How to Disable Widget Blocks in WordPress (Restore Classic Widgets)

Do you want to restore the classic widgets editor in WordPress?

The release of WordPress 5.8 removed the classic widgets editor in favor of Gutenberg widget block editor to control your website widget areas.

In this article, we’ll show you how you can disable widget block editor in WordPress, step by step.

Why Restore Classic Widgets in WordPress?

The widget block editor offers a lot of the same functionality as the classic widget editor. Plus, it gives you more control over the appearance of your widgets.

However, if you’ve been using WordPress for a while, then you may be more comfortable using the classic widget editor on your WordPress website.

Or, you enjoy the simplicity of the classic widget editor and want to disable widget blocks, like how some users prefer disabling the block editor.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to restore the classic widget editor in WordPress. Simply use the quick links below to jump straight to the method you want to use.

• Method 1. Restore Classic Widgets with a WordPress Plugin
• Method 2. Restore Classic Widgets by Adding Code to WordPress

Method 1. Restore Classic Widgets by Using a WordPress Plugin

The easiest way to restore the classic widget editor is by using the Classic Widgets plugin. This plugin is developed and maintained by the WordPress core team.

First thing you need to do is install and activate the plugin. For more details, see our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, your WordPress blog will go back to the classic widget editor. There are no settings for you to configure.

Now, you can navigate to Widgets » Add New in your WordPress admin panel to go to the widget dashboard.

To add new widgets, simply drag a widget to an available widget area.

Then, you can customize the widget settings. Make sure you click the ‘Save’ button to save your widget.

If you want to use widget blocks at any point in the future, then simply deactivate the plugin.

You can also disable Gutenberg and keep the classic editor on pages and posts as well. For more details, see our guide on how to disable Gutenberg and keep the classic editor in WordPress.

Method 2. Restore Classic Widgets by Adding Code to WordPress

Another way to disable widgets blocks is by adding code to WordPress. If you haven’t done this before, then see our beginner’s guide on how to copy and paste code in WordPress.

Next, you need to add the following code snippet to your functions.php file, in a site-specific plugin, or by using a code snippets plugin. 

function example_theme_support() {
    remove_theme_support( 'widgets-block-editor' );
}
add_action( 'after_setup_theme', 'example_theme_support' );

The code snippet above simply disables the Gutenberg block editor in your widget area. However, it keeps the block editor in your pages and posts.

Now, when you go to Widgets » Add New you can add widgets using the classic editor.

We hope this article helped you learn how to disable widget blocks and restore classic widgets in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to easily create a custom WordPress theme and our expert picks of the must have WordPress plugins for business 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 Disable Widget Blocks in WordPress (Restore Classic Widgets) first appeared on WPBeginner.

February 03, 2022 at 02:00PM

How to Add Post Thumbnails to Your WordPress RSS Feeds

Do you want to show your post thumbnails in your WordPress RSS feeds?

RSS feeds help you promote your content in directories, feed readers, and other applications that use RSS feeds. However, the sad truth is that your blog posts featured images will not show up in your RSS feeds.

In this article, we will show you how you can add post thumbnails to your WordPress RSS feeds.

What is WordPress RSS Feed?

RSS or Really Simply Syndication allows users and applications to receive regular updates from a website or a blog in a web feed.

RSS feeds help you get updates from your chosen websites without having to visit them manually. It helps save time, and you get to see the latest content in your email, feed readers, and other devices.

If you have a WordPress blog, then RSS feeds can help you promote your content and drive traffic to your blog. You can make new articles easily discoverable for readers and keep them coming back to your site for fresh content.

However, the problem with WordPress RSS feeds is that they don’t show your blog posts’ featured images.

Adding post thumbnails helps you customize the RSS feed. It also helps enhance the feed and provide a better user experience.

That said, let’s take a look at how you can add post thumbnails to WordPress RSS feeds. We’ll show you 2 ways to do this, including using a WordPress plugin and adding a simple function to your theme files.

Adding Post Thumbnail to RSS Feeds Using a Plugin (Easy Way)

The easiest way to show featured images in the RSS feed is by using the Featured Images in RSS for Mailchimp & More plugin.

It’s a free WordPress plugin that helps you add images to your RSS feed so that they’ll display in your RSS email campaigns and anywhere else your RSS feed is used.

First, you’ll need to install and activate the plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you can head over to Featured Images in RSS from your WordPress dashboard.

The plugin lets you change the RSS image size, alignment, text padding, and choose if you want to make the images clickable.

When you’ve made your desired changes, don’t forget to click the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Manually Add Post Thumbnail to RSS Feeds (Coding Required)

Another way you can display post thumbnails in WordPress RSS feeds is by adding a code snippet to your theme’s function.php file.

We won’t recommend directly editing the functions.php file because the slightest mistake can break your WordPress site. An easier way of adding code is by using the Code Snippets plugin.

First, you’ll need to install and activate the Code Snippets plugin. You can follow our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once the plugin is active, you can go to Snippets » Add New from the WordPress dashboard. After that, you have to copy the following code:

function rss_post_thumbnail($content) {
global $post;
if(has_post_thumbnail($post->ID)) {
$content = '<p>' . get_the_post_thumbnail($post->ID) .
'</p>' . get_the_content();
}
return $content;
}
add_filter('the_excerpt_rss', 'rss_post_thumbnail');
add_filter('the_content_feed', 'rss_post_thumbnail');

Next, go ahead and paste the code in the ‘Code’ section and give your snippet a title. After entering the code, don’t forget to click the ‘Activate’ button.

You can follow our tutorial on how to easily add custom code in WordPress for more details.

For more tips on adding featured images to your blog posts, you can see our guide on how to add post thumbnails in WordPress.

We hope this article helped you learn how to add post thumbnails to your WordPress RSS feeds. You can also go through our guide on the best free business name generator and how to choose the best website builder.

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 Post Thumbnails to Your WordPress RSS Feeds first appeared on WPBeginner.

February 02, 2022 at 01:11PM

How to Increase Your Landing Page Conversions by 300% (Proven Tips)

Do you want to increase your landing page conversions?

Landing pages are designed to convert website visitors into customers, subscribers, and leads. However, there is always room to improve their conversion rate.

In this article, we’ll share some of the proven ways to increase your landing page conversions by up to 300%.

1. Creating a Conversion Oriented Landing Page Design

First, you need to make sure that your landing page is designed for conversions.

As a business owner, you may not have the skills to design a landing page for higher conversions or code the design from scratch.

This is where SeedProd comes in.

It is the best landing page builder for WordPress and allows you to easily create beautiful landing page layouts that are professionally designed and optimized for conversions and sales.

SeedProd works with essential third-party tools that you may already be using. This includes top email marketing services, WooCommerce, Google Analytics, and more.

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

Upon activation, you need to enter your license key. You can find this information under your account on the SeedProd website.

After that, you can simply go to SeedProd » Landing Pages and click on the Add New Landing Page button.

Next, you’ll be asked to choose a template.

You can start with a blank template or choose from one of several pre-made landing page templates that are already optimized for conversions.

You can then provide a title and URL slug for your page.

Once you do, SeedProd’s intuitive drag and drop builder will load.

You can simply point and click on any item on the page to edit it. You can also add commonly used landing page design blocks from the left column.

For example, you can add testimonials, optin forms, FAQ accordions, and more.

Once you are satisfied with the design, you can switch to the Connect tab to integrate with popular email marketing platforms or more than 3000 third-party apps via Zapier.

After that, you can switch to the Page Settings tab.

From here you can change the SEO settings, add Google Analytics tracking, and add header or footer scripts.

You can also connect your page to a custom domain name. This comes in handy for users creating multiple landing pages targeting different regions.

Finally, you can go ahead and save or publish your landing page.

You can now see your landing page live in action by opening it in a new browser tab.

Creating a beautiful landing page is not the end of conversion optimization. In fact, there is a lot more you can do to boost conversion rates even further.

Let’s take a look at some of these tried and tested landing page best practices.

2. Choose One Call to Action for Your Landing Page

One of the most common landing page mistakes is not setting a proper goal for your campaign.

For instance, having multiple calls to action on the same page can distract or confuse your visitors, so that they end up leaving without taking an action.

Best practice is to set one course of action for users to take. For instance, if your goal is to capture email leads, then your optin form should be the only action to take on your landing page.

That can mean removing navigation menus and other links from the page, or making them stand out less.

Or if you want users to make a purchase, then this should be the only course of action users are directed to.

Following are a few examples of clearer calls to action on landing pages.

1. MonsterInsights

The MonsterInsights landing page has two very clear calls to action that leads users to make a purchase.

2. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is a conversion optimization software, and they have several landing pages for different use cases. Each one of them is targeted to different audiences.

3. All in One SEO for WordPress

All in One SEO is the best WordPress SEO plugin on the market. For their landing page, they use a similar strategy. Under the features tab, you can view more landing pages for each feature, all of which lead users to make a buying decision.

As you can see, all of these pages have a clear call to action that is designed to stand out from the rest of the page.

3. Use Simplicity in Landing Page Design

For higher conversion rates, you want users to focus on the call to action and not get distracted.

A cluttered landing page design can easily distract users away.

To avoid this, make sure that you keep your landing page layout clean and simple. Using lots of empty space, color contrast, and large fonts can help you easily achieve that simplicity.

4. Use Colors and Contrast to Drive Action

It’s smart to make your call to action more prominent than other sections of your landing page, so that it draws the eyes of your visitors.

The easiest way to do this is by using bright, contrasting colors.

You can also use this technique to keep less significant information distracting users from main conversion goals. Simply choose a color that is similar to colors on the rest of the page.

5. Use Urgency For Higher Landing Page Conversions

Limited offers are an effective marketing technique you’ll see everywhere.

That’s because the scarcity adds urgency to an offer which makes it harder to ignore for users.

You can use the same marketing principles on your landing page by adding a countdown timer to your landing page layout.

6. Add Social Proof to Your Landing Page

People are more likely to buy a product if they see other people buying or recommending it. This concept is called social proof, and there are many different ways you can add it to your landing page to boost conversions.

The most common type of social proof is customer testimonials. SeedProd comes with a built-in testimonials block to easily add testimonials to your landing page.

Another way to add social proof is by using your landing page is by using TrustPulse.

It allows you to easily show small popup banners with live notifications of customer activity on your website.

This adds a FOMO effect to your landing page encouraging more users to convert.

TrustPulse works with all popular eCommerce platforms, and can automatically detect your visitors’ actions on your website. It can show email conversions, user sign ups, and many other notifications as well.

Lastly, you can also embed actual tweets and social media posts from your customers to your website as social proof. Smash Balloon’s Custom Feeds Pro allows you to create a custom feed of user tweets that you can then embed to your landing page.

7. Using Live Chat to Answer User Questions

Most of the time customers abandon a landing page simply because they couldn’t find the information they need.

A lot of time, they need that information instantly. Luckily there are easier ways to help your customers without setting up a dedicated team.

First, you can add a live chat bot to your website that can help users find the answers they are looking for right there on your landing page.

You can also set up a business phone number that allows customers to reach out to your sales or support team directly from your landing page. You could even use an auto attendant service so you don’t have to answer the calls yourself.

8. Make It Easier for Users to Contact

Some of your customers may not have time to make a phone call or interact with live chat. Often customers just want to leave a message. 

That’s why it’s important to make sure that it’s easy for users to reach out by adding a contact form to your website.

WPForms is the best contact form plugin for WordPress. It allows you to easily add contact form to your website.

Plus it is a full-fledged form builder that you can use to capture leads by adding a request a quote form, order form, user registration form, and more.

9. Convert Abandoning Visitors with Timely Prompts

Showing users a personalized message just when they are about to leave your website has proven to be a successful technique in capturing abandoning users.

OptinMonster allows you to easily create exit intent popups that automatically detect when a user is about to leave your landing page and display a popup.

For example, Easy Digital Downloads shows this popup when a visitor is about to abandon the checkout page.

You can display a popup with custom coupons, time limited offers, buy 1 get 1 free offers, and other promotional tools to convert those customers.

OptinMonster also allows you to create personalized campaigns. You can modify your popup based on user’s geographic location, pages they have seen, or products they have looked at.

10. Optimize Your Landing Page for SEO

Search engines are the main source of free traffic to any website. Optimizing your landing page for SEO helps you rank higher in search engines which brings more traffic for you to convert.

All in One SEO for WordPress is the best SEO plugin for WordPress on the market. It allows you to easily optimize your WordPress website for SEO.

For more details on using it, see our tutorial on how to properly install and setup All in One SEO for WordPress.

Another benefit of this is that it ensures that your landing page shows the right title and image on Facebook and other social networks.

11. Improve Page Load Speed for Higher Conversions

No one likes a slow website. In fact, studies show that one second delay in page load can cause 7% loss in conversions, 11% fewer page views, and 16% decrease in customer satisfaction.

You can see how much time your landing page takes to load by testing it with an online speed test tool.

For speed optimization, see our guide on how to improve WordPress speed and performance with step by step instructions.

12. Track Conversions to Optimize Your Landing Pages

We believe that you can’t improve what you can’t measure.

To optimize for higher conversions, you need to first make sure that you properly set up conversion tracking for all your landing pages.

This helps you see how your landing page is performing. If you have multiple landing pages, then you can also see which ones are performing best.

The easiest way to set up conversion tracking is by using MonsterInsights. It allows you to easily install Google Analytics in WordPress.

It also comes with enhanced eCommerce tracking which allows you to see your eCommerce conversion rate inside the WordPress admin area.

For more details, see our ultimate guide on conversion tracking in WordPress to learn how to set it up and how to track different conversion goals on your website.

Once you have baseline data, then you can set up A/B test campaigns to further optimize your landing pages.

We hope this article helped you find ways to improve your landing page conversions. You may also want to see these bonus tips on capturing abandoned cart sales, or see these proven tips to increase your website traffic.

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 Increase Your Landing Page Conversions by 300% (Proven Tips) first appeared on WPBeginner.

February 01, 2022 at 04:00PM