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Create free, secure forms for your website with JotForm

2/4/2017

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JotForm is an online tool that allows you to create and customize fillable forms for your website. With thousands of pre-designed templates – like job applications, polls, marketing surveys and much more – and a variety of themes to choose from, you can be up and running in minutes. 


​Why would you need this? 

JotForm logo
If you use a website creation tool such as Weebly, Squarespace or WordPress for your site, you have pretty easy options for creating a form, but collecting data can be cumbersome – and if you don't have an SSL certificate, you're putting user data at risk.

Plus, with basic forms in Weebly and Squarespace, you don't have the option of allowing users to upload a file. If you want people to be able to upload a photo, resumé or document, you're stuck unless you install (and probably pay for) an app. 

With JotForm, once you sign up for a free account, create a form (using a plain or pre-designed theme) and connect it to your website, users are sent to a secure page to fill out information which gets logged into your JotForm account. You'll get an email when someone fills out the form, too, so you'll know right away when you receive a submission.
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You can provide a thank you message immediately upon submission of the form or else take people back to a page on your website. Want to send an immediate email follow-up? You can do that, too, as well as connect your data with other apps such as PayPal, Dropbox, Google Spreadsheets, MailChimp, SalesForce and more.
JotForm example
Like many online services, JotForm is a freemium, which means that you can use the basic services for free and then upgrade if you need more data storage, forms or reports. A free account offers up to 5 different form templates, 100 submissions per month, storage of up to 500 forms and unlimited fields within forms. Need more forms or storage space? Plans start at $19 per month. 

I've heard of a few issues with the size of forms and buttons on mobile devices, but for the most part, users seem really happy with the options and third party integrations available with this tool. 

Have you used JotForm or another form app for your website? Leave a comment below!


Note: 
Wise Penny has no affiliation with JotForm – we're just spreading the word on free resources for marketing teams and other businesses.
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How to find your website's broken links, fast and free

1/30/2017

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Imagine this scenario: You're online, searching for the perfect "something" you want to buy, or looking for the information you need to complete a report or solve a problem. You're sure you've found just what you want -- the answer to all your prayers -- when you click and . . . 

The link's broken. 404 Error. Page Not Found.

Is there anything more aggravating?
404 Error image
Broken website links are really frustrating for searchers. And Google doesn't like them, either, because "The Goog" is all about giving people the best possible search experience, and broken links are not a part of that. Why? Because one way Google’s algorithms rank websites is by sending their spiders out to crawl links, so if those links are broken, the spiders can't crawl and index them. 

Therefore,
Google won't want to send searchers to that site and ultimately, a site can be penalized in search results because of those bad links.

So to avoid this problem on your website, you'll want to check for broken links on a regular basis and fix any problems as soon as possible.


About broken links – and how to find them quickly

Bad or broken links come in several types. For instance, if you delete a linked page on your site, put an incorrect URL or an accidental typo in a text link, or change a page's address without correctly updating the URL, you'll get a broken link.

Or if you have a link to another website and THAT website makes a change, deletes the page, etc., you can also end up with a broken link.

So how do you find out if all the links on your site are still good without going through every page and clicking each link?

Solution: BrokenLinkCheck.com allows you to run a free test to find problems quickly. 

This online validation tool will scan your entire site and give you a report of any broken or problem links (unlike some other scanning 
tools that list ALL the links on your site, so you have to sort through the files to find out which ones are bad and need fixing).

​Note: If you have over 3,000 pages on your site, you can contact the company to see about getting a price quote for scanning – it's probably worth it!
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This tool works on Mac and PC, iPads and even smartphones, so you can even check your site while you're on the go. Once you enter your site URL and type in a quick CAPTCHA code, you'll get a report of any link problems on your site, including the page where they're located. From there, you can examine any issues and take the steps needed to fix your problem links.

Have you used this tool or others like it? Leave a comment below!
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Free Cool Marketing Tool: Canva

1/23/2017

 
Adobe’s Creative Cloud is the go-to software for designers worldwide. Considered the industry standard, Creative Cloud offers 20+ apps including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign for computers and mobile devices.
 
It also includes a big, hefty price tag. $49.99 per month, to be exact (unless you’re a student).
 
For full-time designers and marketing teams, Creative Cloud software is just one of the costs of doing business. Yes, it’s expensive, but you have to have it and you can write it off, no?
 
But what if you don’t have an in-house design team? What if you don’t need all the bells and whistles and you just want to create a poster or blog graphic once in a while? What if you can’t afford that $49.99 every month?
 
Enter Canva.
Canva logo
Canva is an online design tool that allows you to create, share and download posters, postcards, social media graphics, presentations and much more. Once you set up your free account, you have access to thousands of customizable templates, photos and graphics that you can use to create marketing materials of all kinds.

You can also upload your own photos, logos and images to add to any design. If you need more inspiration or want to purchase some of the snazzier photos or graphics from Canva, you can do that, too.

I'm personally a big fan of the free infographic templates, which help you create eye-catching infographics in a snap. Infographics are now "liked" and shared on social media 3X more than other any other type of content, so these can help you put together an engaging post for social media really quickly.
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Infographic layout
Canva also offers design articles and tutorials that help you get up and running quickly and provide tips on improving your own layouts.
And if you want to be able to organize things into files and folders with a team, you can upgrade to Canva for Work, which also offers resizing tools and the option for customizable templates (there’s a 30-day free trial if you want to try before you buy):

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What other free layout and design tools have you found that help you get the job done? Leave a comment below!

The #1 Free Way to Improve Your Website

1/21/2014

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Small businesses often spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on creating a website, only to find that their site fails to get visitors' attention, doesn't bring in the leads they were hoping for or meet the goals they set for the site in the first place.

So here's my suggestion for the best way to start improving your site without spending a dime: 

Ask for feedback from someone outside your office.

Huh?

That's right. Ask someone who's not very familiar with your business or your website to sit down and go through your website with you. Watch this person read, click, and navigate their way through the site, and then ask that person questions, such as:


  • Do the menus make sense? Is it easy to navigate?
  • Does the text make sense? Could it be improved?
  • Does the site make it clear what's being offered? Does it make you want to sign up,
    ​read more or buy?
  • Are there unfamiliar terms or acronyms in the text that leave you puzzled? 
  • What would make the site better, more clear or more appealing?

Why does this help? Because you and your staff know what your business does and what you want your site to accomplish. Other people don't. 

What's clear to you is clear to you -- and it may not be clear to everyone else.

Of course, there are plenty of other tools you can use to help improve your site (including Google Analytics and ClickTale), but this is the fastest way I know of to get feedback and use it to start improving your site.

Have other suggestions or comments? Leave them below!

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FoxyUtils: A Favorite Free Tool

11/18/2013

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FoxyUtils logo
I love Adobe software -- but it's expensive. And when all you need to do is combine a few pdf files, you really don't need all the bells and whistles (or the pricetag) of Acrobat Professional.

Enter one of my new favorite free tools: FoxyUtils. 

FoxyUtils is an online program that lets you merge, split, unlock and protect pdfs for free. It works on both PCs and Macs, which is a big help for those of us in the Apple world. If you sign up for a free account, you can merge files up to 50 MB; if you don't want to sign up, you can still merge files up to 30 MB. 

If you need to combine even larger pdfs (up to 200 MB) and want to enjoy the benefit of viewing the site without ads, you can set up a paid account for $4.99 per month.

This program saved me endless time and hassle last week when I needed to combine several large pdfs into one file for a client's CreateSpace book. I haven't used the other options (unlock or protect) yet, but expect I will in the near future.

Have you used this resource? Got another favorite online freebie? Let me know!

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Thrifty Thursday: Free Online Legal Forms and Assistance

7/12/2012

 
Rocket Lawyer logo
Need help creating a legal document for your family or small business? Get started for free with Rocket Lawyer.

I just learned about Rocket Lawyer from a new client this week. The organization has a great site with tools to help you create customized legal documents of all kinds -- wills, health and medical forms, tax audit forms, real estate documents, terms of agreement, articles of incorporation, non-disclosure agreements and hundreds more. 

Got a quick legal question? They can offer assistance -- and if you need to find a fair rate for a lawyer in your area, they can help with that, too, because they have pre-negotiated reduced rates with local attorneys.

Check it out -- and leave your comments below!

    Author

    Natalie Bolton is a Boulder County-based marketing professional who helps businesses 
    improve their websites and reach their goals. 

    Penny For 
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