How to Create a WooCommerce Contest to Boost Loyalty and Engagement

Do you want to create a WooCommerce contest to boost customer engagement and increase sales?

Contests are an easy way to get new visitors to your WooCommerce store, increase brand awareness, and keep customers engaged.

They can also help you boost customer loyalty, improve conversions, and increase sales in the long run.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily create a WooCommerce contest to boost loyalty and engagement.

Why Run a WooCommerce Contest?

As an online store, you need to bring new customers to your website. The challenge is that most of these users leave without making a purchase.

Only 30% of customers who add products to their cart actually finish the checkout. This is why we have a comprehensive guide on how to recover abandoned cart sales in WooCommerce.

Once a user leaves your website, it is hard to bring them back unless you find ways to stay in touch.

Adding contests and giveaways allows you to provide users a fun reason to stay a little longer. They also help you collect email addresses, user responses, and grow your social media following.

All of this ultimately leads to more sales and increased customer loyalty.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to easily create a WooCommerce contest to grow your business.

Creating a WooCommerce Contest Giveaway

For this tutorial, we’ll be using a plugin called RafflePress. It is the best WooCommerce contest / giveaway plugin that allows you to easily run viral contests and giveaway campaigns on your website.

It comes with social actions that help you amplify your reach and find new customers. It also helps you grow your email list, increase social media followers, and boost customer loyalty.

Note: our team built RafflePress to help us grow our online presence. Based on user request, we released it as a plugin for anyone to use.

First, you need to install and activate the RafflePress plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, the plugin will add a new menu item labeled ‘RafflePress’ in your WordPress admin sidebar. Clicking on it will take you to the plugin’s settings page.

First, you will need to enter your license key. You can find this information under your account on the RafflePress website.

After entering your license key, you are now ready to create your first WooCommerce contest.

Simply visit RafflePress » Add New page to get started.

This will launch the RafflePress contest builder.

First, you need to provide a name for your new contest campaign. After that, you need to select a template to use as a starting point.

RafflePress comes with several goal-based contest templates to choose from. These templates are designed to help you get the best results for specific goals like growing your email list or social media following.

You can select one that best suits your goals. If you are unsure, then start with the classic template.

RafflePress will now load the template in the builder.

Add a Prize to Your WooCommerce Contest

Let’s set a prize or incentive for your WooCommerce contest. You need to click on the pencil icon under the Giveaway Prize Details section to enter the prize title and description.

After that, don’t forget to upload prize image which will be prominently displayed with your contest.

Next, you need to choose the start and end date for your contest. We recommend leaving enough time before the start / end date to ensure that you can promote it properly.

Add Actions Users Need to Perform to Join The Contest

Actions are the tasks you want website visitors to perform in order to join the contest. RafflePress comes with a number of actions designed to help you reach your intended goals.

You need to select actions that help you maximize your reach to new audiences as well as existing customers.

For example, if you run a fast fashion eCommerce store, then you would want to increase your Instagram following.

Let’s start adding actions to the contest.

Simply switch to the ‘Actions’ tab from the left menu, and you’ll see a list of actions.

You can click on an action to add it to your contest. It will appear below the prize description section.

You can then click on the individual action to see action settings in the left column.

Each action comes with some basic settings. You can set a title, the number of entries users will earn for completing it, allow daily entries, or make an action mandatory.

Apart from these settings, you will also see settings related to specific actions.

For instance, if you want users to visit your Instagram profile, then you will need to enter your Instagram profile URL.

You can add as many actions as you like. Adding more options gives your users more ways to participate, and helps you reach more marketing channels.

RafflePress seamlessly integrates with all the best email marketing services, so you can use it to grow your email list.

Bonus Tip: Prioritize channels based on your campaign goals. For instance, if you wanted to grow your email list, then you need to move it up and make it mandatory.

You can simply drag and drop actions to arrange them in the order you want customers to join in.

Once you are done, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save’ button to store your settings.

Customize WooCommerce Contest Design

Next, you would want to change the appearance of your contest widget so that it stands out.

Simply, click on the ‘Design’ section from the left column and then select a layout, font, and button color for your contest widget.

You can also set a background color or image if you want to create landing page for your contest (more on this later in this article).

Once you are satisfied with the design click on the ‘Save’ button to save your progress.

Configure Contest Settings

RafflePress comes with a number of options that give you full control of your contest campaign.

Switch to the ‘Settings’ tab from the left menu and click on the ‘General’ tab. From here you can set basic options for your giveaway including the option to show winners, number of entries, limit signups per IP, and more.

After that, switch to the ‘Giveaway rules’ tab. RafflePress includes a Rules Generator which allows you to easily generate contest rules for your campaign.

After that, switch to the ‘Email Verification’ settings. From here you can turn on email verification, which will only accept entries from users who verify their email address.

Next, click on the ‘Success tracking’ option. If you want to add Google Analytics or other tracking code like Facebook pixel, then this option allows you to add those scripts.

Next, click on the ‘Success Redirect’ tab. From here you can redirect users to any page after they successfully complete all actions. This could be a WooCommerce product page, a landing page, or simply a thank you page.

Finally, you’ll reach the social logins section. From here you can turn on social logins and allow users to join the contest by signing in with their Facebook account.

Once you are done reviewing settings, don’t forget to click on the Save button to store your changes.

Publish and Add Contest to Your WooCommerce Store

Now that your contest is ready, it is time to add it to your WooCommerce store.

RafflePress makes it super easy to add your giveaway anywhere. There are three ways you can do so.

• You use the RafflePress block to add giveaway in a blog post or a page
• You can use shortcode to add it anywhere posts, pages, product pages, sidebar widgets
• You can also create Giveaway landing page

Let’s check out each of these items.

1. Adding Contest Block to Blog Posts / Pages

Simply create a new post or page in WordPress or edit an existing one. On the edit screen, click on the add new block button and then select RafflePress.

You’ll see RafflePress block appear in the editor. From here, you need to click on the drop down menu in the block settings and select the contest giveaway you created earlier.

2. Add Contest Using Shortcode

Shortcodes come in handy when you want to add the contest to a product page, sidebar widget, or with a page builder plugin.

First, you need to edit the contest giveaway and then switch to the ‘Publish’ tab. From here, click on the shortcode option and copy the shortcode you see on the screen.

3. Create a Contest Page in WooCommerce

RafflePress also allows you to give your contest widget its own landing page. You can find the option under the Publish tab while editing your Contest giveaway.

You can launch the landing page settings by clicking on the link. From there you need to create a URL for your landing page. Once done, you can click on the view button to see your landing page in action.

RafflePress will take you to your contest landing page. You can now copy the URL and start promoting it across your marketing channels.

Promoting Your WooCommerce Contest

Now that you have created and added your WooCommerce contest, it is time to start promoting it.

We recommend adding your contest before it begins and give yourself plenty of time to build anticipation and excitement for the contest.

You can give a shout out to your email newsletter subscribers and spread the word around on your social media profiles. Reach out to influencers in your industry, friends, and family members to help you get the ball rolling.

You can also promote it on relevant online communities and forums. And don’t forget to promote it across your website using a platform like OptinMonster, so that your visitors are aware of it.

Choosing Contest Winners

RafflePress will automatically start your contest on the time you selected in settings and will end it on your selected time as well.

Once the contest has ended, RafflePress can also help you pick a random winner.

Go to RafflePress » Giveaways page and click on the ‘Need Winners’ link next to your contest.

The plugin will now ask you how many winners you want to choose. After that, it will randomly pick the winners.

You can then email those users to let them know and provide the necessary information to get their prize.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily create a WooCommerce contest and build customer loyalty. You may also want to see our expert pick of the best WooCommerce plugins for your online store.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Create a WooCommerce Contest to Boost Loyalty and Engagement appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 05, 2019 at 07:02PM

How to Add Your WordPress Site to Google Search Console

One of the most important step in optimizing your WordPress site for SEO is adding it to Google Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools).

Google Search Console offers specific webmaster tools to help website owners monitor and maintain their search presence and rankings.

In this guide, we will show you how to easily add and verify your WordPress site in Google Search Console also known as Webmaster Tools.

What is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console is a free tool offered by Google to help website owners monitor their website’s presence in Google search results.

It helps you track search rankings along with keeping you updated about site errors, security issues, and indexing issues that may affect your website’s search performance.

If you are serious about growing your website, then you need to add it to Google webmaster tools from day one.

That being, let’s take a look at how to easily add your site to Google Search Console.

Adding Your WordPress Site to Google Search Console

First, you need to visit the Google Search Console website and click on the ‘Start Now’ button.

Next, you’ll need to sign in with your Google / Gmail account.

Once logged in, you’ll be asked to enter your website URL.

There are two methods for site verification: domain name or URL prefix. We recommend the URL prefix method because it is more flexible.

Keep in mind that Google considers an HTTP and HTTPS as two different protocols. It also considers https://www.example.com and https://example.com as two different websites.

You need to enter the correct website URL used by WordPress.

If you are unsure, then there is an easy way to find out the exact URL you need to enter. Simply login to your WordPress admin area and go to Settings » General page.

There you will see your website’s URL in the site address field.

After entering your correct website address in Google webmaster tools setup wizard, click on the ‘Continue’ button to go to the next step.

Now, you’ll be asked to verify ownership of your website. There are several ways to do that, but we will show the HTML tag method because it is the easiest one.

Click on the HTML tag to expand it and then copy the code inside it.

Now, you need to add this Google site verification meta tag in WordPress, so Google can verify that you are the owner of the website.

Most WordPress tutorials will guide you to just edit the header.php file in your WordPress theme and add the code just above the <body> tag.

However, we don’t recommend this method because if you update or change your theme, then the HTML tag will disappear.

Google periodically checks for the HTML tag and will disable your access to the site data in the search console if it cannot find the verification tag.

Here is how to make sure that Google can always verify your ownership of the website.

First, you need to install and activate the Insert Headers and Footers plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to Settings » Insert Headers and Footers page and paste the Google HTML tag code you copied earlier inside the ‘Scripts in Header’ box.

Don’t forget to click on the ‘Save’ button to store your changes.

You can now go back to Google Search Console settings and click on the ‘Verify’ button.

Google Search Console will now look for the HTML tag in your website code and will show you a success message.

Note: If you don’t see a success message, then you need to clear your WordPress cache. This will ensure that Google can fetch the latest version of your website.

That’s all. You have successfully added your site to the Google Search Console (Webmaster tools). You can now click on the ‘Go to Property’ link to visit your Google Search Console dashboard.

From here you can see your website’s performance reports and index coverage.

Before you do that, let’s tell Google a little bit more about your website. This will help Google crawl your website a bit more efficiently.

Add XML Sitemap to Google Search Console

An XML sitemap is a file that lists all your website content in XML format, so search engines like Google can easily discover and index your content.

The easiest way to add an XML sitemap to your WordPress website is by installing and activating the Yoast SEO plugin.

Upon activation, go to SEO » General and switch to the ‘Features’ tab. From here, you need to scroll down to the ‘XML Sitemap’ option and make sure that it is turned on.

Next, you need to get the XML sitemap link. Simply click on the question mark icon next to the XML sitemap option, and you will see a link to your XML sitemap.

Clicking on the link will take you to your XML sitemap. From there, you can just copy the URL from your browser’s address bar.

Alternatively, you can directly access your XML sitemap by adding sitemap_index.xml at the end of your website address. For example:

https://ift.tt/2HrV0S0

Now that you have XML sitemap ready, let’s help Google find it quickly.

Simply switch to the Google Search Console dashboard and click on the Sitemaps menu from the left column.

After that, you need to add the last part of your sitemap URL under the ‘Add new sitemap’ section and click the Submit button.

Google will now add your sitemap URL to your Google Search Console.

That’s all, you have successfully added your website to Google Search Console.

The next step is to learn how to use the treasure trove of information in Google search console to grow your business. We have a complete Google Search Console guide for beginners which shows you how to make the most out of Google Search Console data.

Google Search Console and WordPress FAQs

Having helped thousands of readers add and verify their website in Google search console, we have seen just about every question you can think of. Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

1. How can I upload a Google HTML verification file to my WordPress blog?

Google Search Console allows few different ways to verify website ownership. In this article, we covered the easiest method which is to use the Google site verification meta tag. However some website owners prefer to upload the HTML file to verify site ownership.

To upload the Google search console HTML verification file to WordPress, you will need to login to your WordPress hosting cPanel or connect to your hosting account using FTP.

Next, you need to upload the HTML verification file inside the /public_html/ folder of your website. This is the root directory where you’ll see other WordPress folders like /wp-admin/, /wp-content/, etc.

2. Should I use a Google Site verification plugin for WordPress?

There are many WordPress plugins that are designed specifically to help you with Google site verification. However you don’t need to use them because you’ll likely need to verify ownership on other webmaster tools and platforms like Bing, Yandex, Pinterest, etc.

It’s much better to use the Insert Headers and Footers plugin because it lets you add site verification for all platforms (in a single plugin).

3. How can I become a power user of Google Search Console?

Google search console has a lot of useful information that you can use to grow your business. We have created the ultimate Google Search Console guide that you can use to become a power user.

4. I’m running into problems, is there a Google Search console phone number that I can contact?

No, there’s no Google search console phone number that you can contact. If you’re running into problems with Google search console, then you can use their online support center. For specific questions about WordPress, you can always join our free WordPress help group to ask your questions.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily add your WordPress site to Google Search Console. You may also want to see our guide on how to get more traffic to your website, and our comparison of the best email marketing services for small business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Add Your WordPress Site to Google Search Console appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 04, 2019 at 05:00PM

How Much Does a Domain Name Really Cost? (Expert Answer)

If you have ever tried to register a domain name before, then you have likely seen a wide-variety of prices ranging from $9 to several thousand dollars.

The cost of a domain name varies based on the domain extension (such as .com, .org, .net), domain registrar, availability, and few other factors.

Apart from new domain names, you can also buy premium domain names from someone else who has registered it before you. Domain name investors often register premium domain names that are shorter, brandable, and easy to remember for the sole purpose of reselling.

In this article, we’ll explain how much does a domain name really costs. We’ll also show you different ways to buy a domain name including a way to get one for free.

Since this is a comprehensive guide on domain name costs, we have broken it down into few sections:

• How much does a new domain name cost?
• What are the hidden costs of a domain name?
• How much does a premium domain name cost?
• How to estimate the value of a premium domain name?
• How much does an expired domain name cost?
• How to buy a domain name not listed for sale?
• Things to look for before buying a domain name
• Frequently asked questions about domain name costs

How Much Does a New Domain Name Cost?

Buying a new domain name would typically cost you anywhere between $9 and $14.99 per year. However, these prices may differ based on the domain extension or the domain registrar you choose.

If you are starting a new website, then we recommend using Bluehost. They are one of the top web hosting companies in the world.

They are offering WPBeginner users a free domain name + free SSL certificate on top of the 60% discount on their web hosting plans.

→ Claim Your Free Domain Name with Bluehost ←

Since you need both a domain name and web hosting to make a website, this is the most affordable option to get started.

If you just want to purchase a domain name, then we recommend using Domain.com as your registrar. You can use our Domain.com coupon code to get 25% off your purchase.

Here is how much a new domain registration costs with different registrars.

• Bluehost – Free domain with hosting $2.75 / month
• Domain.com – $7.45 for .com domain names with our coupon code
• HostGator – Free domain with hosting $2.64 / month
• GoDaddy – $11.99
• DreamHost – Free domain with hosting $2.59 / month

These prices are for new .com domain names only. The pricing of other extensions such as .net, .org, .info, .blog, etc. will vary based on the domain registrar you use.

When it comes to domain extensions, we always recommend users to use .com because it’s the most popular one.

Hidden Costs of a Domain Name

Aside from the domain registration cost, there are few hidden domain costs and upsells that you should be aware of, so you can make the most educated decision.

Yearly Renewals

Domain name registration is done on a yearly basis. You can maintain control over your domain name as long as you continue to renew your registration each year.

Some domain registrars offer domain name discounts on first year purchase, but their renewal costs are much higher. If you see a promotion where you can pay $0.99 for a domain name, then please know that it’s usually for first year only. Your annual renewals will be at a much higher price.

WHOIS and Domain Privacy

ICANN is the not-for-profit public-benefit corporation that is responsible for coordinating the assignment and maintenance of domain names. They require each domain registrar to collect contact information for the website owner.

This information can be publicly accessed using WHOIS data. Other businesses and companies can use this information to contact you about a potential business partnership.

Having the WHOIS data publicly available can result in unwanted emails and phone calls. This is why many domain registrars sell an add-on called Domain Privacy.

This addon typically costs an additional $9.99, and it’s completely optional. The problem is that often registrars automatically add it to the cart, and you have to manually remove it if you don’t want to pay for it.

Some registrars like DreamHost offer free domain privacy with their domains.

Business Email Accounts (Email Domains)

When buying a domain name, you will likely see an addon for email domains for setting up a professional business email address.

You do not need to buy this because you can get a free business email address with most web hosting companies.

If you want a more professional option, then we recommend buying this directly from G Suite or Microsoft Office365, so you’re not locked into a registrar.

Pro Tip: Secure Domain Discounts for Multiple Years

Some registrars like Domain.com allows you to pre-pay for multiple years upfront. This is a great way to get the introductory discount offer for multiple years.

Since you have to pay for domain renewals every year, pre-paying for multiple years can be a significant saving. Not to mention, it saves you from future price increases.

But these hidden fees and domain cost explanation is primarily for new domains that are available to register.

What about premium domains or domains that you buy from other people? Let’s take a look at the premium domain costs in details.

How Much Does a Premium Domain Name Cost?

Premium domain names are pre-registered domain names that are often shorter, brandable, and more memorable. Often domain investors register these premium domain names to sell later at a higher price for profit.

Cost of premium domain names can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. It all depends on the uniqueness of the name, domain length, and its overall brand potential.

Some premium domains may even cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Here are some of the most expensive domains sold in history:

• Insurance.com – $35.6 million
• PrivateJet.com – $30.18 million
• Hotels.com – $11 million
• Fb.com – $8.5 million
• Business.com – $7.5 million

You can find premium domain names listed for sale by private sellers on various websites.

We recommend buying domain names from reputable websites to ensure a safe transfer of the domain name. See our guide on the best places to buy a premium domain name.

How to Estimate The Value of a Premium Domain Name?

Many beginners ask us about how to find the right offer to make for a premium domain or a pre-registered domain name?

Domain names that are already taken are often sold at a higher price. However, most of the time the asking price is outrageously high which discourages many inexperienced domain buyers from making an offer.

We recommend users to do some research and make a reasonable counter offer. Remember, the domain investor only makes money when they sell the domain.

Like most trades, the value of a premium domain largely depends on the maximum you’re willing to pay and the lowest the seller is willing to accept.

However, you can look at domain marketplaces like BuyDomains, Sedo, or Flippa to better understand the market rates, so you can make a respectable offer for a particular niche.

If the domain you are looking for already has a listed price, then you can start by offering 50-75% of the listed price.

Note: Most domain value estimation tools are completely useless, so it’s best to avoid using them as a reference.

We recommend caution when buying a registered domain name. If you are unsure about the domain’s potential worth to your business, then simply walk away.

How Much Does an Expired Domain Names Cost?

Each day thousands of domain names expire. These are the domain names where the owner decided not to renew their registration, or they simply forgot about these domain names.

Expired domains provide an excellent opportunity to find great brandable domain name. The following are a few places where you can look for recently expired domain names.

1. FreshDrop

FreshDrop is a domain marketplace that allows you to follow expired and soon to be expired domain names. It comes with an advanced search tool that you can use to narrow down your search.

2. ExpiredDomains

ExpiredDomains is a search engine dedicated to expired domain names. It may not look as easy to use as other domain search tools but it has a large and constantly updated index of domain names.

Note: You need to check for domain abuse and other problems before buying a used, pre-registered, or expired domain names (more on this later).

Cost of Expired Domain Names

Normally, you can register an expired domain name at the usual yearly rates of your domain registrar company.

However if a domain name is soon to be expired, then you can use a domain backorder service. This allows you to place an advance order for the domain name.

If there is no other advance order for that domain name, then your order will become successful. Most domain name companies charge a small one-time fee ($25 – $99) to provide this service.

How to Buy a Domain Name Not Listed for Sale?

So far we have talked about the cost of domain names that are available for registration or sold by third-parties. What if you have your eye on a domain name that is already taken but not listed for sale?

There is a good chance that you can still get your hands on that particular domain name.

You see, many users register domain names to start a new online business idea. A lot of them end up never using that domain name or abandon the idea.

Since they’re not using the domain name, you can directly contact the domain owner to make an offer.

If the domain name has a website, then you can use the contact form on their website to reach out.

Alternatively, you can use the Whois search to find contact information of the domain owner and send them a message to show your interest.

Sometimes people register domain names for future ideas, so even if they’re not using it, they still wouldn’t want to sell it. Some folks get greedy and will ask for a premium to part ways with their domain.

Remember, you’re buying someone’s “dream idea”, so you need to be respectful but also realistic about the value.

Pro tip: If you have a business idea, then it’s better to register a domain name even if you’re not 100% sure. You don’t want to risk someone else registering it before you get around to it. We think of it as an insurance policy because a domain costs only $9.99.

Doing Your Homework Before Buying a Domain Name

If you are buying a domain name that has never been used before, then you are good to go.

However, if you are buying a domain name that was previously owned by someone else, then you need to do some basic due diligence.

These domain names could be violating copyright or trademark, used to distribute malware or spam, or misused in other malicious activities.

Don’t worry, there are plenty of tools that you can use to do your homework.

1. Check For Trademark

First, you would want to make sure that the domain name is not a registered trademark of an existing business.

According to ICANN rules, if a domain name violates a company’s registered trademark, then that company can claim the domain name or ask you to take it down.

You can check the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s database to do a quick trademark search. Simply enter your domain name in the search box to see if it returns any matches.

2. Check Past Domain Name Usage

Next, you would want to see how the domain name has been used in the past. What kind of websites were made using that particular domain name?

The easiest way to do this is by using the Wayback Machine. It is a massive historical archive of the internet with snapshots of websites archived on a regular basis.

3. Check Historical Whois Records

Whois tools provides you historical whois records for a domain name. This helps you see when a domain name was created, last renewed, DNS changes, and other historical data.

4. Run a Domain Health Check Test

Finally, you need to make sure that the domain is not used to send spam, launch DDoS attacks, or spread malware. You can use MxToolBox’s domain health tool to see if raises any red flags.

Frequently Asked Questions About Domain Name Costs

Having helped thousands of users start a blog and website, we have answered a lot of questions related to domain names. Below are some of the most common ones:

Can I get a domain name for free?

While domain name typically costs $14.99 / year, you can get a domain name for free as a bundled offer with various web hosting companies.

Hosting companies like Bluehost, HostGator, Dreamhost, GreenGeeks, and others offer free domains with their web hosting packages.

Which is the best domain name registrar?

We believe that Domain.com is the best registrar right now because they have the features you need, and they’re offering a 25% off discount.

However it’s a smarter money decision to get a free domain with web hosting like Bluehost because it saves you time and money.

You can always transfer your domain name to another popular domain name registrar if you’re not happy with your existing provider.

Do I need both domain name and web hosting to build a website?

Yes, you need both the domain name and web hosting to build a website. Domain name is your website’s address on the internet whereas web hosting is where your website files are stored. For more details, see our guide on difference between domain name vs web hosting (explained).

Can I buy a domain name forever (permanently)?

No, you cannot buy a domain name permanently. Domain name registration is done on a yearly basis. However, you can pre-pay for up to 10 years which guarantees that you will have a domain name for 10 years.

How much does a domain name cost on Wix vs WordPress?

When using a hosted website builder platform, the cost of your domain name will vary. It’s important to remember that website builder platforms offer a combination of hosting + domain.

For example, Wix domains cost $14.95 / year, but they are free if you choose the annual plan which costs $13 / month.

WordPress.com domains cost $18 / year, but they are included for free with the annual Personal plan which costs $8 / month.

But if you use a self-hosted WordPress platform, then you can start a website with Bluehost for $2.75 per month, and it comes with a free domain name. For more details, see the difference between WordPress.com vs self-hosted WordPress.org.

We hope this article helped you learn how much does a domain name really cost. You may also want to see our guide on how much does it really cost to build a WordPress website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How Much Does a Domain Name Really Cost? (Expert Answer) appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 03, 2019 at 04:52PM

How to Add an Author Info Box in WordPress Posts

Do you want to add an author bio box in your WordPress posts? The author bio box is a small section where you can display information about the blog’s author, show their social media profiles, and more.

Many WordPress themes allow you to easily display author bio using the default WordPress functionality. However, some themes may not have this feature built-in, or you may want to change how they display the author bio section.

In this article, we will show you multiple ways to easily show an author info box in WordPress posts. We will also show you how to customize author bio and make it more useful.

Why and When You Need an Author Info Box in WordPress

Seeing an actual person behind the content helps build credibility and strengthens your site’s authority among users.

For a single-author WordPress blog, you can just add an about me page, but for a multi-author WordPress sites, you’ll need to add an author info box below each post.

This helps your users learn more about individual authors on your website. It also provides authors an additional incentive to contribute more often and interact with readers.

If you want more users to submit content to your website, then the author info box is a great way to attracts writers who are looking for exposure and new audiences.

Having said that, let’s take a look at how to easily add an author info box in WordPress posts.

Adding Author Info Box in WordPress Posts

WordPress is the best website builder in the world because of the flexibility and customization options it offers.

There are many different author bio plugins that you can use to add an author info section. We will show you the default WordPress method, two different plugins as well as the code method. This way you can choose a method that works best for your site.

• Adding Author Box in WordPress using WordPress Themes
• Adding Author Box in WordPress using a Plugin
• Adding Author Box in WordPress Sidebar
• Adding Author Box in WordPress using Code Snippets

Method 1: Adding Author Bio Using Your WordPress Theme

If your WordPress theme comes with an author information box below each article, then you can simply use that to display your author bio.

In order to make use of it, you will simply need to visit Users » All Users page. From here you need to edit the user you want to change.

On the profile edit screen, scroll down to the ‘Biographical info’ section to add the author’s bio. You can also use HTML in this field to manually add links to the author’s social media profiles.

The author profile image is fetched using Gravatar. If the author has not set up a gravatar photo, then you can ask them to follow our guide for setting up a gravatar photo in WordPress.

Alternatively, you can also allow users on your website to upload a custom author profile photo by editing their profile.

Don’t forget to click on the ‘Update user’ button to save your changes.

You can now visit any article on your website to see your WordPress theme display author bio box below the content.

Method 2. Adding Author Info Box in WordPress Using a Plugin

If your theme does not show an author info box, or you want to customize it, then this method is for you.

For this method, we’ll be using a WordPress plugin to add author info box to your WordPress posts.

First, thing you need to do is install and activate the Author Bio Box plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit Settings » Author Bio Box page to configure plugin settings.

From here, you can choose colors, gravatar size for the author photo, and location to display author bio box.

Once you are done, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save changes’ button to store your changes.

Next, you need to visit Users » All Users page and click on the ‘Edit’ link below the user you want to change.

On the profile edit screen, you need to scroll down to ‘Contact Info’ section. From here you can add links to the author’s social media profiles.

The plugin will only show icons for social networks where you enter a URL.

After that, you can scroll down to the ‘Biographical Info’ section to add the author’s bio. You can also use HTML in this field to manually add links or use basic HTML formatting options.

Once you are finished, click on the Update user button to save your changes.

You can now visit any article written by that user to see the author info box in action.

Method 3: Display Author Info in a Sidebar Widget

Do you want to show the author info in the sidebar instead of below the article? If yes, then this method is for you because it allows you to show author info box in a sidebar widget.

For this method, you’ll need to install and activate the Meks Smart Author Widget plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit Appearance » Widgets page. There you will find Meks Smart Author under the list of available widgets. You need to add this widget to the sidebar where you want to display the author information.

The widget comes with a number of options. The most important option that you need to check is the checkbox next to ‘Automatically detect author’ option.

Click on the Save button to store your widget settings. You can now visit your website to see the author’s information widget in action.

This plugin fetches user information from their WordPress profile. You or your authors will need to fill their biographical information by editing their profiles.

Method 4. Add Author Info Box Manually (Coding Required)

This method requires you to add code to your WordPress website. If you have not done this before, then please take a look at our guide on how to add code snippets in WordPress.

First, you need to add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file or a site-specific plugin.

function wpb_author_info_box( $content ) {
 
global $post;
 
// Detect if it is a single post with a post author
if ( is_single() && isset( $post->post_author ) ) {
 
// Get author's display name 
$display_name = get_the_author_meta( 'display_name', $post->post_author );
 
// If display name is not available then use nickname as display name
if ( empty( $display_name ) )
$display_name = get_the_author_meta( 'nickname', $post->post_author );
 
// Get author's biographical information or description
$user_description = get_the_author_meta( 'user_description', $post->post_author );
 
// Get author's website URL 
$user_website = get_the_author_meta('url', $post->post_author);
 
// Get link to the author archive page
$user_posts = get_author_posts_url( get_the_author_meta( 'ID' , $post->post_author));
  
if ( ! empty( $display_name ) )
 
$author_details = '<p class="author_name">About ' . $display_name . '</p>';
 
if ( ! empty( $user_description ) )
// Author avatar and bio
 
$author_details .= '<p class="author_details">' . get_avatar( get_the_author_meta('user_email') , 90 ) . nl2br( $user_description ). '</p>';
 
$author_details .= '<p class="author_links"><a href="'. $user_posts .'">View all posts by ' . $display_name . '</a>';  
 
// Check if author has a website in their profile
if ( ! empty( $user_website ) ) {
 
// Display author website link
$author_details .= ' | <a href="' . $user_website .'" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Website</a></p>';
 
} else { 
// if there is no author website then just close the paragraph
$author_details .= '</p>';
}
 
// Pass all this info to post content  
$content = $content . '<footer class="author_bio_section" >' . $author_details . '</footer>';
}
return $content;
}
 
// Add our function to the post content filter 
add_action( 'the_content', 'wpb_author_info_box' );
 
// Allow HTML in author bio section 
remove_filter('pre_user_description', 'wp_filter_kses');

This code simply fetches the author information and displays it below WordPress posts. You need to style this author info box so that it looks nice and matches your WordPress theme.

You can add the following custom CSS to style your author box. Feel free to modify it to meet your needs

.author_bio_section{
background-color: #F5F5F5;
padding: 15px;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
}
 
.author_name{
font-size:16px;
font-weight: bold;
}
 
.author_details img {
border: 1px solid #D8D8D8;
border-radius: 50%;
float: left;
margin: 0 10px 10px 0;
}

This is how the author info box looked on our demo site.

We hope this article helped you learn how to add an author info box to WordPress posts. You may also want to see our tips on how to increase your blog traffic, or our step by step guide on how to create an email newsletter.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Add an Author Info Box in WordPress Posts appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 02, 2019 at 04:00PM