Accessibility is an essential aspect of web design to ensure that the internet is a more inclusive space for everyone. In today's digital landscape, businesses and individuals must prioritize accessibility in order to make certain that their content is easily accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. When it comes to the world of WordPress web design, accessibility should be at the forefront of every developer's mind. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the ins and outs of creating accessible WordPress websites, exploring the importance of accessibility, how to incorporate it into your design, and the tools available to help you achieve this goal.
The internet has become an essential part of daily life, whether it's for shopping, connecting with friends and family, or gathering information. For many, it is difficult to imagine navigating the world without access to the web. However, for millions of individuals with disabilities, the internet can still pose significant obstacles and challenges in terms of accessibility.
To make the web more equitable and inclusive for everyone, web designers must take into account a range of disabilities, including visual impairments, cognitive disabilities, hearing impairments, mobility impairments, and speech difficulties, among others. By designing and developing websites tailored to the needs of this diverse audience, web designers can help bridge the divide and make the internet a more welcoming and accommodating place for all users.
Creating an accessible WordPress website involves incorporating best practices in terms of design, development, and content management. This includes ensuring that your website meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, the leading set of standards for web accessibility. Developing an accessible website not only benefits users with disabilities but can also enhance the overall user experience, as well as improve search engine optimization.
Throughout this guide, we'll delve deeper into the world of accessibility and provide practical tips for making your WordPress website more accessible. Whether you're a seasoned WordPress developer or a web design enthusiast, this comprehensive guide will help enhance your skills and contribute to creating a more inclusive digital landscape for all.
Understanding the Importance of Web Accessibility
Before embarking on your journey to create an accessible WordPress website, it's important to understand why web accessibility is so vital. Nearly 15% of the world's population is living with some form of disability, which means that making your website more accessible can expand your reach and positively impact the lives of millions of people. Accessibility is not only a crucial ethical consideration but also a wise business practice. In fact, many businesses and organizations face legal repercussions for failing to provide accessible online content. By being well-versed in web accessibility, you can create digital content that everyone can experience and enjoy.
Design Principles for Accessible WordPress Websites
When it comes to designing an accessible WordPress website, there are several key principles to consider. These principles can be broken down into four main areas:
1. Perceivable: Ensure all users can perceive and access the information and content on your website.
– Use appropriate contrast and color: Along with visually pleasing designs, aim to have a minimum color contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for text and images, to cater to users with low vision.
– Provide alternative text for all images: Alternative text, or alt tags, succinctly describe an image, allowing screen reader users to understand its context.
– Utilize descriptive headings and labels: Clear and concise headings and labels help users navigate your website more efficiently.
2. Operable: Make certain that all users can operate interface components and navigate the website.
– Implement keyboard-friendly navigation: Some users may not be able to use a mouse, so ensure your website can be navigated using only a keyboard.
– Avoid or provide alternatives for complex media: Limit pop-ups, autoplaying videos, and other elements that may create confusion for users with cognitive disabilities.
– Provide appropriate response times: Allow adequate time for users to process content or complete actions and consider incorporating adjustable time limits.
3. Understandable: Guarantee that your website's content and messaging are easily understood by all users.
– Implement consistent and predictable navigation: Use similar layouts and navigation patterns throughout your site for a more seamless user experience.
– Provide clear and concise language: Choose simple language and avoid using technical jargon to make your content more approachable. As an example, if you’ve got Customer Testimonials to display, all visitors should be able to immediately tell what they are.
– Offer error prevention and recovery options: Include error messages, confirmation prompts, and undo features to help users recover from any mistakes made while navigating your site.
4. Robust: Make sure your website is compatible with various devices, browsers, and assistive technologies.
– Use well-structured and semantic HTML: Proper HTML structure improves screen reader compatibility and provides a more consistent user experience across different devices or browsers.
– Regularly test compatibility: Conduct routine tests to ensure that your website functions optimally on various devices, browsers, and with a range of assistive technologies.
Building Accessible Websites with WordPress Themes and Plugins
Leveraging the right WordPress tools can make the process of building an accessible website significantly easier. When selecting WordPress themes and plugins, look for ones that prioritize accessibility. Start by choosing themes that are labeled as accessible or confirm that they meet the WCAG guidelines. Some examples include the “Accessible Ready” themes in the WordPress repository.
For enhancing the accessibility of your website, there are numerous plugins available. Here are a few popular options:
– WP Accessibility: Makes various improvements, such as providing a toolbar with customizable larger text and high contrast mode.
– One Click Accessibility: Offers features like resizable fonts, customizable keyboard navigation, and a built-in accessibility statement.
– Accessibility Widget: Adds a widget that enables users to adjust font sizes to suit their needs.
Education and Resources to Stay Informed
Staying informed and educated about web accessibility is a crucial aspect of developing accessible websites. Continuously expand your understanding by attending webinars, reading articles, and taking relevant courses that delve into accessibility guidelines and best practices. Some key resources for learning about web accessibility include:
– W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
– WebAim.org
– The A11Y Project
Conclusion
In today's digital world, web accessibility should be a top priority for any web designer or developer. Creating an accessible WordPress website is an ongoing process that involves understanding the importance of accessibility, implementing design principles that cater to a diverse group of users, leveraging the tools and resources available within the WordPress ecosystem, and continuously enhancing your knowledge. By following this comprehensive guide, you'll be better equipped to develop WordPress websites that are conducive to an inclusive and accessible online environment for all.
Accessibility is an essential aspect of web design to ensure that the internet is a more inclusive space for everyone. In today's digital landscape, businesses and individuals must prioritize accessibility in order to make certain that their content is easily accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. When it comes to the world of WordPress web design, accessibility should be at the forefront of every developer's mind. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the ins and outs of creating accessible WordPress websites, exploring the importance of accessibility, how to incorporate it into your design, and the tools available to help you achieve this goal.
The internet has become an essential part of daily life, whether it's for shopping, connecting with friends and family, or gathering information. For many, it is difficult to imagine navigating the world without access to the web. However, for millions of individuals with disabilities, the internet can still pose significant obstacles and challenges in terms of accessibility.
To make the web more equitable and inclusive for everyone, web designers must take into account a range of disabilities, including visual impairments, cognitive disabilities, hearing impairments, mobility impairments, and speech difficulties, among others. By designing and developing websites tailored to the needs of this diverse audience, web designers can help bridge the divide and make the internet a more welcoming and accommodating place for all users.
Creating an accessible WordPress website involves incorporating best practices in terms of design, development, and content management. This includes ensuring that your website meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, the leading set of standards for web accessibility. Developing an accessible website not only benefits users with disabilities but can also enhance the overall user experience, as well as improve search engine optimization.
Throughout this guide, we'll delve deeper into the world of accessibility and provide practical tips for making your WordPress website more accessible. Whether you're a seasoned WordPress developer or a web design enthusiast, this comprehensive guide will help enhance your skills and contribute to creating a more inclusive digital landscape for all.
Understanding the Importance of Web Accessibility
Before embarking on your journey to create an accessible WordPress website, it's important to understand why web accessibility is so vital. Nearly 15% of the world's population is living with some form of disability, which means that making your website more accessible can expand your reach and positively impact the lives of millions of people. Accessibility is not only a crucial ethical consideration but also a wise business practice. In fact, many businesses and organizations face legal repercussions for failing to provide accessible online content. By being well-versed in web accessibility, you can create digital content that everyone can experience and enjoy.
Design Principles for Accessible WordPress Websites
When it comes to designing an accessible WordPress website, there are several key principles to consider. These principles can be broken down into four main areas:
1. Perceivable: Ensure all users can perceive and access the information and content on your website.
– Use appropriate contrast and color: Along with visually pleasing designs, aim to have a minimum color contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for text and images, to cater to users with low vision.
– Provide alternative text for all images: Alternative text, or alt tags, succinctly describe an image, allowing screen reader users to understand its context.
– Utilize descriptive headings and labels: Clear and concise headings and labels help users navigate your website more efficiently.
2. Operable: Make certain that all users can operate interface components and navigate the website.
– Implement keyboard-friendly navigation: Some users may not be able to use a mouse, so ensure your website can be navigated using only a keyboard.
– Avoid or provide alternatives for complex media: Limit pop-ups, autoplaying videos, and other elements that may create confusion for users with cognitive disabilities.
– Provide appropriate response times: Allow adequate time for users to process content or complete actions and consider incorporating adjustable time limits.
3. Understandable: Guarantee that your website's content and messaging are easily understood by all users.
– Implement consistent and predictable navigation: Use similar layouts and navigation patterns throughout your site for a more seamless user experience.
– Provide clear and concise language: Choose simple language and avoid using technical jargon to make your content more approachable.
– Offer error prevention and recovery options: Include error messages, confirmation prompts, and undo features to help users recover from any mistakes made while navigating your site.
4. Robust: Make sure your website is compatible with various devices, browsers, and assistive technologies.
– Use well-structured and semantic HTML: Proper HTML structure improves screen reader compatibility and provides a more consistent user experience across different devices or browsers.
– Regularly test compatibility: Conduct routine tests to ensure that your website functions optimally on various devices, browsers, and with a range of assistive technologies.
Building Accessible Websites with WordPress Themes and Plugins
Leveraging the right WordPress tools can make the process of building an accessible website significantly easier. When selecting WordPress themes and plugins, look for ones that prioritize accessibility. Start by choosing themes that are labeled as accessible or confirm that they meet the WCAG guidelines. Some examples include the “Accessible Ready” themes in the WordPress repository.
For enhancing the accessibility of your website, there are numerous plugins available. Here are a few popular options:
– WP Accessibility: Makes various improvements, such as providing a toolbar with customizable larger text and high contrast mode.
– One Click Accessibility: Offers features like resizable fonts, customizable keyboard navigation, and a built-in accessibility statement.
– Accessibility Widget: Adds a widget that enables users to adjust font sizes to suit their needs.
Education and Resources to Stay Informed
Staying informed and educated about web accessibility is a crucial aspect of developing accessible websites. Continuously expand your understanding by attending webinars, reading articles, and taking relevant courses that delve into accessibility guidelines and best practices. Some key resources for learning about web accessibility include:
– W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
– WebAim.org
– The A11Y Project
Conclusion
In today's digital world, web accessibility should be a top priority for any web designer or developer. Creating an accessible WordPress website is an ongoing process that involves understanding the importance of accessibility, implementing design principles that cater to a diverse group of users, leveraging the tools and resources available within the WordPress ecosystem, and continuously enhancing your knowledge. By following this comprehensive guide, you'll be better equipped to develop WordPress websites that are conducive to an inclusive and accessible online environment for all.
Optin Monster is a popular WordPress plugin that helps businesses and bloggers increase their email subscribers and leads. It is a powerful tool that offers a variety of opt-in forms, including lightbox popups, floating bars, slide-ins, and more.
One of the key features of Optin Monster is its ability to target specific visitors with personalized campaigns. This means that you can show different opt-in forms to different groups of visitors based on their behavior and interests. For example, you can show a lightbox popup to first-time visitors and a floating bar to returning visitors.
Optin Monster also provides a range of templates and design options, making it easy to create opt-in forms that match your brand and website style. You can customize the colors, fonts, and layout of your opt-in forms, and even add your own images and videos.
Another useful feature of Optin Monster is its A/B testing capability. This allows you to test different versions of your opt-in forms and see which one performs the best. You can test things like the headline, call-to-action, and design to see what works best for your audience.
Optin Monster also integrates with a variety of email marketing services, such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and AWeber, allowing you to easily add new subscribers to your email list. It also integrates with popular CRM tools like Salesforce, making it easy to manage and track your leads.
In addition to its opt-in form capabilities, Optin Monster also offers exit-intent technology, which detects when a visitor is about to leave your site and displays an opt-in form in an attempt to capture their email address before they go. This can be a very effective way to increase your email subscribers, as many people are more likely to sign up when they are about to leave a site.
Overall, Optin Monster is a powerful and versatile plugin that can help businesses and bloggers increase their email subscribers and leads. Its targeted campaigns, customizable templates, A/B testing, and integration with email marketing and CRM tools make it a valuable asset for any website. If you're looking to grow your email list and improve your lead generation, Optin Monster is definitely worth considering.
Blogging is one of the most popular ways to share your thoughts and ideas with the world. It can also be a great way to make money, connect with other bloggers, and build a brand for yourself. If you're still on the fence about whether or not you should start a blog, here are the top reasons why you should do it!
One of the best things about starting a blog is that you can share your thoughts and ideas with the world. Whether you want to write about your passion for fashion, your love of food, or anything else you're interested in, a blog is a perfect platform. You will be able to express yourself and connect with others who share your interests, and you'll also be able to build a following of people who appreciate what you have to say.
Blogging is also a great way to improve your writing skills. The more you write, the better you'll become at communicating your thoughts and ideas clearly. So if you're looking for a creative outlet or simply want to hone your writing skills, starting a blog is a great way to do it.
Plus, with the rise of social media, it's easier than ever to share your blog posts with the world. With just a few clicks, you can instantly post your latest article on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram and reach thousands of people.
Make Money
While not everyone will be able to make a full-time income from their blog, it is possible to make some money by blogging. There are several ways to make money from blogging, such as through affiliate marketing, selling products or services, and accepting sponsored posts.
If you want to make some extra money or even replace your current income, then starting a blog could be a great way to do so. While it takes time and effort to build up enough traffic to your site to make money, it is possible to do if you are willing to put in the work.
Several blogs focus on teaching people how to make money from blogging. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, then doing some research or checking out some books from the library on the subject can be helpful. Once you understand how to make money from blogging, you can start working on building up your own site.
While making money from blogging takes time and effort, it can be a great way to earn some extra cash. So, starting your own blog could be the perfect solution if you are looking for ways to make some extra money.
Connect With Other Bloggers
One of the great things about blogging is that it allows you to connect with other bloggers who share your interests. By commenting on each other's posts and interacting on social media, you can build relationships with other bloggers that can last a lifetime.
Not only are these relationships fun and rewarding, but they can also benefit your blog. By networking with other bloggers, you can promote your blog to a wider audience, guest post on each other's blogs, do blog collaborations, and more. So blogging is definitely the way to go if you're looking for ways to connect with like-minded people.
Blogging is also great for connecting with industry experts and thought leaders. By reaching out to these people and asking them to contribute guest posts or participate in interviews, you can provide your readers with valuable content that they won't find anywhere else.
And last but not least, blogging is a great way to connect with your target audience. By writing about relevant topics and interacting with them in the comments section, you can build a rapport with your readers that will keep them coming back for more.
Improve Your Confidence And Communication Skills
If you are shy or have trouble communicating with others, starting a blog can help you become more confident. When you force yourself to put your thoughts and feelings into words and share them with the world, you will quickly learn how to communicate better. And, as your confidence grows, you may find it easier to speak up and interact with people in real life. Who knows, blogging could even lead to some new friendships!
On the other hand, if you are already a confident communicator, blogging can help you hone those skills even further. Writing regularly will give you plenty of practice expressing your ideas clearly and concisely – a valuable skill in any career. And since blogs provide an excellent platform for networking, you'll also have the opportunity to connect with other like-minded people and share your ideas with them.
In either case, blogging can certainly help to improve your confidence and communication skills – two essential qualities that will come in handy in all aspects of your life. So if you've been thinking about starting a blog, there's no better time than now!
Get Feedback On Your Work
If you're a writer, musician, artist, or any other type of creative person, starting a blog is a great way to get feedback on your work. Showing your work to the world can be scary, but it's also the best way to get honest feedback that can help you improve. In addition, when you put yourself out there, you'll find that there are people who appreciate your work and want to support you.
Getting feedback from friends and family can be helpful, but they might not always be completely unbiased. When you share your work with the world via a blog, you'll get feedback from complete strangers who will give you an honest opinion of your work. This can be invaluable in helping you grow as an artist or creative person.
In conclusion, there are countless reasons why everyone should start their own blog. Whether you're looking to make some extra money, connect with other bloggers, or improve your confidence and communication skills, there's a good chance that starting a blog can help you achieve your goals.
In order to be successful with a blog, you need to have readers. And in order to have readers, you need to have traffic. There are countless Australian blogs out there, but not many of them are successful at attracting visitors. If you want to be among the more successful ones, you need to make some changes.
The good news is that increased traffic can be a breeze if you know what you’re doing. There are many ways to drive traffic to your blog, and in this article, we will discuss some of the most effective methods. These tactics will help you bring more visitors to your WordPress site, and help you achieve your blogging goals.
Create high-quality content
If you want your blog to be successful, you need to produce high-quality content. This means writing well-researched and well-written articles that are engaging and informative. Your readers will appreciate the effort you put into your posts, and they will be more likely to return for future updates.
In order to create high-quality content for your SEO content strategy, you need to do your research. Make sure you know what you’re talking about, and take the time to gather credible sources of information. Once you have your facts straight, write content that is both informative and interesting to read.
Another important part of creating high-quality content is making sure your posts are visually appealing. Use headings and subheadings to break up your text, and add images and videos where appropriate. This will help keep your readers engaged, and make it easier for them to follow along with your argument. Finally, make sure you proofread your work before publishing it. Nobody is perfect, but taking the time to catch any mistakes in your writing will help improve the overall quality of your blog.
Optimize your tags
Tags are an important part of your blog, and they play a role in driving traffic to your site. By optimizing your tags, you can make it easier for people to find your blog, and increase the chances that they will click through to your site.
There are several ways to optimize your tags. The first is to make sure your tags are relevant to your content. If you’re writing about a specific topic, use tags that reflect that topic. This will help people who are interested in that topic find your blog, and it will also help improve your search engine ranking.
Another way to optimize your tags is to use keywords. Use keywords that people might use to search for information on your topic, and make sure they’re included in your tag list. This will help improve your ranking in search engine results pages, and it will also help potential readers find your blog more easily.
Make sure the tags on your blog are consistent. Use the same spellings, capitalization, and abbreviations for all of your tags. This will help avoid confusion among readers, and it will also make it easier for people to find the information they’re looking for on your blog.
Enable reviews
Most website owners know that online reviews are important, but not everyone knows how to enable them on their website. If you want to collect reviews from your customers, you need to enable reviews on your website. This will allow your customers to leave feedback about their experience with your business, and it will help you improve your customer service.
There are several ways to enable reviews on your website. The first is to add a review form to your contact page. This will allow customers to leave feedback about their experience with your business. The second is to add a review widget to your website. This will allow customers to leave feedback about your business on your website. The third is to add a review link to your menu bar or footer.
All of these methods are effective, and they will allow you to collect feedback from your customers. Make sure you use the method that best suits your website and encourages your customers to leave feedback. Reviews are an excellent way to improve your business, and they can help you attract new customers and retain old ones.
Utilize social media
Social media is an excellent way to improve website traffic. By using social media, you can reach a larger audience and increase the chances that people will visit your website.
There are plenty of ways to use social media to improve website traffic. The first is to create social media profiles for your business. This will allow potential customers to learn more about your business, and it will also help you build a following. The second is to share your content on social media. This will help you reach a larger audience, and it will also help you attract new customers with your high-quality content. The third is to use social media advertising. This will allow you to target specific audiences, and it will also help you with customer outreach.
All of these methods are effective, and they will help you improve website traffic and provide SEO benefits for your business. Make sure you use the most appropriate approach for your company and make sure you learn how to properly utilize each technique.
Optimize website speed
One of the best ways to drive traffic to your WordPress blog is by optimizing your website speed. When your website loads quickly, it makes a good impression on your readers, and it encourages them to stay on your site for longer. In addition, website speed is a factor that Google takes into account when ranking websites. By optimizing your website speed, you can improve your ranking in search engine results pages, and increase the chances that people will visit your blog.
There are several things you can do to improve your website speed. The first is to use a fast-hosting provider. Make sure you choose an Australian provider that has a good reputation and that is known for providing high-quality service. Another way to improve your website speed is to optimize your images. Make sure they are the correct size and use compression tools to reduce their file size. You can also use a caching plugin to help improve performance.
A big factor for page loading speed in the website and page design. Optimizing these factors is a bit more complex and tends to require more expertise. Many Australian websites enlist the help of SEO Sydney agencies to optimize their websites for loading speed and other factors, as this can help drive more traffic to their blogs.
Incorporate internal links
Internal links are an often overlooked but extremely effective way to boost blog traffic. By including links to other posts on your blog, you can encourage readers to stay on your site for longer and explore other content. In addition, internal links help improve your website’s search engine ranking.
There are several reasons why you should include internal links on your blog. First, they help keep readers engaged. By including links to other posts on your blog, you can keep readers engaged and encourage them to explore more of your content. Second, internal links help improve your website’s search engine ranking. Google takes into account the number of internal links on a website when ranking it in search engine results pages. This means that by including internal links, you can improve your ranking and increase the chances that people will find your blog. Third, internal links help people find information on your blog more easily. When people click on a link in your post, they are taken to a page with related content. This makes it easier for people to find the information they’re looking for, and it helps them learn more about the topic you’re writing about.
Conclusion
These are some of the most effective ways to improve website traffic on your WordPress blog. By following these tips, you can increase the number of people who visit your website and improve your business significantly.
Whether you’re an online blogger in search of a wider audience, a budding entrepreneur looking to scale up a side hustle, or a business owner with designs on market domination, WordPress’s free open-source software comes with a multitude of benefits. It’s easy to install, simple to use, and incredibly adaptable, making it a fantastically-versatile foundation.
Whatever your ambition, though, you should aspire to get the most from WordPress, finding ways to ensure that your blog, ecommerce store or business website (whatever your WordPress site happens to be) is fully optimized for success in 2022. To that end, there are countless apps and plugins (50,000+ and counting!) designed to augment almost every feature and function of a WordPress site, from fundamental concerns to niche factors.
With a baffling amount of choice, though, it can be near-impossible to separate the best-in-class from the second-rate when it comes to the best plugins for your WordPress website. Read on for a run-down of the 10 best plugins available right now, covering the most important aspects of any successful website.
Best for eCommerce: WooCommerce
If you’re running an online store, it goes without saying that you’ll need a robust and high-performance eCommerce platform to manage essential elements such as storefront creation, product listing, and order processing. WooCommerce is a fully customisable and free WordPress-based eCommerce platform, so a WooCommerce integration is a no-brainer for any eCommerce business already using WordPress.
With the WooCommerce plugin, you can access and manage all data (products, orders, reports and more) via an integrated dashboard, so you can oversee all aspects of your online store from one central hub. What’s more, you can easily update and refine your store’s design with access to thousands of store-appropriate WordPress themes.
This app creates a seamless automation between WordPress and Cloudways, a fully-optimized cloud hosting service. Offering best-in-class managed cloud hosting, Cloudways helps businesses unlock their full potential by taking care of all hosting-related issues so they can focus on building and optimizing their websites.
With the Cloudways WordPress Migrator tool, there’s no need for an in-house technical team to manage the complex process of migrating your website(s) to the Cloudways cloud platform, saving you precious time and allowing your team(s) to effectively prioritize mission-critical projects pertaining to design, development, and even sales.
Best for Analytics: MonsterInsights
Regardless of the nature of your website, you surely want to mine its full potential, and analytics give you the insight you need to make that happen. And if you want to stay on top of your KPIs so you can react accordingly, it’s important that your WordPress site has a powerful analytics integration so you can measure interaction, engagement and performance in real time.
MonsterInsights integrates with Google Analytics to pull up-to-the-minute data directly into your WordPress dashboard, allowing you to closely track performance goals and actionable insights. The GDPR-friendly plugin offers enhanced eCommerce tracking for WooCommerce, detailed page-level analytics, affiliate link and ads tracking, and seamless integration with other plugins and apps.
An effective SEO strategy is essential for any website owner looking to increase visibility, boost rankings and build traffic to their site or online store, but SEO is about more than just keywords. It’s also about building trust, establishing authority and providing a better overall user experience.
Yoast SEO has been helping websites rank higher in search engines since 2008, using an all-in-one solution to manage every aspect of on and off-site SEO. The most widely used SEO plugin for WordPress, it offers advanced XML sitemaps to help Google understand your site structure, automated technical SEO updates, title and meta description templates for consistent branding and many more features besides.
Best for Social Media: Smash Balloon
Online businesses are increasingly leveraging the power of social media to connect with users, build their brand profile and circulate share-worthy content. A great way to boost engagement and ‘social proof’ your website or store is to host content uploaded to your social media platforms directly on your site.
Used by brands such as Coca-Cola and Indeed, the Smash Balloon plugin pulls in feeds from all major social platforms, allowing users to seamlessly display relevant Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube content on their websites. The feeds are fully customisable so you can match the design to your brand, with optimized page speed for minimal load times.
Best for Email: Mailchimp
It’s no coincidence that many online retailers are willing to offer generous discounts in exchange for ‘opt-ins’ to their subscriber databases, as email marketing is still an important and powerful element in any online marketing strategy. Building subscribers and serving them relevant, read-worthy content remains an effective way of building engagement and customer loyalty.
The Mailchimp plugin for WordPress allows you to create user-friendly, mobile-optimized signup forms for enticing new subscribers and build attractive, engaging email content using a multitude of tools and templates. What’s more, its customer journey builder helps deliver personalized experiences based on the way your users interact with your site, driving engagement and helping to build meaningful relationships.
Best for CRM: HubSpot
A dynamic CRM (customer relationship management) strategy helps businesses build relationships with their customers which, over time, can aid in building loyalty and driving customer retention: key qualities that are essential to the success of any online business.
Built natively into WordPress, the HubSpot plugin is a powerful all-in-one tool encompassing CRM, free forms, live chat, email marketing and analytics. The CRM and contact management aspects allow your website forms to automatically sync with HubSpot CRM to easily manage your contacts, segment them into lists, and measure their interactions with your site, enabling you to create more personalized experiences and drive engagement.
Best for Live Chat: LiveChat
Increasingly, online businesses large and small are turning to live chat solutions to instantly connect users with service agents, resolve quick-fix issues and enhance the customer experience. And though it might not win any prizes in the imaginative name stakes, the LiveChat plugin makes this possible with its simple chat box solution, allowing businesses to respond to queries quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively.
With LiveChat, your customer service team can manage all conversations from a single dashboard (even if you have LiveChat set up on multiple sites) making it even easier to keep on top of customer comms at all hours of the day, while the easily accessible on-site chat box can be opened with a single click, enabling effortless, instant interaction for users.
Best for Search: Ivory Search
According to research, prospects who use a website’s search function are up to 4 times more likely to convert than those who don’t, so an optimized onsite search experience should be high on your agenda if you want to drive engagement, conversion and revenue on your site.
The Ivory Search plugin improves content visibility by allowing you to fully configure the search functionality of your WordPress site, firstly by creating an unlimited number of search forms and displaying them anywhere within the customer journey. You can then fully customize the ordering of search results and maintain total control over which content can and cannot be accessed via search.
Best for Online Security: Wordfence
One aspect of your website that absolutely cannot be overlooked is security. For eCommerce sites particularly, it’s critical to maintain the trust of customers and protect the integrity of your brand by ensuring your website is a safe and secure environment, from the safeguarding of customer data to the prevention of fraudulent transactions.
Wordfence is a comprehensive security solution for WordPress sites. With a global team of security analysts, researchers, software engineers and support staff, Wordfence offers 24/7 incident management with a 1-hour response time for critical security breaches. In addition, the plugin includes secure login controls, two-factor authentication, malware scanning and security firewalls to ensure your site is fully protected from outside threats.
If you are a WordPress user and you want to take full advantage of all the functions and features it has to offer, these invaluable solutions can help you unlock the untapped potential of your website or eCommerce store. And whilst there are (literally) thousands of plugins available right now (from free tools to premium subscription packages), these tried-and-tested options will go a long way toward ensuring your site is fully optimized
