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  • What Can AI Do? 15 Common Uses in 2023

    With all the talk of artificial intelligence (AI) over the last year, it’s hard not to get excited about the future. As a creative, you might ask yourself, What can AI do? In this post, we’ll discuss fifteen creative ways to incorporate AI into the creative process so you can increase productivity and spark creativity, all while using this new technology responsibly. Let’s get started.

    What is AI?

    what can AI do

    image created with Midjourney | Photoshop

    AI is the process of teaching computer systems how to perform human tasks. These can be anything from processing data to using complex systems to build automobiles. It incorporates several types, including narrow, general, and super AI. Currently, most AI software is based on weak AI, which uses machine and deep learning.

    What is Machine Learning?

    machine learning

    image created with Midjourney | Photoshop

    Machine learning involves computer systems utilizing deep learning to process specific data. These systems can identify patterns and gain insights by analyzing data and experiences rather than relying on programming. These algorithms can adapt and refine their output with new data over time. For instance, ChatGPT‘s training utilized over 570 GB of information, far surpassing what a human mind can grasp. As a result of its training, it can answer questions, write stories, and have dialogue with humans all on its own.

    What is Deep Learning?

    deep learning

    image created with Midjourney

    Deep learning is a type of machine learning that can handle various data types, such as images or text, with little help from humans. It uses neural networks, much like brain synapses in humans. These networks go through hundreds, or even thousands, of training rounds to understand complex data features. Once trained, AI can make accurate determinations about the observed data and use that knowledge to make decisions about new data. For example, AI can identify bananas in every image containing one after learning what a banana looks like.

    What is Generative AI?

    what can AI do

    images created with Midjourney

    Generative AI is an incredible technology incorporating machine learning to produce original content, such as text, images, or music, without relying on predefined examples. It achieves these feats by learning patterns and structures based on large amounts of data, then generating new output. This type of AI is used to create images, text, and other creative work.

    What Can AI Do?

    Thanks to generative AI, you have the power to create art, music, and videos effortlessly. You can even design a personalized avatar for your social media profiles and so much more. If you ever need help getting organized, AI can lend a hand with that too! Let’s explore all the fantastic ways AI can save time, spark creativity, and streamline workflow.

    1. Create Audio

    Mubert - Homepage June 2023

    If you are looking for ways to insert audio into your website or creative projects, artificial intelligence can help. Thanks to AI music generators, audio tools, and voice generators, you can add a soundtrack to a podcast, add a voice overlay to marketing videos, and even create your own music to enhance projects.

    For example, using Mubert, you can easily generate music with a text prompt and a few clicks. We used the prompt alluring background music and created this 20-second clip in less than a minute.


    2. Keep Track of Your Business

    Tykr financial AI

    Running a business is time-consuming, especially if it’s a one-person operation. Thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence, hiring a human to assist you is no longer required. Whether you need help writing a blog post, managing appointments, or financial tips, AI assistants can help with several tasks to help you be more productive. For example, using a financial assistant, such as Tykr, you can manage your stock portfolio, get insights on investment opportunities, and learn the basics of investing.

    3. Create Avatars

    Lensa AI

    AI avatar generators are all the rage right now. Thanks to companies like Picsart, Lensa AI, and Synthesia, you can create static and video avatars. Whether you’re looking to establish a more professional representation for your company, revamp your social media avatars, or even fashion lifelike 3D avatars for marketing videos or online business chat, these tools have you covered.

    4. Help with Branding

    what AI can do

    If you’re looking to rebrand your current business or start a new venture, artificial intelligence can help. There are some great logo generators to spark creativity and fantastic features available through companies like Wix Logo Generator that will make you feel like a graphic design professional in no time. Whether you want to create social media posts or build out your brand standards, branding has never been easier.

    5. Sales and Marketing Tools

    Seamless AI

    If you want to create leads and grow revenue, some excellent AI sales and marketing tools help you take your business to the next level. These tools can help you build an email list, reach out to them with video assets, and explore opportunities to analyze your client interactions. For example, using Seamless.AI‘s built-in search engine, you can leverage the power of AI to update your contact lists with the most up-to-date contact information. Additionally, using software such as Ocoya, you can create social media posts and schedule them, giving you more time to focus on other aspects of your business.

    6. Assist in Image Editing

    Photoshop AI

    image created with Photoshop AI

    If you’re a freelancer or web agency owner, you know how challenging it can be to get good client photos. Thankfully, artificial intelligence can turn you into a photo editing wizard while saving a ton of time. Whether you’re looking to upscale images, enhance them, or create new compositions with Photoshop, image editing tools help you finish the job quickly.

    7. Have In-Depth Conversations

    Writesonic AI chatbot

    One of the most creative ways to use artificial intelligence is through chatbots like Writesonic. Built on OpenAI’s GPT-4, you can converse with it to get answers to questions, help you develop blog post ideas, and more. One of the coolest things about Writesonic is their Botsonic tool, which allows you to create your own chatbot in a few minutes. This is a great tool to create personalized chat experiences for your site’s visitors providing answers directly related to your products and services. Alternatively, you can incorporate Character.AI to gain a unique perspective by chatting with historical figures, celebrities or any personality you choose.

    8. Increase Productivity

    Freshworks Freddy CRM AI

    No matter what you need AI for, whether it’s to get insights on how your website is performing or advanced SEO techniques, there are many AI productivity tools to help you get the job done fast. Need a good CRM? No problem. Freshworks Freddy AI can help with marketing automation, all while building a better system to interact with your customers. Alternatively, if you need a way to transcribe meeting notes, check out Otter AI.

    9. Develop AI Software

    Google AI Platform

    One of the most powerful uses of artificial intelligence is the ability to create your own. With AI development tools, you can propel your business into the future by incorporating systems to assist with time-consuming tasks, freeing you up to perform more important feats. For example, if you’re planning on starting your own international ecommerce marketplace, you could incorporate Google’s Translation AI to provide content based on a user’s location, then translating your text into the appropriate language.

    10. Write Copy

    One of the most notable uses for artificial intelligence is for writing copy. Using AI writing software such as Copy.AI, Writesonic, or ChatGPT, you can create new copy for social media posts, informational text, blogs, and more.

    QuillBot AI rewriter tool

    Alternatively, if you need a little help making your copy more focused and concise, you can use a rewriter tool, such as Quillbot, to help you clarify your original content to flow better, all while retaining the authentic tone it was written in.

    11. Make Creative Assets

    what can AI do

    image created with Midjourney | Photoshop

    Imagery is one of the most important aspects of any website or marketing material. With the introduction of AI art generators in late 2022, anyone, regardless of the level of artistic ability, can create beautiful images for their projects. Between Adobe Firefly, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, and others, there is no shortage of platforms. If you need more than images, these AI design tools can help you create brochures, social media templates, color palettes, and more.

    12. Write Code

    CoPilot AI coding assistant

    In the past, if you wanted to create a custom plugin or an entire static HTML, you’d need to prepare yourself for a long project. With the number of AI coding assistants hitting the market at the speed of light, you no longer have to spend countless hours coding on your own. Using software such as GitHub Copilot, you can code faster and more efficiently than ever before. The best part about these coding assistants is the majority of them will work alongside your favorite code editor, so you don’t have to spend time learning a new platform.

    13. Build Websites

    Making a website is a lot easier now, thanks to AI website builders. Big players in the industry, such as Wix and Hostinger, have started offering services to streamline the process. You can answer a few questions through Wix and have a custom website in a few minutes. Other tools, like Framer, can generate a fully functional website with a text prompt.

    images created with Midjourney

    Alternatively, you can combine tools like Midjourney and ChatGPT to generate images and content for your new site. If you’re a WordPress user, there are even a few AI plugins to make working in WordPress a lot easier.

    14. Generate Video Assets

    Another excellent use of artificial intelligence is AI video generators. You can create marketing videos from a blog post URL using Pictory. Alternatively, you can create realistic training videos with animated avatars using Synthesia.

    Sythesia free video

    There are even programs, such as Runway, that will give you the tools to improve existing videos by adding slow-motion effects, making color enhancements, and removing artifacts.

    15. Improve SEO

    Alliai SEO tool

    The last AI tools on our list can help you get your site’s SEO up to par. With AI SEO tools, you can generate page titles and meta descriptions in bulk, rewrite copy, check for plagiarism, and develop SEO-friendly outlines, and more. Some tools, such as Alli AI, will help you quickly identify any SEO problem areas and provide steps to correct them.

    Using AI Responsibly

    The potential of artificial intelligence in creative areas is undeniable, making responsible usage crucial. As creatives, we should embrace these technologies to streamline our process, but we must be cautious to keep AI from taking over our roles entirely. Instead, view AI as a supportive partner, guiding us, sparking creativity, and helping us refine original content. To navigate this new landscape effectively, we need to understand its limitations and the consequences of misuse. Doing so can strike the right balance between human ingenuity and AI assistance in our creative lives.

    Final Thoughts on AI for Creatives

    Whether you need a copywriter like Writesonic or Jasper or an art generator like Midjourney, there are many tools available to assist creatives and business owners in creating new content and improving SEO. However, it is important to remember that we must act ethically and responsibly while integrating AI into our workflows. By doing so, we can harness the full potential of AI with a clear conscience.

    Featured Image via PopTika / shutterstock.com

    The post What Can AI Do? 15 Common Uses in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • How to Easily Add a Booking Form in WordPress (2023)

    Online booking is a fantastic feature to add to your website, mainly if you sell services. Booking forms provide an effortless process for your customers. They can see your availability, select their services and even pay for them beforehand. Having a WordPress booking form on your website helps your business maintain a seamless process for your customers while ensuring that your revenues are supported, as your customer will be able to return and book within your business effortlessly.

    What is a WordPress Booking Form?

    A WordPress booking form is a form that allows users to book or schedule appointments with you or your business directly from your WordPress website. Simple booking forms typically collect a user’s name, service, and the date and time they want their service. There are multiple applications for booking forms. They can be used to schedule deliveries or to book a service like a nail or hair appointment. They can also be used to reserve physical items like reserving a hotel room or the rental of items. Booking forms can come with various features such as adding addons to their service, text notifications, and self-service capabilities allowing customers to adjust their appointment. Some event calendar plugins will have booking forms as a built-in feature.

    Benefits of Using a Booking Form in WordPress

    As a busy service provider, having a booking form can make your business’ internal process run smoother. Here are some benefits of using an online booking form in your business:

    • Increased Sales – With booking forms, you can collect customer deposits and payments ahead of time. This allows you to secure revenue for your business. Additionally, you can charge late or cancellation fees through a booking form to ensure your time is respected. Booking forms are also a place where you can upsell your other products and services when your customers go to book their next appointment.
    • No More Playing Phone Tag – With an online booking form, you can enter your availability, and your customers can choose a time that works for them from your calendar. Your customers can now automatically and in real-time know when they can book their sessions with you without having to call or send a thread of emails.
    • Track and Organize Client Information – Booking forms are a great way to build a client relationship database. Through a booking form, you can track how much your customers spend, the services they get, and more data you can use to market to your customers and nurture your relationships with them.
    • Limit No-Shows and Cancellations – Notifications via text and email are a common feature that many booking forms now have. Schedule and send reminders to your customers, ensuring that they arrive at their appointment on time.

    In short, adding a booking form to your WordPress site can generate more bookings more efficiently with the power of automation. Now let’s explore how easy it is to add one to your site.

    How to Add a Booking Form to Your WordPress Site (Step-by-Step)

    For this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to do this using the trusted, popular booking form plugin Amelia. Amelia offers a robust feature set that makes free and premium versions an excellent choice to add a WordPress booking form to your website. Let’s walk through adding this plugin to your website and adding a booking form to your site.

    Install Amelia

    From your WordPress website, hover over the Plugins menu item. Next, click Add New and use the search form and enter Amelia. The first option will be the Amelia booking form plugin. Click Install Now to add the plugin to your WordPress website.

    Install Amelia

    Once your plugin is installed, click the blue Activate button.

    Activate Amelia

    After Amelia is activated and installed, a new menu item will appear in your WordPress dashboard.

    Amelia menu options

    Configuring Amelia

    Amelia is a full-featured yet easy-to-use booking form plugin. It provides many features to help you create the perfect booking form for your business.

    Amelia's settings

    While all these features may look complicated, to create your first booking form with Amelia, you’ll only need to create the following:

    • A service
    • An employee service

    Once these two items are created, you can do more complex things with your booking form, like adding packages, setting up payments, and more. To begin, let’s create our first service.

    Creating A Service

    Amelia requires one service and one provider to generate a booking form at its most basic level. To begin, click on the Amelia menu option. Next, click the Services link. Services are organized in categories, and in the premium version of Amelia, you can add multiple services to create packages. Click on the blue Add Category button to create our first category.

    Create your first service category

    In the category name field, assign your category a name. Then, click the small blue checkmark to save your category. You can create more categories here now if you want to add more.

    Name your first category

    With our first category created, we can now create our first service. To do this, click the blue Add Service button in the top right corner.

    Add your first service in Amelia

    The Add Service flyout will open. The first tab, Details, is where you’ll upload a photo of your service and its name, category, and description.

    Describe your service

    Next, click on the Duration & Pricing tab. Here, you’ll enter the length of time and price for your service.

    Set your service duration and price

    If you want to add photos to your service, click the Gallery tab. Then, click on the Add Image link. This will open up the default WordPress Media Library for you to upload and add photos to your service. Once you’ve added your images, click the blue Save button at the bottom of the flyout.

    Add images to your service's photo gallery

    It will appear in your Services dashboard once you’ve added your necessary service details.

    View your completed service

    After creating your service, you’ll need to create and assign a provider to the service to make your booking form.

    Creating An Employee

    To create an employee in Amelia, from the Amelia menu, select Settings. Then, under the Provider Details title, select the link View Provider Details Settings.

    Adding your first employee in Amelia

    This will open up the Provider Details flyout menu. Enter your details, such as name, phone number, and email address. You can add a short bio in the description box if you’d like.

    Enter your provider settings

    Next, click on the Assigned Services tab. You’ll see a list of your services within their corresponding categories. Select the services that you’d like to assign to this provider.

    Select and assign services to your provider

    After assigning your services to your provider, click the Work Hours tab. This is where you’ll set the availability for each service and this provider. Using the pencil icon, assign time slots for each day of the week. You can also use the Apply to All Days link to assign the same schedule to each day. Once you have set up your hours of operation, click the blue Save button.

    Set work hours

    With our first service assigned to our first provider, we can now add a booking form for our customers to book services. But first, let’s customize the form and brand it to our company’s style guide.

    Styling Your Booking Form

    Amelia has an easy-to-use customization process from which you can change the style and colors of your booking form. To access it, from the Amelia menu, select Customize. Notice that a few options match the different booking form layouts natively with Amelia. We’ll be using the Step-by-Step Booking form layout. So, click the blue Continue button underneath the Step-by-Step Booking Form 2.0 card.

    Customize your booking form

    This is what the customization screen looks like:

    Amelia Customizer

    • Global Settings: Adjust your fonts and colors
    • Sidebar: Design your sidebar
    • Service Selection: Determine how your services will be displayed
    • Date & Time Selection: Setup your calendar view and how customers can choose their date and time
    • Customer Information: Order of fields, labels, and more for your customer’s information
    • Payment Summary: How your payment fields will be displayed
    • Congratulations: Customize your booking confirmation page

    Let’s look at some of the settings available under each tab.

    Global Settings

    The Global Settings tab allows you to assign your fonts and colors.

    Global Options for Amelia

    You can even upload a custom font.

    Global Font Options for Amelia

    Sidebar

    The Sidebar tab allows you to customize the options and labels within the sidebar of the wizard.

    Sidebar Options for Amelia

    You can also select the fields you want to show within your company information.

    Sidebar Options for Amelia

    Service Selection

    For Service Selection, you can edit the fields’ labels and the Continue button’s style.

    Service Options for Amelia

    Date & Time Selection

    Assign different label names or change the visibility of specific fields with the Date & Time selection tab.

    Date, Time and Calendar Customization for Amelia

    Customer Information

    Determine your customer information form’s order or toggle the available active fields.

    Customize the Customer Information Form for Amelia

    Payment Summary

    Change the title and labels for your payment form, or style the buttons differently.

    Payment table selections for Amelia

    Congratulations

    Lastly, the Congratulations page acts as an appointment confirmation page for your customers

    Congratulations page settings for Amelia

    Adding Your WordPress Booking Form to Your Website

    To add your booking form to your website, you’ll need to select a page for it to appear on. Hover over the Pages menu item, then click Add New to create a new page for your booking form.

    Add a new page to your WordPress website

    Give your new page a Title, then click the black plus icon. In the search box, enter Amelia to preview the blocks that come with Amelia. Select the Amelia – Step-by-Step Booking block.

    Add Amelia Wizard Block

    With the block added to your new booking page, click the blue Publish button at the top of your screen.

    Publish your new booking page

    Testing Your New Booking Form

    Once you’ve added the Amelia block to your page, this is what the step-by-step wizard looks like on the front end for your customers. First, they have the option to select their services.

    Testing your booking form

    Then, they can select the date they want to book their appointment.

    Testing your booking form - choose your date

    Next, the available timeslots are shown. Notice that these dates and times coincide with the availability of the provider.

    Testing your booking form - pick your time

    After selecting a date and time, your customer can enter their personal information.

    Testing your booking form - enter in your contact info

    Finally, once everything is confirmed, they can see a confirmation of their appointment listing their service, the provider, and their information for notifications. They can also add their appointment to their calendar of choice.

    Testing your booking form - final appointment confirmation

    Adding Your Form to Your Website with Divi

    If you’re using the page builder Divi, you can benefit by using the native Amelia modules to style and add your booking form to your page. Start activating the Divi Builder by clicking the purple Use the Divi Builder button at the top of the Block Editor.

    Activate Divi Builder

    Next, click the Edit With the Divi Builder purple button.

    Edit with Divi Builder

    Once the builder is activated, select the blue Start Builder button under the Use Existing Content card.

    Use existing content in Divi Builder

    With the builder activated, you can now click the gray plus icon to open the module library. Notice that there are several Amelia modules available for you to choose from. Choose the AM – Step Booking module to add it to your row.

    Select your Amelia module

    Just like other Divi modules, you have access to the Design tab and the Content and Advanced tab to use the powerful features of Divi on your new WordPress booking form.

    Customizing the Amelia module

    Though Amelia is a solid choice to add a booking form to your WordPress website, other options on the market may be better geared to your business use case.

    Other Booking Form Options for WordPress

    While Amelia is a great booking form plugin for WordPress, there are many more on the scene that might pique your interest. Additionally, there are some booking form platforms that you may want to consider outside of the WordPress space, depending on your business requirements:

    • Simply Schedule Appointments: A simple and powerful booking form plugin boasting an interactive setup wizard, customizable notification emails, and integration with Google Calendar and Mailchimp.
    • Appointment Hour Booking: With double booking prevention, an automatic price calculator, and a straightforward user interface, this plugin is excellent for providers whose business revolves around classes, workshops, and events.
    • Hotel Booking Plugin by Motopress: Geared towards serving the hospitality industry, this plugin has all the bells and whistles you’ll need to make your customers excited and stress-free to book their Airbnb, cabin, or retreat through your website.
    • WPForms: For those looking to build complex booking forms, WPForms is one of the best contact form plugins with plenty of features. Complete with more than 30 field types and a library of templates, building the perfect booking form is possible with this plugin.
    • The Events Calendar: This popular events calendar WordPress plugin can be used to create, manage and display events. Its Event Tickets addon allows you to sell tickets, manage attendees, and more. It also integrates with other booking form plugins.
    • Calendly: A relative newcomer to online booking, this tool is popular among business coaches and professionals for its feature-rich free offering and integrations. It integrates well with WordPress and has a beautiful and intuitive user interface.
    • Acuity Scheduling: With tight integration with Squarespace, Acuity is an online booking form platform with minimal aesthetics and compelling features.

    In Conclusion

    As a service provider, a booking form lets customers put themselves on your calendar without hassle. They can select their services, make a deposit and get reminders, which can be tedious to do through email. Whether you need video integration or the ability to include add-ons to your service list, a booking form plugin is available. Amelia is a great booking plugin with many features that can help you get started even in its free offering. A booking form should be a part of your business process as it can help you increase revenue, build brand loyalty and deepen customer relationships. WordPress has a great variety of booking form plugins that you can use to bring this powerful tool to your website today.

    Featured Image via Irina Strelnikova / shutterstock.com

    The post How to Easily Add a Booking Form in WordPress (2023) appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • Divi Meetup Community Update: WCEU & June 2023

    Hey, Divi Fam! 🎆🏖️🎇

    June just left the building, and summer is going by fast! With all the traveling that usually happens, I’m surprised work doesn’t slow down. 😅 Nope. Here at ET we’re (I’m) attending WordCamps, facilitating Divi meetups, and the whole team is working hard on Divi 5.0. (have you seen the latest update?).
    It’s all good, though. When you do what you love, it hardly feels like work, know what I mean?
    How do you balance Summer and work? Comment below! 🙏🏼

    Let’s see how our current Divi meetups hosted their June events.

    Check out our current stats and community updates below.

    The Divi Nation Meetup Network by the Numbers

    • Total Members: 11,588
    • Total Groups: 37
    • Total Events Hosted: 1,871
    • Total RSVPs: 13,486
    • New Members (Last 90 Days): 758
    • New Groups (Last 60 Days): 1

    If you have a passion for building your local Divi community, locate a group near you here or use the button below to apply to become a local organizer.

    APPLY TO BECOME A DIVI MEETUP ORGANIZER TODAY

    WordCamp Europe 2023

    WordCamp Europe was held in Athens, Greece this month! I attended and represented Elegant Themes and had such a blast! At the last minute, I was pulled in to volunteer. 😅 I got to interview WordPressers throughout the day on Friday AND I had the pleasure of emceeing on Saturday morning. 🙌🏼 I had a fantastic time and was in my element, truly.

    Raquel interviewing Vito Peleg. both sitting on hightop chairs

    Raquel interviewing Vito Peleg at WCEU.

    Raquel, Chritch, & Alani taking an usie.

    Raquel and some of the Bluehost crew.

    My travels brought me to Spain after Greece, and I had the pleasure of visiting Celine and the Divi Valencia Meetup! What a sweet time to visit with our community. It truly brought warmth to my heart. The bonus was that I got to practice my Spanish. 😅

    5 people sitting around a table at the Divi Valencia meetup

    Raquel and the Divi Valencia crew June 2023

    Updates from Existing Groups

    Let’s see how our communities faired for June below. ⬇️

    Divi Chicago, Illinois, USA

    screenshot of the Divi Chicago June virtual meetup

    Divi Chicago June 2023

    From the Hosts, Joan Margau & Scott Winterroth:

    Attendees: 6

    Divi-Chicago Meetup was a round table discussion on what’s happening in everyone’s daily use of Divi. Building websites, combining layouts, revising content. With all the work we’re doing in Divi we’re still experiencing repetitive styling and not using all of the features available. We’re going back to the basics of Divi; it’s the tool of our trade.

    We love your tenacity, Divi Chi-Town! 💥

    Go to Divi Chicago

    Divi Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, USA

    screenshot of the Divi DFW June virtual meetup

    Divi Dallas/Fort Worth June 2023

    From the Host, Tommy Lee & Kent Pilkington:

    Attendees: 8

    Divi DFW took a deep dive into using CSS with Divi. Co-organizer Kent Pilkington shared a demonstration of the best ways to use CSS to customize Divi. Next month, our members want to learn more about customizing headers and footers with the theme builder.

    You are a beacon to our community, Divi DFW! 🩵

    Go to Divi Dallas/Fort Worth

    Divi Delhi NCR, India

    Divi Delhi NCR event photo with title "Open Discussion"

    Divi Delhi NCR June 2023

    From the Host, Mayank Kumar:

    Attendees: 3

    Open Discussion to grow the Divi Delhi NCR community, This was the topic for our June meetup and this was not a successful meetup only 3 people were their, including me so I don’t think that it was a good meetup. But yeah I discuss a bit how we will grow this community more. Looking to conduct a great meetup next month.

    It’s successful in our eyes! 😍 Don’t be discouraged. 💯

    Go to Divi Delhi NCR

    Divi Los Angeles, California, USA

    screenshot of the Divi Los Angeles June virtual meetup

    Divi Los Angeles June 2023

    screenshot of the Divi Los Angeles June virtual meetup

    Divi Los Angeles June 2023

    From the Host, Julius Lopez:

    Attendees: 5

    Hello from Divi Los Angeles Meetup. We had two Meetups this month continuing the theme of Divi Basics. The early June Meetup is the one we walked through the Divi ‘Visual Builder.’ This was a tour of the Visual Builder from both within the WordPress Editor and editing directly with the Front End Visual Editor. We covered how to bounce between the WordPress Editor and the Visual Editor and why you may need to work in both.

    The later June Meetup is the one where we began a tour of ‘Sections, Rows, and Modules’ – the key elements of Divi. This included sharing how they work, ways you may want to use them, and how to mix-and-match modules from various pre-built Divi Layouts. We then started a review of each Divi Module starting with the Accordion and working our way to the Video Slider. However, due to time constraints, we only got to the “C’s” with the “Countdown Timer”.

    Our next two Meetups will have us going over the remaining Divi Modules with the early July Meetup covering the “Divider” to “Photo Carousel” modules, and the late July Meetup covering “Post Navigation” to the “Video Slider”.

    Come and learn with us. Checkout our Meetup page for dates and times!

    I love what you’re doing with the LA group, Julius! ♥️

    Go to Divi Los Angeles

    Divi Phoenix, Arizona, USA

    5 men and 1 women standing for a pic

    Divi June 2023

    From the Host, Dennis Dinsmore:

    Attendees: 6

    We had another guest speaker! Matt Wilson dropped some knowledge on Divi and Accessibility! We learned some general and specific ways to make our Divi sites more accessible to people with disabilities and lower the site’s risk of legal liability.”

    The Divi PHX community is growing! Come check it out!

    Go to Divi Phoenix

    Divi Sacramento, California, USA

    screenshot of the Divi Sacramento June virtual meetup

    Divi Sacramento June 2023

    From the Hosts, Rosalinda Huck & Elizabeth Hahn:

    Attendees: 16

    In June, we covered two Top 10 Tips Lists – one for starting your own web design business, and one for becoming a web design freelancer/independent contractor. This was a fantastic, informative discussion, intended to help newbies to WordPress and Divi get started on the right track in their careers. We covered several sub-topics from how to define one’s scope of services, to business licenses, to tracking expenses for tax purposes.

    You two always come with it with content! 💯

    Go to Divi Sacramento

    Divi Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    Three men taking an usie at the Divi SLC June meetup

    Divi Salt Lake City June 2023

    From the Host, Dustin Olsen:

    Attendees: 2

    For June we had our very first in-person networking meetup post-pandemic. It was great to rub shoulders with people in the area, some we have only ever met online.
    For July, we are going to host a virtual show and tell meetup where we will show sites we’ve been working on to provide inspiration.

    Yassss! In-person FTW!!!! 😍💯🙌🏼

    Go to Divi Salt Lake City

    Divi Valencia, Spain

    5 people sitting around a table at the Divi Valencia meetup

    Divi Valencia June 2023

    The Host, Celine de Castro:

    Attendees: 5

    Divi Valencia had an in-person meet-&-greet! The Community Manager of Elegant Themes happened to be in town so the community got together!

    What a sweet community in Valencia! 🥰

    Go to Divi Valencia

    Want to Host Your Own Local Divi Network Meetup?

    Great! We’re always on the lookout for people around the world who are passionate about Divi and building community and want to spread that enthusiasm to their local community. We take care of the monthly Meetup fees, and we provide all our hosts with tons of resources to help plan and promote their events, including help with finding a venue and coming up with topic ideas.

    Starting a new Divi Meetup group is simple. Just apply by filling out this form or email eventcoordinator@elegantthemes.com. Once the form is complete, we will work together to get your group launched and linked to our Meetup Network. Easy as that!

    Not sure if there’s already a Divi Meetup Group in your area? Just head to our Meetup Network page to see a map of our current locations.

    Global Divi Meetup Network

    Featured Image via cosmaa / shutterstock.com

    The post Divi Meetup Community Update: WCEU & June 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • WordPress SEO: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide for 2023

    Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial to the success of your website from the very start. Website owners often make the mistake of ignoring SEO until long after their site is launched. This often leads to frustrating and costly problems down the road. That’s why it is so important to start now! Despite the perceived difficulty of SEO, beginners can benefit from simple SEO tasks that, in time, could help their site rank #1. In this step-by-step guide to WordPress SEO, we will provide a step-by-step approach to equip your site to rank higher in search engines.

    What is SEO?

    Millions of people use Search engines like Google daily to view the top results for their searches. SEO is the ongoing process of improving your website ranking in search results pages (SERPs). How high search engines rank your content is determined by various factors, including quality of content, keyword optimization, links, page speed, and more. SEO involves using simple and advanced techniques to address these factors to produce high-quality content relevant to users and easy for search engines to index. Of course, the ultimate goal of SEO is to get more organic traffic to your site, which can lead to many benefits.

    How Do Search Engines Work (in Simple Terms)?

    It is the job of search engines to serve the best relevant results for users. To determine what content is the best match for what a user types in a search bar, search engines like Google use bots that “crawl” websites for content and links to store and index that data in their database. When a search query is made, the data is analyzed to serve the most relevant content.

    What are the Benefits of WordPress SEO?

    You wouldn’t be reading this article if you weren’t already aware of at least some of the benefits of SEO. Here are a few of the most potent benefits of optimizing your WordPress site for search engines.

    • Increase Organic Traffic
    • Save money with less PPC Advertising
    • Increase leads and sales with higher conversion rates
    • Increase Brand Awareness/Authority
    • Get Featured Listings in the SERPs
    • Provide a better overall website for users

    Investing in SEO for WordPress now is one of the most influential and cost-effective marketing tools that can pay off handsomely in the long run.

    A Beginner’s Guide to WordPress SEO (Step by Step)

    1. Get Reliable Hosting

    Choosing the right hosting provider is a critical factor in WordPress SEO mainly because it can affect website speed and performance. So taking the time to understand WordPress Hosting and the solutions available will be worth it in the long run. The main types of WordPress Hosting include

    • Shared WordPress Hosting – These provide the best cheap WordPress Hosting options.
    • Dedicated Hosting – Dedicated Hosting providers are best for large sites that need high performance and dedicated space.
    • VPS Hosting – VPS hosting providers are a good alternative to shared, offering better performance and security.
    • Cloud Hosting – Cloud hosting services provide more flexibility and scalability, so you can only pay for what you need.
    • Managed WordPress Hosting (recommended) – This is the best overall solution for most. It ensures great performance for WordPress at an affordable price. Here are our top choices.

    Additional perks come with WordPress Managed Hosting providers that can help SEO. For example, with Siteground, you get a free SSL (more on this below), a Content Delivery Network (CDN), and other built-in site tools.

    When looking for the right hosting platform, at minimum, you will want to ensure they support the current WordPress hosting requirements and the latest version of PHP. Ideally, using a free trial to test your site speed and performance metrics beforehand would be best. For best results, look for a fast host.

    For more, check out our complete guide on how to choose your WordPress Hosting. Here are our top picks to help point you in the right direction.

    🥇 SiteGround 🥈 Hostinger 🥉 Cloudways
    Starting Price $14.99/month $9.99/month $11/month
    Storage 10GB 50GB 25GB
    Bandwidth Unmetered 100GB 1TB
    Monthly Visitors 10,000 Unmetered Unlimited
    Free Domain ❌ ❌ ❌
    24/7 Support ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
    Trustpilot Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Read the reviews    		 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Read the reviews    		 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Read the reviews
    Visit SiteGround Visit Hostinger Visit Cloudways

    2. Get an SSL & Use HTTPS

    Modern browsers and Google no longer consider website URLs using HTTP or http:// (without the “S” at the end) to be secure. If you want your site URL to be protected, you need to use HTTPS (https://). This lets Google and your users know that your URL (or browser link) uses a secure (encrypted) server to share information. To use HTTPS in your URL, you’ll need to use an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or its more secure version, TLS (Transport Layer Security).

    SSL Manager in SiteGround

    SSL Manager in SiteGround

    An SSL certificate is often provided for free with your hosting provider, and you can also get a free SSL using a plugin or other third-party service like Cloudflare.

    For more, check out our Ultimate Guide to HTTPS and SSL for WordPress.

    3. Choose an SEO-Friendly WordPress Theme

    When choosing a theme for your WordPress site, it is vital to choose one that is SEO-friendly. Ideally, you will want a WordPress theme that is fast and lightweight. But, with the rising popularity of page builders, you will likely need to find a balance between speed and design options. Even robust page builders, like Divi, have taken strides to maximize performance by eliminating unnecessary bloat.

    In addition to speed, look for themes that use proper SEO headings, have clean code, are responsive, and are updated regularly.  Themes like GeneratePress will have these features built in. Also, make sure that your theme works seamlessly with popular SEO plugins that will take care of your technical SEO needs (including structured data and Schema markup).

    To help you get started, here’s our list of top SEO WordPress themes.

    4. Allow Search Engines to Index Your Website

    Don’t make the mistake of skipping this small step before launching your WordPress Website. Simply navigate to Settings > Reading. Next to the option Search Engine Visibility, there is a check box that reads, “Discourage search engines from indexing this site.” Make sure this box is unchecked. If not, you are asking Google to ignore you.

    Discourage Search Visibility - WordPress Reading Settings

    Note: It may be beneficial or recommended to keep the search engines from indexing the site during development so that Google doesn’t start indexing poor or inconsistent content before it is ready.

    5. Choose WWW or non-WWW

    When you first install WordPress and go through the setup process, you can pick the preferred format of your website address or URL. In addition to “https://,” you can choose whether or not to include “www” in the URL.

    To see what format your site is using, you can find it in your WordPress dashboard under Settings > General.

    WordPress Settings General Website WWW URL

    Both WWW and non-WWW versions are acceptable. Although some argue that there may be a slight edge in favor of using www over non-www, most SEO experts agree that you can use either format as long as you keep it consistent throughout your site. Google will treat www.yoursite.com and yoursite.com as separate URLs, resulting in duplicate content that may negatively affect your SEO.

    In short, pick one and stick with it. For more, check out our guide on WWW vs. non-WWW versions for SEO.

    Note: Do not change this if you already have a live site. This applies only to brand-new sites in development. Changing the format on an existing site will hurt your SEO.

    6. Set SEO-Friendly Permalinks & Slugs

    In WordPress, permalinks refer to the URL structure of your site. Setting your permalinks to the “Post Name” format is common practice for WordPress SEO. This structure provides search engines and users with more text that describes the content of your page or post. For example, if you are writing a post on “WordPress SEO,” it is better to have “wordpress-seo” in your URL instead of a number like “?p=123”, especially if you are trying to rank for that keyword/phrase.

    To change your permalink setting, go to your dashboard under Settings > Permalinks. Then select Post Name.

    WordPress Permalink Settings

    With this structure in place, you can change your permalink slug when editing your page or post in WordPress to include your keyword phrase for better on-page SEO.

    Permalinks, as the name suggests, should be considered permanent. That means you should never change the permalink settings on your live site or the permalink of a page or post. This will result in broken links and hurt your SEO. If you must change a permalink, use a proper 301 redirect.

    You can learn more in our posts on how permalinks affect SEO and how to configure WordPress permalink settings.

    7. Use Categories & Tags for SEO

    Categories and tags are the default taxonomies in WordPress that allow you to organize posts and pages. Using them properly can positively affect user experience, allowing users to sort and filter content to find what they need within a particular topic. In general, it is best to use categories for large groups of content under a broad topic (like “WordPress,” “Business,” “Design,” etc.). Posts or pages should be kept to 1 category to avoid possible SEO drawbacks like duplicate content or unnecessary web crawling. Tags can be helpful for users to find more specific topics. You can add multiple tags to a post as long you use them purposefully and consistently.

    The most significant impact that taxonomies can have on SEO is how search engines see them. Unless you have a good reason to do otherwise, we suggest you not include categories or tags in your permalinks. This makes it much easier to manage permalinks in the future and avoid possible cases of duplicate content or broken links when adding or changing categories.

    You can change this setting easily using an SEO plugin like Yoast or Rank Math.

    Yoast Remove Category from WordPress URL

    For more, check out our best practices for using categories and tags for SEO.

    8. Choose Your WordPress SEO Plugin

    Once you have the basic WordPress SEO structure in place, it’s time to look into a quality SEO plugin. This is by far the easiest and most effective way to take your WordPress site’s SEO to the next level. Popular SEO plugins (like Rank Math or Yoast SEO) will include most of the features, tools, and flexibility you need. These plugins can help optimize your entire website. We recommend RankMath because of its powerful SEO features, tremendous community support, and seamless integration with popular WordPress themes. With its easy-to-use interface, you can use Rank Math to optimize your on-page SEO on the front or back end.

    Analytics Rank Math Demo WordPress

    Here is a list of our best SEO plugins for WordPress, with all the features you need to boost your rankings.

    9. Submit an XML Sitemap

    An XML sitemap is an XML file on your website that provides a structured map of all of the pages and posts throughout your site. Unlike HTML sitemaps that may help with user experience and navigation, XML Sitemaps can be submitted directly to search engines. Once submitted, search engines will have an accurate map of your site so they can more effectively read and index your content. In WordPress, you can submit your sitemap to Google directly or use a sitemap plugin.

    SEO plugins like Yoast and RankMath will have a built-in feature to generate your XML sitemap.

    Rank Math Configure Sitemaps

    Rank Math Sitemap Configuration

    For more, check out our complete guide on XML sitemaps and SEO. And here is our list of the best sitemap plugins for WordPress.

    10. Use Keyword Research to Plan Content

    Keywords are the terms or phrases users enter to search for content within a browser or search engine. These keywords should be a driving force that determines what content you should create. Keyword research helps you determine what keywords people are currently searching so you can find the right ones to target when planning your content. To learn how to do it the right way, check out our complete guide on how to do keyword research.

    Semrush keyword research for WordPress SEO

    Semrush Keyword Research Tools

    SEO tools can be a lifesaver when it comes to keyword research. There are tools to help with keyword grouping, mapping, tracking, and more. Some SEO tools like Semrush provide an all-in-one SEO and keyword research solution to ensure you cover the right topics and adequately address user intent.

    For more, check out our top SEO tools for Keyword Research.

    11. Write High-Quality SEO Content

    There really is no way around this one. High-quality content is still the most essential aspect of your SEO strategy. Whether you are writing blog posts or sales copywriting, your goal is to create content that outperforms your competition and meets the needs of your visitors. You can start by following these key steps to writing quality SEO content.

    Use AI SEO Tools and Plugins for Better SEO Content

    With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), many AI SEO tools are becoming more mainstream. Some of the best AI SEO tools are now using AI to help with the entire SEO content creation process. AI writing software like Jasper AI can help you generate content in seconds using simple text prompts, and SurferSEO can optimize your content for search engines. Or you can use both with an integration.

    WordPress also has AI plugins that will help streamline the writing process and optimize your content for SEO.

    Check out our list of the best AI writing tools to help you write high-quality with more speed and efficiency.

    12. Optimize Your Post or Page Content for SEO

    Writing high-quality content is only half the battle of WordPress SEO. You will also need to optimize your content for SEO. This involves several on-page SEO tasks, including optimizing HTML structure, keywords, syntax, readability, schema markup, internal/external links, images, etc. This may sound like a lot, but your SEO plugin can help streamline this process. RankMath will allow you to optimize these elements in real time while writing your post. And you can use its AI-generated suggestions based on your content to improve your SEO score for each page or post.

    WordPress SEO Using Rank Math

    For example, you can start by entering your target keyword or keyphrase to let RankMath know what you are trying to rank for. (IMPORTANT: Don’t use the same focus keyphrase on any other page or post. Only use it once because you don’t want to compete against yourself for that key phrase.)

    Here are a few more key suggestions to optimize our page or post:

    • Make sure your page title includes the keyphrase and the permalink slug includes your focus keyphrase.
    • Organize your heading tags properly and include your keyphrase in headings and subheadings when appropriate.
    • Add the focus keyphrase and other related or semantic keywords strategically throughout your page content.
    • Use the plugin’s SEO widget to ensure your content gets a passing score for readability and SEO.
    • Consider your word count compared with other top-ranking articles for the same keyword.
    • Add a meta description for SERPs that is concise, enticing, and includes your focus keyword.
    • Add schema markup to get featured/rich snippets in the SERPs with a plugin like Schema Pro.

    For more, here is a detailed checklist for on-page SEO.

    13. Optimize Images for WordPress SEO

    Images can have a big impact on your SEO. However, it probably has more potential to harm your ranking than it does to improve it. Here are a few tips to help optimize your images for SEO:

    • Compress and Resize – Large image files can drastically slow down your website. This will turn visitors away and hurt your SEO ranking. Try to keep all images below 100kb. You’ll need to balance quality and size using lossless compression with free tools like tinypng.com or an image optimization plugin.
    • Use the correct file types – Webp is the best format for the web these days for the best performance. Some plugins like EWWW Image Optimizer can convert your images to Webp for you. But you can also use JPG and PNG for good results. Avoid large file types like GIFs.
    • Add Lazy Loading to Images for faster page loads.
    • Add Image Alt Text – The Alt text describes the image on your site in text form. Not only does it help with accessibility and screenreaders, but it can also allow you to add helpful keywords for better overall SEO.

    For more, check out these best practices for optimizing images for SEO and the top plugins you can use.

    14. Optimize Links for WordPress SEO

    Links are essential for SEO in a lot of ways. The two types of links that you can include on your website are internal links (links to other pages on your site) and external links (links to pages on a different site). The other important link type is called backlinks (or inbound links) which are links to your site from other websites. Earning quality backlinks involves a link-building strategy that is more difficult to achieve because it involves convincing other websites to link to your content. All three are important for SEO. You can learn more from our SEO Links Beginner’s Guide. But for this post, we will give you a few tips on using the two types you have more control over – internal and external links.

    Use Internal Links

    Understanding how internal links help SEO is important. Here are a few tips to get you started:

    • Ensure you add internal links to content that is relevant to the subject matter. Users and search engines will recognize when an internal link is forced or doesn’t make sense in the context.
    • Use various (different) internal links. Don’t keep sending the user to the same few pages.
    • Use proper HTML link structure.
    • Use keyword-rich anchor text. Avoid using less informative text like “click here” or “learn more” to make links more optimized for users and search engines.

    Use “NoFollow” and “Follow” External Links

    When adding external links to your post, you can choose to have that link “followed” or “not followed” by search engines. By default, all external links in WordPress will be followed. Search engines will crawl the link to help both parties rank higher. But sometimes, using “nofollow” links is beneficial to avoid negative SEO results. For example, WordPress may add the “nofollow” tag to comment links to prevent search engines from crawling spam links or other links that could harm your domain authority. They are useful for linking to sites you don’t fully trust or want to endorse. You’ll also want to use “nofollow” links when using affiliate links or if you’re receiving payment from people clicking the link.

    To create a “nofollow” link in WordPress, you can add the rel=”nofollow” tag to the HTML as follows:

    <a href=”https://elegantthemes.com” rel=”nofollow”>anchor text</a>

    For more, check out our guide on how to use nofollow and follow links.

    Use a Plugin to Add Links for SEO (The Easy Way)

    Managing your internal and external links can get overwhelming, especially for beginners or larger websites. Rank Math will give you some help options for how links operate on your site.

    Rank Math Link SEO Settings

    But if you need more help, using a plugin like LinkWhisper can automate the process of adding, removing, and optimizing links throughout your site. With LinkWhisper, you can add links in WordPress automatically based on your keywords and monitor them easily. This is the best way to ensure you get the most SEO link juice possible from your links sitewide.

    15. Avoid Creating Duplicate Content

    Duplicate content is the same (or very similar) content that can be found in multiple locations or URLs. This can often happen through the misuse of permalinks, using HTTP and HTTPS, pagination, or URL variations (like tracking code parameters). Having the same content on two different URLs can sometimes lead to Google crawling multiple versions of the same content. This can lead to each variation competing against each other in the ranks or the wrong version being indexed. Check out our guide to duplicate content and SEO for more details.

    You can easily check your website for duplicate content by looking up your indexed pages in Google Console or by searching your site pages in Google (i.e., “site:elegantthemes.com”).

    Google Search - # of Pages - Duplicate Content

    The number of pages should match the number of pages you created in WordPress. If not, you may have duplicate content that needs to be fixed.

    Use Canonical URLs and Redirects

    One way to avoid duplicate content is to use canonical URLs on your website. A canonical URL is defined by a link tag in the HTML of your header with the rel=”canonical” tag. It looks like something like this:

    This suggests to search engines that this is the main URL for this content. That way, if the same content is found on a different URL, Google will know which one to index. You can add a canonical URL to any page in WordPress using an SEO plugin.

    Set Page Canonical URL Rank Math
    In addition to canonical URLs, you can 301 redirects to avoid duplicate content and keyword cannibalization. For example, if you change the permalink of a blog article, you will want to make sure and add a 301 permanent redirect to the new URL to avoid losing all of the organic traffic and ranking earned for that post.

    For more, check out our list of the best Redirect Plugins for WordPress.

    16. Optimize Speed and Performance for WordPress SEO

    Optimizing your website for speed and performance is essential for SEO. So, understanding how page speed affects SEO is a must for beginners. Search engines like Google use several core web vitals and metrics to determine how well your site performs, which can significantly impact your rankings. The easiest way to check your website’s speed and performance metrics is to use a free online tool like GTMetrics or Google’s PageSpeed Insights. These tools will give you an overall score and a list of improvements that can be made to improve your score.

    website speed and performance metrics example

    WordPress SEO Speed and Performance Tips

    Here are some best practices to improve the speed and performance of your WordPress website:

    • Get fast hosting – Using a Fast WordPress hosting provider can take seconds off your page load times without doing anything else.
    • Use reliable WordPress themes and plugins – Some WordPress themes and plugins will perform better and load faster than others. You must use a theme that performs well out of the box and integrates well with other popular WordPress plugins. Even robust themes and page builders like Divi have built-in speed optimation to give you a head start.
    • Use a content delivery network (CDN) – A CDN provides a cached version of your website at various servers throughout the world for faster load times. You can use CloudFlare to add a CDN to your site manually or use a plugin. Some hosting providers, like Siteground, will provide a free CDN solution.
    • Use Site Caching – Site caching drastically improves site speed by saving a static version of your website pages for faster delivery. You can add caching to your site easily with a WordPress cache plugin.
    • Keep Your Database Clean – Keep your database clean and optimized for the best performance. WP-Optimize is a top database plugin for speed optimization.
    • Minify Your Site Files – Minification makes your site files smaller (taking out blank spaces), reducing the time it takes to load a page. For better performance, you can use a minification plugin like Autoptimize to minify your  CSS, HTML, and Javascript files.
    • Optimize for Mobile – How well your website performs on mobile devices sp perhaps more important than how it performs on desktop. Ensure your website is responsive and optimized for speed on mobile as well. For more, see our ultimate guide to mobile SEO.

    Speed and Performance Plugins

    This may seem a bit overwhelming. However, the right plugin can do a lot of this for you. If you are serious about performance, we recommend using a premium plugin like WP Rocket that provides an all-in-one solution for speed and performance. For more, check out our list of the best WordPress Speed and Performance Plugins.

    Wrapping Up

    You don’t have to be an SEO expert to optimize your WordPress site for search engines. There are simple steps any beginner can follow to set their site up for success. It starts with choosing the right host, theme, and SEO plugin(s) that make the process much easier. With the right tools, you can spend more time less time on SEO and more time on your business. Hopefully, the steps in this post can help you climb in the rankings to get the traffic you have always dreamed of having.

    If you have a physical business, you will definitely want to create a Google My Business profile and explore local SEO.

    Featured image via Overearth / shutterstock.com

    The post WordPress SEO: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide for 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • Download a FREE Blog Post Template for Divi’s Toy Store Layout Pack

    Hey Divi Creators! Thanks for joining us for the next installment of our weekly Divi Design Initiative where each week, we give away brand new freebies. This time around we’re building upon the Toy Store Layout Pack with a brand new blog post template that matches the rest of the pack perfectly. Hope you enjoy it!

    divi layout

    Check Out The Toy Store
    Blog Layout Template Below

    Get it for free today!

    Desktop View

    Divi Toy Store Blog Layout desktop view

    Tablet and Mobile ViewDivi Toy Store Blog Layout tablet and mobile view

    Download The Blog Post Template For The Toy Store Layout Pack

    To lay your hands on the free Toy Store Blog Post Template, you will first need to download it using the button below. To gain access to the download you will need to subscribe to our newsletter by using the form below. As a new subscriber, you will receive even more Divi goodness and a free Divi Layout pack every Monday! If you’re already on the list, simply enter your email address below and click download. You will not be “resubscribed” or receive extra emails.

    How to Upload The Template

    Go to Divi Theme Builder

    To upload the template, navigate to the Divi Theme Builder in the backend of your WordPress website.

    Open Divi Theme Builder

    Upload Website Template

    Then, in the top right corner, you’ll see an icon with two arrows. Click on the icon.

    Import the template into the Divi Theme Builder

    Navigate to the import tab, upload the JSON file that you could download in this post, and click on ‘Import Divi Theme Builder Templates.

    Finish importing the template into the Divi Theme Builder

    Save Divi Theme Builder Changes

    Once you’ve uploaded the file, you’ll notice a new template with a new body area that has been assigned to All Posts. Save the Divi Theme Builder changes as soon as you want the template to be activated.

    Save Your Blog Post Template

    How to Modify The Template

    Open Toy Store Blog Layout Template

    To modify the template’s elements, start by opening the template.

    Inside the Body Layout Editor, you can edit the design on the front end using the Divi Builder just like you would with an average Divi page.

    Since this is a template that has been assigned to all posts for the site, there is a post content module that is necessary for displaying the post content. You will need to keep that module in place, but you can adjust the post content module’s design elements, which will design the post content that is displayed dynamically.

    Edit the Post Content Module to match your blog and overall website theme

    About the Toy Store Blog Layout

    This blog post template has a lot of dynamic elements that will work with your blog posts immediately. For example, the entire post header comprises dynamic elements including a featured image as the background, the post title, and the post metadata (date, categories and author). This content won’t need updating, but you can tweak the design of each of those elements if needed.

    Other dynamic elements include the following:

    • Post Title: A Text Module is used to show the title of the blog post.
    • Post Excerpt: We use another Text Module is show the first few sentences of the post.
    • Post Author Name: Displays the name of the blog post author. We use a Blurb Module with an image for this.
    • Post Published Date: Displays the date the blog post was published.
    • Post Category: Displays the category or categories that the blog post lives within.
    • Post Content Module: Displays the post content added when editing the post on the backend of WordPress.
    • Post Navigation: Provides previous and next buttons to read other posts within the category of the post.
    • Comments Module: A functional comment area for the post.
    • Post Slider Module: Displays the most recent posts that share the same category in the Blog Slider Module.
    • Blog Post Module: Displays the most recent posts that share the same category using the Blog Module.

    Here is a quick illustration that identifies the elements of the Toy Store blog layout template.

    Toy Store Blog Post Layout Overview

    New Freebies Every Week!

    We hope you’ve enjoyed the Toy Store Layout Pack and the blog post template freebie that goes along with it. We look forward to hearing your opinions in the comment section below. Make sure you check back next week for more freebies!

    The post Download a FREE Blog Post Template for Divi’s Toy Store Layout Pack appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • How to Sell Products Online: A Beginners Guide for 2023

    The internet has revolutionized businesses, opening up endless opportunities for entrepreneurs to sell their products online. Whether you have physical goods, digital downloads, or productized services to offer, the online marketplace provides a vast customer base and the potential for significant revenue. This comprehensive guide is here to help you understand how to sell products online—even as a total beginner.

    Before we go into all of that, let’s cover the benefits of selling online versus in physical places.

    The Benefits of Selling Online

    Selling products and services online offers entrepreneurs and small businesses immense growth opportunities.

    Sunglass Shop Page - Divi Template Preview

    Example of an Online Store – Divi Layout Pack – Sunglass Shop

    Moreover, here are the key advantages of the eCommerce route compared to traditional brick-and-mortar retail:

    • Reach People Beyond Your Location: Break free from geographical limitations and tap into a global consumer base. Expand your market and cater to diverse audiences, increasing your potential customer base.
    • Lower Your Overhead and Costs: Reduce overhead costs compared to physical stores. Save on rent, utilities, inventory storage, and staffing expenses. Operate with a small team or as a sole proprietor to further cut costs.
    • Keep Your Store Open While You Sleep: Your eCommerce store operates 24/7, allowing customers to browse and purchase at their convenience. Automated systems ensure efficiency and seamless transactions.
    • Enjoy Unparalleled Lifestyle Flexibility: Work and manage your business from anywhere with an internet connection. Fulfillment centers handle inventory storage and shipping, enabling a location-independent lifestyle.
    Illustration of Selling Products Online - Payment

    Image by Julia Tim / shutterstock.com

    How to Sell Products Online: 6 Key Steps

    Next, let’s explore the critical steps in launching your eCommerce business to ensure a successful online store:

    Follow this strategic process to set up an effective and profitable online store:

    Step 1: Find the Right Product to Sell

    Choosing a solid product is critical right out of the gate because you need something with healthy demand and potential for profit. Conduct thorough market research to identify gaps, opportunities, and target markets. Consider the market size, growth forecasts, consumer demographics, trends, and competition levels. Evaluate product ideas based on production costs, pricing potential, uniqueness, shelf life, shipping considerations, and required upfront investment. Aim to select a product that has existing demand, allows you to differentiate yourself, and offers decent profit margins.

    Online Product Research Illustration

    Image by eamesBot / shutterstock.com

    You can leverage several free tools when conducting product research and evaluating customer demand. Here are some popular options:

    1. Google Trends: Explore search trends and compare keyword popularity over time to gauge growing customer interest
    2. Google Keyword Planner: Gather data on KW search volumes, competition, and related keywords to identify potential opportunities
    3. Amazon Best Sellers: Discover top-selling products in various categories to understand market demand on one of the biggest marketplaces in the world
    4. eBay Trending Items: Identify trending products and categories based on recent buyer activity from an online retail giant
    5. Online Forums and Communities: Engage with relevant forums, Reddit, Quora, and specialized communities to interact with potential customers and understand their needs

    Rather than just chasing general demand, focus on products that solve a specific customer problem or need. Fulfilling an unmet need better than competitors gives your business a meaningful edge.

    If creating a physical product seems initially complex, you can explore alternatives like dropshipping, print-on-demand, digital products, or affiliate marketing. These options have lower barriers to entry and can be ideal for beginners.

    Step 2: Choose the Right Online Sales Channel

    Once you have a product, selecting the right online sales channel is crucial to reach your target audience effectively. Here are three main avenues to consider:

    1. Build Your Own Online eCommerce Store

    Firstly, creating your custom website for an eCommerce online store gives you the most control and flexibility over the shopping experience. WordPress or website-building platforms like Wix or Shopify offer easy do-it-yourself options.

    Owned eCommerce Store Illustration

    Image by Graphic farm / shutterstock.com

    Pros of Building Your Own Online Store:

    • Build your brand: With your own online store, you have the freedom to create a unique brand identity, customize the user experience, and tailor every aspect of your store to match your vision.
    • Customize experiences: You can optimize your website for maximum conversions by implementing specific design elements, personalized product recommendations, and seamless checkout processes.
    • Own customer data: Having your online store allows you to gather valuable customer data, such as purchase history, preferences, and contact information, which can be used to build long-term relationships and personalize marketing efforts.

    Cons of Building Your Own Online Store:

    • Higher upfront effort: Setting up and managing your online store requires more initial effort, including website design, technical setup, and ongoing maintenance.
    • All tech/marketing tasks fall on you: As the owner of your online store, you’ll be responsible for managing technical aspects like hosting, security, and updates. Additionally, your responsibility is to drive traffic, implement SEO strategies, and run promotions.

    2. Use Established eCommerce Marketplaces

    Secondly, utilizing established eCommerce marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, or Etsy provides instant access to a large consumer base and pre-existing technology to do it.

    Pros of Using eCommerce Marketplaces:

    • Instant access to millions of buyers: You tap into their massive user bases by selling on established marketplaces, increasing your product’s visibility and potential customer reach.
    • Built-in tools and infrastructure: Marketplaces often offer robust tools for managing inventory, handling payments, and streamlining shipping processes, saving time and effort.

    Cons of Using eCommerce Marketplaces:

    • Limited brand control: While marketplaces provide exposure, you have limited branding and customer experience control. Your store’s appearance and messaging will conform to the marketplace’s guidelines and layout.
    • Marketplace fees per sale: When selling on established platforms, you’ll typically incur fees per sale or a percentage of each transaction, impacting your profitability.

    3. Use Social Commerce Platforms

    Lastly, social commerce allows you to sell directly on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram Shops.

    Pros of using social commerce:

    • Tap into captive, loyal audiences: Social media platforms have millions of active users, presenting an opportunity to reach and engage with a large and captive audience.
    • Native mobile experiences: Social commerce provides a seamless shopping experience for users on their preferred devices since social media platforms are primarily accessed through mobile devices.
    • Built-in advertising tools: Social commerce lets you tap into channel-based advertising optimized for the platform’s users. Advertising doesn’t get simpler.

    Cons of using social commerce:

    • Limited product showcasing and branding capability: Selling through social commerce limits your ability to showcase an extensive product catalog or customize the shopping experience to the same extent as with your online store.
    • Limited data collection: The social media giant owns everything, meaning all the convenience is non-tangible if you decide to leave it.

    Consider a Hybrid Model

    A hybrid model that combines elements of an owned online store, marketplace presence, and social commerce can maximize your reach and sales potential.

    You can leverage the advantages of each approach while hedging against each of their respective limitations. Many brands have their own eCommerce stores where they sell products online, tap into social commerce experiences, and sell their wares on known marketplaces.

    We’d recommend that you choose one and master it. The advantage of creating your own eCommerce store is that integrations abound that can connect your store with both social platforms and 3rd party marketplaces. These integrations easily push your products and store data to these other channels—cutting down on individual platform management.

    This lets your eCommerce store be the central hub through which you run your entire business.

    Step 3: Set Up an Online Store

    There have never been so many options to start selling products online. We’ll give you the general steps to take for building a store with WooCommerce or Shopify and becoming a seller on Amazon.

    Sell Products with WooCommerce + WordPress

    WooCommerce is an infinitely extendable platform that allows you to build a customized online store.

    WooCommerce Logo Mark

    Here’s a high-level overview of the steps involved:

    1. Get a Domain: Choose a domain name that reflects your brand and is easy for customers to remember. Here’s how to purchase a domain.
    2. Get Hosting: Select a reliable web hosting provider to support your online store’s needs. We recommend that beginners use Siteground to make domains and hosting easy. (See our Siteground review)
    3. Build the Website: Utilize WordPress’s eCommerce plugins like WooCommerce to add product listings, set up secure payment gateways, and configure shipping options.
    4. Design Freely with Divi: Customize the design and layout of your whole site to match your vision—even on cart, product, and other theme-designed pages.
    5. Extend with Plugins: Extend the functionality of WordPress and WooCommerce with the best plugins for WordPress.

    For more detailed help, visit our guide on building an online store with WordPress.

    Sell Products with Shopify

    Shopify is an all-in-one platform designed explicitly for eCommerce. Although we prefer WooCommerce, Shopify is a reliable platform for online store owners.

    Shopify Logomark

    Here’s a high-level overview of the steps involved:

    1. Create an Account: Sign up for a Shopify account and choose a plan that suits your business needs.
    2. Get a Domain: Register a domain name for your online store or connect an existing domain. We recommend Namecheap for domains that won’t be used with WordPress.
    3. Configure Store Settings: Set up your store preferences, including currency, shipping options, taxes, and payment gateways.
    4. Add Products: Upload product images, write compelling descriptions, and set prices for your products.
    5. Design the Store: Customize the appearance of your online store using Shopify’s themes and templates. Ensure a visually appealing and user-friendly layout.
    6. Extend with Apps: Extend the functionality of base-Shopify with apps from the official marketplace.

    Using an eCommerce Marketplace (like Amazon)

    Another option is to leverage existing eCommerce marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Poshmark.

    Here’s a high-level overview of the steps to take for selling on Amazon:

    1. Create an Account: Sign up for a seller account on the marketplace of your choice, such as Amazon.
    2. Add Products: Provide detailed information about your products, including titles, descriptions, images, and prices.
    3. Ship via FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon): Consider utilizing Amazon’s FBA service, where Amazon stores, packs, and ships your products to customers. This can simplify the fulfillment process.
    4. Monitor Pricing: Regularly review and adjust your product prices to remain competitive within the marketplace.

    Using an eCommerce marketplace allows you to tap into an existing customer base and benefit from built-in infrastructure. However, remember that you’ll have less control over the branding and customer experience compared to having your own online store.

    Step 4: Market Your Online Store

    Once your online store is set up, you need to market it to attract customers. Once your store is built, your day-to-day shifts to marketing tasks.

    Key strategies to employ:

    • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Optimize your website’s content and structure to improve its visibility in search engine results. Target relevant keywords and create informative, keyword-rich product descriptions and blog posts to attract organic traffic.
    • Social Media Marketing: Leverage social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to promote your products and engage with your target audience. Create compelling posts, share visually appealing images, and utilize social media advertising to expand your reach.
    • Email Marketing: Build an email subscriber list by offering incentives like discounts or exclusive content. Regularly send newsletters, promotions, and personalized recommendations to nurture customer relationships and drive repeat purchases.
    • Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with relevant bloggers, YouTubers, or social media influencers in your niche to reach their followers and leverage their influence. Influencer endorsements and product reviews can significantly boost your brand’s visibility and credibility.
    • Paid Advertising: Utilize platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads to run targeted ad campaigns. These platforms allow you to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, ensuring your products are shown to potential buyers.
    Online Product Marketing Illustration

    Image by Lauritta / shutterstock.com

    As best as you can, implement a combination of these marketing strategies, focusing on the ones that align best with your target audience and resources.

    Regularly monitor and analyze the performance of your marketing efforts, making adjustments based on the data and feedback you receive. An iterative approach will help refine strategies and maximize the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.

    For WordPress users, check out these best Marketing plugins to help boost your online store.

    Step 5: Offer Outstanding Customer Service

    Provide your customers with 5-star experiences through every touchpoint. Exceptional customer service keeps buyers happy and encourages repeat business and referrals.

    Customer Support Illustration

    Image by Irina Strelnikova / shutterstock.com

    Critical elements for customer service:

    • Respond quickly to customer questions and concerns through chat, email, or social media. Address pre-sales questions to help potential customers make informed decisions and provide post-purchase support to ensure a smooth experience.
    • If customers encounter any purchase issues, simplify the return and refund process. Clear return policies and hassle-free procedures will instill confidence and encourage repeat business.
    • Provide regular order status updates and shipping notifications through email and readily available on your website.
    • Automated assistance via live chat services or chat plugins is one of the best ways to use AI for 24/7 self-service.
    • Encourage customers to leave ratings, reviews, and testimonials about their experience with your products and services. Display these social proof elements on your website to build trust and confidence among potential buyers.
    • Delightful surprises like handwritten notes create a personal touch.

    The extra effort pays dividends in lasting loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing. Top-tier customer service can differentiate you from competitors and create a loyal customer base that supports your business in the long run.

    Step 6: Continuously Optimize Your Approach

    Selling online requires an agile, iterative mindset. Continuously test and refine your strategies based on data insights and customer feedback.

    • Review analytics regularly and double down on what works.
    • Adapt quickly to shifts in market demand or industry trends.
    • Seek customer input to guide improvements via surveys and regular customer interaction.
    • A/B test promotions, design, and copywriting to get the most potent mix possible.
    • Automating order fulfillment, inventory management, and customer support can save time and increase efficiency.
    • Explore emerging technologies to enhance experiences.

    More Tips to Boost Online Sales

    Now, implementing some of these tips can help drive higher conversion rates and sales growth for your online products. Give them a try and see what works for you.

    Optimize for Mobile Browsing Experiences

    To begin with, build your online store with a mobile-first mindset. By optimizing layouts and experiences for smartphones, you can cater to the over 50% of eCommerce traffic that comes from mobile users.

    An example of a mobile app.

    Image by monkographic / shutterstock.com

    Designing for a desktop view is perfectly fine, but do not neglect your mobile experience. Google and your customers will likely opt for other brands that do.

    Use High-Quality Images

    Next, showcase products through visually appealing and zoomable images shot from multiple angles.

    Multiple Product Images with Click to Zoom

    Crisp, detailed photos establish trust and help customers make informed purchase decisions.

    Images can dramatically slow down the loading speed of your website, so you need to compress images without compromising quality. This will enhance user experience and conversions.

    Use AI image enhancers for your product images—even if you aren’t a graphic designer or photographer.

    VanceAI Photo Enhancer Example Result

    Photo Credit: “Cars in Cuba, Cuba” by Nouhailler and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

    AI can improve lighting, remove busy backgrounds, adjust colors, and make small, fuzzy images large and clear.

    Write Strong Product Descriptions and Landing Pages

    Moreover, compelling descriptions highlight your products’ features, benefits, and value propositions. Use persuasive language and capture customers’ attention.

    Writesonic AI Writer Template Library

    AI writers can assist with generating compelling descriptions with just a little direction. Popular options include Jasper and Writesonic. These are especially helpful for high-volume stores that are seeing new products come in and need a good way to help manage writing product descriptions for everything that comes in.

    Highlight Trust and Social Proof

    Collect and prominently display customer reviews, testimonials, star ratings, and awards to establish credibility. The more obvious that real, live humans left reviews, the more trust potential customers will place in your store.

    Store Reviews

    Site Reviews Plugin By Paul Ryley (see review plugins)

    User-generated content builds trust because viewers know that these are the opinions of 3rd party consumers who trusted you and were delighted by your product.

    Make Checkout Frictionless

    Remove unnecessary steps from the checkout process to reduce abandoned carts. This can be done by allowing guest checkouts. Or you can keep payment forms simple by using something like Barn2’s Fast Cart to make checkout painless.

    This help because any friction added to the checkout process will show up in your conversion rates—customers have more time to think and to change their mind.

    Offer Referral Programs

    Next, you can encourage existing customers to refer friends to earn rewards and discounts on your store.

    NordVPN Refer a Friend Example

    Offer discounts or account credits for successful referrals. This will get people in the sharing mood with your product as the center of attention. You can use an affiliate plugin on your site to make this process easier.

    Run Retargeting Ads

    Retargeting previous visitors with remarketing efforts (with Google Ads, Facebook, and Instagram ads) is an excellent way to recoup previously interested visitors.

    SweetCode Remarketing for WooCommerce

    Remarketing for WooCommerce by SweetCode

    Using a remarketing plugin that directly connects your WooCommerce store with ad platforms will help you easily create dynamic retargeting ads that match the products that visitors previously looked at.

    Send Cart Abandonment Emails

    Finally, recover lost sales by sending personalized emails reminding customers about items they added to carts but didn’t purchase.

    Abandoned Cart Email Example

    Most of the best email marketing services will offer an eCommerce integration that can help you achieve this.

    Conclusion

    Selling products online opens up incredible opportunities for entrepreneurs.

    You can build a successful online business from scratch by following the steps outlined in this guide. Conduct thorough research, choose the proper sales channels, create a user-friendly store, implement effective marketing, provide excellent customer service, and constantly adapt based on feedback. With some grit and a customer-focused approach, you can thrive in the digital marketplace and achieve your selling goals.

    We’re here to support you as you build an online business. We’ve created the best guides for building with WordPress, including:

    Let us know your progress as you sell products online and any questions you have about the process.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Before we wrap up, let’s answer some of your most common questions regarding how to sell products online. Did we miss one? Leave a question below, and we will respond!

    How do I sell my own items online?

    To sell your items online, you can create an account on popular e-commerce websites like eBay, Amazon, or Etsy or set up your online store using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. Take clear photos of your items, write detailed descriptions, and set a competitive price. Promote your products through social media and other digital marketing channels to reach a wider audience.

    What are the best products to sell online?

    The best products to sell online have high demand, low competition, and a good profit margin. Popular products include electronics, beauty and personal care items, clothing and accessories, and home goods. Niche products, such as eco-friendly and handmade items, can also be successful. Ultimately, the success of a product depends on market research and identifying the needs and wants of your target audience

    Why should I use WordPress to sell online?

    WordPress is a popular platform that can help you create an online store quickly and easily. With its user-friendly interface, customizable designs, and robust e-commerce plugins like WooCommerce, you can set up a secure and efficient online shop with product listings, checkout pages, and more features. Plus, WordPress is widely supported, offering a large community of users and developers who can provide support and guidance as needed.

    Can I start selling online for free?

    Yes, several platforms allow you to start selling online for free, such as Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay. You can also create your website using free e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce or Shopify Lite. However, remember that some platforms may charge transaction or listing fees, or you may need to pay for things like domain and hosting, and you may need to invest in marketing and advertising to reach your target audience.

    Should I sell products on my own website or a third-party website?

    Selling on your website gives you more control, makes you look professional, and offers branding opportunities but requires more time and money to set up and maintain. Selling on a third-party website like Amazon or Etsy can provide more exposure and convenience but may come with fees and less control over the customer experience. Consider your priorities and weigh the pros and cons before deciding.

    How can I make my online shop successful?

    To make your online shop successful, focus on providing high-quality products, excellent customer service, easy navigation, and secure payment options. Utilize social media and digital marketing strategies to drive traffic to your site and engage with potential customers. Continuously gather feedback and data to improve your offerings and stay competitive in the market.

    Is selling online profitable?

    Yes, selling online can be profitable. E-commerce sales have been steadily increasing over the years, and with the COVID-19 pandemic encouraging more consumers to shop online, the potential for profitability has only grown. However, success in online sales requires careful planning, marketing, and management to effectively reach and engage customers and stand out in a competitive marketplace.

    Do I need to manufacture things I want to sell online?

    No, you do not need to manufacture things you want to sell online. You can source products from wholesalers, drop shippers, or other suppliers and sell them through various online marketplaces or your own e-commerce website. You can also offer digital products or services that do not require physical manufacturing.

    Where can I source products for my online store?

    You can source products for your online store from various sources, such as wholesalers, manufacturers, drop shippers, and distributors. You can also consider sourcing products from online marketplaces like Alibaba, Amazon, and eBay or using print-on-demand services for customized products. Additionally, attending trade shows and networking with other businesses can help you find potential suppliers.

    Where should I host my online shop?

    You should host your online shop on a reliable e-commerce platform that suits your business needs and budget, apart from reliable performance, secure transactions, and scalable resources to accommodate growth. Popular options SiteGround, Hostinger, Cloudways, and Pressable. You can read our detailed comparison of various hosts here.

    What’s the best way to sell digital products?

    The best way to sell digital products is to create a user-friendly website using a tool like WordPress + Divi, offer various payment options, provide detailed product information, and use marketing techniques such as social media and email campaigns to reach a broad audience. Providing excellent customer support and discounts or promotions can also help boost sales.

    The post How to Sell Products Online: A Beginners Guide for 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • Get a FREE Horse Riding Layout Pack for Divi

    Hey Divi Nation! Thanks for joining us for the next installment of our weekly Divi Design Initiative; where each week, we give away a brand new Layout Pack for Divi.

    This time around, the design team has created a beautiful Horse Riding Layout Pack that’ll help you get your next horse riding business website up and running in no time!

    This layout pack includes:

    – 7 Premade page layouts strategically designed for any horse riding business website (including a footer design)
    – Original, royalty-free photos and graphics + customizable source file (see below)
    – Plus, a large collection of pre-designed website elements that are customizable and reusable anywhere.

    This layout pack is available right inside Divi for all Divi customers for FREE as the latest addition to our growing Divi library of hundreds of premade layout packs, thousands of page designs, and countless web design elements and resources.

    divi layout

    Check Out The Divi Horse Riding
    Layout Pack Below

    Get it for free today!

    horse riding layout

    Landing Page Design

    horse riding layout

    View The Live Layout Demo

    Home Page Design

    horse riding layout

    View The Live Layout Demo

    Classes Page Design

    horse riding layout

    View The Live Layout Demo

    Class Page Design

    horse riding layout

    View The Live Layout Demo

    Services Page Design

    horse riding layout

    View The Live Layout Demo

    About Page Design

    horse riding layout

    View The Live Layout Demo

    Contact Page Design

    horse riding layout

    View The Live Layout Demo

    Blog Page Design

    horse riding layout

    View The Live Layout Demo

    Key Features

    Are you looking to set up a website for your horse riding business? Make sure to check out the Horse Riding Layout Pack for Divi! This layout pack features beautiful (royalty-free) images, an elegant design style, and a brown color palette that matches the business type effortlessly!

    Live Demos

    Click the links below to see a live demo for each of the layouts included in the pack.

    1. Horse Riding Landing Page (live demo)
    2. Horse Riding Home Page (live demo)
    3. Horse Riding Classes Page (live demo)
    4. Horse Riding Class Page (live demo)
    5. Horse Riding Services Page (live demo)
    6. Horse Riding About Page (live demo)
    7. Horse Riding Contact Page (live demo)
    8. Horse Riding Blog Page (live demo)

    Access This Layout Right Now

    Directly from Your Divi Builder

    Since Version 3.0.99 of Divi, you can find and import any of the layouts included in this pack (along with ALL of Divi’s Premade Layout packs) directly from the Divi Builder. They are already waiting for you.

    To access your new layout, simply activate the Visual Builder when editing a page and look for the “Load From Library” icon in the page settings bar (it looks like a plus symbol). Click this icon to launch the Load From Library popup. Under the Premade Layouts tab, you can easily find the new layout by scrolling through the list of layout packs. Once you find the Horse Riding Layout Pack, click on it. You will see all the individual layouts included in the pack. Select the layout you want to use and then click the “Use This Layout” button.

    horse riding layout

    For more, check out this video to learn how you can get this layout pack up and running today.

    Subscribe To Our Youtube Channel

    Authentication Required

    Before you can download Premade Layouts from the Divi Library you must authenticate your Elegant Themes Subscription. You can do this by navigating to Divi > Theme Options > Updates. There you can enter your username and API key and save changes.

    Home Decor Layout Pack for Divi

    You can find your API Key under your members area on the Elegant Themes site. After you enter the Username and API Key, you will gain immediate access to our library of hundreds of free layouts (including this one). If you haven’t done this, when you click to import a layout to your page, you will be prompted to enter your Elegant Themes Membership Username and API Key.

    Use Layout Images for FREE with No Licensing Restrictions

    horse riding layout

    The image assets included with these layouts (icons, illustrations, photos, etc.) have no licensing restrictions. This means you can use them in all of your commercial projects without having to worry about paying licensing fees or attributing the photographer. Use them in your commercial websites, sell them within your Divi child themes, include them in your own Divi layout packs or just use them on your blog. We know how challenging it can be to find good photos and how confusing and scary the licensing that governs those photos can be. We want to fix that problem for our users.

    Download the Full Res Image Assets

    New Layout Pack Every Week!

    We hope you enjoy this layout pack. We look forward to hearing your opinions in the comment section below. Make sure you check out next week’s layout pack as well!

    The post Get a FREE Horse Riding Layout Pack for Divi appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • Divi Product Highlight: Divi Masonry Gallery

    Divi Masonry Gallery adds a new gallery module to the Divi Builder. With this plugin, you can build and customize masonry gallery layouts to display images on your website. You can filter images by categories, enable pagination, open images in lightbox displays, and more. The plugin also comes with design options allowing you to fully customize the design of the masonry gallery module. In this product highlight, we’ll take a look at Divi Masonry Gallery to help you decide if it’s the right product for you.

    Let’s get started!

    Installing Divi Masonry Gallery

    To install Divi Masonry Gallery, navigate to the Plugin page in the WordPress dashboard and Click Add New. Click Choose File, select the .ZIP plugin file from your computer, then click Install Now.

    Once the plugin is installed, click activate.

    Divi Masonry Gallery

    Once the plugin is activated, you will see the Divi Masonry Gallery module appear in the Divi Builder. Let’s take a look at the module settings.

    Content Settings

    Most of the key options are under the Gallery Settings section of the content tab. Here you can add your images and choose how they are displayed in the masonry gallery.

    Gallery Settings

    This is the masonry gallery in the normal gallery mode.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Normal Gallery

    You can also select minimized gallery mode, where you can set a limit to how many images are displayed. The text shown on the last image can be customized, and you can choose whether the last image opens a lightbox or opens a link.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Minimized Gallery

    The number of columns and the spacing between images can be adjusted. In the example pictured here, I set the gallery to 4 columns and increased the spacing.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Columns Spacing

    Here you can also choose to have images zoom in on hover, load in random order each time, and adjust the image size.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Image Zoom Random Order

    Image Onclick Actions

    You can set images to open in a lightbox, open a specified URL, or do nothing on click. If the lightbox option is selected, you can set the background color and choose how the title is displayed.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Lightbox Gallery

    Here is the lightbox on the front end.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Lightbox

    Links must be added in order of the images and separated by {{link}}. You can also set the link target.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Image Links

    Categories

    Divi Masonry Gallery adds a category field to each image in the media library. You can enable these categories to filter the gallery images.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Media Categories

    With the categories filter enabled, you can choose the included categories, show or hide the all categories button, and change the all categories button text.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Show Categories

    Pagination

    There are several types of pagination to choose from. Here is the numbers and next/prev pagination option. You can also select a load more option, or disable pagination altogether.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Pagination

    You can also specify the number of images displayed on each page, modify the button text, scroll to the top after pagination, and set a scroll to top offset.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Pagination

    Background

    Here you can set the background color for the masonry gallery module.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Background

    Design Settings

    In the design tab, you can further customize the look of the masonry gallery module.

    Overlay

    Here you can set an icon or the image title/caption to appear over the image on hover and set the overlay background color. With the overlay icon option selected, you can choose the icon and icon color.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Overlay Icon

    You can customize the font and colors if the overlay title/caption is selected. Additionally, you can select the overlay content animation, set the text alignment, letter spacing, and text shadow.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Overlay Content

    Image

    In the image settings, you can add a rounded corner and border to your gallery images.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Image

    Gallery Filter

    Here you can customize the design of the gallery filter. You can change the alignment, background, margin and padding, font, spacing, rounded corners, borders, and box shadows. You can also change each of these settings for the active filter button.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Gallery Filter

    Gallery Pagination

    The gallery pagination design options allow you to fully customize the look of the pagination. Much like the gallery filter settings, you can customize the alignment, background, margin and padding, font, spacing, border, and shadow styles for the active and regular pagination buttons.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Gallery Pagination

    Minimized Gallery Options

    The minimized gallery type displays an overlay over the last image. Here, you can customize the styling of the overlay. You can change the background color, font, alignment, text size, and text shadow.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Minimized Gallery Options

    Other Design Settings

    In addition to these module-specific design options, you can also customize all of the sizing, spacing, border, box shadow, filters, transform, and animation options.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Design Settings

    Divi Masonry Gallery Examples

    Example 1

    The first example gallery layout features four columns of images. The filters at the top can be used to sort images by category, and the pagination buttons can be used to view the next page of images.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Example 1

    Example 2

    This layout uses the minimized gallery layout. The last image can be set to open a lightbox or a new page where the rest of the gallery images are shown.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Example 2

    Example 3

    Finally, the third example features a normal gallery layout with 3 columns. On hover, an overlay appears, displaying the image title.

    Divi Masonry Gallery Example 3

    Purchase Divi Masonry Gallery

    Divi Masonry Gallery is available in the Divi Marketplace. It costs $25 for unlimited website usage and 1 year of support and updates. The price also includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

    Purchase Divi Masonry Gallery

    Final Thoughts

    With the Divi Masonry Gallery plugin, you can easily create galleries to display images of all sizes in a beautiful, interactive, and fully-customizable masonry layout. The plugin is feature-rich. You can enable category filters, pagination, minimized galleries, image links, and lightbox popups. With extensive design options, you can customize each part of the masonry gallery module to your liking. If you are looking for a creative way to display images on your site with design options you can customize with Divi, Divi Masonry Gallery is a great option.

    We would love to hear from you! Have you tried Divi Masonry Gallery? Let us know what you think about it in the comments!

    The post Divi Product Highlight: Divi Masonry Gallery appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • How to Start an Online Store for Your Business (2023 Guide)

    Starting an online store is a great way to reach a wider audience and sell your products or services to people worldwide. WordPress and WooCommerce are the most popular platforms for creating and managing online stores.

    This article will walk you through the steps of starting an online store with WordPress and WooCommerce.

    We will cover everything from choosing a niche and target audience to setting up and marketing your store.

    1. Have a Comprehensive Plan for Your Online Business

    Before you delve into the technicalities of building your site, starting with a solid business plan is crucial. This roadmap will guide your decisions as you establish your online store.

    Let’s break down the critical components of your plan:

    Identify your Niche

    If you’re considering how to start an online store, you likely have a product in mind. If not, it’s time to figure that out before you proceed.

    Ask yourself: What will you sell, and to whom will you sell it?

    Choosing a niche that aligns with your passions can make your journey more enjoyable and sustainable. Your enthusiasm for your products will resonate with your customers, creating a unique and engaging shopping experience.

    Niche Down Your Online Store

    Image by Dragon Claws / shutterstock.com

    Next, understand your target audience and their personas. Identify their needs, preferences, and buying habits. The more you know about your audience, the better you can tailor your products and marketing strategies to them.

    Remember, choosing a profitable, searchable niche that aligns with your passion is imperative for success. This ensures a return on your investment and that there’s an active audience looking for your products or services.

    Select Your Products

    Once you’ve identified your niche, it’s time to decide on the specific product(s) you’ll sell. Clarity about your offerings, whether physical goods, digital products, or services, is key.

    Start with a limited catalog to test demand. You can always expand your product range later.

    Consider factors like demand, competition, and profitability when selecting your products. If you’re entering a popular market, consider how to differentiate your offerings.

    If you’re selling physical products, plan your inventory management strategy. Will you need custom manufacturing, drop shipping, or wholesale purchasing?

    Keyword Research

    Keyword research helps you understand what potential customers are searching for online, guiding your content creation and SEO strategy. SEO Tools like Google’s Keyword Planner and SEMrush can assist with this research.

    Semrush Keyword Magic Tool

    By conducting keyword research, you’ll uncover high-traffic search terms consumers use to find products like yours. Use these insights to optimize your site with SEO content based on the keywords your audience is searching for. You can even use AI SEO tools like Surfer SEO or Jasper to generate and optimize your content for keywords.

    Doing so will help your online store rank higher in search engine results, attracting more visitors.

    2. Register Your Domain

    Before you can create a website, you need to buy a domain. Your domain name is your online store’s address on the web. It should be easy to remember and reflect your brand.

    Purchase a Domain Name Illustration

    Image by Eny Setiyowati / shutterstock.com

    You’ll need to buy your domain from a reputable domain registrar. You want reasonable prices and easy-to-manage domain options. You can’t go wrong with Namecheap or Godaddy. Some hosting providers, like Siteground, will also allow you to pick a domain directly from their platform.

    Follow along in our dedicated, step-by-step guide for registering a new domain for a website.

    3. Choose an eCommerce Platform

    When it comes to eCommerce platforms, two options often dominate the conversation: WordPress with WooCommerce and Shopify. Website builder platforms like Shopify offer an all-in-one solution that can be a great option for many online stores. However, with WordPress powering over 40% of all online stores, it’s worth exploring why this platform, combined with WooCommerce, is a top choice for many.

    WordPress + WooCommerce: A Winning Combination

    WordPress, the best content management system (CMS) for building websites, offers one of the most flexible options for building an online store. While the platform is free, associated costs include hosting, domain registration, plugins, and themes. However, these costs are often considered a worthy investment, given WordPress’s freedom and ease of use.

    WooCommerce Logo Mark

    Even for beginners, WordPress is a straightforward platform to learn. It’s intuitive, and a wealth of tutorials and documentation are available from various sources to help you navigate any learning curve. Plus, with its comprehensive dashboards and a handy mobile app, you can stay informed about your store’s performance anytime, anywhere.

    Customizability with WooCommerce

    WooCommerce is the go-to eCommerce solution for WordPress, and it is one of many great eCommerce plugins you can use to enhance your online store. One of the standout features of WooCommerce is its customizability. Whether you’re setting up a small boutique store or a sprawling online marketplace, there are plenty of WooCommerce themes designed to help you create a unique and engaging shopping experience for your customers. You can easily tweak the layout, colors, fonts, and other design elements to match your brand’s aesthetic. There are also some great WooCommerce plugins and add-ons to add more features and functionality to your online store. For those with more technical expertise, WordPress also allows custom code snippets and webhooks for further customization.

    Scalability for Growth

    As your online store grows, the WordPress and WooCommerce combination can handle increased traffic and content. It’s a scalable solution that grows with your business, ensuring your website can handle the demands of a growing customer base.

    With WordPress and WooCommerce, you’re not just building an online store but a platform designed for growth and success.

    Comparing eCommerce Platforms

    Choosing the right eCommerce platform for your needs is crucial. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compared WooCommerce with other top website builders and CMS solutions for eCommerce:

    4. Choose the Right Hosting Provider

    Choosing a reliable hosting provider is crucial for your online store’s performance and security. SiteGround is one of the most recommended options with optimized WordPress infrastructure.

    We’ll reference SiteGround in many of the steps below, as it is one of the most trusted providers out there for WordPress. It includes free CDN, free SSL, and email account management.

    Siteground Logo Mark - White on Dark BG

    If you want to research more, you can review the fastest WordPress hosting companies or read our take on the best hosting companies.

    5. Create Your Website

    Once you’ve chosen your platform and hosting provider, it’s time to create your website, which will be the start of your online store. This involves:

    • Installing and setting up WordPress + WooCommerce
    • Configuring your general settings
    • Choosing and setting up a theme

    Install WordPress

    Here, we’ll show you how to install WordPress using SiteGround’s Site Tools dashboard. If you’d like to learn other ways to install WordPress, read our definitive guide on installing WordPress.

    After signing up for a SiteGround account, you can easily install WordPress in just a few clicks. Start by clicking the “Set Up Site” button at your screen’s top center.

    install WordPress

    Next, choose whether to set up your site on a new, existing, or temporary domain. Select “Temporary Domain,” then click “Continue.” This will let you create a site before you purchase your domain.

    choose temporary domain

    SiteGround will assign a temporary domain to your WordPress installation. To proceed, click “Continue“.

    temporary domain

    Next, click “Start New Website.”

    start new website

    Choose “WooCommerce” to have WordPress automatically installed with all the eCommerce hardware.

    Choose-WooCommerce

    The next step allows you to create your admin login credentials. This is how you’ll log in to your WordPress dashboard when working on your site. Be sure to save your login information for reference. Click “Continue” to proceed.

    WordPress for beginners

    Finally, click the “Finish” button to install WordPress + WooCommerce.

    finish setup

    You have two choices in accessing the WordPress dashboard. Through SiteGround, you can click “Log in Admin.”

    Another way to log in to WordPress is through the CMS by navigating to www.yoursite.com/wp-admin in your browser. Be sure to replace www.yoursite.com with your unique domain or the temporary domain that SiteGround provided you.

    Configure WordPress Settings

    The WordPress settings section allows you to configure the major settings controlling your WordPress installation. They are found by clicking “Settings” in the admin sidebar.

    WordPress settings

    These settings are too granular to cover in detail here, but if you have lingering questions, you can consult these helpful mini-guides for WordPress settings:

    Choose Your WordPress Theme

    Choosing the right theme for the start of your online store can significantly impact its appearance and functionality. Divi is particularly well-suited for eCommerce websites, thanks to its integration with WooCommerce. And it’s theme builder is the easiest way to edit high-impact pages such as product and checkout pages visually.

    Here’s why Divi is the perfect theme for any online store:

    Setting up Divi

    Installing Divi is a straightforward process. First, Divi needs to be downloaded from the Elegant Themes membership dashboard after purchasing a subscription. Log into your Elegant Themes account and navigate to the “Themes & Plugins“section to get the Divi theme file.

    How to Install Divi - Steps 1

    In the WordPress dashboard of your site, go to Appearance > Themes. Click on the “Upload Theme” button and select the Divi.zip file that was downloaded from your Elegant Themes Membership dashboard. Click “Install.”

    How to Install Divi - Steps 2-5

    After WordPress uploads the Divi theme, click “Activate” to use it on your website. This will replace your existing theme with Divi.

    How to Install Divi - Steps 6

    The final step is entering your Elegant Themes API Key. This allows your Divi theme to automatically update whenever Elegant Themes releases a new version, ensuring you always have the most up-to-date Divi theme. Go to your Elegant Themes Membership and the “Account” page. Click on “API Keys,” remember your “Username,” then scroll to the bottom of the page.

    How to Install Divi - Steps 7-10

    Generate a new “API Key,” give it a label/name, and click to copy the key code.

    How to Install Divi - Steps 11-13

    To add the API Key, go to Divi > Theme Options > Updates. Enter your Elegant Themes API Key and Username into the field and click “Save Changes.”

    How to Install Divi - Steps 14-18

    You can learn more about installing a WordPress theme if you choose a different theme to start your online store.

    6. Build Your Online Store

    With your website set up, it’s time to build your online store. This involves setting up WooCommerce, adding products, and setting up preferred payment gateways.

    You’re now into the exciting part of how to build your online store!

    Setup WooCommerce

    After configuring WordPress settings and choosing a theme, you can walk through the initial setup wizard to configure key settings for your store in WooCommerce. Remember that we had our host install WooCommerce alongside WordPress, so there is no need to install the WooCommerce plugin. If your host didn’t provide that courtesy, you can view our guide to installing + configuring WooCommerce.

    The setup wizard configures your store with basic configurations and additional WooCommerce-specific plugins based on your needs. To get started, under WooCommerce, click “Home.”

    Woo Onboarding Flow - Steps 1-2

    The WooCommerce Onboarding Wizard begins with basic store information (address and email address).

    Woo Onboarding Flow - Steps 3-4

    Then select the industries that your store best fits into.

    Woo Onboarding Flow - Steps 5-6

    Choose the functionality you want with your store regarding the type of products you wish to sell. Depending on your selection, additional WooCommerce plugins will be installed to give you the necessary functionality.

    Note that WooCommerce offers plugins that have a monthly fee associated with them. You can use these solutions if you want—they are reliable! But you also have more options if you do a bit more digging. We’ve gathered the best membership, bookings, and other free WooCommerce plugins you can use.

    Woo Onboarding Flow - Steps 7-9

    Then tell WooCommerce a bit more about yourself and your store.

    Woo Onboarding Flow - Steps 10-11

    The WooCommerce ecosystem has plenty of free plugins as well. The last step will be to select which WooCommerce plugins you want to be installed (each handles a specific and essential task). If you wonder if they are worth it, see our Jetpack and MailPoet reviews.

    Woo Onboarding Flow - Steps 12-13

    WooCommerce Settings

    The nitty gritty settings of any platform can be a lot of work when starting an online store. WooCommerce has settings pages to configure and customize your online store for every single detail:

    • General Settings control currency, product types, checkout, and catalog
    • Product Settings manage options like units, visibility, and inventory
    • Shipping Settings configure delivery methods, costs, and other preferences
    • Payment Settings set up payment gateways for customer checkout
    • Account Settings configure registration, privacy, and data
    • Email Settings customize transactional emails from your store
    • Advanced Settings fine-tune advanced functions like hooks

    These settings are discussed in detail with our guide on configuring WooCommerce settings.

    Add Products to Your Online Store

    Adding products to your WooCommerce store involves creating a new product in your WordPress dashboard and filling in the product details, including the title, description, price, and product image.

    Site owners can add products in bulk to WooCommerce via CSV if they have that information in a spreadsheet. Otherwise, products can be easily added through the dashboard.

    Go to WooCommerce > Products > “Add New” in your WordPress dashboard.
    Add Products - Steps 1

    Enter the product name for your product that will be displayed to shoppers.
    Add Products - Steps 2

    Add a product description and upload your product image.
    Add Products - Steps 3-4

    Now you can choose what product type, price, manage inventory, set shipping options, and more from the individual product page.
    Add Products - Steps 5-6

    You can publish the product draft once you are happy with your product. Add as many products as you have.

    Learn more about WooCommerce inventory management to handle product stock, and visit our guide on setting up shipping in WooCommerce.

    7. Design Your Online Store

    Designing and starting your eCommerce online store is a lot of work—but it’s work that makes all the difference. Most WordPress themes lock you into a set design, but we’ll show you how to build a web store using Divi that gives you complete design freedom.

    A page builder like Divi allows you to design your website visually without coding. It will enable you to customize every part of your store using a drag-and-drop interface and a variety of modules. This includes your product pages, cart, and checkout pages.

    You can learn all about Divi’s WooCommerce modules which are the building blocks of a successful store.

    Add Products to a Page with Divi

    Divi allows you to import pre-made layouts, saving you time designing your online store.

    Open up and edit your Home Page with Divi. Choose “Browse Layouts” to see what layouts are out there that can save you time that you like.

    Product to Page with Divi - Steps 1

    Search through the hundreds of layout packs with every Elegant Themes membership. For ease, look for layout packs with a “Shop Page.” Then, import the layout into the page by clicking “Use this Layout.”

    Product to Page with Divi - Steps 2-4

    The template’s Woo Products module imported and displayed our product information on the page. This module is editable, allowing you to change the number of products displayed, the number of columns, ordering, and what elements are displayed (in addition to the design settings).

    Product to Page with Divi - Steps 5

    If we wanted to add a single product to a page from scratch, we could add a new row and place it in the “Woo Products” module from the list of WooCommerce Modules.

    Product to Page with Divi - Steps 6-7

    Design Cart Pages

    Standard pages that your store uses are included with WooCommerce. They are:

    1. Shop page (like the blog page but for products)
    2. Cart page (which shows items that customers put into their shopping carts)
    3. Checkout page (which displays what customers see as they checkout)
    4. My Account page (which helps users manage their user accounts with your store)

    Woo Shop Pages in Theme Builder - Steps 1-2

    Divi lets you edit each of these pages through the Theme Builder.

    For more details on creating these pages, visit our cart page layout tutorial, checkout page layout tutorial, and building WooCommerce pages with Divi tutorial.

    8. Add Plugins for More Features

    One of the great things about using WordPress and WooCommerce is the ability to extend functionality with plugins. Thousands of free and premium plugins add helpful features to an online store. Here we point you in the direction of WooCommerce plugin categories that you should be aware of.

    SEO Plugins

    SEO is crucial for driving traffic to your online store. Plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math allow you to optimize pages and content for search engines. They add schema markup, XML sitemaps, and other SEO best practices.

    We have an entire guide on WooCommerce SEO that’ll require using one of the great WooCommerce SEO plugins. You can check out these AI-based SEO tools if you are adventurous and into Generative AI.

    Security Plugins

    Security is vital for any online business. Plugins like Wordfence Security, iThemes Security, and Sucuri add protection and threat monitoring layers. If you are collecting user data, receiving a lot of traffic, and authorizing plenty of transactions—security is paramount for your store to run effectively.

    wordfence vs sucuri

    Check out our recommendations on the best WordPress security plugins and why they are essential.

    Product Filtering and Search Plugins

    Plugins that enhance product filtering, search, and navigation result in better customer experiences.

    The top options are SearchWP and the others referenced on our list of best search plugins.

    SearchWP settings

    Barn2 and Yith make some of our favorite WooCommerce plugins. There are also dozens of solid WooCommerce options in the Divi Marketplace if you want a solution that is guaranteed to work with Divi.

    9. Launch Your New Online Store

    Once your online store is built, it’s time to get the word out and attract customers. Some key marketing channels to leverage include:

    Email Marketing: Email is one of the most effective ways to market to customers. Build your list by offering an incentive to subscribe. Send regular newsletter emails showcasing new products. Use email segmentation to target different groups. Choose one of the best email marketing services like Mailchimp or one of its alternatives.

    Store SEO: Search engine optimization helps customers find your products through search. Carry out on-page optimization across your site. Choose an SEO plugin like Yoast or RankMath to optimize your content. Use advanced SEO techniques to improve rankings.

    Social Media: Promote your store through social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Share products, run giveaways, and advertise through paid social campaigns. Many ways of doing social commerce can help increase exposure and sales.

    Affiliate Marketing: Open an affiliate program where other creators can reference, review, and promote your products. This is quickly done with affiliate management plugins. Also, you can consider becoming an Amazon affiliate if your online store is focused on selling others’ products with Amazon. This earns you commissions on resulting sales.

    PPC Ads: Paid search ads put your products in front of people as they search on Google and other search engines. Use AI tools to optimize your ads and copywriting to see even more outstanding results.

    Site Speed and Optimization: Fast site speed is vital for conversions. Use caching plugins and follow a Divi optimization guide to speed up your store.

    Be sure to track metrics with eCommerce analytics to optimize efforts and take an omnichannel approach.

    Conclusion

    Starting an online store is an ambitious goal that can be intimidating at first. But by following a step-by-step guide, anyone can create a thriving online store. All that’s left is driving traffic and running your business.

    Don’t let technology or self-doubt hold you back. You have what it takes to turn your retail goals into a thriving online store that realizes your entrepreneurial vision.

    If you need more help with, we create some of the best content about WordPress. You might even check out our favorite tools for productivity that may help you greatly. Let us know how your online store plans are shaping up!

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Before we wrap up, let’s answer some of your most common questions regarding how to create an online store. Did we miss one? Leave a question below, and we will respond!

    How do I make an online store?

    To make an online store, you must choose an e-commerce platform like WordPress/WooCommerce, create a domain name and website, design your storefront, add products, set up payment and shipping options, and launch your website. You can also market your store through social media and search engines to attract customers.

    Can I start an online store for free?

    Yes, while it is possible to start an online store for free using platforms like Shopify and, WooCommerce, remember that these platforms may have limitations on features and functionality, or you may still need to pay for services like hosting and domain.

    How much does it cost to start an online store?

    The cost to start an online store can vary depending on the platform used, website design, domain name, hosting, payment processing, and marketing. Some platforms, like  WooCommerce, are free but require hosting and additional expenses. A basic online store can cost around $500-$1,000 but can increase with additional features and customization.

    Why should I use WordPress to build my online store?

    Using WordPress to build your online store offers a range of benefits, including easy customization, a vast selection of plugins, and flexibility to scale as your business grows. With WordPress, you can completely control your store’s design and functionality and integrate with popular payment gateways and shipping options. Plus, its user-friendly interface makes managing your store a breeze.

    Which is better, Shopify or WordPress?

    WordPress offers greater flexibility and customization options than Shopify. With WordPress, users can access a wide range of plugins and themes, enabling them to customize their online store fully. Using WooCommerce with WordPress offers more affordable pricing plans, unlimited product listings, and no transaction fees. Additionally, WordPress is an established platform with a large community, providing a wealth of resources and support.

    Can I create an online store without physical products?

    Yes, it is possible to create an online store without physical products. This can be done by selling digital products such as software, ebooks, music, or courses. Alternatively, you can provide consulting, coaching, or freelancing services. Such online stores are known as digital or service-based stores.

    How do I start an online store without inventory?

    To start an online store without inventory, consider dropshipping or print-on-demand services. Drop shipping lets you partner with a supplier who ships products directly to your customers. With print-on-demand, you create designs printed on products only when ordered. Choose a platform like WooCommerce, set up your website, select products, and start marketing your store.

    What are the important pages that my online store should have?

    An online store should have essential pages such as a homepage, product pages, about us page, contact us page, FAQs page, shipping and returns policy page, and a blog page. These pages help provide an easy and engaging shopping experience for the customers and build trust and credibility for the brand.

    Where should I host my online store?

    When choosing a hosting provider for your online store, look for one that offers fast and reliable performance, secure transactions, and scalable resources to accommodate growth. Consider popular options such as SiteGround, Hostinger, Cloudways, and Pressable. You can read our detailed comparison of various hosts here.

    How do I create an online dropshipping business?

    To create an online dropshipping business, you must choose a niche, research and select products to sell, find and partner with a dropshipping supplier, develop an online store, and market your business through social media and other channels. You can use platforms like WooCommerce to set up your store and automate the ordering and shipping process.

    How do I sell digital products online?

    To sell digital products online, you need a platform to showcase your products, such as a website or e-commerce store, which you can easily make using tools such as WordPress, Divi, and WooCommerce tools. Ensure that your product is valuable and in demand. Use marketing strategies such as social media advertising, email marketing, and content marketing to attract potential customers. Set up a secure payment gateway and deliver the digital product to the customer upon successful purchase.

    Featured Image by TAW4 / shutterstock.com

    The post How to Start an Online Store for Your Business (2023 Guide) appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • How to Detect AI Writing in 2023

    Since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded. There are AI programs for creating art, voices, videos, writing, and much more. AI can be an excellent companion to boost productivity and spark creativity. However, as with any new tech, some people will take advantage of it in unethical ways. In this post, we’ll explore the world of AI and offer some tips on how to detect AI writing.

    Let’s get started.

    What is AI Writing?

    detect AI writing

    image created with Midjourney | Photoshop AI

    AI writing is the use of artificial intelligence to create original content through language models, such as ChatGPT. All you need to do is enter a text prompt describing the type of content you want, and AI will provide that content in seconds. While AI-assisted writing has been around for a few years, it has exploded over the last year. There are dozens of AI writing software programs available, each with its own niche. They can create blog outlines, eye-catching headlines, complete blog posts, and more. As the technology continues to evolve, being able to detect AI writing will become harder. However, in recent months, several AI content detectors have been released that can help spot artificially generated content.

    How Do AI Writers Work?

    Most AI writers are based on generative pre-trained transformer 3 (GPT3) by OpenAI, which uses a large language model (LLC) algorithm. LLMs work by using the dataset it was trained on to string together sentences by predicting which words are likely to be placed next to one another while keeping the context. In most cases, AI gets it right. However, there are times when hallucinations or falsehoods occur. Generally, this happens about 20% of the time.

    When using generative AI to write content, there are a few things to keep in mind. In the case of ChatGPT, its dataset is based on about 570GB of information scraped from the internet through September 2021. This includes blogs, books, search results, and other relevant information. Therefore, if you ask questions about anything beyond 2021, it will usually generate incorrect output. That’s why it’s incredibly important to not only fact-check everything it generates but essentially never to copy what it gives you word for word.

    Challenges of AI Writing

    AI writing tools can help boost productivity and creativity and help those with little to no writing skills be better content creators. However, they do present challenges. With the improvements to AI text generators, it will become increasingly difficult to tell the difference between human and computer-written content. AI-written content can seem emotionless, lack creative input, and is limited to the dataset it is trained on. While OpenAI states that generated content is original, it does use word association and pulls its information from data across the internet. Because of that, there are concerns about plagiarism, false information, and copyright infringement.

    Without checks and balances, some people will use AI irresponsibly, requiring businesses to take extra steps to ensure employees use AI responsibly and ethically. Thankfully, there are a few things to look out for when detecting AI writing.

    How To Detect AI Writing

    Even with good AI detection tools, there will never be 100% certainty that they will catch every bit of AI-generated content. Therefore, it’s important to identify it in other ways.

    Tone and Style

    One of the biggest issues with AI content is how inconsistent the tone and style can be. While AI models have made incredible progress over the last year, they still struggle with producing human-like content. Mostly, this can be attributed to the data that GPT3 models were trained on. As previously mentioned, when LLMs make content, they use association to determine the probability of word placement. Therefore, the output is often strung together, giving it a lack of transition words or varying tones, making it almost robotic. Let’s use ChatGPT as an example.

    We provided the prompt: Write one paragraph about ocean animals.

    ChatGPT produced this:

    ChatGPT detect AI writing

    It’s tricky to determine AI-generated content using this method, but there’s one thing to remember. When people write, there are usually varying tones and styles throughout the text, whereas computers don’t. There are often shifts in thought patterns in humans, resulting in a change in tone. With computers, they output content contained within their dataset, resulting in a more uniform result.

    Accuracy

    Another red flag is a lack of accuracy. We touched on this earlier in this post, but it’s important to expand on it. As previously noted, ChatGPT was trained on a huge amount of data through 2021. Therefore, the results will undoubtedly be skewed if asked about current events or information after that date. So, when reading content on the internet, it’s imperative to fact-check everything. Recent updates to ChatGPT include verbiage indicating that the answer is relevant as of September 2021 when asking questions about current events. Keep in mind, however, that even though this update is helpful, it is still possible to get output that isn’t accurate.

    Using ChatGPT, we entered the following prompt: provide one paragraph explaining what character AI is.

    This was the output:

    detect AI writing

    We were trying to trick it into giving us false information by asking about Character AI. ChatGPT did its best to inform us what it thought Character AI was, considering the platform wasn’t publically available until a year later.

    Lack of Personal Touch

    A great way to spot computer-created content is by noting a lack of personal opinion or emotion. Most human writers will incorporate slang or provide personal opinions throughout their writing. Alternatively, computers are more matter-of-fact, only presenting you with an answer. You usually won’t find any emotions or beliefs.

    For example, we asked ChatGPT to provide one paragraph on Synthesia’s AI avatars.

    This was its output:

    AI personal touch

    While it did a good job of explaining what the company does with AI avatars, it seems very monotone, lacking emotion or depth.

    Repetitive Language

    Another way to spot AI-generated content is through repetitive language. If you notice a lot of keyword stuffing in an article, chances are it was created by artificial intelligence. Since people use prompts to generate AI output, they often include keywords in the prompt. This generally results in instances where that word is repeated over and over throughout the text.

    For example, we asked ChatGPT to provide us with an explanation of AI. This was the result:

    repetitive language

    It produced around 250 words, with the word AI repeated 16 times. According to a popular SEO plugin, Yoast SEO, there should only be 8 instances of that keyword in that amount of text.

    AI Content Detection Tools

    Finally, you can use an AI content detection tool to help identify computer-generated content. They analyze text using context to understand the likelihood of words appearing together. The more predictable the pattern, the more likely it’s AI-generated. Unlike humans, AI typically does not write more creative sentences, is more predictable, and doesn’t offer opinions.

    There are several AI content detection tools for both text and images, with some of the more popular ones being Originality AI and GPTZero. In the next section, we’ll give you a brief overview of how each works and how to use it.

    Using Originality.ai to Detect AI Writing

    Originality.ai

    Originality.ai is one of the leading tools marketers use to detect AI content. Primarily created for identifying content generated through ChatGPT, GPT-4, and Bard, it uses natural language processing to identify AI. While it’s not a free service, it’s reasonably priced at .01¢ for every 100 words checked. There is also a Chrome Extension you can try out that gives you 50 credits.

    Sign Up for Originality.ai

    The first step is to sign up. Go to their website and click the Sign Up button at the top right of your screen to begin.

    Sign up for Originality.ai

    Next, enter your name, email, create a password, and agree to the terms and conditions. Then click continue.

    detect-AI-writing Originality.ai

    In the next step, you’ll fill in your credit card information and agree to purchase $20 worth of credits, buying you roughly 20,000 words of AI detection.

    billing details

    Conducting Your First Scan

    Once logged in, the dashboard is intuitive. Content can be scanned by inputting a URL, uploading a file, or pasting text. To conduct your first scan, click the content scanner tab, then select start new scan.

    start new scan

    We’ll input a few paragraphs of a news article pulled from Google into the scanner to test the functionality. To start a scan, paste the text into the editor (1). Next, click scan now (2). You can enter a title or let Originality.ai create one for you (3).

    start new scan

    Once the scan is complete, Originality.ai will grade your content and determine if it’s human, partial, or completely AI. In this example, Originality’s scanner noted a 100% original score.

    100% human score

    Let’s try another example with a paragraph completely generated with ChatGPT.

    ChatGPT content

    As you can see, the results are pretty accurate. However, it’s important to detect AI with a trained eye and use an AI detection tool to get the best results.

    Using GPTZero to Detect AI Writing

    GPTZero

    Let’s use another popular AI content detector, GPTZero. This one allows you to detect up to 5000 characters for free. You can purchase additional characters by signing up for an account. Scanning text is easy using GPTZero. Paste the text (1) you want to scan or upload a file (2), accept the terms of service (3), then click the get results button (4).

    GPTZero interface

    Using the first paragraph of our Divi page, GPTZero lets us know that our text is likely to be written entirely by a human:

    GPTZero result

    Finally, let’s use the text we generated using ChatGPT:

    ChatGPT example

    Although it couldn’t identify that the content was completely generated using AI, it did pick up that it was likely used.

    Final Thoughts on Detecting AI Writing

    AI writing has rapidly evolved since the release of ChatGPT, becoming an integral part of how content is created. Although there are benefits to using it, it’s important to be able to recognize AI content. With the technology advancing at a rapid rate, being able to detect AI writing will continue to be difficult. By recognizing inconsistencies like inconsistent tone and style, lack of emotion, and repetitive language, you can train your eyes to pinpoint where AI is used. Additionally, you can incorporate an AI detection tool like Originality.ai or GPTZero to help identify it.

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