GoMedia will be closed from Friday 23 December 2011 – Monday 9 January 2012. During this time urgent technical website support will still be provided although phone support will be unavailable during this closed period. We appreciate your understanding during this time to enable the team to refresh ready for the new year ahead.

For general website questions and support, existing clients will have unlimited 24 hour access to our knowledge and support base.

From everyone at the GoMedia team, we extend our wishes to our amazing clients and friends over this holiday season. Let’s be merry.

Easier Uploading

File Type Detection 

Instead of needing to click on a specific upload icon based on your file type, now there’s just one. Once your file is uploaded, the appropriate fields will be displayed for entering information based on the file type.

Drag-and-Drop Media Uploader

Adding photos or other files to posts and pages just got easier. Drag files from your desktop and drop them into the uploader.Add one file at a time, or many at once.

Dashboard Design

Flyout Menus

Speed up navigating the dashboard and reduce repetitive clicking with the new flyout submenus. As you hover over each main menu item in your dashboard navigation, the submenus will magically appear, providing single-click access to any dashboard screen.

Header + Admin Bar = Toolbar

To save space and increase efficiency, the admin bar and the old Dashboard header have been combined into one persistent toolbar. Hovering over the toolbar items will reveal submenus when available for quick access.

Help Tabs

The Help tabs located in the upper corner of the dashboard screens below your name have gotten a facelift. Help content is broken into smaller sections for easier access, with links to relevant documentation and the support forums always visible.

Content Tools

Better Co-Editing

Have you ever gone to edit a post after someone else has finished with it, only to get an alert that tells you the other person is still editing the post? From now on, you’ll only get that alert if another person is still on the editing screen — no more time lag.

Tumblr Importer

Want to import content from Tumblr to WordPress? No problem! Go to Tools ? Import to get the new Tumblr Importer, which maps your Tumblog posts to the matching WordPress post formats. Tip: Choose a theme designed to display post formats to get the greatest benefit from the importer.

Widget Improvements

Changing themes often requires widget re-configuration based on the number and position of sidebars. Now if you change back to a previous theme, the widgets will automatically go back to how you had them arranged in that theme. Note: if you’ve added new widgets since the switch, you’ll need to rescue them from the Inactive Widgets area.

Under the Hood

Flexible Permalinks

You have more freedom when choosing a post permalink structure. Skip the date information or add a category slug without a performance penalty.

jQuery and jQuery UI

WordPress now includes the entire jQuery UI stack and the latest version of jQuery: 1.7.1.

is_main_query()

This handy method will tell you if a WP_Query object is the main WordPress query or a secondary query.

WP_Screen API

WordPress has a nice new API for working with admin screens. Create rich screens, add help documentation, adapt to screen contexts, and more.

Editor API Overhaul

The new editor API automatically pulls in all the JS and CSS goodness for the editor. It even supports multiple editors on the same page.

Have you upgraded to 3.3 and love/ hate any of the new features? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Google Analytics Real-Time

Real-Time reporting shows you traffic live on your site as it is happening! According to Google “The reports are updated continuously and each pageview is reported seconds after it occurs on your site.” Doesn’t this sound like a real addictive feature if nothing else. I can picture people sitting down on a Saturday night with box of butter popcorn watching as their site gets hit after hit. Maybe even a good idea for a drinking game. Of course though there are some great benefits to this and will certainly help during product launches or events just as an example.

Multi-Channel Funnels

Multi-Channel Funnels also looks very impressive. It will allow you to track and see how visitors eventually came to convert on your site based on all the different channels in place. According to Google the conversion path data will include interactions with many media channels, such as clicks from paid and organic searches, affiliates, social networks, and display ads. The following video should give you a pretty good idea of how it will work:

Watch this video on YouTube.

Mobile Reporting

This was bound to happen, and will prove to become more and more useful as mobile browsing continues to grow. Aspects that will be taken into account include how the visitors are browsing your site and also as a bonus what the visitors are using (device) to browse your site. This will be useful to help identify where you should be focusing you mobile optimisation and marketing. For example it may help to decide if you should release that iPhone app you have been planning.

Flow Visualization

This is probably the most useful features that I can see as the user experience is one of the most important. Using the Flow Visualization you can now graphically see how visitors navigate through your site. What links they click on, the browser they use, where they visit, how long they stay on each page, where your conversions are made and where there end up leaving. Vital tool in my opinion. Some more info in the video below for you:

Watch this video on YouTube.

Overall, I am pretty impressed by the update and we look forward to using it ourselves and for our clients. Which in that case feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions about using Google Analytics.

Source: Google Analytics Help

The 1300 number will enable our team to provide even better phone support and also assist you when contacting the team from enquires, sales and support.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the work we’ve been doing over these last few months. Leave or comment or as always, pop over to our Facebook or Twitter profiles and say hello to the team.

After the upgrade is complete, the existing GoMedia number will change from (07) 55 365 405 to (07) 56 412 223. Please note this information and be sure to update any existing contact information you may have stored or bookmarked.

We appreciae your pateince during this time and welcome you to contact the team via email at the following:

Support tickets: support@gomedia.com.au
Sales and general enquiries: enquires@gomedia.com.au

We’re always looking at ways to improve what we do, and a system upgrade will enable us to continue making the web simple!
The team @ GoMedia

Key features to WordPress 3.2

Firstly there are 5 key updates.

1. Support for Internet Explorer 6 has been dropped. You can still use IE 6 to access your dashboard, but you won’t get the best out of WordPress.
2. New default WordPress theme titled ‘Twenty Eleven’ which improves on ‘Twenty Ten’ with bigger slider features and a more robust interface design.
3. Full browser editing. This has got to be the best feature to come out of WordPress 3.2 with full screen editing, no distractions just pure content editing.
4. Redesigned dashboard that’s more polished. It’s one of the biggest updates to the WordPress dashboard since WordPress released 2.7 and the changers well welcomed.
5. Under the hood requirements. Along with a new theme and dashboard changes, this release officially drops support for older versions of PHP and MySQL. The new requirements mean that PHP 4 and MySQL 4 will no longer be supported. The new basic requirements are PHP 5.2.4 and MySQL 5.0.

Get started with a video

Even better? Why not get all the info you need about the WordPress 3.2 update from a video straight from the WordPress team.

If you haven’t already done so, updating is easy. Just log into your dashboard and activate the update link to 3.2.

What’s your fabourite feature with WordPress 3.2? We’re loving the full screen editor. Let us know your thoughts below.

Missie

Blogging is one of those things that can start from a thought, a feeling to share ones-self with the world, a desire to provide more valuable and tangible information or even make a passive online income. It’s a dear diary for the web and one that can take us places when never imagined (case in point, Pete Cashmore the guy behind mashable.com who is worth $3.8 million in 2010 from blogging alone).

But blogging is more than just an online diary. It can be an essential component to any online business. It provides valuable SEO, allows businesses to connect with new and existing clients and can mean the difference a website and THE website.

So when thinking about a blog for your website, it’s best to think outside the blog. Consider -

Just do it

Start your blog now. A blog is just a website (or an off-cut of your current website) and it’s nothing to run scared about. Taking those first steps can really make a difference with your website.

Open the front door to audience

Who will read it? Think about the tone or direction of your blog. Have fun and play a little. It’s a chance to show the inner workings of a business or provide valuable information to those who seek it.

The BLOG is the word!

How will people find your blog? A link from your website navigation or from your Facebook page? Make sure you get your blog noticed and spread the word to get visitors flocking in numbers.

Keep your customers coming

Think about building your blog visitors into repeat visitors. Blog with a personality and allow your audience to connect with you.

Fresh is best

Keep your posts coming. Fresh content and help with site rankings and build a valuable online presence.

Diversify!

Think outside the blog when it comes to your blog posts. We blog about everything from WordPress tips and tricks, to news on our latest home page changes and showcase our latest clients. It’s all about keeping a real approach and keeping your audience coming back for more.

It’s not difficult to start blogging or even to get a website online to blog. We can help you with that and can even give you the helping hand to start you in the right direction. All you need is the drive to put finger to keyboard to become the world’s latest (and greatest) blogger.

It’s an open mic below. Tell us your thoughts.

Missie | GoMedia blogger

We’ve also launched a new range of website packages to make it easier for you to get online in an instant. It’s a fuss free way to see what you’re getting from the GoMedia team with easy to understand pricing and payment options. Simple!

It’s a new way of thinking for us. We’re all about innovation, staying one set ahead of the rest to deliver products that suit you and your everyday needs. We’re not just a web solution company, we’re people who understand what’s important to our clients and what’s essential for you. It’s just one of the reason’s were making web simple.

Let us know what you think. As always, our front door is open to your thoughts about our change indirection. Tweet us too! We’re @_gomedia.

Missie | GoMedia Team

The team at Cross Training Tips have used the GoMedia ‘make your own website’ solution perfectly. Featuring YouTube integration and a blog style design, the website enables the target audience or ‘fitness lovers’ the ideal place to learn about Cross Training and connect with others alike. The website features interactive fitness tests, exercise planners and step by step fitness posts on a variety of fitness topics.

The Cross Training Tips website has gone from strength to strength, and owner Danny, shows that managing a website doesn’t need a university degree and can take a business to the next level. Congratulations to Danny and the team at CrossTrainingTips.com. We’re looking forward to watching your website go from strength to strength!

Have you got any comments for the Cross Training Tips team? Connect with us below!

Missie | GoMedia

But with so many to choose from, it can be hard enough choosing the right Plug-in for you. So done the dirty work and put together some helpful tips and videos to get you started on WordPress Plug-ins.

GoMedia WordPress Tutorial Knowledge Base

Here at the GoMedia Knowledge Base, you’ll find a comprehensive listing of all things WordPress including installing, choosing and using WordPress Plug-ins. We’ve also covered using the eCommerce Plug-in with a handy video tutorial.

Essential Plugins for WordPress

This video tutorial will make choosing those essential WordPress Plug-ins a breeze.

How to Install WordPress Plug-ins

Just starting out With WordPress Plug-ins? Learn each step how to easily install a WordPress Plug-in to your site.

Top WordPress Plug-ins

As more and more wonderful WordPress Plug-ins are developed, it makes choosing the right one even harder. Why not try some of these WordPress Plug-ins we think are some of the best going.

W3 Total Cache – This WordPress Plug-in makes the top of the list. Not only does it load your web pages faster but it stores static versions of your site, which means it requires much less CPU processing than using WordPress all by itself.

Gravity Forms – Gravity Forms is one of the best WordPress Form Plug-ins. The all-in-one Plug-in creates posts, allows image and media uploads, allows conditional logic, and so much more.

XML Sitemap & Google News Sitemap Feeds – This Plug-in dynamically creates feeds that comply with the XML Sitemap and Google News protocol for fast indexing by Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask and others. And it’s both Multi-Site and Multi-Lingual!

Redirection – Redirection is a must WordPress Plug-in to easily manage 301 redirections, keep track of 404 errors, and generally tidy up any loose ends your site may have. This is particularly useful if you are migrating pages from an old website, or are changing the directory of your WordPress installation.

Social Slider – The Social Slider Plug-in is one of the quickest ways to get people connecting and spreading your website around the web. The plugin displays on your website in an expandable box, that has links to social media profiles in different social sites.

Let’s chat

Since there’s thousands of WordPress Plug-ins available, the best way to discover more is from learning what others use to make their website. Comment below or tweet us (@_gomedia). Which plug-ins you use or would recommend to others?

Missie | GoMedia team