Nate Covington

Nate Covington

I build websites that build businesses. 

Every month, my work is seen and used by hundreds of thousands of people.  I am available for hire with building new web sites, and managing existing sites, help with updates, consulting, new features, training, etc…  

I work with directly with business owners to build streamlined, effective web sites.  I also work with advertising agencies and marketing consultants on their clients' sites. 

The large majority of my projects are built using Wordpress, Drupal, and Joomla, although I also support Magento, OSCommerce, and almost any other open-source platform.  

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Experience

Covington Creations, LLC (CEO)
Builds and maintain web sites for small and medium businesses, mainly in the PA/NJ/MD area. Main focus is customizing open-source content management systems, frequently working with graphic designers, photographers, copy writers, and project managers to produce and implement cutting-edge web applications. Over 15 years of programming experience.

Mangos, Inc. (Internship in Account Management)
As an intern with Mangos, an award-winning full-service ad agency, I assisted account managers with competitive research, worked alongside creative directors, as well as various designers, writers, and managers. Worked within all three major departments – account management, creative, and production.

Education

Graduated from the Marketing Program at Shippensburg University with a BSBA.  During his final semester, was hired by the College of Business to redesign the school’s web site.  Coursework included a concentration in sociology, psychology, and art.

Technical Skills
Programming (HTML, CSS, PHP, etc)
Open-source Software
Graphic Design
Photography
Google AdWords

Software Toolkit
Mac and PC
Adobe Creative Suite 
Microsoft Office (including Access)
Slack, Asana, other collaboration tools

Friday, 11 November 2022 20:42

Buyer's Guide: Transactional Email Services

When comparing transactional email providers, it's important to confirm whether or not the plan includes "activity history" so you can use that provider's dashboard to see each individual e-mail that your website sent.  This lets you determine if that lost password email, or the contact form notification email, was delivered properly. 

Having problems with receiving email from your website?  You most likely have a misconfigured web server.

I recently received this scammy email from Linda Alvardo regarding loc8nearme.com and wanted to share some findings.  This is a "link building" attempt where they are asking me to change a local business listing where they found a missing website address.

Wednesday, 07 September 2022 03:04

Open Source CRM Experts

CiviCRM is a perfect fit for any organization that collects membership dues, such as a chamber of commerce.

Beware! Fake emails being sent to InMotion customers - one of my other clients forwarded me the same thing last night - it looks like some bad actor has received a copy of InMotion's customer database.  Do not click on the "Verify Email Address" link in these emails!  

cpanel.net is a legitimate site but this emails are spoofed / fake!  

From: 
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Subject:
example.com | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.: AutoSSL reduced SSL coverage

Avoid being locked into one system without a choice:

  • Secure (End-to-end encrypted) chat on your own server.
  • Audio / Video calls (no need for Zoom)
  • Compliant with EU, HIPAA, and other privacy regulations
  • Build chatbots, extend into 3rd party systems, etc.
  • Fully Free and Open Source
Friday, 10 June 2022 19:56

Free Accessibility Checker

I recommend using this tool to confirm your site is accessible: 
accessibilitychecker.org

  1. Find out if your website is Accessible and Compliant
  2. Scan your website for free, identify accessibility issues, and get exact instructions on how to fix them.
  3. "Export" the results and email them to me if you need help making the necessary changes.  

Alternatives:

AccessiBe - I tested the AccessiBe platform and their accessibility widget is blocked by uBlock and other popular ad blocking scripts.  My suggestion is to fix the underlying issues by making the adjustments in your CMS, or at the server level, rather than relying on a third party 'band aid widget' 

See Also:
Are you using an accessibility overlay to help disabled users? Don’t!

 

 

Google is finally making it easier for you to make sure your personal information doesn’t show up in online search results – and all it took was hundreds of thousands of requests over nearly a decade.

(via CNBC)

Directly from Google:

Thursday, 21 April 2022 17:05

Google Analytics V4 Migration Guide

Update 3/27/23:
Countdown to GA4: 100 days to make the switch


Update 2/7/23
Google will soon configure Google Analytics 4 for you (automatically)

Hello.

Universal Analytics standard properties will stop processing data on July 1, 2023. To maximize historical data and to ensure that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) meets your specific needs, we recommend you make the switch to Google Analytics 4 now. This will give you the opportunity to customize the setup including using the latest site tag.

For any customer who does not set up a GA4 property with basic settings, starting in March, we will configure one with a few basic settings consistent with the existing Universal Analytics property; this includes certain conversion events, Google Ads links, and existing website tags.

For Universal Analytics customers whose websites are tagged with gtag.js or analytics.js (including through tag management systems like Google Tag Manager), we will create a connected site tag that will reuse existing tags when possible to send traffic to the new GA4 property. If you do not wish to have a GA4 property created and configured based on your Universal Analytics property and existing tags, you may opt-out.

Sincerely,
The Google Analytics Team


Not sure what to do about this alert regarding Google Analytics? 
Universal Analytics will no longer process new data in standard properties starting in 2023.  Prepare now by setting up and switching over to a Google Analytivs 4 property. 

- Or this email? -

We'll soon sunset Universal Analytics
On July 1, 2023, Universal Analytics will stop processing new hits. If you still rely on Universal Analytics, we urge you to prepare for the future by moving over to Google Analytics 4, our next-generation measurement solution.

Google has recently announced some changes coming to their Analytics platform. 

If your website was created before October 14, 2020, most likely changes will be required in order to continue using Google Analytics.

One of the frustrations I've encountered with the K2 extension for Joomla is the lack of a "description" when editing tags.  It allows for a description under categories, not tags.  What gives?

Here is the solution:

Friday, 08 April 2022 15:11

Domain Transfer Guide

Are you in the process of switching domain registrars?  This helpful guide will help navigate the process. 

The image below illustrates the flow of a domain transfer, including the actions taken by each of the parties involved. Please note that all confirmation emails are sent to the Administrative Contact email address listed for the domain.  (See attachment below)

Areas of Expertise

360-Degree Campaigns
Affiliate Marketing
Analytics & Data Reporting
Automation
Blogging

Brand Development
Brand Identity & Standards
Brand Messaging
Brand Positioning
Brand Strategy
Content Development
Content Management
Copywriting
Corporate Communications
Creative Direction
Differentiation
Digital Marketing
Employee Engagement
Executive / Stakeholder Communications
Graphic Design
Key Messaging
Integrated Marketing
Internal Communications
Public Relations Management
Public Relations Strategy
Social Media Marketing
SEO & Optimization
Storytelling
Strategic Planning
Visual Communication
Web Design + Development
Web Maintenance & Updates

UI/UX
Workflow Process Engineering

Get a Quote


Design & Development

Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla
New custom websites
Bespoke themes and extensions
Redesigns, upgrades, migrations

Web Design & Development


Optimization & SEO

Let us optimize and manage your overall online presence. We offer full service monthly SEO as well as one-time projects.  

Optimization Plans & Pricing


Maintenance, Patching

White glove monthly backups, security updates, maintenance and testing for your Wordpress, Drupal, or Joomla site.

Maintenance Plans & Pricing


Email Newsletter

Bring your web & marketing performance to the next level: monthly blog post roundup via email.  

Stay in Touch!