What is the WordPress Gutenberg Editor?

WordPress, a free and open-source content management system (CMS), is, as of 2022, used by over 42% of the internet’s website owners. The platform is home to businesses of every size and industry, from advertising agencies to E-commerce companies and beyond. The broad popularity of WordPress requires it to be flexible, as millions of users have innumerable styling and content needs. So, WordPress must provide intuitive design capabilities to allow these businesses to flourish. 

The WordPress Editors facilitate these agnostic design ambitions. An earlier iteration, which WordPress will support “for as long as is necessary,” is the Classic Editor. Unlike its antecedent, the classic version doesn’t use migratory content blocks to build websites. Instead, users view and edit content in one space. The editing options aren’t intuitive and are somewhat subject to the user’s understanding of the WordPress setup. A preview of a page’s content can ultimately differ from the live version. The Classic Editor embodies the concept that “WordPress is easy to learn but difficult to master.” 

Conversely, the new Gutenberg Editor gives users more control by allowing customization without code and providing reliable preview versions of live sites. The Editor allows users to build their pages using the pre-loaded blocks and move the content around to suit their requirements. And, if the free-range option is too intimidating or takes too much time to design, WordPress offers easily implemented pre-grouped design blocks called Patterns. The style and design flexibility provide new opportunities for website owners; to create their own gallery of web design, maintain authority over their website’s appearance, and continue to create business and SEO opportunities without much dependency on coding.

What are the Key Features of the Gutenberg Editor?

The key features that set the Gutenberg Editor apart from its predecessors are its content blocks. They represent elements essential to building a stylish and cohesive website. Simplistically named by their function so users can easily find them, there are blocks for, amongst others: 

• Paragraphs
• Media and text
• Audio
• Video
• Lists
• Images

By eliminating complicated features and sticking to simple titles, WordPress ensures that users can easily change various sections of their site, dragging and dropping blocks as they work. Blocks already have their own styles, or users can add elements of their chosen theme to the block’s style. WordPress states, “the idea with blocks is to create a new common language across WordPress, a new way to connect users to plugins, and replace several older content types.” So, the Gutenberg WordPress Editor makes its simplified block system the lingua Franca of WordPress site building. 

The new WordPress editor puts the user first. The system works seamlessly across different devices, allowing content to be easily digested across multiple screen sizes. Unlike other design elements on WordPress, the Editor isn’t a plugin, so users don’t have to worry about compatibility or updates. The focus on maximized accessibility is clear in WordPress’ best practice guides. Tips like including a clear H1 title and subsequent headings 2, 3, and 4 throughout your content improve readability for screen readers. Plus, WordPress aims to meet the color contrast accessibility requirements at the WCAG AA Level so sites will be legible for users with low vision. And while WordPress does contend that it still has some way to go for full accessibility, it emphasizes that accessibility is a critical component of its development. 

Furthermore, the new Editor allows users to customize their page build from the top down: improving accessibility through font shades and enjoying customization options ranging from line spacing to block borders, typography, and color specifications. The Editor also allows users to easily code and create HTML anchors, a unique web address that links to a specific place on the page.

What are the Differences Between the Gutenberg Editor and The Classic Editor?

Although exceedingly popular, the Classic, or TinyMCE editor, is simpler and lacks the design elements enjoyed by its replacement. Content is edited in one box, not unlike Microsoft Word, and users make edits and changes, such as style and color, via buttons on the toolbar across the top. While several styling options are available, the Classic Editor lacks the versatility of the Gutenberg editor. As all content is created within the editing box, the look and layout of the WordPress page can differ between the preview and the final result. Now, WordPress has heralded a change in content previewing, as the Gutenberg Editor allows users to see the look of their pages as they edit. 

Although not perfect, the Gutenberg Editor is ahead of the Classic Editor concerning mobile responsive design. The latter relied on plugins and heavy user input to migrate content between formats. At the same time, the Gutenberg Editor includes mobile interfaces in its preview options, and its mobile responsive blocks allow users some design freedom. Several plugins assist with creating fully mobile-friendly WordPress sites.

How to Get Started With the Gutenberg WordPress Editor

If you’re new to WordPress, the platform provides steps to walk you through an easy installation process. The Gutenberg Editor is now a default for WordPress and has been part of the core offering for every version since 5.0. The Editor can also be installed on WordPress as a plugin or as part of your chosen theme.

Tips for Using the Gutenberg Editor in WordPress

The Gutenberg Editor is ideal for first-time website builders, non-coders, and users who want a more hands-on approach to their website design. The blocks are easy to use, and shortcuts, such as hitting Enter followed by “/[the name of the block]” to add a new content block make the process even smoother. Images can be dragged and dropped directly from your computer, and options to change the Editor’s interface works wonders for the user experience.

Customizing the WordPress Gutenberg Editor

Customization and flexibility are critical tenets of the WordPress Gutenberg Editor. Users can change block positions, break them into columns for lists, and change styling and borders to suit the design. After selecting the block specific to the need, users can easily add text by clicking and typing. The background color can be changed to fit the palette, and the content can be formatted – such as a font appearance change – from the tools in the side panel. 

Other features improve productivity, such as the Spotlight tool, which grays out all the other blocks on your screen to maximize focus, or the option to customize several blocks at once from the drop-down menu in the List View. Drop an image into the Editor, and it will be automatically formatted with a line for a caption below. The Video block allows users to add self-hosted videos easily. Alternatively, embed a video in a page by pasting a URL (from, for example, YouTube or Vimeo) in the paragraph block.

The Advanced Features of the Gutenberg Editor

The WordPress Gutenberg Editor has advanced features like HTML and widgets and works well with third-party plugins. As such, the platform can support businesses in various industries, from blogging to e-commerce. 

WordPress’ updated widget editor allows users to “insert blocks and widgets into any of the Widget Areas or Sidebars” and move content blocks around them. So, an e-commerce site builder, for example, can customize their page around their widget, install plugins such as WooCommerce and enjoy a sleek design experience without impacting the functionality of their business. Build customizable forms within the WordPress Editor using the Gutenberg Forms plugin while remaining spam-free, as Google reCAPTCHA is already integrated. 

The Gutenberg Editor is an evolving product, so glitches can arise. One example lies with the Block Editor. Several factors can affect the functionality of the Editor, but before trying any fixes, ensure you have a backup of your WordPress website. So, before turning to your WordPress hosting and maintenance provider, look at these troubleshooting tips: 

• Deactivate your plugins from your site: If there is a conflict with one of your plugins, deactivate them all via the side panel tab titled “Plugins” on the main WordPress dashboard to find the source. 
• Revert to the WordPress default theme: If you think your chosen theme is to blame for an error, deactivate it and revert to the default WordPress theme. Find this via the Appearances button on your dashboard’s side panel. 
• Check your JavaScript: Check whether the JavaScript needs to be debugged by following these troubleshooting steps. This step is for coders, WordPress experts, or your WordPress maintenance support team.

Alternatively, ask the WordPress community or a WordPress support and maintenance company for recommendations on glitches and fixes.

Start Using the Gutenberg Editor

WordPress introduced the Gutenberg Editor to simplify and democratize the world of website building. We’ve given you an overview of the changes the Gutenberg Editor brings to WordPress and demonstrated how the Block Editor improves user experience with dynamic design and improved accessibility.

Don’t let this update be something to fear; instead, explore it and use it as a tool to optimize websites and businesses. Whether you’re new to WordPress, already maintain WordPress sites, or are a seasoned coder, join the community and share your insights, opinions, and experiences with the new Gutenberg Editor.

And, if you’re unsure where to begin, SiteCare‘s WordPress support and maintenance services will get you growing your website in no time. If you’re looking for simpler but secure WordPress maintenance at a low monthly cost, try Maintainn.com.

The post The Ultimate Guide to the Features and Benefits of the Gutenberg Editor appeared first on WordPress Support & Optimization Specialists.

In this ultimate guide to the WordPress Gutenberg Editor, we’ll explore the various features and functions of the Editor and provide you with the information you need to get started creating content with WordPress. While we recommend using expert WordPress support and maintenance services when making changes to your website, the Gutenberg Editor will facilitate at least part of your site-building experience.

What is the WordPress Gutenberg Editor?

The WordPress Gutenberg Editor is an open-source content editor introduced in 2018 as part of the WordPress 5.0 update. It was designed to replace the classic WordPress editor, providing users with a more modern and intuitive way to create content. With its block-based system, improved accessibility features, and flexibility, the Gutenberg Editor is sure to revolutionize how WordPress websites are created.

Differences Between the Gutenberg Editor and the Classic Editor

The main difference between the two editors is that while the classic WordPress editor relies heavily on HTML coding to make changes to posts and pages, the Gutenberg block editor does not require any coding knowledge whatsoever. 

Instead of relying on shortcodes or HTML markup to build pages or posts, users can now drag and drop blocks into their content to add formatting options like headings and lists. Blocks can contain text, images, videos, audio, and much more, making it easy to create complex layouts with minimal effort. It allows users to create content in a more structured and modular way, which makes it easier to keep track of and make changes. 

In comparison, the classic WordPress editor’s TinyMCE does not offer many customization options and has limited options for font sizes, colors, text alignment, etc. It is difficult and time-consuming to embed content such as videos or images into a post or page with TinyMCE, and there is no drag-and-drop feature, which makes it more difficult to rearrange content. In addition, TinyMCE does not have features such as tables, columns, and galleries that are available in Gutenberg Block Editor and does not support blocks, which allow for more complex content organization and design elements. 

Key Features of the Gutenberg Editor

This powerful tool brings with it a host of features that can be used to create almost any type of web content quickly and efficiently. These features include custom CSS and HTML support, widgets, and third-party plugins.

• Custom CSS and HTML: Gutenberg allows you to add and customize CSS and HTML code directly within the editor. This is useful for customizing the design and layout of your website, as well as for creating custom blocks for further customization. 
• Widgets: Widgets are a great way to add dynamic content to your website, such as a calendar or contact form. Gutenberg provides a widget library that you can use to quickly add a wide range of widgets to your website (for example, adding social media buttons).
• Third-party Plugins: Gutenberg also allows you to install third-party plugins to enhance the capabilities of the editor. Plugins can be used to add additional features, such as content curation, custom blocks, contact forms, and more. This can help you create a more dynamic and engaging website.

With Gutenberg, you can:

• Create pages featuring multiple columns (great for displaying blog posts)
• Drag and drop YouTube videos into posts or pages (complete with autoplay!)
• Embed tweets into blog posts (perfect for promoting upcoming shows)
• And even build entire landing pages within minutes

Responsive Previews, Inline Editing and Versioning

Gutenberg also offers improved mobile optimization (you can preview how the page will look on mobile devices and adjust accordingly), enhanced accessibility features, and a live preview feature, which makes it easier to see changes made to content in real-time and adjust accordingly. 

The Gutenberg Editor’s inline editing and versioning features make it easier to manage content and make changes quickly. Its versioning features mean users can save versions of the page and return to them at any time, while inline editing enables users to edit content directly on the page rather than having to open up a separate editor window. The editor also allows you to add custom classes and IDs to blocks, giving you more control over their look and behavior. 

Keyboard Shortcuts

It offers a variety of keyboard shortcuts that make it easier to quickly and easily perform tasks, such as adding new blocks, formatting text, and more, and includes several accessibility features, such as support for screen readers, high-contrast mode, and more. To view a complete list of all available shortcuts, go to the WordPress Support page and search for “Gutenberg Editor Shortcuts” – this will give you a full list that includes saving posts, block management, and undo/redo commands.

Revamped User Interface

Since its release, Gutenberg’s user interface has been improved significantly, featuring a much cleaner and simpler look that enables users to focus on their content rather than the interface itself. The settings panel and sidebar have also been rearranged to give a more natural flow when editing text or navigating between blocks. 

Custom Colors

You can now choose from multiple colors when adding new blocks and customize them further with sliders for adjusting brightness, saturation, and hue and color pickers for finer control of colors that are unique to your post or page. Up until now, custom colors only worked on the Classic Editor via shortcode snippets which provided limited capabilities when compared with Gutenberg’s color selectors and palettes. 

Multilingual Support

When Gutenberg was first released, one of the biggest hurdles it faced was its need for more support for different languages. You can now write posts in any language – from English to Spanish, Mandarin, and even Hindi – without needing any additional plugins or settings changes! All you need is an installed version of WordPress in the language you wish to write in, and Gutenberg will take care of the rest.

With this multitude of options available at your disposal, you can easily craft optimized pages for mobile devices that still look stunning on desktop computers.

Customizing the WordPress Gutenberg Editor

The Gutenberg Editor is part of the core WordPress software. Users can customize the editor’s layout and design using blocks. They can add and format text, images, and other media with ease. The editor also allows users to create and customize different types of pages and posts, as well as specialized use cases such as e-commerce, forms, and more. Customizing the editor is simple and intuitive, making it a great choice for experienced developers and those just starting out. Simply add a new block by selecting it from the “Add Block” drop-down menu, where you’ll find content blocks divided into categories such as “Formatting” or “Widgets.” Once your block is added, click on it to bring up additional settings that allow you to customize your content according to aesthetics or function.

Web Design and Development Made Easy with the Gutenberg WordPress Editor

The WordPress Gutenberg editor provides an easy-to-use platform for creating modern webpages without relying on complex coding knowledge, shortcodes, or WordPress support and maintenance providers. Its simple drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for anyone – from novice users to experienced developers, to professional WP maintenance services – to design beautiful webpages quickly and easily using nothing but their mouse! And with its improved mobile optimization capabilities and enhanced accessibility features built right in, it’s no wonder why so many people are turning to this powerful new tool for all their website designing needs!

While the Gutenberg Editor is user-friendly, maintaining a full WordPress site comes with its complications. If you want to give your online business the attention and care it deserves, speak to our experts. SiteCare’s WordPress hosting and maintenance plans will get your website on the path to success. And, if you find yourself needing WordPress maintenance support, our team’s rapid turnaround time will find a resolution to your problem in no time. If you prefer a basic, budget-friendly maintenance service, then visit Maintainn.com, you can sign up quickly and easily without any hassle.

The post Harnessing the Power of the Gutenberg Block Editor appeared first on WordPress Support & Optimization Specialists.

When agreeing to share information with you, your visitors provide you with the tools to create a personalized space to motivate them further down the sales funnel. You can use this data to anticipate their distinct needs and display different content, or target them with paid ads, for example.

Let’s look at three ways to leverage consumer data to offer personalized UX on your WordPress site.

1. Use Visitor’s Data Location to Add a Human Touch

Personalizing your customer’s experience using their location data is a valuable way to increase visitor engagement and retention. You can start with a pop-up greeting on your site based on the time of their visit or display weather alerts in their area. Serve each visitor unique graphics and visual elements based on their location.   

Use your visitors’ geolocation to promote your seasonal events or celebrations. Craft a product or service recommendations list based on the weather they’re experiencing: summer bathing suits, or winter ski jackets, for example, depending on their hemisphere. Personalization based on location doesn’t just give website visitors an online experience with a human touch; it can also encourage conversions by suggesting what they need before they know to look for it. 

2. Provide Customers with Personalized Recommendations

In 2022, 62% of customers expect companies to anticipate their needs. Gathering data based on your customers’ previous behavior on your website gives insights into their habits: how they shop, read, or which products they prefer; this allows you to make more impactful recommendations.

For first-time visitors, leveraging customer personalization can range from the simplicity of listing the most popular products on your website to drawing on more complex algorithms that take browsing history and search into account to make customized product or service recommendations. 

Tailored recommendations play an essential role in the sales funnel; in fact, studies have shown shoppers have accounted for 26% of revenue to ecommerce sales after product recommendations have prompted a purchase. 

3. Personalization Based on Referral Source

Personalized social media and Google ads can target specific consumers based on their location, age, buying habits, search intention, behaviors and interests, and the sites they visit.

Much like social media posts, paid ads are crafted to be as relevant to your target audience as possible; additional personalization incorporated into your landing pages maintains this personal relevance. Customize your web copy and messaging based on the site or platform your visitor came from, whether from Google ads, social media platforms, or email campaigns. You’ll also want to ensure that what you’re selling resonates and matches where they fall in the sales funnel, making their journey feel organic and useful. 

Each user is different; an Instagram user will not necessarily be looking for the same content or product as someone scrolling LinkedIn – ensure your website reflects that.  

WordPress is Here to Help

Knowing the when, where, and how to include personalized content on your website can be tricky, and the options can seem overwhelming. While personalization isn’t necessarily an out-of-the-box feature of WordPress, you can implement many useful plugins to get the best results out of your website possible. Some plugins that we have personally vetted and approved for use in personalization efforts are:

1. LogicHop. LogicHop allows users to implement personalized elements to their sites within minutes. Tailored personalization options are also possible so that you can create a specific journey for each user unique to their data.
2. If>So. If>So is similar to LogicHop, allowing users to create and serve visitors dynamic content using a straightforward system that doesn’t require coding. Change your content according to the user’s location, time zone, or behavior (first-time versus returning visitors, for example). If>So comes with built-in analytics, so you can keep track of your content’s performance.
3. Hyperise. Boost your website’s visual personalization by implementing Hyperise. Increase user engagement through hyper-personalized graphics, pictures, and videos, which you can easily implement without using code. For ease of use, Hyperise can be integrated with thousands of marketing tools.
4. Growthmatik. A picture is the sum of its parts, and Growthmatik helps you paint the most holistic multi-channel picture of your customers. Growthmatik’s tools will turn your audience into consumers. Using smart popups, reactive to the right audience at the right time, or self-sending emails, prompting your customers in the right direction, the plugin’s holistic customer data profiles ensure you reach the right person across multiple channels.

If all of the above sounds like something you’re not quite ready for, reach out to our team of WordPress wizards. Our WordPress support and maintenance plans will help you create a WordPress website that users will keep flocking back to.  

The post How to Incorporate Personalization on Your WordPress Site appeared first on WordPress Support & Optimization Specialists.

Gutenberg introduced block-based editing

A revolution in easy-to-use website creation, Gutenberg introduced block-based editing to WP’s massive user base. Although WordPress designed the Gutenberg editor to be more intuitive, there’s still a learning curve—especially if you cut your teeth on the Classic editor. And while you were once able to fall back on Classic, WordPress cut off support for the original system in 2022.

So, whether you’re venturing into WordPress for your first time or you’re a WP wunderkind in need of a refresh, these five Gutenberg tips and tricks will help you find your footing in this exciting new world.

1. Get a grip with these Gutenberg tips and tricks

Before you start publishing posts and embedding images, it’s worth taking a tour of everything Gutenberg offers. To begin, let’s create a blank post and explore.

As always, you’ll start in your WordPress dashboard—which, conveniently, hasn’t changed much at all. After logging in to your site, set up a new post by navigating to Posts > Add New. 

In the Classic editor, you would now be staring at a word processor. Instead, Gutenberg gives you a sleek, modern canvas to express yourself. There are three sections to look at here:

• The block inserter – In the top left corner of any page or post lies a plus sign (+). Clicking this button unveils the block inserter. WordPress has categorized popular content pieces into a collection of “blocks,” including Paragraph and Heading. We’ll touch on these blocks shortly.

• The editor – At the center of the page is your editor. Not much has changed here from the Classic editor; this is where your content will take shape.

• The sidebar – In the top right corner, you’ll see a gear icon. Clicking it activates the sidebar, where you can play with post visibility, permalinks, tags, and much more. This section should also feel familiar to you as a Classic connoisseur.

Spend some time clicking around, and you’ll quickly realize how intuitive the transition from Classic Editor to Gutenberg is. From there, the magic can begin.

2. Discover the beauty of blocks

When it’s time to publish a new post or page, you’ll bring your thoughts to life with blocks. Blocks are the building blocks of every WordPress post and page, and they make content creation infinitely easy.

The process is simple: To add content, add a block. The most common options are:

• Paragraph
• Gallery
• Audio
• Video
• Image
• List
• Cover
• Heading
• Quote
• File

However, there are countless convenient blocks to make your life easier. Want to embed a Tweet? You can. Need to add buttons? No problem. You no longer need a coding background to design a dazzling website (though you can still customize your content further with CSS).

Even better, you can change and rearrange blocks on a whim, so you’ll never have to settle for a “good enough” web page again. Moving a Paragraph, Heading, or any other block is as easy as clicking and dragging or pressing the up/down arrows near each block.

3. Drag and drop your diagrams and drawings

Gutenberg has also simplified the process of adding vivid visuals to your website.

In the Classic editor, you had to line up your cursor in the text field, click Add Media, then upload a file or choose from a pre-uploaded picture. It wasn’t difficult, but it was time-consuming—especially if you wanted to place an image next to your text.

With Gutenberg, you can drag and drop a file directly from your desktop into the editor. If you prefer, you can also add an Image block and upload your photo from there. Remember, moving blocks around is effortless, so you’ll have plenty of freedom to experiment with picture placement.

Adding a gallery is equally easy—create a Gallery block, add your photos, and rearrange them as you please!

4. Speed up with shortcuts

When you’ve learned on Classic, switching to Gutenberg may cause an initial dip in productivity. However, you can regain—and even surpass—your original workflow speed with shortcuts. Of course, the Classic editor had its share of keyboard shortcuts. But, once again, Gutenberg takes convenience to a new level.

Memorize a few of these hotkeys, and you’ll be a content-slinging superstar:

• Duplicate the selected block (Ctrl + Shift + D)
• Open the block list view (Shift + Alt + O)
• Navigate to the nearest toolbar (Alt + F10)
• Move a selected block up (Ctrl + Shift + Alt + T)
• Move a selected block down (Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Y)

If the new layout of Gutenberg has you scratching your head looking for a familiar chunk of content, you can also hit the backslash (/) on a new line and type the name of a block.

For a complete list of shortcuts, open the editor and press Shift + Alt + H (on PC) or ⌃ + ⌥ + H (on Mac).

5. Curate consistency with reusable blocks

One of the biggest pitfalls of the Classic editor was the inability to reuse content quickly. With Gutenberg—you guessed it—it’s a cinch.

When you create a block that you envision using all over your site—say, a “Buy Now” button or a table with shipping rates—you can save it as a Reusable Block. To do so, click the three dots on the right side of any block’s toolbar, then hit Add to Reusable blocks.

Now, whenever you start on a new post or page, you can access your saved block by opening the block inserter and clicking the Reusable tab. Creating a consistently branded site is now that much easier.

Bonus tip: work with the WordPress wizards at SiteCare®

These five Gutenberg tips and tricks are merely the tip(s) of the iceberg. The best part about Gutenberg is that, despite its simplicity, it’s unbelievably powerful once you dive in. All you have to do is take the plunge.

That’s where SiteCare® comes in.

If you want to start using WordPress like a pro, we’ve put together a detailed explainer in our resource center. And when you need even more support, the experts at SiteCare® have you covered. 

From managed WordPress hosting to development services, you can leave the website of your wildest dreams to the pros. Get in touch with us today to find out more!

The post Gutenberg Tips and Tricks to Help Transition from the Classic Editor appeared first on WordPress Support & Optimization Specialists.

• Self-hosted WordPress websites
• Websites hosted on WordPress.com

In this article, we explain the differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. We also walk through the pros and cons of each option so you can make an informed decision about which kind of WordPress site is best for you.

What’s the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?

Self-hosted WordPress websites (WordPress.org)

Self-hosted WordPress websites are what most people think of when they hear the word “WordPress.” These are websites created using the free, open-source software available for download at WordPress.org. Developers will sometimes call it “the real WordPress” because it predates the WordPress.com hosting service (which we talk about in the next section).

The core software on WordPress.org is free, but you will need to arrange your own domain and web hosting to get your site up and running. This is what makes it “self-hosted” — WordPress is providing the software to build and edit your site, but you have to arrange hosting on your own.

WordPress-hosted websites (WordPress.com)

Created by WordPress.org co-founder Matt Mullenweg, WordPress.com is a private website hosting service. It uses the same software as self-hosted WordPress sites, but instead of choosing your own host, WordPress.com is your host.

There are multiple hosting tiers available — from a free plan to a $1000/month VIP plan. The tier you choose determines the functionality and storage available for your website. The free tier is incredibly limited, though, for many casual bloggers, this works out just fine.

Compare WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com

Now that we’ve established that WordPress.org refers to the free, open-source WordPress CMS software and WordPress.com refers to a private shared hosting service built on WordPress, let’s take a deeper dive into how these two options stack up against each other.

• Theme options
• Plugins
• Cost
• Ad Monetization
• WordPress ads
• Search engine optimization
• Analytical tools
• E-commerce
• Membership site capabilities
• Maintenance and support
• Hosting provider
• Storage space

1. Theme options

When you opt for a self-hosted WordPress site, you have complete control over your theme. You can buy and install a premade theme or you can even have your own custom theme designed and developed to suit your specific needs.

With a free website from WordPress.com, on the other hand, you have limited theme choices. You can’t heavily customize these themes or install custom themes of your own.

2. Plugins

With a self-hosted WordPress site, you are free to install any plugins, free or paid, without issue or question. This allows you to go all out when customizing your website. That said, you must also be prepared to keep up with software updates since outdated plugins can compromise your site’s security and functionality.

A free website on WordPress.com does not allow you to install plugins. Instead, you must use the built-in features provided by the platform to extend the functionality of your site (such as forms, search engine optimization, page building, etc). While this means you may not have as much control over customizing your site to suit your specific needs, it’s also great if you prefer a simpler experience and don’t want to worry about keeping up with updates.

3. Cost

While the open-source WordPress.org software is 100% free to download and install, there are a few start-up costs that you can expect with a self-hosted WordPress site. These costs include domain registration and annual renewal, monthly web hosting, licenses for themes and plugins, and of course, the cost of labor for any developers or maintenance support team you may hire.

Creating a website on WordPress.com is also free, but you have to pay additional fees for advanced features. For example, you get up to 3GB of storage space free of charge, but you will need to pay more if you require more space. Additionally, while you can choose a subdomain name (i.e., yourbusiness.wordpress.com) for free, you must pay extra to register a custom domain.

4. Monetization

With a self-hosted WordPress site, you have complete control over how you monetize your site. You can sell as many ads as you would like on your website, and you can use any ad service or ad plugin you prefer. 100% of the profits earned through ad monetization are yours.

With a free website from WordPress.com, on the other hand, there is no option to sell ads on your site because WordPress.com is already using your website to generate ad revenue for themselves. It’s part of the reason why they can offer to host your website for free in the first place — because they can make money off your site’s traffic. You can pay to remove ads, or if your website experiences a certain monthly traffic threshold, you may become eligible for sharing advertising revenue with WordPress.com.

5. WordPress ads

As a free WordPress.com user, you must display the “Powered by WordPress.com” link within your site, unless you pay extra to remove it. In addition, your website will feature ads that you don’t make any money from.

On the other hand, with a self-hosted WordPress site, there is no expectation to display “Powered by” links within your website because your website is powered by your own hosting provider and development team.

6. Search engine optimization

The core CMS software from WordPress.org is well-known for being incredibly search-friendly by default. Owners of self-hosted WordPress websites can further maximize their SEO efforts and rank high on Google and other major search engines through the implementation of a wide variety of third-party WordPress SEO tools and plugins.

Websites on WordPress.com are also built with SEO in mind. However, with WordPress.com, you have little to no control over your website’s SEO, and there is no option of installing an add-on for advanced SEO management.

7. Analytical tools

Websites on WordPress.com has a basic built-in analytics tool that gives you a glimpse into your website’s performance.

However, if you’re looking for a more robust interface for monitoring data and analyzing trends, you’re likely better off with a self-hosted WordPress site. When you choose the self-hosted route, there are many third-party tools and plugins (both free and paid) that you can install to assist you with campaign benchmarking and acquiring detailed analytical data and insights into your website’s performance.

8. E-commerce

You can build just about any type of website you want when you choose a self-hosted WordPress site — e-commerce platforms included. So regardless of your goods, you can create a fully functional business and accept several payment methods. To create an e-commerce site on WordPress, you’ll want to install a plugin such as WooCommerce.

Unfortunately, a free website on WordPress.com doesn’t have e-commerce capabilities. To create your online store, you would have to switch to a self-hosted WordPress account and use a proper web hosting provider.

9. Membership site capabilities

With a self-hosted WordPress site, you can install plugins and themes that allow you to create multi-level membership websites. These types of websites allow you to do some pretty complex things — from distributing drip marketing content to creating restricted access sections — and so much more.

In contrast, it’s not really possible to build an effective membership site with just a simple free WordPress.com account unless you upgrade your site.

10. Maintenance and support

As a website owner on a self-hosted WordPress site, you are responsible for managing updates for your core, theme, and plugins, as well as performing regular backups, setting SPAM control parameters, and keeping up with theme and plugin license renewals.

As a WordPress.com user, you need not worry about any maintenance efforts because WordPress.com manages everything behind the scenes and has a robust customer support team.

11. Hosting provider

When you create a website on WordPress.com, shared web hosting is included — whether it’s a free or premium account. Not having to choose hosts can simplify your life in some ways, but it can also be a headache if you discover that your website has more advanced technical requirements (such as needing a dedicated hosting server to handle high traffic volumes).

Meanwhile, WordPress.org is entirely free, open-source software, but you have to bring your own hosting provider to the table. This is great because you can choose among a large market of web hosts and find one that suits your technical requirements and customer support needs the best. Need help choosing a host? Don’t miss our list of the best WordPress hosting providers.

12. Storage space

The storage capacity of a WordPress.com website depends entirely on the package your account is set up with. The personal version comes with 6GB, the premium plan comes with 13GB, and the business plan comes with 200GB of storage.

If you choose to create a self-hosted WordPress site, your site storage will depend on your hosting provider.

Which WordPress option is best for me?

Regardless of skill, tech-savviness, or experience, anyone can build a free website on WordPress.com. But for those with higher expectations and serious plans to grow, we recommend a self-hosted WordPress site rather than a paid WordPress.com website.

This will ultimately give you more control over your website — from how it looks and functions, to how well it scales with you as your business or personal brand grows.

Worried about keeping up with WordPress updates and other maintenance duties on your self-hosted website? Look for managed hosting plans or partner with a WordPress maintenance agency to streamline everything for you.

Still not sure where to start? SiteCare’s WordPress experts are here to help.

The post Self-Hosted WordPress vs. WordPress.com appeared first on WordPress Support & Optimization Specialists.

Even the most seasoned WordPress bloggers may be surprised to learn some of the things on this list. I speak from experience! I write, edit, and manage content in WordPress every day, but there are a couple of items on this list that I had no idea about until I reached out to our team of in-house developers about sharing their super-duper “secret” WordPress tricks.

So, whether you’re a seasoned blogger or only just dipping your toes into the WordPress world, here are 12 tips and tricks that will streamline your WordPress experience.

Table of Contents

• Dashboard screen options
• Quick bulk editing
• Shortcodes and auto-embeds
• Image compression
• Default image dimensions
• Streamlined SEO titles/metas
• Hiding the WordPress toolbar
• Proper use of categories and tags
• Establishing redirects
• WordPress keyboard shortcuts
• Assigning appropriate user roles
• Timezones and time/date formatting

1. Customizing your dashboard screen options

Ever feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information displayed when perusing the list of Pages or Posts in your WordPress dashboard? Maybe you have so many columns enabled that the table is starting to look something like this:

Not only is this confusing, but it makes it incredibly challenging and cumbersome to accomplish basic tasks. Fortunately, this confusion is easily remedied thanks to WordPress Screen Options:

This tool, which appears on nearly every page on your dashboard, allows you to choose exactly what information you want to see. For example, if you wanted a very minimal Posts dashboard, you might uncheck all columns so that you only see Post titles:

Another great thing about screen options is that they are unique to every user. This means that when you customize WordPress screen options, it only affects your user account, which means you don’t have to worry about messing up another user’s preferred dashboard settings.

Want to learn more about how to make the most of screen options? Check out our post, “Create a Zen Workspace Using Screen Options in WordPress,” for the full picture.

2. Quick bulk editing directly from your dashboard

Need to change the author of multiple blog posts? Need to add the same category or tag to multiple blog posts? Need to quickly unpublish multiple blog posts at once?

You could go through every single blog post and change these things manually, but depending on how many pages or posts you need to adjust, this could take ages. Luckily, the WordPress dashboard has a Bulk Actions tool that makes it easy to make sweeping changes to your pages and posts in no time.

Using this bulk editing tool is super easy. Here’s a brief video demonstration of how it works:

1. Select the items you want to edit in bulk
2. Click on the dropdown menu at the top of the page called “Bulk Actions”
3. Select “Edit” to change details like author, categories, tags, publishing status, and more.
4. Click on “Update” to apply your changes.

In addition to bulk editing, you can also use the Bulk Actions tool to delete (“Move to Trash”) or duplicate (“Clone”) multiple items. Pretty nifty!

3. Taking advantage of shortcodes and auto-embeds

Shortcodes simplify the process of adding hosted media and other elements within your content. No need to deal with long, complicated strings of code! Simply pop in a bracketed shortcode tag and add the appropriate attributes as necessary. Shortcodes that come standard with WordPress include:

In addition to the basic WordPress shortcodes above, plugin developers are able to create their own shortcodes for use with their software.

Like how easy it is to use shortcodes? Then you’ll love using auto-embeds for any media/files not hosted on your site! Auto-embeds take the simplicity of shortcodes a step further by allowing you to paste a simple URL from a site supported by WordPress auto-embed functionality.

For example, let’s say you wanted to embed a YouTube video into a post. All you would need to do is copy and paste the URL directly into the editor. When published, the post should display the video as if you had added an actual embed code. Embedding a YouTube video is even more streamlined if you’re using the Gutenberg visual editor. In that case, the video will immediately render as a playable embed within the editor itself — no need to preview or publish to view it! See for yourself:

Currently, WordPress supports auto-embed functionality from 28 different sites, including video sites like YouTube, Vimeo, Hulu, and TED, as well as popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit.

4. Installing an automatic image compression plugin

We all love big, beautiful imagery, but if you haven’t properly optimized images on your site, it won’t matter how astounding the images are. The vast majority of users will abandon your site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load, and huge image files are often to blame.

Of course, no one wants to spend their precious time resizing large image files before uploading, which is why we strongly recommend installing an image compression plugin that will automatically take care of the work for you.

The image compression plugin we use and recommend to our clients is Imagify, which does a fantastic job of compressing image file sizes without sacrificing quality.

5. Adjusting default image dimensions to best suit your site

We’ve talked about the importance of installing an image compression plugin to reduce image file weight, but your image optimization efforts shouldn’t stop there.

Another important action to optimize your site’s images is making sure the settings for default image dimensions best suit your design and content. This is controlled through a little-known page in your dashboard called Media Settings (located under Settings > Media).

Why is it a good idea to review your Media Settings? Well, whenever you upload an image, WordPress automatically creates multiple versions of it in different sizes — Thumbnail, Medium, and Large. But sometimes that “Large” version may be much larger than necessary. After all, it doesn’t make sense to have a “Large” image size of 2000px if your max-content width is ~800px.

Fine-tuning your Media Settings ensures that any images you upload are appropriately sized to fit within the design of your site. Plus, cutting down on those 2000px-sized images also helps you save server space!

6. Simplifying SEO titles and meta descriptions

If you don’t have the Yoast plugin already, you’re seriously missing out. Yoast is not only the most popular SEO plugin for WordPress. It’s one of the most popular WordPress plugins, period! One of the features that helped establish this reputation is its search engine snippet preview editor, which makes it super simple to add SEO titles and meta descriptions as you publish new content.

When installed, the Yoast SEO box will appear underneath the body text editor on your pages, posts, and other content types. It will look something like this:

The plugin guides you on the appropriate length of your title and meta description, and it also allows you to insert snippet variables to speed up the process further. The snippet preview at the top shows you what the particular page or post will look like in search engine results.

In addition to coaching you on how to create a solid SEO title and meta description, Yoast provides additional controls and analysis tools to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward in the SEO arena.

7. Hiding the WordPress toolbar

While the trusty WordPress toolbar you see at the top of a page while logged in can serve as a useful anchor for editing site content, there are times you might want to get rid of it. Perhaps it partially blocks a top navigational menu item, or maybe you don’t want to have to log out of WordPress just to view your site without the toolbar.

The controls for hiding and unhiding the WordPress toolbar can be found in the Dashboard under Users > Your Profile.

It’s important to note that checking that box will only affect your user account. If your site has other user accounts, their toolbar will remain unless they take the same steps.

8. Using categories and tags properly

If you’re serious about your WordPress site’s SEO and information architecture, then you need to be serious about taxonomy. What is taxonomy? It’s simply the way things are logically grouped together. If you have a WordPress site, the taxonomy of your blog posts is largely dictated by a system of categories and tags.

There is often a lot of confusion surrounding how to use categories and tags, but the basic concept is this:

• Categories are primary, high-level topics of your site. Most posts should clearly fit within a single category.
• Tags are used for logical groupings that apply across multiple categories.

Generally, a post will have a single category and one or more tags. Need a little more schooling on this subject? Don’t miss our guide on how to use WordPress categories and tags.

9. Establishing redirects after changing or deleting URLs

If you change or delete a URL on your site, it’s important to implement a redirect from that former URL to a new page. If you don’t take this step, users and search engine bots trying to access a URL that no longer exists will be presented with a 404 error. Not only is a 404 error a bad user experience for people visiting your site, but it can ding you in your search engine rankings. Redirecting that old URL to a new one solves this problem.

So, how do you set up a redirect? It’s actually pretty simple! Your first step is to install the Redirection plugin. Once you’ve installed the plugin, you can access it in the WordPress dashboard under Tools > Redirection. To establish a new redirect, click on “Add New” at the top of the page and the following form will pop up:

All you need to do is add the URL being changed or deleted into the “Source URL” field, and then add the URL you want to redirect to in the “Target URL” field. Then click “Add Redirect” and you’re done!

10. Familiarizing yourself with WordPress keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are invaluable if you spend a lot of time creating, editing, or managing content in a WordPress site.

While many keyboard shortcuts are fairly universal (such as ctrl/command+C to copy and ctrl/command+P to paste), there are many WordPress-specific keyboard shortcuts that allow you to speed up content formatting in the visual editor or streamline comment moderation.

Keyboard shortcuts will vary based on whether you’re using Windows/Linux or a Mac. WordPress.org provides a full list of WordPress keyboard shortcuts and how to use them based on your operating system.

11. Assigning appropriate WordPress user roles

If everyone on your team has an Administrator user role on your WordPress site, you could be setting yourself up for heartache should one of those accounts totally wreck your site. We’ve seen it happen, folks! Site hacks caused by bad password habits and phishing scams are the most common culprits, though sometimes it turns out to be an accidental inside job by “over-permissioned” users who were poking at plugins, themes, or other site settings without knowing what they were doing.

Luckily, it’s super easy to prevent these sticky situations, though — just assign appropriate roles and permissions for each user account you create!

WordPress comes standard with five user roles, each with varying degrees of permissions and abilities. Trying to figure out which roles are best suited for people on your team? Here’s a breakdown of the permissions of each role:

• Administrators have full control of every aspect of a WordPress site. They can alter site settings, change themes, add or remove plugins, create new users, and so much more. This role is typically reserved for the site owner(s) and/or developers.
• Editors have full control over the management of your site’s content areas, but they may not alter site settings, plugins, themes, or add new users.
• Authors may write, edit, publish, and delete their own posts, but not anyone else’s.
• Contributors may write and edit their own posts, but cannot publish posts or upload new images to the site.
• Subscribers may only login to their account, edit their profile, and change their passwords. This role is most often used in situations in which you want a user to login before viewing a post of adding a comment to a post.

12. Setting the timezone and time/date formatting on your site

If you’re scheduling content to publish on your WordPress site, then setting the correct time zone is critical. Otherwise, you might schedule a post to publish at 9:00 AM only to see it published several hours off, depending on where your time zone is set. To access timezone settings, navigate to Settings > General, and find this section:

Just below the timezone section, you’ll see an additional section for date and time formatting. Want the date to appear like “YYYY/MM/DD” instead of spelling it out? Prefer to use military time over AM/PM time? This is where you control those preferences:

That’s all folks … for now!

There are so many ways to make use of WordPress Support to maximize and streamline your user experience. Did we miss one tip or trick that should definitely be on the list? Let us know in the comments!

The post 12 WordPress Tips & Tricks Every Blogger Must Know appeared first on WordPress Support & Optimization Specialists.

If it didn’t show up on every single page of the dashboard, I’d call it one of WordPress’ hidden gems.

The Screen Options tool is incredibly useful because it hides or shows different pieces of information in your WordPress dashboard. You can cater the look and feel of each page of the WordPress CMS to align more squarely with your job role and style of work.

By nature, I like to remove as much noise from the dashboard as possible. Typically when I’m logging into WordPress I’m there to write something new or update content on the site, so I like to get rid of anything that stands in the way.

What You Need to Know about WordPress Screen Options

One of the things I like most about Screen Options is it’s simplicity. Here are some of the key things to know:

• Screen options only apply to the current user – You don’t need to worry about messing up the dashboard for a coworker. If you change the Screen Option settings you’re only changing them for your user account. This means that every single user may have slightly different variations of the same dashboard.
• Screen options are contextual for each page of the site – Screen Options don’t appear on every page on the dashboard, and the options vary depending on the page that you’re on. In other words, changing the Screen Options on one dashboard screen won’t change similar Screen Options sitewide.
• WordPress will remember any Screen Options that you set – Because the Screen Options are associated with your specific user, WordPress will keep whatever settings you choose indefinitely until you change them again. You don’t have to update Screen Options every time you login to the website.

How to use WordPress Screen Options

For any dashboard page that has Screen Options available you’ll see a tab in the top right corner of your Screen labeled Screen Options. Clicking that tab will uncover a series of checkboxes and occasionally other settings to adjust what you see on that specific dashboard.

For the Posts page, each checkbox represents a column on the list of posts below. By unchecking a specific box, I hide the row that corresponds with that data. The opposite happens when checking each Screen Options box.

Here’s a screenshot of my dashboard with every single column included. You can see that even on a pretty reasonable screen size, text starts stacking up quickly. I can only see 2 blog posts at a time when I’m showing all of this data.

On a smaller screen size, things get absurd pretty quickly

Now let’s take a look at a screenshot with all of the extra columns hidden.

I can see 10 articles now on the same amount of screen real estate, and that stays true even on smaller screens! This is the type of dashboard I want to see to help keep my mind clear and remain focused.

I have a 27” iMac and if I’m showing all of the column data I can only see 5 articles even when the window is stretched to the max.

You get the idea.

Make WordPress Screen Options Work For You

I’d challenge you to take an extra five minutes next time you login to WordPress and adjust the Screen Options to cater to your most common activities and tasks. It’s a small change that will lighten your mental load and help you be more productive when you’re getting things done in WordPress.

The post Create a Zen Workspace Using Screen Options in WordPress appeared first on WordPress Support & Optimization Specialists.

Before we dig into acceptable ways for displaying that trusty © symbol on your site, there’s one surprising thing you should know — displaying a copyright notice on your site is unnecessary. The U.S. Copyright Office offers its “protection the moment [a work] is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.” What does that mean? It means that from the moment you publish a page or blog post on your site, it’s automatically protected by copyright, regardless if there is a “©” somewhere on the page.

The Copyright Office does, however, recommend registration (even on websites) if you should require protection in a court of law. The registration of your copyright makes it more difficult for the infringing party to claim innocence.

* A quick note on legal advice

This goes without saying, but this blog post (or any blog post for that matter), should not substitute for the advice of your attorney. If you’re in doubt or have more detailed questions about your own work, we recommend that you consult a lawyer.

How to Display Copyright on a Website

There are four ways to display your copyright on your website. Below, we use our company as an example:

• Copyright 2021 SiteCare, LLC
• Copyright 2005-2021 SiteCare, LLC
• © 2021 SiteCare, LLC
• © 2005-2021 SiteCare, LLC

And here are a few stylistic rules to keep in mind:

1. Use the “Copyright” or ©, but you needn’t use both.
2. There is no period between the date and the organization/person who claims the copyright.
3. If your website contains material that was created in previous years, you may want to opt to use a date range in the copyright notice.

Automatically Updating Footer Copyright Year

Ever come across a site and notice that the footer’s copyright year is from several years ago? It may lead you to question whether the site is operational or speculate on the company’s professionalism. Being careless with this detail is kind of like walking into an important client meeting with a partially unzipped fly — not the end of the world, but yikes, embarrassing.

That said, who wants to worry about such a small detail every January 1? Especially when we have technology capable of doing that labor for us!

Ready to take out the annual labor of updating the static copyright year in the footer of your site? You have several options! There are technically plugins that can accomplish this for you, but our preferred method is to simply add a small PHP snippet into your site’s footer.php file. You can also accomplish the same thing using a Javascript snippet. This is an easy request for your WordPress developer, but if you’re more of a DIYer, check out UpdateYourFooter.com for the exact PHP and Javascript snippets that will automatically update your copyright year.

The post How Should I Display My Copyright on a Website? appeared first on WordPress Support & Optimization Specialists.

At Southern Web, we offer both custom WordPress development and premade WordPress theme development, which allows us to help clients with a variety of budgets and scopes. In this piece, we break down the differences between custom WordPress web development and premade template themes so you can determine which route is best to take for your business.

The Benefits of Custom Web Design

1. Limitless customization

With a custom website, your imagination is the limit. Okay, maybe your budget plays a factor, too, but the sentiment remains:

Having a website designed for you from scratch gives you complete creative control of your brand’s digital face.

Going the custom route allows you to dictate your wants and needs on a granular level — not just adjusting colors and fonts, but the actual structure and features of your site, as well. While using a premade WordPress theme can turn out gorgeous, you ultimately have to be okay working with what the theme allows.

2. There’s no site out there like yours

While premade template sites do a fine job for many businesses and organizations out there, many major brands require a website that is designed and built with a specific vision, aesthetic, and functionality in mind. Sharing the same premade theme with countless other businesses out there kind of goes against those principles.

Think about when you try on clothing in a store. You can choose an outfit off the rack in your size and, if it’s true to size, the piece will probably fit fine. Even if the pants are a smidge too long or the shirt is a tiny bit tight in the shoulders, you can generally “make it work.” But if you have ever worn a garment constructed from scratch with your measurements in mind, you know it makes a huge difference. Not only does a custom-made outfit fit perfectly, but no one else will be wearing the same outfit as you.

The same applies for custom web design and development. With a custom site, you know you’re getting a one-of-a-kind product that is designed specifically for your needs — it’s a perfect fit from the start.

3. Ideal for complex scopes & future growth

Another reason to choose a custom designed website is if you know your site will require complex features or template types that can’t be addressed within the confines of a “canned” theme.

For example, let’s say you’re a company that sells beverages, and you’re coming into a project with a very specific visual idea for how you want your company’s “Find a Distributor” locator tool to appear and function. Unfortunately, you may have to make serious compromises on that vision based on what your premade theme allows.

That’s not the case with a custom site! If you dream it, an expert design and development team can make it a reality.

Not only does a custom site allow for endless creativity from the get-go, but it also allows for greater scalability and flexibility as your business grows and your needs change. If you decide you want to add a new feature or template type to your custom site later down the road, you don’t have to worry about being restricted by a template theme.

The Benefits of Premade Themes

We love custom WordPress sites, but we can’t discount the value & ease of a template theme site. While they do not offer as many opportunities for customizability and scalability, choosing a theme “off the rack” can get the job done if you’re on a budget. There are three main reasons you might want to go the premade route:

1. Budget-friendly!

Money is, by far, one of the most common reasons that people choose to go with a premade theme for their website. When you add up all the costs of building a website, a theme license is one of the most affordable components. If you consider yourself fairly tech-savvy and decide to go the DIY route, you can save a lot of money by installing and customizing the theme yourself.

Even if you don’t have the technical chops to go the full-on DIY route, hiring a developer or digital agency to install and customize your theme is still a pretty excellent bang for your buck. Not only does a developer know what they’re doing, but they can help you find creative solutions for working around the limitations of a premade theme.

Plus, when you work with an agency, you’re likely getting much more than just a theme install. For example, when we take on template theme projects (which we call “express web development”), we generally follow the same project process used for our custom projects (minus the wireframes and design phases). This means our express clients still enjoy all the benefits of working with a professional web design agency. We assign a project manage to guide the project, facilitate discovery and asset collection, refine your site’s information architecture, create content if necessary, build the theme according to your specifications, provide opportunities for revisions, and execute an extensive pre- and post-launch checklist to ensure your site is immaculate. And you get all of that at a fraction of the price of a huge custom development project.

2. Speedier project timelines

One of the reasons we label our template web development services as “express” is that these projects have vastly shorter turnaround times than custom web design and development services.

Depending on the circumstances, some express project can be fast-tracked for clients experiencing major time crunches. For example, maybe you need to get a new website up before a major product launch or ahead of the biggest industry conference of the year.

3. More customizable than you might think

While a template site will never offer as much versatility as a custom built site, you might be surprised to learn just how much of a theme’s design can be tailored to your aesthetics and needs.

The ability to change colors and fonts is standard, but some templates offer even more robust features. This will largely depend on the theme you choose. As you’re browsing themes, you’ll obviously want to find one that looks appealing, but you should also dig deeper and see what kind of extra elements, widgets, formatting options, or special templates are built into the theme.

Do you know you want your new site to have social media widgets? Visual charts or stat counters? A calculator tool? Styled testimonial blocks? Some theme packages even include multiple options for common template types (like the homepage, contact page, full-width landing pages, etc), which allows you to mix and match template types. These are all example of features you can find in premade themes, but you just have to know to look for them.

The post Custom WordPress Web Design vs Premade Themes appeared first on WordPress Support & Optimization Specialists.

We know how it goes. You’ve got a pressing question or a problem with your WordPress website, but when you reach out to customer support, you’re met with a chatbot or a form that assigns you a ticket number and promises to get back to you ASAP. (Read: Take a number and wait in line.) And when you do reach a real person, you’re sometimes passed around from person to person, and you have to repeat your story several times.

It’s frankly exhausting. To use a phrase often found in cheesy infomercials, “there’s got to be a better way.”

How ‘All-Hands’ Customer Support Works

The most significant component of our customer support strategy is our “all-hands” support inbox, which we believe provides a superior, seamless support experience for our clients. In this article, I’ll explain how this “all-hands” model works and why it works so well for our team and our clients.

A general definition we’ve seen floating around about “all hands” customer support is that everyone in the company “works a shift” in manning the support inbox.

At WP Site Care (and our parent company Southern Web), we use a collaborative customer support help desk via HelpScout. Through this platform, our customers are typically interfacing with just one team member at a time (and, yes, a real human), but if needed, everyone on our team is able to be looped into conversations if we need to work together to solve the problem. Even if someone isn’t on “support duty,” so to speak, they can be pulled in to provide a quick answer right within the HelpScout platform.

Benefits of the ‘All-Hands’ Customer Support Model

We find that the ‘All-Hands’ model offers several great advantages for our WordPress support clients:

• It allows our team to collaborate without stepping on each other’s toes. The great thing about our help desk software is that everyone on our team can see who is working with which client. This prevents our team from crafting duplicate (or worse, conflicting!) responses or asking customers to repeat their story multiple times to multiple people.
• Every client benefits from the experience of the entire team. When a customer reaches out to us with a question or ticket, a member of our technical support team usually “assigns” the ticket to themselves to resolve. If they don’t know the answer to a question offhand or if it’s a question that should be answered by a specific person on our team, the ticket can be reassigned to that particular team member seamlessly without bogging down a customer’s support experience.
• It provides a “safety net” for all support issues. With the ability to loop any of our team members into helping with a ticket, customers don’t have to worry about their messages falling through the cracks. It even works the other way around — if our emails fall through the cracks on a customer’s end (we get it, life can get busy!), we have automated workflows and reminders that will prompt us to follow up with you if we haven’t heard back from you. This helps us keep projects and tickets moving forward, so you receive the quickest possible resolution.
• Clients have a seamless experience. Every member of our team has instant context for future conversations thanks to our robust archive of past client communications. One of the great things about this is that if the team member with whom you work most closely is out of the office, there’s always someone available to touch base with you on a ticket or project status, so you’re not left hanging.

A+ WordPress Support Requires Building Trust

These days, when so many of our systems are automated and soulless, we believe building customer intimacy and trust is one of the most important things we can do.

When you have a WordPress issue, we believe you we owe it to you to provide a personalized experience from a compassionate expert who can help you solve your problem quickly. For us, all-hands WordPress customer support is the best way to meet that goal.

Want to learn more about WordPress support plans? We’d love to talk. Get started today.

The post The Strengths of ‘All-Hands’ WordPress Customer Support appeared first on WordPress Support & Optimization Specialists.