Each month, Designerly looks at a WordPress plugin we think might interest our small business owners or designers. Some of the programs we choose are Open Source and free to use. Others are commercial or have a Pro option that expands capabilities. One of the most popular shopping cart options for online businesses is WooCommerce, so we decided to dive into it and report back to our loyal readers.

WooCommerce works if you sell products online and need a complete inventory system capable of integrating with other software. It is also a good match for digital service. You could even use WooCommerce to deliver free information such as white papers. Let’s look at what the plugin does and how it can help grow your small business.

WooCommerce Top Features

WooCommerce has 4.5 stars out of five on WordPress.org. Some of the more positive reviews say the product has excellent customer support and it is easy to learn. Some of the negative comments include lack of easy translations to other languages and the cost of add-on products. 

The basic version allows you to start selling out of the box. If you want more advanced features, you’ll have to upgrade. Some of the available upgrades include:

• Payments from extended third-party providers
• Optimized checkout 
• Personalization
• Marketing

WooCommerce offers a number of extensions. For example, if you run a hair salon, you might want to pay $249 and add on the Bookings feature. Your clients can book appointments right on your website. 

What is most exciting about WooCommerce is the number of features built into the free version. While you might have to pay for an extension here and there to meet the specific needs of a client or open up better relationship management, you can get started on a shoestring and scale up at any time. You will need your own domain name and hosting with a WordPress installation to get started. 

Some of our favorite free features of WooCommerce include:

• Free themes (Pro themes available for a fee) 
• Upload inventory, images, specifications 
• Integrate with some third-party payment apps 
• Set shipping

You may have to work around some limitations with the free version, but you can certainly get started. There is a slight learning curve with how to input things for your store. The best way to learn is to experiment with various inputs and then see how it looks on the store page. 

How to Install and Configure WooCommerce

We’ll cover the “get started” basics in this article, but to really embrace the many ways you can utilize WooCommerce, you have to put in time experimenting and trying different methods. You could also hire someone experienced with the plugin to get your inventory online.

You can install WooCommerce from your WordPress Dashboard or download it from WordPress.org or WooCommerce.com. Installation is fairly straightforward. The setup takes a bit more work. There is a fairly steep learning curve to figure the ins and outs of WooCommerce out. We’ll hit on the basics.

Step 1: Settings

In the left sidebar of your WordPress Dashboard, hover over “WooCommerce.” A popup box appears. Click on “Settings.”

This is where you’ll fill in information about your store, such as the address, phone number and currency options. Depending upon whether you sell a service or physical goods, you may need to fill in shipping details, too. Under the “Products” tab, you can choose the page you want your shop to be on, cart behavior and choose a placeholder image.

• Direct bank transfer 
• Check payments 
• Cash on delivery
• PayPal

The “Emails” tab lets you set up where confirmation emails and new orders go. You’ll want to completely test the system, as some servers create issues and you might not receive new order notices. You may have to troubleshoot with your server to figure out where the issue lies.

Step 2: Add Products

Your next step is to add products to your shopping cart.Although you can get quite fancy with your inputs and add custom fields, we’re going to look at the bare essentials to get a few products added and open shop.

The more you play around with the system and try different things, the better you’ll understand how WooCommerce works and be able to accomplish what you most need. 

You will find the button to get to the products area just under the word “WooCommerce” on the left side of your dashboard. Click on it and a page will open with options to add, import or export. Click on the button that says “Add New.”

You’ll notice the layout for adding a new product looks very much like a WP post page. You’ll add it to a category of your choosing, add in the title, description and so on. There are two sections. One appears next to the image you upload (first section) and the other below. You can use both or only one. You might want to try different techniques until you hit on the one that makes the most sense for your needs.

Under the “Product Data” section is where you’ll input the price of your item, insert sales prices and click on the tabs for any advanced features such as adding attributes. For example, if you sell a blouse in pink and blue, you could add the different options under the “Attributes” tab.

The Complexity of WooCommerce

As you can see, there are a lot of different features with the free option. The best way to learn the ins and outs of the software is to jump in and see how things look as you add test pages. For example, you’ll want to both a featured image and a product gallery image. Failing to add to the gallery means your shop page will have blank spaces instead of images.

Play around with WooCommerce and you’ll soon pick up on how to make your product pages look exactly the way you want. The plugin offers a complete, out-of-the-box solution that works well for those on a shoestring budget. It can also scale up as your inventory grows.

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A sitemap is your site’s major and minor pages laid out for automated browser software to decipher. We decided to look at sitemap generator plugins and landed on XML Sitemap Generator for Google.

Website developers often overlook sitemaps as part of their marketing strategy. Yet, Google states a sitemap helps them understand files such as videos, images and news articles.

If you want to appear in search results, a site map lets the browser (and others) crawl your site and index your pages. XML Sitemap Generator for Google is a simple plugin that does the heavy lifting for you. Let’s look at its capabilities.

XML Sitemap Generator for Google Top Features

The sitemap generator plugin has a 4.8-star rating out of five stars on WordPress.org, with over 2,152 reviews. More importantly, the support forum is responsive. For example, at the time of writing this article, someone had posted a question and received a response in under 48 hours. 

An active support forum means you may find the answer to your question already in the files. If not, you can post asking for help and someone should respond. 

Some of the elements we appreciated in this plugin included:

• Free under the GPL 
• Translations available 
• Tutorials on how to submit your site map
• Generate HTML, RSS and other types of sitemaps
• Custom configuration options

You might notice in one heading, the tool is called Google XML Sitemaps and then listed as XML Sitemap Generator for Google in another. We will call it the longer name because that is how it is listed in the Plugins tab of the WordPress dashboard. 

How to Install and Configure XML Sitemap Generator for Google

The easiest way to install the plugin is via the WordPress dashboard

Log into your website’s dashboard. Navigate to Plugins/Add New. Search for XML Sitemap Generator for Google. The plugin will pull up. You want the one authored by Auctollo. Click the “Install Now” button. 

Once the software downloads, click on “Activate.” 

Open the Program

You’ll find the program under the “Settings” tab in the left sidebar. Hover over it and a submenu appears. XML Sitemap appears near the bottom of the list, depending on what other plugins you have installed.  Click on the words and the program page appears. 

Customize the Settings

The creators of XML Sitemap Generator for Google say it is perfectly fine to leave your settings alone and go with what they’ve already defaulted to in most cases. Should you wish to customize, you can choose or toggle on and off the following options:

• Notify Google about updates 
• Add sitemap URL to virtual robots.txt 
• Increase memory limit 
• Increase execution time 
• Add subdirectories 
• Exclude some categories or pages

You can also add subdirectories and make other refinements. Unless you are familiar with the settings or received help from the support community, it is best to leave the settings as they are.

Finished Sitemap

Keep in mind that the sitemap the program generates initially won’t stay the same. As you update your site and add content, your sitemap continuously changes. You’ll want to either automatically or manually notify search engines of anything new. 

Will You Rank Higher in Search Engines?

Creating a sitemap alone won’t help your SEO. However, you’ll have a better chance of being discovered by search engines and included in their search engine results pages (SERPs). 

You must still embrace good SEO practices. Consider the 88,225 advertising agencies in the United States and you can imagine how many websites you might be competing with to grab user attention. Anything you can do to up your rank and grab attention helps. 

At a minimum, a sitemap gives you a chance to index the various sections of your site. Users will be better able to find exactly what they need when seeking a page via the browser. When traffic is more relevant, it’s much more likely you’ll gain users who might make a purchase.

A sitemap also gives you a blueprint to ensure you’re using the best navigational hierarchy possible. Most sitemap generators, including XML Sitemap Generator for Google, give you an HTML map option. Site owners can use the layout to double check everything is where it should be and come up with new categories and ways to organize their pages.

You can also use the map to ensure you don’t have any huge gaps in information. Look for big topics you might not yet have covered and compare to what else is out there. 

When Should You Install a Sitemap?

Now is always the right time to add a sitemap to your website. Search engines can start indexing pages not already in their system and you’ll show up in relevant results. XML Sitemap Generator for Google is an excellent tool to help you achieve this and is easy to use, even for beginners with no coding experience. 

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Some people say they hate sliders in web design. While they can bog down a site, most modern users have lightning fast internet speeds and don’t mind scrolling to the side to see additional items. MetaSlider and other slider plugins offer an opportunity to create a streamlined design when you have a gallery of images you need to share with users.

For example, an author might use a slider to showcase books in a series or their latest releases. An e-commerce store can highlight bestsellers and other companies can show off article posts or other news without taking up too much digital real estate on their site. Let’s jump right into what MetaSlider does and if it’s right for your brand image. 

MetaSlider Top Features

The slider plugin has a 4.5-star rating on WordPress.org, with only a handful of lower ratings mixed in. Some of the positive things people say about this plugin is that you can use a picture and add text, translate to other languages and the free version offers a ton of options you won’t get in unpaid options for similar software. 

One of our staff members recently tried this plugin for showcasing novels she writes. She found it to be intuitive and have multiple purposes outside of highlighting a few images. Some of the features we particularly like and think you’ll appreciate as well include:

• Beautiful templates available even with the free version 
• Compatible with Classic Editor or Gutenberg Blocks 
• Responsive to desktop and mobile Integrates with other plugins, in particular WooCommerce
• Can schedule blocks ahead of time for upcoming releases or new product arrivals

MetaSlider is a feature-rich tool that serves the purposes of nearly any industry. The numerous ways to utilize it without upgrading to a pro option make it even more desirable. 

How to Install and Configure MetaSlider

You can install MetaSlider in several different ways. The simplest option is to login to your WordPress Dashboard. In the left side panel, click on Plugins. 

Choose the “Add New” button. Search for “MetaSlider.” The software should pop up as your first option. It looks like the screenshot above. Hit “Install Now” and then “Activate.”

MetaSlider should now appear as an option on your left side panel under Tools and Settings. Hover over the words and icon for more options or click on it to go to Home for the plugin.

If you navigate to “Help & Settings,” you’ll gain access to some basic settings and a help center. You can set up things such as the base image width and height, which is crucial if you’re showcasing products with a narrow width. You can also set some other defaults so you don’t have to constantly make adjustments while building a slideshow.

The help center features in-depth documentations, free basic support via WordPress.org and a paid premium support feature where you can pay and get additional help and customizations. 

How to Build Your First MetaSlider 

To create a slider, start by navigating to the Home tab for the plugin. You can do this by clicking on the word “MetaSlider” in the left sidebar or hovering and clicking on the link to “Home.”

You’ll see a screen like the image above. Click on “Add New.”

To create a slideshow, figure out what images you want to use and then for each one, choose “Add Slide.”

You can add an image by choosing to upload, selecting something from your media library or tapping into the Unsplash library. If you want to use feeds from posts, you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro version, but it’s quite cost effective to do so annually. You can also insert a YouTube video, Vimeo or use an external URL. 

Once you choose an image for a slide, you can link to a URL, add words or descriptions and choose to open a click in a new window. On the right are some additional options. You’ll notice you can set the width and height for each individual image/slide. If you scroll down further, you have some advanced options, such as show dots to move from slide to slide or hide them, automatically move a slideshow or alignment, next arrows and even scrolling speed. 

The best way we found to learn this software is to play around with the different settings until you get the look you want.

How to Place MetaSlider Into a Page or Post

Once you’re happy with the look of your slider, you can insert it anywhere you’d like. Copy the shortcode as shown above. It is the orange text, even though you’ll see some PHP code around it. While you can certainly utilize the PHP code for a permanent header, for most uses, there is no need to highlight anything other than the shortcode or orange text.

Place the shortcode wherever you’d like. If you’re using Gutenberg blocks, you’ll want to click on the plus sign and search for “/shortcode.” The box type should pop up and you can then insert this code in place. For classic editor, simply paste the code into the position you want it to appear, either in the visual or the text editor. 

The plugin is free to install and use. With the free version, you can upload your own images or use royalty free ones from UnSplash. If you need additional features, upgrade to the Pro version to gain access to more templates, add the ability to post from your feed and access features such as inserting YouTube, Vimeo and other elements into your sliders. 

Is it worth an upgrade? If you want to have a bit more flexibility or like starting with a theme and tweaking it, then the Pro version is right for you. One site license costs $79 per year but you can often find it on sale for half off for the first year. If you have multiple sites, you can get an unlimited license for only $99.50 per year. With the Pro plan, you gain access to professional support, which is faster and more in-depth than what you’ll get on the free version. 

Test Other Slider Plugins

While we loved MetaSlider and found it highly intuitive and easy to use, there are many different options for creating a slider on your site. Don’t be shy about testing them out, but be aware that almost all require an upgrade to access particular features. Depending on your needs, you may be able to find the one that offers just what you want for no upcharge. 

As with any update to your site, we highly recommend you create a full backup before adding plugins or tweaking themes. While it is rare to completely destroy a site while completing edits, it is always a possibility. It takes just a few minutes to create a backup and can save you days of headache having to completely rebuild a site.

Why MetaSlider Won Plugin of the Month

We recently wrote a piece on best practices for carousel web design. Carousels/sliders have gotten a really bad wrap from some designers. People either love them or hate them. However, we firmly believe there is a place for the lowly slider to help you showcase certain aspects while not overwhelming the user with lengthy intros.

In a fast-paced world where it’s crucial to get to the point quickly, a carousel does just that. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so adding several to the top of a page has a lot of impact on users. 

One thing we’ve noticed in the last year is the number of advice articles firmly stating to never do something or always do something. Web design is much more fluid than never breaking a rule. Instead, we want our readers to know there is a time and a place for almost anything when it comes to web design. There is a time and place for sliders.

After deciding to write on this topic, it was just a matter of testing out a variety of sliders and coming up with the one that we felt hit all the high notes of usability and aesthetics. We hope you enjoy playing around with this plugin as much as we did.

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Website owners want to engage customers and encourage comments. However, the number of spammers and trolls can make even the most positive page turn negative quickly. If you spend more time deleting spam and moderating conversational fires than you do creating new content, it’s time to look at a tool such as Disable Comments.

We looked at another WordPress plugin called AntiSpam Bee in the past. With over 283 spam emails every day, the amount of spam comments isn’t surprising. However, it is crucial for web designers to have various options in their arsenal to combat the aggravating messages and website comment takeovers. 

We decided to test and share Disable Comments as another option to disable scammers from targeting website visitors. You’ll clean up your comment section and keep the focus on the primary topic. 

Disable Comments Top Features

The software has 4.5 out of five stars on WordPress.org, with a breakdown of 241 five-star reviews, three each of three and four-star feedback, one two-star review and 18 single-star ratings. The majority of more than one million users seem to love the plugin. 

We felt this WP plugin worth mentioning as an option for a comment management tool because of these features:

• Override all comments 
• Disable comments on certain pages and posts 
• Remove commenting on multisite networks
• Easy installation
• Compatible with PHP 5.6 and higher
• Over 40 languages

Disable Comments is a simple tool that targets one particular aspect of your WordPress website. Installation requires two simple steps. 

How to Install and Configure Disable Comments

Installing and setting up Disable Comments is simple because the plugin is part of the WordPress repository. While you can download it from their website or WordPress.org, it’s just as easy to navigate to your dashboard and install from the plugins tab. 

Once you’ve installed and activated the plugin, getting to the settings is a little different than some programs. Instead of navigating to “tools,” go to “settings” in the left sidebar. 

Note the numerous tutorials listed on the left side of the settings page. You can go to the WPDeveloper site and read more about issues you might encounter.

Most of the features are a one-click yes or no option. You can make choices such as:

• Disable comments everywhere 
• Disable on specific post types with options for posts, pages and media 
• Exclude disabling based on user roles. For example, editors can have the ability to comment but not site visitors. The system works well with a membership site, too. 

Under the “Delete Comments” tab, you have the option to permanently delete all comments on your WordPress website or from certain types of posts. You can also choose to get rid of pingbacks and spam comments.

The plugin is free to install and use. Many comments plugins don’t require a pro version or any sort of upgrade to function as intended. 

Be Aware of Issues

Before installing and testing the software, make sure you backup your site. As with any plugin, it can break your site and you’ll have to go in and reset some things. As a staffer was testing this particular plugin, her test site went down as having a critical error. The fix to get it back up was fairly simple because she had a backup from just before the update. 

Keeping a backup of your website files and your database is smart any time you install or use a new plugin. Any changes to your site should start with general housekeeping, including backing up and then updating other plugins. It may seem tedious work, but it’s crucial to fixing issues you might encounter along the way.

Why Disable Comments Won Plugin of the Month

We chose Disable Comments this month because the amount of spam comments on websites continues to increase. Spammers and hackers find more ways to target unsuspecting users and website owners each year. 

Around 52% of people use the same passwords on every site they have an account on. If someone gains access to just one password, they have it for everything, which is frightening. While you can add additional security plugins and measures, which we talk about on this site, you also can add things that dissuade spammers and hackers from bothering with your website in the first place. 

One thing we’ve noticed in recent months is an increase on staff member sites where spammers use the comment tool to send spam. Instead of a note with a question from a valid lead, the inbox is filled with daily spam trying to sell a product. Oftentimes, the product is similar to what the site already offers.

Because we deal with it nonstop, we figure our readers do as well. There’s no reason for anyone to wade through endless spam posts to get to the crucial details needed to run a successful business. Disable Comments is just one more tool to improve your site.

Should You Allow Commenting on Your WP Site?

Considering how many spammers try to comment on websites, you might wonder if you should just disable the feature completely. While the plugin provides that option, you might want to reconsider if you have an engaged audience. 

Valid site visitors might have a question about a blog post or want to add their own expertise. If the comment is valuable, it should stay. Utilize tools like Disable Comments to keep cyber-annoyances under control while still creating an engaging website people want to subscribe to.

The post Disable Comments – Remove Comments & Stop Spam appeared first on Designerly.

Adding tables to a website helps break information up and keep things aligned down the page and across the rows. However, customizing tables isn’t always an easy task in WordPress. If you don’t have coding skills or are a bit rusty on using them for tables, you may wind up with something that looks like gobbledygook. Enter TablePress, which does the heavy lifting for you and creates beautiful, searchable, customizable tables quickly. 

Each month, Designerly picks a new WordPress plugin to feature. We’ve looked at topics such as SEO, security and image optimization. However, adding to the aesthetics of a website is also an important function, so we turned to that category for this month. 

A member of our team recently utilized TablePress for an event website they created. Becoming more familiar with the plugin and its capabilities made us turn to it as a possible contender for WP Plugin of the Month and it made the cut. 

Around 43.1% of websites use the content management system (CMS) WordPress. That means about 810 million websites tap into the powerful themes, plugins and functions of the software every day. 

TablePress Top Features

Here at Designerly, we test a lot of plugins for our site, other brand sites and clients. Not all software works just the way you want it to. Most require some sort of pro upgrade to get to the basic things you need. One thing we liked about TablePress is that it meets the basic needs of many websites without a need for a professional version.

Tobias Bathge created TablePress. It’s available at https://tablepress.org and on the WordPress.org website under Plugins. 

The plugin is rich in features right out of the box. 

Table Management and Editing

Creating a table is fairly intuitive, especially if the table is a simple one. Plug in the number of columns and rows and a mock table appears. Input text or HTML code right into the plugin form and save. You then use a shortcode or use a block to place the table where you want it to appear for site visitors. 

Unlimited Tables

One thing we love about the free version of TablePress is that you can create as many tables as you’d like. Some free versions of software limit how much of something you can create before upgrading to the pro version. 

CSS Customization

The basic version also allows you to customize the look of the table with CSS code. While you are limited on a few things, you can get the free version to match your site aesthetically without much coding skill needed. 

Add Images

You can also add images to the boxes in the free version, which gives the entire table a more professional look at zero cost other than your time.  

Do I Need the Pro Version of TablePress?

TablePress offers two upgraded versions of their software–Professional and Max. You will gain some functionality by upgrading to a paid version as well as additional support. Some of the features include:

• Automatically responsive tables
• Fixed headers for rows and columns
• Row grouping, such as by keyword
• Cell and row highlighting

Let’s dig into what comes with each package and why it might be a good option based on your needs. 

We’ve already discussed the free package. We highly recommend you activate the app and try out the basic TablePress before upgrading. You may find it suits your needs. We found many workarounds, such as using HTML code to create a button and checking off a box that enabled horizontal scrolling to create responsiveness for a smaller screen. 

Pro

The Pro package upgrades quite a few features, including:

• Buttons 
• Column Filter Dropdowns 
• Alphabetical Search 
• Search Highlighting 
• Search Panes 
• Row Filtering 
• Automatically Export Tables 
• Fixed Rows and Columns

You’ll gain these features for around $79 per year. TablePress sometimes offers 10% off deals, which they feature at the top of their page. One thing to keep in mind with an upgraded package is that the cost will repeat every year until you cancel. Make sure your site is bringing in enough revenue to support all the upgrade investments with this and other plugins. 

Max

The Max package may be best suited for larger companies needing to create lengthy tables for an organization. You’ll gain: 

• Priority Support 
• Custom Search Builder 
• Automatic Periodic Table Imports 
• Advanced Loading 
• Server-Side Processing 
• REST API

The Max package runs $189 per year. Most smaller businesses and marketing/design firms won’t need this level of support or features. 

How to Install, Configure & Use TablePress

TablePress is simple to install and the learning curve is short with the plugin. You’ll find documentation on the website and YouTube videos, such as the one above, to help you understand any features that aren’t appearing quite the way you’d like. 

We tested the plugin and found it to be one of the easiest ones to understand. The backend has excellent UX. 

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

The easiest way to install TablePress is via the dashboard on your WordPress dashboard. Simply click on Plugins/Add New/Search for TablePress/Click Install and Activate.

Step 2: Make Your First Table

From your Dashboard, navigate to the TablePress icon on the left side. Click on the tab reading “Add New.” A box like the one above will appear. You can then name your table, choose the number of rows and columns and check off the features of the table. 

For example, you can have the first row serve as a header, take away or add a search feature and so much more. When you right click on a cell, you’ll find options such as “Insert Link,” “Insert Image” and “Advanced Editor.”

Step 3: Add the Table to a Page or Post

Adding tables to pages and posts is as easy as inputting shortcode or pulling it in via a block in Gutenberg. To locate the shortcode, pull up the list of tables under “All Tables.” Select the table you wish to include and copy the shortcode, which is located in the box to the right of the Table ID. 

Step 4: Tweak the Settings

Even the basic version of the plugin comes with some customized styling options through CSS commands. You can find documentation on the creator’s website as well as detailed FAQs and answers to other people’s questions.

Play around with the settings until you achieve the look and feel that best matches the look of your site. 

Is TablePress Right For Your Site?

If you’re looking for a simple and low budget option to add tables to your site, TablePress has a lot to offer. The basic version is rich in features and the Pro and Max versions are reasonably priced. The developer seems responsive to questions at this time. It’s at least worth a try.

The post TablePress appeared first on Designerly.

Nonprofits often have a difficult time figuring out how best to reach new donors and help their organization thrive. That’s one of the reasons we were so excited to come across GiveWP and feature it as a WordPress plugin.

While we typically focus on small businesses, marketing agencies, designers and their needs, not-for-profit organizations have similar needs when it comes to web design and plugins. 

Independent Sector’s quarterly review of the United States nonprofit sector estimated about 1.8 million not-for-profit organizations in the country. People tend to have their favorite charities they donate to. If you want to attract new supporters, you must find ways to make giving as easy and intuitive as possible. 

When we stumbled across donation apps, we spent a bit of time studying different options for nonprofits that were affordable and easy enough for any size organization to use. Whether you run a small animal rescue or a large nonprofit backed by big names, GiveWP should fill the gap. 

GiveWP Top Free Features

GiveWP has over 100,000 active installations and 590 reviews with a 4.5 out of 5-star rating. The company estimates over $250 million has been raised with the help of their plugin since 2015. 

The free version of the plugin is filled with features. Users can also purchase add-ons if the free version doesn’t quite meet their needs. Their blog is also a helpful resource, offering advice about improving fundraising efforts. Here are a few of our favorite things about GiveWP.

Custom Forms

One thing we liked about this plugin was how easy it is to customize and make it match the overall design of your website. You can fully integrate it into what you’re already doing without spending a small fortune on one-off solutions. 

Multi-Step Forms

One thing we love about this WP plugin is the way you can customize the buyer’s journey. As the person moves through the sales funnel on your nonprofit website, they first click on a “Donate Now” button and then move to a page with common amounts listed. Each page has only a step or two to keep the person moving through the funnel and highly engaged. 

Donor Wall

The plugin allows you to create a donor wall and give contributors recognition. You can even let people leave a few words of encouragement or a note about why they chose to give to the cause. 

You could also combine the plugin with MemberPress and offer special promotions, such as a free book with donation. 

Dashboard

Your donors can login and check out their past giving, download receipts for tax purposes or set up recurring payments to your organization. Allowing access to basic donor information saves your administration staff time to focus on building a bigger following. 

Favorite Paid Features

Need a little more flexibility than the free version of the plugin offers? GiveWP offers quite a few basic and premium add-ons. You can buy any single feature for $79 per year for basic ones and $149 per year for premium. However, your best value might be in their package prices, which we’ll talk about under the pricing section of this page. 

Some of the add-on features you can invest in include:

Custom Fields 

Rather than relying on the basic forms already created based on what’s popular, you can customize your forms for anything you can think of. For example, if you’re running an event where participants will get a T-shirt, you can request their tee size. 

Recurring Donations 

Do you want donors to be able to select recurring donations and give to you monthly or quarterly? This add-on creates a checkbox to make setting up the recurring donation simple. 

Currency Switcher

Do you want to reach donors around the world? Expand your supporter list by allowing people to donate in the currency of their choice. 

Fee Recovery

The costs of processing payments can eat into your donations. Give your supporters a chance to help you recover some of those fees. 

Designations

Do you have a number of causes you’re supporting? You can allow your donors to indicate which cause they want the donation to go to. The add-on is particularly useful to charities such as churches, where donors might give money for a general fund or special events, such as a youth retreat. 

Do I Need GiveWP Add-Ons?

Each organization is unique. Your fundraising campaigns will dictate which add-ons might be best for your needs. For example, the peer-to-peer fundraising feature might benefit a charity wanting to gain new followers. 

The price for adding on features can add up. As mentioned above, you can buy any basic add-on for $79 per year and any premium for $149 per year. The one exception is the peer-to-peer capabilities, which run more. 

The better value is one of the giving plugin’s packages. 

• Basic: All basic add-ons for $149 per year. You gain access to all payment gateways, as well, for a single site. 
• Plus: $349 per year gives you everything in Basic plus all premium add-ons and recurring donations. 
• Pro: Runs $499 per year and gives you all basic and premium add-ons plus peer-to-peer fundraising. 
• Agency: Runs $599 per year and gives you everything but for up to five different websites. 

Since just a single basic add-on runs $79, paying for a Basic package covers the cost of two and gives you all the others as bonuses. 

How to Install and Configure GiveWP

GiveWP is one of the most intuitive programs we’ve seen for nonprofit websites running on WordPress. Installing and configuring the plugin happens in a few simple steps. 

Step 1: Install the Plugin

You can add GiveWP two different ways. You could download it from the website or from WordPress.org and upload it under Plugins/Add New/Upload Plugin. Alternatively, you can click on Plugins/Add New and search for the term “GiveWP” to find the correct plugin and automatically install it. 

We tend to prefer the second method, but it really makes no difference which you use. You can, of course, also upload the files to the plugins folder via FTP and then activate in your dashboard. 

Step 2: Change Settings

The GiveWP website offers a live demo so you can try it before you install the program. Once you’ve activated the plugin, you’ll see a tab on the left sidebar titled “Donations.” Hover over the tab and choose “Settings.” 

From here, you can tap into many pre-installed features such as a success page and choosing payment gateways. Set up automated emails under the Emails tab. 

Step 3: View Reports

We love how you can see your donor information at a glance, including the last time they gave and how much. You can even see if they’re a one-time donor or repeat supporter. Other reports include how much is in each fund and favorite donation methods. 

Isn’t It Easier to Just Take PayPal Donations?

While organizations can certainly take donations from various third-party websites, the convenience of having a central donation spot means you can tap into different payment types and keep track of giving. 

While organizations don’t necessarily need a giving plugin, as with many other digital tools, it makes the entire process easier for users and the charity. We suggest giving the free version a try or taking their live demo for a spin and seeing how it ramps up your fundraising efforts. 

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With over 60,000 plugins on WordPress.org, choosing a new one to focus on each month isn’t an easy process. We looked at Really Simple SSL as a way for website owners to beef up their security. It’s also one of the most popular plugins if you browse through what’s available and often pops up in top 10 lists for WordPress plugins. 

How do we narrow down the options each month? We start by looking at what’s new, popular or most useful. Then, we think about which plugins we have experience with or perhaps use for this site or another one. The staff also reads user reviews, considers aspects such as how much pro features cost and how easy the plugin is to install. 

More companies than ever before see the importance of investing in cybersecurity. Around 69% of organizations say they’ll increase spending, and around 26% predict a 10% or more increase over last year. 

However, smaller brands may not have the extra funds to spend on shoring up their databases and websites. If you run a small online retailer, for example, you might need every penny for website hosting, inventory and promotions. Enter plugins to ramp up your security and ensure you aren’t the victim of a cyberattack before you even get started. 

What Is an SSL?

Before you try to understand what Really Simple SSL is, it’s important for you to know what an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is in the online world. When owning a website, maintaining your users’ trust is crucial.

An SSL is like a lock that secures the front door of a store. It protects your online business, assuring visitors that any details they share stay private. Whether they share an email address or credit card information, having an SSL certificate will inform users and Google that your website is secure. 

Users will know your site is safe when the address starts with “https://” and there’s a little padlock icon next to it. The padlock will signal users they’re in a secure space when visiting your business’s website. 

This simple padlock may not seem like much, but a lot is going on behind the scenes. Whenever a customer interacts with your site, an SSL ensures the information shared is encrypted, turning it into a secret code. So, if any online eavesdroppers try to intercept this data, they’ll only see scrambled, indecipherable text. 

Really Simple SSL Overview

Really Simple SSL is a handy plugin that makes sure your website’s connection is safe and secure. When you have a website, you want to ensure all the information going in and out is private. Really Simple SSL helps with this by putting a seal in place. 

Typically, business owners would pay extra for an SSL certificate if their website host doesn’t offer this as a service. Plus, setting up this secure connection can get tricky. However, Really Simple SSL fills in this need, allowing you to integrate your certificate seamlessly onto your website.

Instead of you having to fiddle with complex settings, this tool does most of the heavy lifting for you. With a few clicks, it helps you turn on this secure mode for your entire WordPress site.

Really Simple SSL Top Features

Really Simple SSL is a plugin that works behind the scenes to protect your site from cybercriminals. You won’t have to figure out a bunch of coding or change files. Instead, you can make changes with a few simple clicks. 

Although we’ve used this plugin in the past, it is definitely one of those set-it-and-forget-it programs. To become more familiar with the features, we read through WordPress plugin reviews, thoughts on Really Simple SSL and tested out some of the features as though trying it for the first time.

Our favorite features of Really Simple SSL included:

One-Click Migration

Switching your site from http to https helps you avoid that dreaded “site not secure” warning when site visitors land on your page. However, the process of moving all your files from http to https and installing an SSL certificate is tedious. 

The advantage of Really Simple SSL is that you can do all those things with a click or two. You’ll save time and won’t accidentally mess up code. 

Server Health Check

The plugin comes with a server health check so you can see at a glance any issues with your site. The way your server is configured can impact how easily hackers gain access. Know what changes to make to your configuration to harden your security. 

Improve Website Trust

In a recent study of 36,000 people across 28 countries, researchers found 61% of people trusted businesses above government and media. However, customers also must feel they can trust you to protect their information from hackers. 

An SSL certificate is a basic requirement for people to feel they can share their personal details and not worry about it falling into the wrong hands. 

Frequent Updates

Even if a WP plugin is easy to use and provides a needed service, if it isn’t kept up to date, it is next to worthless over time. Fortunately, Really Simple SSL made the cut when we looked at how frequently the program receives updates. The last one is listed as occurring a mere three weeks ago.

Although they do upgrade the version from time to time, the creators keep the software at the cutting edge of cybersecurity. 

Free SSL Certificate

You could go and buy a certificate and that is preferred by many. However, if you’re on a tight budget, you might appreciate that you can use one of the free certificates in conjunction with Really Simple SSL. 

Do I Need the Pro Version of Really Simple SSL?

The program is free for anyone to use, but like many plugins you’ll gain more features by upgrading from the lite version to the pro version. Some of the things you’ll gain with the pro version include: 

• Force visitors to use https with HSTS preload
• Mixed content fixer 
• Email support 
• In-depth scans and fixes

Users have three options for packages.

Personal

The least expensive package is an excellent option for small business owners with a single site or for personal use. 

For $39, you can upgrade to this package and gain help with security headers, mixed content fixer, premium support and more hardening features. 

Professional

With the professional package, you’ll pay $99 for one year of support and updates but you’ll gain all you would in the personal package plus you can use it on up to five different domains. 

Agency

Bigger operations, with multiple websites, will want the Agency package. You’ll have all the same features but for $199 you can use it for up to 25 domains and you’ll gain the multisite plugin option. 

Our advice is to start with the lite version for free, see how you like it and go from there. You can upgrade at any time. 

How to Install and Configure Really Simple SSL

Installing Really Simple SSL is not complex at all. Installation is pretty straightforward. The quickest way to install the plugin is via your WP dashboard. However, you can also download it from WordPress.org or the Really Simple SSL website.

Step 1: Install Really Simple SSL

If you’re familiar with locating and installing plugins, you can skip this section. 

• Navigate to your WordPress dashboard.
• On the left, click on “Plugins/Add New.”
• In the search box, type in “Really Simple SSL.”
• Click on the Install button.
• Once the program installs, click on “Activate.”

The program will automatically detect your setup. 

Step 2: Activate SSL

A popup box will appear and ask you to change a few things and let you know if there is already an SSL certificate in place. If you want to do the checks listed automatically, you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro version.

You can then click the blue “Activate SSL” button to move forward.

Step 3: Tweak Settings

Screenshot from installation video

You can make adjustments from the Really Simple SSL dashboard. You can adjust things such as redirects, notifications, upgrade to Pro or get support. 

You should also test your site to ensure pages pull up properly and appear as secure.

Why Would You Use Really Simple SSL?

If you have a WordPress website, you want to be sure your site is secure. While Really Simple SSL takes care of this for you, there are other reasons why you would like to use this plugin:

• Building Trust: When visitors see “https://” and a padlock on your site, they immediately feel safer. Users can trust your site is secure, allowing you to gain their trust. Building a trusting relationship with your customers is crucial — it can make the difference between a sale and a visitor leaving your site.
• Simplicity and time-saving: Setting up an SSL on your own can be challenging if you don’t know what you’re doing. Really Simple SSL makes this task easy by putting all the puzzle pieces together for you. Instead of hiring experts or spending hours in setup, your website becomes secure in just a few minutes. Time saved can be time invested elsewhere in your business. 
• Better search rankings: Search engines like Google prefer secure websites. By using Really Simple SSL, you’re also boosting your website’s search rankings. Higher visibility means more potential customers. 
• Avoid Warning Messages: Without SSL, some browsers warn visitors that your site might not be safe. This can prevent them from using your site, but Really Simple SSL ensures visitors have a smooth experience. 

Why You May Not Want to Use Really Simple SSL

While Really Simple SSL is great, there are a few reasons you may not need it:

• More plugins, more problems: Adding too many plugins can slow your website down. Speed is crucial for keeping visitors happy.
• Compatibility issues: Sometimes, plugins don’t play well together. Really Simple SSL might not work perfectly with all your themes or plugins. 
• Over-reliance: It’s easy to forget the basics. Relying solely on plugins might make you overlook other important security practices.

Before adding a plugin, always back up your website and check reviews to ensure it’s a good fit. 

Should You Use Really Simple SSL? 

You can complete the tasks to take your site from HTTP to HTTPS manually. It will take a bit more time. If you aren’t familiar with the process, you could miss a step and leave your site vulnerable or not working properly.

To avoid the dreaded site not secure notices or other issues, it’s probably best to let this or another SSL plugin do the heavy lifting for you. You’ll save time and aggravation and your site will be secure. 

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Although we often focus on the most used WordPress plugins for this monthly feature, there are times when you need to use a plugin to move your site or for some other purpose. Most users only utilize these plugins occasionally. However, when you need one, it’s good to know which ones work best and what makes them stand out from other options. 

Designerly staff spends time each month thinking through the plugins that have been most useful to us and our clients over the years. Sometimes the choice in which one to feature is clear. It’s something that helps SEO or a regular task. Then, there are times when we look at a plugin we’ve used in the past and found beneficial. 

Since it’s a new year and many website owners are changing to more reliable servers or even moving from a shared hosting situation to a dedicated one, we thought looking at a migration plugin seemed like the obvious choice. It wasn’t hard to choose the All-in-One WP Migration WP plugin as it has so many amazing features for users. 

COVID-19 forced many businesses online that otherwise would have waited a lot longer to move to a digital model. IBISWorld recently looked at some of the patterns of business owners opening online stores. Researchers predict 2023 will see around 28% of business conducted online, which equals an annual 3.6% growth rate between 2018 and present. 

All-in-One WP Migration Top Features

All-in-One WP Migration is one such plugin that you won’t use frequently but will be thrilled to have when you do need to move your WordPress website. You may still need to tweak a few settings and upload files, but All-in-One WP Migration does most of the work for you. 

It had been a while since we used this plugin, so we took some time to really dig into it and see what features are most beneficial to our readers. It didn’t take long to understand why people installed the plugin over five million times. 

One-Click Transfers 

If you’ve ever migrated your website, you know how complex the process can be. With All-in-One WP Migration, you just install the plugin on the old version of your site, backup and download everything and then install and upload to the new site on the new server. In theory, the entire process is seamless.

Secure 

The plugin has the highest security standards possible. WP can be a target for attackers. Perhaps it is because approximately 455 million sites use WordPress, with more coming into the fold every day. Whatever the reason, you want a plugin that the developers update frequently to protect it from vulnerabilities. 

Personal Support 

When users run into a bug or problem with the software, they can contact the developers for help. All-in-One WP Migration even lists that they’re available on their website, so users know they can get in touch. 

Integrations 

All-in-One WP Migration integrates with cloud-based services, including Google Drive. OneDrive, Dropbox, Azure, Google Cloud, Amazon S3, Digital Ocean and BackBlaze. The software works with other services, but is well-tested with the better known ones. 

Multiple Languages 

All-in-One WP Migration comes in 53 languages. Some of the more popular ones include:

• English
• French
• Spanish 
• Arabic 
• Japanese 
• Portuguese 
• Russian 
• Italian 
• German 

The full list of available languages explains where the team is in the development process. 

Automatic Backups

The plugin automatically stores a backup copy for you when you export your files. Even if you have a crash and complete meltdown during a migration, you’ll still be able to recover your files.

Easy for Beginners

The plugin’s design allows even those with paltry technical knowledge to jump in and start using All-in-One WP Migration almost immediately. There is very little learning curve with the program. 

Do I Need the Pro Version of the All-in-One WP Migration Plugin?

The All-in-One WP Migration plugin is free. The non-pro version works well for smaller sites and basic needs. However, if your site is large or you have more complex needs, you might consider upgrading.

However, if your site is over 512 MB or so, you’ll want to purchase a premium upgrade that allows you to integrate with the cloud provider of your choice. Instead of paying a single price for every add-on, you can buy only what you need separately. 

How to Install and Configure All-in-One WP Migration

Either download All-in-One WP Migration from WordPress.org or Servmask.com and upload it to your plugins folder, or install it directly from your WP dashboard. Activate the plugin.

Configure All-in-One WP Migration

Once you’ve installed the plugin and activated it, it’s time to set it up. Using this plugin is fairly straightforward. If you need to purchase professional options because you have a larger site, a lot of images or multiple sites to move, you should add on pro options before you finish configurations.

The directions below are based on not having any pro plugins.

Step #1: Navigate to the All-in-One WP Migration Tab

First step is to create an export of your website. If you have a larger site, you’ll run into errors downloading and uploading the site. This can be your indication you should invest in the professional version of the plugin. Rates for add-ons vary, but expect to pay around $99 to migrate directly from your current server to a cloud-based one on the list of available options.

Step #2: Import Copy

Navigate to the new location for your site and upload by dragging and dropping your backup file. If the file is larger than 2 MB, you’ll need to upgrade to set the file upload size to a larger one or integrate with your new server. 

Step # 3: Test Your Site

Although the All-in-One WP Migration plugin saves website owners a ton of work and time, it isn’t foolproof. You could find you migrate your site and are missing some images, links are broken and so on. 

Make sure you click through every link and double-check each page for accuracy. You may find you need the aid of a few other top WP plugins to make sure links work, for example. 

Should You Use WP Migration or Manually Download and Upload Files?

You can migrate your site either way. All-in-One WP Migration speeds up the process of moving your site. However, a manual installation may ensure you don’t miss any crucial files you need later. Since most small business owners are short on time, it doesn’t hurt to give a plugin like this one a try and see how well it works for you.

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The game of excellent search engine optimization (SEO) changes almost constantly. Google comes up with new algorithms, social media takes actions that push results down people’s feeds and your site might benefit or suffer depending on the day. All in One SEO is a WordPress plugin that helps you navigate some of the tried and tested rules of SEO.

Driving traffic to your site requires constant vigilance and effort. Finding an SEO plugin helps take much of the guesswork out of the attempt to rank as high as possible in search results. 

Some of the biggest shifts in the SEO industry include more reliance on machine learning and AI. In a recent survey, 18.7% of company leaders cited AI as a big part of their SEO strategy moving forward. 

SEO plugins help fill the gap for smaller businesses on a tight budget. We looked at several options for SEO plugins before deciding on our favorites. All in One was the one we went with because they offer both a free and Pro version to suit the needs of all budgets. 

AIO SEO Top Features

All in One (AIO) SEO is an SEO plugin and toolkit used by more than three million websites. When one searches for SEO plugins, it pops up in almost every list imaginable as a feature-rich option. Here are some of our favorite things this plugin offers:

• On-Page Analysis 
• Add Title Tags 
• Rank for Rich Snippets 
• Tweak Meta Descriptions 
• Get Related Keywords 
• Gain Suggestions on Improving Readability 
• See If You Used Keywords Enough and in Right Places 
• Integrate with Social 
• Smart XML Sitemaps 
• SEO Audits

Almost all features come with the free version of the plugin, but you will gain some more functionality with a paid option. 

How to Configure All in One SEO 

You can find All in One SEO on your dashboard under Plugins/New, at the WordPress.org website or on the AIO SEO site. The easiest way to install is via your dashboard, but any process works well. Install and Activate the plugin and then go through the steps to set up AIO SEO. 

Step 1: Launch the Setup Wizard

The easiest way to set up AIO is through the Setup Wizard. Click on the AIO SEO tab in the left sidebar and this is the page that appears for you. You can also click on the link to read the setup guide if there is any obscure setting you’re uncertain about. 

Step 2: Import Data

If you have any other SEO plugins set up, you can import your settings and data and save a lot of time.  You can also skip this step if you prefer. In reality, Yoast SEO and AOI SEO are not compatible. My website gave me some conflict warnings. However, I don’t plan to keep them both, so for the purposes of talking about setups, I’ve left it alone. 

Step 3: Choose a Category

AOI SEO will then ask you to choose a category for your website. Options include:

• Blog 
• News Channel 
• Corporation 
• Portfolio 
• Online Store 
• Small Offline Business 
• Other

Choose whatever is closest to your business model. Most small companies have a blog, but your focus might be on e-commerce or a portfolio of your work. 

Step 4: Fill in Information

Scroll down and you’ll see additional fields to input information about your site and improve SEO. You should select a Page Title, add a tagline, set up a meta description and hit the “Save and Continue” button. 

The next page picks up your social profiles and personal information to help lend authority to your site. You can input various social media platforms you have a presence on such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Yelp!

Step 5: Enable SEO Features

Your next step is to enable the SEO features you want to use on your website. Options include:

• Optimized Search Appearance 
• Sitemaps 
• Analytics 
• Conversion Tools 

There are also some added features when you upgrade to Pro, such as: 

• Image SEO 
• Local SEO 
• Video Sitemap 
• News Sitemap 
• mart Redirects for 404s 
• Link Assistant 
• Index Now 
• Rest API 
• Advanced Rich Snippets + Schema Markups

The free version of All in One comes with a lot of advantages. You can always upgrade as your business grows and you can afford the additional investment in optimizing your site. 

Pricing Details for AIO SEO

All in One starts with a free package but you can upgrade at any time and gain a number of advantages. You can choose from four packages. 

Basic

For a single site. Typical price is $124.00 per year, but watch for sales to save half or more. You get unlimited keywords, WooCommerce SEO, sitemaps and Smart Schema Markup

Plus

Plus runs $249.00 per year. You can use it on up to three sites, though, so if you manage more than one, you actually save quite a lot by going with this package. In addition to the features of Basic, you gain WordPress Rest API, Local SEO Module and Image SEO Module.

Pro

AIO SEO lists Pro as their best deal available. You can use the software on up to 10 sites for $499 per year. Again, if you catch it on sale, you save even more. Moving up to this package bumps you to priority support rather than standard support. You’ll also gain News Sitemap, Video Sitemap, Redirection Manager, 404 Error Tracking and Internal Link Assistant. 

Elite

Elite runs $749 a year but you’ll be able to use it on up to 100 websites. Developers, in particular, may find this package quite attractive. In addition to everything in the Pro package and priority support, you’ll also gain Advanced 404 Management Client Management and Multi-Site Support.

Why All in One SEO Won Plugin of the Month

There are numerous SEO plugins available. All in One won out because of the many features it comes with out of the box. You can also expand it even further by adding a paid package for an annual subscription. You can always cancel and go back to the free package at any time.

When we compared installations for a few of the programs, we liked AIO SEO’s the best. The wizard walks the person through the details of setting up the plugin. It even pulls information from the site, social media and any other SEO plugins in use. 

The overall aesthetics of the plugin and ease of use put it at the top of the list for WordPress SEO Plugins. Some of our favorite features include: 

• Integration with WooCommerce 
• Smart Sitemaps 
• SEO On-Page Analysis 
• Social Media Integration 
• Audit entire site 
• Robots.txt Editor
• Rich Snippets, which may help you reach position zero

The advanced features make this plugin stand out over so many others. It also has an intuitive interface and is easy for even an amateur to set up and use. 

Why SEO Matters for Your Site

If you don’t already have an SEO plugin for your WordPress site, you should look into one today. The more people who visit your site, the more customers will turn into customers. Hopefully you’re already focused on creating content geared toward your target audience. All in One SEO helps you take that content to the next level and rank higher in search results across different platforms.

The post All in One SEO appeared first on Designerly.

When looking for plugins to utilize on your WordPress website, you might feel as though you’re overwhelmed with options. There are thousands of different choices available in nearly every category you can imagine.

Here at Designerly, when we think about what options to cover for Plugin of the Month, we start to feel a bit overwhelmed, too. Out of so many wonderful choices, how do you narrow down the selection to one a month? 

At times, the answer is clear. Perhaps there have been a lot of security breaches, so we decide to focus on security. Maybe a reader asked us about improving their newsletter, so we focus on that. There are numerous reasons why we select whatever category we do.

The plugin we chose for November is Pretty Links. It doesn’t exactly fit into any of the typical categories you think of when considering plugins for your site. It isn’t security or direct marketing or authorship. Instead, it is more of a branding plugin. If you’ve read our blog for a minute, you know how much we adore marketing of all kinds, so you can imagine our excitement when we discovered this particular plugin.

PWC’s the Future of Customer Experience (CX) report indicates 63% of people would share more information if a company also offered a great experience. Plugins such as Pretty Links help improve the overall CX of your site and give users a branded experience. 

Pretty Links Top Features

Pretty Links is an exciting plugin because it does more than one task for your branding. First, it shrinks and helps you track URLs both on your own WP site and on others. Rather than going to a site such as bit.ly, you can use your business domain.

As we dug into the features of Pretty Links, we realized just what a boost this plugin could be to any growing small business. Just what features does the software have? The Pro version offers a few more options. The basic is still chock full of functional items you’ll love. 

Brand Links for Social and Other Uses

Did someone offer you a guest post, but the page you want to link to on your site is lengthy? With Pretty Links, you can create a shortened and easier-to-remember version of the link, using something that reinforces your brand name and takes the user directly where you want them to go.

Receive Detailed Reports

Track hits on links and get detailed reports on where each visitor came from and what operating device they use. With such details, you can tweak your design and ensure your website gives the best CX possible. 

Create Clean URLs

Simple, clean URLs keep your site from getting too bulky and hard for users to navigate. You can even create Pretty Links for 301, 302 and 307 redirects. 

Utilize Custom Names

You can either use the name Pretty Links generates or you can customize it to suit your needs. The system auto-generates a three or four-letter name, but you can also customize for even stronger branding or recognition. 

Track Click Numbers

The system also allows you to see how many times people clicked on your link. If you share on social media, you can set a link for each site and see where you get the most clicks. The system tracks unique clicks, so you can see if people visited more than once or if you are getting new visitors. 

Comparing click numbers with conversion on your site can give you a lot of crucial details to improve your site over time. Research shows around 80% of those who feel dissatisfied with your site will bounce to a competitor instead. Creating user-centered links is just one way to make sure links match user expectations and create excellent UX. 

Access Data Visualization

Raw numbers are interesting, but they can make it difficult to understand just what’s going on with your content. Pretty Links offers graphic representations of the data so it’s easier to understand. 

Exclude IPs

Choose IPs to exclude from the stats, such as your own. You don’t want the system to track you when you’re just testing links or trying out different methods. You can also exclude the IP numbers of any of your staff or helpers. If you get a lot of spam hits from sites with specific country extensions, you can leave those out of your reports as well. 

Generate NoFollow NoIndex

If you need no follow and no index links for guest blog posts or even prefer them for your own website, you can generate them with Pretty Links. 

Pro Pretty Links Offers

If you upgrade to the Pro version of Pretty Links, you gain:

• Advanced Redirects 
• Link Categories 
• Detailed Click Reporting 
• Auto-Create Pretty Links 
• Link Tags 
• Import and Export Links 
• Advanced Redirect Types 
• Auto-Link Specified Keywords

You’ll have to decide if the Pro version is worth the investment. We see many benefits to upgrading, especially as your online marketing efforts grow and you expand your brand recognition. 

If you’re interested in running an affiliate program for your site, you can also use Pretty Links to create unique links for each of your affiliates and then track traffic from their link.

How to Configure Pretty Links

Installing and configuring Pretty Links is fairly easy. Although some WordPress plugins have a steep learning curve, this one is quite intuitive. You can easily install, setup and start using in an hour or less.

Step 1: Install the Plugin

Navigate to your WordPress dashboard and choose Plugins/Add New. Search for keyword “pretty links” and the option to “Install Now” should pop right up in your options. Once you’ve installed the plugin, go ahead and click the blue “Activate” button.

Alternatively, you can download the software from WordPress.org or PrettyLinks.com and click the orange “Get Pretty Links” call to action (CTA) button.

Step 2: Choose Options

Rather than a tab labeled “Setup,” you’ll see the Pretty Links tab on the left side of your dashboard. You can then click on it to expand the options and you’ll see a category marked “Options.” 

You can check off things such as: 

• Enable Tracking 
• Enable No Follow 
• Enable Sponsored 
• Enable Permalink Fix

Customize reporting, auto-create links and set up links for social platforms. The free version is a great way to try out the plugin and it comes with numerous features. 

Step 3: Create a New Pretty Link

On the left sidebar in your WP dashboard, scroll to where it says “Pretty Links.” When you hover over the tab, a drop down appears and you can choose “Add New” to create your first Pretty Link.

Under the basic tag, you can create a redirection type–temporary or permanent–and then input the directions and even customize the link.

Pricing Information

While the free version offers a lot of features for someone just getting started or a small business on a tight budget, the pro version is necessary if you want to monetize your content or work with influencers or affiliates. 

Pretty Links offers three options, all billed annually.

• Beginner: One site; $199/year
• Marketer: Two sites; $299/year 
• Super Affiliate: Five sites; $399/year

They frequently hold sales where you can get started at a discounted rate, so check back regularly if it’s a bit out of your budget now. Just remember you will have to renew at the regular rate in 12 months. 

Why Pretty Links Won Plugin of the Month

Pretty Links offers some unique features that help brand your content and promotions more than anything else we found. We chose it for plugin of the month because it was such a unique program and unlike anything else we’ve covered.

The free version offers a lot of useful features, so we felt it was well worth downloading and trying out. In our tests of the software, we found it to work seamlessly, track clicks in the basic mode–you get a lot more details in the pro version–and was super easy to install and get up and running.

Small business owners with a web presence often look for ways to monetize their sites. We really love that this plugin offers some options for that, even if it is only in the Pro versions. Pretty Links did offer three different plans, so you can start on a budget and work your way up. We do wish they had a monthly subscription option for people who can’t afford to shell out much money upfront.

The clincher for it to win a slot as WP Plugin of the Month came from the fact the program comes with docs that help users figure out how to set everything up and use it. If you get stuck, it’s easy to find an answer. Pro users also gain some additional support features from the software makers. 

Is Pretty Links Right for You?

If you’re looking for a way to automatically monetize your content, Pretty Links may be a smart investment. If you just want to ramp up your branding, the free version is a great place to start. Why increase name recognition for a link generating site when you can apply it to your own brand name? 

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