing their contribution hours to the WordPress project. Ultimately, project leadership decided that WordPress 6.8 will be the only major release of 2025. In this pos
Blocksy Review: A WordPress Theme With Functionality, Flexibility, and Powerful Customization
Choosing a theme is still one of the most relevant tasks you can undertake for your site. This Blocksy review will show you its take on classic presentation and user-centric functionality.
How to Embed Spotify in WordPress (2 Easy Methods)
Do you remember when sharing music on a website meant uploading MP3 files and dealing with clunky audio players? I sure do. Thankfully, many streaming services have made it easier to share music online, and Spotify is leading the way. As one of the world’s largest music platforms, it offers straightforward embedding options that work well with WordPress. As a music lover and WordPress user,
Let’s get rid of science class in school. Instead, beginning in kindergarten, we could devote a class to curiosity and explanation. A class that persistently and consistently teaches kids to ask why and to answer how. The unacceptable single-word answers are “because” and “magic.” Curiosity is a skill, and it can be taught.
Fake Font Domain Used to Skim Credit Card Data
Recently, a client of ours came to us concerned about credit card theft on their WordPress site. The client’s users reported that their credit card data had become compromised shortly after purchasing products on our client’s website. When investigating the site, two suspicious symptoms appeared: A strange credit card form, and an unfamiliar domain, which appeared on the website’s checkout page.
How to Automatically Generate Image Alt Text in WordPress Using AI
I love publishing articles with lots of screenshots and images in them. That also means for each article, I had to spend a lot of time writing alt text. For me, writing alt text is a tedious process. I often push it to the bottom of my to-do list despite knowing how crucial alt texts are for SEO and accessibility. That’s why I’ve dedicated a lot of time to testing various AI-powered alt text …
Short-Form Video Visual Effects: The Key to More Views and Sales
Tired of your short-form videos getting lost in the feed? Are you ready to learn the secrets to using visual effects to maximize your impact on social media? In this article, you’ll discover actionable tips and expert advice on using visual effects to create high-impact short-form videos that generate more views and improve conversions. Why […]
Designed, Designy or Well-designed?
If we create something with purpose, we’ve designed it. It’s not an accident. An axe handle is designed, and so is a symphony. Some things, though are designy . The designer’s fingerprints are all over it. The typefaces, knurled edges, needless heat sinks and homage to Dieter Rams are there for anyone who cares to look. Why use a word when a vague picture or two is available?
How to Add OAuth Login in WordPress (Step by Step)
I’ve learned that the easier you make it for users to log in to your website, the more likely they are to become active members and engage with your content. That’s where OAuth login comes in – it lets people sign in to your WordPress website with just one click using their existing social accounts like Google, Facebook, or X. But here’s the thing: while OAuth login sounds simple in theory, setti
Just because it’s useful, needed or worthwhile doesn’t mean it’s a good business. E-bikes are transforming cities and offering mobility to those who previously couldn’t afford it. But they’re a
Interesting Articles This Week
