One of the main requests you get as a developer from clients is to have a mailing list options on their website.

there are many options to create a mailing list.

you can let subscribers sign for a mail every time a post is published Subscribe2 does, provides a comprehensive subscription management and email notification system for WordPress blogs that sends email notifications to a list of subscribers when you publish new content to your blog.

you can also use a local program that runs on your client’s computer, let’s say you download something like 1st mass mailer, than you can let the client to import the new subscribers into a mailing list. (it’s the less comfortable way to do it).

and you can use the online tools for mailing list, most of them are very good, but they cost money. we really like mailchimp.

of course there are many great free and premium wordpress plugins for newsletter and mailing list, here are some of them:

Automatic Newsletter

This plugin will send a newsletter to everyone on your email list. You can specify how many recent posts it will send in the newsletter options under settings.

URL

Simple Newsletter Plugin

This plugin is a simple newsletter plugin. It can show opt-in form, save opt-in email and name, and send emails to your opt-in list. It also have import and export email data ability.

URL

Newsletter

This plug-in lets you collect subscribers on your blog with a single or double opt-in subscription process. Double opt-in means the user has to confirm a subscription following simple standard instructions sent to him via email.

URL

there is also a PRO version of this plugin, her:

http://www.satollo.net/plugins/newsletter-pro

MailChimp WordPress Plugin

The MailChimp WordPress plugin allows you to quickly and easily add your MailChimp signup form as a widget on your WordPress 2.3 or higher blog. See it in action on our own MailChimp Blog.

URL

*** try them all and find the one you like.

ENJOY

Popularity: 12% [?]

when developing for WordPress sometimes you need to code a bit or change some features in WordPress.  Hacking WordPress means using it not as a regular user with the obvious features, but to code PHP or change CSS when needed.

here are some cool and very helpful hacks:

Use pagination instead of “Next” and “Previous” Page Links

replace the next and previous links at the bottom of the loop with real php pagination.

source: http://www.catswhocode.com/blog/how-to-integrate-a-pagination-in-your-wordpress-theme

Remove <P> for paragraph from content, excerpt or comments

use remove_filter when the loop arrives to one of these parts:

add this to your theme file: functions.php

remove_filter (‘comment_text’, ‘wpautop’);

remove_filter (‘the_content’, ‘wpautop’);

remove_filter (‘the_excerpt’, ‘wpautop’);

Use Custom page as home

Create a new page, go to setting -> reading ->

and for “Front page displays” choose “A static page” and choose a page for your home.

read more here: http://bloggingexperiment.com/archives/wordpress-page-as-home-page.php

Create Single Post Template

unlike for pages, posts doesn’t have the ability to have their own template if not using single-ID or single-SLUG.

we do have a plugin for that – Single Post Template

and much more here:

Some useful links:

Compilation of WordPress Hacks - http://wphacks.com/wordpress-hacks/

22 Mixed Quality WordPress Hacks – http://www.instantshift.com/2009/06/15/22-mixed-quality-wordpress-hacks/

40+ Most Wanted WordPress Tricks And Hacks – http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/40-most-wanted-wordpress-tricks-and-hacks/

10 Killer WordPress Hacks – http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/01/07/10-killer-wordpress-hacks/

63 Essential WordPress Hacks, Tutorials, Help Files and Cheats – http://speckyboy.com/2008/03/08/63-essential-wordpress-hacks-tutorials-help-files-and-cheats/

Popularity: 9% [?]