All posts in Tips & Tricks

The 10 Best Free Windows 7 Themes

One of the coolest upgrades for Microsoft users with the latest release of the Windows 7 operating system is that we can now change the look and feel of the our computer’s user interface with custom themes. Even better, all of them are free! But how do you find the best custom Windows 7 themes out there without having to plow through hundreds of pages and galleries?

Windows 7 allows you to download tons of freebie add-ons through its Personalization Gallery. You can install different color and texturized themes, backgrounds, wallpapers, and fun and creative little desktop gadgets like apps for Outlook appointments and mail, maps, news, system tools, RSS readers, and much more.

But alas, Windows can’t please us all, and that’s where the members of art and design community sites like DeviantArt come in. There are thousands of Windows 7 themes for all tastes out there, and we spent some time combing through and handpicking some of the best ones so you don’t have to.

Here’s our list of the 10 best custom Windows 7 themes available!

Sports Team Themes for Windows 7
Check out this collection of sports team themes for Windows 7.

Sports Themes Windows 7

Kenpske Windows 7 Theme
A fun, bubbly little theme with an interesting top-level navigation bar. Available only for 32-bit Windows 7 OS.

Kenspke Windows 7 Theme

Gaia09 VS Windows 7 Theme
We like this one for the mild green colors and the unique window element icons.

Gaia09 VS Theme

Windows 7 Skull Visual Style
Replace that tired old Windows logo with a skull, baby!

Skull Visual Style

Plainer than Plain Windows 7 Theme
Sometimes, you’ve just got to get back to the basics. Check out this Windows 7 throwback theme for a nostalgic, minimalist concept.

Plainer than Plain

Call of Duty Windows 7 Theme
For those who just can’t get enough COD Modern Warfare! Customize your icons, start menu, backgrounds, wallpapers, screen savers, and even sounds!

Call of Duty Theme

Simpsons HD Windows 7 Theme
A theme for Simpsonophiles. ‘Nuff said!

Simpsons Windows 7 Theme

Gold Glass Windows 7 Theme
We love the transparent windows on this one…

Gold Glass Windows 7 Theme

Snow Windows 7 Theme
Beautiful, simple, and functional.

Snow Windows 7 Theme

Mac Theme Windows 7
Seriously, that’s a Windows 7 machine! If you’ve always wanted a Mac but just can’t spare the change, grab this free Mac theme.

Mac Theme Windows 7

How Not To Guest Post: Are You Doing Things The Right Way?

What is a guest post and why do most marketers do it? Guest post is one of the latest and most effective way in bringing traffic to your site.

Some people may be doubtful about how effective it is since they claim that a regular blog is helpful enough to catch attention of a number of visitors. However, what most people don’t understand is that this is much more effective than that. How so?

When yo do regular blogging, you are posting your article in a website where it can only reach a limited number of audience and it ends there—there is no way that it can catch the attention of other people unless those who have read it will advertise it. In guest posting, you are posting your article, or at least your site, in another person’s blog where a lot of people can have access to it. Thus, you can earn more visitors and if lucky, even hit your targeted traffic.

However, guest posting is not so easy. You cannot just write anything you feel about the blog and then expect the blogger to just approve it. In order for a guest post to be approved, it must first meet the criteria of the blogger. Having said that, it is best to make sure that you are doing guest posts in the most effective way. So, are you?

How Not To Guest Posts

-  Directly promote your products and site. While you may think that doing it directly and straight to the point is a good idea, it may not be as effective as you think. Once people read the product brands or any website header, they will immediately zone off and will then move to another guest post. Why is this so? This is because they will think you’re not reliable. Since you are promoting and marketing a certain thing, they might think that you are biased and your comments will not even matter.

-   Going beyond your comfort zone. Most marketers think that being flexible and versatile can bring them lots of visitors. This is why they tend to write outside their niche. Versatility is not always a good thing especially if you are really not knowledgeable on the given topic. Visitors can determine whether or not you really know things about a topic and when they find out that you’re not, you will lose your credibility.

Doing Guest Posts The Right Way

-    Know things about the site you will be posting on. Good knowledge about the site is key since it will surely be related to your site. If you want to have good traffic, it is best to post in a site which is relevant to your site’s subject matter. It will not make any sense if you try posting at random sites. For a guest post to be effective, it should be posted in a site that is in the same niche as yours.

-     Make improvements in your site. If you expect the guest post to be effective, then you are expecting that many visitors will go to your site. Now that you have driven good traffic into your site, the next step for you to do is to maintain them. What will make them keep on visiting your site? The main thing here is credibility. If they find your blog, credible and informative, then there is no doubt that they will continue visiting it. Who knows, they might even promote it?

About the author:

justify Sarah is the relationship manager of Nanostyle.  NanoStyle is the first and only to imprint 24kt gold on Cubic Zirconia jewelry.

How Can I Get More Visitors to Purchase From My Website?

A guide to improving sales through your website

If you’ve got a website for your business and you’re looking to increase profits, you have to find ways to entice visitors–and visitors who want to buy! The answer, in part, is Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO. Google reigns supreme, and to find favour with the empire is to increase the success of your business. So just how do you get the attention of such a busy cyber-monarch? And more importantly, how can you turn high rankings into high rankings that make money?

Ranking for the RIGHT keywords

Sadly, it’s not as easy as simply selecting an assortment of keywords that define your product. There is a lot of competition in the market and understanding consumer search patterns, gaps in the market and which keywords are going to convert to profits is essential to harnessing the tools of SEO. Spend time broadening your keywords, and instead of selecting the same old battered words as every other similar offering, try to find some lesser-used words or phrases that still relate to your offering.

A well-designed website

Web Design is a fundamental consideration. Apply the same organisational logic to your website as you would to a physical store. Your website needs to be easy to navigate, intuitive, regularly updated and full of relevant, quality content. Things links back to your site from other sites are a surefire way to rise in the SEO rankings, and providing an option to link to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter is essential.

Lead Generation vs eCommerce

In most cases, SEO runs the most smoothly for your business when applied with the goal of lead generation; that is, generating consumer interest and communication that allows you to grasp the baton and run it home with your internal sales strategy. This might be an avenue you’d like to explore further, rather than simply trying to get people to buy from the website. If it end up making money for you, it’s worth the extra effort!

Email Marketing

Consumer engagement is the holy grail of internet marketing, and the best way to promote this is to keep up targeted communication in the form of email marketing Building and maintaining a strong database of consumers in your demographic and keeping up your end of the conversation with interesting email content is vital to your relationship and reputation as a brand. Know your consumer, and spend the time required to court them.

Have a good offer

You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. In other words, all the Search Engine Optimisation in the world won’t convince people to jump on your offer if it isn’t a good one. Apply basic business sense to this one—search engine optimisation doesn’t make money out of thin air, it helps you direct attention to the raw goods.