However, because themes have become increasingly complex and tailored to specific websites, such as eCommerce stores, they cannot be seamlessly swapped for one another. You will need to do some digging if you want to safely switch from one WordPress theme to another. After all, your active theme is so ingrained in the functionality of your site that any change has the potential to break it.

Changing themes without opening the door for errors and without losing website content can take a little longer than simply clicking the Activate button. However, by following a few simple procedures, you can ensure that your site continues to function normally after the switch, and this is what we’re about to discuss.

So, let’s get right into it! 

What you need to do BEFORE changing a WordPress theme 

While changing a theme is a matter of a few mouse clicks, you should take some precautions before proceeding.

We recommend you go through the following checklist to ensure that your WordPress theme change goes smoothly and that you don’t lose any critical data. 

Step 1: Make a complete backup of your site. 

Before making any changes to your WordPress themes, you must back up all of your files. This is only a precautionary measure, as changing themes does not automatically result in losing your entire website, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

You can back up your files in two ways. You can either use a plugin or manually back up your files.

Plugins like Updraft Plus and BackupBuddy automatically back up your website’s plugins, database, themes, content, and other files. In addition, backup plugins will typically store your backup files off-site in a secure location, so you won’t have to worry about anyone hacking into your data.

You may also consider doing manual backups if you have a large website. Here’s how to backup manually.

• Log in to your website’s admin panel. Your control panel is through your website hosting provider.
• Select one of the following options: “FTP access,” “FTP settings,” “FTP account,” or “FTP users.”
• Log in and copy the files to be backed up from the correct directory. This is accomplished by entering “ftp:/yourwebsite.com” into a different browser. You’d put your website’s name where it says “your website.”
• Return to the control panel and launch “phpMyAdmin.”
• Select your database. If you only have one website, it should be the only one.
• Export the database. A database export option should be available at this point. 

Once exported, you’ll have a manual backup of your site as it was at the time of the export.

Step 2: Copy the snippets from your current theme. 

Some WordPress users like to customize their website by adding code snippets to their theme’s functions.php file. Unfortunately, people usually forget about these changes because they were made only once.

If you or your web developer made these changes, go through your current theme files and note all the extra code you’ve previously added. This will allow you to include them later in the functions.php file of your new theme or a site-specific WordPress plugin.

Step 3: Copy your website data tracking. 

Some users directly add analytics tracking code to their theme files. WordPress themes also allow you to enter Adsense or Analytics code into their settings panel. When you switch themes, however, that information is lost, and your website will no longer be tracked in Google Analytics.

If this is where your Google Analytics code is, make a note of it somewhere, you’ll remember so you can paste it back into your new website theme’s footer.php files.

Step 4: Keep your website in Maintenance mode. 

You don’t want users to see a broken site if they land on your website while transitioning to your new theme. Therefore, we recommend enabling a maintenance mode during the time you will be making the switch. There are numerous maintenance mode plugins to choose from.

For this purpose, we recommend using the SeedProd plugin. It’s a well-known WordPress plugin that lets you easily create beautiful coming soon and maintenance mode pages for your website.

To enable maintenance mode, use SeedProd’s free version. A Premium version is also available, which includes pre-built templates, advanced customization features, and email marketing tool integrations. Install and activate the SeedProd plugin to keep your site in maintenance mode. Simply go to Plugins → Add New, then Install and Activate.

Step 5: Test load time and compatibility with major browsers.

Before changing your theme, you should check your website’s load time to quickly compare the differences in page load time after making changes to your website. You can do so using a WordPress speed testing tool like IsItWP, a free speed testing tool. 

Remember that WordPress speed is essential to user experience and SEO, so make sure your new theme is faster than your old one. You should also test your new website theme in all major browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, and Opera Browser.

So, assuming you’ve done everything we’ve just mentioned, let’s look at what you need to do next.

How to install a WordPress theme

Following the preceding precautions, the next step is to install a theme for your website.  There are thousands of free and paid WordPress themes to choose from. But you’re reading this article which means you’ve likely found a good theme for your website’s needs. 

If you haven’t, however, already chosen a theme, we highly recommend the following ones: 

1.Colibri

Colibri is a free multi-purpose theme that gives you much design control, unlike most free WordPress themes. As a result, Colibri is among the top 20 most popular WordPress themes.

We recommend you install the Colibri page builder during the theme installation and activation process. This builder will enhance the theme’s Customizer by adding many powerful features and allowing you to create Colibri sites by dragging and dropping.

Here’s what we like about Colibri:

• 90+ free and premium template sites for a wide range of niches. Whether you start from scratch or use a predesigned template, you can easily customize it until it is pixel-perfect.
• 150+ predefined blocks that you can modify as you see fit. Some examples are blocks, features, services, teams, testimonials, portfolios, contact blocks, etc.
• 40+ drag-and-drop components for creating ultimately custom blocks or customizing existing ones;
• Editing a website from header to footer in a single interface;
• Mobile responsiveness; 
• Simple and intuitive user interface. 

2. Mesmerize

Mesmerize is a free multi-purpose theme that can quickly create a website. It is one of the best customization options (video background, slideshow background, gradient overlays, etc.).

Here’s what we like about Mesmerize:

• It has a lot of content blocks that you can put on a page and combine to make the perfect presentation;
• Mesmerize provides a plethora of header customization options (which are critical in capturing users’ attention);
• The theme allows you to differentiate between front-page navigation, inner-page navigation, and mobile navigation;
• Mesmerize is mobile responsive and looks good on mobile and tablet devices.

3. Elevate

Elevate is a free WordPress theme that was released in late 2021. Unlike most of the themes presented in this article, it is block-based, which means you will customize it within the Default WordPress Editor. The other themes are compatible with the WordPress Customizer.

There are two primary methods for customizing websites in WordPress:

• Using the Customizer – as Colibri, Mesmerize, Astra, and other older and popular themes do; 
• Using the Default Editor, aka Block Editor, aka Gutenberg Editor. In 2018, this new experience became the norm. However, the knowledge is still fundamental, so products like Kubio were created to level it up and give WordPress users more control over their designs.

What’s great about it is that it suggests installing Kubio while it’s activated. Kubio is a fantastic website builder that will add unique features to the Elevate theme.

Here’s what we like about the Elevate & Kubio combo: 

• Designer-made starter sites; 
• 170+ ready-made sections are divided into various categories: team, clients, portfolio, and features.
• 50+ completely customizable blocks Drag and drop blocks like headers, tabs, accordions, sliders, carousels, and many more, then customize them in the upgraded Block Editor.
• Font sizes can be specified in PX, REM, or EM.
• To make websites that are easy to remember, use shape dividers, overlays, section overlaps, and parallax.
• You can create your color palette and use it throughout the site.
• Responsiveness on mobile devices. You can customize the colors, backgrounds, text, and spacing across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. 
• Live preview; 
• Full-site editing refers to the ability to edit an entire website in a single interface rather than having to return to the WordPress dashboard to make the header, footer, sidebar, and other changes.

After you’ve decided on a theme, you must install it on your WordPress site. You can install a WordPress theme using any of the three methods listed below: 

• Using the WordPress theme search option;
• Uploading a theme from your WordPress Dashboard;
• Installing a theme using FTP.

How to switch WordPress themes without going live 

You’re ready to switch once you’ve installed your new theme!

However, testing a theme before implementing it on your live website is always advisable. This allows you to test the compatibility of the new theme with your existing plugins and ensure that everything works as expected.

There are two methods for changing your WordPress theme without going live:

1.Change your WordPress theme using the Live Preview option. 

WordPress, by default, allows you to preview a theme on your website without changing it. To do so, navigate to Appearance » Themes in your admin panel’s left sidebar.

This page displays all of the themes that have been installed on your site. To preview a theme, move your mouse over it and click the Live Preview button. The live preview lets you see how the new theme will look on your website before activating it, but it is limited. Furthermore, the live preview will not prevent any code conflicts.

2. Change your WordPress theme using the Theme Switcha plugin.

And, since there is a plugin for everything in WordPress, it stands to reason that there is one for changing WordPress themes. You can use Theme Switcha to test your themes on the front end of your site while the active theme is displayed to visitors. This plugin has a few more features, but we’ll concentrate on the theme-switching capabilities for this article. 

You must first install and activate this free plugin. Navigate to Plugins  → Add New and click Install and Activate. Then, navigate your admin panel’s left sidebar to Settings → Theme Switcha.

On the Settings page, check the “Enable theme switching” box and then scroll down to the bottom of the page to click Save Changes.

At the bottom of this page, this plugin will now display all of your installed themes. Click on your new theme to view it in a new tab of your web browser. 

How to change your theme on Live Site

After you’ve tested your new theme, you can begin changing the theme on your WordPress site. To do so, navigate to Appearance → Themes in the WordPress admin panel’s left sidebar.

To change the WordPress theme, hover the mouse cursor over the theme you want to use and then click the Activate button on this page. That’s all there is to it. You can now view the new theme by visiting your website’s homepage.

What you need to do AFTER changing the theme

After changing the theme on your website, you must complete the following tasks before exiting maintenance mode:

Test your website. 

First, ensure that all functionalities, plugins, and widgets are operational. You should also test your website and inspect various elements such as posts, comments, images, and contact forms.

Don’t forget to check cross-browser compatibility as well. Certain things are displayed differently by different browsers.

To ensure your website looks good in all major browsers, test it in multiple browsers such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer.

Add your tracking code. 

You should add your analytics and Adsense tracking code to your site after you’ve tested the features and cross-browser compatibility.

To add the Google Analytics tracking code, use the MonsterInsights plugin. This lets you properly configure analytics and view detailed website statistics directly from your WordPress dashboard.

Turn off Maintenance Mode. 

You can make your site live by turning off the maintenance mode. For example, if using the SeedProd plugin, go to SeedProd → Pages in your WordPress dashboard and toggle the maintenance mode to ‘Inactive.’

Test loading time & bounce rate. 

Some tools allow you to measure your website’s loading times by observing how long it takes for its pages to load. Pingdom Tools is one of our favorites because it’s simple and offers multiple test server locations. Enter the URL of the page you want to test and select a server to use Pingdom Tools. There are four servers to choose from, including two in the United States. 

Because most popular hosting providers have data centers in the United States, you may see better results when using those servers. However, it would help if you also ran tests on the Australian and Swedish test servers to understand better how quickly your site will load for users in those countries.

It’s also important to note that you should keep an eye on your site’s bounce rate after switching themes. If your new theme is unfriendly and difficult to use, it may increase your site’s bounce rate.

You can include related posts, a popular posts widget, and breadcrumbs to reduce bounce rates and increase page views.

Ask for feedback. 

And, perhaps most importantly, user feedback. Request feedback from your users on how to improve the design of your website. You can use survey forms or an online poll to collect user feedback.

You can use an email marketing service to share the new design with your subscribers and solicit feedback. This will help you get ideas on what they would like to see improved.

Things to check out on your website once you switched themes. 

Besides testing your website and adding tracking codes, there are still quite a few things to keep an eye on, such as: 

Design elements

Certain website design elements are critical and directly impact visitor engagement and user experience. Here are the top few you should look at as soon as the theme change is finished:

• Homepage: Is the right page being displayed as the homepage? Some themes have dedicated homepages outside the WordPress page hierarchy, so you must specify which one is the correct homepage. For example, if the old theme had a custom homepage, it would be saved in Page drafts, and the new theme’s default homepage will appear instead.

• Menu: Menus may need to be recreated if they have vanished. First, examine each of the links to ensure that they function correctly. Also, double-check that all of the links from the previous theme are still visible. Some may have vanished due to design constraints, for example.

• Custom CSS: Custom CSS is code snippets inserted into the site theme to alter the website’s appearance in addition to the underlying theme. It is a simple method for making bulk changes to templates. This is one of the things that will not be carried over automatically to the new theme because custom CSS is theme-specific. In any case, given that you’ve just deleted the old music and replaced it with a new one, you should consider whether you need the custom CSS in the new theme.

• User experience: One of the most noticeable differences between themes is the user experience. Although most pieces now display correctly across browsers, this is not always the case. The ability for a site to render correctly on different screen sizes is a cornerstone of modern web design. Check the site’s loading time as well. Has the installation of the new theme impacted load times? Speed is essential in SEO; as a general rule, you want the new theme to load faster than the previous one. In addition, it enhances the user experience.

• Other elements: Posts, comment sections, images, pages, forms, and so on must all be checked for consistency.

Errors that may occur when switching WordPress themes

In our experience, several things can go wrong with newly installed WordPress themes. Here is a list of potential errors:

• The new theme imposes its own layout, causing your existing layout to break;
• The theme is incompatible with an installed plugin;
• The theme is inconsistent with the current PHP version;
• Custom widgets are removed;
• The navigation menu may lose links without warning.
• Contact forms have stopped working;
• Sections within pages may break;
• Any shortcodes added by your previous theme are removed;
• Errors in schema data.

This list is not fully comprehensive, but it gives you an idea of the mistakes to avoid. That is why it is critical to install a theme on a staging site first and resolve any issues before making changes to your live site.

Wrap Up

And there you have it! After you’ve taken steps to prepare and protect your website, changing your theme isn’t as intimidating or scary anymore. People frequently outgrow their site themes and want to replace them, and WordPress themes are excellent ways to give your website a facelift without starting from scratch.

We hope this step-by-step guide will assist you in changing your WordPress theme quickly. Now off you go to get it done!

The post How to Change WordPress Themes Without Losing Website Content appeared first on ColibriWP Blog.

Whether formal or informal, webinars, seminars, meetings, and concerts can quickly become chaotic if not properly organized. The last thing you want to do is get involved in managing your sites again and again, from getting the venue ready to invite all of the invitees.

WordPress has over a million plugins designed to make your life easier. All you have to do is find the appropriate one and install it. And this is what we’re about to discuss in today’s article! 

So let’s dig in! 

Why would you need a WordPress event calendar plugin in the first place? 

WordPress event calendars are plugins designed to make organizing tasks easier by updating and informing your viewers about upcoming events. A WordPress calendar plugin allows you to neatly display the relevant information for your specific event on your website.

These WordPress event calendar plugins are fully functional, including WooCommerce compatibility and other clever features. You can even choose to display one or more WordPress calendars. 

WordPress provides a wide range of event calendar plugins that you can easily select and use for your sites. With such a large selection, it isn’t easy to choose the best one for you. Understanding your requirements and mindful of your valuable time and effort, we have compiled a list of the best WordPress Calendar plugins for you!

However, remember that you must select a plugin that meets your needs. For example, a calendar with only the booking feature may not be appropriate if you want to sell event tickets too. 

Let’s look at some of the best WordPress calendar plugins available.

10 WordPress Event Calendar plugins to choose from

The Events Calendar

The Events Calendar is a popular free WordPress plugin installed on over 800,000 websites. It also has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars. It’s a robust event management system for your WordPress website. In addition, it has a feature-rich user interface that blends into your WordPress admin area, making it extremely easy to use.

You can use the plugin to create multiple venues and organizers. You can then assign these entities to the events you make. To help you organize your circumstances, you can also create event categories and tags.

Here’s what we like about this plugin: 

• Create beautiful and responsive online event calendars;
• Dashboard and calendar public views are available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, and Dutch;
• Showcase your public calendar in a month, week, and agenda view;
• Customize themes, colors, and fonts to personalize the appearance of your calendar, as well as header, footer, and CSS;
• Options for customizing the toolbar, such as calendar views, languages, and event search by keyword, date range, and filters;
• Filter events based on categories, tags, organizers, and locations;
• Events are color-coded by category.

Events Manager

Events Manager is a highly customizable plugin. It should appeal to users who want a high level of control over how their events manager works and how those events are displayed to their audience. For example, the plugin settings pages allow you to change the formatting of the events pages. 

Here’s what we like about this plugin:

• Beautiful calendars, search pages, lists, and booking forms to enhance the events on your website;
• Simple event registration (one day with start and end times);
• Registration for recurring and multi-day events;
• Bookings Management (including approvals/rejections, CVS export, and other features;
• Assign event locations and view events based on their site;
• Multiple template tags and shortcodes are available in your posts and pages.

My Calendar

Another popular free WordPress event calendar plugin is My Calendar.

While the published calendar design isn’t as appealing as some of the other plugins here, such as The Events Calendar and Events Manager, you have a lot of control over how the events are displayed.

Some examples include displaying separate calendars for events assigned to specific categories and at particular locations and publishing a simple list of events. My Calendar even includes a shortcode generator, which allows you to create shortcodes that display events the way you want.

Here’s what we like about this plugin: 

• Mini-calendar for small-screen displays (as a widget or as a shortcode);
• Widgets include today’s events, upcoming events, a packed calendar, and an event search.
• Custom event output templates;
• Views can be restricted by category, location, author, or host.
• Changeable CSS styles and JavaScript behaviors;
• Multisite-friendly;
• Help page integrated;
• Shortcode Generator for creating customized My Calendar views.

Timely All-in-One Events Calendar

The intuitive user interface of the All-in-One Events Calendar makes it extremely simple for beginners. You can easily add events, categorize and tag them, and select one of three built-in calendar themes.

You can also use Google Maps to display your event venues alongside the event details. The plugin also allows you to customize the calendar theme by selecting different colors. In addition, you can import events from any other calendar that supports the iCal format, including Google Calendar.

Here’s what we like about this plugin: 

• Customized themes, colors, and fonts to personalize the appearance of your calendar, as well as header, footer, and CSS;
• Options for customizing the toolbar, such as calendar views, languages, and event search by keyword, date range, and filters;
• Filtering events based on categories, tags, organizers, and locations;
• Events are color-coded by category.
• Links to calendar views that have been filtered;
• Set the timezone for your events and display it in either your timezone or the timezone of your website visitors.

Booking Calendar

Booking Calendar allows you to add a calendar to the front end of your website, where users can submit booking requests by filling out a simple form. You then have the option of accepting or declining their booking request.

Booking Calendar includes CAPTCHA support to help prevent spam. In addition, you can control who can add a booking in the admin area. One disadvantage of the plugin is that you cannot add new input fields to the booking forms in the free version.

It can be used to reserve any service. However, if you want a hotel booking system, you should read our guide on adding a hotel room booking system in WordPress.

Here’s what we like about this plugin: 

• Very adaptable functionality for a variety of businesses; 
• All reservations and settings are saved in your database. You do not require a third-party account; 
• Calendars with a sleek and customizable design to match your site’s design;
• Front and back end design that is responsive;
• An easy-to-use Booking Admin Panel that displays and manages bookings in a Calendar Overview or Listing Table;
• Booking Calendar Blocks for the new Gutenberg Editor, allowing you to insert booking forms into pages.

Calendarize it! for WordPress

Calendarize it! stands out as one of the best WordPress event plugins available.

Many add-ons are completely free, so you don’t have to worry about spending a few extra dollars after downloading the original plugin. Some add-ons include an event countdown module, an importer tool, and an accordion of upcoming events.

Nevertheless, you must pay for a few add-ons, which are not expensive. The only issue I have is that the payment options add-on is one of the premium add-ons. So, unless you pay the extra money, you won’t have much functionality when accepting payments.

Here’s what we like about this plugin:

• For $30, you get a visually appealing calendar plugin with lots and lots of features; 
• After purchasing the core plugin, you can download several free add-ons;
• It has excellent, unique collections of add-ons to spice up your calendar;
• From community events to advertising options, WooCommerce tickets to an Advent Calendar, originality is not an issue.

Modern Events Calendar

The name says it all: the Modern Events Calendar plugin is a high-quality, professional, modern take on your standard event management layout. You can select from a wide range of designs, making it an excellent branding and website integration solution.

It’s also convenient that the Modern Events Calendar has a repeating event system because recurring events are always easier to manage when you don’t have to think about them every time.

Here’s what we like about this plugin: 

• Freedom to copy all of your events from a previous calendar or event management plugin;
• Some excellent free integrations are available, such as PayPal and Google Calendar;
• The plugin includes a booking system that allows you to customize your forms;
• Event creation is versatile, with event countdown modules, an infinite number of event options, repeat events, and more;
• WooCommerce and Visual Composer are both supported by the Modern Events Calendar.

Amelia

The following plugin on our list is Amelia, a booking plugin with robust calendar support. Amelia is known for its easy-to-use booking functionality and multiple calendar views. In addition, Amelia has a simple and easy-to-use user interface. 

This plugin lets you manage appointments and events and accept online payments. Amelia has over 4000 users and is worth a try if you’re looking for an all-in-one booking solution with no required add-ons and extra costs.

Here’s what we like about this plugin: 

• Simple event management with shortcodes for displaying the event calendar on your website is available in both free and paid versions;
• The plugin’s premium version supports recurring and multi-day events and booking management with approvals and rejections;
• The free version includes email and SMS notifications. 
• In the paid version, more notification options and formats are available, such as reminders, follow-ups, birthday greetings, and many more;
• Keep in touch with your customers with SMS and email notifications.
• Stripe, WooCommerce, and Paypal payment integrations.

Stachethemes Event Calendar

The Stachethemes Event Calendar plugin offers many useful features for creating an events calendar on your website. The plugin includes a sleek, modern calendar with various color options. By default, each month and day are organized in a list format, but you can change how your users view the calendar.

The plugin includes a drag-and-drop builder that eliminates the need to mess with code. You can also have event details such as photos, locations, and times. One of our favorites is the box grid view because it resembles a modern portfolio.

Here’s what we like about this plugin:

• You can select from various calendar views, such as a whole month, list, or daily views;
• The single event page is ideal for special events as a landing page;
• Before launching the calendar page, you can use the coming soon page to get people excited about an event;
• The plugin includes a drag-and-drop builder, allowing almost anyone to create calendars;
• The event filter improves how people can find your events;
• Advanced developers can use the API for integrations and coding;
• The plugin allows you to send automated reminders to customers to know when to attend events.

Tickera

Last but not least, Tickera. Tickera is another free WordPress event management plugin that includes payment collection and calendar functionality. There is also a premium version if you want to upgrade for more features, which requires a $70 one-time fee in addition to the $49 yearly plan.

Tickera’s primary goal is to sell tickets and distribute them to buyers. The plugin can be used as a regular event calendar, but most of its features revolve around marketing. For example, the plugin supports barcode readers and QR codes that can be viewed on mobile phones.

Here’s what we like about this plugin:

• Tickera comes with discount codes for both free and paid versions; 
• Extra ticket fees can be added to make a little extra money or cover costs such as payment gateways;
• One feature allows you to collect sales taxes on all sales;
• The plugin includes a few options for running a TicketMaster-style event sales marketplace. You can, for example, give vendors the possibility of creating their own sales forms and tickets;
• Drag and drop design elements to use the ticket builder;
• PayPal, Stripe, and PayGate are among the payment gateways supported;
• Reminders and digital tickets are provided to get people to the event and check them in quickly.

So now that you have all these WordPress event calendar plugins to help you sort out your upcoming events, we’re going to illustrate how to use one of these plugins to take this article a step forward. 

How to work with the Events Calendar plugin

For the purposes of this tutorial, we have chosen the Events Calendar plugin because of its versatility and feature-rich user interface.

So the first step is to log into your WordPress account, go to Dashboard → Plugins → Add New, and type in the search bar the plugin’s name.

Now once you found the plugin, hit Install Now and Activate. 

Once completed, The Events Calendar provides several resources to make it easier to use:

• A starting point guide; 
• A knowledgebase;
• A translation tool.

In addition, you will notice a new menu called “Events” in your WordPress admin’s left-hand sidebar.

Use the “Add New” link in this menu to add a new event.

Disclaimer: The plugin uses the classic WordPress editor (TinyMCE) for the user interface. Since WordPress has been using a block-based content editor (Gutenberg) by default since 2018, we will use this editor to complete this tutorial.

Then, at the top of the page, enter the title of your event and a description in the box below.

The Events Calendar, by default, provides you with several fields, which are actually content blocks:

• A time block and a start and end date for your event.

• A price block to add to your event.

• A field for the organizer’s name and venue.

• A block for including a link to the event’s website.

• A block for synchronizing the event in the calendars of your visitors (Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365, Outlook Live).

Each block has more or less advanced options in the content editor’s right-hand sidebar. For example, the event price block allows you to change the currency and associated symbol. You can also delete blocks you don’t want to use with two clicks and add new ones (e.g., images).

When you’re finished, click the Publish button to publish your event at the top of the page.

How can you view your event?

Check out your overall event calendar after you’ve published your first event. This will allow you to see how everything looks. The calendar is displayed in month view by default, but you can switch to list or day view.

Remember, this is the page for people interested in your event. So don’t be afraid to improve it and add more content to make the event more appealing.

And that’s it, you’re all set! 

Wrap Up

As you can see, there is a sizable market for WordPress event plugin solutions. A quick search of the WordPress plugin library yields a plethora of WordPress event calendar plugins, all ready to go. This list should help you narrow down your options. 

Each event plugin serves a specific purpose for some businesses, ranging from ticketing options to different calendar formats. So what is your favorite WordPress event plugin? 

The post Blue-ribbon WordPress Event Calendar Plugins You Can Use [2022 Edition] appeared first on ColibriWP Blog.

WordPress icons can make a website more catchy and can help you substitute plain old list bullets with something more visually appealing. Also, they allow you to visualize certain concepts quickly and easily while avoiding photos or complex illustrations.

Icons are recognized as patterns that most users are familiar with. For example, if you notice a microphone icon somewhere on the web or in a phone app, you can intuitively say it refers to voice command or recording functionality, right?

Lots of icons have become universal symbols, and, in some instances, they can replace text entirely. For example, the four colored stars below can replace the following text “4 out of 5 clients that bought this HP DeskJet are recommending it”. 

Why Use WordPress Icons?

Let’s start with the basics. Icons are at their core…fonts. Surprised much? You can change their size and color, as you would with any other font. 

Icons are typefaces that use symbols and pictograms rather than letters and numbers. Think of them as little pictures that people regularly click on them. 

Here’s what I mean: 

Probably the icons that you’re most familiar with are the social media icons: Facebook, Youtube, and others, right? Some of you might have thought that icons are images. 

So, you might wonder, why not images if the two are so similar?

Unfortunately, images are not scalable and unresponsive; therefore, they can slow down page loading time and make it inaccessible to some audiences. As a result, icon fonts emerged as an alternative that works on any screen and weighs much less. 

Icon fonts, on the other hand, are vector images. As a result, they are highly scalable. Besides, they’re an excellent feature for responsive design because you can easily change the icon fonts to suit your needs. In addition, there are numerous customization options, such as changing the size and color of the icons, rotating them, adding effects, and so on.

The icon on your website is a subtle way of communicating to your audience that small details are important to you. People will trust you more if you pay attention to details. They believe you are serious about your content. It’s also evident that you enjoy what you’re doing. 

Performance Issues to Take Into Account When Using Icon Fonts

Icons can be found inside icon libraries such as Font Awesome. You don’t need to add these libraries to your WordPress website. Instead, you can connect to them with a tiny script. If you do this, you won’t diminish page load speed.

You won’t be hosting the icon fonts locally, but only use those you need. We mean either your WordPress host’s server or your CDN. (Content Delivery Network) by loading them locally.

Now, most WordPress themes or page builders will be doing this for you so that you don’t need to worry about any scripts.

By selecting only the icon fonts you require, you can reduce the file size from 100 KB to a couple of kilobytes, which is quite helpful! Even better, you can mix and match icons from different font sets.

And now, let’s explore the different ways you can add WordPress icons to your website!

How to Add WordPress Icons to Your Website

There are a couple of methods to add WordPress icons to your website, and today we’ll show you precisely what you need to do. 

Option 1: Use a WordPress Plugin

One way to get started with WordPress font icons is to use a third-party plugin. This method is appropriate if you are a beginner-level user trying to add some icons to your posts or pages. You wouldn’t have to change any theme files, and you’d be able to use icon fonts throughout your website.

And we might just have the perfect plugin for you. 

Font Awesome

Using the Font Awesome plugin on your WordPress site is a walk in the park. However, following these simple steps will allow you to reduce page load time and create some clean, crisp designs with these icons as part of your work.

Keep in mind that the Font Awesome icons will be delivered to your site as actual fonts (most of the time). As a result, the name Font Awesome was coined. Thanks to CSS via @font-face and the Font Awesome font family, you’ll be able to style and manipulate them in any way you’d typically style and manage a font character. 

Now let’s get to work. 

First, go ahead and install and activate the plugin from your WordPress Dashboard. 

You can see Font Awesome 5’s basic use chart and their icon library for more information on how to use and customize it. It’s important to mention that Font Awesome works with shortcodes, so to generate an icon, you will need to type in a shortcode to the Gutenberg editor. 

Once you are all set, head over to Settings from your Dashboard and go to Font Awesome. 

This is what you will see: 

Now let’s say you want to add a WordPress icon to one of your posts. Let’s say we want to add a heart icon. This is the shortcode we are going to use:

Next, go inside a post or page and add the shortcode block and paste the code from above. Next, hit “Preview” and watch how it magically turns into a little heart. 

There’s our heart icon! Easy, right? We had a Font Awesome icon up and running on our website within a few minutes.

Now let’s say you want to make it three times larger. You can do so by simply multiplying it by fa-3x. You have to go back to the page editor where you first pasted the shortcode and add simply add ‘fa-3x’ to it. 

Hit Preview and let’s see how much bigger our heart icon looks.

Quite a difference, right? And that’s it! That’s how easy it is to add icons with the help of Font Awesome and make them appear larger or smaller according to your preferences.

Option 2: Use the Built-In Dashicons

What are Dashicons? Dashicons are a set of font icons that come with WordPress and make it simple to add icons to your WordPress site. Since its inception, the project has become a valuable resource, with over 300 individual icons. 

To get started with Dashicons, first, you need to install and activate a free plugin like Code Snippets. This reduces the possibility of your theme breaking, and the changes will be retained even if the theme is updated.

Once the plugin is all set, go to the Dashicons website, select an icon, and click the “Copy HTML” link to get the code you need to display the icon. They don’t have a large selection, but they work well and are very light.

After copying the HTML icon, you will need to head back to the Gutenberg editor and paste the code just like you did with the shortcode at option 1. 

And that’s it! Here’s our little music dash icon! 

And this brings us to the end of our two methods for using and inserting WordPress icons into your website. Now that you’ve learned a few different ways to get icon fonts on your WordPress site quickly, here are a few icon plugins to consider using on your site.

Five Best Icons Plugins for WordPress Websites

Menu Icons by ThemeIsle

With ThemeIsle’s Menu Icons plugin, you can add corresponding icons to each item in your website’s menu to make it visually appealing. It’s one of the most popular icon plugins, with over 200,000 active installations worldwide. In addition, it supports Dashicons, which are made up of WordPress core icons.

Supported Icon Types: 

• Dashicons (WordPress core icons)
• Elusive Icons by Aristeides Stathopoulos
• Font Awesome by Dave Gandy
• Foundation Icons by Zurb
• Genericons by Automattic
• Fontello icon packs
• TI Icons icon pack by ThemeIsle
• Image (attachments)
• SVG (attachments)

WP SVG Icons

Features of the plugin:

• Includes more than 490 icons in total; 
• Create and upload custom icons by using the custom icon importer;
• Download and import the IcoMoon’s custom icon build;
• Incorporate Icons Into Posts/Pages/Sidebars;
• There is no requirement to write a single line of code. 

Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons

An active social media presence is a must-have strategy for expanding the fan base. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are powerful social media platforms. The central concept is social sharing.

This plugin is a powerhouse for a comprehensive collection of share icons for over 200 social media platforms. Furthermore, this plugin allows you to upload custom share icons tailored to your content marketing campaigns. RSS and email share icons are also available.

Features of the plugin:

• Choose from 16 unique designs for your social media share icons;
• Give multiple actions to a single social media share icon (e.g., your Facebook share icon can lead visitors to your Facebook page and allow visitors to like your page); 
• Make your social media icons animated (e.g., automatic shuffling, mouse-over effects) to make your visitors aware of the share icons and increase the likelihood that they will follow/share your blog;
• Make your social media icons “float” or “sticky”; 
• Allow visitors to sign up for your blog via email; 
• Choose from a variety of other customization options for your social media icons.

Social Icons Widget & Block by WPZOOM

This simple WordPress icons plugin allows you to easily add icons from various social media sites with links to your pages. Making connections with your readers on social media is integral to effective marketing. You can use this plugin to make it easier for your website visitors to connect with you via your social media pages. 

Some of the social icons available include Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Skype, Vimeo, Flickr, and YouTube. With over 200,000 websites trusting it, it’s undeniably a popular plugin with features and tools that are difficult to overlook.

Features of the plugin:

• Upload your SVG icons; 
• Load SVG icons; 
• Create your own custom icon set; 
• Outstanding performance; 
• Premium Support.

Menu Image, Icons Made Easy

As the name suggests, it is a simple icons plugin for WordPress, similar to the first on this list. However, it aids in creating a more visually appealing website menu. This plugin can easily insert an image or icon into a menu item. It also includes tools to control the image’s position and size. 

Features of the plugin: 

• DashIcons; 
• FontAwesome Icons; 
• Hide the title and only display the image or icon;
• Insert an image or icon to the left of the menu item title;
• Insert an image or icon to the right of the menu item title;
• Add an image or icon above the menu item title;
• Add an image or icon beneath the menu item title;
• When you move your mouse over a menu item, it will change the image or icon;
• Convert menu items into action buttons. (Premium);
• Add a count bubble to menu items with totals (cart total, category total, custom function);
• Notification badges on menu items (Premium) (New, Sale, Hiring, etc.).(Premium);
• Customize the colors of the buttons, badges, and bubbles;

Managing Icons via Page Builders

I’ll use two page builders in this example: Colibri and Kubio.

Colibri is a traditional page builder that extends the capabilities of the WordPress Customizer. Kubio Builder is a plugin that works with the WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg). There are both free and paid plans available from both builders. 

Most builders will now follow a similar path to that of Colibri. In addition, page builders contain a slew of other features that can help you design a website without writing a single line of code and without relying on plugins to compensate for parts that aren’t native to WordPress.

• How to customize icons in Colibri WP

We’ll use the Colibri WordPress theme and the Colibri page builder for this tutorial section and show you how to customize icons easily. 

Once you have installed and activated the Colibri Theme, add some icons to your pages. For this to happen, click on the big blue plus sign on the top of the page, then choose ‘icon’ from the Component section. 

From here, you can simply drag and drop the icon you wish to use on your page. 

Now, on to the Customizer. 

Here you can notice three menu items: Content, Style, and Advanced.

Let’s take them one by one.

At the “Content” level, you can:

• Change the icon image; 

• Paste the link where you want the icon to lead to when clicked; 
• Set the horizontal alignment of the icon.

At the “Style” level, you can:

• Change the icon color;

• Change the icon hover color; 
• Set the icon size; 
• Set the icon rotation; 
• Set the spacing of the background and border; 
• Set the border type (solid, dashed, dotted, double, groove, ridge, inset, outset, hidden) 
• Set the border-radius. 

And next, we have the ‘Advanced’ customization options, but those are limited to premium accounts only. 

How to customize icons in Kubio

Kubio is a block-based page builder that works on top of the Default Gutenberg Editor. It enriches it with new blocks and ready-made sections that are fully customizable. 

For this particular example, we will use the Elevate WP theme in my example, but you can use any theme you’d like; Kubio is compatible with any WordPress theme.

After activating Elevate WP and Kubio builder, let’s head over to Pages -> All Pages. Now, hover over a page and select “Edit with Kubio.”

Once you enter the editor, you will see a big blue plus sign at the top of the page, which will open the blocks section from which you can add the icons you wish to customize. 

Once you have selected the icon, you wish to add to your page, click on it, and let the drag and drop technique work its magic. 

As you can see, we have three options for customizing the icon: Content, Style, and Advanced. Let’s go over each of them. 

At the ‘Content’ level, you can: 

• Change the icon image; 
• Paste the link where you want the icon to lead to when clicked; 
• Set the horizontal alignment of the icon. 

At the ‘Style’ level, you can: 

• Change the icon color;

• Change the icon hover color; 
• Set the icon size; 
• Set the icon rotation; 
• Set the spacing of the background and border; 
• Set the border-radius. 

At the ‘Advanced’ level, you can:

• Choosing a background color and type for your WordPress button; 
• Setting up the paddings and margins of your button; 
• Making adjustments to the border and radius;
• Enabling or disabling box-shadow;
• Typography matters in font style, font size, weight, color, decoration, line height, letter spacing, etc. 
• Specifying whether the button should show up on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
• Miscellaneous settings – include adding additional CSS classes, HTML anchor, and Z index. 

I believe that the potential options within Kubio are fantastic. This level of styling control is available in all of Kubio’s blocks, from headings and images to sliders and counters.

You can use Kubio with any WordPress theme, and it will quickly help boost the features of any theme without the need for any additional WordPress plugins.

Over to You

When it comes to WordPress menu icons, the advantages are numerous. First, they liven up your website, making the navigation more user-friendly. 

And now, with the help of our article, you have a couple of methods for including them on your website and some useful plugins to help you along the way. Using icons will undoubtedly benefit you in various ways, including capturing your visitors’ attention in seconds and delivering information faster than before.

Now, if you liked this article, and you want to learn more about how to design a WordPress website, make sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel and follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

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The post WordPress Icons: How to Make The Most Out Of Them appeared first on ColibriWP Blog.

Before you start thinking “Oh, that’s never going to happen to me!” allow yourself to be inspired by the inspirational travel bloggers out there who make it all look like a piece of cake. 

After that, we’ll jump into some blogging tech stuff.

Top Leading WordPress Travel Blogs in 2022

Dan Flying Solo

Dan was clearly born to travel for a living. His blog, Dan Flying Solo, is undoubtedly one of the best travel blogs in the world. He was born and raised in the United Kingdom and is a fantastic writer and photographer whose work has appeared in numerous major publications, including Travel + Leisure and National Geographic. If you are looking for and software to edit photos you can choose Adobe Photoshop.

The Planet D

The Planet D is one of the best travel blogs for adventure. Dave and Deb are an award-winning travel couple from Canada who has visited over 110 countries.

In addition to providing helpful and informative travel tips, Dave and Deb are amazing photographers who share breathtaking images and videos on their blogs and social media channels. The Planet D’s informative and inspiring travel content has enriched the lives of millions of people worldwide. So it’s no surprise that they’re regarded as one of the best travel blogs. 

The Blonde Abroad

It doesn’t get any better for solo female travelers than The Blonde Abroad. But, even if you don’t fit that description, you’ll gain a lot from reading this well-known travel blog.

Kiki, the founder of The Blonde Abroad, offers incredible travel tips, how-to guides, and photo/video content from her travels worldwide. Her travel website is not only rich in scope, but it is also visually appealing. You can’t help but feel happy and inspired as you scroll through her travel blog because everything is so creatively laid out.

Atlas and Boots

Atlas & Boots has you covered if you’re looking to add to your travel bucket list. Atlas and Boots is a website dedicated to outdoor travel, including nomad lifestyle tips, hiking, diving, and other fun nature-related activities worldwide.

Kia and Peter, the blog’s creators, have climbed Mount Everest, the Arctic Circle, and Mt. Elbrus (Europe’s highest mountain). Many notable publications, including BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, The Guardian, and others, have featured them. These award-winning travel bloggers have visited some truly unique locations, so it’s no surprise that their website is ranked among the best world travel blogs.

Nomadic Matt

Last but not least, there’s Nomadic Matt! Matt has been a top player in the industry for over a decade, and he hasn’t slowed down, with his site receiving over 1 million page views per month.

What I like best about Nomadic Matt is his clear and concise writing style, as well as his advice on how to save money on travel. In addition, Matt’s website is an excellent resource for practical advice that will help you become a more knowledgeable traveler.

Matt is a New York Times best-selling author of the book “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day,” in addition to running a popular travel blog. In addition, he sells travel blogging courses and hosts his annual travel conference, Travel Con. 

Let’s get to the important stuff now. Like food and fashion blogs, travel blogs are abundant, so it’s best to start by selecting a niche, especially if you eventually want to earn money from travel blogging, that will help differentiate you from the pack because general travel blogs typically do not fare well when it comes to SEO efforts. 

How to Create a WordPress Travel Blog Six Easy Steps

Here’s what your first steps in creating a WordPress travel blog should look like: 

• Determine your niche;
• Determine the design needs for your blog. Concepts: wireframing, mood boards. 
• Select a hosting provider and install WordPress;
• Choose a WordPress theme to match the needs described in chapter 2.;
• Establish a consistent publishing schedule with eye-catching images;
• Use social media to promote your blog;

Let’s take them one by one:

How to determine your niche

There are numerous travel blog niches that you can create and fill a need for. Some people are born into their niche. Others may need more time to make a decision. Here are some questions to consider when deciding on a niche for your travel blog:

• Why do I want to start a blog?
• What stories or lessons do I enjoy telling or teaching others?
• What are my abilities, strengths, interests, and areas of expertise?
• Can I write on this subject for a long time? 

However, it’s important to mention that your niche should not be overly broad or narrow.

If you’re looking for ideas, consider the following popular travel niches:

• City blogging: Writing about your hometown (you don’t have to travel far, and you may know the subject better than most).
• Area/Region blogging: Maybe you want to focus on South America or Southeast Asia;
• Demographic-focused: Maybe you want to address Americans/holders of American passports.
• Budget travel blogging; 
• Luxury travel blogging; 
• Solo travel blogging; 
• Female travel blogging; 
• Business travel blogging; 
• Adventure travel blogging; 
• Family travel blogging;
• Seniors travel blogging; 
• Travel with disabilities blogging. 

To ensure that someone will want to read your blog, look for your competition to see a pre-existing audience for your concept. 

Here are some resources you can use to gain a better understanding of your niche and target audience:

Google Trends 

Google Trends is a free Google service that provides information on search trends. It tracks search volume across many locations and languages worldwide and indicates how frequently people search for a specific term. 

For example, this is what we got when looking at ‘India travel advice’: 

Because Google collects data from people’s searches and can help to inform their purpose, you know you’re getting an authentic depiction of what they’re engaged in.

Ubersuggest 

Type your domain name or keyword into Ubersuggest and click “search” to get: keywords, content suggestions, a keyword ranking tracker, an SEO audit, and more. This is what we found when we searched for the term “solo travel”:

Apart from the characteristics mentioned, Ubersuggest has a slew of other benefits, including:

• A clean interface that makes it simple to grasp search results;
• Access to competitor analysis;
• Cost-effectiveness. 

Although it has some excellent free features, you must subscribe to access the entire database. A monthly subscription costs $29.99 and includes a free seven-day trial.

Ahrefs

Bloggers who wish to increase their blog’s performance, the number of domains referring to it, and their Google page rank should use Ahrefs, which provides an in-depth analysis of backlinks, rivals, and keywords.

Ahrefs offers a wealth of information that can help you better understand essential aspects of your site, such as keywords, while also addressing concerns that may be harming your blog’s position.

This is how the ‘solo travel’ keyword data looks like in Ahrefs: 

Some other features of Ahrefs include:

• A comprehensive summary that allows you to see your results at a glance;
• A variety of data, such as duplicate content and performance; 
• Overall health score. 

Alternatively, you could try to be the first in your field. Find a market gap if possible. If you’re wondering, “Why hasn’t anyone done this?” do it yourself! 

Another critical factor to consider is getting to know your readers. Is it a group of teenagers looking for a quick getaway? Or are they on their way to becoming full-time nomads? What other blogs do they read? What about their media consumption?

Begin by looking at the following to get your answers:

• Social media insights: Your social media platforms provide demographic information for your current followers. You can find this on Facebook, for example, by going to “Insights” and then “People.” Then, navigate to Twitter’s “Analytics” page and click on “Audiences.”
• Google Analytics: You can access demographic information about your website visitors through your Google Analytics account. See CoSchedule’s in-depth guide for more information on where to look.

Once you know your people, it’s time to start considering the appearance of your travel. This is what I mean: 

How to Determine the Design of Your Travel Blog

You may need to learn basic wireframing for this.

What is wireframing, more precisely?

Wireframing is a method of designing a structurally sound website service. A wireframe is commonly used to layout content and functionality on a page while considering user needs and user journeys. Wireframes are used early in the development process to establish the basic structure before adding visual design and content.

Feel free to do this with a pen and paper or a design tool. It should look something like this:

Source

When wireframing, you must consider the structure of your pages, as well as where you will place images, videos, and text. Following that, you must decide on the blog’s mood, color palette, typography, and so on.

Introducing mood boards

Graphic designers and even some bloggers frequently use mood boards to plan their projects. Mood boards assist you in defining the style of your website. You can use motivating images, complementary color palettes, typography, phrases, and so on.

Example of a mood board:

Source

Mood boards are helpful for more than just interior design and home planning. They can be used to set up a workspace or plan a vacation. The whole psychology of mood boards increases aspirational goals and creative inspiration, so why not create one for your travel blog?

You’ll also need some photo editing apps to make your travel photos come alive. 

Assume you prefer to edit your images using a mobile app. In that case, many photo editing apps include a grid option that allows you to combine multiple photos into a single image and use it as inspiration for whatever project you need it for.

This method also makes it simple to share your creative process with the public by uploading your mood board to any social media platform you use, such as Instagram or Pinterest.

Since your phone is one of your best travel companions for capturing, editing and playing with your memories, here’s a list of mobile editing apps that you can use to edit your photos. 

Snapseed – Available on IOS/Android 

There’s a reason this app ranks first on our list of the best photo editing apps. This handy editing app has quickly become the go-to for photographers looking to tweak the fundamentals of a photograph, such as cropping, coloring, sharpness, and distortions. 

The app may appear confusing initially, but it is a simple, effective, and potent editing tool. It gives you complete control over photo editing. Aside from the essential tools, Snapseed supports a wide range of more advanced options such as double exposure, curve control, and filter adjustments.

VSCO – Available on IOS/Android 

This app is best known for its preset filters, similar to Instagram filters but much more varied and easier to manipulate. The extensive range of free and not-so-free VSCO filters has been designed to assist photographers in determining their style. In addition, VSCO is frequently used with Snapseed to achieve the best possible result on an image.

VSCO is not only one of the best photo editing apps; it is also a photo-sharing app. Like Instagram, users can edit photos and share them on their VSCO profiles. This enables you to create personalized albums based on specific themes.

Magic Hour – Available on IOS

Magic Hour isn’t quite a photo editor app, but if you like taking photos outside, it can save the day (literally)! This photography app assists photographers in determining when golden hour (the best light of the day) occurs, as well as how long this time range will last in your specific location.

If you’re into travel photography, you’ll understand what we mean when we talk about the ultimate goal of mastering the perfect golden hour look. Although this “look” is primarily associated with outdoor photography, it has become a famous scene for portraits since the rise of social media. 

How to Select a Hosting Provider and Install WordPress

The most convenient way to install WordPress is to use a hosting service that handles the installation for you. Many WordPress-specific hosts now provide the option of pre-installing WordPress. That means you can begin working on your WordPress site immediately after signing up for hosting. The question of “how to install WordPress” is irrelevant in this case!

When you’ve decided to use WordPress to build your website, the next step is to find the best hosting platform. With so many options available online, any new user may be perplexed when deciding on their website’s best WordPress hosting plan.

To assist you in making that decision, read this Cloudways article, which contains in-depth information and guidance on choosing your hosting provider and what factors to consider.

15 Inspiring WordPress Travel Blog Themes

Colibri

Colibri WP is more than just another WordPress theme. It’s a collection of tools and resources. It’s a WordPress theme first and foremost, with the Customizer allowing you to control practically anything. In addition, it also comes with a companion plugin that has a powerful drag-and-drop page builder.

Features of Colibri: 

• Real-time editing in the Customizer; 
• Website templates that have already been designed;
• Over 60 different front page header designs to choose from;
• Backgrounds with images and gradients;
• Backgrounds for video and slideshows;
• Section dividers with graphics;
• Global color schemes. 

Divi

Divi is a well-known WordPress theme and ultimate page builder. It includes beautiful visual effects that entice new visitors to your travel blog.

The theme includes a variety of ready-made layouts for travel websites and blogs. In addition, Divi provides you with an infinite number of customization options without requiring you to write any code. You can easily add images, video, effects, CTA buttons, contact forms, and more to your site.

Features of Divi: 

• Increased usability;
• Global Modules & Settings;
• Full-Width Functionality;
• New Footer Layouts & Widget Styling;
• Advanced Module Design Settings;
• Increased Layout Possibilities;
• Background & Border Options;
• Typography options.

Astra

Astra is a compact WordPress multipurpose theme that you can use for various websites. In addition, the theme comes with an ideal built-in template for your travel blog.

It includes a fullscreen header background image, a call to action button, featured tours sections, reviews sections, and other features. Astra is also an excellent theme for adventurers and travel agencies.

Features of Astra: 

• Superfast performance;
• Page builder integration;
• User-friendly interface;
• WooCommerce theme compatibility;
• Accessibility ready;
• SEO-friendly markup;
• Translation and RTL ready;
• 100% open source.

OceanWP

OceanWP is an excellent free WordPress blog theme that includes companion plugins to add premium features to your website.

It comes with a delightful homepage template, WooCommerce support, WPML translation support, page builder integration, and more. In addition, in the WordPress customizer, the theme offers a variety of customizable features.

Features of OceanWP:

• OceanWP Performance Benchmarks;
• Ready To Import Demos;
• Page Builder Friendly;
• Fully Customizable;
• Individual Post Controls;
• Fast & Mobile Responsive;
• WooCommerce Ready;
• Custom Hooks.

Ultra

Ultra is a multi-purpose WordPress theme that includes several pre-built websites. For example, you can quickly start your travel blog by importing a template with the 1-click demo content importer.

The theme is compatible with popular drag-and-drop page builders, allowing you to edit any page layout or create a custom landing page. It also includes a theme options panel to configure your website without editing any code.

Features of Ultra: 

• Retina ready;
• Responsive layout;
• 3 Header Styles;
• Custom logo option;
• Boxed & Full-Width Layout Options;
• Pre-Built Homepage Template;
• Unlimited Background Colors, Predefined Patterns.

Essence Pro

Essence Pro is a WordPress theme created specifically for travel blogs and tourism businesses. It is designed to keep your website running smoothly and quickly.

The theme includes a full-width header image, featured stories, and other features. In addition, it supports eCommerce, allowing you to create an online store and monetize your travel blog.

Features of Essence Pro:

• Advanced Gutenberg support;
• Accessibility ready;
• The one-click theme ready;
• Mobile responsive;
• Theme customizer;
• Translation ready;
• eCommerce ready and pre-styled for WooCommerce;
• Atomic Blocks, Genesis eNews Extended, Simple Social Icons, and WPForms Lite included.

Tropicana

This theme’s name should speak for itself. Tropicana is a stylish WordPress theme designed for travelers, digital nomads, adventurers, and beachgoers. It has the ideal vibe for starting a travel blog and growing a readership.

The theme works seamlessly with both free and premium WordPress plugins. In addition, it includes multiple page templates for a separate blog page, image gallery, and other features.

Features of Tropicana: 

• Responsive Design;
• WooCommerce Compatible; 
• Page Builder Support; 
• Custom Logo Upload Feature; 
• Live WordPress Customizer. 

The Traveler

Similar to Tropicana, we get why this one is called The Traveler. The Traveler was created specifically for travel blogs, tourism websites, and travel agency websites. Its homepage is designed in a traditional magazine, with posts displayed in a masonry grid.

It has a fullscreen background image, an Instagram feed, a full-width page template, custom widgets, social media integration, and other features.

Features of The Traveler: 

• Fully functional booking system; 
• Powerful admin panel;
• Dashboard reports and statistics;
• Fully responsive layout;

Hive

Hive is a magazine-style WordPress theme ideal for travelers and travel agencies. The theme’s main features include a minimalist design, beautiful typography, and a stunning display of featured images.

It includes a grid layout for your content, support for post formats, page templates, full-width layouts, multiple widget-ready areas, and more. In addition, Hive is ready for translation and works with WPML to create a multilingual website.

Features of Hive: 

• Versatile Layouts: Highlight each post with adaptive layouts;
• Meaningful Design: Adjust the home page to any content;
• Apply color palettes with a few clicks;
• Publish easily with the new editor.

Blossom Travel

Blossom Travel is a free WordPress theme designed for tourists, travel bloggers, travel magazines, and tour operators. It includes a newsletter subscription form to help you build an email list and increase the number of visitors to your blog.

It allows you to include Instagram photos to attract users and increase your followers. In addition, the WordPress live customizer provides simple customization options for the theme.

Features of Blossom Travel:

• Pretty mobile-friendly design;
• Unlimited typography colors; 
• 200+ Google fonts; 
• 2 header layouts; WooCommerce compatibility;
• HTML5 maps compatibility;
• Schema.org and SEO optimized; 
• Optimized for speed.

Explorer

Explorer is a stylish and adaptable WordPress travel blog theme. It has a top-level sticky navigation menu, custom logo support, and a professional homepage design.

It is effortless and straightforward to use, with only the options you will require for your travel blog. In addition, the Explorer theme comes with a variety of layouts, page builder integration, WooCommerce support, and other features.

Features of Explorer:

• Premium Soliloquy Slider to present your latest articles dynamically and freshly; 
• WordPress theme customizer to easily configure your options; 
• User-friendliness and good readability; 
• Option to preview any changes before saving them. 

Indigo

Indigo is a stylish WordPress multipurpose theme ideal for travel magazines and blogs. On top, there’s a sticky navigation menu, then a website logo, primary navigation, and an image slider.

It provides a magazine homepage layout and a traditional blog homepage layout. In addition, the theme includes one-of-a-kind custom widgets for social icons and popular posts.

Features of Indigo: 

• Compatible with the latest WordPress version;
• Multi-level drop-down menu;
• Background panel;
• Featured Services section;
• Four widget-ready sections;
• Featured images;
• Translation ready, pot file provided;
• Styling for Contact Form 7 plugin.

Noozbeat

Noozbeat is a high-quality WordPress news and magazine theme perfect for travel and adventure blogs. It displays your post blocks as featured pictures, with article titles overlaid on top.

The site uses a dynamic grid structure to present recent content. In addition, it has a widgetized template that allows you to build your homepage by dragging and dropping widgets quickly.

Features of Noozbeat: 

• Constant Updates;
• Premium Support; 
• One-Click Demo Import;
• Documentation;
• Easy Customization;
• Speed Optimization;
• SEO Ready;
• Translation Ready.

Peak

Peak is a beautiful way to show off your travel photos. This elegant WordPress theme is ideal for travel photography, tourism, and personal websites.

It includes a page title banner, different gallery layouts, page templates, slideout widgets, and more. It’s solid but straightforward to use, with thorough theme options that guide you through the setup process.

Features of Peak:

• Donation-based campaign; 
• Various payment options.
• Events integrations for campaigns;
• Issue tickets for events;
• WooCommerce integration;
• Reporting functions;
• Premium shortcode builder.

Insight

Insight is a multipurpose WordPress theme that works well for travel publications, journals, and photography blogs. It comes with various unique widgets and an utterly widgetized homepage layout that you can customize by dragging and dropping objects.

There are three color schemes available and the option to apply custom colors. In addition, the WordPress customizer and a custom theme options panel make all of the theme options easily accessible.

Features of Insight:

• Fluid and responsive layout;
• SEO optimized; 
• Theme Options Panel: you can easily change every detail of your theme to best suit your needs;
• Responsive & Retina Ready;
• Dynamic Homepage Builder;
• Features from Jetpack;
• Visual Customizer.

Neve

Neve is a sleek WordPress theme featuring dozens of pre-built demo sites, including a travel blog, travel agency, and tourist website template. In addition, it has parallax effects on the homepage to catch the attention of your visitors right away.

You can exhibit your trip activities, images, travelogs, and more on the homepage, divided into several parts. Neve is straightforward to set up and SEO-friendly.

Features of Neve: 

• Lightweight, Performance-Optimized Design;
• Header and Footer Builder;
• Importable Demo Sites;
• Compatible With Page Builder Plugins Like Elementor;
• Lots of Layout Options;
• Detailed WooCommerce Compatibility;
• Booster Features (Pro);
• White Label (Pro).

Now that you have all this information, you can play with the many WordPress travel blog themes to see which one best suits your website’s requirements. 

After you’ve decided which one to go with, you must go to the next step:

How to Post Regularly 

You’ll need to keep updating your WordPress travel blog now that it’s up and running. In addition, you’ll need to create a content calendar covering various topics and back it up with high-quality photographs of your one-of-a-kind style.

You’ll need a lot of practice time to perfect your photographic talents, but you can create a consistent publishing schedule by developing an editorial calendar.

The following factors determine the ideal publishing schedule for you:

• What is the frequency with which your competitors post; 
• What is the frequency with which you can post content that stands out;

Many travel websites publish new content every day, but this should never come at the expense of the quality of the content. It’s okay if you only post once a week first; the important thing is to plan your content.

A content calendar can help you out a great deal. 

A content calendar (sometimes known as an “editorial calendar”) is a written schedule that details when and where new material will be published in the future. Material calendars typically include upcoming articles, status updates, planned promotional activity, collaborations, and revisions to existing content.

Depending on how much content you publish, you may wish to invest in content calendar software. Consider the following alternatives:

• Loomly

Loomly has interactive guidance for writing blog posts, social media automation, and other features.

• Editorial Calendar for WordPress

This plugin is a free calendar that is simple to use and drag-and-drop. If WordPress powers your blog, this might be the best solution for you.

How to Use Social Media to Promote your WordPress Travel Blog

As a travel blogger, you’ll want to get as many visitors as possible to your site. However, given that millions of blogs are produced every day, you’ll need to think outside the box when it comes to promoting your blog.

Fortunately, in 2022, there will be many unique and creative ways to market your WordPress blog. If you become inventive, you should have no trouble persuading readers to choose your material above the competitors.

One of the most well-known advantages of having an excellent social media strategy is that you can get low-cost visitors that you wouldn’t get otherwise. However, especially if you’re a younger company, attracting traffic through avenues other than social media might be tricky.

For example, if you utilize SEO in conjunction with content marketing, it could take anywhere from six months to a year to see any actual returns. Furthermore, even if outcomes are visible, you have less control over them.

Every blog may profit from social media marketing, and travel blogs are great candidates with their image-heavy content. But, at the very least, your website should feature social share buttons, and each content should be shared across all of your social media networks.

Here’s what you can do if you want to turn your travel blog into a profitable business:

• Connect your website to Instagram; 

• Develop a social media plan;
• Use social media tools to organize your marketing activities.

Instagram and TikTok are both excellent platforms for promoting your WordPress travel blog. Few corporations in the fashion, beauty, travel, food and beverage industries run marketing campaigns that do not include, at least in part, collaborations with popular Instagram and TikTok users.

When it comes to TikTok, the sky’s the limit. You can post almost everything from product demonstrations to day-in-the-life films to dancing challenges, travel destination inspiration, and more. Furthermore, it is a low-cost and pleasant method of promoting your project. 

Final Advice

Prepare to put in a lot of effort in your WordPress travel blog and don’t expect to see immediate rewards, both financially and in terms of visitors. Still, if you put in 2 hours per day, on average, you will see good results and acquire that ideal job you’ve always wanted after a while.

A travel blog is not only a great way to capture and share your passion for travel, but it also has the potential to earn money. So first, decide whether you’ll be blogging for fun or a living, then use these tips to help you get started with your travel blog.

Now, if you liked this article, and you want to learn more about how to design a WordPress website, make sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel and follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

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The post How to Start a WordPress Travel Blog in 2022: All The Know-How You Need appeared first on ColibriWP Blog.

Picture this: It’s 2002, and the first WordPress fashion blogs start emerging, and people seem to post pictures of themselves wearing different outfits and accessories and giving fashion advice. 

And here’s the thing: most people who started as fashion, beauty, food, or entertainment blog have merged into the ‘lifestyle’ blogger title, still owning a decent blog that people read. Why? Because people enjoy following people’s lives. 

People enjoy reading about people’s daily lives, from what they eat for breakfast to what cream they use to treat their acne. And this is especially true for the fashion industry.

Fast forward today, fashion bloggers are everywhere. It almost feels like a good line of work. Bloggers are no longer those who sit behind laptops all day writing product reviews and journaling about their lives. Instead, it is now a nation of influencers, which began with a WordPress blog but expanded into YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and other platforms.

The fashion industry is constantly on the lookout for new trends to absorb, reinterpret, and then relaunch to the rest of the world in its unique way. This is a frequent thing in web design. As a result, when the worlds of fashion and the Internet cross paths, we can expect to see websites that combine the most recent visual and technological trends. 

Fashion bloggers are an excellent media form for brands to collaborate with because they discuss a wide range of daily topics. This is unlikely to change anytime soon, as people become more connected to the online world and rely on lifestyle bloggers and influencers to share products, brands, and experiences they may not have discovered otherwise. 

So, if you’re wondering if a WordPress fashion blog is still a thing in 2022, the answer is yes. Our guide will walk you through the steps of starting a fashion blog with WordPress, from selecting the suitable blogging theme to figuring out the technical stuff and tools you’ll need to optimize your blog and accelerate growth.

Let’s start with a bit of inspiration:

Four Killer Fashion Blog Examples 

The Blonde Salad

Chiara Ferragni is among the most potent digital entrepreneurs in the world. In 2009, the Italian fashion blogger launched The Blonde Salad. Chiara Ferragni Collection, a personal brand she founded in 2013, sells clothing, accessories, and shoes. Ferragni was named to Forbes’ Top Influencers and 30 Under 30 lists. In addition, the Blonde Salad is still regarded as one of the most influential fashion blogs of all time.

A Beautiful Mess

Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman of the creative lifestyle blog A Beautiful Mess inspire their followers to “stay at home and make something” with their unique crafting and decorating ideas. It might not be strictly a fashion blog, but it has many readers and followers to this day. 

When they’re not crafting, the two like to try new recipes, talk about family life, and experiment with hairstyles, beauty tips, and fashion trends. 

Manuella Vitulli

Manuella Vitulli Pensieri in Viaggio is a travel and fashion blog that will inspire you without a doubt. She is a freelance writer and an avid traveler who uses her blog to share her interests with her readers. If you’re looking for some fashion inspiration, check out her collaborations with Ciak Roncato, among others.

Rachel Parcell – Pink Peonies

Rachel Parcell’s blog complements her eCommerce website, which features her clothing line, reflecting her natural passion for fashion, beauty, and purposeful living. Her elevated style inspires followers by providing delicious recipes, elegant home decor, and entertaining ideas to inject style into everyday life. 

These blog examples above have in common that they each have their distinct voice, personality, and fashion taste. These fashion bloggers highlight their favorite products, merchandise, and brands from their unique perspectives. 

While creating a fashion blog might seem simple, making the blog popular and monetizing it, as with all essential things in life, takes time and effort. However, if you do it correctly, you will undoubtedly find the experience rewarding and fulfilling. 

So, here’s what you’ll need to know if you want to start a WordPress fashion blog in 2022 and make something out of it. 

How to Create a WordPress Fashion Blog in Six Easy Steps

Here’s what you need to get started: 

1. Determine your niche;
2. Determine the design needs for your blog—concepts: wireframing, mood boards. 
3. Select a hosting provider and install WordPress;
4. Choose a WordPress theme to match the needs described in chapter 2.;
5. Establish a consistent publishing schedule with eye-catching images;
6. Use social media to promote your blog;

Let’s take them one by one. 

How to determine your niche

You might be thinking that you already know your niche since your main focus is on the fashion industry. “Fashion” may already sound like a niche, but it’s a broad category with dozens of smaller niches. Every style has a distinct market. In addition, many styles have multiple niches. For example, within the more significant niche of “vintage style,” there is a smaller niche of “vintage style found in thrift shops.” And so on. 

This may seem counter-intuitive, but your first goal should narrow your niche to the smallest group possible when learning to start a fashion blog. This facilitates the creation of highly targeted content and marketing campaigns.

To find the perfect niche for your fashion blog, consider the following questions: What is your primary personality? How would you describe your overall aesthetic? Do you prefer vintage or high-end clothing? What distinguishes your use of this style?  

To start a fashion blog that stands out from the crowd, you must first figure out how to make your style unique. Do you take it to unheard-of lengths? Do you pair it with something completely different? If you’re unsure, look at fashion blogs run by people with similar tastes to yours and try to put things into perspective. 

Here are some free tools that can assist you in better understanding your niche: 

• Google Trends 

Google Trends is a free Google service that provides information on search trends. It tracks search volume across many locations and languages worldwide and indicates how frequently people search for a specific term. As you can see in the screenshot above, we used Google Trends to compare the data of two terms in the fashion industry.

You know you’re receiving an accurate reflection of what people are interested in because Google collects data from their searches, and it can help you better understand their intent. 

• Ubersuggest 

Type your domain name or keyword into Ubersuggest and click “search” to get: keywords, content suggestions, a keyword ranking tracker, an SEO audit, and more. For example, here’s what Ubersuggest is telling us about the “fashion trends in 2022” keyword: 

Apart from the characteristics mentioned, Ubersuggest has a slew of other benefits, including:

• A clean interface that makes it simple to grasp search results;
• Access to competitor analysis;
• Cost-effectiveness

Although it has some excellent free features, you must subscribe to access the entire database. A monthly subscription costs $29.99 and includes a free seven-day trial.

• Ahrefs

Bloggers who wish to increase their blog’s performance, the number of domains referring to it, and their Google page rank should use Ahrefs, which provides an in-depth analysis of backlinks, rivals, and keywords.

Here’s what Ahrefs came up with when we searched for a fashion-related keyword:

Ahrefs offers a wealth of information that can help you better understand essential aspects of your site, such as keywords, while also addressing concerns that may be harming your blog’s position.

Some other features include:

• A comprehensive summary that allows you to see your results at a glance;
• A variety of data, such as duplicate content and performance; 
• Overall health score. 

Next, who will read your blog? For whom are you writing it? Are they teenage girls living in Italy? Or women in their forties residing in South Asia? What other blogs are they following? What about their media usage? 

To get your answers, start by looking at these:

Social media insights: The demographic information for your current followers is available on your social media platforms. On Facebook, for example, you can find this by going to “Insights” and then “People.” Next, go to Twitter’s “Analytics” page and select “Audiences.”

Google Analytics: Using your Google Analytics account, you can access demographic information about your website visitors. For more information on where to look, see CoSchedule’s in-depth guide.

Fashion bloggers who share more personal content and connect with their audiences more emotionally will attract a more significant and devoted following. Thus you need to design your fashion website in such a way that it appeals to the end-user. 

Once you better understand your audience’s thoughts and feelings, you should research some of your direct and indirect competitors. During your research, make a list of each website’s significant strengths and weaknesses. 

Determine the design needs for your blog

So, you’ve found your niche and your audience. What now?

It’s time to envision your blog. For this, you might need to jump into basic wireframing. 

What exactly is wireframing? 

Wireframing is a method of designing a website service on a structural level. A wireframe is commonly used to lay out content and functionality on a page while taking user needs and user journeys into account. Before visual design and content are added, wireframes are used to establish the basic structure early in the development process.

You can do this with pen and paper or use a design tool. At the end of the day, you’ll end up with something like this:

Source

You will need to think of the structure of pages, where you will place images, videos, and text. Next, you will need to figure out the mood for the blog, its color palette, the typography, etc.

Introducing mood boards

Graphic designers and even some bloggers frequently use mood boards to plan their projects. Mood boards help you define your site’s style. For example, you can use inspirational images, matching color palettes, typography, phrases, and so on. 

Mood board example: 

Source

Here are some tools that can help you with your fashion blog mood board:

Pinterest and Dribbble are both excellent sources of inspiration for this task. Pinterest is arguably the internet’s most giant mood board.

Source

You will also need some tools for photo editing. 

Suppose you prefer to edit your images with a mobile app. In that case, many photo editing applications feature the grid option, allowing you to combine multiple photos into a single image and use it as inspiration for whatever project you need it for. 

This method also makes it easy to share your creative process with the public by uploading your mood board to any social media platform you use, such as Instagram or Pinterest.

With the photo editing programs described below, you can do a lot to improve the visual side of your blog: 

• Snapseed 

Snapseed is a powerful photo editor that rivals desktop photo editors in terms of features and ease of use.

This free picture editing program has a variety of preset filters, just as you’d expect. You may, however, alter these filters and even design your own from the start, unlike other programs.

It has cropping, straightening, frames, text, vignettes, and other traditional tools. And the sharpening function does its work without making the image grainy.

• VSCO 

This free photo app has a collection of unique filters that make your photos appear to have been captured with an analog film camera. 

Compared to many overly filtered Instagram presets, these gentle and delicate filters lend a sense of class to your images. They can also be adjusted with a simple slider.

VSCO includes all of the usual editing features, such as changes, cropping, borders, and vignettes. In addition, you can also use it to tweak exposure, contrast, temperature, and skin tones.

• Prisma Photo Editor

Prisma employs “artificial neural networks,” which “let users make photographs appear as if they were painted by Picasso, Munch, or even Salvador Dali,” according to the company.

Prisma also features an online community that is similar to that of Instagram. You may share your image to your Prisma feed, save it directly to your smartphone, share it on any social media app, or send it via email or message once you’ve finished editing.

How to select a hosting provider and install WordPress

The simplest way to install WordPress is to use a hosting service that does it for you. Many WordPress-specific hosts now offer the option of having WordPress pre-installed. That means you can start working on your WordPress site as soon as you sign up for hosting. In this case, the question of “how to install WordPress” is irrelevant!

When you’ve decided to build your website with WordPress, the next step is to select the best hosting platform. With so many online options, any new user may be perplexed when deciding on their website’s best WordPress hosting plan. 

To help you make that decision, read this article from Cloudways, which contains in-depth information and guidance on how to choose your hosting provider and what factors to consider in this matter.

What are the best themes and plugins for your WordPress blog?

So, you have a mood board and a wireframe. It’s time to find a WordPress fashion blog theme that matches your vision. 

Now, most of the themes also feature various templates. Make sure to check them out. Also, you should be aware that no theme or template will match your vision, but they should allow you the freedom to make any styling and layout changes that you want.

And now, check out our collection of the best WordPress fashion themes to help you find a great theme with minimal effort:

15 Snazzy-Jazzy WordPress Fashion Blog Themes

Colibri

ColibriWP is a free WordPress page builder that provides a fantastic website-building experience. You can now construct a website in minutes without knowing how to code or use a computer. ColibriWP comes with various design tools that allow you to personalize each element on your page, as well as 150+ premade content blocks, 25+ drag-and-drop components, and layout packs, all backed up by world-class technical support.

Features of Colibri:

• Real-time editing in the Customizer; 
• Website templates that have already been designed;
• Over 60 different front page header designs to choose from;
• Backgrounds with images and gradients;
• Backgrounds for video and slideshows;
• Section dividers with graphics;
• Global color schemes. 

Eona – Fashion Theme

Eona is a WordPress fashion blog theme explicitly created for fashionistas to showcase their fashionable tips & tricks and creations. This theme will not only provide you with 13 stunning homepages, but it will also provide you with several shop layouts that you can use to create a modern, chic store that your customers will love and trust.

Eona WordPress fashion theme features: 

• Various portfolio single layouts;
• Working hours list shortcode;
• Frame slider shortcode;
• WooCommerce dropdown cart widget;
• SEO optimized.

Zoya – A lifestyle blog

Zoya is a delightful, modern theme for fashion and lifestyle bloggers. This theme’s gentle color scheme, clean surfaces, and elegant typography make it an excellent choice for anyone who prefers a refined design style. In addition, the theme includes a plethora of single-post layouts and a plethora of blog lists.

Features of Zoya: 

• Elegant design; 
• A plethora of blog layouts and sliders; 
• Instagram integration; 
• Newsletter feature

Didi – Fashion blog

This minimalistic fashion theme is ideal for an engaging reading experience for fashion enthusiasts. The theme includes a variety of blog layouts that can be used for any fashion-related topic. Aside from an excellent author bio section, this design consists of a helpful newsletter subscription form, a blog search feature, and comment sections for anyone who wants to share their thoughts or interact with the blog’s creator. 

Features of Didi: 

• Stylish design; 
• Optimized for the new WordPress editor (Gutenberg); 
• WooCommerce support; 
• Elementor page builder support.

Kloe – Fashion and lifestyle blog

With its incredible collection of predesigned homepages, you’ll be able to quickly create everything you need for your blog, portfolio, or online store. WPBakery and Slider Revolution are two of the most popular and useful plugins in the WordPress world, and they are included in the theme. With this powerful addition, you will be able to create a visually stunning blog worthy of presenting your unique fashion style without any coding knowledge.

Features of Kloe: 

• A large number of pages and layouts; 
• Full-screen with parallax effect;
• 600+ Carousel slider google fonts.

Blossom Fashion Pro

Blossom Fashion Pro is a WordPress fashion blog theme that has inspired many. This mobile-friendly and SEO-friendly theme is ideal for creating fashion and lifestyle blogs and websites.

To begin with the major talking points, the theme loads exceptionally quickly, faster than most fashion blogs on the internet. In addition, it includes a plethora of options for you to choose from, including nine header layouts, 21 homepage layouts, seven slider layouts, five single post layouts, and more. It also provides unlimited color options and 900+ Google fonts for your fashion blog.

Features of Blossom:

• Seo and speed-optimized;
• Designated Instagram section;
• 900+ Google fonts and unlimited color options;
• WooCommerce compatibility; 
• Video banner;
• Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Twitter Widgets.

Audrey 

Audrey will present all of your clothing brands and services in the best light, thanks to a large selection of portfolio templates and an appealing set of homepages.

Audrey includes fantastic shop features that will allow you to sell your creations online quickly. Furthermore, it is compatible with many excellent and user-friendly plugins. Furthermore, WPBakery and Slider Revolution are free with the theme, allowing you to have a completely smooth site-building experience.

Features of Audrey:

• Slider Revolution Responsive WordPress Plugin included;
• Three drop-down menus;
• Four variations of sidebars;
• Four different animated types of infographics.

Makao

Makao’s design already screams sophisticated fashion with warm tones and beautiful typography. Not only will your customers and followers be treated to a visual feast, but they will also have a one-of-a-kind shopping experience. Makao’s online store includes filters and tags to make it easier for your customers to find the products they need. 

Furthermore, you will be able to present your products in various ways, such as by displaying them on a slider, creating metro lists, and so on. Furthermore, this theme provides you with a large selection of premade templates for single products, which will assist you in creating a detailed presentation of what you’re offering.

Features of Makao:

• Author info widget;
• Five header types;
• Customizable mega menu;
• Contact Form 7 Plugin Compatibility.

Lounge

Lounge is a professional WordPress theme with a minimalistic and posh design appropriate for modern business or creative use. With the addition of the Slider Revolution plugin, four fluid AJAX animations, and the unlimited possibility of adding and creating sliders and Parallax pages, you can mix and match to create the design that best fits your vision for your future fashion blog.

The Lounge framework is exceptionally user-friendly. Five different blog lists give you 20 different blog layouts when combined with sidebar types. Using Lounge, you can dress up your fashion blog to impress!

Features of Lounge: 

• AJAX Animations; 
• Slider Revolution Responsive WordPress Plugin Included;
• Easy-To-Use Powerful Admin Interface;
• Three Drop-down Menus;
• Translation Ready. 

Rango – WooCommerce & WordPress Fashion Theme

Rango is a fantastic premium Woocommerce theme for anyone interested in the fashion industry, including bloggers, influencers, retail stores, custom brand shops, and similar businesses. This, however, is not your typical theme. It’s also a powerful tool that has been meticulously crafted and is capable of fulfilling any vision you may have for your website.

Rango includes over 15 demos to help you on your way to online fashion stardom. Each demo has a clean, modern design that will give your fashion blog or online store a fresh, one-of-a-kind appearance. 

Features of Rango:

• 15+ Modern fashion predefined demos;
• WooCommerce ready;
• Mobile version ready;
• Font Awesome icons;
• Multiple shortcodes;
• Translation ready. 

 Allure

Allure provides a variety of home page and blog style options to meet your specific requirements. You are only one click away from fully importing the demo content, which will also allow for easy customization thanks to Allure’s powerful and intuitive options. By selecting one of three different blog sliders, you will be able to highlight your stylish fashion pieces correctly. You can choose a carousel, grid slider, full-width slider, or all three!

Features of Allure:

• Social share functionality;
• Visual Composer for WordPress included; 
• Floating background images in logo area;
• Parallax background images in content;
• Contact Form 7 plugin integration.

 Thomas and Daisy

This sophisticated theme has a dual nature in that you can choose between two predesigned skins. Furthermore, you can select one based on whether you want to tailor your future fashion blog to guys or girls.

Furthermore, this theme includes different styles and beautiful elements for each category that fit the two different skins. Unique header styles have a captivating floating feature that will add a new, exciting dimension to your fashion blog. Every theme branch also includes fantastic page layouts that will undoubtedly keep your blogging inspiration flowing. Finally, a plethora of custom widgets and shortcodes will allow you to set up your blog quickly.

Features of Thomas and Daisy: 

• Two unique theme skins;
• Instagram feed widget;
• Customizable mega menu;
• Custom widget areas;
• WPML multilingual plugin integration.

Hannah CD 

Form and function, like in fashion, are elements that must be combined and incorporated into the perfect fashion blog or website. Hannah CD WordPress template includes all of this and more. This theme is ideal for fashion and lifestyle blogging or clothing and accessories selling businesses.

It can, however, be used for a variety of other purposes, including as a one-page website or a magazine. In other words, Hannah CD can be the theme you’ve always wanted no matter who you are, where you’re from, or how you approach to style and trends.

Features of Hannah CD: 

• Instagram widget;
• 15+ custom shortcodes;
• Custom sidebars;
• More than 630 icons;
• Unlimited design color.

Kapee

Kapee is a highly customizable WordPress theme designed to meet the needs of a contemporary fashion online store. Its design is simple, with a dominant white background and blue ornaments occasionally complemented by a splash of vibrant colors. 

Kapee comes with over 11 homepages to choose from, and all of its designs are entirely responsive, so opening your website on different screen sizes will not diminish its beauty.

Features of Kapee:

• Advanced shop;
• Wide & Boxed layout;
• WPML compatible;
• Custom widgets.

 Estelle

Elegant, modern, upbeat, and fashionable. If that’s how you’d describe your fashion brand, the Estelle WordPress theme is the one to go with. Each of the 12 homepage layouts will transform your models, clothes, and cosmetic products into a luxurious runway.

Engage users with a stunning metro showcase page highlighting your best products and inspiring them to click and look for more. They will find functional shop layouts and single product pages behind the button. This theme also conceals sales-boosting tricks, such as parallax banners, counters, and countdowns.

Features of Estelle: 

• New Product layout;
• Sold Out Product layout;
• User wishlist;
• User login and registration;
• Instagram feed widget.

 Marni

There should be no limitations when it comes to fashion. Similarly, your fashion blog or store should be able to adhere to the same principles. Marni will help you do it all and more, whether you want to showcase casual, chic, or elegant dressing styles on your website or something completely unconventional and out-of-norm fashion-wise. This highly responsive and visually appealing theme is ideal for lifestyle, fashion, and beauty bloggers.

Features of Marni:

• 20+ Header layout options;
• 100+ Theme Options with live preview powered by WordPress;
• 4 Page templates;
• 9 Sidebars;
• 4 Custom widgets.

And now that you have all this information in front of you, you are free to experiment with these different WordPress fashion blog themes. Once you decide which one to choose, you need to move on to the next step: 

How to establish a consistent publishing schedule with eye-catching images

Now that your WordPress fashion blog is up and running, you will need to update it constantly. In addition, you will need to develop a content calendar across various topics and support it with high-quality images of your one-of-a-kind fashion. 

You’ll need to put in a lot of practice time to hone your photography skills, but you can develop a consistent publishing schedule by creating an editorial calendar.

The best publishing schedule for you is determined by:

• How frequently your competitors post; 
• How frequently you can post quality content;

Many fashion blogs post every day, but this should never be at the expense of post quality. If you can only publish once a week to begin, that’s fine – but plan what you’ll post ahead of time.

This is where a content calendar comes into play. 

A content calendar (also known as an “editorial calendar”) is a written schedule of when and where you intend to publish new content in the future. Calendars of upcoming pieces, status updates, planned promotional activity, partnerships, and updates to existing content are standard features of content calendars. 

Depending on how much content you publish, you may want to invest in content calendar software. Here are some alternatives to consider:

• Loomly 

Loomly includes interactive guides for creating blog posts, automated social media posts, and other features.

• Editorial Calendar Plugin for WordPress

This plugin is a simple, drag-and-drop, and free calendar tool. If your blog runs on WordPress, this could be your go-to option.  

How to use social media to promote your WordPress fashion blog

According to a Statista survey conducted in the United Kingdom, 25.6% of industry professionals believe social media is the most effective digital marketing channel.

One of the most well-known benefits of having a solid social media strategy is having access to low-cost traffic that you would not have otherwise. However, driving traffic through channels other than social media can be difficult, especially if you’re a younger brand.

For example, if you choose to use SEO in conjunction with content marketing, it can take anywhere from six months to a year to see any actual results. Furthermore, even if you see results, you have less control over those results.

Every blog can benefit from social media marketing, and fashion blogs are ideal candidates with their image-heavy posts. At the very least, you should include social share buttons on your website and share each post across all of your social media channels.

If you’re learning how to start a fashion blog to turn it into a business, you should read on:

• Connect your website to Instagram;
• Create a social media strategy;
• Organize your marketing campaigns using social media tools.

If you have some money to spend, you could also try social media advertising on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Instagram and Pinterest are explicitly geared toward the fashion and design industries. However, according to recent studies on the influence of social media on consumers, Twitter is the least influential social network in fashion.

Instagram and TikTok, on the other hand, are great ways to advertise your WordPress fashion blog. Few companies in the fashion, beauty, travel, food, and beverage industries are executing marketing campaigns that do not include, at least to some extent, partnerships with popular users on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. 

The sky’s the limit when it comes to TikTok. You can post everything from product showcases to day-in-the-life videos to dancing challenges, style inspiration, and more. So if you run a fashion blog or have a clothing line that you want to promote, you should jump on the TikTok and Instagram train right now. 

It’s a low-cost and enjoyable approach to promoting your business. In addition, the fashion industry uses these two platforms to communicate with Gen Z so you can make the most of your fashion blog and brand promotion.

Final Advice 

Designing your WordPress fashion blog is just a drop in the ocean. You need to update it constantly and make some buzz around it via social media platforms. It takes time, creativity, and lots of work. Engage with your audience, listen to its feedback, and adapt to its needs. Always check what the competition is doing. Then adjust and refine.

Over and out.

Now, if you liked this article, and you want to learn more about how to design a WordPress website, make sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel and follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

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The post How to Start a WordPress Fashion Blog in 2022: All The Know-How You Need appeared first on ColibriWP Blog.

The use of a parallax effect can do just that. For example, it may make your graphic elements pop while also breaking up your text-heavy material. 

Today’s tutorial will explain parallax effects, the pros, and cons of parallax effects, why you should use them, what WordPress themes are a good choice for a parallax effect, and some best-case practices you can learn from.

So let’s start with the very beginning: 

What Are Parallax Effects?

A parallax effect means that the background image on a website is either frozen in place or scrolls slower than the rest of the page’s contents. This creates the illusion that the content moves in front of the backdrop image, giving your site depth.

The parallax scrolling effect made waves a new and exciting web design trend when it first appeared online in 2011. Of course, since then, parallax scrolling has cemented itself as a fundamental design asset that is here to stay. 

The parallax effect is a widely known design element frequently seen on WordPress websites. In a nutshell, it’s a scrolling effect in which background images move slower than foreground elements, creating the illusion of three dimensions in a two-dimensional space.

It’s been popular in the gaming industry for years, but it’s only recently made its way into web design. With the help of a parallax scrolling effect, you can now create a beautiful page design with eye-catching elements that make visiting your pages even more appealing.

You can use the parallax effect on a business website’s landing pages, long-form content, sales pages, or homepage. It’s a great way to draw attention to different sections of a long page.

Many premium WordPress themes include a parallax effect on the homepage. In addition, most WordPress page builder plugins also support the parallax effect. However, not all themes include a parallax effect by default, and you may not want to use a page builder to create custom page layouts just for a parallax effect. But we’ll get into that later. 

Why Use Parallax On Your WordPress Website?

Let’s start with one of parallax scrolling’s more valuable benefits: It’s an eye-catching approach to display certain website sections. 

Now let’s look at several websites that demonstrate what else this fantastic new method can do so that you can conclude yourself. 

1. Bold Product Presentation

By presenting your product with a parallax effect, you fully display that product’s potential. In addition, the parallax technique allows users to scroll through the product and view it from all angles, giving them a better understanding and making it easier to visualize.

Take, for example, Bagagia. 

This website is an excellent example of allowing your visitors to experience your product in a completely new way. And it’s an excellent example of a parallax effect. Instead of static images, you get a 3D presentation controlled by your scrolling behavior. The design is straightforward, with a lot of whitespaces and a focus on the unique product: a leather-covered hot water bottle and bag at the same time. 

2. Increases Website Engagement

The modern web user seeks to be entertained and involved. Therefore, we are more than happy to interact with a website if we are invited. You can do many cool things with parallax scrolling to encourage your visitors to interact with your site.

Parallax scrolling creates a fantastic, engaging, and immersive environment for a story to unfold. Parallax allows you to dynamically reveal details of your website as the user progresses through the narrative you’ve created for them. 

3. Improves UX

According to research, it only takes a user 50 milliseconds to form an opinion about a website and decide whether or not they like it (Lindgaard, Fernandes, Dudek, & Brown, 2006).

By making the background images move slower than the foreground images, this scrolling technique creates the illusion of depth on a webpage. Users of parallax scrolling claim that it improves user experience and engages users with a website. Researchers attribute this pleasurable user experience to the fulfillment of the following variables: usability, satisfaction, enjoyment, fun, and visual appeal.

4. Lowers Bounce Rates

Bounce rates are the percentage of site visitors who click the ‘back’ button or close the tab before exploring other pages on the site. Bounce rates can have a significant impact on your SEO ranking. Engaging parallax effects can help to reduce that rate.

If a website uses parallax animation to tell a story effectively, you can bet that customers or readers will stay on a page for longer. For example, if you look at Alex Dram’s portfolio page here, you’ll notice several shapes interacting during the parallax scrolling animation. 

The whole website aspect tells a story about the visual experiences Alex can design for customers. It’s a way to draw the viewer’s attention and connect with them without simply writing about what you do in text.

5. Adds an Action Trigger

Adding an action trigger for your users may be the most crucial aspect of parallax scrolling. We are more alert and willing to continue interacting with your site because we receive instant feedback. Something happens as we scroll. We continue to scroll, and something else occurs. This promise is very motivating, and it makes people want to enter your website and listen to your story.

Parallax scrolling can be an excellent way to entice visitors to visit your website. 

And now that we’ve covered the obvious benefits of incorporating a parallax effect into your WordPress website, it’s time to delve into the various types of WordPress themes that are parallax-ready for your website! 

Top-Notch WordPress Parallax Themes You Can Choose From

To excite visitors and convert leads into customers, your best websites rely on engaging content and impressive design, and a smooth user experience. That is why you should think about using a parallax theme for your website – there is something particularly awe-inspiring about browsing a site with parallax scrolling.

Here’s a list of some WordPress themes that come with a parallax effect: 

ColibriWP

Did you know that Colibri is one of the most popular WordPress themes on WordPress.org, with over 50.000 active installs? Its creators are also responsible for the popular themes Mesmerize and One Page Express.

This theme is multipurpose, beautiful, and entirely customizable for your needs. You can use Colibri to create captivating hero sections that leave a lasting impression on your visitors. You can combine different media types, such as images, videos, collages, and lightboxes. 

Colibri provides numerous customization options and is fully responsive to work on all devices. Furthermore, it is a translation-ready theme that works flawlessly. This theme also includes three predesigned website templates, image and gradient backgrounds, three header layout options, two navigation menu layouts, and other valuable features.

Divi

Divi has a lot going on beneath the curtains, and it offers a plethora of options for creating a slick, responsive, image-focused website. For example, the Divi Builder, included with the theme, is a fantastic way to design layouts using a drag-and-drop interface. In addition, configuring the parts of your site is a breeze, thanks to the user-friendly theme options menu.

There are also many demos, including interior design, cafes & restaurants, photography, and more! You can also choose from one of the beautiful parallax demonstrations and enhance your parallax effect even more by adding a video backdrop.

It’s pointless to have beautiful parallax effects if you don’t have a way to make the rest of your site stunning. Divi (review) is a great, powerful, and simple-to-customize multipurpose theme with several parallax-specific features.

OnePage

OnePage is a one-page WordPress theme designed for freelancers and creative professionals. It is a highly adaptable and responsive design, so your site will look fantastic on any device.

You may use OnePage to add several parallax backdrop images to your site for added depth and great-looking sliders with arrow navigation to make it simple for viewers to navigate your content.

OnePage also has CSS3 animation, pricing tables, testimonials, endless color possibilities, font icons, a portfolio part, a floating menu, an animated counter, and a team section, to name a few features.

Parallax 

Ironic, huh? Themify’s Parallax design is one of their most popular. It combines two design trends by combining a single-page layout with parallax effects, and it is designed to create a superb front-end user experience.

The Themify Builder includes over 60 fully customizable pre-made layouts with sliders, parallax scrolling, and other animations. Parallax uses the WordPress custom post type functionality to let you customize each component of your site, including a section for your portfolio, team, products, and services, among other things. 

You may also choose from 11 different layouts, add a custom header picture or slider, and give each page on your site its menu. That way, you may give each page a distinct look or have them all have the same style and feel.

Parallax is perfect for creative professionals such as web designers, music instructors, and analysts because of its built-in page builder, pre-designed layouts, and versatility

eCommerce

eCommerce is a WordPress theme designed by MyThemeShop. eCommerce has a fast loading time, an SEO-friendly design, and other great features as their other themes.

This theme is built to operate with the famous WooCommerce plugin, making it simple to set up an online store. In addition, you may use this theme to sell your products or affiliate products and earn money quickly.

A parallax slider, six header designs, four pagination choices, infinite categories on the homepage, a simple checkout process, a footer section with three, four, or five columns, a ribbon banner for new products, and a fixed floating navigation bar are some of its primary features.

Stockholm

Just like the city itself, Stockholm has a timeless, classic look. Over 140 ready-to-use samples are included in the theme, ranging from architecture business websites to photography portfolios and everything in between. Every design makes excellent use of negative space, resulting in a look of effortless elegance.

Stockholm has a lot to offer in customization, and it’s all neatly arranged under the Select Options tab. You may change everything about your website here, including the logo, header, and footer, as well as the sidebar, 404 pages, and parallax.

Ronneby

Ronneby is a multipurpose WordPress theme for businesses, bloggers, creative professionals, and freelancers with over 40 ready-to-use demo options.

The theme is well-coded, SEO-friendly, and fully responsive so that you can concentrate on the design rather than your site’s performance.

Lastly, the theme has a robust admin panel and a huge number of shortcodes that make it simple to customize and add functionality to your site when it comes to design.

Neve 

Neve is a WordPress single-page theme with a fantastic parallax effect. Together with the site’s fully responsive design, these features can help you build a successful site that looks amazing on any device.

The comprehensive theme settings panel included with Neve will assist you in quickly setting up your site and making modifications as needed.

Neve is a fantastic theme for any business or portfolio site. These examples include services, teams, contact information, testimonials, pricing information, a blog, and a shop to sell your products or services.

And you probably think that if it’s this fantastic, almost too good to be true, there must be some drawbacks. Right? And you are correct. Like everything else in the tech world, the parallax effect has a few disadvantages and benefits. Let’s see what those are.

WordPress Parallax: Pros & Cons

If you decide to use the parallax effect on your website despite its disadvantages, keep the following in mind:

Web Design: What to Keep in Mind When Using Parallax 

Now that you’ve learned about the allure of parallax website design, it’s time to study the best practices. We chose a more wary title for this section because a parallax website isn’t for everyone and should be used with caution. Here are our two tips: 

Keep the Page Loading Speed in Mind

It should go without saying that putting sophisticated effects into your website will impact its performance. One of these effects is parallax scrolling. A site’s SEO success is harmed by a long page load time. Users are prone to jumping from one website to the next and are ready to abandon a page that takes too long to load.

Make sure that the parallax effects don’t degrade the performance of your website too much. You may check your website’s speed and see what’s causing it to slow down. There are numerous online tools available to assist you in this endeavor. One of them is Google’s free PageSpeed Insights service.

Use it in Moderation

At its best, parallax web design will expertly attract attention to all of the appropriate website areas. The worst-case scenario will divert attention away from the core point, leaving the audience befuddled. Using parallax effects in the proper places and moderation will ensure that your instance is the former.

When creating a parallax website, it’s critical to consider accessibility. Mobile devices, which account for over half of all web traffic, are incompatible with parallax designs. Furthermore, outdated browser versions may be incompatible with parallax website design.

Over to You

This brings us to the end of our parallax website design guide. Improved online storytelling, captivating messages, more interactions with the user, and longer time spent on site are just a few of the advantages of parallax effects.

However, don’t overuse parallax design, as it might easily overpower your core message. The primary goal of any web design element is to improve the user experience on the site. As a result, make sure that your design accomplishes this.

We hope this article provided you with the information you were looking for. Best of luck with designing your website!

Now, if you liked this article, and you want to learn more about how to design a WordPress website, make sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel and follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

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The post WordPress Parallax: Your Complete Go-To Guide appeared first on ColibriWP Blog.

WordPress comments are an essential component of any WordPress-powered blog. They empower your audience and encourage them to interact with your website.

In today’s article, we’ll go over the importance of WordPress comments and the benefits of offering your visitors the opportunity to share their thoughts, how to enable and disable WordPress comments, and how to manage them and prevent comment spam. 

Ready to dive in? 

What are WordPress Comments?

WordPress comments are the built-in commenting system coded into the WordPress core. It allows you to add comments to your blog without having to worry about integrating a third-party comment system unless you find WordPress’ comment system to be lacking in some way, but we’ll get to that later.

Visitors to your website can communicate with you and other readers through comments. They can comment on a specific article you wrote, ask questions, and provide feedback. Anyone with a valid name and email address can comment on most WordPress sites without verifying their identity.

A dynamic comment section can help you and your readers form a sense of community around your blog. Visitors can provide feedback, ask questions, and express their own opinions on the topic, among other things. The commenter’s name, the date, and the time they submitted the remark usually appear on your site right after the blog post text. 

If you enable comments, they will show up on WordPress posts, pages, and other post types depending on the content your visitors talk about. 

But first, let’s look at whether you should or should not accept WordPress comments from visitors. 

Should You Accept Comments on Your WordPress Blog?

One thing is certain: no website should exist in a vacuum. This desire to interact extends to the websites users visit, especially blogs. The comments left beneath the articles you publish are the primary interaction source for WordPress users. 

We think comments should be not only accepted but encouraged. For example, assume you want to create a successful website. Then, of course, you’ll need a devoted following who will return to your website regularly. Right?

The best way to encourage repeat visits is to create a community around your website rather than just a website.

Accepting comments allows you to engage your readership, allowing them to contribute and feel a part of the discussion — a prerequisite for feeling a part of a community.

Another way to lead to engagement on your website is by using chatbots. We’ve written a thorough article on what chatbots are and how you can use them on your site.

Now, let’s discuss the advantages of allowing comments and how you can benefit from this. 

1. Social proof

Humans are social creatures by nature, and we value other people’s perspectives. If someone you know recommends something, you are more likely to buy it and have the same opinion of the product. 

The same is true for comments: if you have an active comment section beneath each article, people will perceive the content to be good, increasing their likelihood of reading it and developing a favorable opinion.

For example, Neil Patel (a very influential online marketing expert) is even showing the number of comments underneath the featured image of the blog article, in the blog listing, instead of the post excerpt. When you see that an article has 100+ comments, you might be very tempted to read it.

2. Build a sense of community

A reader will feel like they are a small part of a website if they leave comments under its articles. This is amplified when the author responds to the words — the commenter feels validated and if their opinion matters. 

Going back to the earlier example with Neil Patel, he always makes sure to reply to comments genuinely.

3. Boosts SEO performance

For two reasons, blog commenting can help improve your SEO performance and thus search engine traffic. For starters, it serves as a vote of confidence that your content is excellent and that your users are engaged.

Second, it contributes to creating what is known as user-generated content. For example, the fact that the words in the comment section were not included in the original article does not prevent Google bots from crawling and indexing it.

4. New content inspo

Finally, if you’re running low on ideas, a quick scan of the comments section of your published articles can help you generate outlines for new articles.

The comments left will frequently take the discussion in a different direction, leading to several topics for future articles.

Now you might be thinking, is there a way to get more comments? And the answer to that is, yes, there is! 

How to Get More WordPress Comments on Your Blog

There isn’t really an exact formula to this; however, we’ve got some tips under our sleeve.

First, you must make it as simple as possible for readers to leave comments. It is critical to have multiple sign-in options and an easy-to-use process.

It also helps if you create high-quality content. The more effort you put into your content and the greater the benefit gained from reading it, the more likely it is that someone will take the time to respond — and, more importantly, something thoughtful.

It’s also a good idea to include a call to action at the end of your post. People are more likely to respond with a comment if they ask a question that encourages discussion at the end of the post. It also conveys to others that you are open to feedback.

And at last, make sure that you respond to all comments. When readers leave a message, it’s because they want to interact with you, the author. When you respond to comments, others are more likely to add their voice to the mix.

And now that we’ve got this out of the way, let’s see how you can enable and disable WordPress comments! 

How to Enable and Disable WordPress Comments

To enable or disable comments on a single post, page, or custom post type, uncheck the boxes to disable comments and trackbacks when editing the post, or check them to enable comments and trackbacks. But we’ll take it one step at a time!

• How to enable comments

To enable comments on specific posts or pages, head over to your WordPress Dashboard → Post or Pages: 

From there, click on the title of the post or page for which you want to enable comments: 

This will take you to the page itself, from where you can allow comments. Once you have opened the editor page, go to the right-hand side editor and click on ‘Discussion.’ You will see a dropdown menu with the option of allowing comments. See the screenshot below: 

On Pages, people won’t leave comments unless you enable them because WordPress disables them by default, so you need to consider this. However, you can always allow comments by following the steps we just covered.  

But wait, what are pingbacks and trackbacks, though?

Trackbacks and pingbacks alert us when certain somebody mentions our blog. But let’s take them separately: 

• What exactly are trackbacks?

To think of trackbacks, imagine someone tapping on someone else’s shoulder and saying, “Hey, can I reference what you said in my conversation?” 

For example, assume Jim wrote a blog post about how much he enjoys traveling. You should also write about it and include something he said. So you do that in exchange for mentioning his post. 

Then, you paste his trackback URI in your own blog post. When you do this, Jim will be notified about the trackback and will be able to read what you had to say.

• What exactly are pingbacks?

Pingbacks are similar to trackbacks, but there are some distinctions between the two. For example, you create an article with a link to another website. If pingbacks are enabled on that website, they will receive a notification. 

They can then choose whether or not to allow a link from your article to appear on their website. The most common way for this to occur is as a comment. They may appear differently depending on the WordPress theme you are using.

• How to disable comments

To disable comments, you can choose to uncheck the box we’ve previously mentioned simply, or you can do so from the Settings tab from your Dashboard. 

Click on Settings → Discussion, and uncheck the box that allows people to submit comments on new posts. 

While allowing comments has its advantages, it’s important to remember that it’s not always a rose-colored situation, and things can get messy. How? Two words: spam comments. Yes, they are annoying, and we understand. But we may know a few tricks to get rid of them.

How to Get Rid of Spammy WordPress Comments

You’ll need to find a way to stop comment spam in its tracks if you don’t want your site to make a wrong first impression.

While you may not eliminate spam for good, you can do a lot to slow it down by performing a variety of simple tweaks to block or hide these comments before their visitors see them. You can even strengthen your defenses by using a powerful anti-spam plugin. 

1. Create a system for comment restraint

Comment moderation is when you require that a person approve some or all comments before they appear on your site. This can be a good strategy if you have the time and resources.

In WordPress, this simply means going back to Settings → Discussion and checking the ‘Comments must be manually approved’ box, and you’re done.

By choosing ‘Comment must be manually approved,’ any comments left on your site will be marked as Pending until they are reviewed. You can then go through each one and decide whether to accept it or reject it.

2. Limit commenting privileges to registered users only 

Most spammers aim to post on as many pages and websites as possible. You can counteract this by only allowing comments from registered people on your site. This adds a barrier between spammers and your comment section. It encourages visitors to create an account or join a membership as a bonus.

This option is also available in WordPress’s Settings Discussion section. In addition, it can be found under Other comment settings:

Simply check the box labeled ‘Users must be registered and logged in to comment’ and save changes.

3. Use an anti-spam plugin

A plugin can provide a powerful way to prevent comment spam and sort the good comments from bad ones. And you won’t have to deal with it manually this way. So it’s essentially a win-win situation.

Below we made a list of some anti-spam plugins that you can use:

• Akismet Spam Protection

This anti-spam plugin connects to a constantly updated spam database, so it’s perfect for identifying which comments are problematic and filtering them out. It also shows you which words have been flagged.

This plugin checks your comments and contacts form submissions against their global spam database to prevent malicious content published on your site. You can review the comment spam it detects on your blog’s “Comments” admin screen.

• WP Cerber Security, Antispam & Malware Scan

WP Cerber Security, Antispam & Malware Scan has its anti-spam engine that protects your forms and automatically detects spam comments, either rejecting them or moving them to the trash. In addition, this plugin prevents spam bots from submitting login, registration, password recovery, comment, and WooCommerce forms by using invisible ReCaptcha.

• Titan Anti-spam & Security

Thanks to its algorithms and global spam database, Titan Anti-spam & Security can hide spam from your site, and it’s more than just a spam filter; it’s a full-fledged security plugin that can scan system files, themes, and plugins for malware, invalid URLs, backdoors, and SEO spam.

• Stop Spammers Security

Stop Spammer is a free plugin that uses honeypots to prevent spam emails, comments, registrations, and form submissions. Honeypots are hidden from everyone except spambots.

This plugin includes a plethora of features and settings that give you complete control over the security of your website. Spam words, URL shortener links, suspicious behavior, and entire countries can all be blocked.

You can manually deny IP addresses, email addresses, and usernames. In addition, you can enable a members-only mode, which restricts access to the site to logged-in users only — and much more.

And because a spam plugin is not the only one you can use for WordPress plugins, below we’ll present a list of different plugins with different functionalities that you can use to boost website engagement. 

Other WordPress Comment Plugins for Increasing Engagement

1. wpDiscuz

This plugin is fantastic, and it provides numerous options for customizing the default WordPress comments. As the name suggests, wpDiscuz positions itself as a native WordPress comments alternative to Disqus. So essentially, you get most of Disqus’ benefits without any complications. 

Features of the plugin: 

• Real-time commenting and live comment updates;
• Sorting comments by “New,” “Old,” and “Most Voted”;
• Commenting anonymously (as with native WordPress comments);
• Long comments can be broken up with a “Read More” button;
• Readers can quickly sign up for email notifications of new comments 

2. LazyLoad for Comments

The lazy-loading HTML attribute instructs a browser to wait before downloading an image or immediately downloading it. There is no need for JavaScript to accomplish this. Lazy loading means that the image is not downloaded until the user’s browser viewport is within a certain distance of the image. This behavior will improve the user experience on WordPress websites.

When it comes to images and videos, lazy loading is critical. So with WordPress 5.5, lazy loading became a core feature of WordPress.

Lazy Load for Comments does not add any new front-end functionality, but it does improve your website’s performance. Users are happier when a website loads quickly. And in general, happier users are more engaged users.

This plugin achieves these performance gains by delaying the loading of your comments section until the user begins scrolling down the page. Because your comments section is always below the content of each post, this has no negative impact on the user experience.

Features of the plugin: 

• Load comments only when necessary;
• Increase page loading speed; decrease the number of HTTP requests;
• Support for Genesis and Divi;
• Translation ready. 

Over to You

Commenting is an integral part of creating a community around your website, and it is one of the best ways to help your site thrive. And as you can see, there are numerous ways to optimize, get rid of, or interact with them. Each has its own set of advantages. 

Give it a shot; it’s not like you can’t turn them off if you feel like it. 

Now, if you liked this article, and you want to learn more about how to design a WordPress website, make sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel and follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

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The post From Top to Bottom: How to Handle WordPress Comments in 2022 appeared first on ColibriWP Blog.

Let’s start at the very beginning. What exactly are cookies and how do they work? Sit back and relax. We’ve got you covered. 

Meet the Computer Cookie

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Think about them as tiny secret agents built in your computer, who can either make your Internet navigation a lot easier or a lot messier. 

From a more realistic perspective, cookies are bits of data that contain information about your behavior on the Internet and remember information such as usernames and passwords. They are responsible for tailoring and keeping track of your activity within a website, thus shaping the content according to your interests and personal preferences.  

For example, I’m sure you’ve noticed that upon accessing a website, you are required to fill out a form providing certain information such as your name and email address. Or, a small window pops up on your screen and insists that you accept all cookies the website uses.

If you’re logged in, the same site can greet you via chat or pop up with your name on it instead of a common welcoming. 

For example, I’ve recently seen my name pop up on an eCommerce website I’ve revisited. The catchline was something like this: “Gabriella, hurry up! Our stocks are emptying very quickly!” or “Welcome back, Gabriella!” Sounds familiar? I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

Another example worth mentioning comes with a remarketing strategy. But first, let’s look at a short definition of remarketing before we plunge into our example. 

Remarketing, also known as “retargeting”, helps you display targeted advertisements to individuals who use your website or mobile app.

Let’s say you are looking for accommodation for your upcoming holiday on a famous travel app, like Airbnb. The next day while scrolling on Facebook, you see an advertisement pop-up on your screen, offering you a sweet and short catchphrase with a discount involved. There goes your trip to Bali!  We’ve all been there. 

Nonetheless, there’s more to what that came from. Cookies help you pick up where you left off, remember your login credentials, nail down your preferences and desires, and improve your web surfing habits. 

Now, before you start thinking that you know all about cookies and their components, there’s one more thing you need to know. Cookies aren’t the only ones storing and gathering information through web searches. You didn’t see that coming, right? 

Cookies and Caches are like cousins if you want. Both have the mission to improve website performance and to make it more accessible than it already is. To better understand the differences between Cookies and Cache, we’ve put together an article that highlights just what you need to know. 

But for now, let’s stick to our cookies and explore the different types of them. Because well…there are a few. 

7 Types of Web Cookies You Should Know About

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We already know that cookies are here to provide us a custom-fit navigation and user experience. But how do we know which one is specifically designed to meet our needs? Let’s jump right into it to find out! 

1.Session Cookies 

Picture this: you’re doing some online shopping on an eCommerce website and for some reason, you can’t add any items to your cart. Wonder why? 

Usually, websites use session cookies to ensure that your information is remembered as you switch from one page to another. If your items vanish from the cart and you can’t hit the checkout, it’s most likely because that specific website does not have session cookies in place.

On another note, as their name implies, session cookies are temporary. Meaning that when you close your browser, your computer will automatically delete them. 

2. First-Party Cookies

Unlike session cookies that disappear after you close your browser, first-party cookies are also known as permanent cookies. Without first-party cookies, websites would not be able to remember information such as your username and password, language choice, menu settings, and internal bookmarks. 

However, it’s worth mentioning that first-party cookies disappear if you don’t use the website regularly. Meaning your computer will automatically delete them. 

3. Third-Party Cookies

You would think that if first-party cookies are the good guys in the scenario, these are not any different than them. Think again. 

Third-party cookies come with a lot of mixed feelings and there’s a reason for that. Because third-party cookies originate from a different domain than the one you might be visiting, they can only be used for one thing, tracking down your activity.

These cookies can recognize your browsing habits, online behavior, demographics, spending patterns, and much more. Due to their ability to track, third-party cookies have become the favorites of advertising networks in their quest to increase up their sales and ad impressions.

4. Secure Cookies

This cookie does exactly what its name suggests. Secures information and stops possible frauds via cross-site coding and can only be conveyed via an HTTPS tunnel. This means that as long as the cookie’s “Secure” indicator is active, the cookie’s transmission to an unencrypted channel will not be possible. 

5. HTTP-Only Cookie

Let’s just say these last two are like siblings. Secure cookies and HTTP-Only cookies are very similar. They both work for reducing a cookie’s susceptibility to a cross-site threat. Using the HTTP-Only tag helps minimize the risk of service provider scripts trying to access a cookie, thus ensuring the cookie is secure and riskless. 

6. Flash Cookies

This ladies and gentleman is the winner cookie of all, and we’ll explain why. 

A Flash cookie is applicable in cases when the end user’s browser requests content that is supported by the popular browser plugin, Adobe Flash. Although it is very similar to regular cookies, it differs in terms of how much data can it hold and how can it be deleted. 

Generally, Flash cookies store the same amount of data as HTTP cookies, however, they also contain clear-cut information related to Flash such as indicators of when the user’s advertisement stopped playing. 

The thing about Flash cookies is that they remain untouched even after the end-user deletes their browser’s HTTP cookies. On the contrary, they can be used to recreate erased cookies. 

7. Zombie Cookies 

Last but not least, Zombie cookies. The spitting image of Flash cookies, but with a twist. 

Zombie cookies are akin to Flash cookies, meaning they can be reproduced even after they have been removed by the user. Because of this, these types of cookies are hard to spot. 

Zombie cookies are reconstructed using a technology called Quantcast, which generates Flash cookies on the internet to keep track of the user’s browsing history. 

When a user attempts to remove the cookies after visiting a website via Quantcast, their credentials are gathered in the Abode Flash storage bin. To keep track of the user’s browsing history, the Quantcast program redeems the credentials and reapplies them. Kinda spooky if you think about it. 

Now that you’ve got yourself acquainted with the cookie family, it’s time we explore the bumpier side of the road: WordPress Cookies. 

How Does WordPress Use Cookies? 

Source

Because cookies are so widely used to improve user experience and website performance, WordPress could not possibly be missing out on this. 

WordPress has two ways of managing cookies: one of them being the source code of WordPress itself, and the other one by implementing several plugins that are responsible for creating cookies and holding them following GDPR criteria. 

Generally speaking, the source code for WordPress creates cookies for two main reasons: to save users’ encryption keys for future visits and to retain identifying information when users leave comments. These are called Session Cookies & Comment Cookies. 

On the other hand, WordPress’s standard cookies will help load the site faster and make it a lot easier for site visitors to log back in again. 

For optimal efficiency, different types of WordPress sites might also need a set of different cookies in their sleeve. For example, an eCommerce site will always need cookies for the better conduct of shopping carts, wish lists, and customer preferences.

How to Delete Cookies 

Cookies can be an optional part of your internet experience. If you so choose, you can limit what cookies end up on your computer or mobile device.

If you allow cookies, it will streamline your surfing. For some users, no cookies security risk is more important than a convenient internet experience.

Most browsers give you the option to clear cookies. Whether it’s Chrome, Firefox or Edge, just head over to their settings.

Find the cookie section — typically under Settings > Privacy. Click the boxes to clear or to allow cookies. 

Removing cookies can help you mitigate your risks of privacy breaches. It can also reset your browser tracking and personalization. 

What’s the thing with Privacy, Consent, GDPR?

The European Union enforced the General Data Protection Regulation in May 2018, new legislation aimed at protecting the security and privacy of online personal data of every European citizen. 

However, since websites can be accessed from anywhere in the world, GDPR has a global reach, and it impacts every WordPress website.  

On the bright side, WordPress’s latest release and a range of WordPress plugins now provide valuable GDPR compliance tools that help owners of the WordPress website remain on the ideal end of the spectrum of the current regulations. 

What this regulation does is that it requires every website host to obtain full permission from users to acquire, store, and use confidential info, such as names, internal and external addresses, health and financial data, even for activities like obtaining a teen debit card.

One of the most straightforward ways for any site to comply with WordPress GDPR is to provide a valid opt-in, such as a checkbox. What these do is request full permission of visitors to use the website.

Yet cookies function differently – they reside quietly in the context of a user’s web browser, and visitors might not even be aware that they exist and what sort of data they’re gathering. 

Even though GDPR applies predominantly to online businesses in the EU, it will also hinder website owners and developers outside the EU who monitor, collect and process any private information from any resident of the European Union.

To make it simpler for WordPress sites to be using cookies and still act per GDPR, several fresh WordPress cookies plugins are accessible for the creation of cookie policy updates and consent forms, which leads me to the next topic. 

How to Make Your WordPress Site GDPR Compliant

GDPR does not only apply to the front end of your WordPress site. The code of your website must also comply with the new legislation. Being an owner of a WordPress site, you are wholly accountable for how the WordPress theme, plug-in, or third-party software collects private details through your site.

Under the new legislation, while gathering any kind of data through your WordPress site, you must inform users about the following aspects: 

• Who you are
• Why you are looking to obtain their data
• Where are you going to store their data
• How long will the data be stored
• What kind of information are you trying to collect

You need to be on the lookout for transparency if you don’t want to mess things up. 

Useful GDPR WordPress Plugins 

WordPress plugin installation is intuitive. From the dashboard, go to “Plugins” and look for the desired plugin.

We have a tiny tutorial on how to install, activate and work with WordPress plugins so you can get rolling in no time! 

In the meantime, we’ve put together a few of the best free cookie notice WordPress plugins that are destined to make your life easier. 

1.Cookie Consent by SECURITI.ai 

The SECURITI.ai plugin’s Cookie Consent enables websites to conveniently comply with global privacy legislation, such as GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, privacy, and more. This approach makes for a simple installation, and it’s highly configurable to align with your web page’s look. 

On the other hand, SECURITI.ai helps developers comply with Data Subject Privileges, Privacy Policy Management, and Universal Consent for privacy compliance. 

Some of its features include: 

• Regular website scans 
• Fully integrated implementation of consent collection 
• Customizable preference center 
• Cookie auto-blocking
• Consent records and reporting

2. Cookie Notice by dFactory

The plugin comes with exclusive features, such as customization, the option to accept the scroll cookie, the option to reject usable cookies, locations of the cookie message box, compatibility with WPML and Polylang, and translation ready with 16 languages.

On top of this, the Cookie Notice enables you to politely notify users that your site uses cookies and helps you comply with EU GDPR and CCPA cookie legislation. 

Some of its features include: 

• Set cookie expiry
• Redirect users to the specified page for more information
• Animate the message box after the cookie is accepted
• Set the background colors for the text and bar 
• Link to more info page 

 3. Cookie Law Info

The GDPR Cookie Consent plugin will help you to comply with the GDPR legislation. 

As it comes with a host of features, some of which are listed below, the plugin is one of the best WordPress GDPR compliance plugins.

Some of its features include: 

• The plugin has “Accept” and “Reject” options which will enable WordPress cookie notice. 
• After a few seconds, you can opt to make the cookie notice bar disappear (fully configurable) or to accept it on the scroll (an option available under Italian law).
• It also has a Cookie Audit module so that you can easily view the cookies that your website uses on your Privacy & Cookies Policy page.
• The plugin can be configured for the cookie notice to have a “CCPA ‘Do Not Sell My Personal Details” control panel. 
• Seamlessly blends in with Official Facebook Pixel, Smash Balloon Instagram Feed & Twitter Feed.

Conclusion

If you’ve made it this far, it means you’re awesome, and I hope this article sheds some light on the many attributes tech cookies have and how WordPress is using them. 

As always, remember that cookies are one of the many ways websites can use to provide a better browsing experience for their users. By understanding how WordPress handles cookies, you can easily personalize your website for each user you have. 

Now, celebrate the knowledge you gained with an actual cookie! You earned it. 

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