It’s that time of year when everyone starts thinking ahead to the fall season and getting organized and prepared for the fourth quarter. These resources are just the things to get you in that mindset, from a new release of Kadence Blocks to a product launch checklist to learning tools and information.
Here are eight new design tools and resources to explore:
1. Kadence Blocks 3.1 is Here
Better forms? We are so excited.
One of the biggest improvements in the new Kadence Blocks 3.1 release is the Advanced Form Block. (Plus, a few other goodies.)
The Advanced Form Block is a game-changer. The block is stored as a custom post type, so it can be edited from within a page or within the area of a form in the WordPress dashboard. The new Kadence Advanced Form Block has been designed to be dynamic and extendable with many commonly requested features, including preset styles, file upload, and support for dark backgrounds.
Other feature updates in Kadence Blocks 3.1 include:
- Progress Bar Block
- Ability to rename blocks in list view
- Video background videos in row layouts
- Vertical row gap settings
- Better gradient controls
- Updated Framework to use sitewide Unique ID to prevent conflicts with styles
- Dynamic block labels in the list view for Advanced Text and Advanced Button blocks
- Flex Basis settings to section block
- Updated Block names for easier searching
- No follow and sponsored options to links
2. How to Put Together a Product Launch Checklist
Anyone who is dabbling in – or even more experienced with – an ecommerce website knows that an effective product checklist can help you provide a more flawless launch.
IconicWP has a solid guide on creating a product launch checklist so you can have a more successful launch. The guide includes:
- How to prepare your product for launch
- How to optimize your website for the product launch
- How to put together a marketing plan
- What you need to do post-launch to ensure success
The best part is everything is broken into digestible checklists so that you can break tasks and product launch activities into manageable items. This is a must-have guide that you should bookmark and can refer to again and again.
3. Growing with Remote Work & Global Teams [Podcast]
Summer may be winding down, but there’s still a little carefree charm – and travel – happening on The Kadence Beat. One of the big topics of conversation is the benefits of working on a remote team.
Not only is the Kadence team located around the world, but they are also pretty close-knit.
It’s something that extends to the greater WordPress community, too.
From the episode: “The WordPress space is so global. And I feel like so many of the people that I interact with in the Kadence community as well as WordPress community as a whole, it’s like it’s all over the place, and it’s so, you know. It’s fun. You wake up to messages from people from everywhere and leave messages for people everywhere.”
Listen to this episode of The Kadence Beat.
4. WordPress Vulnerability Report
You need to keep up with WordPress issues to help keep your site safe and running smoothly. The WordPress Vulnerability Report shows all of the core issues that might pop up if you aren’t on the latest version of WordPress as well as vulnerabilities with plugins.
One thing to note this month, WordPress released a core update. So, there will be plenty of plugin updates in the next month.
There were some core updates this month that impacted major plugins. It is important to ensure that you are on the latest version of WordPress because many of these have been fixed.
Did you know one of the best things you can do to prevent these vulnerabilities on your website is to keep plugins up to date?
Some things to be on the lookout for in the latest report include vulnerabilities with these popular plugins: Essential Addons for Elementor, Ninja Forms, The Events Calendar, Popup Maker, and more.
Read all the WordPress Vulnerability Reports for July:
Get the Weekly WordPress vulnerability report sent right to your inbox
5. WordPress Plugin Roundup
If you want to keep up with everything happening in the world of WordPress, join the monthly Plugin Roundup.
Each month Nathan Ingram combs the WordPress plugin directory for interesting plugins that have been added or updated in the last 30 days and assembles a list of helpful and unique plugins for your WordPress website. And it’s free!
The next online event is on September 5th. Register for free today!
6. WordPress News Roundup
If you want to stay up-to-date on everything happening in the world of WordPress, join the monthly
WordPress News Roundup.
In this session, Ingram will discuss the latest developments in the WordPress ecosystem in this informational webinar. We’ll talk through this month’s WordPress news with plenty of interaction and Q&A.
The next event is on September 19th. Register today for free!
7. Webinar Replay: The Truth About WordPress Malware Scanners
New research from Snicco, WeWatchYourWebsite, Automattic-backed GridPane, and PatchStack claims WordPress security plugins with malware scanners are fundamentally flawed. And they’re being actively defeated by malware in the wild right now!
In this webinar replay, StellarWP technical writer Dan Knauss explains the problem with malware scanners and the WordPress security best practices you need to implement to truly keep your sites safe.
8. Webinar Replay: The WordPress 6.3 Launch Event
WordPress 6.3 was released on August 8th. In this webinar replay, Timothy Jacobs gives a tour of the new features that rolled out in this latest version of our favorite CMS, including many improvements to the Site Editor, new blocks, a new Command Tool, and several other fun features.
Wrapping Up
New tools and resources for WordPress are being released all the time, and we hope this list helps you discover new ways to improve your workflows. Make sure to check back next month for more new tools and resources.
Carrie Cousins has more than 15 years of experience in media, design, and content marketing. She works in digital marketing and is also a freelance writer and designer, specializing in creating amazing experiences online for small businesses. Her work has been featured in publications such as Design Shack, Webdesigner Depot, The Next Web, and Fast Company. She’s an avid runner, which comes in handy with Australian shepherds at home.