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Original Source: https://ecommerce-platforms.com/articles/the-best-fulfillment-companies-in-europe

Does your eCommerce business operate in Europe? Suppose it does, and you’re considering outsourcing order fulfillment, product storage, and shipping. In that case, finding a reputable and reliable order fulfillment company is imperative. 

So, I’m shining a light on a few such companies to help you kickstart your search for the best fulfillment companies in Europe.

We’ll give you the lowdown on what they offer, their features, pros and cons, pricing, and who the service is best for.

That’s a lot to cover, so let’s explore some of the best options available.

In this article:

Best Fulfillment Companies in Europe for 2023

The Best Fulfillment Companies in Europe: My Final Thoughts

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Best Fulfillment Companies in Europe for 2023

ShipBob

ShipMonk

Huboo

Amazon FBA

Byrd

1. ShipBob

Having been around since 2014, ShipBob’s an old hand at order fulfillment. 

ShipBob operates across 220+ countries and boasts 110+ integrations, including a choice of popular eCommerce platforms and online marketplaces like Shopify, Amazon, BigCommerce, eBay, Squarespace, and Wix. 

It has 30+ fulfillment centers across Europe, the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia. The European centers are located in Poland and the Netherlands, with a further three in the UK. 

To get started:

Integrate your store with ShipBob.

Send ShipBob your products across your chosen fulfillment centers.

Then, when a customer places an order on your store, it’s automatically sent to ShipBob, who picks, packs, and ships to the customer. 

ShipBob Features

ShipBob partners with reputable carriers like Spring Global, GLS, Royal Mail, Evri, Deutsche Post, DPD, and UPS. 

From ShipBob’s dashboard, you can view order updates, inventory status, storage and shipping costs, and more. 

A trackable returns management service is available.

Custom-branded or plain packaging is free to use.

Real-time order management tools (oversee orders from start to finish and automatically push tracking details to customers).

Inventory management tools (easily view inventory status and quantity across fulfillment locations, identify slow-moving stock with high storage costs, get insights into product performance over time by channel, and more).

Reporting and analytics tools

Pricing

The pricing tab on ShipBob’s website takes us to two pricing pages:

Warehouse management service

Outsourced fulfillment

In both cases, you have to contact ShipBob’s sales team for costs. But, the ShipBob resource center states that pick fees start at $0.20 per pick. 

Pros

ShipBob offers a good selection of integrations across various categories, including eCommerce and marketplaces, inventory management, return management, freight and shipping, and more. 

ShipBob offers 2-3 day shipping to 90% of the EU and UK and 2-day express shipping to 100% of the US.

ShipBob has 40+ fulfillment centers, including two in Europe and three in the UK.

Cons

Pricing information is sparse. 

Some users complain about inventory mix-ups at ShipBob warehouses.

Some users aren’t satisfied with ShipBob’s customer support. 

Who is it Best For? 

As ShipBob offers 2-3 day shipping to most of Europe and the UK, ShipBob is best for companies looking to provide these kinds of shipping times. ShipBob also integrates with many eCommerce platforms and marketplaces, making it a viable option for most online sellers. 

Further Reading

ShipBob Review (2023) – The Ultimate Order Fulfillment Solution?

ShipBob vs Deliverr (2023): Choosing the Best Ecommerce Shipping Option

ShipBob vs ShipMonk (2023): A Complete Comparison

ShipBob vs. Shopify Fulfillment Network: Which is Better? (2023)

ShipBob vs Red Stag Fulfillment: A Comparison of Top 3rd-party Logistics (3PL) Providers

5 Best ShipBob Competitors and Alternatives for 2023

ShipBob vs. Shipstation: Which Is The Best Ecommerce Order Fulfillment Solution?

ShipBob vs. Amazon FBA: Which is Best for Fulfilment?

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3. ShipMonk

ShipMonk is a third-party logistics platform for DTC eCommerce brands of varying sizes. You’ll get access to advanced order, inventory, shipping, and warehouse management software and benefit from a worldwide network of fulfillment centers. Eight are located in the US, then there’s one piece in Canada, Mexico, the UK, and the Czech Republic, enabling ShipMonk to ship to 180+ countries. 

Where European merchants are concerned, using ShipMonk’s warehouse in the Czech Republic enables you to achieve an average delivery time of two to five days. 

ShipMonk also boasts 75+ plug-and-play integrations, including popular eCommerce shopping carts, online marketplaces, and inventory and warehouse management solutions. Notable names include Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, and Bigcommerce – to name a few!

It’s also worth noting that ShipMonk advertises a 99.9% picking accuracy, which is pretty impressive!

Here’s how ShipMonk works:

You or your supplier ship products to one (or more) of ShipMonk’s fulfillment centers. If you split your inventory, ShipMonk automatically selects the warehouse that provides the quickest delivery time at the best price for your customer. 

Integrate your sales channels with ShipMonk to sync orders, inventory, returns, and more automatically.

Upon receiving your wares, ShipMonk logs your inventory onto its system. This involves taking photos and measuring SKUs to ensure quality control and optimized shipping.

When a customer orders, ShipMonk picks, packs, and ships the items directly to them. ShipMonk sends automated shipping confirmation emails with tracking details to your customers. Plus, you can even brand your tracking pages.

Should a failed delivery occur (or something else goes wrong), you and your customers can utilize MonkProtect, an automated claims portal for filing, tracking, and resolving issues directly with ShipMonk. 

Features

Access to reputable carriers and discounted shipping rates from providers like USPS, FedEx, DHL, UPS, and more. 

Access to a ‘Happiness Engineer’ who can help coordinate and manage your freight (should this be a service you require). Your ‘Happiness Engineer’ can also help with any other questions. 

Returns management – You can easily create return shipping labels and receive alerts when returns arrive at ShipMonk’s warehouses.

From your dashboard, you can view a breakdown of costs, orders, inventory unit numbers, and where you’re shipping most frequently.

You can add new users to your ShipMonk account for free and edit user permissions.

You can use custom packaging – I.e., promotional inserts, branded stickers, custom boxes, dunnage, etc.

…and more.

Pricing

ShipMonk’s pricing varies depending on which ShipMonk service you want (for the purposes of this review, we’re quoting ShipMonk’s eCommerce Fulfillment service).

To get a quote, you need to use ShipMonk’s pricing calculator to calculate pick fees for the monthly orders you wish to process (the more orders you process, the lower the costs). 

For example, for 0-500 monthly orders, expect to pay:

A $3.00 first-item pick fee (per order) and $0.75 for additional items 

$0.20 for promotional Inserts

$2.00 + .50/additional item for returns processing

Next, you need to factor in your storage requirements. Each product SKU needs storage. Storage fees are as follows:

A small bin: $1 a month

A medium bin: $2 a month

A large bin: $3 a month

An X-large bin: $4 a month

A Pallet $25 a month

There are also one-off costs to consider; however, I won’t list them all due to space restrictions. You can find more pricing info on ShipMonk’s pricing page, from which you can also contact ShipMonk directly to receive a custom quote.  

Pros

Users praise ShipMonk’s helpful customer support agents and efficient onboarding process. 

ShipMonk is more transparent about its pricing than the majority of its competitors. 

Several Trustpilot users speak to ShipMonk’s reliability

Some users mention that they’ve managed to make savings after using ShipMonk

Cons

A few users have complained about miscounted and lost inventory

Other users have grumbled about delayed shipments

Who is it Best For?

ShipMonk is a suitable 3PL for European eCommerce businesses of all sizes. It’s certainly worth a second glance if branding is your priority. Not least because you can use branded packaging and customize your tracking pages.

Further Reading

ShipMonk Review (2023): An Order Fulfillment platform

ShipBob vs ShipMonk (2023): A Complete Comparison

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3. Huboo

Huboo focuses on providing order fulfillment for the European and UK eCommerce markets. It has five order fulfillment centers in the UK and one a piece in Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. 

Huboo has fulfilled 15,000,000+ products for 1,200+ clients in the last month and promises a 99.9% picking accuracy rate. It also integrates with 26 eCommerce platforms and marketplaces, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and eBay, and a further 18 tools covering CRM and marketing, tax, finance, inventory, order, and channel management. 

When you sign up:

Link your store to Huboo.

Upload your products to the Huboo portal.

You or your manufacturer send Huboo your products (you can send stock to multiple warehouses).

When a customer places an order, Huboo picks, packs, and ships it via one of its many shipping partners, including DPD, DHL, Hermes, and domestic postal carriers. 

Shipping times depend on the country you’re shipping to and from and the carrier you use. For example, in Germany and Spain, shipping tends to be between one to three days, whereas in the UK, it’s between one to two days. However, times aren’t shown for the Netherlands.

Features

Huboo provides fulfillment solutions for those sending between one and 5,000+ packages a month

Access to a network of European and UK fulfillment centers

Free storage for two months

44 integrations are available, including popular eCommerce platforms

You can track the daily costs of inbound goods and monitor stock levels and sales in real-time via Huboo’s dashboard

A complete order fulfillment service, including pick, pack, and ship

Pricing

Hubbo stands out because its website actually lists its prices- mostly in one place! Costs depend on which region you’re in, and in each instance, you’ll see a cost breakdown comprising of:

Fulfillment and shipping per item

Additional charges for added items

Return handling costs

Storage costs per item 

EU and UK customers can sign up for one of four subscription plans in EUR or GBP. Plans include:

Free storage for two months

Product picking and sending when orders come in

Access to Huboo’s dashboard

The plans are based on the number of monthly orders dispatched:

Silver: limit of 300

Gold: limit of 1,500 

Enterprise: limit of 5,000

Corporate: 5,000+ 

There’s also a minimum monthly invoice value of €375 or £375.

Pros

Pricing is available and includes free storage for two months

Huboo marketplace integrations, such as Wish, Etsy, and Wayfair.

It has a high review rating of 4.7 out of five on Trustpilot

It partners with several reputable domestic and international carriers

Several users praise Huboo’s customer support and onboarding process

Cons

The minimum invoice fee might not be affordable for really small businesses.

If you’re looking for worldwide fulfillment center access, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Some users complain that it takes a while to process new stock. 

Who is it Best For? 

Huboo is best for online marketplace sellers and eCommerce store owners in the UK; here, shipping takes one to two days. It’s similarly viable for Germa and/or Spanish businesses; here, shipping tends to be between one to three days. It’s also worth noting that this solution suits companies of all sizes, including tiny operations selling between one and 100 units a month.  

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4. Amazon FBA

Amazon FBA (fulfilled by Amazon) allows businesses to list their products on Amazon (and elsewhere) and store them in its fulfillment centers. Then, when an order comes through, Amazon picks, packs, and ships it. It also provides customer support and returns management for those products. 

Recent statistics show there are 76 fulfillment centers in Europe, mainly in Germany and the UK, and The Amazon FBA site specifically refers to storing products in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Spain. 

Eligible orders carry the Prime badge, guaranteeing free two-day shipping for Amazon Prime customers.

Here’s how it works:

When you sign up, you decide which products you wish to sell on Amazon using FBA.

Amazon helps with this via its FBA opportunities tool within the Amazon Seller Central portal. This analyzes your catalog and suggests products to sell via Amazon FBA.

Once ready, send your products to Amazon’s fulfillment centers- you can enable product storage in at least two of the countries mentioned above. 

Once received, your products are available for customers to buy on Amazon. 

When a customer buys one of your FBA products, Amazon picks, packs, and ships it. 

Features

Fast two-day shipping is available for eligible orders.

Amazon FBA can facilitate worldwide deliveries and includes an extensive fulfillment network in Europe.

Returns and customer service are handled for you.

Amazon FBA offers a one-stop storage, pick, pack, and shipping service.

Auto tracking of inventory 

Access to an ‘Inventory Performance Dashboard’ – Here, you can access your Inventory Performance Index (IPI) score, monitor storage fees, benefit from personalized restock recommendations, track your inventory and supplier orders to meet product demand, and more. 

Pricing

You can access all fees via the Amazon FBA website, including selling plans, fulfillment fees, and a pricing overview. However, in a nutshell, there are two core Amazon FBA fees:

Fulfillment: These are per-unit fees for picking, packing, and shipping to customers and vary depending on the product’s size, weight, and category.

Monthly inventory storage: This fee varies depending on the average volume of space your inventory occupies, product size, and the time of year

Amazon FBA has an FBA Revenue Calculator you can use to work out your anticipated costs. 

Pros

You can display the Prime badge on qualifying goods you sell on Amazon, which is great for building credibility and boosting your ranking. 

Access to the world’s largest fulfillment network

Fast delivery

Fast pick and pack service

Worldwide shipping is available.

Cons

Amazon FBA costs can mount up. 

Some users report a surge of returns after using Amazon FBA – partly because of Amazon’s open return policy.

Your external packaging is covered in Amazon’s branding, making it harder to establish your own brand identity.

Who is it Best For?

Amazon FBA is best for any Amazon seller wanting to outsource order fulfillment and quickly ship to customers in multiple locations. 

Further Reading

What is Amazon FBA? What does Amazon FBA mean?

ShipBob vs. Amazon FBA: Which is Best for Fulfilment?

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5. Byrd

Byrd describes itself as a cloud-based, ‘tech-driven third-party logistics and fulfillment company.’ I.e., It offers an order fulfillment service that includes warehousing, pick and pack, shipping, and returns. 

Byrd’s website tells us that 99.42% of shipments are sent on time, and it has a fulfillment center network spanning 25+ locations across Europe and the UK.

More specifically, its centers are in:

Austria

France

Germany

Spain

Netherlands

Italy

The UK

Byrd integrates with ten eCommerce and marketplace platforms, including Amazon FBM, WooCommerce, Shopify, and Prestashop. 

Here’s how it works:

Integrate your sales channel with Byrd

Send your products to Byrd’s warehouses- you can split your inventory across as many warehouses as you need. 

When your stock arrives, Byrd books it in. 

Then, when your customer orders come in, Byrd’s order fulfillment process (including shipping) starts the same day.

Byrd partners with 20 reputable carriers, including DPD, FedEx, UPS, and DHL. 

Byrd Features

Automated inventory updates

Automatic shipment tracking is available.

Byrd can fulfill orders to 120+ countries.

You can offer customers a self-service returns portal for more efficient returns management.

Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) – If you’re an Amazon seller, you can get Byrd to deliver your products with the “Prime badge” directly to your Amazon Prime customers from a Byrd warehouse. 

Same-day shipping on a national level

Real-time inventory management from your Byrd dashboard

Organic certification is possible thanks to best-before date and LOT tracking, as well as first-in, first-out product picking to help you move old stock.

Byrd offers tailor-made packaging solutions, including tissue paper, ribbons, and marketing inserts.

Pricing

Although no prices are shown on Byrd’s website, I managed to find a few details about what its prices include:

Acceptance of goods

Storage

Commissioning

Packaging

Dispatch

The following aspects of order fulfillment are also included free of charge:

Access to a warehouse network of 25+ fulfillment centers throughout Europe

Access to flexible shipping options (you’re not tied to a specific shipping service, allowing you to benefit from the cheapest and quickest shipping options)

You can integrate Byrd with your online store with just a few clicks.

Access to Byrd’s app

Detailed shipment reports, including a breakdown of costs

Access to real-time inventory levels

Customer support

Pros

Access to 25+ fulfillment centers located throughout Europe and the UK

Byrds offers an end-to-end order fulfillment and returns service

Its website goes into lots of detail about each stage of the fulfillment process

The self-service returns portal makes it easy for customers to kickstart the returns process. 

Cons

No pricing is visible on its website

Some users grumble about the quality of the packaging used.

Some users complain about poor customer service and delays in order dispatches. 

Who is it Best For?

Byrd is a good choice for businesses looking for same-day fulfillment with a company with sustainability in mind. 

Further Reading

Byrd Review: Who Are They?

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The Best Fulfillment Companies in Europe: My Final Thoughts

So, there you have it – we’ve reached the end of my best fulfillment companies in Europe round-up. As you can see, there are plenty to choose from, each offering something slightly different. So, hopefully, this review helps you narrow down your options. 

One final word of advice before we part- be sure to take advantage of any free demos and fulfillment software trials. It’s also wise to drop their customer service team a message to clarify order processing and shipping times and total costs before making any final decisions.  

That’s all from me – let us know which (if any) of these best fulfillment companies in Europe you opt for in the comments below!

The post The Best Fulfillment Companies in Europe appeared first on Ecommerce Platforms.

Original Source: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/gmail-security-tips/

Email is a key part of our online identity. It can give access to many of our other online accounts. So, it’s very important to protect our email from bad people.

Gmail has strong safety features, but many of us don’t know about them all. In this article, I’ll share a list of easy steps to help protect your account from unwanted access and harmful actions.

First, we will deal with strengthening the security of the Google account, and then we will dive into adding extra security measures to the Gmail account.

Read Also: 
Gmail Advanced Search (Ultimate Guide)

Make Your Google Account Stronger

Let’s start by strengthening your Google account. Every Gmail account is also a Google account. I’ll guide you through the important settings to make sure your account is safe from usual security issues. Plus, I’ll teach you how to adjust some things to enhance its safety.

1. Activate 2-Step Verification

2-Step Verification is an extra safety step that better guards your account. It requires you to provide a second security answer (not just your password). So, it’s always a good idea to turn on and use two-step verification.

Passkey is another effective method to protect your Google account. Learn how to set up Google Passkey for your account.

Here’s how you can set it up:

Open Sign-in & security in your browser and select “2-Step Verification“.

Next, click “GET STARTED“. Google will suggest using your phone for the second sign-in step, called Google Prompt. If you want to try this, click “TRY IT NOW“. If your phone isn’t listed, select “Don’t see your device?” to add it. But if you prefer using your phone number, click “DON’T USE PROMPT”.

If you chose “DON’T USE PROMPT” and want to use your phone number for verification, enter your number and hit SEND. Google will send a code to your phone. Input that code when asked, and you’re all set.

2. Add Backup Contact Details

It’s smart to have backup contact details in case you can’t access some of your info. Here’s how you can add them:

Open Sign-in & security in your browser and sign in if needed.
Select “Signing in to Google” on the left side, then find the “Account recovery options” section.

Add or Update Backup Email

Click “Recovery email”. Choose “ADD RECOVERY EMAIL” and enter the email address you want as a backup. Click DONE. To change it, click the pencil symbol and update the email.

Add or Update Backup Phone Number

Click “Recovery phone”. Choose “ADD RECOVERY PHONE” and enter the phone number you want as a backup. Click NEXT. Google will ask you to confirm, so do that. To change it, click the pencil symbol and update the phone number.

3. Remove Unapproved Apps

When you use your Google account to sign in to an app or website, you give it permission to access your account. This allows it to access your account whenever it wants, but only the information or services you’ve approved.

But you wouldn’t give a stranger the key to your home, right? Similarly, it’s a good idea to check your account often for apps you didn’t approve or no longer use and remove them. Here’s how:

Open Sign-in & security in your browser and sign in if prompted.
Select “Apps with account access” on the left and then click “MANAGE APPS“.

You’ll see a list of apps connected to your account. These are apps that can access your account based on their permissions. To see an app’s details, including what it can access and when you approved it, click on the app. To remove it, click “REMOVE ACCESS“. I suggest removing any apps you don’t recognize, didn’t approve, or no longer use.

4. Turn Off Low-Security Apps

“Allow less secure apps” lets apps with weaker security access your account. It’s best to keep this off, even if you turned it on for a specific reason, like using Microsoft Outlook to check your emails.

It’s safer to turn this setting off and find a different way to do what you need. For example, you can use the new Gmail and its offline feature to check and manage your emails without an internet connection.

Go to Sign-in & security in your browser.
Select “Apps with account access” on the left. Then turn off the setting that says “Allow less secure apps”.

5. Review Important Account Activities

Keeping an eye on activity logs is a good way to spot possible unauthorized access or hacking attempts. Google keeps a log of all your account activities. It’s wise to check this regularly and mark any activity that looks odd, like changes you didn’t make. Here’s how to view this log:

Go to Sign-in & security in your browser.
Select “Device activity & security events” on the left side.
You’ll find two sections: “Recent security events” and “Recently used devices“. Look through these for any unusual activity, like a login from a place you’ve never been. You can also click “REVIEW EVENTS” and “REVIEW DEVICES” to see more details.

Strengthen Your Gmail Account

After securing your Google account and setting up basic protections, it’s time to focus on your Gmail account. Since this post is about keeping your emails safe, it’s very important to know and use the safety features of Gmail.

1. Review Gmail Settings

First, let’s examine the Gmail settings to ensure everything is as it should be. Gmail may not have a ton of options, but the ones it has are vital for email safety. To start, click the gear icon in Gmail to open settings. Here’s what to look for:

1. General Tab

In this section, review the following:

Signature: Ensure your signature hasn’t been altered and doesn’t have any unfamiliar links.

Vacation Responder: Make sure it’s on or off based on your preference and the message is correct.

2. Accounts and Import Tab

Here, ensure the following:

Send Mail As: All email addresses in this section should be yours.
Check Mail from Other Accounts: Every email address here should belong to you. Otherwise, you could unintentionally access someone else’s email.
Grant Access to Your Account: This section shouldn’t have any unfamiliar addresses. If there’s an address you don’t recognize, someone might have access to your account, and you should remove them right away. To do this, click Delete next to their address.

3. Filters and Blocked Addresses Tab

Within this section, you should review:

Filtered Emails: Ensure there aren’t any unexpected filters. If there’s a filter that looks suspicious, remove it right away.
Blocked Emails: This section lists all the email addresses you’ve blocked. You won’t get emails from these addresses, so ensure none of them are important or familiar to you. If you find an address you shouldn’t have blocked, unblock it.

4. Forwarding and POP/IMAP Tab

Under this section, ensure the following:

Forwarding: Your emails shouldn’t be sent to someone else without you knowing. If there’s an unfamiliar address here, remove it to prevent unwanted access to your emails.
POP Download: Make sure POP isn’t turned on if you didn’t enable it.
IMAP Access: Ensure IMAP is off if you’re not using it.

2. Remove Suspicious Emails

Block Unwanted Senders

If you get an email that seems strange or you don’t trust, and you don’t want emails from that sender anymore, you can block them. Gmail will then move their future emails to Spam.

To block an email sender, follow these steps:

Open the email from the sender you want to block.
Click the options icon at the top-right of the email, then pick the “Block” option.

Report Junk or Harmful Emails

It’s not unusual to get junk or harmful emails, especially on work addresses shared with others. Nobody wants to read these unwanted emails. If you get one, you can report it. If Gmail agrees it’s junk or harmful, it’ll mark similar emails as spam in the future.

To report these emails, follow these steps:

Open the junk or harmful email in Gmail.
Click the options icon in the top-right corner, then pick either “Report phishing” or “Report spam” depending on what kind of email it is.

I hope this post helps you keep your Gmail account safe. Remember to be careful and follow safety guidelines when you’re online. If someone hacks into your computer or online session, they might get into your emails too.

The post How to Make Your Gmail Account Safer (2023) appeared first on Hongkiat.

Original Source: https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/successful-rebrands-ranked/

We’re all familiar with rebrands going wrong, but what happens when they go right? From McDonald’s health kick to Burberry’s iconic turnaround, hold on to your hats as we explore the ten most successful rebrands of all time.

Original Source: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/mac-keyboard-shortcuts/

macOS is a robust operating system used worldwide. However, many Mac enthusiasts might not be aware of the numerous keyboard shortcuts that enhance its usability.

Interested in harnessing more from your Mac? Here’s an extensive list of Mac keyboard shortcuts. Whether it’s accessibility functions, desktop configurations, or in-system searches, these shortcuts will enable you to perform tasks efficiently, bypassing the need for a mouse.

macOS Keyboard Shortcuts for:

Starting up Mac
Shutting down Mac
Accessibility
Finder
Desktop
Screen Capture
Spotlight

Starting Up Your Mac

Booting your Mac usually involves pressing the power button and waiting for the iconic Apple logo (and chime) before the operating system loads. However, there are multiple modes in which you can start your Mac, each offering different features and functionalities.

For example, you can boot your Mac in Safe Mode to troubleshoot issues, or use the Target Disk Mode to operate your system using an external medium.

Read Also: 
How to Troubleshoot and Fix a Gray Screen at Mac Startup

To access these modes, you’ll need to press and hold a specific combination of keys right after hitting the power button. For instance, to enter Safe Mode, power up your Mac and immediately press and hold the Shift key.

There are various other modes to explore, enhancing your Mac startup experience.

↑ Back to Main Menu

Startup from built-in macOS Recovery system.
Command + R (hold).

Startup from macOS Recovery system over Internet.
Command + Option + R (hold).

Startup to Startup Manager.
Option (hold).

Reset NVRAM / PRAM.
Command + Option + P+ R (hold).

Startup in Safe Mode.
Shift (hold).

Startup from Apple Diagnostic utility.
D (hold).

Startup from a NetBoot server.
N (hold).

Startup in single-user mode.
Command + S (hold).

Startup in target-disk mode.
T (hold).

Startup in verbose mode.
Command + V (hold).

Shutting Down Your Mac

When wrapping up on a MacBook, many users simply close the lid, letting it enter sleep mode. On an iMac, some might wait for the Energy Save mode to activate.

Yet, there are efficient keyboard shortcuts to shut down your Mac. Explore these shortcuts below to enhance your user experience.

Read Also: 
How to Force Quit Mac Apps

↑ Back to Main Menu

Turn on Mac / Wake it up from sleep.
Power button (press once).

Force Mac to turn off.
Power button (press hold 5 seconds).

Put Mac to sleep.
Command + Option + Power button.

Put display to sleep.
Control + Shift + Power button.

Select between restart, sleep or shutdown.
Control + Power button.

Force Mac to restart.
Command + Control + Power button.

Quit all apps, then shut down Mac.
Command + Control + Option + Power button.

Log out Mac user account, asking for confirmation.
Command + Shift + Q

Log out Mac user account, without asking for confirmation.
Command + Shift + Option + Q

Shortcuts for Accessibility

Mac offers dedicated “Accessibility Options” tailored for individuals with special needs or disabilities. This includes features like screen zoom, voiceover, inverted display colors, and more. Users can effortlessly manage, activate, or deactivate these features through keyboard shortcuts or assistive devices.

↑ Back to Main Menu

Show Accessiblity Options.
Command + Options + F5

Toggle VoiceOver on/off.
Command + F5

Open VoiceOver Utility.
Control + Option + F8

Turn Zoom on/off.
Command + Option + 8

Zoom In.
Command + Option + +

Zoom Out.
Command + Option + –

Invert Colors settings on/off.
Command + Control + Option + 8

Increase Contrast.
Command + Control + Option + ,

Reduce Contrast.
Command + Control + Option + .

Shortcuts for Finder

The Finder on a Mac serves as your central dashboard, granting you access to all your documents, apps, and services. Given its versatility, using keyboard shortcuts becomes crucial to execute specific actions, organize files and folders, and swiftly access content.

↑ Back to Main Menu

Use Quick Look to preview selected item.
Space bar

Move items to Bin.
Command + Delete

View items in Finder windows as icons.
Command + 1

View items in Finder windows as list.
Command + 2

View items in Finder windows in columns.
Command + 3

View items in Finder windows with Cover Flow.
Command + 4

Duplicate selected files.
Command + D

Eject disk or volume.
Command + E

Search in Finders’s window.
Command + F

Show Get Info window for selected file.
Command + I

Open the Computer window.
Shift + Command + C

Open the desktop folder.
Shift + Command + D

Open Go to Folder window.
Shift + Command + G

Open Home folder of current macOS user.
Shift + Command + H

Open iCloud Drive.
Shift + Command + I

Open the Network window.
Shift + Command + K

Open the Downloads folder.
Shift + Command + L

Create a new folder.
Shift + Command + N

Create a new Smart Folder.
Option + Command + N

Open the Documents folder.
Shift + Command + O

Show/hide Preview pane in Finder windows.
Shift + Command + P

Open AirDrop window.
Shift + Command + R

Show/hide tab bar in Finder windows.
Shift + Command + T

Open the Utilities folder.
Shift + Command + U

Show/hide path bar in Finder windows.
Option + Command + P

Show/hide sidebar in Findow windows.
Option + Command + S

Show View Options.
Command + J

Open Connect to Server window.
Command + K

Make an alias of selected item.
Command + L

Open a new Finder window.
Command + N

Create new tab in current Finder windows.
Command + T

Use Quick Look to preview selected file.
Command + Y

Use Quick Look in slideshow mode of selected files.
Option + Command + Y

Go to previous folder.
Command + [

Go to next folder.
Command + ]

Close the selected folder. (When in List view).
←

Open the selected folder. (When in List view).
→

Go to folder that contains the current folder.
Command + ↑

Go into folder of current selected folder.
Command + ↓

Open item in a separate window and close current window.
Option + Double-clicking item.

Open folder in a separate tab.
Command + Double-clicking item.

Move the dragged item instead of copying it.
Command + dragging item to another destination.

Copy the dragged item.
Option + dragging item to another destination.

See folders that contain current folder.
Command + click window title.

Shortcuts for Desktop

Mac provides an array of keyboard shortcuts designed to amplify your desktop experience. They’re particularly beneficial for users managing multiple desktops or those frequently tweaking appearance settings.

Read Also: 
How to Put Your Name on macOS Menubar

↑ Back to Main Menu

Decrease brightness.
F1

Increase brightness.
F2

Empty Bin.
Command + Shift + Delete

Empty Bin without confirmation dialog.
Option + Command + Shift + Delete

Show all windows of active app.
Control + ↓

Show/hide the Dock.
Option + Command + D

Launch/quit Mission Control.
Control + ↑

Launch/quit Mission Control.
F3

Open Appearance Preferences.
Option + F3

Show desktop.
Control + F3

Move to space on left.
Control + ←

Move to space on right.
Control + →

Switch to a specific (#n) desktop. Example: To switch to desktop 3, use Control + 3.
Control + #.

View installed apps.
F4

Shortcuts for Capturing Screens on macOS

With the rise of virtual work and learning environments, the need for screenshots and screen recordings has grown immensely. Thankfully, macOS comes equipped with integrated screenshot and screen-recording features.

Read Also: 
Screen Capture Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows & macOS

Below is a list of keyboard shortcuts to leverage the diverse functionalities of the Mac screen capture tool.

↑ Back to Main Menu

Screen capture entire screen, save as picture.
Command + Shift + 3

Screen capture custom area, copies to clipboard.
Command + Shift + Control + 3

Screen capture custom area, save as picture.
Command + Shift + 4

Screen capture custom area, copies to clipboard.
Command + Shift + Control + 4

Screen capture an open window or app.
Command + Shift + 4, press Space bar

Launch and customize screen capture options.
Command + Shift + 5

Shortcut for Spotlight

Spotlight serves as an efficient tool on your Mac, helping you locate items such as apps, documents, music, and even emails. Explore the list of keyboard shortcuts below to enhance your productivity with Spotlight.

↑ Back to Main Menu

Launch/close Spotlight.
Command + Space bar

Move to next result.
↓

Move to previous result.
↑

Move to first result in next category.
Command + ↓

Move to first result in previous category.
Command + ↑

Open selected result.
Enter

See selected file in an app.
Command + R

Open a Finder window with selected result.
Option + Command + Space bar

More Mac-related Shortcuts:

Keyboard Shortcuts for Messages (iMessage)
Compressing Files & Folders Using Keyboard Shortcuts
Ultimate Screen Capture Keyboard Shortcuts

The post 100 macOS Sonoma Keyboard Shortcuts appeared first on Hongkiat.

Original Source: https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/10/problem-wordpress-positioning-not-plugins/

Ask just about any casual user to explain the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com, and you’re likely to get a shrug in response. I know this because it’s one of the first things I ask students in my WordPress development course each semester when introducing them to the content management system.

I love asking that question because it boggles my mind that a platform responsible for powering 43% of the internet can go largely unrecognized, the same sort way Taylor Swift can walk into a packed football stadium unnoticed.

But among the power users and developers among us, the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com is not only apparent but a divide that draws a sacred but blurry line between the lively open-source community that WordPress is known for, and the commercial efforts of Automattic, the company that uses WordPress to power its hosted CMS platform.

The difference is a sacred line because crossing it tarnishes the open-source-ness of WordPress as a decentralized project maintained by a community of largely unpaid contributors.

Keeping special interests out of the mix is what keeps WordPress for the people, by the people.

That sacred line is also blurry, at best, and a great example of that popped up this past week when WordPress.com published a clone of the WordPress.org Plugin Directory to its own site. As is usually the case with WordPress #HotDrama, one or two developers take notice of a change, post a tweet about it, and Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg splashes a little kerosene on it. In this particular case, plugin pages on WordPress.com appeared to outrank plugin pages on WordPress.org in web searches.

This is yet another example of a situation that pits the open-source community against Automattic’s commercial interests. We’ve been here plenty of times in the 20-plus years that WordPress has been with us. The debates are nuanced, of course, but I’ll loosely characterize each side’s point in broad strokes:

WordPress.org: You are using the sweat equity of the open-source community to advance your own company.
WordPres.com: Hey, we’re merely distributing your work to a larger audience in a way we both benefit.

The problem is that this is where the debate often moves from being productive to getting downright dirty. No one benefits in these conditions.

It’s possible for both sides of the debate to be true, even if they do not agree. It would be just as disingenuous for plugin developers to claim no benefit from WordPress.com’s exposure as it is for Automattic to claim that developers gain as much in rewards as they spend writing code.

And therein lies the rub. When the discussion veers towards labor concerns and hurt feelings, we get away from the real issue at heart: WordPress has a positioning problem, not a plugin problem.

Sure, that makes for a spicy headline, but there’s real substance to it. How different would it be if the debate was between WordPress and Automattic rather than WordPress against WordPress? I imagine it would be quite different.

It is no longer an issue of search rankings and blocked accounts but one that is truly about distribution and labor in the open-source community.

When we draw sharper lines between business and community, we can have clearer discussions without the blurry divisions getting in the way and throwing the conversation off-topic.

This is the absolute perfect time to reposition WordPress. Five years after Matt’s famous advice to “Learn JavaScript deeply,” WordPress has transformed into an entirely visual editing experience that has radically transformed how we interact with it, both as users and developers. The “Gutenberg” project — and the full-site editing capabilities it brought — has ushered in a new era of WordPress where everyone’s relationship with it has changed. It’s time to change the general perception of WordPress as far as what it is and what it’s used for while we are at it.

It’s possible that a product becomes so successful or changes so drastically that it no longer fits under its own umbrella. Facebook becomes Meta. Google becomes Alphabet. Twitter has become whatever it is today. Products and companies evolve over time like people. This is what has happened with WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Each is vying for their own identity and winds up battling each other rather than buttressing one another. A cloned version of the WordPress.org Plugin Directory on WordPress.com exacerbates the issue rather than solving it. We’ve really reached the point of diminishing returns with the “WordPress” brand equity.

The only way this is fixed is by shedding the “WordPress” label from Automattic’s commercial efforts. Matt is not wrong when he claims that shared branding has made it difficult for services like Typepad to compete in the CMS space. That was true for a long time. But with a 43.1% market share today, is there really an existential threat to WordPress that requires co-branding two different flavors of WordPress? The current threat to WordPress’ market dominance has more to do with its future as a product and how it competes in a world of low-code and no-code platforms. There’s no amount of co-branding that is capable of solving what is, in essence, a user interface and experience challenge.

In that same tweet, Matt also asks us to imagine what WordPress would look like without co-branding, pointing to Joomla as a case in point. Again, co-branding may indeed have helped get WordPress to where it is today. But to say that it always has and always will is a large leap in logic on a false premise. Co-branding may not always be the best or only way to maintain market share or beat the competition. To think so is errant and myopic in a way that assumes no other possibilities, ever, as if past successes always lead to new ones. Myopia often sows the seeds of failure.

I believe we’ve reached the point where we ought to at least question co-branding as a strategy and consider whether there are happier paths to follow. If I have to imagine what WordPress looks like without co-branding today instead of in the past, I see the possibility of a clear separation of concerns between business and community interests because, at this point, there is little to no difference between running a WordPress site on WordPress.com’s servers on its Business Plan and self-hosting the site on a managed host like WP Engine. You get the same access to the same files for the same underlying software that is used to power WordPress.com, the same as it is used to power any other website that chooses to download and self-host WordPress.

That said, I am not totally against co-branding. The problem could be as much about not going far enough with co-branding as it is having too much of it. As it currently stands, the similarities between WordPress.com and WordPress.org are too indistinguishable at first glance that perhaps sharing the same top-level domain name only muddies the perceived similarities — or differences — even more. Perhaps there’s a happy path that gives credit to both perspectives in the debate with more explicit names, such as WordPress Platform and WordPress CMS. Those are terrible names, but hopefully, you get what I am aiming at.

The bottom line is this: We have danced around WordPress’ positioning problem way too long, hiding behind its past successes while tension between commercial and community interests continues to boil over. Rather than allowing this to continue by sitting somewhere in the middle with a shared brand name, maybe we’ll see a day where we go all-in on a direction either by renaming WordPress.com to allow WordPress.org to be WordPress or leaning deeper into effective co-branding that properly distinguishes the two properties while leveraging the “WordPress” brand.

References And Resources

“Developers Raise Concerns About WordPress.com Plugin Listings Outranking WordPress.org on Google Search,” Sarah Gooding (WP Tavern)
“WordPress.com Plugin Pages Add Download Link for Using Plugins on Self-Hosted Sites,” Sarah Gooding (WP Tavern)
“Developers Claim Damaged Trust Following Public Confrontations with WordPress Leadership,” Sarah Gooding (WP Tavern)
“A Call for Accountability: Sharing My WordPress Code of Conduct Report,” Sé Reed
“WordPress Full-Site Editing: A Deep Dive Into The New Feature,” Nick Schäferhoff
“The Modern Way To Create And Host A WordPress Site,” Nick Babich
“Implications Of WordPress Joining The Block Protocol,” Leonardo Losoviz