One of the first questions to address when starting a new WordPress website is what kind of server you need and how to pick a hosting provider based on server features. One of the many great things about WordPress is that it can work in almost any sort of environment. It’s not resource-heavy by itself, it’s easy to install even manually, and if you don’t expect much traffic right from the beginning, it doesn’t require a lot of hosting bandwidth. However, if you really want things to run smoothly and not have to upgrade your plan every once in a while, there are some WordPress server requirements to keep in mind.

All websites need a server to run on. A server is where all the files are stored, which includes media files, databases, content, and everything else. Some users have their own servers and host their own websites, while others (which is actually a majority of WordPress users) buy a hosting plan with a provider that has a number of shared or managed servers.

The sort of plan you will pick depends to a great extent on server performance. Servers that run on outdated software, have limited hardware specifications or don’t support HTTPS will still allow you to run a website, but it definitely won’t run smoothly. So, to help you avoid these situations, we’ve compiled a list of the basic WordPress server requirements that should help you pick the right specifications for your next WordPress website:

Recommended Disk Space for WordPress

Just like a computer, a server has a hard disk that has a certain amount of space on it. The WordPress installation itself is very lightweight (1GB, which is way less than what an average smartphone has) but disk space is required for additional resources, most notably for themes, plugins, media files, and especially videos. This storage affects the processing speed, which is one of the most important requirements in a web server. So in addition to looking for high processing performance, you should also look for a server that has considerable disk space, especially if your website is going to be media-heavy.

You should also consider the type of hardware used: HDD or hard disk drive is an older solution used for lower speed requirements and for data that’s not frequently used, while SSD or solid-state drive is a modern high-speed solution that’s less susceptible to physical damage.

Some providers use a combination of the two – SSD for databases and HDD for other, less sensitive resources. You will find some cheap providers that use HDD only, and it will work okay for WordPress, but for fast processing and reliable data delivery it’s probably a better idea to opt for ones that use SSD, or at least the combination of the two.

As for the size, you will find hosting anywhere from 10GB to 250GB. The lower end will work just fine for small to medium websites, online shops and personal blogs. Larger hard disks are more suitable for big websites with a lot of heavy media and a lot of traffic, massive portals or forums, as well as enterprise websites.

Recommended RAM for WordPress

RAM (Random Access Memory) plays an important role in server performance for WordPress websites. As WordPress sites handle dynamic content and user interactions, sufficient RAM ensures smooth operation and faster response times.

The WordPress software itself requires at least 512MB. However, typically, servers for WordPress require a minimum of 1GB RAM for basic functionality, and for optimal performance, 2GB or more is recommended.

RAM speed and type also impact performance, with DDR4 being a common choice for its efficiency. Higher RAM capacity allows for handling multiple concurrent requests and caching, enhancing user experience and site reliability. Ultimately, adequate RAM ensures that WordPress sites can handle traffic spikes and complex tasks efficiently.

Processing Power (CPU)

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is something like the brain of a server, crucial for handling WordPress websites efficiently. It processes instructions, executes code, and manages tasks. A powerful CPU enhances performance, especially during high-traffic periods or when running resource-intensive plugins.

Fortunately, WordPress doesn’t demand excessive CPU power by default. Still, factors like website complexity, the amount of users accessing the site at the same time, and plugin usage impact CPU requirements. Common server CPUs include Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC series, offering varying core counts and clock speeds.

When it comes to actual values, WordPress will function on just 1.0 GHz. However, these days, instead of the GHz values, hosts focus more on the number of processing cores. Two cores perform the tasks twice as quickly as just one, and servers with five or six cores will be that much more efficient. For small WordPress sites, a server with at least a dual-core CPU suffices, but larger sites benefit from quad-core or higher CPUs to ensure smooth operation and responsiveness.

PHP Version

When you are about to install WordPress, the application itself will tell you which version of PHP is required. Right now, it’s version 8.0, or higher. Each version receives updates for up to two years. It’s always recommended to use hosting that includes the latest PHP version – but, fortunately, most of them do. If you already have WordPress installed, you should regularly check for the latest versions and update.

PHP is an open-source programming language used for dynamic interactive websites. WordPress itself is written using PHP. Using the latest version assures proper performance, faster running of processes and reduction of memory usage. In addition, it protects the website from bugs and malware.

Server Location and CDN

These days, with cloud hosting and virtual private servers, one would think that server location doesn’t matter. However, the server is still physically located somewhere, and the closer it is to your visitors, the better the website will perform for them. If your website is focused on users from a specific country or region, then you’ll obviously choose a server located in that country or region. But most WordPress websites count on international visitors, from all over the world, which is why you should opt for a hosting service with access to a global server network. Then, if the majority of your visitors is, say, from US, you will find a US-based server. Of course, your website will work fine even for visitors outside of that area, but it will perhaps be slower.

If you want to ensure the best possible performance of your WordPress website regardless of where it’s accessed from, we strongly suggest you find a host that offers access to CDN.

CDN or Content Delivery Network is a network of servers located all across the globe, storing static versions of your website. When a visitor accesses the website, it is served from the nearest possible server, assuring optimal performance and speed.

Database Management

Database management systems (DBMS) play a crucial role in WordPress websites by storing and organizing site data, including posts, pages, user information, and settings. WordPress relies heavily on its underlying database for content retrieval and management. Efficient database management can significantly impact website performance, influencing factors like page load times and overall responsiveness.

When choosing a server to host your WordPress website, the performance and compatibility of the server’s database management system are essential considerations. WordPress uses MySQL and MariaDB to store and retrieve data. You don’t need both – just one of these systems. When considering a hosting service’s server requirements, make sure that either MySQL or MariaDB are stored on the server, ideally on SSD.

Also ideally, the service should offer automatic database optimization and a multi-user environment.

Recommended Web Server Software for WordPress

When selecting a web server for your WordPress website, looking into available web server software applications is an important consideration. For WordPress, Apache and Nginx are two popular choices. In fact, WordPress itself recommends using one of the two. The website will function without them, as you can technically use any server to run WordPress, but Apache and Nginx have certain significant advantages.

Apache is known for its flexibility, rich documentation, and compatibility with various modules. It is a good choice both for seasoned WordPress users and for beginners. On the other hand, Nginx is newer and faster and excels in handling concurrent connections efficiently, making it ideal for high-traffic sites.

The choice between them depends on factors like site traffic, server resources, and configuration preferences. Apache’s .htaccess file provides easy per-directory configuration, while Nginx’s configuration syntax is somewhat more straightforward and excellent under heavy loads.

To learn more, check out our article on how to choose between Nginx and Apache.

HTTPS Support

HTTPS or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure is an internet communication protocol that protects the integrity and confidentiality of data exchanged between users and websites. It is an extension of HTTP and uses encryption to secure the data transmission.

HTTPS uses SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) protocols to encrypt data. This ensures that even in the case of unauthorized data interceptions, the data cannot be deciphered easily.

When choosing a server for WordPress, it’s important to look for HTTPS and SSL among the server features. These days most renowned hosting providers include HTTPS and SSL in their plans, especially the more advanced ones, but it doesn’t hurt to check.

If you already use a server that doesn’t include these security features, check out our article on how to add HTTPS and SSL to your WordPress website and also our list of the best SSL plugins for WordPress.

Wrapping It Up

Summing it up, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a server for your WordPress website. As we said, WordPress is not resource-heavy and most basic servers will probably do the job. However, if you want to ensure speed, reliability and performance, we recommend you follow the guidelines we laid out in this article and check for the requirements we mentioned – from disk space, RAM and CPU to PHP and web server software, as well as CDN, HTTPS and SSL availability.

Most hosting companies list the features clearly in their plans, so picking one that meets these requirements shouldn’t be hard, and shouldn’t put too much strain on your website budget. Good luck with your new website, and let us know how it goes!

For a wide range of creatives and industry professionals, having a WordPress portfolio website is the easiest and surest way to get their work out there, be noticed, get more clients and grow their name. It’s easiest because WordPress makes it so. It’s surest because, without an online portfolio, you’re as good as invisible.

In this article, we will cover some basics of what an online portfolio should have, why WordPress is such a great choice and how to get started.

Note: Because we have a comprehensive guide on how to create a WordPress website that covers virtually everything you need to know in this process, we will not delve in technical details and just highlight the most important questions, so make sure to keep our guide at hand when you start making your own WordPress portfolio website.

What Is an Online Portfolio?

Donde – Artist Portfolio Theme

The word “portfolio” is a Latin term denominating a portable stack of papers. Until everything went digital, a portfolio was an actual, physical collection of an individual’s most representative work (projects, sketches, designs, blueprints, etc). A lot of people still have physical portfolios but in the last couple of decades, we are seeing a prevalence of online ones.

An online portfolio is a digital collection of work samples, projects, and achievements that individuals or businesses use to showcase their skills, expertise, and experience. It is a representation of one’s capabilities and accomplishments, usually tailored to a specific industry or profession. The most common use of portfolios is when seeking employment or new clients, and it often accompanies a professional CV or biography.

An online portfolio can come in various formats: a website, a blog, a social media profile or a profile on dedicated platforms (for designers it can be Behance, Dribbble, Portfoliobox, etc). These formats allow creators to customize their presentations according to their preferences and target audience. They serve as a dynamic tool for self-promotion, enabling individuals to attract potential clients, employers, or collaborators by providing a compelling overview of their talents and achievements, complete with personal info and a professional biography, as well as contact info.

What Makes a Good Portfolio?

Alicia – Elementor Portfolio Theme

A good online portfolio represents a clear and cohesive narrative of your work, highlighting your skills and accomplishments effectively. It should feature high-quality visuals that accurately represent your projects, along with concise descriptions that provide context and insight into your process. The visuals can be displayed in a simple and minimalist way, one below the other, but for maximum effectiveness, it’s best if they’re arranged in gallery layouts, in slideshows that can even be fullscreen, with a parallax effect, etc. It’s also a good idea to create a separate page for each of your most accomplished works, where visitors can explore it further and with more details.

Navigation of your online portfolio should be intuitive, allowing visitors to easily explore different sections and projects. Additionally, a good portfolio is responsive and optimized for various devices, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of audiences. This is essential since most people access the web through their hand-held devices these days.

Finally, incorporating elements such as testimonials or case studies can add credibility and further engage visitors with your work.

Who Should Have a WordPress Portfolio?

Munich – Creative Portfolio Theme

An online portfolio can be useful for a wide range of individuals and professionals across diverse fields. Most commonly, it’s associated with creatives such as graphic designers, photographers, artists, and writers or anyone else who can benefit from a portfolio to showcase their work and attract clients or potential employers.

Portfolios are not limited to creative industries. Professionals in industries like web development, marketing, and consulting can leverage portfolios to demonstrate their skills and previous projects to prospective clients or employers.

Additionally, students and recent graduates seeking internships or entry-level positions can use portfolios to showcase their academic projects, internships, and extracurricular activities to stand out in a competitive job market.

Essentially, anyone looking to present their skills, expertise, and achievements in a visually compelling and organized manner can benefit from having an online portfolio.

Why WordPress?

Areia – Portfolio and Agency Theme

There’s a variety of platforms you can use to build and host your online portfolio, but there are plenty of reasons why WordPress in particular makes a great choice.

First of all, it’s cheap. The software itself is free, the free themes are quite good, and there’s a whole range of free plugins that can provide additional portfolio functionalities. You do have to pay for hosting and domain, but these costs are rather affordable, too.

Second, WordPress is an open-source platform with a very lively ecosystem of theme and plugin developers and a rich support community. It is scalable, giving you plenty of room to grow, expand and get more traffic.

WordPress is, to a great extent, responsive by default, meaning your portfolio will look good on mobile devices, too. You will probably have to tweak a few things here and there, but it’s not much work. Plus, the built-in SEO features will help you get your portfolio out there in the search engine result pages.

Next, WordPress has a rather easy learning curve. It is equally suitable for beginners and those who already know their way around HTML and CSS. Again, thanks to the great and active community and plenty of documentation, you can solve most problems on your own.

Finally, the look of your WordPress portfolio is mostly dictated by the theme you’re be using, and there are tons of amazing portfolio themes that provide innovative and elegant design combined with the essential portfolio functionalities and features.

Elements That Every WordPress Portfolio Should Have

Lyndon – Portfolio Theme

Every WordPress portfolio website should incorporate several essential features and elements to effectively showcase work and engage visitors:

Clear Navigation: Easy navigation can be achieved with a user-friendly menu structure that allows visitors to explore different sections of your portfolio effortlessly. Menus and other navigational elements should be located in places that are intuitive and where most people will look. Check out our guide on how you can improve your website’s navigation and consider using innovative navigation solutions like fullscreen navigation.

High-Quality Visuals: A portfolio should feature only high-resolution images or videos that showcase your work effectively. In addition to accurately representing your work, high-quality visuals also instill a sense of confidence and professionalism.

Portfolio Grid or Gallery: Display your projects in a visually appealing grid or gallery layout, allowing visitors to browse through your work easily. Implement features like filters or categories to organize projects by type, industry, or skill.

Portfolio Slider: To make the portfolio even more engaging, interactive and visually compelling, consider displaying the work as part of a slider or a carousel. With the right tools, such as Qi Addons for Elementor, you can easily create highly innovative displays like device frame sliders, circled sliders, parallax image showcases, cards galleries and much more. These will add a spark to your presentation and help you come off as imaginative and up-to-date with the latest design trends.

Project Pages: Create dedicated pages for each project, providing detailed descriptions, objectives, methodologies, and outcomes. Include before-and-after images, client testimonials, or case studies to provide additional context and credibility.

About Me Page: Introduce yourself or your team on an “About Me” or “About Us” page. Share your background, expertise, and passion for your work to build trust and rapport with visitors.

Contact Information: Make it easy for visitors to get in touch by including clear contact information or a contact form. Consider adding social media links or a dedicated “Hire Me” button to encourage potential clients or employers to reach out.

Testimonials or Reviews: Incorporate client testimonials, client reviews, or endorsements to build credibility and trust with potential clients or employers. Display these testimonials prominently on your homepage or project pages.

Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons: Include clear and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout your portfolio website to prompt visitors to take desired actions, such as contacting you, viewing more projects, or subscribing to your newsletter.

SEO Optimization: Optimize your portfolio website for search engines by using relevant keywords, meta titles and meta descriptions, and alt text for images. This helps improve visibility and attract organic traffic to your site. SEO is a complex field so make sure you check out our article on SEO basics.

Now let’s see how you can get all this up and running. First things first, you’ll need…

Hosting and Domain Name

Lorne – Creative Portfolio Theme

We said earlier that WordPress is free but for a WordPress portfolio you still have to pay for a few things, primarily for hosting and domain name.

The domain name is essentially your portfolio’s address. You need to think this one out carefully because it should be representative of you as a professional or a creative. It should be straightforward, clear, and uncomplicated. For a portfolio, the best practice is to use your own name or your professional alias (if you’re using one) for the domain name. If your preferred domain name is taken, you can still create one that’s close to your personal or professional brand. And if you get stuck, there are some cool domain name generators that can help.

Some people buy a domain name they like before figuring out the rest. However, the more common option is a two-in-one solution that includes both hosting services and a domain name. A lot of hosting providers include the domain name in their packages, along with other features, so this can be an important factor to consider when choosing the hosting provider.

Hosting services come in different plans or tiers. The plan you’ll choose should depend on the size of your website and the amount of traffic you expect. If you’re just starting out, you probably don’t expect a lot of traffic right away, but you never know how big you can grow so it’s important to pick a plan that allows for scaling up (and down) and handling traffic peaks. And since portfolio sites are usually media-rich, you may want to pick a plan with considerable hosting bandwidth.

Some providers have plans designed specifically for WordPress users. There are several good reasons for using managed WordPress hosting but you should know that shared hosting, which is more affordable, can also be a good option. Finally, there are hosting options that are completely free, but before you sign up for that check out our pros and cons of free WordPress hosting.

How to Choose A Theme for Your WordPress Portfolio?

Qi Theme for Elementor

We now come to what’s probably the most important choice you’ll make when setting up your online portfolio. WordPress themes are responsible both for the look and for the functionality of your website. They determine the design, the layouts, and a lot of other visual elements, but also functionalities like navigation, certain premade pages, page sections, elements like testimonials, galleries, video sections, parallax sections, titles, icons, and much more.

When it comes to themes, you have two options: free themes and premium ones. Every year WordPress releases a new default theme and it’s the one you get when you install the software. These themes are actually quite good, and after the switch to full site editing there are nicely designed block patterns and templates you can use.

Then there are free themes designed by independent theme developers, like our own Qi Theme for Elementor, or Qi Templates for Gutenberg. Although free, these themes are superbly designed and come with demos made specifically for portfolios.

And if you’re looking for something a bit more advanced, there’s quite a large market of premium portfolio WordPress themes for you to choose from. These come in all sorts of styles, vibes and aesthetics, some are more feature-rich than others, and most of them include innovative and elegant ways to display your content and really impress with your portfolio.

Premium themes represent a one-time cost and usually come with a lifetime of updates, but make sure to pick one that has good support and documentation, responsive features and compatibility with the major page builders.

How About the Plugins?

Qi Addons for Elementor

We said earlier that the best portfolio themes already come equipped with features and functionalities that can elevate your portfolio and make it stand out. However, you will probably find that using certain plugins can further improve both the looks and the performance of your WordPress portfolio website. Plugins are like addons that you install on your website to add certain functionality. Most WordPress websites have quite a few plugins since basic WordPress and themes cannot possibly include everything a website could need, plus some specific practical requirements might always emerge.

For instance, you will probably need security plugins to make your website safer and more reliable. Then, you should also consider an SEO plugin like Rank Math or Yoast, plugins for adding contact forms, and so on.

A lot of plugins are actually completely free and won’t cost you a penny. However, there are premium plugins too that are worthy of consideration, especially for a portfolio website. One of such plugins is Qi Addons for Elementor, a collection of extremely useful widgets or addons for the popular page builder. What’s great about this plugin is that with a single installation (and a single payment) you get hundreds of features that can significantly elevate your WordPress portfolio, such as innovative sliders and carousels, fullscreen elements, typography effects, interactive carousels, flip boxes… All that plus various business, SEO and infographic elements.

In short, you will probably need some plugins, but you don’t have to add them all right away. As you build and promote your WordPress portfolio, the need for certain plugins will emerge spontaneously. Just make sure you’re using plugins that are regularly updated and maintained, and regularly uninstall the ones you’re no longer using.

Getting Your Portfolio Out There

Portfolio websites are specific as they’re mostly used as a sort of digital CV and, as such, don’t rely that much on organic traffic. However, there’s no reason not to work on your marketing and SEO to actually get some organic traffic and therefore reach more potential clients or employers.

First of all, you need to understand the difference between inbound and outbound marketing. Next, you will want to look into content marketing and see if perhaps you can enrich your portfolio with articles, blog posts, case studies, know-hows etc, anything that can provide value to the visitors and drive more traffic your way.

You should also regularly monitor the performance of your WordPress portfolio using Google Analytics and focus on the most important metrics, for starters.

As for SEO, we said earlier it’s a big and complicated field but one you can definitely master on your own, if you’re persistent. We suggest you check out our selection of the best SEO blogs and resources that regularly release useful and relevant content, as well as the list of 150 SEO terms every WordPress user must know.

Installing an SEO plugin, which we mentioned earlier, is a great way to make sure you’re on the right track in this department. Most of these plugins make sure you have your meta titles, meta descriptions and image alt text in place, which is essential for portfolio websites. Keywords are also important but since you probably won’t have much textual content, it’s perhaps a lesser concern. Proper URL structure, however, is important for each and every page of your portfolio so make sure you follow the best URL practices and guidelines.

Finally, don’t forget to promote your WordPress portfolio on social media, especially creatively oriented ones like Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok. Wherever you have a profile, link it to your website, and vice versa, using social icons.

We hope this article provided solid and actionable first steps into creating a truly memorable WordPress portfolio. Once you get it up and running, we hope you’ll let us know in the comments!

When it comes to eCommerce, the demand for effective solutions to unlock sales and engagement potential remains constant. Among such solutions are customer wishlists. Wishlists are by no means a new thing, but a surprising number of online stores still don’t offer this handy little feature that’s designed to boost sales and engagement and can be added in WordPress with absolute ease using one of the WooCommerce wishlist plugins.

Before we check them out, let’s first see why every online store should have the wishlist feature.

Why Are eCommerce Wishlists Important?

Adding the wishlist feature to an online shop benefits both the customers and for the shop owners.

For customers, they offer, above all, a way to make online shopping even more convenient. Wishlists act as a personal shopping cart, saving desired items for later purchase or comparison. They are a great reminder of the products that piqued our interest but that we can’t purchase at the moment.

Wishlists are also great for gift inspiration. They can become curated lists for friends and family seeking perfect presents. On top of that, they can be used for price tracking, as they allow users to monitor price changes and snag deals when the time is right.

And because they’re good for customers, wishlists are consequently good for shop owners, too, as they improve UX and boost engagement. Wishlists nurture leads, reminding users of their desires at the right moment. Also, sharing wishlists on social media expands reach and attracts new customers. Finally, wishlist data reveals popular products and potential promotions.

If your shop runs on WordPress, you’re likely using WooCommerce for the shop functionality. WooCommerce doesn’t include wishlist as the core feature of the plugin, so it’s something you’ll have to add separately, using one of the many WooCommerce wishlist plugins. We checked a great number of these plugins for you and came up with this list of the best contenders:

QODE Wishlist for WooCommerce

We’re kicking off our list with a remarkably well-rounded WooCommerce wishlist plugin from the Qode Interactive workshop: the QODE Wishlist for WooCommerce. The plugin was created after extensive research into what both users and shop admins can benefit from the most when it comes to wishlist functionality and its options. As a result, the plugin offers extensive customization options such as the behavior type for the button, the layout style and position, labels, icons, colors, etc. Admins can also choose to enable the automatic removal of wishlist items that are added to the cart. The wishlist feature is available to all shop visitors, whether they’re logged in or not. Adding the product to a wishlist is as simple as a button click, and the feature is extremely easy to implement.

And this is all just in the free version of the QODE Wishlist. The premium version is among the most advanced plugins of this type that you’ll find on the market. Most notably, it allows users to create multiple wishlists, with adjustable visibility – they can be public, private or accessible only via a link.

Another impressive feature is the wishlist product count, showing how many times an item has been added to a wishlist, which is useful for building hype.

Rich customization options cover two distinct layouts for single wishlists – table and gallery. These can feature a sorting switcher, related products, total product amounts, etc. Two layouts – gallery and modern – are also available for pages with multiple lists. The plugin includes two widgets for quick access to the wishlist – as a sidebar or as a dropdown, both with advanced customization options. Another premium feature is the choice between requiring the login for creating wishlists or not.

Finally, QODE Wishlist for WooCommerce includes marketing features like promotional email campaigns (on sale, back in stock, etc) and the “Ask for Estimate” forms (useful if you want to put the shop in catalog mode and decide to hide the prices) , as well as dashboard analytic data on conversions.

The single site price of this remarkable plugin is currently $89.

WPC Smart Wishlist for WooCommerce

Those looking for a more straightforward and stripped-down wishlist plugin can check out WPC Smart Wishlist for WooCommerce. It’s easy to configure and manage and comes with some neat options for customizing the wishlist and the button. You can opt for an additional action button and link classes, enable or disable auto removal from the wishlist once the item is added to cart and set categories that allow the wishlist button.

As for visual customization, users can set colors for the wishlist popup, define the position of the wishlist icon on archive and single pages, edit the button or link text, and so on. And when the user navigates away from the page, you can set it to trigger the wishlist popup.

All these come with the free version, and if you want to upgrade, the premium one includes multiple wishlists per user, the option to add notes to each product, advanced customization to match the style of the wishlist with the rest of your website, and lifetime dedicated support. The premium plugin currently costs $34 for the single site license.

TI WooCommerce Wishlist

If popularity is your main criterion when choosing a plugin, you will want to check out TI WooCommerce Wishlist, which currently has more than 100,000 active installations for the free version. It’s a solid plugin that adds the wishlist functionality and features a handy setup wizard to guide you through the process. It comes with predefined icons for the “Add to wishlist” button but it also allows you to upload your own. Plus, you can define the position of the button on product pages or use a shortcode to add it anywhere on your pages. The free version also has the storewide stats for each product added to a wishlist, as well as a wishlist products counter.

The appearance of the wishlist is completely customizable. The plugin is translation-ready and supports custom CSS styles.

The premium version supports multiple wishlists per user, product sorting within the wishlist using drag and drop, as well as different wishlist privacy settings, automatically calculated total price, promotional emails, predefined skins and product analytics. The premium version currently costs $79/year for a single site, which makes it one of the costlier plugins of this kind.

WishSuite

WishSuite is a completely free WooCommerce wishlist plugin that provides an easy and intuitive way to create wishlist pages and add wishlist buttons to products. It generates a shortcode so you can place the wishlist button anywhere you want on your website. After a product on the wishlist is added to the cart, the product is automatically removed. The button on product pages or catalog can be added to various positions, for example before or after the cart button, or before or after the price.

Customization options are numerous and include customizable text, customizable fields (you can remove the fields you don’t want, like price, quantity, etc) and options to set fields heading text, empty field text and so on. As for styling, you can set the button style, icon type, table style, added button type and so on.

Premmerce Wishlist for WooCommerce

Another free and relatively new solution for shop owners on a budget is Premmerce Wishlist for WooCommerce. It’s not the most feature-rich option out there, but it’s easy to use and, being completely free, represents a great solution for small shops that are just starting out. One of the features that sets it apart from many other plugins of this kind is the ability to view which items the customers have added to their wishlists. This information can be used for targeting with promotional emails or deals, for upselling, cross-selling, etc.

The wishlists can be shared via URL and the wishlist can be displayed as a widget. The plugin is compatible with most WordPress themes and also with Elementor, AIOSEO, RankMath, Polylang and WPML.

My Wish List for WooCommerce

If you prefer official WooCommerce extensions, My Wish List for WooCommerce is a popular choice. It allows users, registered or not, to add products to their wishlist. Registered users can view their wishlist on their My Accounts page. The extension comes with shortcode support for adding the wishlist anywhere on the pages for non-registered users. The extension uses Ajax for seamless adding and removal of the items from the wishlist. As for admin controls, you can see lists of most frequently added products and sort them from least to most added ones, thus gaining valuable insights. The extension currently costs $29/year.

WooCommerce Wishlists

WooCommerce Wishlists is a similar solution to the previous one – a premium Woo extension for adding wishlists to your shop. However, unlike My Wish List for WooCommerce, this one allows both registered and unregistered users to create unlimited wishlists in your online store. Guest wishlists are kept for 30 days, which is essentially the cookie lifetime. Of course, if the user deletes their cookies before that, the wishlist will be deleted too.

Wishlists can be personal or shared and their number is unlimited. Customers have full privacy control and the lists are easily shared on social media or through email, with a personalized message. The extension supports grouped and variable products.

The button is customizable in terms of icons and text. You can upload your own icon and set the text you like. The extension inherits the theme style for button and other elements. It adds its own settings tab in WooCommerce admin, from which colors, button appearance and everything else can easily be adjusted.

This premium extension is a bit pricier and costs $89/year.

Wrapping It Up

WooCommerce wishlist plugins and extensions are the safest, quickest, and most beginner-friendly way to provide your customers with the ability to create lists of their desired products. As we saw, the benefits of having the wishlist feature in your shop are multiple, ranging from better engagement and customer retention to data insights, improved targeting and, ultimately, more sales. If there’s a WooCommerce wishlist plugin that you like but we didn’t mention in this list, do let us know in the comments below – we’re always updating our lists and we’d love your feedback!

If you’re in the real estate business and looking to create a website with all the required functionalities, you may have heard of IDX, software used to add MLS (Multiple Listing Service) listings to real estate websites. In this article, we’ll show you how to create an IDX website to attract visitors and potential customers, using minimum resources and without advanced technical expertise. You’ll learn about:

What Is an IDX Website for Realtors?

If you’re a realtor, individual or working for a real estate agency, you have a couple of options regarding your online presence. You can have a simple website using one of the available platforms, like WordPress.com, Wix, etc. You can have a more complex and robust website made on WordPress.org, with your own hosting, custom domain name, etc. You can even have a custom-made website created by a professional web developer. Finally, you can have an IDX website for realtors built on WordPress, which is the best possible solution.

An IDX website is a real estate website that displays active listings directly from a Multiple Listing Service (MLS). A MLS is a database, maintained by real estate professionals, that holds information about properties currently on the market. Think of it as a giant, exclusive catalog of homes for sale. This info includes details like price, bedrooms, location, and photos. Only licensed real estate agents can access the complete MLS, but some basic info is displayed on public websites like Zillow or Trulia.

So, IDX acts as a connection between the MLS and public websites like the one you want to create. It allows websites to securely pull and display accurate, up-to-date listings directly from the MLS, without needing to manually submit each property. This guarantees that the users see the latest information and agents can showcase their listings to a wider audience, all on a single platform.

The advantages of these sorts of real estate websites are obvious. They are better for customers since they provide a more convenient search experience. They’re better for realtors, too, since they can be a tremendously useful tool for attracting new leads.

WordPress as a Platform for an IDX Website

Here at Qode Interactive, we firmly believe that WordPress can be used to create any sort of website. Creating a website with WordPress is something that even non-experts can do, with proper guidance. There are tons of specialized real estate themes out there, and a lot of amazing real estate websites have been made with Qode themes, too. So, WordPress makes a great choice for realtors when it comes to boosting their online presence. But can it be used to make an IDX website for realtors? The short answer is: yes.

WordPress packs amazing functionality out of the box, but a lot of times it is the WordPress ecosystem of plugins and themes that really takes the experience to the next level, adding required design solutions and extending functionalities.

We’ll talk more about how this can be applied to IDX websites specifically, but now let’s see what you’ll need to get such a website up and running. The essentials include:

Hosting and Domain Name

In order for your site to be accessible on the web, it needs to be hosted by a specialized service that offers all the required facilities, services, space and bandwidth for it – a web hosting service. We’ve written extensively about hosting so we invite you to check out our article on the difference between shared and managed WordPress hosting that should help you figure things out. If you’re on a tight budget, you should know that there are free options, but before you commit, please check out the pros and cons of free hosting. In any case, make sure to check out our guide on how to choose a hosting provider first.

As for the domain name, you can get one even before you figure out hosting. However, if you don’t already have a domain name paid and parked, bear in mind that a lot of hosting providers include domain names in their services so that may be a more convenient solution.

Once you have a hosting plan and domain name in place, it’s time to install WordPress (check out our guide on how to install WordPress manually) and set up your IDX website for realtors. Depending on the type of hosting you’ve chosen, you may already have WordPress installed, but either way after this step you can go ahead and install a theme of your choice.

Picking the Right WordPress Theme for your IDX Website

Fokkner – Real Estate and Property Theme

The choice of WordPress theme for an IDX website for realtors is one of the most important choices, as the themes not only set a certain visual mood and engage the visitors in a certain way, but they also come equipped with specific elements, sections and functionalities designed to boost engagement and conversions.

For realtors, this includes above all a professional search functionality that allows visitors to quickly find the property they’re looking for, as well as all the necessary info about a property. Then there are individual property listings equipped with multiple photos, galleries, videos and sliders. Maps, contact forms and client testimonials are also a must.

The best real estate WordPress themes usually come equipped with all this, and more. You should always opt for a theme that, in addition to modern and professional design, ease of use and speed, also offers a comprehensive real estate module – a set of functionalities, sections and elements designed specifically for realtors. To get inspired and see some great themes in action, check out our list of the best real estate websites made with Qode themes.

Make sure the theme you pick has good reviews, comes with professional customer support, that it’s regularly updated and that has a good performance and speed score.

Sometimes, a WordPress theme for real estate will also include IDX/MLS integration, which is a plus, but in majority of cases this functionality is added via plugins.

Best WordPress IDX Plugins

Before we check out a couple of excellent IDX plugins for a real estate website, let’s quickly go through what IDX and MLS are and how they work.

We said previously that IDX is software that allows site visitors to go through real estate listings in a specific area. These listings are pulled from MLS (Multiple Search Listing) platforms, which are real estate portals updated by local realtors. These are comprehensive, detailed and large aggregations of listings and it’s the realtors’ responsibility to keep them up to date – after all, it’s in their best interest. MLS platforms are for realtors only, and if they want to add these listings to their own websites, they need to use IDX as a sort of bridge.

The easiest way to create an IDX-based real estate website is to first create the site using WordPress, as we described above, and then use one of the several available IDX plugins to add the functionality. Here are a couple of our favorites:

Realtyna Organic IDX

Realtyna Organic IDX + WPL Real Estate is a freemium plugin designed to manage property listings by adding MLS/IDX/RESO/VOW/XML/DDF functionalities to any WordPress website. With the free version, you can easily pull listing features, addresses, appliances, neighborhood info, videos and images and display them on your website. The plugin supports all MLS providers in North America.

With the paid version, which costs $199 (one-time payment, lifetime updates and one-year support), you can host all the IDX/MLS data on your own server, which is ideal for realtors who want more control over their data.

DS IDX

The WordPress IDX Real Estate Listings & MLS Search takes pride in being the only IDX plugin that offers live support, a custom marketing solution and IDX listing feeds from more than 730 MLS platforms in Canada and the United States. The plugin adds user-friendly search widgets with a map and a slideshow of featured properties. Listings are comprehensive and informative, and can include school information and similar properties in the desired area.

This plugin also features useful lead-capture tools, like forms for scheduling property showings, tools for adding favorite listings, saving property search criteria for the next visit, and more.

Note that this is not a free plugin. It does come with a free 7-day trial. The basic package costs $59.95/month, and includes live listing shortcodes, an interactive IDX widget and indexable city and neighborhood pages. The Pro version costs $89.95/month and includes full IDX search interface, flexible site registration options, saved searches and favorites, lead capture tools, additional widgets and CRM with lead behavior insights. The Pro Plus plan costs $299.95/month and includes everything from the Pro version plus dedicated help from digital marketing and SEO experts.

Showcase IDX

Showcase IDX Real Estate Search is a freemium solution for real estate agents and companies, providing them with portal-quality listings search functionality, fully integrated into WordPress and managed from the WordPress admin. It basically works as a CRM solution, on top of providing the IDX search functionality. The listings are responsive out of the box and fully customizable to match the style of your theme. You can create neighborhood and community pages and import MSL in batches, with custom styling for each batch. Showcase IDX is the only IDX that allows for multiple polygon search, with customizable map elements.

Showcase IDX comes with a free 10–day trial, and the paid plans start at $74.95.

MLS Import

With MLS Import, you can easily connect to the MLS platforms you choose and import listings in batches, using your own criteria, and sync their information. The plugin is created specifically for WordPress and can be used with most real estate themes. It is built on the latest RESO API technology, which is important since RETS is a deprecated data standard that no longer works. Selected properties are imported directly to your domain and images and videos are served through a CDN, which improves performance and guarantees a fast user experience. MLS Import works with 800+ platforms across North America and the listings changes are synced hourly, guaranteeing your content will always be up to date.

MLS Import has a 30-day free trial, after which, if you decide to use the plugin, you will pay $49/month.

Wrapping It Up

After you’ve installed and activated the plugin of your choice and imported the listings from MLS platforms, you’ll be ready to go. At this point, it’s time to grow your audience and turn them into customers. Check out our tips for WordPress lead generation and consider using some of the lead generation plugins for the platform. One thing you’ll want to do is promote your website on social media and use email marketing. For realtors, it’s also important to implement proper local SEO techniques. Don’t forget to monitor your metrics, as they can tell you with certainty which aspects of your website are performing well and which ones need improvement. Many of the IDX plugins come with built-in insights, especially those with the user registration option. Finally, make sure to check out Qode Magazine regularly since mastering WordPress is a sure way to get your business out there, attract more customers and close more deals.

We’re about to enter the cookieless era: in January 2024 the first 1% of users will face cookie deprecation, while the full phasing out is expected by the third quarter of the year. Cookies have been traditionally used for client-side tracking that provides precious insights into user behavior, thus effectively enabling targeting, personalization and campaign optimization. However, the impending obsolescence of third-party cookies throws a wrench in these gears. Enter server-side tracking, a revolutionary approach that sidesteps cookie challenges and unlocks a future-proof world of data collection.

What Does Cookie Deprecation Mean and When Does It Start?

Let’s first see what cookies are and what they do. These deliciously named little files contain text with some information (more on that shortly) – at the minimum, a name and a value. When someone visits your website, their browser stores this information using cookies and then uses it to make subsequent user sessions (visits) more useful and faster. Cookies can also store information about the visit like the device you used, the type of browser, and associated online activity.

At this point, it’s important to distinguish several basic types of cookies:

Certain types of cookies come as a core feature of WordPress and it’s important to learn how to manage them. While we’re at it, it’s also vital to make sure your WordPress website is GDPR compliant.

In 2023, Google announced that throughout 2024 it will be gradually phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome. Cookie deprecation started on January 4th for 1% of the users and the rollout is expected to be completed by the third quarter of the year.

This way, Chrome is finally joining Safari and Firefox, the browsers that have already been blocking third-party cookies by default for years. And not just that – Google has announced that it will not be rolling out any other form of user-level ad identifiers to replace third-party cookies.

The purpose of cookie deprecation is to meet users’ and regulators’ privacy concerns, since third-party cookies can store sensitive and personal information whose sharing the users did not opt-in for.

For “regular” users, this is great news. No one feels comfortable with companies looking into our browsing behavior, let alone our personal information, for their own profit. However, for many – primarily for advertisers, and for website owners as well, this will cause a bit of disruption, because of significantly reduced tracking and targeting abilities.

What Will Happen With Tracking and Targeting?

Once the cookie phase-out is complete, which is due by Q3 2024, advertisers will no longer be able to use cookies to target and retarget users based on their browsing history and interactions. This means a significantly reduced ability to craft strategies based on user data like likes and dislikes, patterns, behaviors, locations, etc. This data was used to make ad strategies more relevant, displaying ads to users who are actually likely to interact with them. If you’ve ever wondered how come you get so many ads for used cars and so few for luxury glamping vans (or vice versa, if you’re lucky), you now understand why.

Relying solely on first-party cookies is hardly a compensation for what advertisers and website owners running ads will lose with cookie deprecation. The scope of first-party cookies is rather limited, and they are not as reliable as third-party ones.

One of the possible solutions for the loss of cookie-based targeting abilities is zero-party targeting, which means collecting data directly from users, with their consent, through surveys, forms and loyalty programs.

Another significant aid may come in the form of good old contextual targeting. Once the premiere method, contextual advertising has since been discounted but now may be the right time to bring it back.

Contextual advertising, in short, means displaying ads that are relevant to the content of the page. These ads are significantly more relevant and, let’s be honest, less creepy than those served through behavioral targeting. People have various interests. You would probably feel more at ease if WordPress-related ads were displayed on WordPress-related blogs or marketplaces than on your favorite cooking blog, and vice versa. When you see an ad for something relevant for you but completely out of place context-wise, you start to feel like you’re being followed (which, to an extent, you are – through cookies).

There are many other things advertisers can do to bridge the gap that will open once the cookies are gone, but server-side tracking is probably one of the most efficient ones.

What Is Server-Side Tracking?

Just as its name suggests, server-side tracking (SST) is a method of data collection directly on a cloud server, rather than in the browser (which is what we call client-side tracking). It can collect data like page views, clicks, downloads, and many others. The server processes, stores and potentially enriches the data by combining it with first-party data. The data is further managed and organized by solutions like Google Tag Manager Server-Side or similar, providing valuable analytics and marketing insights. With data being stored and processed on the server, the vulnerability to breaches and leaks is much lower, which makes SST a more secure method than traditional client-side tracking.

The data is sent to end users like data vendors, data collection partners or analytics platforms. And this is first-party data you’re controlling, which means you get to decide which data you will share with vendors, increasing the privacy standards.

On the downside, compared to client-side tracking, server-side tracking does mean slower data connection and it’s definitely more complicated and more expensive to set up and maintain. In most cases, it requires expertise that not many brands or businesses have in-house, but the job can easily be outsourced.

Another benefit of server side tracking is that it improves site performance. By removing or reducing Javascript running the user’s browser, you get faster load times, and consequently better UX and better rankings.

Finally, server-side tracking is simply more accurate. In client-side tracking, your efforts are helpless in front of users with ad blockers or settings that limit tracking scripts and cookies. Server-side tracking is not affected by adblockers and LTP (Link Tracking Protection) settings, and with more precise data, you can make better-informed decisions and shape your strategies.

Server-Side Tracking and WordPress

Server-side tagging can easily be integrated with any WordPress website, although it’s not a feature that comes in its core. As usual, the solution comes in the form of plugins that automate the process and facilitate the integration.

For instance, GTM Server Side by Stape is a free and simple plugin that helps users add or modify the web GTM (Google Tag Manager) script with the tagging server URL to every page on a website. It can work with any other GTM plugin without interference, and it adds a custom loader. This is important since it can hide the GTM and GA tracking from ad blockers, contributing to more accurate tracking and measurement. The plugin optimizes page speed by sending events to GTM without any JS library. It also sends data layer events (eCommerce and user data) and webhooks.

Note that there’s no single plugin that will take care of everything for you, including server-side tracking setup. Complete novices are advised to seek help from experts to properly set up events and configure server side tagging and tracking for their WordPress website. This is particularly true for WooCommerce websites (online shops) where proper tracking and attribution are vital for growing sales.

Even if you do end up with additional costs for technical and resource requirements of implementing server side tracking in WordPress, you’ll still be benefiting from this implementation. Server-side tracking improves ad revenue potential, helps assure GDPR compliance and future-proofs tracking capabilities.

Wrapping It Up

Server-side tracking is vital in adapting to the cookieless future and maintaining effective online advertising. Client-side tracking as we know it is no longer enough, and to achieve the maximum of your ad and marketing strategies, server-side tagging has become an indispensable technique.

Sure, it may not be beginner-friendly and it may not be cheap. But the costs of setup and configuration are basically one-time budget spends, and if you do possess a little know-how you can easily implement this method on your WordPress website using a free plugin.

Server-side tracking is about to change the online advertising landscape with its valuable advantages that help overcome current limitations. From resistance to ad blockers and overcoming privacy concerns to giving you more control over your data, richer and more accurate data and enhanced performance, the benefits of server side tracking are too many to be ignored.

This handy 101 of working with WordPress covers all the essential steps in building a website using the world’s most popular CMS – from installation to monetization, and teaches you how to create a WordPress website all by yourself. For easier navigation, use the Table of Contents below.

Part 4 – Adding eCommerce Features

Part 7 – Frequently Asked Questions

Part 8 – Additional Resources

Part 1 – Getting a Website Up

If you’ve decided to use WordPress to power your website – you’ve made a great call. WordPress is affordable, reliable and scalable, and there’s a lot of other “-able” adjectives that can be added to it. It can power any sort of website, and it’s beginner-friendly, so if making websites is not something you do for a living, it makes the perfect choice. It’s an equally great tool for professionals who build websites for clients – the flexibility and scalability is what makes WordPress so special.

Before You Begin

First things first – when we say “WordPress,” what do we actually mean? There are two versions of the platform, and a lot of people confuse the two. WordPress.org is the “proper” WordPress, the platform that allows you to create any sort of website – from the smallest blog to the biggest eCommerce shop or an enterprise website.

Check the article linked below regarding WordPress.com. For the purposes of this guide, from this point on by “WordPress” we will mean the .org version.

Hosting

Since we’ve opted for WordPress.org, our next step is to take care of the hosting, i.e. pick a hosting provider or service. Unless you have your own hosting resources (a server), you will need to sign up for a plan with a service that will host your website for you.

In addition to traditional hosting providers (BlueHost, Hostinger, GoDaddy, HostGator and so on), more and more users opt for cloud hosting, which is especially suitable for smaller websites that don’t expect tremendous traffic.

Domain Name

Now, if your hosting plan doesn’t include domain name, you will need to take care of that, too. There are services that only work with domain names – these are called domain registrars. Oftentimes, a user will purchase and register a domain name (especially if it’s a good name) and “park” it until he’s ready to use it. The domain name can then be transferred to your hosting plan.

A domain name is a unique and human-readable address that identifies a website on the internet. It serves as a key component of a website’s online presence, facilitating navigation and establishing a distinct online identity for businesses, organizations, and individuals.

Right now, you’re reading this on a website with a domain name “qodeinteractive.com.” The /magazine part of the URL indicates the subdirectory of that domain.

Installing WordPress

WordPress is known for great ease of use. Basically anyone can download and install it, and there are plenty of tutorials from the developers that can guide you through it.

We’ve covered the process in this handy video so make sure to check it out before you start, and perhaps leave it open in one tab so you can consult it along the way.

Before you begin, you will need a couple of things:

First, you’ll need to create a database on the server, using cPanel from your hosting provider. Next, you’ll need to download the latest version of WordPress from the official website. When you unzip the folder you’ve downloaded, you will need to connect the files inside it to your database on the server, using cPanel or FTP. This is an intuitive step-by-step process, especially if you’re using an FTP client like FileZilla, but you will need the credentials from your hosting provider (username, password, host) so make sure you have them on hand. After the files have uploaded, go to your website’s URL, where you will find the WordPress installation screen.

This is a very straightforward process as WordPress guides you through the installation step by step.

If everything went well, it’s time to take care of your website’s looks and functionality.

Choosing a WordPress Theme

A WordPress theme is a collection of files that work together to determine the overall design and functionality of a WordPress website. It provides a template for how the website should look and function, including the layout, color scheme, typography, and other visual elements.

Themes allow WordPress users to change the appearance of their websites without altering the underlying content. They provide a quick and efficient way to customize the design and style of a website, making it easy to create a professional and visually appealing site without extensive coding knowledge.

WordPress themes consist of various template files written in PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Don’t worry! That’s just what’s “under the hood” of your theme. You don’t need to be skilled in any of these in order to work with your theme. Most WordPress themes are based on the principle of “WYSIWYG” – What You See Is What You Get. However, it’s good to know that these files define the structure and presentation of different parts of the website, such as the header, footer, sidebar, and individual page layouts. Themes also include options for customization, allowing users to modify settings such as logo placement, color schemes, widget areas, and more.

In a nutshell, a WordPress theme helps you get a professional-looking website up and running without having to hire a web designer.

When choosing a theme, you first need to ask yourself a couple of questions:

It’s often said that WordPress allows people to create websites for free. The platform software is free, and there are free themes, both from WordPress itself, and from theme developers, that can be used to create highly functional websites. Many of those free themes, like Qi Theme, are simply remarkable. However, you need to be very lucky to find a free WordPress theme that both looks and works great. Oftentimes, free themes are rather basic in its features, come with limited design and customization options, and generally lack that special something that will make your website stand out. Also, free themes often come with very limited support options.

Premium themes, on the other hand, being more expensive, obviously have more effort, care and extras invested and instilled into them. For instance, many premium themes come with built-in premium plugins, like Slider Revolution and others. Sometimes they even come with premium images included, which means you can keep them and use them on your pages without paying extra.

So it all boils down to your personal choice and your budget. If you come across a premium theme that fits your needs like a glove and offers a range of useful functionalities, you should consider investing in it. On the other hand, it may just happen that you’ll find a free theme that suits your needs just fine.

WordPress currently comes with the Gutenberg site editor out of the box. It is a block editor that allows you to quickly and easily create website pages by combining integral elements called blocks. Being extremely user-friendly, versatile and customizable, Gutenberg is one of the most popular solutions for WordPress site creation. In addition to the basic blocks you get by default, you can also purchase block collections, like Qi Blocks for Gutenberg, that give you advanced functionalities, from showcase and creative ones (interactive elements, advanced typography, complex sliders and galleries) to business (various infographics, tables, client carousels, etc) and eCommerce ones (advanced cart functionalities, product galleries, etc).

Another popular page builder is Elementor. Similarly to blocks, it uses elements that can be mixed and matched to create any sort of page you like. Again, addons are available for this editor, like Qi Addons, that further extend its functionality.

There are other popular page builders out there, like Divi, SeedProd, BeaverBuilder, Oxygen, etc.

WPBakery (formerly known as Visual Composer) used to be the single most widely used builder, but it has recently seen a huge decline in popularity.

You may wonder why it matters which page builder you will be using. Well, this decision also influences the choice of your WordPress theme. Some themes are built on/for Elementor, some on/for Divi, etc.

In short, when you decide which builder to use, you will search for appropriate themes.

Note that the best premium themes come in several versions. For instance, Qode Interactive themes are available both for Gutenberg and for Elementor, and there are WPBakery themes too.

This depends on what you want to do with your website. If you’re going to start a food blog, you should probably get a food blog theme. The same with travel blogging, or fashion, and it’s particularly true for listings, directories and real estate websites. This is because these themes come with a specific set of functionalities that you’re probably going to need. For instance, the best food blogging themes will have recipe modules allowing you to create lovely and convenient recipe cards, with nutritional info, prep time, etc. Travel and tourism themes usually come with premade destination pages, beautiful galleries for travel photography, and booking modules. Restaurant websites should always be equipped with booking forms, menu pages, maps, etc, which are features that all good restaurant themes have.

On the other hand, multipurpose themes can also be quite feature-rich, as they usually contain a number of niche-specific demos. These themes are great if your future website doesn’t fall strictly into any specific niche and you want to have the ability to experiment and combine different elements.

Installing Your Theme

If you opted for a free theme, or if you still haven’t made up your mind and want to shop around directly from your WordPress admin, you can use the theme search by navigating to Appearance>Themes.

Click on Add New and browse by categories. If you know the name of the theme, you can type it in the search bar.

When you find the theme you want, simply click on Install under its thumbnail. After the theme is installed, you will be prompted to Activate it.

For premium (paid) themes, the process is somewhat different. After completing the purchase, you will get your theme files in a zipped folder, and you will probably get the activation key. You need to upload the zipped theme to your website. To do that, go to Appearance>Themes and click on Add New. A new page will load, with the Upload Theme button at the top. Click on it and upload the zipped theme. After the theme has uploaded, click on Activate to complete the process.

A theme can also be installed using FTP. To learn more about this method, check out our guide on how to install a WordPress theme, linked below.

Installing the Plugins

Plugins play a very important role in the WordPress ecosystem. They are pieces of software that are added (“plugged in”) to your WordPress installation. Their purpose is to extend or expand the functionality of your website, making it richer, more functional and useful both for you and for your visitors.

As you grow your website, you will probably add more and more plugins as needed. For instance, if at some point you decide you want a Nutrition Facts card for your recipes, you will find a plugin that will help you do that easily and quickly. Or you’ll want to add a chatbot, a booking form, a cool scrolling effect, a caching or security plugin, and so on.

A lot of plugins you can add for free. There are currently over 60k free plugins at the official WordPress plugin repository. There are also premium plugins of all sorts, and there are plugins that represent entire collections, like Qi Addons for Elementor or Qi Blocks for Gutenberg.

As we said, you will probably add a lot of plugins as you go. However, some plugins you’ll want to install right after you install WordPress and your theme, because they are essential plugins that every website should probably have.

These include:

Plugins are extremely easy to install from your Dashboard, by navigating to Plugins>Add New and then browsing or searching for the plugin you need. When you find it, simply click on Install and then on Activate. If the plugin you need is not in the plugin directory, you can download it from its developer and upload the zipfile you get after purchase.

Note that having too many plugins can cause conflicts or slow down your website. Only install plugins that you really need and perform occasional cleanups to remove the ones you no longer use, or the ones that are not adequately supported or updated by their developer.

Part 2 – Customizing Your WordPress Website

The great thing about the WordPress themes is that you can set them up just the way you like. You don’t have to leave the adjustments as they are. Of course, you will change the placeholder content with your own. Even if you import all the demo content, you will want to make the website your own.

Customization is performed on two levels – global options affect the entire website, while page options only affect that particular page.

After you’ve installed a theme, you will probably first want to take care of the site identity – change the logo, the website name and tagline, the favicon, and so on.

Adding Your Own Logo, Site Title and Headline

To take care of these, head over to Appearance>Customize. This will get you to the Theme Customizer, where the first option will be Site Identity. Here you can update your logo, set your site name and tagline (or choose not to display them at all) and add the site icon, a.k.a the favicon. Some themes go the extra mile and offer additional settings for the logo, which are usually found in global options.

Creating, Customizing, Adding and Removing Menus

Menus play an important role in any website. They are the most important navigational element, and, as such, they are also crucial for UX.

When you install a theme, it will probably have several pre-created menus that you can simply adjust to your needs.

To check the available menus, in your Dashboard menu, go to Appearance>Menus. Here you can select the menu you want to edit or create a new one. When you select a menu, in the left section of the screen you will see the available pages you can add as your menu items. In addition to pages, you can also set posts, categories, tags or custom menu items. To the right, under Menu Structure, you can easily rearrange the menu items and change their order.

Note that you can do all this in the Theme Customizer, too, under the Menus option.

If you want to use different menus for desktop and mobile navigation, you can set that up, too.

Note that there are many different types of menus. Some themes have hidden menus, mega menus, some have vertical or sidebar menus, sticky or floating menus, and so on. Feel free to play around with different types that your theme allows until you find the one that fits your website style and purpose the best.

Setting the Homepage

Another thing you will want to take care of before you launch your website is what sort of homepage you want to have. The homepage is the page where your visitors land when navigating to your domain, whether through a link or by typing in the URL. It’s the entry point of your website and its main navigational hub.

There are two types of homepages in WordPress: static and dynamic. A static page is always the same, while the dynamic one displays your latest posts. Because WordPress was originally conceived as a blogging platform, this is still the default type of homepage, so you will probably want to change that to static by navigating to Settings>Reading in your Dashboard menu and making the change there. If you opt for a static homepage, here you will also have to pick the page you want to set as your homepage.

Changing the Colors and the Fonts

When you pick a theme, you probably pick it based not just on the functionalities, but on the visual aspects, too – the color scheme, the typography, the style (minimalist, cluttered, brutalist, retro, romantic, etc). However, along the way you may want to tweak a thing or two regarding the appearance.

The location of the options depends on the theme you’re using. Older WordPress themes still have this feature in the Theme Customizer. With full site editing themes, like the latest WordPress default theme, you get to pick among a series of preset styles and color variations, and you can also customize them additionally in the Editor menu and then the Styles option for each page, template or template part.

The same goes for typography. Depending on the theme you’re using, you can change the fonts globally (for the entire site) or for specific pages. The default full site editing theme has template parts that you can customize, including header and footer.

Note that many theme authors offer their own styling options and these may be located in other sections of the backend.

In general, WordPress themes are always extremely customizable, and you can basically change anything you like, especially if you know your way around CSS. Custom CSS can be inserted to provide additional styling options that are perhaps not available by default.

Adding or Removing the Widgets

In WordPress, widgets are little blocks or elements or pieces of layout, essentially tools that add extra functionality. Some come with WordPress by default, some come with the theme, and others can be added through plugins, like the Qi Addons for Elementor.

Widgets can’t be just added anywhere – they can only be added to designated widget areas. These, again, depend on the theme you’re using. The most common widget area is the sidebar, and also the footer. Commonly added widgets are social links, blog categories, product categories, shopping cart, Instagram feed, etc.

If your theme doesn’t come with a widget or a widget area you’d like to use, you can easily add them. Go to Appearance>Widgets and you’ll see the list of available widget areas. In the default WordPress theme, you can add widgets as blocks. In other themes, you will probably see a display of available widgets on one side, and widget areas on the other. Simply drag and drop them where you want.

If there are widgets you’d like to remove from a widget area, you can just as easily do so. Depending on the theme, click on the X above the widget, or on three dots and then select Remove.

It’s also possible to have certain widgets on certain pages, and not have them on others.

Part 3 – Creating Pages and Posts

Now that your website is up and you’ve made the essential customizations, it’s time to fill it with content.

Every website contains a number of pages. Sure, there are one-page websites, in which all content is located on a single page. In most cases, these are actually landing pages created for specific purposes and designed to convert. A website such as a portfolio, online shop, online community, business website etc, will in most cases have many different pages.

Some pages come with a WordPress installation by default. Some pages come with the theme you’re using. You can remove all the pages you don’t plan on using, and also add new ones very easily. Bear in mind, though, that there are certain pages every website should have, such as the Error 404 page, Contact page, and so on.

Adding or Removing a WordPress Page

In your WordPress admin, find Pages in the Dashboard menu. Here you’ll have the option of viewing all the existing pages, or adding a new one. The process will slightly depend on the page builder you’re using (Elementor, Gutenberg, etc). For instance, in Gutenberg, you will add page elements by adding blocks to it and then rearranging them and customizing them. In Elementor, you will add elements. Either way, you will have the option of setting the page visibility (public, private password-protected), editing the publishing date, the author, etc. You will also be able to preview the page at any time before publishing it.

If you add new pages, don’t forget to put them in your navigation menu so the visitors can find it.

Removing a page is just as simple: click on Pages in your dashboard menu, and then check the box next to the page you want to delete. In the Bulk Actions menu, click on Move to trash and that’s it. You can also delete the page while editing it, by clicking the Move to trash button in the right-hand side menu. FInally, a page can be deleted using the quick actions which appear under each page’s title when you hover over it.

Essential Pages

As we said above, the decision on the pages is all up to you but best practices dictate that every WordPress website, regardless of the kind, should have certain essential pages. Ideally, these should be linked to in your main navigation menu. These pages include:

Customizing the Header and Footer

The settings for these parts of the page are defined by the theme you’re using. Customization of these parts will depend on the theme, as well as on the page builder. For example, if you want to change the content and the appearance of your header and footer in Gutenberg site editor using the Twenty Twenty-Three theme, you will need to head over to Appearance>Editor, where you will select the part you want to edit from Template Parts.

In many themes, including our own Qi Theme, you can set different styling and customization on the level of individual pages – you can set the header, footer and sidebar you want and style it the way you like. You can even turn off the header and/or footer for certain pages.

Themes usually come with preset header and footer styles to pick from, but if none of them work for you, you can tweak them to your liking.

Some of the best practices tell us that the header shouldn’t be too big and imposing and it should contain the logo, page title or subtitle, and the main menu.

As for the footer, that’s where we usually find contact information, copyright info, social links and, oftentimes, another menu.

Adding Multimedia (Images, Galleries, Videos)

Whatever page builder or editor you’re using, you’ll find that adding multimedia content to your pages and posts is extremely simple. All you have to do is add an appropriate block (in Gutenberg) or element (in Elementor). For single images, you will need the Image block/element, and for a gallery you will search for the Gallery block/element.

Video, VideoPress and YouTube are blocks that come by default and that you can use to add videos to your posts or pages just as easily as you do with images.

If you have enriched your editing capabilities with a block/widget collection plugin, you will also have advanced elements to combine – carousels, animated galleries, sliders, various gallery layouts, video players, etc. Of course, you can also use single plugins for this, but it’s more convenient to use a good collection, like Qi Addons or Qi Blocks.

The multimedia content that you want to display is added through the Media Library.

Making Sure Your Website is Responsive/Mobile Friendly

As more and more people use primarily their hand-held devices (mobile phones, tablets…) to access the internet, it has become vital to have a website that’s optimized to look good on various screen sizes.

Mobile-friendly design means that a website is adapted to smaller screens, but not completely. This sort of design is today almost obsolete. Mobile-optimized or mobile-first means that design allows the users on mobile to access information, content and design with no effort and in a complete manner. Responsive design makes sure this happens by default – it is design that adapts automatically to various screen sizes and viewports.

Most WordPress themes these days are responsive. They scale to the screen they’re viewed on automatically, both design and content. In most cases, users don’t have to worry about this part at all. Still, additional responsiveness settings can be found in page editors/builders, and they can be adjusted, if needed, for individual sections, elements, pages, etc.

Part 4 – Adding eCommerce Features

You don’t need to run a well-established business or to be a big company in order to sell things online through your website. That’s one of the beauties of WordPress: it allows users to create all sorts of websites with ease, including websites meant for profit.

Whether your main focus is to run an online store, or you simply want to add a basic shop page to sell a few of your products or services, you’ll be glad to hear they’re both quite easy to accomplish, thanks to a little thing called WooCommerce.

WooCommerce is the best and the most popular eCommerce plugin for WordPress. It is a free plugin that comes with a wonderful set of functionalities out of the box, from product-related options, to cart and checkout functionalities, shipping, inventory, taxes and everything in between.

Once your shop is up and running, you can make use of the range of free and premium addons and plugins to add advanced functionality to your eCommerce website.

Now, we won’t get into step-by-step instructions for setting up an online shop, as it requires a separate tutorial and we’ve already written about it extensively – check out the links in the “Further reading” section.

We will tell you though that, if your primary intention is to run an online shop, your best bet is to use one of the premium eCommerce themes. These themes come with premade shop pages, attractive product lists, sliders, carousels and galleries, cart and checkout pages, so you don’t have to create any specific pages yourself.

After picking one such theme, you will need to install WooCommerce and set it up. There’s a setup wizard to guide you through the process and it’s really very simple and quick.

So, theme plus WooCommerce plus plugins or addons of your choice, and you’ve got yourself an online shop. The physical part of the business – the products, the logistics, etc – is up to you to take care of.

Part 5 – Taking Care of Security and Performance

In order for your beautifully set-up website to grow and prosper, you have to assure that all the essential security and performance features are in place. Online threats, attacks, downtime… there’s a lot that can compromise your website and cost your valuable traffic.

How to Keep Your WordPress Website Safe and Secure?

The protection you introduce to your website should have two goals – one is to keep it safe for your visitors, and the other is to keep the website itself safe from outside threats.

WordPress generally has a stable and safe structure, but there are still things you can and should do to build up on that. Your hosting provider will play an important part, too – a lot of protection comes from the server side, so you have to make sure your plan comes with some form of DDoS protection, firewall, regular backups, potentially IP ban feature, encryption, etc.

Next, your login procedure should be secure, possibly with two-factor authentication that protects both you and your visitors. Adding CAPTCHA and introducing login attempt limits is also useful.

Good security practices also include keeping your website backed up at all times, and regularly updating to the latest version of WordPress. The same goes for the theme you’re using, and all the plugins you have installed.

Occasional plugin cleanup is also recommended – over time, we tend to install quite a lot of them, so it’s a good idea to delete the ones no longer in use.

For securing the connection between the site and the browser, it is essential to have a valid SSL certificate, as well as SFTP.

Finally, if you have multiple people logging into the website (authors, editors, etc), you may want to manage and control user roles. Not everyone needs access to just anything in your backend.

Of course, on top of all that, and perhaps even before all that, you need security plugins. These plugins monitor your core files integrity, watch for suspicious activity, provide additional firewalls, scan your website and filter for spam. And the great thing is that a lot of these plugins are free! To learn more, check out the “Further reading” section.

How to Optimize Your Website Performance?

A great part of your website performance will depend on your hosting plan. The bandwidth is one of the major factors, as it allows your website to work well during traffic peaks. Together with the type of hard drive and the RAM you get with the package, it defines the speed (page load speed, that is) of your website and obviously has a great impact on the UX of your site.

Another thing that affects performance on the hosting side of the issue is uptime. As we mentioned earlier, always choose a provider that guarantees 99.9% uptime.

On your part, there are certainly things you can do to make sure your website performs well. Again, regular backups are crucial as they protect you from loss in case something goes wrong.

Database management is also important. An occasional cleanup can help you delete unused or superfluous files that could be clogging your database. Of course, whatever you do with your database, don’t forget to back it up first.

Uninstalling the plugins you no longer use will also help lighten up your website and keep it fast.

Lazy-loading images, image optimization, code optimization, caching and using a CDN are also important practices for optimizing website performance.

Part 6 – Growing Your Audience – Marketing and SEO

So, you’re finally here – you’ve installed WordPress, the theme and the plugins. You’ve added all the pages you need and started posting content. Everything works and looks great, and now it’s time to get your website out there, get more visitors, more clicks, more traffic. In short – it’s time to promote it and grow your audience and your reach. Whatever the purpose of your website, if it’s online and it’s public, your goal is most likely to get as many visitors as possible.

For this, you need to create two crucial strategies: a marketing strategy and an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy. Both these subjects merit a full guide on their own, but let’s just quickly touch on some of the most vital aspects.

Creating an SEO Strategy

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it represents a set of practices aimed at helping your website rank better in SERP (Search Engine Results Pages), gain more visibility and more traffic.

SEO can roughly be divided into two segments:

On-Page SEO:

This set of practices includes your content keywords, meta titles and descriptions, headers and title tags, URLs, internal and external links, Schema Markup, images, and everything else that is actually done on a website’s page.

Off-Page SEO:

This part of your SEO strategy involves content marketing, link building, social media, reviews, etc.

There are also technical aspects of SEO, and these include optimizing the page speed, using structural data, XML sitemaps, canonicalization, Hreflang, and more.

A good SEO strategy needs to include all these vital aspects. If you focus just on a few and neglect the rest, your efforts will be in vain. It is advisable to hire or periodically outsource an SEO expert to take care of all these things for you. However, since brand new websites rarely have the budget for it, you can also do all of this by yourself, by following guidelines and tutorials, many of which you will find in the “Further reading” section.

Remember that SEO is an ongoing effort and something that needs to be revisited and revised on a regular basis. The internet is a very fast-changing environment, and there’s also the fact that Google itself frequently changes its SERP rules and algorithms.

Creating a Content Marketing Strategy

Content marketing represents a particularly important part of both your SEO strategy and your overall marketing strategy. It is a set of procedures, techniques and approaches that involves producing and distributing highly relevant website content to your targeted audience. Its main goal is to help you grow your audience, increase your reach and build authority.

In WordPress, content marketing mainly involves writing blog posts, as well as whitepapers, case studies, video tutorials, podcasts and so on. The strategy should involve setting an area of interest relevant to your industry and niche, and creating content that addresses issues pertaining to that area. In short, if you’re a B2B company or an app developer, your content marketing strategy will not include travel, food or health topics. Conversely, if you’re selling beauty products, your content will not include topics like politics or tech.

Keyword research and related strategies play a particularly important part in content marketing. Keywords allow you to target the audience most likely to convert – those that are interested in what you have to say, and their search intent (what they search for to get to your content).

Your content needs to meet several criteria: it needs to be relevant, informative and helpful. In addition to search intent and keyword research, it should also be based on competitor analysis. Needless to say, the writing has to be impeccable in terms of grammar and spelling, it needs to be engaging and captivating, and – 100% unique. Anything less than that won’t get you far in SERPs and might even get you penalized by Google.

Creating a Social Media Marketing Strategy

In this day and age, no brand, business or website can survive without a strong social media presence. It seems that, depending on the demographics, almost everyone is on one social media platform or the other. The younger demographic is on TikTok and Instagram, the middle aged and senior audience is on Facebook, professionals are on LinkedIn, and so on. Depending on your industry and niche, you definitely want to pick one or more of the most popular platforms to promote your website.

This is particularly important for eCommerce and service-based businesses. If your conversions take place on your checkout pages, your website contact forms and download pages, you need to get the crowd from social media to your website.

Conversely, in order to grow and expand your overall digital presence, the visitors of your website need to be directed to your social media profiles, as well. Coupled with physical locations (if you have any), this is the basis for a powerful omnichannel marketing strategy.

Fortunately, WordPress offers plenty of tools by default (plus a great many in the form of plugins and extensions) to help you connect your website and your socials, and to develop a social strategy that grows your audience and reach. Social media buttons, dynamic Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feeds, Facebook likes on blog posts – these are just some of the solutions you can leverage.

Leveraging Paid Ads and Affiliate Marketing

Once your website has grown and developed, you’ll probably start thinking about monetizing it, especially if your traffic keeps showing an upward trend. In addition to selling products and services using WooCommerce or another solution, you can also make (some, or a lot of) money through paid ads and affiliate marketing.

Displaying Ads in WordPress

One of the easiest ways to make money through your WordPress website is through paid ads. This essentially means displaying other people’s ads on your pages. Google Ads are your best bet and to monetize from the ad views it’s best to use Google AdSense, the search engine’s huge advertising platform. You display ads on your pages and earn a percentage from each ad view.

Not all websites are approved for AdSense, so before you apply, make sure your website has solid traffic, good structure and follows the best SEO practices.

There’s a number of AdSense plugins for WordPress that you can use to add and manage ads on your website.

Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to AdSense. There are several other major ad platforms you can work with, and there are Amazon ads, too.

Using WordPress for Affiliate Marketing

Another way you can earn money passively through WordPress is through affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing is a setup between a merchant and an affiliate. The affiliate usually displays a link or an ad on their website and every time a desired action is performed (click, signup, sale…) the affiliate receives a commission. Directing your visitors to your partner’s website or landing page is called a referral.

Not all websites make good candidates for an affiliate program. Some types of websites make a better choice – specifically, blog and content websites, review websites, online communities, coupon websites and so on. In addition, you need to have a solid audience and traffic, and it’s best if you’re working within a specific niche.

Tracking Performance Through Analytics

When growing, developing and tweaking your website, you can’t just do it in the dark, without any insights into how it’s actually doing. To steer it in the right direction, you have to gain insight into a number of metrics that tell you about the people who come to your website: who they are, where they come from, what they look for, how they behave on your website, how long they stay, at which point they decide to leave, and so on.

For this, you need to perform website analytics. The most widely used, most trusted and most reliable tool for that is Google Analytics. It’s a free tool and you don’t need to be an expert to use it, but it does come with a somewhat steep learning curve, so before you dive into it, make sure to check out our tutorial linked below.

Analytics is something that needs to be performed regularly. Trends change, and so do algorithms, and the only way to stay afloat is to make analytics a regular task. Whenever you notice a change, especially if it’s a drop in traffic, analytics will help you identify the problem so you can work on fixing it.

Part 7 – Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely, yes. WordPress was first developed with the idea of providing everyone with a user-friendly blogging platform. The fact that it later developed into a CMS that allows you to create any sort of website you like, from small to enterprise, doesn’t change the fact it’s very beginner-friendly.

Even if you don’t know much about it, you can easily solve almost any WordPress problem using a myriad of tutorials you can find online, like the ones in your own Magazine. Plus, it’s worth mentioning that WordPress has an incredibly active community of users, developers and designers. It’s an open-source platform and solidarity, knowledge sharing and helping are part of its ethos.

Yes, to an extent. WordPress itself is free, you can use the default theme or one of the free themes you can find online, as well as free plugins. However, good hosting is rarely free, and you will have to pay for the domain, too. The website itself can be created with little to no investment, but you will have some expenses if you choose premium solutions, plus for the annual hosting plan.

We’re probably partial but we have to say – WordPress. Wix is definitely a more all-inclusive option, and it does come with great design solutions. However, WordPress provides much more flexibility. It’s an open-source platform and the ecosystem of themes and plugins is incredibly rich. WordPress also provides you with more control, it’s easier to scale up and overall gives you more ownership of your website.

No. It certainly helps if you know how to code, so that you can have more liberty in customizing your website just the way you want, without having to rely on plugins and other solutions. However, you can build and maintain your WordPress website perfectly well with absolutely zero coding knowledge.

It depends on the definition of “web developer.” WordPress is written in PHP and uses the MySQL database. Working with it also includes JavaScript, CSS and HTML. Therefore, a person who knows how to alter the WordPress source code and to create new functionalities using these tools is basically a WordPress developer, and therefore a type of web developer. A WordPress developer writes code for the platform, and can become a developer in the broader sense of the term by expanding the skillset to other scripts and languages, too.

Again, it’s a plus, not a requirement. CSS helps you customize the appearance of your website according to your needs in situations when the available options are not enough. WordPress has a designated location for entering custom CSS so if you know how, you can use it to very easily adjust whatever you like.

Yes, and not just if you’re a developer or a designer. The knowledge of WordPress is considered a plus in many industries, from marketing to publishing. A lot of businesses use WordPress as a CMS for their online presence so if you’re applying for a job related to the website, the knowledge of WordPress, at least the basic one, will be a major plus, perhaps even a necessity.

WordPress developers promise that the platform, at least its core, will remain free forever for all its users. Now, as we said, WordPress is not 100% free (we’re talking about the .org version here) so if you’re paying zero dollars now for your website it doesn’t mean you won’t be having to spend some money on it in the future – for a premium theme, if you decide to change it, for upgrades to premium plugins, add-ons, etc. But the core will stay free and you will never be charged for a WordPress installation.

WordPress itself doesn’t come with limitations of this kind. Like we reiterated throughout this guide, WordPress can be used for basically any sort of website. The real question is, should it be used just for any kind of website? Here, the answer is probably: no.

You probably don’t want to use WordPress for eCommerce on a really big scale. You can sell products, and many of them, too. But WordPress can’t help you make the next Amazon or eBay.

The same goes for social media websites. There are plugins you can use to add social functionalities to a site, but it won’t even come close to Facebook and the likes.

Finally, if during your WordPress experience you often find yourself in need to work with PHP and change things there, or to have someone do it for you, then WordPress probably isn’t fit for your needs.

Yes. Because so many businesses, especially startups, choose WordPress as the platform for their website, there is a high demand for professionals who are able to use it in one capacity or another – as an author, editor, designer or developer.

First of all, define the option you want to go for, according to your skills and interests. You can become a designer, a plugin or theme developer, an admin, you can do content marketing or blogging. Next, make sure your skills are relevant and up to date. For this, you can use one of the many available online courses and tutorials, and you can – and should – frequently turn to the WordPress community itself, both on the official website and on other relevant forums, such as Stack Exchange. Finally, you need to take a deep dive into the job market, using “WordPress” as a keyword followed by the career option you’re pursuing. You’ll find that there are many companies looking for WordPress professionals these days.

There are many ways to monetize your WordPress knowledge. You can set up websites for clients, for instance. A lot of people simply purchase a theme, and then, after taking care of hosting and everything else, they customize the theme (either using page builders or, more frequently, custom code) to make the website unique and true to the client’s brand. You can also create template designs or animations for WordPress websites and themes. You can work as a WordPress website admin, or a WordPress content marketer, and you can, of course, use WordPress to power your own business through an extensive online presence.

Part 8 – Additional Resources

We’ve created a series of video tutorials on how to make the most common types of websites using WordPress, along with other useful tips and how-tos. The tutorials are beginner-friendly, rich in information but very easy to follow, so make sure to check them out:

SEO is a field that’s known for constant changes due to major search engines’ algorithm updates and the complex dynamics of online marketing trends. However, throughout all that, one thing has remained a staple of good content marketing and search optimization, and that’s keyword research.

Our business WordPress themes are calibrated with SEO demands in mind, and there are plenty of free SEO tools on the market that can help, but keyword research is one of those things that we still have to do by ourselves, for the most part, at least.

In this article, we’re going to talk about keywords and their importance, and we’ll cover some of the basic techniques of keyword research, so buckle up!

If you’d like to skip to any specific part of the article, just click on one of the links below:

• What Are Keywords?

• Do Keywords Still Matter?

• What Is Keyword Research?

• Keyword Research and SEO

• Asking the Right Questions

• How to Discover Keywords?

• What Are Some Common Types of Keywords?

• What is Keyword Difficulty?

• Why Are SERP Features Important?

• Know Your Niche

• Keyword Research Tools

• How to Properly Use Keywords?

What Are Keywords?

Keywords can be described as terms, phrases, ideas or concepts that explain what your content is about. In SEO, specifically, keywords or keyphrases are the search terms people use to find information.

Let’s say you have a website. Take a page from it and try to boil down all its content into a single term or phrase. That’s your keyword for the page in question, if you did your SEO right.

So, a keyword is, at the same time, the search query used in a search engine, and the concentrated description of your web page and its content. By all content, we do mean all: text, images, videos, everything.

It’s important to note that, ideally, a keyword should be both these things: a description or the topic of your content, and a search query term. It’s only when the two coincide that we can actually talk about the correct use of keywords and proper SEO in general.

In order for your pages to rank for specific keywords, you need to use those keywords appropriately. But before you use them in your content, you have to find out what your keywords for a specific page should be. And that’s where keyword research comes in.

Do Keywords Still Matter?

Absolutely, yes, no doubt about it. A lot has changed in terms of social engines’ algorithms over the years and, yes, proper keyword implementation is perhaps not the only thing that guarantees good ranking, but to think that it has lost some of its importance would be insane.

Google MUM (Multitask Unified Model), voice search, zero click search and other advancements have somewhat changed the way search works today, but keyword targeting still remains as relevant as ever. The whole point of keywords is that they represent user intent and help identify search objectives. Now, thanks to AI becoming better and better in understanding the nuances in search input, correlating it to intent, search engines focus more on what they understand as intent than what the actual word is.

By using keywords in meta data and in content, we signal to search engines as to what the content is about and the algorithm then matches it to the user/search intent. Consequently, it’s clear that it is still necessary to use target keywords, otherwise there’ll be no way of aligning the content with search intent it aims to fulfill.

In short, regardless of the ever-evolving search engine logic and behavior, keywords absolutely remain relevant and vital to any SEO strategy.

What Is Keyword Research?

Simply put, keyword research is a set of techniques that we use to discover words, terms or phrases that people use in search engines. It represents an effort to find out what people are searching for and to match those queries with your content.

Ideally, keyword research should produce results (keywords) that describe what you offer, but in a language that your target audience (searchers) would use.

The internet is chock-full of websites from every possible industry and niche. Whatever your specific line of business, chances are there are hundreds of businesses just like yours out there. And what’s worse – most of them probably rank better than your site (no offense).

If this is the case, then it means you’re not using your keywords right and that you need to focus on keyword research. You need to pinpoint exactly which keywords trigger your target audience and produce the desired results (which is: traffic and conversions).

Although it does bear a big, scary name, keyword research is actually not hard to do. However, it is a process with a few rather scientific traits. It is systematic and uses very precise data and data analysis, which we’ll talk about in a bit.

Keyword Research and SEO

Keyword research is one of the pillars of good SEO practice. In fact, it may even be considered the basis upon which all other SEO techniques are executed. It comes before content production, before on-site SEO and, of course, before promotion.

Think of keyword research as a form of traditional market research. It’s your starting point and the point of reference for everything that comes afterward. It helps you feel the pulse of your target audience and sets the direction for your SEO campaign.

Asking the Right Questions

A common ailment of many online businesses is that they don’t understand that what they offer and what they want to rank for can be completely different from what the target audience is searching for. Well, maybe not completely different, but definitely coming in a different form and phrasing. In order to provide the right answers, you need to anticipate the questions, which means – the keywords that are going to be used.

A big part of this anticipation process is figuring out who your audience is. For this, you will have to ask yourself some questions. Let’s say you’re in the bicycle repair business. Some of the useful questions you might want to ask include:

And so on.

As we said earlier, generic, blanket keywords simply won’t do. You need to understand the mindset of your searchers/potential customers. Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll be one step closer to formulating your perfect keywords. Depending on the audience, those may include cheap bicycle repair, bike repair in Trenton, bike spring overhaul, fast and reliable bicycle repair, cheap kids bikes on sale, bicycle repair and exchange, and so on. You get the idea.

In this process, you have to be equal parts psychologist, anthropologist, sociologist, marketing expert, IT expert and just another average Joe looking things up online.

How to Discover Keywords?

Once you have a general idea as to what your search terms (keywords) should be, it’s time to narrow them down. The next step is to discover as many keywords as you can. Your initial keywords, the ones you want to rank for, should serve as your starting point.

In this phase, it would be a good idea to use a keyword research tool (we’ll talk about those later in this article) to find out similar search terms, ones that you yourself wouldn’t have thought of, but that rank well for your particular topic or niche.

Keyword discovery is important because it allows you to bypass your “blindspot,” and to find all the potentially powerful keywords you initially overlooked. In the case of our bicycle repair shop, you may find that keywords such as how to adjust bike brakes, bicycle parts diagram, mountain bikes maintenance, repairs, bike repair shop near me and similar phrases may help you rank better than the simple bicycle repair shop.

What Are Some Common Types of Keywords?

All keywords can roughly be divided into nine categories. You are probably going to use two or more of these and perhaps some of them won’t be useful for your specific needs, but nevertheless, it’s important to know what they are:

What is Keyword Difficulty?

In simple terms, keyword difficulty refers to how hard it is for your site to rank for a particular search term or keyword. It is a complex metric that many people confuse with keyword competition. Keyword difficulty does encompass competition, but it’s just one of the factors that are taken into consideration when establishing the difficulty for a particular keyword or term.

One of the most important factors that establish keyword difficulty is search volume. Search volume represents the number of searches performed for a particular keyword or term. Depending on the tool you’re using, it can be expressed per month or per a given period (e.g. since May).

(Ahrefs analysis for the keyword bicycle repair)

Once you start researching keywords for your content, you will notice that their search volume varies greatly from one keyword to another, even though they seem similar or almost the same. The devil is in the details and you definitely want to pay extra attention here in order to come up with the perfect keyword.

In this phase of keyword research, the question “What is good search volume?” comes right up but unfortunately, it remains without a universal answer. In many cases, it is definitely better to aim for a keyword that plenty of people search for, but those with a lower search volume tend to come with far less competition.

One thing to keep in mind here is that keywords with very high search volume are often a sign of unclear search intent. This means you may think your visitors came for one thing while in fact they came for something else.

It’s generally a good idea to go for very specific search terms with somewhat lower search volume (and competition), and that’s why so many SEO experts recommend focusing on long-tail keywords.

SERP features are also an important factor for keyword difficulty, although it’s not something you can easily predict. If a result page for a keyword includes a lot of SERP features, like featured snippets, local packs, shopping results and knowledge graphs, the difficulty for that particular keyword will, naturally, increase.

Also, going after the same exact keywords as big, well-established brands, often means fighting a losing battle, especially if you’re only just starting out.

Why Are SERP Features Important?

With SERP features becoming more and more present on result pages and with Google coming up with new features basically each month, it’s important to understand in which format users want to consume the information we deliver to them.

In general, we all want the answers to be quick, direct and super-clear. The format of the results will depend on the search intent. For instance, informational search queries (where the search intent is to get specific information) get direct answer boxes and the searcher gets instant, clear information without having to click on any of the links below this particular search item. If your content provides direct information, your keywords should include terms such as who is, where is, how to, how old, how big, and so on.

We talk about navigational search intent when we want to get to a specific web location. To rank high for this sort of search intent, the keyword should, clearly, involve the name of our web location, or in the case of our website, qode interactive.

Transactional queries are more complex since they involve not just the intent to get something done, to perform a transaction (commercial or otherwise), but they also involve local search.

Bear in mind that whether your pages will turn up in the form of a SERP feature does not depend merely on your keywords. Still, these formats are important because they can teach you a lot about search intent – what people are searching for, and how – which, in turn, can help you gauge your keywords to perfection.

Know Your Niche

Everything we mentioned so far in this article works as an excellent general recommendation for fine-tuning your keywords and getting the most out of content marketing. However, focusing merely on these techniques that apply to pretty much every website can sometimes prevent us from seeing what really matters in our particular case, or more precisely – in our niche.

Successful keyword research depends greatly on your understanding of your own niche.

In most cases, you probably won’t use the exact same phrasing, but you can use these questions as a starting point and formulate a great keyword that will work well with your content (e.g. how to remove location tag in WordPress theme).

Keyword Research Tools

If all this sounds like too much work – don’t worry. As we mentioned a couple of times earlier, there are some (free and paid) tools you can use to perform successful keyword research:

Ahrefs

This keyword research tool is equal parts efficent and easy to use. In addition to a keyword explorer with metrics that include keyword difficulty, search volume and clicks per region or country, it also features a site explorer, content explorer, rank checker, and other handy tools. It’s also great for backlink strategy analysis.

Google Keyword Planner

Although it may be more basic feature-wise compared to other tools, this keyword planner has one major advantage: its results come straight from the source, i.e. from Google. The downside is that it’s designed primarily for ads, so that’s where its main focus lies.

Moz Keyword Explorer

The online marketing giant has an excellent keyword research tool that we particularly like because, in addition to standard suggestions, it also helps you get some pretty smart ones for your related keywords. The pack of features includes search volume and difficulty metrics, predictive keyword metrics, search in question format, competitive analysis, and data export, among others. It also offers “priority” as a unique metric, basically telling you whether you should use a particular keyword or not.

SEMrush

SEMrush is more than just a keyword research tool – it’s a comprehensive solution for online visibility and marketing analytics that also happens to incorporate some great SEO tools. In addition to tons of excellent keyword ideas, it also displays keywords your competition is already ranking for. Finally, the unique Keyword Magic tool that comes in this pack pulls out amazing keyword suggestions from SEMrush’s own enormous keyword database.

KW Finder

KW Finder is a tool that excels with its intuitiveness. It is ideal for beginners, and also for those who’re in a bit of a rush, because it displays the difficulty score next to every keyword, so you don’t have to click on each of them to see it.

Answer the Public

We like this keyword research tool because of its unique, quirky interface and the fact it’s completely free. In addition to keyword suggestions, Answer the Public integrates with another free tool, called Keywords Everywhere, which ranks the suggested keywords by the search volume.

How to Properly Use Keywords?

After you have researched and confirmed your primary, secondary, related and other sorts of keywords, it’s time to put them to use via a carefully formulated content strategy.

Obviously, you can’t just slap a bunch of keywords onto your pages and call it a day. You need to incorporate them in your content in a natural, organic way that won’t seem suspicious to search engine bots or off-putting to real users.

In general, you should use unique keywords and keyphrases across your pages, both in the body of your content and in all the places search engine bots are known to look at. These include:

Above all, you should avoid clickbaiting. This is something that both the users and the crawlers equally despise, and that will definitely get you pushed to the bottom of the SERP barrel. Not to mention that, when you offer purposely vague content titles, URLs and descriptions, you’re not just being deceitful – you’re also taking away a lot of power from your keywords.

In addition, there’s something to be said about the number of keywords you want to use to achieve the best effect. You’d think that the “the more the better” rule applies, but it’s not that simple. “Less is more” is another rule that you definitely shouldn’t follow. Achieving the optimal keyword density can do wonders for your website’s positioning in SERPs and there’s a formula you can use.

Also, have you ever wondered what happens when someone misspells a keyword in their search query? Can you still rank for that? There are some pros and cons in ranking for misspelled keywords and typos so that’s definitely another thing you want to consider.

Next, you will also want to make sure you’re ranking for the right keywords. There are a couple of tools and techniques to use (see the linked article) which can help you determine whether your keyword research efforts are paying up.

Finally, after you’ve carefully researched and applied your keywords, you should consider creating keyword clusters. Keyword clustering is not the quickest of SEO methods but it’s one that can take you a long way when it comes to your SERP positions, so make sure to check it out.

Wrapping It Up

Keyword research is one of those things we get better at with time. If you’re only just starting out, it helps to have a strong strategy and follow its steps until you feel confident enough to start drawing outside the lines:

And that’s it! You will now have a well-researched keyword list that will help you reach your business goals. Just make sure to review the list occasionally and freshen it up with new, relevant keywords.

As of 2023, WooCommerce has been powering 6.6 million online stores on the Internet. That’s a 23.43% market share, which makes it the second largest eCommerce platform after Shopify (which has a very tight lead). That’s all fine and great, but the fact that WooCommerce is doing well doesn’t guarantee the success of your own WooCommerce shop in any way, does it? If you want to boost your WooCommerce sales, you have to roll up your sleeves and do some work.

In this article, we’re sharing with you some of the proven strategies to increase conversions and grow the revenue of your online shop. Here’s what you need to do:

Build Brand Awareness

If you want your sales to grow, you need to offer something that sets you apart from the other shops. Of course, it’s going to be primarily your products that set you apart, but never underestimate the power of proper branding. Sometimes, good branding means more than the product quality, which is a sad fact but a fact nonetheless.

Invest time in creating a distinctive brand identity, including a memorable logo (check out these logos for inspiration), consistent color schemes, and a compelling brand story. Utilize social media platforms, content marketing, and influencer collaborations to reach a broader audience. Consistency across all touchpoints helps customers recognize and trust your brand, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

Personalize the Shopping Experience

Personalization goes beyond addressing customers by their names. Leverage data to understand customer preferences and behavior. Implement personalized product recommendations, tailored marketing emails, and a dynamic website experience.

Use WooCommerce’s features or third-party plugins to create personalized landing pages based on customer segments. Segmentation doesn’t need to be limited to gender, age and location. It can also be done based on purchase behavior and history. For instance, if a customer recently bought a crock pot from you, you can target them with a cast iron skillet, because this person is obviously interested in solid and durable cookware – but more on this in our segment about upselling and cross-selling.

Personalization should apply to the checkout service too – you can allow your customers to save their shipping and billing info, and after checkout, you can send them personalized thank-you notes and ask them how they like what they purchased. Another way you can improve personalization is by allowing the users to create, save and share their wishlists, which is also good for conversions. The wishlist feature can easily be added with the right plugin, such as QODE Wishlist for WooCommerce.

Master Email Marketing

Craft compelling emails that drive action. Use segmentation to send targeted messages, experiment with different subject lines, and optimize the timing of your campaigns. Build a solid email drip campaign and monitor key metrics like open rates and click-through rates, and continuously refine your email strategy based on performance.

Not all emails end up read or even in the right inbox – but there are ways to prevent emails from ending up in spam, so explore them and use them.

Don’t think for a second that email marketing is a thing of the past. People do read emails, especially when you entice them with engaging subject lines. You can use emojis, if that fits your brand, offer benefits (coupon codes, access to limited offers, etc) and provide email content that educates and entertains.

Reach Out to Customers on Social Media

From Facebook and Instagram to TikTok, social commerce is on a constant rise. You can now easily set up Instagram shopping for WooCommerce, and you can add your WooCommerce store to Facebook. But even if you don’t want to connect the shops, there’s a lot you can do to leverage the power of social media to drive sales.

Engage with your audience on social media platforms. Respond to comments and messages, run targeted ads, and share user-generated content. Utilize the interactive features of each platform to foster a sense of community and drive traffic to your WooCommerce site.

Never Stop Testing

The importance of testing is something that applies to all efforts directed towards success, whether it’s branding, web design, performance, marketing campaigns or eCommerce strategies. Without regular and properly implemented testing, there’s no way of knowing if you’re on the right track. Testing helps you tweak your strategy, amplify what works and eliminate what doesn’t. In the long run, it also helps save money.

Regularly test and optimize various elements of your WooCommerce shop. You can use a variety of A/B testing tools on product pages, checkout processes, and marketing campaigns. Use analytics to identify high-performing strategies and adapt quickly to changes in customer behavior and market trends.

Develop Buyer Personas

No business can or should target just about anyone. Depending on your brand, the type of products you sell and the price range, you will want to target specific audiences that are most likely to need what you’re selling.

In order to do that, you need to create detailed buyer personas to guide your marketing efforts. Conduct market research, analyze customer data, and tailor your product offerings and promotions to match the needs and preferences of your identified personas. This targeted approach enhances the relevance of your marketing messages and, in turn, increases your WooCommerce sales.

Provide Top-Notch Customer Service

A returning customer is your best customer. Someone who’s satisfied with your products and service is not only likely to shop again with you, but also to become your brand ambassador. And to achieve high customer retention levels, you need to provide perfect customer service and support. For a customer, help should never be more than a click away, so make sure you have your links to support center clearly displayed on all your pages.

Invest in customer service that goes above and beyond. Offer live chat support (you can use live chat plugins for WordPress, as well as support and ticketing plugins), respond promptly to inquiries, and address issues with empathy. Utilize customer feedback to identify areas for improvement and continuously enhance the overall customer experience.

Implement a Cart Abandonment Strategy

From hidden fees to the lack of payment options, there are many different reasons for cart abandonment in eCommerce. To reduce this occurrence, first try to identify which reasons these are in your specific shop, and then approach them accordingly. In many cases, you will be able to solve this issue by implementing one of the tools for abandoned cart recovery; in others, you will have to dig deeper to fix the issue.

Combat cart abandonment by implementing an effective strategy. Utilize automated emails with personalized incentives, such as discounts or free shipping. Optimize the checkout process by minimizing steps and streamlining the checkout process. Make sure your cart and checkout pages are clean and intuitive, but engaging enough to keep customers within the process. Consider enabling guest shopping (completing the purchase without having to create an account) and make sure you have the latest customer safety measures in place.

One-click login is another thing that can significantly improve the checkout experience and reduce cart abandonment – you can offer Google one-click login, but you can also provide a one-page shopping experience using plugins.

Finally, if your website has performance and UX issues, no one will want to complete a purchase with you. You can’t just fix the cart page – you need to make sure all your pages are optimized and performing well.

Create a Sense of Urgency

One of the surest ways to increase your WooCommerce sales is to create a sense of urgency through limited-time discounts and special deals. People tend to make decisions based on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), so if they feel like they only have one chance to score a deal in your shop, they will certainly press the “Add to Cart” button more readily.

With the right tools, you can easily create countdown timers showing how little time they have left until the end of a deal. Also, make sure to properly highlight exclusive deals on your website. Promote these offers through email and social media to drive immediate action, fostering a sense of excitement and urgency among your customer base.

Consider sending out coupon codes to your subscriber base. WooCommerce allows for easy creation of coupon codes so it’d be a shame not to use this functionality.

You may also want to add live sale notifications, which let people know how many purchases have been made in real time. This is an excellent tool for creating urgency among your shoppers.

Use Upselling and Cross-Selling

Increase average order value by strategically implementing upselling and cross-selling techniques. Upselling refers to offering the same or related product that’s more expensive, based on its superior value. It may seem counterintuitive that someone would buy the more expensive version of a product, but with its qualities properly highlighted, the upsold product actually has more value for money. Cross-selling means offering an additional, complementary product that the customer may also need or like. Both these techniques are usually applied on the cart page, or alternatively at checkout.

Recommend related, upgraded or discounted products during the checkout process and highlight bundled deals. Make sure you properly set up related products and product bundles in your WooCommerce backend. Of course, ensure that these suggestions align with customer preferences, providing added value to their shopping experience. If you just randomly suggest things that don’t fit with their purchase intent at all, you will appear spammy and pushy and will likely lose customers.

Wrapping It Up

There you go – none of these strategies are too complicated or time consuming, are they? In fact, they’re so common sense someone might even accuse us of reinventing the wheel, but you’d be surprised how many eCommerce shops don’t bother using any of them and then they wonder how come their sales are stagnating.

Your online shop is like a garden – it needs care, love and attention in order to grow, flourish and bear fruit. Apply these strategies like you would apple water and fertilizer to your garden, and then sit back and watch the money pour in.

If you have your own strategy for growing WooCommerce sales, we’d love to hear about it!

If you’ve recently updated your copy of the Elementor page builder, you may have noticed a few changes, among which is a new widget called Container. Perhaps you’ve only just mastered Elementor and you’re freaking out that this new feature is something that will make everything you know obsolete, but don’t worry. The new Elementor Container is just a new and improved way of laying out pages in WordPress, and an easier one, too. In this article, we’re going through everything you need to know to master this new feature.

Here’s what we’ll discuss:

What Is the Elementor Container?

The Elementor Container is a new functionality or element based on the concept of CSS Flexboxes. Flexbox is a CSS layout model for web pages that allows the elements within a box to be laid out automatically according to the viewport size and type. It’s an interface item in which the elements can align in relation to each other along the vertical and horizontal axes.

Elementor adopted this concept and developed an element called Container with the goal of making it more efficient for the users to design their pages.

The Container basically replaces sections and columns, as well as inner columns. One container is one section, and its inner layout replaces the columns you would add to an element. You get to pick the layout or create your own, thanks to the underlying flexbox concept.

The purpose of an Elementor Container is to hold other elements – these can be widgets (titles, images, paragraphs, sliders, whatever) or other containers.

The containers within containers are called “nested” or “child” containers and they basically work as Russian nesting dolls.

Elementor Container was initially been introduced as a test feature, and after quite positive feedback from the users, it has been introduced as a stable feature, along with Additional Custom Breakpoints, Optimized DOM Output, and several others.

The Benefits of Containers

If Elementor chose to introduce a new functionality and modify the old way of designing page layout, it obviously had a couple of very good reasons. The containers are meant to facilitate designing page elements and entire pages, especially for users who don’t want to dabble with CSS and want to handle everything from the front end in their page builder, and it offers a couple other advantages, too:

How to Use the Elementor Container?

The first thing to do is make sure your copy of Elementor is up to date. If you look for the functionality in your backend and you can’t find it, it’s probably because you haven’t updated Elementor or because the feature hasn’t rolled out to you just yet. However, as of late 2023, all Elementor users should be able to activate the Flexbox Container feature.

Note that the feature is available for the free and premium Elementor users alike.

After updating your copy of Elementor, head over to your Dashboard menu and, under Elementor, click on Settings.

You’ll notice a brand new tab there, called Features.

In there, you’ll find a selection of experiments and features, divided into Ongoing Experiments and Stable Features. You’ll find various experiments under different statuses (alpha, beta…) that you can toggle on and try out.

Scroll down to Stable Features and look for Flexbox Container. It will probably be activated by default, but make sure to check anyway.

Save your changes and go create a new page or post.

When you first start editing, you’ll notice a new element in your left-hand side menu, called Container. You don’t need to drag and drop it into your work canvas. Instead, you can simply click on the plus sign that will automatically add a new container to your page.

You will now be prompted to select the structure of your container – the direction in which the content will be arranged, as well as the columns (which are, in fact, other containers, not columns, but let’s not complicate things for now). You can also drag the container from the left and drop it where you want it.

Now this is the part where we can really appreciate the flexibility of these containers. The same interface, the same canvas basically, allows you to edit different parts of your layout in an efficient and flexible way. If you click on the six dots above the largest container, you get to edit that particular container (the parent container). You can specify the width and height, the direction of items, justify and align the items the way you want, and so on.

You can do the same with the child containers, too, by clicking on the rectangle in the upper left corner of each container, which will bring up the edit screen for that particular container.

Finally, you can add more nested containers within containers by clicking on the plus sign.

And, you can also move the edges of the containers left or right to adjust their arrangement within the main container in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get way, without having to adjust the values manually.

When you’ve set the layout, it’s time to add the widgets. We won’t get into details here since it’s the same process as adding widgets to columns. If you need a quick reminder on this, check out our Comprehensive Elementor tutorial for beginners.

After adding your widgets, you can go ahead and tweak the layout and the style of your container. To access the Edit Container panel, click on the six dots above the container. The process is the same as for what we previously called Edit Section.

Under Layout, you can set the content width, arrange the items, set their direction, align them and so on. And to edit each of the inner containers, simply click on the rectangle in their upper left corner. To edit the content itself, click on the pencil icon in the upper right corner.

At this point, it’s worth explaining what the Direction and Align Items options do.

Under Direction, you’ll notice you can set your items to behave as Row (horizontal left to right), Column (vertical up to down), Reversed Row (horizontal right to left) and Reversed Column (vertical down to up). When opting for either of the column settings, all the inner containers will behave as different columns.

Under Align Items, you can set your container element at the start point or in the center. It can also be set at the end, which means all the inner containers will be on the bottom. The stretch option allows the inner containers to take up any extra space. Note that these are only applicable if the direction you’ve set is Row.

If you choose Column for the direction, the start and center values will behave as a row, and with the end value, the containers will shift to the right. If you opt for scratch, the containers will take up any space on the left.

Wrapping It Up

The best way to master these new flexible options and new behavior is to create a sandbox or a test page and play around with the containers. Try nesting several of them and adjusting the values to see how the output will perform. You’ll soon realize that Elementor Container offers a whole new level of customizability and flexibility to the way you design your pages and with a little practice you’ll quickly master this great new Elementor feature.

If you can’t think of a single reason why anyone would need to duplicate their pages or posts in WordPress, you probably never had to redesign your site. If you did, you’d know just how useful duplicating pages or posts can be.

In this article, we’re going to show you how to duplicate a page in WordPress, the benefits of creating duplicate pages or posts and teach you three ways to do it: manually, using a plugin and using code.

Here’s what we’ll discuss:

Why and When to Duplicate WordPress Pages or Posts?

One of the most common situations in which WordPress users can benefit from duplicate pages or posts is when they want to revamp, refresh or overhaul an existing page, but they don’t want to lose all its content. The same goes for posts, of course. It’s an essential technique in repurposing old content, and it’s much better than the simple copy/paste.

“What’s wrong with copying and pasting the content in a new draft to use it again after you make the changes?” you might ask. Well, of course, that would work but it would be pretty time-consuming, for one thing.

Also, and more importantly, it might affect all your previous SEO efforts, and, consequently, damage your page rank. This is because, when you simply copy the content and paste it on a page that you have redesigned, everything you’ve done SEO-wise, as well as your featured image, page templates and other related data, would be lost.

Also, duplicate pages are useful for situations when you just want to tweak a few things in your page design, for example, and compare it with the old version to see which one works better. This is particularly handy for when you’re redesigning your website and need to see how your content will fit your new design elements.

As you can see, there are many situations in which creating a clone or a duplicate of your page or post comes in handy.

How to Duplicate a WordPress Page Manually?

This will depend on the page builder you’re using. For Elementor users, there isn’t a single Duplicate feature as such, but what you can do instead is save your existing page as a template and then use it to create a new one that represents an exact duplicate.

In the page you want to duplicate, navigate down to the bottom left of the screen and click on the arrow to open the menu, where you will select Save as Template.

This will open a dialog box where you can give your template a name. It will be saved in the Elementor templates folder from which you can always access it and reuse it.

Now go ahead and create a new Elementor page. Give it a title and then click ont he folder icon to access your saved template.

Navigate to the My Templates section, find the template you need and click on Insert.

And just like that, all the content, design and page settings will be recreated right there in your new page.

Now, as for Gutenberg, the process is similar, except you will be copying blocks. Access the page you want to duplicate and in the upper right corner of the screen click on the three dots. In the menu that opens, select Copy all blocks.

Now create a new page, give it a title and simply right-click and select Paste or press Ctrl+V and your copied blocks (design and content) will be pasted into the new page, which will be an exact duplicate of the one you copied.

Now, this is a method that works best for occasionally copying single pages or posts. It may not suffice for bulk actions and for more streamlined duplicating processes, which is why it’s worth considering other solutions.

Duplicating Pages or Posts Using a Plugin

As is so often the case with WordPress, the most useful solutions come in the form of our little friends, the plugins. While there are several excellent plugins for duplicate pages and posts on the market, we can’t possibly feature them all, so we’re going to talk about the most popular one – Yoast Duplicate Post.

This is a neat, simple and functional plugin with over three million active installations that you can download and use for free.

Once you have installed and activated the plugin, go to your posts or pages, and you’ll notice some new options appear as you hover above the post you want to duplicate. There will be two options: Clone and New Draft.

The Clone option creates the exact duplicate of the post you want to edit or change. The duplicate will appear on top of the list of posts and, clicking on it, you will be able to edit it the usual way.

New Draft, on the other hand, creates a clone of the page and then opens the page/post editor right away. Once you’ve made all the necessary changes to the post, click on Publish and review it live.

And that’s really all there is to it. Once you no longer need the clones, you can delete them quickly by clicking on the Trash link that reveals underneath the post upon hover.

Duplicating Pages or Posts Using Code

While plugins are certainly of tremendous help in many situations, sometimes we want to get our hands dirty and get things done by ourselves, without resorting to a plugin. This may be because we want to test our knowledge and expertise or show ourselves that we can do it on our own. But more often it’s because we already have dozens and dozens of plugins installed and we feel that installing a new one would weigh the whole thing down too much.

Either way, it is possible to duplicate a page or a post just using code. One GitHub user came up with a neat function for creating duplicate posts or pages that you simply need to copy to your functions.php file:

/*
* Function for post duplication. Dups appear as drafts. User is redirected to the edit screen
*/
function rd_duplicate_post_as_draft(){
global $wpdb;
if (! ( isset( $_GET['post']) || isset( $_POST['post']) || ( isset($_REQUEST['action']) && 'rd_duplicate_post_as_draft' == $_REQUEST['action'] ) ) ) {
wp_die('No post to duplicate has been supplied!');
}
/*
* Nonce verification
*/
if ( !isset( $_GET['duplicate_nonce'] ) || !wp_verify_nonce( $_GET['duplicate_nonce'], basename( __FILE__ ) ) )
return;
/*
* get the original post id
*/
$post_id = (isset($_GET['post']) ? absint( $_GET['post'] ) : absint( $_POST['post'] ) );
/*
* and all the original post data then
*/
$post = get_post( $post_id );
/*
* if you don't want current user to be the new post author,
* then change next couple of lines to this: $new_post_author = $post->post_author;
*/
$current_user = wp_get_current_user();
$new_post_author = $current_user->ID;
/*
* if post data exists, create the post duplicate
*/
if (isset( $post ) && $post != null) {
/*
* new post data array
*/
$args = array(
'comment_status' => $post->comment_status,
'ping_status' => $post->ping_status,
'post_author' => $new_post_author,
'post_content' => $post->post_content,
'post_excerpt' => $post->post_excerpt,
'post_name' => $post->post_name,
'post_parent' => $post->post_parent,
'post_password' => $post->post_password,
'post_status' => 'draft',
'post_title' => $post->post_title,
'post_type' => $post->post_type,
'to_ping' => $post->to_ping,
'menu_order' => $post->menu_order
);
/*
* insert the post by wp_insert_post() function
*/
$new_post_id = wp_insert_post( $args );
/*
* get all current post terms ad set them to the new post draft
*/
$taxonomies = get_object_taxonomies($post->post_type); // returns array of taxonomy names for post type, ex array("category", "post_tag");
foreach ($taxonomies as $taxonomy) {
$post_terms = wp_get_object_terms($post_id, $taxonomy, array('fields' => 'slugs'));
wp_set_object_terms($new_post_id, $post_terms, $taxonomy, false);
}
/*
* duplicate all post meta just in two SQL queries
*/
$post_meta_infos = $wpdb->get_results("SELECT meta_key, meta_value FROM $wpdb->postmeta WHERE post_id=$post_id");
if (count($post_meta_infos)!=0) {
$sql_query = "INSERT INTO $wpdb->postmeta (post_id, meta_key, meta_value) ";
foreach ($post_meta_infos as $meta_info) {
$meta_key = $meta_info->meta_key;
if( $meta_key == '_wp_old_slug' ) continue;
$meta_value = addslashes($meta_info->meta_value);
$sql_query_sel[]= "SELECT $new_post_id, '$meta_key', '$meta_value'";
}
$sql_query.= implode(" UNION ALL ", $sql_query_sel);
$wpdb->query($sql_query);
}
/*
* finally, redirect to the edit post screen for the new draft
*/
wp_redirect( admin_url( 'post.php?action=edit&post=' . $new_post_id ) );
exit;
} else {
wp_die('Post creation failed, could not find original post: ' . $post_id);
}
}
add_action( 'admin_action_rd_duplicate_post_as_draft', 'rd_duplicate_post_as_draft' );
/*
* Add the duplicate link to action list for post_row_actions
*/
function rd_duplicate_post_link( $actions, $post ) {
if (current_user_can('edit_posts')) {
$actions['duplicate'] = '<a href="' . wp_nonce_url('admin.php?action=rd_duplicate_post_as_draft&post=' . $post->ID, basename(__FILE__), 'duplicate_nonce' ) . '" title="Duplicate this item" rel="permalink">Duplicate</a>';
}
return $actions;
}
add_filter( 'post_row_actions', 'rd_duplicate_post_link', 10, 2 );
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You can do it directly on your server using an FTP client of your choice, but we suggest you simply use the WordPress file editor.

Note here that this code is written for duplicating WordPress posts. If you want to duplicate pages as well, you need to change the last line in the snippet so that, instead of ‘post_raw_actions’ it says ‘page_raw_actions’.

After you have entered the code in your functions.php file, go to your dashboard where your pages and posts are listed (All Posts or All Pages). If everything worked fine, there will be a new option available underneath each of the posts or pages, saying simply Duplicate. Clicking on it will create a clone of that particular page or post, just as it would if you were using a plugin.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, creating duplicate WordPress pages or posts is actually a piece of cake, whether you’re doing it manually, using a plugin or opting for code instead. We are sure you’ll find this option more than convenient in many situations.

Now that you know how to duplicate a page in WordPress, just remember to clean up the unused duplicate posts once in a while – clutter is never a good thing for a website. Also, if you intend to use code to duplicate posts, make sure your website is backed up, as it should be whenever you’re editing WordPress files.