Category: Inspiration

Sitejet Review And Appraisal

WordPress is a powerful CMS to build websites, but it’s not the only website builder that one should consider for creating and managing great sites.The Internet is full of WordPress alternatives, but most of them do not remotely come close to Wordpress as this. Sitejet however, is one of its kind. As a great CMS and website builder, Sitejet helps you in creating and managing your custom website. Unlike other website builders, it targets professional web designers to create websites for their clients as well as self builders, so here, in a departure from Wordpress or ClassicPress, we down tools in the bunker to have a look!

Sitejet remains flexible and helpful by offering web designers to export their websites on their desired host. This way, you’re free to go anywhere, unlike Squarespace, Weebly and Wix users.

Sitejet Review

Sitejet review

Before we start, here’s a quick video intro of Sitejet.

Well, let’s move to the Sitejet review and see why this is still a good CMS for designers and developers who for one reason or another, do not need a full blown Wordpress or ClassicPress build.

Website Builder

Website builders are very handy while designing great UI. You can actually see the changes you make.

The WYSIWYG Editor (What You See Is What You Get) is included in every Sitejet plan. So, you will be able to see what you are building and how the frontend will look once you’re done with it.

Automatic Website Generator

If you want to create a website from scratch, then this feature is for you. All you need to do is, enter a few details about your project and let the AI-based system work. Quick and easy!

Automated Backups

For WordPress backups, we could use tools like ManageWP, VaultPress, or a plugin like BackupBuddy. While choosing a plugin, we might want to initiate a backup manually.

If you use Sitejet for hosting your website, you will get automated backups. So, your hard work is always safe.

If anything like a database crash or hack happens, you can easily restore the website from a previous backup.

Responsive Designs

Every template they created is 100% responsive. This means that the website will fit every mobile, desktop, and tablet screen. However, if you plan to create a custom website, it will also be responsive.

Unlimited Visits

Some web hosting companies like Kinsta and WP Engine will limit the visits we get on our websites. So, as our business grows, we might want to move to a more expensive plan.

With Sitejet, you won’t get a warning sign on the frontend after exceeding the limit. There are no additional costs for using all those resources. You can get unlimited visits on your website.

CDN

With just a click of your mouse, you can serve your website files through a CDN (Content Delivery Network). A slow website is not good for both SEO and user experience, especially if you are running an eCommerce business.

Serving the contents from a CDN will speed up the website loading. It will not only help in ranking your website better on the search engines but will also result in increasing conversions.

SSL and DDoS Protection

If you are running an online shop, you might want to consider using an SSL certificate on it. It will boost the confidence of the customer while paying on your website. I am saying it again – if you are accepting payments on your website, an SSL certificate is a must-have.

You can enable the SSL certificate from the Sitejet dashboard. Also, as an additional security option, there’s a DDoS protection feature available.

The system will block every IP that is trying to log in to the admin panel using the wrong credentials. It is an additional layer of security.

Pre-Built Templates

Creating websites from scratch can take a lot of time; hence, instead of building sites from scratch, you can import pre-made templates to your live site! You can choose the colors, layout, etc. for manual work.

But, here, they gave us every template we need!

They have categorized the layouts like:

  • Multi-Pager.
  • One-Pager.
  • Landingpage.

Selecting a different layout option will filter the results and show you those specific ones.

Also, they have the main category like:

  • Art.
  • Business.
  • Blog.
  • Services.
  • Shop.
  • Health.
  • IT.
  • Legal.

You could import any of the pre-made templates or completely create one from scratch.

The template section will also show you a live preview of the demo. So, you can check it, verify the features, and make sure that you are using the right one.

Integrations

By integrating Sitejet with your favorite apps, software, and services, you can be more productive. There are a ton of integrations available.

Some of the major integrations are:

  • Google Analytics.
  • Hotjar.
  • Booking.com.
  • Salesforce.
  • Helpscout.
  • Facebook Messenger.
  • Intercom.
  • Google Ads.
  • Zapier.
  • Aweber.
  • ConvertKit.

Well, if you got a Zapier account, you can integrate your project with thousands of apps. It’s a very good service, and if you need any help regarding integration, you can refer to their documentation.

If you need more personal care, feel free to contact their support team. They will come and assist you personally.

Plans

There are 3 premium plans available.

  • Professional.
  • Team.
  • Agency.

Each plan will allow you to host 1 website for free. If you want to host more, you would need to spend $5 every month for the additional websites. Also, the automatic website generator is available on every plan.

So with just a few mouse clicks, you can create your custom website.

You can choose a plan according to your use. If you want the basic features only, the professional plan is good. It comes with the most basic features.

And for more advanced ones, you might want to take a look at other plans. Or, if you want a custom plan, you can contact the sales team and design a custom one according to your ideas.

The Team plan comes with a 14-days moneyback guarantee. So if you are not sure how Sitejet will work, you can utilize those 14 days for learning.

And if you think Sitejet is not the right option for you, you can easily claim a refund from the team.

Get Started With Sitejet

So, are you ready to move forward with Sitejet CMS? Then just click the button below to get started.

Try Sitejet

I hope you found this Sitejet review helpful and enjoyed reading it. If you did, please consider sharing this post with your friends and fellow bloggers on social media. If you enjoyed this post, why not check out this article on Top Wordpress or ClassicPress Forum Themes!

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Filed under: Development, InspirationTagged with: ,

Modular Design For Front End Developers

As a front-end developer, nailing the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is relatively easy. It’s learning how to write, architecture, and organize your code in a maintainable way that’s challenging. Using modular code for front-end development can make your experience significantly more enjoyable and efficient. In a nutshell, taking a modular design approach lets you write code and building block patterns for repeated use. The result is being able to add, remove, and replace elements on your site with ease. In this post, I’ll explain what a modular approach to design is and what its benefits are. Then I’ll look at three tips for adopting it as a WordPress developer. An Introduction to Modular Design

Modules are building blocks for a website. They let you create beautiful web pages and functional, aesthetically-pleasing sites for your clients: In this context, a module refers to an element with set functionalities that aren’t tied to the site’s layout. Common examples include forms and buttons. While they may not have the same style, they are used to perform similar functions.

Modular design, also known as ‘atomic design’, is the practice of grouping site elements into patterns that are reusable. The best way to think about modular design is to liken it to building with Legos.

In other words, modules are versatile bricks, each self-contained, that can be arranged and rearranged in whatever order you wish. Each one has the same padding between elements. The result is a grid-like pattern that makes it easier to move the elements around, without disrupting the rest of the content on the page.

The Benefits of a Modular Approach to Web Design

There are many benefits of using modular code for front-end development. The first is that it lets you make changes quickly and easily. As a designer, you know that client approvals and redesigns can stall project timelines.

Plus, templates can be rigid and sometimes limiting. You’re often restricted to using certain elements in the pre-structured content spaces. Modular designs, on the other hand, are more flexible and easier to amend. Fewer mockups are needed, minimizing the development, approval, and deployment process.

Additionally, you can recreate pages using a different variation of the same modules with ease. This can make the deployment of future sites significantly quicker. In addition, it makes the design experience more manageable and organized as projects get bigger and more complex.

Modular design also presents the opportunity for you to create sites that are more modern and clean looking. This type of design creates a clear distinction between elements. This makes them easier to navigate and simpler to adapt as responsive for mobile devices – ultimately resulting in a better User Experience (UX).

3 Tips for Getting Started With a Modular Approach to Front-End Development

If you’re sold on the benefits of modular design, the good news is that it’s not difficult to adopt this strategy. Let’s take a look at three tips you can use for getting started with a modular approach to front-end development.

1. Use a Preprocessor Such as Sass

CSS preprocessors are scripting languages that make it easier to extend CSS’s default capabilities. You can incorporate variables, functions, mixins, etc. to produce more logical code. Preprocessors are an effective way to improve your workflow as a front-end developer.

There are a handful of preprocessors to choose from. One you might consider using is Sass

The Sass website homepage.

Sass is a stylesheet language compiled to CSS, which can make your stylesheet both modular and more scalable. You can use it to turn a large stylesheet into one that is more organized and maintainable. The Sassy CSS (SCSS) language of Sass is similar to CSS, so its principles are pretty easy to adopt.

Once you install Sass in a local staging environment, you can use it for creating built-in modules. We recommend familiarizing yourself with the basics before getting started.

Fortunately, there are many online resources available that you can leverage to gain a better understanding of modular CSS architecture. For example, you might consider taking this Modular CSS with Sass course to improve your Scalable and Modular Architecture for CSS (SMACSS) skills.

Susy

Not someones girlfriend, but a Web Layout Toolkit. Susy is a lightweight grid-layout engine for Sass, designed to simplify and clarify responsive grid layouts without ever getting in your way. You can use Susy with floats, flexbox, tables, or any other CSS technique.

2. Download the Advanced Custom Fields Plugin

As a front-end developer, you’re no stranger to the convenience WordPress plugins offer for extending capabilities. When it comes to modular design, a particularly useful tool you may want to consider installing is Advanced Custom Fields:

The Advanced Custom Fields WordPress plugin.

This plugin lets you add your own fields to your WordPress edit screens. You can place them anywhere in theme template files.

Once you install and activate the plugin, you can use it to create a new Field Group. Each ‘field group’ has a designated layout where you can define your own modules that are post-specific:

Settings page for the Advanced Custom Fields WordPress plugin.

In each module, you can include a defined set of fields, each with a wide range of formats to choose from. With the Flexible Content and Repeater field features (available with the Pro version), you can build a series of modules to apply and reuse on any page.

3. Be Clear and Consistent When Naming and Defining Elements

When it comes to writing maintainable code, consistency is key. This is another reason we recommend familiarizing yourself with SMACSS best practices. At the core of this are five types of categories:

  1. Base
  2. Layout
  3. Style
  4. Module
  5. Theme

With the CSS rules divided into five categories, it’s easier to achieve clarity and understanding through naming conventions. Jonathan Snook, the creator of SMACSS, suggests using classes over IDs and element selectors for modules.

When naming classes for modular design, the goal is to make them generic enough to be reusable. However, they should still be specific enough to make finding and understanding them easy. It’s a smart idea to separate classes to define how the elements fit into a layout as well as how they’re styled.

Let’s say you’re creating a callout module. You can simply name the class after the module: .callout. If you wanted to add a state to the module, you could add .is-state. A collapsed callout, therefore, would look like this: .callout.is-collapsed.

Sass offers more guidance and advice on modular CSS naming conventions. Once you choose and establish an approach to naming elements, the key lies in keeping it consistent over time.

Conclusion

Like any front-end developer, you probably want your approach to creating client sites to be as easy, efficient, and manageable as possible. However, the bigger and more complex design projects get, the more difficult this becomes. This is why modular design is worth considering for front-end development.

As we discussed in this article, three tips you can use for getting started with modular design include:

  1. Using a preprocessor such as Sass.
  2. Downloading the Advanced Custom Fields plugin.
  3. Being clear and consistent when naming and defining elements.

Do you have any questions about using a modular design approach? Let me know in the comments below, and if you enjoyed this post, why not check out this article on WordPress Building Trends For 2020!

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Filed under: Development, Inspiration, WordpressTagged with: ,