7 Best WordPress Portfolio Plugins for Designers & Photographers

Are you a designer or photographer looking for the easiest way to build a portfolio website in WordPress?

There are plenty of WordPress portfolio plugins that allow you to easily build beautiful portfolio websites.

However, finding the perfect portfolio plugin can be difficult for beginners. You will need to find a plugin that makes your work stand out, loads fast, and looks good on mobile devices.

In this article, we have hand-picked some of the best WordPress portfolio plugins for designers and photographers.

Choosing Between WordPress Portfolio Themes vs WordPress Portfolio Plugins

Many WordPress portfolio themes come with built-in functionality to create a portfolio website.

This makes many beginners wonder why would anyone want to choose a plugin when themes can do the job?

Themes in WordPress are only supposed to handle the visual appearance of your website. This includes colors, styles, layouts, and presentation of your content.

Plugins on the other hand are the proper way to add functionality to your WordPress site such as slider, contact form, and more.

Adding a portfolio comes under functionality, which is why we recommend using a plugin.

Using a theme for functionality ties your website with that theme. If you change the theme, then you will lose your portfolio data.

On the other hand, if you decide to use a portfolio plugin, then you are free to use it with any theme you want.

Having said that, let’s take a look at some of the top WordPress portfolio plugins.

1. WP Portfolio

WP Portfolio is the best WordPress portfolio plugin for photographers, freelancers, developers, and agencies. It allows you to instantly create portfolio websites from 40+ professionally designed portfolio templates.

It is made by the creators of Astra Theme, which is one of the best WordPress themes of all times. WP Portfolio brings the same ease of use to portfolios.

It comes with multiple style choices, layouts, supports all types of media, and can be easily customized without writing any code or CSS.

Most importantly, all portfolio layouts look equally great on mobile devices and work as elegantly as they do on laptops.

2. Envira Gallery

Envira Gallery is a premium WordPress gallery plugin. It allows you to create beautiful image galleries and albums. Already used by thousands, Envira Gallery is the best WordPress plugin for photographers and designers.

Creating a portfolio with Envira Gallery is quite easy. Simply create galleries containing your portfolio items with optional description and details. You can also group galleries into Albums or make filterable portfolio.

The plugin also makes it easy to add your portfolio anywhere on your WordPress site with the click of a button.

For detailed instructions, take a look at our guide on how to add a portfolio to your WordPress site.

3. NextGEN Gallery

NextGEN Gallery is a popular WordPress plugin for creating image galleries, albums, and photography portfolios. Loved by beginners and expert photographers alike, NextGen comes with an intuitive user interface to create galleries.

It includes multiple styles and layout choices with support for albums, filterable portfolio, columns, and more. You can also create portfolio carousel/slider, compact portfolio albums, and list or timeline style layouts.

4. Visual Portfolio

Visual Portfolio is an elegant WordPress portfolio plugin that allows you to create beautiful portfolio galleries.

It comes with multiple layout styles including masonry, grid, justified, tiles, and carousel. The plugin also includes a Gutenberg block which makes it even easier to add a portfolio anywhere you like.

Your users can also sort portfolio items using filters, which offers a beautiful browsing experience.

5. GridKit Portfolio Gallery

GridKit Portfolio Gallery is a simple WordPress photo gallery and portfolio plugin. It allows you to manage portfolio items in projects and make them sortable. It comes with support for new WordPress block editor with shortcode support for older editor.

The base plugin is very with limited layout styles and features. You’ll need the premium version to get access more styles and features.

6. Meow Gallery

Meow Gallery is a free WordPress gallery plugin with full Gutenberg block editor support. It allows you to organize your portfolio items in beautiful image galleries.

It ships with support for multiple layouts including masonry, grid, tile, and justified. You can select the number of columns you want to display. It also comes with several add-on plugins that can be used for additional functionality like lightbox, audio commentary, external links, and more.

7. Genesis Portfolio Pro

If you are using a StudioPress theme or any theme made for the Genesis theme framework, then you would want to try Genesis Portfolio Pro plugin.

It is made specifically for Genesis framework and provides a custom post type to create your portfolio items. It also comes with templates to display the featured image you set as the portfolio item in a grid layout.

It is a simple plugin and does not include many features of several other portfolio plugins. However, if you are looking for something minimalist, then it would get the job done nicely.

That’s all we hope this article helped you find the best WordPress portfolio plugins for designers and photographers. You may also want to see our list of 41 best free photography themes for WordPress.

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.

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December 27, 2019 at 12:00PM

How to Create a Dropbox Upload Form in WordPress

Do you want to create a Dropbox upload form in WordPress?

A contact form with a file upload option could be hard to manage if you are getting too many attachments. You can connect your form to Dropbox and upload those files directly to the cloud.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily create a Dropbox upload form in WordPress.

Why Use Dropbox to Upload Form Attachments

Some times you may need users to upload a file attachment using a form on your website.

For example, a job board website may need a file upload option to upload CV or work samples.

A customer feedback form may need a file upload option so users can send screenshots. A photo contest website may need it for users to upload their entries.

As you receive files, you can store those files on your WordPress website. They will be added to your website’s wp-content folder.

However, if you are expecting to get a ton of entries, and they are not related to your actual website files, then it is a good idea to save them separately.

Uploading form attachments to Dropbox has the following advantages:

• Keeps form upload entries separate from your WordPress files
• Dropbox makes it easier to share those files with anyone and you’ll not need to give them access to your website.
• You can easily browse and manage form attachments from your Dropbox dashboard
• If you no longer need those files, then you can download, archive, and delete them.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to make a WordPress form with an option to upload files to Dropbox.

Creating a Dropbox Upload Form in WordPress

First you need to install and activate the WPForms plugin. For more details, you should check out our article on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Note: WPForms is a paid plugin built by the same team as WPBeginner, and you’ll need at least their ‘Pro’ plan to access the Zapier addon which we’ll be using in this tutorial.

Upon activation, you need to visit WPForms » Add New page in your WordPress admin area.

It’ll take you to the WPForms form builder page. Simply provide a name for your form and then select simple contact form template as a starting point.

WPForms will load the form template with commonly used form fields. You can click on any fields to edit it, and you can also drag the fields to rearrange them or add new fields to the form.

Next, you need to click on the ‘File Upload’ field located under the ‘Fancy fields’ section in the left column.

This will add the file upload field to your form.

Click on the ‘Save’ button to save your form, and your file upload form is ready.

Integrating Zapier with WPForms

Next, you need to connect your form to your Dropbox account.

We’ll be using a service called Zapier to do that. Zapier allows you to connect different apps to your website without writing any code. In this case, we’ll use it to build a connection between WPForms and Dropbox.

WPForms comes with a ‘Zapier Addon’ that you can use to integrate with over 1500 popular apps, including Dropbox.

To access this addon, you need to go to WPForms » Addons page. From there, you need to look for the Zapier addon and click on the ‘Install Addon’ button. It will activate the addon automatically.

Next, you need to go to WPForms » Settings » Integrations page in your WordPress admin area. From there, you need to copy the ‘Zapier API key’ that you will need to connect your WordPress website with Zapier.

Once copied, you should go to the Zapier website and login to your Zapier account. Then, click on the ‘Make a Zap’ button to continue.

There will be many apps available. Search for ‘WPForms’ and select it as a trigger app.

After that, you need to select ‘New Form Entry’ as a trigger event for the WPForms app. It will create a trigger on every form submission.

Now, you can go ahead and click on the ‘Sign in to WPForms’ button to connect your Zapier account with WPForms plugin on your site.

To connect Zapier with your website, you need to add your website URL and Zapier API key that you copied earlier.

It will display the WPForms account. Click on the ‘Continue’ button.

In the ‘Form’ dropdown, you need to select the file upload form that you created previously.

After that, click on the ‘Continue’ button.

Before going to the next step, Zapier will ask you to test the new file upload form to see if all the settings are working properly.

You can visit WPForms » All Forms page in the WordPress admin area and click on the ‘Preview’ link below the file upload form.

To make this test smooth, you should upload a file and also add dummy text in the message section. Submit the test entry and go to your Zapier account. Click on the ‘Test & Continue’ button.

Note: You can check the test entry in the ‘Find Data’ section.

If the test is successful, it will jump to the next step where you can integrate your form with Dropbox.

Connecting WPForms with Dropbox

First you need to visit your Dropbox account and create a new Dropbox upload folder. You can rename this folder as ‘WPForms Uploads’ or give it any name. All your file attachments will upload in this folder automatically.

Next, you need to go back to your Zapier account. In the ‘Do this’ section, you need to choose ‘Dropbox’.

It will ask you to create an action for Dropbox. Select the ‘Upload File’ option and click on the ‘Continue’ button.

After that, you need to click on the ‘Sign in to Dropbox’ button to select your Dropbox account and connect it with Zapier.

Upon connecting the account, click on the ‘Continue’ button.

Now, you need to configure the Dropbox file settings. It will ask you for 2 options:

1. The Dropbox folder where you want to save the file attachments
2. The WPForms file upload field

After setting up, you can go ahead and test your configurations. Click on the ‘Test & Continue’ button to continue.

Lastly, click on the ‘Turn Zap On’ button to store these settings. It will take a few seconds, and you will see the Zap status on the top rights corner of the screen.

Your online form with file upload option is ready to be added on your website.

Adding the Dropbox Upload Form in WordPress

To add the Dropbox upload form in WordPress, you can edit any page or post where you want to display it.

Simply add the WPForms block to the content editor and select the form you created earlier.

WPForms will load the live preview of your form inside the content editor.

You can now visit your website to the form in action. You can also test out the form by uploading a file and filling out the form.

That’s all.

We hope this article helped you learn how to create a Dropbox upload form in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to run a giveaway contest in WordPress to boost user engagement.

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.

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December 26, 2019 at 07:09PM

How to Track WordPress Category and Tag Analytics (Easy Way)

Do you wish to track the WordPress category and tag analytics? By default, most website analytics solutions tell you about your most popular posts and pages, but very few show any information about your archive pages like categories and tags.

Category and tag pages can be an important source of traffic. This is why you need to track them properly, so you can better understand their impact.

In this article, we will show you how to easily track WordPress category and tag analytics.

Why Track Category and Tag Analytics in WordPress

WordPress category and tags can be an important source of traffic when used properly.

Categories are your website’s main topics. For example, on a travel website, these could be food, tours, accommodation, etc.

On the other hand, tags are specific topics discussed inside an article. For example, coffee shops, free tours, budget hotels, etc.

To learn more, see our complete guide on category vs tags and SEO best practices to use them for maximum benefit.

By default, category and tag pages are indexed by search engines which brings you additional traffic. You will need to learn which category and tags are getting more traffic, and what you can do to improve them.

That being said, let’s take a look at how you can easily track categories and tags in WordPress.

Setting up Google Analytics with MonsterInsights

For this guide, we will be using Google Analytics with MonsterInsights.

MonsterInsights is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. It allows you to easily install Google Analytics and track your website traffic.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the MonsterInsights plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

MonsterInsights is a paid plugin. You’ll need at least their Pro plan to access custom dimensions addon which we will be using for this tutorial.

Next, you need to visit Insights » Settings and scroll down to click on the ‘Launch Setup Wizard’. This will start the MonsterInsights setup, and you just need to follow the on-screen instructions to connect your WordPress site to your Google Analytics account.

For detailed instructions, see our guide on how to install Google Analytics in WordPress.

After that, you need to go to Insights » Addons page and install the Dimensions addon.

MonsterInsights will install and activate the Dimensions addon.

You are now ready to setup category and tags tracking in WordPress.

Adding Custom Dimensions in MonsterInsights for Categories and Tags

MonsterInsights allows you to set dimensions. These are custom parameters that you can use to track different elements on your website using Google Analytics.

First, you need to visit Insights » Settings page and then switch to the ‘Conversions’ tab. Scroll down to the ‘Custom Dimensions’ section and click on the ‘Add New Custom Dimensions button.

Next, you need to select ‘Tags’ and then click on the button again to add ‘Category’ custom dimension.

Click on the ‘Save Changes’ button at the top to store your changes.

Adding Custom Dimensions in Google Analytics

Now that you have set up custom dimensions in MonsterInsights, the next step is to do the same in Google Analytics.

Open your Google Analytics dashboard and switch to the All Website Data view.

From there, you need to click on the ‘Admin’ button at the bottom left corner of the screen and then select ‘Custom Definitions » Custom Dimensions’ under the Property column.

Next, you need to click on the ‘+ New Custom Dimension’ button and add ‘Category’. Google will then show you a code example, but you can ignore it and click on the Done button. Repeat the process to add ‘Tags’ as well.

You also need to make sure that custom dimensions IDs and Index values match in Google Analytics and MonsterInsights.

That’s all you have set up category and tag tracking in Google Analytics using MonsterInsights.

Viewing Category and Tags Reports in WordPress

After your website has collected some traffic data, you can view your category and tags tracking reports inside the WordPress dashboard.

Simply go to Insights » Reporting page and switch to the Dimensions tab.

You’ll see a list of your most popular categories and tag pages listed there.

How to Improve Your Category and Tag Pages in WordPress

Now that you have started tracking your category and tag pages, you would want to improve them, so that you can get even more traffic to your website.

Following are a few easy-to-implement tips that you can use to improve your category and tag archive pages.

1. Use Excerpts Instead of Full Posts

By default, WordPress displays full posts on your category and tag archive pages. Some WordPress themes provide a solution for that by allowing you to choose between full posts vs summary.

You can also do that on your own. Simply install and activate the Advanced Excerpt plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After that, go to Settings » Excerpt page and scroll down to Display on section. From here, you can select excerpt length and style options for your excerpts.

Don’t forget to click on the save changes button to store your settings.

That’s all your WordPress categories and tag pages will now show excerpts instead of full posts.

2. Add Category and Tag Descriptions

Just like your posts and pages, you can also add descriptions for your category and tag archive pages. Simply go to Posts » Categories page and click on the Edit link below a category.

This will open the category editor screen. From here, you can edit category name, slug, and provide a description of what kind of articles users will find under this category.

You can now save your changes and visit the category page to see the description in action.

Repeat the process to add descriptions for all your category and tag pages.

Note: All top SEO plugins will automatically use your category description as meta description for category pages.

3. Add Category and Tag Icon Images

By default, all categories and tag pages look quite similar to each other. You can add an image to your category tag page to make them stand apart and look more interesting.

See our tutorial on how to add taxonomy images in WordPress for detailed instructions.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily track WordPress category and tag analytics. You may also want to see our article on essential website marketing data you must track on all websites.

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 Track WordPress Category and Tag Analytics (Easy Way) appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 24, 2019 at 05:52PM

How to Add Spin to Win Optins in WordPress and WooCommerce

Do you want to add spin to win optin to your WordPress site or WooCommerce store? A spin to win optin adds gamification to your sign up forms.

You can use it to share discounts, special offers, and perks as a reward. This kind of optins are proven to increase engagement and sales.

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to easily add spin to win optin to your WordPress site or WooCommerce store.

What is Spin to Win Optin?

Spin to Win optin is a signup form or a discount coupon wheel which adds gamification to your website. Your users play a game to win discounts, unlock special offers, or access downloads after playing the game.

Case studies have shown that gamified optins get conversion rates as high as 30% or more.

The reason for that is quite simple. These gamified optins are fun, interactive, and instantly get users’ attention.

With game rewards and coupons, you also encourage users to complete the game they started by using the reward they have earned (i.e making a purchase using a discount they won).

That being said, let’s see how you can easily add spin to win optins in WordPress and WooCommerce.

Install and Activate OptinMonster in WordPress

For this tutorial, we’ll be using OptinMonster which is the best lead generation software on the market. It helps you grow your email list and convert website visitors into paying customers.

Note: Our founder Syed Balkhi first built OptinMonster to help grow our own subscribers and sales. Now it’s a premium plugin that’s used by hundreds of thousands of websites.

First, you need to visit the OptinMonster website and sign up for an account.

OptinMonster is a paid service, and you’ll need their ‘Growth’ plan to access the ‘Coupon Wheel Campaigns’ feature.

After that, you need to install and activate the free OptinMonster plugin on your WordPress website. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

The plugin connects your WordPress website to the OptinMonster app. Upon activation, click on the OptinMonster menu from the admin sidebar to connect your account.

Creating a Spin to Win Wheel Campaign

After connecting WordPress to your OptinMonster account, you need to click on the ‘Create New Campaign’ button to create your first spin to win optin.

This will take you to the OptinMonster website.

First, you need to choose Fullscreen as your campaign type.

Next, you need to select a campaign template. You’ll need one of the Wheel templates to create a ‘spin to win’ campaign.

Once you select a campaign, you’ll be asked to provide a name for your template and select a website where you’ll run the campaign.

After that, you will see the OptinMonster campaign builder interface.

From here you can change your campaign design, colors, fonts, etc. You can simply point and click on any item to edit its appearance.

Go ahead and click on the gamified wheel element to see the options to change its colors.

Next, you need to click on the ‘Edit Wheel Sections’ button to edit the values of the coupon wheel sections.

This allows you to add coupon codes and special offers to the wheel. You can select how often you want an option to win by adding a win percentage value.

Feel free to experiment around with colors, copy, button, and other things. Once you are done, click on the Save button at the top to save your changes.

Choose When to Show The Spin Wheel

Next, you need to select when you want your spin to win the campaign to be displayed on your website or online store.

OptinMonster gives you powerful targeting and display options that allow you to trigger the spinner anywhere and at any time on your website.

Simply switch to the ‘Display Rules’ tab in the OptinMonster dashboard. From here, you can select different display rulesets for your campaign.

For example, you can use exit intent ruleset to launch the spinner campaign when a user is about to leave your website.

You can also combine different rulesets. For example, you can set another rule to launch the campaign on specific pages.

After adding display rules, click on the next step button.

Next, you’ll be asked to select a view. You need to select the Optin view and click on the ‘Next step’ button.

Once you’re done, you’ll see a summary of your display rules. You can now click on the Save button at the top to store your changes.

Adding the Spin Wheel to Your Website

Now that your spin wheel campaign is almost ready, let’s add it to your website.

First, you need to publish your campaign. From the OptinMonster dashboard, switch to the ‘Publish’ tab and check the toggle next to the ‘Status’ option.

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

You can now visit your WordPress website and click on the OptinMonster menu item. You should now see a list of campaigns you have created with OptinMonster.

You’ll see your recently created spin to win wheel campaign with the Live status. If you don’t, then click on the Refresh Campaigns button to fetch data from OptinMonster website.

To see a live preview of your campaign, you can visit your website in a new incognito browser window. Based on your display rules, you’ll see the spin to win wheel popup on the screen.

We hope this article helped you add a spin to win optin to your WordPress website or WooCommerce store. You may also want to see our article on how to how to add a Facebook giveaway in WordPress to boost engagement.

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 Spin to Win Optins in WordPress and WooCommerce appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 23, 2019 at 05:46PM