How to Add Instagram Shoppable Images in WordPress

Do you want to add shoppable Instagram images to your WordPress site?

Instagram shoppable images have links that people can easily click on to buy your products. This is a powerful way to showcase your products and drive more sales from Instagram.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily add Instagram shoppable images in WordPress.

What is Instagram Shopping?

Instagram shopping allows you to tag products in your Instagram photos.

After tagging one or more products, users who are looking at the post will see a ‘View Products’ icon in the bottom-left corner.

They can simply click on that icon to see the product’s name, description, and price.

This makes it easier for shoppers to learn more about the products featured in your social media posts.

Visitors can tap the screen again to go to your Instagram store, where they can buy the product featured in the social media post.

This is great user experience, but it isn’t easy to set up.

You will need to get approval from Instagram to use their shopping features, and some of these requirements are vague. For example, you’ll need to “have demonstrated trustworthiness, including through an authentic, established presence.” You’ll also need to maintain a “sufficient follower base.”

In addition, you’ll have to set up a  Facebook catalog, a product catalog, and a Facebook business page.

In other words: it’s a lot.

Because of that, many Instagram users are looking for an easier way to help shoppers buy products. That’s where shoppable Instagram images come in.

Why Add Shoppable Instagram Images in WordPress?

A shoppable Instagram feed is a series of photos that have a link to a product or service on your site. These URLs aren’t clickable when viewed on Instagram, as you can see in the following image.

However, when you embed the shoppable feed on your WordPress website, these links do become clickable. In this way, an Instagram shoppable feed encourages the people who visit your website to look at specific products.

Any likes and comments you get on those posts can also act as social proof, and encourage people to click on the product’s link.

As you post new shoppable images to Instagram, they’ll appear on your site automatically, so visitors will always see the latest posts without you having to add them manually.

If visitors like what they see, they may even decide to follow you on Instagram. This can get you more followers, and gives you another way to promote directly to that person.

Even better, since these shoppable links appear on your website, you have complete control over them. This means you don’t have to follow Instagram’s strict shoppable policies, or set up a Facebook product catalog.

With that being said, let’s see how you can easily add Instagram shoppable images to your WordPress website using Smash Balloon Instagram Pro.

Creating a Shoppable Feed on Instagram

First, you need to upload the images that you want to use on your Instagram account.

Smash Balloon has a shoppable feature that allows you to link each image to a URL inside the plugin settings. With this feature enabled, visitors can click on a shoppable image on your website, and its link will open in a new tab.

These links won’t appear on Instagram.

Another option is adding the link to your Instagram captions. These links will show up on Instagram, but they won’t be clickable.

However, these links will be clickable on your WordPress website. If you want to use this method, then you’ll need to spend some time adding a URL to each shoppable image on your Instagram account.

If you’re planning to use Smash Balloon’s shoppable feature, then you can skip this step as we’ll be adding each link inside the plugin’s settings.

How to Install an Instagram Photos Plugin With Shoppable Support

The best way to add Instagram shoppable images in WordPress is by using Smash Balloon Instagram Pro.

In this guide, we’ll be using the premium version of Smash Balloon as it has the advanced features you need to add shoppable images in WordPress. However, there’s also a free version that allows you to embed Instagram in WordPress.

Before getting started, you’ll need to connect your Instagram account to a Facebook page. If you have a personal Instagram account, then you may also want to turn it into a business account as this allows Smash Balloon to show your Instagram bio and header automatically.

When you’re ready, go ahead and install and activate the Smash Balloon Instagram Pro plugin. For more details, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, head over to Instagram Feed » Settings and enter your license key into the ‘License Key’ field.

You’ll find this information under your account on the Smash Balloon website.

After entering the key, click on the ‘Activate’ button.

How to Connect an Instagram Account to WordPress

After activating the plugin, your first task is connecting your Instagram account to WordPress. Simply go to Instagram Feed » Settings and then click on ‘Add New.’

With Instagram Feed pro, you can create feeds from tagged posts and hashtags, or even create a social wall with content from lots of different social media websites.

We want to show shoppable images from our Instagram timeline, so simply select ‘User Timeline’ and then click on ‘Next.’

Now, choose the Instagram account where you’ll get the shoppable images from.

To get started, click on the ‘Add Source’ button.

After that, choose whether you want to show shoppable images from a personal or business Instagram account.

If you check the box next to ‘Personal’ then Smash Balloon won’t include the Instagram avatar and bio in your header by default. However, you can always add the Instagram avatar and bio manually in the plugin’s settings.

After choosing ‘Personal’ or ‘Business,’ click on ‘Login with Facebook.’

You can now select the Instagram account that you want to feature on your WordPress website, and click on ‘Next.’

After that, check the box next to the Facebook page that’s linked to the Instagram account with your shoppable images.

Once you’ve done that, click on the ‘Next’ button.

You’ll now see a popup with all the information Instagram Feed Pro will have access to and the actions it can perform.

To restrict the plugin’s access to your Instagram account, simply click any of the switches to turn it from ‘Yes’ to ‘No.’ Just be aware that this may affect the photos that you can show on your WordPress blog or website.

With that in mind, we recommend leaving all the switches enabled. When you’re happy with the settings, click on ‘Done.’

You’ll now see a popup with the Instagram account you just added to your website.

Simply check the box next to that account and then click on ‘Add.’

Instagram Feed Pro will now take you back to the Instagram Feeds » All Feeds screen.

To create a feed, just check the box next to the Instagram account that you want to use. Then, click on ‘Next.’

The plugin will now create an Instagram photo feed that you can add to any page, post, or widget-ready area.

However, before you can show shoppable images there are a few extra settings to configure.

How to Enable Smash Balloon’s Shoppable Feature (Optional)

As we already mentioned, there are two ways to make your Instagram photo feed shoppable. If you’ve added the URLs to your captions on Instagram, then simply skip to the next step.

Another option is to open shoppable links in a new tab as soon as the visitor clicks on a post. To do this, you’ll need to enable Smash Balloon’s shoppable feature.

To start, select the ‘Settings’ tab and then click on ‘Shoppable Feed.’

On this screen, go ahead and toggle the ‘Enable’ slider so that it turns blue.

Smash Balloon will now show an ‘Add’ button on every photo or video in your Instagram feed.

Simply find the first post that you want to make shoppable, and click on its ‘Add’ button.

You can now type the product or service’s URL into the ‘Product Link’ field and click on ‘Add.’

Now, clicking on this photo will open the linked URL in a new tab.

Simply repeat these steps to make every image shoppable.

If you need to change a post’s URL at any point, then just hover your mouse over it and click on ‘Update.’

Once you’ve added all your links, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save’ button.

How to Filter Your Shoppable Instagram Feed

By default, Smash Balloon shows all the images and videos from your Instagram account. However, since we’re creating a shoppable feed you may want to filter your posts, and only show photos that link to a product or service.

This can help shoppers find products to buy, without getting distracted by other photos and videos in your Instagram feed.

With Smash Balloon, it’s easy to filter Instagram posts based on their captions. You can simply add a keyword or hashtag to your shoppable images on Instagram, and then create a matching filter in Smash Balloon.

For example, in the following image we’re using the #ordernow hashtag for all the images we want to make shoppable.

To create a filter in Smash Balloon, select the ‘Settings’ tab.

Then, go ahead and click on ‘Filters and Moderation.’

In the ‘Only show posts containing’ box, type in the hashtags or keywords that you want to use in the filter.

If you want to use multiple words in the filter, then simply separate each hashtag or keyword with a comma.

When you’re happy with how the filter is set up, click on the ‘Save’ button.

Just be aware that the preview won’t update straight away, so you’ll need to refresh the page to see the filter in action.

How to Customize Your Shoppable Instagram Feed

When you’re happy with the photos and videos that appear in your shoppable feed, you may want to change how the feed looks.

To customize your shoppable Instagram feed, simply click on the ‘Customize’ tab. On the left-hand side are all the settings you can use to change how the shoppable feed looks.

Most of these settings are self-explanatory, but we’ll quickly cover some key areas that can help you get more sales.

Let’s start at the top, by selecting ‘Feed Layout.’ Here, you can choose different layouts for your shoppable feed, such as carousel and highlight.

As you make changes, the preview will update automatically so you can try different settings to see what looks the best.

Depending on the layout, you’ll get some extra settings that you can use to fine-tune your feed. For example if you choose ‘Highlight’ then you can tell Smash Balloon to highlight posts based on a pattern, post ID, or a specific hashtag. This is great for highlighting your most popular products.

By 2025, it’s estimated that US consumers will spend $710 billion every year shopping on their mobile devices. With that in mind, you’ll want to make sure the shoppable Instagram feed looks just as good on smartphones and tablets, as it does on desktops.

By default, Smash Balloon will show the same number of photos on desktop computers and mobile devices.

You can preview how the shoppable feed will look on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones using the row of buttons in the upper-right corner.

You can show fewer shoppable photos on mobile devices by changing the settings in the ‘Number of Posts’ and ‘Columns’ sections.

After making any changes, click on the ‘Customize’ link. This will take you back to the main Smash Balloon editor, ready for you to explore the next option, which is ‘Color Scheme.’

By default, Smash Balloon uses a color scheme inherited from your WordPress theme, but it also has ‘Light’ and ‘Dark’ themes that you may want to use for the shoppable feed instead.

Another option is creating your own color scheme by selecting ‘Custom.’ Then, simply use the controls to change the background color, change the text color in WordPress, and more.

By default, Smash Balloon adds a header to the shoppable feed, which is your profile picture and the name of your page.

To change how this section looks, click on ‘Header’ in the left-hand menu and then use the settings to change the size of your header, add Instagram bio text, and more.

You can also add a different bio. For example, you might encourage people to buy your products, or offer visitors an exclusive coupon code.

For more information on creating these codes, please see our expert pick of the best WordPress coupon code plugins for your online store.

To create a unique Instagram bio, simply type into the ‘Add custom bio’ box.

With that done, click on ‘Customize’ to return to the main Smash Balloon editor.

Then, select ‘Posts.’

This takes you to a screen that has a few different options.

You can look through these settings and make any changes you want, but we’re going to focus on ‘Caption.’

If you added shoppable links to your captions, then it’s important to make the text stand out. For example, you might make the caption bigger.

You might even use a different color for the caption.

With that done, click on ‘Posts’ to go back to the previous screen.

Here, you’ll also see a ‘Hover State’ option, which is the overlay that Smash Balloon adds to a post when you hover over it.

This allows visitors to see any links in your captions without opening that Instagram post first.

On this screen, you can use the settings to create an eye-catching colored overlay.

After selecting ‘Hover State’ you’ll be able to change the background color and text color that appears when you hover over each post.

Under ‘Information to display,’ you’ll see all the different information that Smash Balloon can show as part of the overlay. Simply check the box next to each piece of information that you want to show.

If the caption contains shoppable links, then make sure you leave ‘Caption’ enabled.

When you’re happy with your changes, click on ‘Customize’ to return to the main Smash Balloon editor screen. You can now select the next option, which is ‘Load More Button.’

By default, Smash Balloon adds a ‘Load More’ button to the bottom of your Instagram feed so visitors can scroll through your shoppable posts.

Here, you can change the button’s background color, text color, and hover state.

You can also add your own messaging to the button by typing into the ‘Text’ field.

While we recommend leaving the ‘Load More’ button enabled to get more sales, you can remove it. For example, you might encourage people to visit your Instagram page by limiting the number of photos they can see on your site.

To remove the button, simply click on the ‘Enable’ slider to turn it from blue to grey.

If shoppers like what they see, they may decide to follow you on Instagram using the ‘Follow on Instagram’ button that appears below the shoppable feed.

Since it’s such an important button, you may want to help it stand out by selecting ‘Follow Button’ from the main Smash Balloon editor screen.

Here, you can change the button’s background color, hover state, and text color.

You may also replace the default ‘Follow on Instagram’ text with your own messaging.

As always, when you’re finished with these settings, click on ‘Customize’ to return to the main editor screen.

If you’ve enabled the Smash Balloon shoppable feature, then clicking on any post in the Instagram feed will open a new tab and take them straight to the linked product page.

However, if you haven’t enabled the shoppable feature then you may want to take a look at Smash Balloon’s lightbox feature.

This feature allows visitors to open the image or video in a lightbox popup, without leaving your WordPress website. They can then click on any shoppable links in the captions.

To enable or disable the lightbox, simply select ‘Lightbox’ from the left-hand menu.

Here, you can remove or add this feature using the ‘Enable’ slider.

You can also change how many comments Smash Balloon will show in the lightbox. Lots of positive comments can be a powerful form of social proof, which will often help you sell more products and services.

However, they can also be distracting so you may want to type a maximum number into the ‘No. of comments’ box.

Another option is to hide comments completely, by clicking on the ‘Comments’ toggle.

When you’re happy with how the Instagram feed looks, don’t forget to click on ‘Save’ to store your changes. You’re now ready to add the shoppable Instagram feed to your website.

How to Embed Instagram Feed in WordPress

You can add the shoppable feed to your website using a block, widget, or shortcode.

If you’ve created more than one feed using the Smash Balloon plugin, then you’ll need to know the feed’s code if you’re going to use a widget or block.

To get this code, go to Instagram Feed » All Feeds and then copy the value in the ‘Shortcode’ column.

If you want to embed the Instagram feed in a page or post, then we recommend using the Instagram Feed block.

Just open the page or post where you want to embed your shoppable photo and video feed. Then, click on the ‘+’ icon to add a new block and start typing ‘Instagram Feed.’

When the right block appears, click to add it to the page or post.

The block will show one of your Smash Balloon feeds by default. If you want to show a different Instagram feed instead, then find ‘Shortcode Settings’ in the right-hand menu.

Here, simply add the shortcode and then click on ‘Apply Changes.’

The block will now show all the photos and videos from your Instagram feed. Just publish or update the page to make the feed live on your website.

Another option is to add the feed to any widget-ready area, such as the sidebar or similar section. This allows visitors to shop using your Instagram feed from any page of your site.

Simply go to Appearance » Widgets in the WordPress dashboard and then click on the blue ‘+’ button.

In the search bar, type in ‘Instagram Feed’ and select the right widget when it appears.

Just be aware that WordPress has a built-in Instagram widget, so make sure you choose the one that shows the official Instagram logo.

Next, simply drag the widget onto the area where you want to show the shoppable Instagram feed, such as the sidebar or similar section.

The widget will automatically show one of the feeds you created using Smash Balloon. If this isn’t the shoppable Instagram feed you just created, then type the feed’s code into the ‘Shortcode Settings’ box.

After that, click on ‘Apply Changes.’

You can now make the widget live by clicking on the ‘Update’ button. For more information, please see our step-by-step guide on how to add and use widgets in WordPress.

Another option is embedding the Instagram feed on any page, post, or widget-ready area using a shortcode.

For help placing the shortcode, please see our guide on how to add a shortcode.

Finally, if you’re using a block-enabled theme, then you can use the full-site editor to add the Instagram Feed block anywhere on your website.

In your dashboard, simply go to Appearance » Editor.

By default, the full-site editor will show the theme’s home template. If you want to add the shoppable feed to a different template, then click on the arrow next to ‘Home.’

You can then choose any design from the dropdown, such as the footer template.

If you don’t see the template in the list, select ‘Browse all templates.’

The full-site editor will now show a list of all the templates you can edit. Simply click on the template where you want to show the shoppable Instagram feed.

After choosing a template, just hover your mouse over the area where you want to add the shoppable Instagram feed.

Then, click on the ‘+’ button.

After that, start typing in ‘Instagram Feed.’

When the right block appears, click to add it to the template.

As always, Smash Balloon will show a feed by default. You can change this feed by adding a shortcode following the same process described above.

We hope this article helped you learn how to add Instagram shoppable images in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to create a free business email address, or see our expert pick of the best WooCommerce plugins for your 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 Add Instagram Shoppable Images in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

February 06, 2023 at 03:53AM

How to Delay Posts From Appearing in WordPress RSS Feed

Do you want to delay posts from appearing in your site’s RSS feed?

Delaying posts from appearing immediately can save you from sending out unfinished work accidentally, give you time to edit typos you might see, and help you beat content scrapers in SEO.

In this article, we will show you how to delay posts from appearing in WordPress RSS feed.

Why Delay Your RSS Feed in WordPress?

Sometimes you may publish a something on your WordPress blog with a typo that you just didn’t see. The mistake is then distributed to your RSS feed and all of your subscribers. If you have email subscriptions on your WordPress blog, then those subscribers will get it as well.

By adding a delay between your RSS feed and your live site, you get a little window of time to catch an error on a live site and fix it.

RSS feeds are also used by content scraping websites. They use it to monitor your content and copy your posts as soon as they appear live. If you have a new website with little authority, then a lot of times these content scrapers may end up beating you in the search results.

By delaying an article in your RSS feed, you can give search engines enough time to crawl and index your content first.

Having said that, let’s see how to easily delay posts from appearing in WordPress website‘s RSS feed.

How to Delay Posts in Your WordPress RSS Feed

To begin, we recommend using WPCode to delay posts from appearing in your site’s feed. WPCode lets you add custom code to WordPress safely and easily without having to worry about your site breaking.

For advanced users, you can copy/paste the following code into your theme’s functions.php file instead. You’ll need to modify the code to change the time interval. Remember that editing your core WordPress files can be dangerous, which is why we recommend WPCode. You’ll also lose any custom code snippets when you update your theme.

For details, see our article on how to paste code snippets from the web into WordPress.

function wpb_snippet_publish_later_on_feed( $where ) {

        global $wpdb;

        if ( is_feed() ) {
                // Timestamp in WP-format.
                $now = gmdate( 'Y-m-d H:i:s' );

                // Number of unit to wait
                $wait = '10'; // integer.

                // Choose time unit.
                $unit = 'MINUTE'; // MINUTE, HOUR, DAY, WEEK, MONTH, YEAR.

                // Add SQL-sytax to default $where. By default 10 minutes.
                $where .= " AND TIMESTAMPDIFF($unit, $wpdb->posts.post_date_gmt, '$now') > $wait ";
        }

        return $where;
}

add_filter( 'posts_where', 'wpb_snippet_publish_later_on_feed' );

Now we’ll show you how to do this the easy way with WPCode.

First, you will need to install and activate the free WPCode plugin. For details, you can follow our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress Plugin.

Upon activation, you can navigate to Code Snippets » Add Snippet. After that, simply search for ‘rss’ or scroll down to the ‘RSS Feeds’ category.

Then, just hover your mouse over ‘Delay Posts in RSS Feeds’ in the results and simply click on ‘Use snippet.’

Next, you will be taken to the ‘Edit Snippet’ screen, where WPCode has pre-configured the snippet settings for you.

By default, your posts will be delayed from appearing in your RSS feed by 10 minutes from the time it’s published.

If that delay is good for you, then all you have to do is click on the switch to change it to ‘Active’ and press the ‘Update’ button.

If you want to alter the length of the delay, you can do so by changing the number on Line 10 and the unit of time on Line 13.

For example, you can delay the post by one hour if you replace $wait = '10'; and $unit = 'MINUTE' with $wait = '1' and $unit = 'HOUR'.

If you need to adjust the delay again, simply repeat those steps, and if you want the posts to go back to hitting the feed immediately, simply toggle the switch back to ‘Inactive’ and press ‘Update.’

Don’t Forget to Check Out the WPCode Snippet Library

WPCode also comes with a huge collection of other code snippets, too. You can see what’s there at Code Snippets » Library in your admin dashboard.

You may be able to replace some single-use plugins on your site by simply activating snippets you find in the library.

For example, you can find snippets that will let you disable automatic updates, allow SVG uploads, set a minimum word count for posts, and much more.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily delay posts from appearing in WordPress RSS feed. You may also want to see our guide on how to create an email newsletter the right way, or see our expert pick of the best live chat software 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 Delay Posts From Appearing in WordPress RSS Feed first appeared on WPBeginner.

February 05, 2023 at 08:00PM

How to Create GDPR Compliant Forms in WordPress

Do you want to create GDPR-compliant forms in WordPress?

European Union’s new GDPR law requires explicit user consent to store personal information so that users can have more personal control over their data stored on websites.

In this article, we will show you how to easily create GDPR-compliant forms in WordPress.

What is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union (EU) law that became effective on May 25th, 2018. This new law aims to give EU citizens control over their personal data and change how companies and businesses handle data privacy around the world.

For more details, see our ultimate guide to WordPress and GDPR compliance which will answer all your GDPR-related questions in plain English.

A typical WordPress site may collect users’ personal information in a number of ways. One of which is by adding forms to the site. Most forms collect personal information, and you may want to make sure that your WordPress forms comply with GDPR.

What is Required to Make a Form GDPR Compliant

In order to make your WordPress forms GDPR compliant, you will need to add the following features:

• Ask users to give explicit consent for storing and using their personal information.
• Allow users to request access to their own personal information stored on your website.
• Allow users to request the deletion of their data from your website.

Having said that, let’s take a look at how to easily create GDPR-compliant WordPress forms. You can click the links below to jump ahead to any section:

• How to Make a GDPR Compliant Form in WordPress
• Select Form Template and Add GDRP Agreement Field
• Adding GDPR Compliant Form to WordPress
• Managing Data Access and Deletion Requirements with WPForms
• Disabling User Details for Specific Forms

How to Make a GDPR Compliant Form in WordPress

We recommend using WPForms to make GDPR-compliant WordPress forms. It is the best contact form plugin for WordPress and has built-in GDPR enhancement features.

For instance, you get a 1-click GDPR Agreement field for your forms, GDPR-compliant data retention best practices, easy entry management system to quickly find, export, or delete user data upon request.

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

For this tutorial, we’ll use the WPForms Pro version because it includes the disable user cookies and user details options. However, you can also use the WPForms Lite version to create a GDPR-compliant form.

Upon activation, you need to visit WPForms » Settings page and enter your license key. You can find the license key in the WPForms account area.

Next, you’ll need to scroll down to the GDPR section.

There, you need to check the box next to the GDPR Enhancements option.

Enabling the GDPR Enhancements option will reveal two more GDPR-related settings.

The first option, ‘Disable User Cookies,’ will stop WPForms from storing user sessions. This cookie contains a random unique identifier that helps WPForms add features like related entries, form abandonment, and geolocation. Disabling it will also disable those features.

The second option, ‘Disable User Details,’ will stop WPForms from storing user IP addresses and browser information. Both of these settings are optional, and you can check them if you feel that you don’t need these features.

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

Select Form Template and Add GDRP Agreement Field

WPForms is now ready to create GDPR-compliant forms in WordPress. You can now go to WPForms » Add New page to create a new form.

You will be asked to enter a title for your form and select a template. These templates are ready-made forms that you can use as a starting point. In this tutorial, we’ll use the ‘Simple Contact Form’ template.

This will launch the WPForms builder interface.

You will see your form preview in the right column, and on the left, you will see all the fields that you can add to your form.

Simply drag the ‘GDPR Agreement’ field and add it to your form.

You will now see it appear at the bottom of your form. If you click on it, more options will appear in the settings panel on the left.

You can change the title of the form field and agreement text, and then use the description box to add details like a link to your privacy policy or terms and conditions pages.

Note: The GDPR Agreement field is always a required field, and it cannot be pre-checked to comply with the GDPR law. You can only add one GDPR agreement field to each form.

Next, you can go to the Settings » Confirmations tab in the form builder. Here, you’ll get different options to select when a user submits a form. For instance, you can show a message, a page, or to redirect users to another URL.

Once you are satisfied with the form, don’t forget to store your changes.

Adding GDPR Compliant Form to WordPress

WPForms allows you to easily add forms anywhere on your website.

You can simply click the ‘Embed’ button at the top of the form builder to get started.

Next, a popup will open, which will ask you to create a new page or select an existing page.

We’ll use the ‘Create New Page’ option for this tutorial.

After that, you’ll need to enter a name for your page.

Once that’s done, simply click the ‘Let’s Go’ button.

Your form will now appear in the WordPress content editor.

Another way to add forms to any page or post is using the WPForms block. Simply add the block to your content and select your form from the dropdown menu.

You can now save or publish your post or page.

Simply visit your website to see your GDPR-ready WordPress form in action.

Managing Data Access and Deletion Requirements with WPForms

One of the requirements for GDPR compliance is to give users access and allow them to request the deletion of their data.

To do that, you can create a ‘Data access/delete form’ and add it to your privacy policy page. Users who wish to access their stored data or want it to be deleted can use that form to send you a request.

WPForms has an excellent entry management system that allows you to quickly find any data submitted via your forms.

You can access all form entries by visiting WPForms » Entries page from your WordPress dashboard and selecting the form you wish to view.

WPForms will show you all entries submitted using that form. You can search for a form entry by entering a name, email address, IP address, or keyword.

From here, you can simply click the ‘Delete All’ option at the top to remove form entries.

You can also delete individual entries or click the view button to see all data stored for that entry.

Disabling User Details for Specific Forms

With WPForms, you get full control over which forms can store user data. You can disable user details to be stored for each individual form.

First, you’ll need to go to WPForms » Settings from your WordPress dashboard and scroll down to the ‘GDPR’ section.

Here, ensure that the ‘Disable User Details’ option is unchecked.

Don’t forget to click the ‘Save Settings’ button when you’re done.

After that, you can change each form’s settings in the form builder.

All you have to do is head to Settings » General in the form builder. Next, click the ‘Advanced’ section to expand it. From here, simply click the toggle for the ‘Disable storing user details (IP address and user agent)’ option.

This will prevent extra user information from being stored for individual forms.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily create GDPR-compliant forms in WordPress. You may also want to see our article on how to track user engagement in WordPress using Google Analytics and the ultimate WordPress SEO guide for beginners.

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 GDPR Compliant Forms in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

February 04, 2023 at 02:10PM

How to Use Cookie Retargeting in WordPress to Show Custom On-Site Messages

Do you want to use cookie retargeting in WordPress?

Cookie retargeting is the secret tool already used by many of the most popular websites. It allows you to show custom on-site messages to your users based on their past behavior which helps you boost sales.

In this article, we’ll show you how to use cookie retargeting in WordPress to show custom on-site messages and boost conversions.

What is Cookie Retargeting?

Cookie retargeting is a marketing technique where websites use cookies to track user behavior and offer a personalized experience.

There are two types of cookie retargeting techniques.

First, there is off-site cookie retargeting. This method is used to track user activities across the web.

Facebook pixel and Google remarketing are two of the most popular advertising programs that allow you to use their massive reach and show targeted ads to people who visit your website.

Secondly, you have on-site cookie retargeting, which allows you to show targeted messages to users based on how they interact with your WordPress website.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files containing pieces of data. Websites set cookies in users’ browsers to store temporary information such as login status, user preferences, session details, and more.

How to Use On-Site Cookie Retargeting to Boost Conversions?

There are a number of ways website owners use on-site retargeting messages to boost conversions and increase sales.

For instance, eCommerce stores can show custom offers to users based on how they interact with other offers. This allows you to create a dynamic sales funnel that leads users to make a purchase.

Another use-case scenario would be lead generation. With on-site retargeting, if a user closes one sign-up form, then you can show them a different message with another offer.

On-site retargeting messages are highly effective because:

• It shows personalized messages to users at a time when they are already engaged with your website.
• Allows you to create customized campaigns that get better with each user interaction until they convert
• You save money on paid advertising campaigns by utilizing your existing website traffic to the max

That being said, let’s take a look a how to use cookie retargeting in WordPress.

Creating On-Site Retargeting Campaign in WordPress

The best way to create on-site retargeting messages is by using OptinMonster. It is the best conversion optimization and lead generation software in the world.

You can use it to easily create attention-grabbing signup forms, popups, welcome mats, in-line offers, custom offers, and more.

First, you need to signup for an OptinMonster account by visiting the website and clicking the ‘Get OptinMonster Now’ button. You’ll need at least their Pro plan for cookie retargeting and Growth plan for follow-up campaigns.

Next, you’ll need to install and activate the OptinMonster plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

This plugin acts as a connector between your WordPress site and the OptinMonster app.

Upon activation, you will see the welcome screen. Simply click the ‘Connect Your Existing Account’ button.

Next, a new window will open, where you’ll need to sign in to your account and connect your website with OptinMonster.

Go ahead and click the ‘Connect to WordPress’ button.

Now, you’re ready to create a new campaign.

First, you’ll need to go to OptinMonster » Campaigns from your WordPress admin panel and then click the ‘Create Your First Campaign’ button.

This will take you to the OptinMonster website, where you’ll be asked to choose a campaign type and a template.

You can choose any campaign type or template, but for this tutorial, we’ll be creating a lightbox popup.

You can select any template that you’d like to use for your campaign.

Next, you’ll be asked to provide a name for your campaign and click the ‘Start Building’ button.

After that, you’ll enter the drag-and-drop campaign builder interface.

It is a powerful design tool where you can simply point and click on any item to edit it. You can also add new items like buttons, images, columns, and more to your popup campaign.

Next, you can switch to the ‘Display Rules’ tab at the top.

Here, OptinMonster will give you different options for displaying your onsite targeting campaigns.

For instance, you can show the popup after users spend a certain time on the page, are from a particular location, or are about to exit your website.

By default, OptinMonster will show your campaign after a visitor spends at least 5 seconds on the site. Plus, it appears on all the pages.

Once you are satisfied, simply switch to the publish tab.

Next, you’ll need to make your campaign live by changing its status from Draft to Publish. Don’t forget to click the ‘Save’ button when you’re done.

Now by default, OptinMonster will show this campaign to all users who visit your website. Users will be able to close the popup or perform their desired action.

Creating a Retargeting Campaign to Show Custom Messages

Now that you have launched your first campaign, let’s add another campaign using the follow-up retargeting feature.

Click on the create new campaign button in the OptinMonster dashboard and select your campaign type and template. Since we have used a lightbox popup, we’ll be using a ‘Floating bar’ as our retargeting campaign.

After selecting a template, you’ll enter your campaign name.

Then simply click the ‘Start Building’ button to continue.

After that, you’ll enter the OptinMonster builder where you can design your campaign using simple drag-and-drop tools.

You can edit the optin text, adjust the countdown timer to generate FOMO, add a coupon, and so much more.

Once you are satisfied with the design, it is time to select which users you want to show this custom message to.

Simply switch to the Display Rules tab at the top of the builder. OptinMonster offers a ton of display rules that you can choose from. You can also add multiple rulesets.

Next, under the If menu, go to the ‘Personalization’ display rules options and select Has Closed.

After that, select ‘Campaign’ and then select your previous campaign.

Next, you need to switch to the ‘Publish’ tab.

Here, simply change your campaign status from Draft to Publish under ‘Publish Status.’ Once that’s done, simply click the ‘Save’ button and exit the campaign builder.

You can now visit your website in the incognito browser tab to see your campaign and the follow-up retargeting message.

Adding Cookie Retargeting with Custom Messages

Cookie retargeting allows you to show custom messages to users based on their previous actions, cart status, shopping history, and more.

This allows you to create promotions and upsells designed for customers at different stages of your sales funnel.

When customizing your campaign, simply switch to the ‘Display Rules’ tab.

Under the If menu, you can go to the ‘Targeting (Who)’ display rules options and select Cookie Targeting.

Next, you’ll need to enter the cookie key and value. The key is the cookie name, and the value parameter is the contents of the cookie.

OptinMonster lets you select different operators to use for the display rule. These include options like match exactly, contain, exist, start with, ends with, and more operators.

For instance, if you are using WooCommerce, then you can use WooCommerce cookies to target users who have added products to their cart. This way, you can cross-sell items in their cart, reduce cart abandonment, and more.

After adding cookie retargeting rules, go to the ‘Publish’ tab.

From here, simply change the Publish Status from Draft to Publish for your campaign.

OptinMonster will now display your custom message based on the cookie-targeting rules you have set.

We hope this article helped you learn how to use cookie retargeting in WordPress to show custom on-site messages. You may also want to see our guide on how to recover abandoned cart sales in WooCommerce as well as our comparison of the best live chat software for 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 Use Cookie Retargeting in WordPress to Show Custom On-Site Messages first appeared on WPBeginner.

February 04, 2023 at 01:03AM

7 Best Business Voicemail Transcription Services (Text and Email)

Are you looking for a service to transcribe your voicemails?

Voicemail transcription helps convert your voicemails to text, so you can read them later on your phone or computer. It saves time, as you don’t have to listen to recordings and quickly view the message in text form.

In this article, we’ll show you the best business voicemail transcription services.

Why Use a Business Voicemail Transcription Service?

Voicemail transcription means converting your audio messages into text format. However, manually transcribing each voicemail is a time-consuming task. Instead, you can use a business voicemail transcription service.

There are a lot of software available that will automatically convert voicemail speech to text. The transcriptions can be sent to you by email or text.

This is more convenient especially when you can’t listen to voicemails. You can quickly read the message anywhere instead of listening to the voice recording.

It also helps streamline your customer support process. Your support staff can search for voicemails from a user and look at previous messages, so they can provide a better customer experience. You can also keep records of your voicemails and connect them to customer relationship management (CRM) software.

That being said, let’s look at the best business voicemail transcription services.

1. Nextiva

Nextiva is the best virtual phone service in the market that offers powerful features, including voicemail transcriptions. The cloud phone system is easy to use and set up.

It brings multiple communication channels under one roof. For example, you can make HD video calls, send text messages, live chat, voicemails, phone calls, and more from a single place.

Nextiva offers a voicemail to email and text option, where you can receive voicemails inside your inbox. This allows you to respond to customers quickly, even when calls are missed. Once this feature is active, it will automatically transcribe the voicemail.

Besides that, you also get other features like call recording, unlimited calls and texts in North America, toll-free numbers, team chat, auto attendant, call transfer and forwarding, and more.

They also business phone apps for iOS and Android smartphones, so it lets you stay connected with customers anywhere in the world.

At WPBeginner, we use Nextiva for all our business phone needs. We’re huge fans of their platform and the features it offers.

Pricing: You will need the Nextiva Enterprise plan to use the voicemail transcription features, which will cost you $32.95 per user per month.

2. RingCentral

RingCentral is another top business voicemail transcription service. Their business VoIP phone service offers lots of powerful features and is a perfect solution for remote teams.

With its Voicemail for Business feature, you get to choose how to receive voicemails. For instance, you can access voice messages from the RingCentral online account, desktop app, mobile device, email, and desk phone.

RingCentral offers an option to send voicemails to your email address. You’ll receive an audio attachment and transcription, so you can quickly scan through the message without listening to the voicemail.

Other than that, RingCentral offers features like video conference calls, unlimited calling in the US and Canada, voice-to-text features, toll-free numbers, and other call-handling features.

Pricing: The voicemail-to-text feature is available in the Essentials plan and will cost you $19.99 per user per month.

3. Ooma

Ooma is a popular VoIP phone service for businesses of all sizes. It is loaded with features, including voicemail transcription and voicemail-to-email options.

You can configure your voicemails to be automatically sent to an email address when they’re left in your Ooma Office app. You will get an audio recording as an attachment and transcribed text in the body of the email.

Ooma is also easy to use and works out of the box. You get more features like a virtual receptionist, hold music, extension dialing, video conferencing, 1-800 phone numbers, a call center, and more. There are also desktop and mobile apps, so you can call and receive voicemails from anywhere in the world.

Pricing: Ooma prices start from $19.95 per month per user. However, the voicemail transcription feature is available in the Ooma Office Pro and Pro Plus pricing plans.

4. FreshDesk Contact Center

FreshDesk Contact Center is the next business voicemail transcription service on our list. It was previously known as Freshcaller and is a user-friendly virtual business phone provider.

FreshDesk Contact Center offers an AI-power voicemail transcription feature. Its artificial intelligence engine, called Freddy AI, automatically transcribes voicemails.

You can easily access the transcriptions from the FreshDesk phone system and view key metrics like queue time and IVR time. It also lets you enable voicemail transcription for selected phone numbers and set up voicemail greetings.

Other features offered by FreshDesk Contact Center include a call waiting option, vanity numbers, mobile apps, shared lines, route calls to voicemail, block spam calls, call recording, and more.

Pricing: You will need the Growth plan or higher to use the voicemail transcription feature in FreshDesk Contact Center. This will cost you $15 per agent per month (billed annually). There is also a free version of the software you use to get started, but it doesn’t include voicemail transcriptions.

5. Grasshopper

Grasshopper is one of the best business phone services, and it is perfect for small businesses and startups. The service offers a voicemail transcription feature and allows you to receive the transcriptions in your email inbox.

It is very easy to set up, and you can add email addresses where you’d like the forwarded messages to go. Then using the Grasshopper desktop app or mobile apps, you can read the voicemail messages.

Aside from voicemail transcription, Grasshopper is filled with robust features. For instance, you get simultaneous call handling, call forwarding, extensions, call transfers, VoIP calling, virtual fax, reporting, and more.

Pricing: Grasshopper pricing plans start from $28 per month (billed annually), and all plans include the voicemail feature. Do note that it is only available in the US and Canada.

6. Google Voice

Google Voice is another business voicemail transcription service you can use for your WordPress website. It is part of Google Workspace and easily integrates with other tools like Google Meet and Calendar.

The service uses Google’s AI to turn voicemails into text automatically. The AI is powerful and converts complex words into easy-to-read text.

Besides that, it is very easy to use and offers free calling to US and Canada, spam call blocking, unlimited text messaging in the US, call forwarding, mobile apps, and more.

Pricing: Google Voice prices start from $10 per user per month and includes a voicemail transcription feature.

7. Phone.com

Phone.com is a popular cloud-based virtual phone service offering a voicemail feature. You can listen to audio messages from your online account and set up a voicemail-to-email feature.

Phone.com will automatically transcribe your voicemails and send them to you as email or text messages. This way, you can read the message instead of listening to the voice note or forward the transcription to other team members.

With Phone.com, you also enjoy other powerful features. It is a complete virtual phone solution and offers call forwarding, call transfer, analytics, number porting, audio conferences, fax from phone, text messaging, and more.

Pricing: The voicemail transcription feature is included in the Plus users or higher plan, and its prices start from $15.99 per user per month.

Which is the Best Business Voicemail Transcription Service?

In our expert opinion, the best business voicemail transcription service is Nextiva, and after careful research we chose to use it for our own business.

Nextiva is user-friendly and offers lots of features to help you connect with your customers and team members from anywhere. You can easily receive voicemail transcriptions in your email, handle calls, conduct virtual meetings, create workflows, and more.

Plus, Nextiva has desktop and mobile apps, so you are always connected on the go. It also easily integrates multiple communication channels into a single platform.

If you’re looking for other solutions, then we recommend RingCentral and Ooma as alternatives to Nextiva for voicemail transcriptions.

We hope this article helped you pick the best business voicemail transcription service. You may also want to see our comparison of the best email marketing services and best live chat software 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 7 Best Business Voicemail Transcription Services (Text and Email) first appeared on WPBeginner.

February 03, 2023 at 03:08PM