Do you want to add custom post types to your main WordPress RSS feed?
By default, the WordPress RSS feed only shows your recent blog posts. However, if you are using custom post types for other content, then you may want to include them in your main RSS feed as well.
In this article, we will show you how to easily add custom post types to your main WordPress RSS feed.
Why Add Custom Post Types to Main RSS Feed in WordPress?
By default, WordPress comes with two commonly used content types called posts and pages. However, you can also create custom post types to add more content types if needed.
For instance, a movie review website may want to create a custom post type using custom taxonomies suitable for that particular content type.
Now, your custom post types can have their own RSS feed, which users can access by adding /feed/ at the end of the custom post type archive URL.
However, these custom post-type feeds are not easily discoverable.
For example, when a user enters your website’s URL into their feed reader, they will only be shown the subscription option for your main WordPress RSS feed, and custom post types won’t be included.
That being said, let’s see how to easily fix that by adding a custom post type to your main WordPress RSS feed. We will cover two methods, so you can use the links below to jump to the method you want to use.
Method 1: Add All Custom Post Types to Your WordPress RSS Feed
This method is for you if you want to add all the custom post types to your WordPress RSS feed.
If you are using an eCommerce plugin like WooCommerce, then using this method will also enable you to include the Products custom post type in the main RSS feed.
You can easily do this by adding custom code to your theme’s functions.php file.
However, keep in mind that making the smallest error when entering code can make your website inaccessible.
That’s why we recommend using the WPCode plugin to add code to your website. It is the best custom code snippet plugin on the market and is the easiest way to add custom code without breaking your site.
Note: The free WPCode plugin is all you need for this tutorial. However, upgrading to the premium WPCode plugin will give you access to a cloud-based snippet library, smart conditional logic, code revisions, and more.
Upon activation, head to the Code Snippets » + Add Snippet page from the WordPress admin sidebar.
From here, click on the ‘Use Snippet’ button under the ‘Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet)’ option.
This will take you to the ‘Create Custom Snippet’ page, where you can start by typing a name for the code snippet.
After that, simply select ‘PHP Snippet’ as the ‘Code Type’ from the dropdown menu on the right.
Next, you need to copy and paste the following code into the ‘Code Preview’ box.
This code will allow you to add all publicly available post types to your main WordPress RSS feed.
function myfeed_request($qv) {
if (isset($qv['feed']))
$qv['post_type'] = get_post_types();
return $qv;
}
add_filter('request', 'myfeed_request');
Once you have done that, just scroll down to the ‘Insertion’ section and choose ‘Auto Insert’ as the insert method.
Now, the code will automatically be executed on your WordPress website once you have activated and saved the snippet.
After that, scroll back to the top of the page and toggle the ‘Inactive’ switch to ‘Active’.
Finally, simply click the ‘Save Snippet’ button to save and execute the custom code on your website.
All the custom post types will now be added to your main WordPress RSS feed.
To make sure that your code is working, you can check your RSS feed by visiting a feed reader.
For this tutorial, we’ll be using Feedly, which is an online tool that allows users to add RSS feeds and websites to their Feedly account, easily organize their content, and receive updates in real time.
Once you are there, simply type your website URL under the ‘Follow your favorite websites’ option.
The custom post type content will now be displayed in your WordPress RSS feed.
Method 2: Add a Specific Custom Post Type in the WordPress RSS Feed
If you want to add a specific custom post type to the main WordPress RSS feed, then this method is for you.
To do this, you will have to add custom code to your theme’s functions.php file. But keep in mind that the smallest error while entering the code can break your website.
That’s why we recommend using WPCode instead. It is the #1 WordPress code snippet plugin on the market. Using WPCode is the easiest and safest way to add custom code to your WordPress website.
Note: The free WPCode plugin is all you need for this tutorial. However, upgrading to the premium WPCode plugin will give you access to a cloud-based snippet library, smart conditional logic, code revisions, and more.
Once the plugin is activated, visit the Code Snippets » + Add Snippet page from the WordPress admin sidebar.
From here, you need to click the ‘Use Snippet’ button under the ‘Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet)’ option.
You will now be directed to the ‘Create Custom Snippet’ page, where you can start by typing a name for your code snippet.
This name won’t be displayed anywhere and is just used for identification purposes.
Next, choose the ‘PHP Snippet’ option from the ‘Code Type’ dropdown menu on the right.
Once you have done that, you need to copy and paste the following code into the ‘Code Preview’ box.
function myfeed_request($qv) {
if (isset($qv['feed']) && !isset($qv['post_type']))
$qv['post_type'] = array('post', 'movies', 'books');
return $qv;
}
add_filter('request', 'myfeed_request');
After adding the code, type the name of the custom post type next to where ‘[‘post_type’]’ is written in the code. In our example, we have ‘post’, ‘movies’, and ‘books’.
This custom post type will be added to your main WordPress RSS feed.
Now, scroll down to the ‘Insertion’ section and select the ‘Auto Insert’ setting.
The custom code will now be automatically executed on your WordPress website upon activation.
Next, you need to scroll back to the top of the page and toggle the ‘Inactive’ switch to ‘Active’.
Finally, don’t forget to click the ‘Save Snippet’ button to save and execute the code on your WordPress website.
To make sure that the custom post type has been headed, you will need to visit a feed reader like Feedly.
Once you are there, simply type in your website’s URL to search for its RSS feed.
The custom post type content will now be displayed in your WordPress RSS feed.
We hope this article helped you learn how to add custom post types to your main WordPress RSS feed. You may also want to see our tips to optimize WordPress RSS feeds and our top picks for the best WordPress RSS feed plugins to boost website traffic.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems in the world, powering over 40% of all websites on the internet. However, many users are unaware of the magic behind WordPress that makes it so powerful and flexible. One of the most important and least understood parts of WordPress is WP-Config. In this article, we will take a deep dive into WP-Config and uncover its secrets.
What is WP-Config and How Does it Power WordPress?
WP-Config is a file located in the root directory of your WordPress installation that contains all of the important settings and configuration options for your site. These settings control everything from your database connection details to your site’s URL and security keys. Without WP-Config, your WordPress site would not be able to function properly.
One of the most important things to understand about WP-Config is that it is a PHP file. This means that it can be edited using a code editor or the built-in WordPress file editor. However, it’s important to be careful when editing WP-Config, as even a small mistake can cause your site to stop working.
Discover the Secrets of WP-Config and Enhance Your WordPress Experience!
Now that you understand what WP-Config is and what it does, it’s time to start exploring its secrets. One of the most useful things you can do with WP-Config is to define custom constants that can be used throughout your WordPress installation. This can be useful for things like defining your site’s language, setting a custom upload directory, or disabling automatic updates.
Another powerful feature of WP-Config is the ability to set up a multisite network. This allows you to create multiple WordPress sites that share a single installation, making it easier to manage your sites and share content between them. To set up a multisite network, you will need to edit your WP-Config file and add some additional code.
In conclusion, WP-Config is a powerful tool that is essential for any WordPress user who wants to take their site to the next level. By understanding the secrets of WP-Config, you can enhance your WordPress experience and unlock new levels of flexibility and customization. So don’t be afraid to dive in and start exploring the magic behind WordPress!
Are you looking for easy and smart ways to automate tasks and increase sales in your WooCommerce store?
By automating tasks in your online store, you can save time and money while growing your business and increasing sales.
In this article, we will show you how to use WooCommerce automations to increase sales.
Why Automate Your WooCommerce Store?
If you are running a WooCommerce store, then you probably spend a lot of your time performing repetitive tasks. These can be anything from sending marketing emails for your online store to processing customer invoices.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could automate all of those tasks and focus on growing sales and your business instead?
Luckily, you can use the best WordPress automation tools and plugins to automate WooCommerce tasks. By doing this, you will save time, offer a better user experience to your customers, and ultimately increase sales.
With that being said, here are 15 WooCommerce automations to increase sales:
1. Use Automation to Personalize Your Email Marketing
Are you keeping in touch with your customers using an email newsletter? You may not be taking advantage of all the automation tools available in your email marketing software.
For example, the best email services like Constant Contact, Sendinblue, and Omnisend all have integrations with WooCommerce. They allow you to personalize your emails by adding the customer’s name and more.
They also let you set up a Welcome email series using a drip campaign. This is a sequence of automated emails that will go out automatically to new customers.
You can learn how to get started by scrolling down to the automated drip emails section of our guide on how to send automated emails in WordPress.
Additionally, if you are looking for a complete tool that offers WooCommerce email customization and automation, then we highly recommend using FunnelKit Automations.
Apart from letting you fully customize your WooCommerce emails, it also lets you set up smart, automated follow-up emails and workflows to boost your sales.
You can get started with FunnelKit Automations by selecting an automation from a library of handy templates.
For example, you can automatically send an email series to new customers, recover abandoned carts, send promotional emails to selected audiences, and more.
There is also an option to create your own WooCommerce automation from scratch. You will then see a visual email automation builder where you can make any customizations that you need.
For example, the screenshot above shows the workflow for sending out a thank you email after a customer makes their first order. You can even see in-line analytics for each email.
Tip: We recommend combining FunnelKit Automations with an SMTP service like WP Mail SMTP. This will make sure your emails are delivered to your customers and won’t get lost or end up in the spam folder.
2. Set Up an Automated Marketing Campaign With Push Notifications
You can also run an automated marketing campaign using push notifications instead of emails. These notifications go directly to the user’s web browser or mobile device. This means they have a much higher engagement rate, similar to SMS messages.
The easiest way to set up automated push notifications is with PushEngage. It is the best web push notification software for WordPress, and over 10,000 businesses use it to send targeted messages.
For each notification, you can change the title, message, URL, icon image, and more by expanding it.
There is also a preview of how your notifications will look in the browser.
PushEngage also lets you choose when to send each notification. For example, you can immediately send the first notification and select a different time for the following one.
3. Let Customers Track Orders With Automated Transactional Emails
WooCommerce will need to send different transactional emails to your customers. These help them get order confirmations, track their order status, get invoices, and find out more information about your online store.
The FunnelKit Automations dashboard makes it easy to create a new automation. You can simply click on one of the plugin’s many templates.
You can filter the list to quickly find the WooCommerce automation you wish to use. For example, you might want to send automatic thank-you emails to repeat customers.
You can then customize the automation using the visual automation builder, including the content of the email.
SMS messages are an effective way to keep your customers up to date. They have a 98% average open rate, with 95% of messages being read in the first 3 minutes!
You can send automatic texts to your customers when their orders are dispatched or their status changes. You can automatically send SMS notifications to your customers or let them opt in at checkout.
As a business owner, there is a lot to manage. If you are still creating invoices manually, then you can switch to professional invoicing software that automates all invoicing and payment processes. Then, you will be free to focus on growing your business.
A plugin like WooCommerce PDF Invoices makes it easy to automatically generate invoices, collect orders, and manage your finances.
With automatic recurring payments, you don’t have to spend time manually sending invoices and waiting for payments from your customers.
Plus, adding subscription payments to your eCommerce business will give you a more consistent cash flow, fewer payment errors, and fewer payment delays.
6. Use Automated Store Activity Notifications to Boost Sales
Automated FOMO and social proof notifications can also increase sales in your WooCommerce store.
FOMO, short for fear of missing out, is a marketing technique used to create excitement about a product. It uses psychology to encourage customers to make buying decisions faster.
Plus, social proof shows visitors that other customers have purchased your products. This can convince users that your online store is trustworthy.
TrustPulse automatically monitors activity on your site. When potential customers are close to buying something, they will see a notification showing that another customer has just made a purchase.
By simply displaying social proof, you will give your visitors a small push to complete their purchase. To learn more, see Method 1 of our guide on how to use FOMO to increase conversions.
7. Automatically Display Your Best Product Reviews
Would you like to automatically display the best reviews of your products from across the internet? You could copy and paste them manually, but that is a lot of work. Plus, there would be a delay before they appear on your website.
Luckily, Smash Balloon has a Reviews Feed Pro plugin that lets you automatically show off your best reviews from platforms like Google Reviews, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and more.
It comes with pre-designed templates, so you can display your reviews in different layouts, including showcases, carousels, grids, and more.
The Reviews Feed automatically copies your website’s design so that the reviews look like a natural part of your website rather than content embedded from another platform.
8. Use an Automated Sales Funnel to Boost Sales Conversions
A sales funnel is the path a user takes on your website to become a customer. It is made up of the specific pages a user may visit before making a purchase.
For example, a new visitor might land on a blog post, then view a product page, then go through your checkout flow.
Unfortunately, only 10% of shoppers, on average, will add anything to their carts. After they do, 60-80% of them abandon their carts without completing the purchase.
Luckily, you can use FunnelKit, the best WooCommerce sales funnel plugin, to change that. You can use the plugin to optimize each step, offer a better user experience, reduce distractions, and nudge users toward completing their purchases.
For example, it comes with a one-click Upsells feature, which allows users to add products to their carts on their way to the checkout.
FunnelKit also lets you customize the user journey with pre-checkout offers, custom checkout form layouts, beautiful templates, and more.
For instance, the FunnelKit Funnel Builder lets you add order bumps to boost profits if someone adds $X to their cart. You can also add one-click order bumps to your checkout page.
9. Reduce Cart Abandonment With Popups and Push Notifications
As we said earlier, 60 to 80% of people who add items to their cart don’t actually buy them. This means if you have an online store, then you are losing out on a lot of sales.
Luckily, you can use automatic push notifications to reduce cart abandonment rates. For example, you can pop up a notification when a user is about to leave your website and offer a coupon or free shipping.
Or, if the customer already has discounted items in their cart, they may just need some reassurance that they are making the right decision. Push notifications like these can help you recover 3 to 8% of abandoning cart sales.
But what if the customer leaves your site before they see the popup? Push notifications can also help you connect with your visitors after they leave your website. These messages will display in your subscriber’s browser even when they are not actively browsing your store.
The easiest way to do this is with PushEngage. It is the best web push notification software on the market, and it is used to send over 15 billion push messages every month.
You can also significantly reduce cart abandonment by simply improving your online store and checkout process. We share plenty of proven tips with real examples in our guide on how to recover WooCommerce abandoned cart sales.
10. Send Automated Coupons to Bring Back Customers
It costs 5 times more to get a new customer than to keep an old one. Over time, people may lose interest in your website, forget about your products, or start shopping with a competitor.
One way to bring those customers back is to automatically send them a coupon code via email. You can use automation tools to send a coupon to customers who have become disengaged, such as when they don’t place an order for 2 months or have stopped opening emails.
Another good use for automated coupons is recognizing and rewarding customers when they engage with your online store. For example, you might send a coupon after a customer reviews one of your products.
This builds loyalty to your store and can get you more sales. It also encourages shoppers to review more products in the future.
You can also schedule coupons in advance so that they go out automatically on popular holidays like Black Friday, Christmas, New Year’s, Mother’s Day, and Valentine’s Day. This will leave you free to focus on promoting your offers and getting as many sales as possible.
Additionally, as we mentioned earlier, you can also offer a coupon in a popup. Showing a coupon at the right time makes a huge difference in converting your website visitors into paying customers.
You can also use automation to post your online store content to your social channels. This lets you keep your social followers engaged with fresh content.
Uncanny Automator has integrations with all popular social platforms. It will let you publish new blog posts on Facebook, show off your latest product images on Instagram, advertise your sales on Twitter, and more.
You can learn how to do this step-by-step by following our guides on how to automatically post to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
12. Automatically Display Social Media Content in WooCommerce
Are you looking for ways to show fresh content without doing any extra work? One way to do that is to automatically display your latest social media activity in your WooCommerce store.
This can save you time and keep your website content fresh and engaging for visitors. Plus, it can boost social proof by displaying your social media followers, comments, and like counts.
Smash Balloon automates your website content by displaying your latest social media activity. It is a popular social media feed plugin for WordPress that is used by over 1.4 million websites.
For example, you can add a Facebook feed to WordPress, and new posts will automatically appear in real time. Your customers can also like, share, and comment on your WordPress posts, which is a great way to get more engagement on Facebook.
You can change the feed’s color scheme, design a custom header, add ‘like’ and ‘load more’ buttons, and much more.
If you are posting beautiful photos and engaging videos to Instagram, then it makes sense to post that content to WordPress too.
You can even show other people’s photos on your site by creating a hashtag feed or displaying the posts that other people have tagged your account in.
In the following image, you can see an example of an online store that uses a custom Instagram feed to show user-generated content.
The best thing is that WPForms easily integrates with many other tools and plugins, so you can easily automate any action after someone fills out your form.
For example, when someone fills in an order form, you can use conditional logic to send an email notification to the correct department, depending on the product that was purchased.
You can also send a confirmation email to the customer who filled in the form to let them know you will be in contact soon. This a nice gesture that lets your users know that you have received their information.
In addition, by using the Google Sheets Addon, you can send any form fields you want to a spreadsheet. This will allow you to use spreadsheet features to analyze the data and collaborate with others in your team.
To automate your forms further, Uncanny Automator will let you connect WPForms and other form plugins to 100+ third-party services without having to pay fees to services like Zapier.
For example, you can create an Uncanny Automator recipe to send customer form data to Airtable. Then, your team will be able to access and use the data easily.
14. Automate Live Chat Using Artificial Intelligence
Automated chatbots are the future of live chat software because they allow you to engage with your customers 24/7. They can free up time by automatically answering common customer questions, generating leads, improving user experience, and making more sales.
Chatbot.com is the best AI chatbot software for WordPress. It lets you easily automate live chat on your website by setting up your own chatbot using a drag-and-drop builder. You don’t need to do any coding or have any special technical skills.
It even comes with pre-built templates that you can use as a starting point to quickly get your AI chatbot up and running. These templates include different scenarios like selling products, customer service, recruitment, bookings, and more.
For example, you can use the eCommerce bot template to walk your customers through the entire buying process. There are even templates for specific industries, including a coffee shopbot, recruitment bot, and restaurant bot.
If visitors want to communicate with a real person, then you can easily forward them to your customer support agent, phone support, or any of ChatBot’s live chat software integrations, such as LiveChat.
15. Use Uncanny Automator for Even More WooCommerce Automations
This article contains many specialist tools that do specific automation jobs very well. By contrast, Uncanny Automator is a Swiss army knife that allows you to create all types of automation workflows without having to write any code.
It acts as a bridge so that you can get different WordPress plugins talking to each other, as well as loads of third-party services.
You create automation by building Uncanny Automator recipes, consisting of triggers and actions. The action will be automatically run when a user or WooCommerce triggers an event.
Here are some of the WooCommerce triggers you can use to run a recipe:
A customer viewing a product
A customer adding a product to their cart
A customer paying for a product
A payment failing
A customer reviewing a product
And much more
Then the recipe can automatically run any of these WooCommerce actions:
Creating an order with a product
Changing the price of a product
Generating and emailing a coupon code
Giving an order a specific status
There are dozens of recipes that you can create, allowing you to save hundreds of hours while running your online store more efficiently.
For instance, you can use Uncanny Automator to automatically create a new customer account when someone submits a contact form on your website, or send notifications to Slack.
Bonus: Track Conversions to Learn How to Increase Sales
To use any marketing automation platform effectively, you will need easy-to-understand reports that tell you exactly what is working for your business and what isn’t.
MonsterInsights is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. It lets you get a clear picture of what is happening on your site and what you can do to bring in more sales.
It comes with WooCommerce conversion tracking, form submissions, outbound link tracking, and user tracking.
Its Reports page has an ‘eCommerce’ tab that shows your most important conversion metrics, including the conversion rate, transactions, revenue, and average order value. Below that, you will see a list of your top products with quantity, sale percentage, and total revenue.
You will also see your top conversion sources. You can use this report to attract more customers and offer exclusive discounts for customers from specific sources.
You can also connect Google Sheets with WooCommerce to easily record and manage your orders and customer data. Once the information is in a Google Sheet, you can easily filter it based on factors like the order total, the customer’s location, coupons used, and more.
You can then share this information with your team, even if they don’t have access to the WordPress dashboard. For example, you can easily send this data to your suppliers, marketing departments, or other team members.
You are even able to turn this data into charts and graphs. All of this makes it easier to analyze the information and then use these insights to fine-tune your business and get more sales.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Do you want to install template kits in WordPress?
Designing a website can take a lot of time and effort, especially if you don’t have any previous experience. Thankfully, template kits allow you to apply a professional design across your entire WordPress website with the click of a button.
In this article, we will show you how you can easily install website template kits in WordPress.
Why Install Template Kits in WordPress?
WordPress template kits are a collection of pre-designed templates, layouts, and other elements that allow you to create a professional-looking website without having to write code.
Template kits are designed to be used together, so you can simply install a kit and use the same design across your entire site.
A good template kit has designs for all the most common pages including an about page, a contact page, and a custom home page. They may also provide templates for areas that appear across multiple pages, such as a header and footer template.
There are some template kits that you can customize to suit any kind of website, similar to multi-purpose WordPress themes. Other templates are designed for a specific industry, such as fashion, venture marketing, and tech blogging kits.
No matter what template kit you use, with the right page builder plugin you can customize it to perfectly suit your business and branding.
With that being said, let’s see how you can design a beautiful website fast, by installing template kits in WordPress.
How to Choose the Best WordPress Template Kits
Template kits have many names, as some companies call them website kits, website templates, or WordPress starter templates. No matter what the name, the best place to find template kits is by installing a drag-and-drop page builder plugin.
SeedProd is the best page builder plugin with over 1 million users. It allows you to create a complete WordPress website without having to write a single line of code.
SeedProd comes with 90 ready-made blocks that you can add to any page, and over 180 templates that you can use to create landing pages, sales pages, and more.
SeedProd also has a growing library of professional website kits that you can add to your site with a single click. After choosing a kit, you can customize every part of the design using SeedProd’s drag-and-drop editor.
Since it’s the fastest and easiest method, in this guide we’ll show you how to install template kits using SeedProd.
Step 1. Install a WordPress Page Builder Plugin
First, you need to install and activate the SeedProd plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Note: There is also a free version of SeedProd that allows you to create beautiful coming soon pages, maintenance pages, and more no matter what your budget. However, in this guide, we’ll be using the premium plugin as it has lots of different template kits. Just be aware that you’ll need a Pro plan or higher to use the template kits.
Upon activation, head over to SeedProd » Settings and enter your license key.
With your license key active, you’re ready to install a template kit.
Step 2. Choose a WordPress Template Kit
SeedProd’s site kits work seamlessly with its WordPress theme builder, so head over to SeedProd » Theme Builder to get started. Here, click on the Theme Template Kits button.
You’ll now see SeedProd’s website kit library.
To take a closer look at any template, simply hover your mouse over it and then click on the magnifying glass icon when it appears.
This opens the template kit in a new tab.
Since it’s a complete website kit, you can see more pages and designs by clicking on the different links, buttons, and menu items.
SeedProd has template kits for different industries and niches like restaurant websites, travel blogs, marketing consultancies, and more.
When you find a template kit you want to use, simply hover over it and then click on the checkmark icon when it appears.
SeedProd will now add all the different templates to the WordPress dashboard.
To take a look, go to SeedProd » Theme Builder. You may see slightly different options depending on the kit you’re using.
SeedProd’s templates are disabled by default, so they won’t immediately change how your site looks by overriding your current WordPress theme.
Step 3. Customize Your Template Kit in WordPress
Before making the kit live, you need to replace the demo content. You may also want to change the kit’s branding to better match your own business. For example, you can add custom fonts, change the colors, add your own logo, and more.
The templates you see may vary depending on the kit. However, most kits have a header and footer template, so we’ll show you how to customize these templates as an example.
How to Customize a Header Template Kit in WordPress
The header is the first thing visitors see when they arrive at your site. With that in mind, it should introduce your brand and provide easy access to your site’s most important content.
To customize the header template, simply hover over it and then click on ‘Edit Design.’
This loads the SeedProd editor, with the header template to the right of the screen.
On the left-hand side, you’ll see a menu with different options.
Most header templates come with a placeholder logo, so let’s start by replacing it. Simply click to select the placeholder logo and the left-hand menu will show all the settings you can use to customize the block.
Simply hover over the image in the left-hand menu and then click on the Select Image button when it appears.
Most template kits come with alternative logos and images that you can add to your WordPress website.
You can choose one of these images from the WordPress media library or upload a new file from your computer.
After replacing the logo, you can change its alignment and size, add image alt text, and more using the settings in the left-hand menu.
When you’re happy with how the logo looks, it’s a good idea to update the menu.
Most header templates come with a placeholder menu that you can easily customize by adding your own text and links. To get started, click to select the Nav Menu block.
You can either build a menu in SeedProd, or you can display any navigation menu you’ve created in the WordPress dashboard.
To build a new menu using SeedProd, simply hover your mouse over any menu item that you want to delete. Then, click on the trash can icon when it appears.
To add a new item to the menu, click on the ‘Add New Item’ button, which creates a new placeholder item.
Next, simply click on the item to expand it.
You’ll now see some new settings where you can type in the text and link you want to use.
You can also set the link to open in a new tab, or you can mark it as no follow.
Simply repeat these steps to add more items to the menu. You can also rearrange items in the menu using drag and drop.
Another option is to simply display a menu you’ve already created in the WordPress dashboard. To do this, click on ‘WordPress Menu’ and choose a menu from the dropdown.
After making these changes, you may want to add more content to the header. For example, you might encourage visitors to follow you on social media by adding ‘like’ and ‘share’ buttons to the header.
In the left-hand menu, simply find the block you want to add and then drag it onto your layout.
You can then customize the block using the settings in the left-hand menu.
When you’re happy with how the header template looks, click on ‘Save’ to store your settings.
How to Customize the Footer Template in WordPress
The footer is the perfect place to add useful information such as a dynamic copyright date or your phone number. You can also link to important content like your contact form, blog, and social media profiles.
With that in mind, most SeedProd template kits come with a footer template. To edit this template go to SeedProd » Theme Builder and then hover over the ‘footer’ template. When the ‘Edit Design’ link appears, give it a click.
This opens the footer template in the SeedProd editor. You can now delete unwanted blocks, replace the placeholder content, and add more blocks following the exact same process described above.
Many business owners use the footer to show their contact information, such as their business email address. However, if you’re using WPForms then you can easily add a contact form to your website’s footer. This allows people to contact you from any page or post.
Most footer templates come with placeholder text that you can replace with your own content. Simply click to select each text box and then type your messaging into the small text editor that appears.
The editor has all the standard formatting options, so you can highlight important text or add links that will appear across your WordPress blog or website.
Many footer templates come with a ready-made Nav Menu block that contains some placeholder links.
You can replace these dummy menu items with links to your own content by following the same process described above. For example, you might include links to your site’s privacy policy, blog, online store, and other important content.
When you’re happy with how the footer looks, click on the Save button to store your changes.
Step 4. Edit Your Global Template Kit Settings
Often, you’ll want to change the template’s default fonts, backgrounds, colors, and more to match your branding. Instead of making these changes to each template, you can save time by editing the kit’s Global CSS settings.
In your WordPress dashboard, go to SeedProd » Theme Builder and hover over the Global CSS template. You can then click on the ‘Edit Design’ link when it appears.
In the left-hand menu, SeedProd lists all the different elements you can change, such as the fonts, forms, layout, and more.
To see what changes you can make, simply click any option.
You can now adjust its settings. For example, you can change the colors used for the kit’s headers, paragraph text, links, and more.
SeedProd will automatically apply these changes across the entire template kit.
When you’re happy with the changes you’ve made, click on the ‘Save’ button.
Step 5. Enabling Your SeedProd Template Kit
You can now customize every SeedProd template by following the same process described above. When you’re happy with how the templates are set up, it’s time to make the kit live.
In the WordPress dashboard, go to SeedProd » Theme Builder and click on the ‘Enable SeedProd Theme’ toggle so that it shows ‘Yes.’
Now, if you visit your WordPress website you’ll see the new design live.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Are you looking for a way to customize your WooCommerce product pages?
By fine-tuning your WooCommerce product pages, you can get more sales and improve your store’s conversion rates.
In this article, we will show you how to customize WooCommerce product pages without having to write any code.
Why Customize WooCommerce Product Pages in WordPress?
Your product pages are some of the most valuable content in your online store. The problem is that the default WooCommerce product pages aren’t optimized for conversions.
By creating unique product pages you can often convert visitors into paying customers at a much higher rate. This means you can earn more money without needing to attract more visitors to your site or improve your WooCommerce SEO.
Before you start customizing your WooCommerce product pages, you need to make sure you have the fastest WooCommerce hosting to support your online store because speed also has a big impact on conversion rates.
Once you’ve done that, let’s take a look at how you can customize your WooCommerce product pages with no code.
How to Customize Your WooCommerce Product Pages in WordPress
The easiest way to create a custom WooCommerce product page is by using SeedProd.
Even better, you can use SeedProd’s advanced theme builder to create a custom WordPress theme without having to write a single line of code.
You can use this drag-and-drop theme builder to customize every part of your online store, including your product pages.
SeedProd even has ready-made WooCommerce templates and eCommerce blocks that allow you to create a high-converting online store, fast.
Just be aware that this method will replace your current WooCommerce theme.
Install and Activate SeedProd
The first thing you need to do is install and activate the SeedProd plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Note: There is a free version of SeedProd that allows you to create stunning designs no matter what your budget. However, for this guide, we’ll use the premium plugin as it comes with the WooCommerce blocks and theme builder. You’ll need to buy a Pro subscription or higher in order to use the theme builder.
Upon activation, go to SeedProd » Settings and enter your license key.
With that done, it’s time to choose the WooCommerce template kit that you’ll use for your online store. Simply head over to SeedProd » Theme Builder and then click the ‘Theme Template Kits’ button.
Since we’re creating a custom WooCommerce theme, click on the ‘WooCommerce’ tab to see all the different eCommerce kits.
To preview a design, simply hover your mouse over it and then click on the magnifying glass.
This opens the template kit in a new tab.
This is a live preview, so you can see other designs in the kit by clicking on the links, navigation menus, buttons, and other interactive content.
Since you’re creating a custom WooCommerce product page, make sure to check out the product page design.
When you find a template kit you want to use, hover over it and then click on the checkmark when it appears. In this guide, we’re using the WooCommerce Starter Theme but you can use any template you want.
Customize the WooCommerce Product Page Template
SeedProd will import the whole kit into your WordPress website, so you can use the kit to create a custom product archive, shop page, blog index, and more.
To see all these templates, head over to SeedProd » Theme Builder.
After installing your template, you’re ready to start customizing the product page.
To get started, hover over the Product Page template and then click on the ‘Edit Design’ link when it appears.
This will open the template in SeedProd’s drag-and-drop editor, with a preview of your WooCommerce template to the right and some block settings on the left.
SeedProd will show an example of how the product page will look, using content from one of your WooCommerce products.
All the WooCommerce templates come with built-in blocks, which are a core component of all SeedProd’s designs.
To customize a block, simply click to select it in the page preview and then make any changes in the left-hand menu.
For example, the template comes with a built-in Featured Product block that you can customize in a few different ways.
To start, you may want to change the block’s size and alignment using the settings in the left-hand menu.
You’ll find more settings in the ‘Advanced’ tab. Here, you can make the image really stand out by adding a border or shadow, adding a CSS animation, and more.
As you make changes, the live preview will update automatically so you can try different settings to see what looks the best on your online store.
The WooCommerce template also has an Add To Cart call to action button. This allows shoppers to buy your products, so you’ll want to make the button stand out.
To start, you can replace Add To Cart with your own custom messaging, such as Buy Now or Get Yours Today. To make this change, simply select the Add To Cart button and then type the new text into the ‘Button Text’ field.
You may also want to add an icon font to the button, to help visitors understand what this button does at a glance.
SeedProd comes with a built-in library of more than 1400 Font Awesome icons that you can use on your product pages. In the left-hand menu, click to expand the ‘Icons’ section.
You can now choose whether to show the icon before or after the button text.
Simply make your decision and then click on the ‘Choose Icon’ button.
You’ll now see all the different Font Awesome icons that you can use. When you find an icon you like, give it a click.
When you’re happy with the button’s messaging, you can change how it looks by clicking on the ‘Templates’ tab. Here, you’ll find different button templates that you can use.
To use any of these designs, simply click on the one you want.
After choosing a template, you can fine-tune how the button looks by clicking on the ‘Advanced’ tab. Here, you can change the spacing between the button and the quantity box, increase the border radius to create curved corners, and more.
Another option is to open the ‘Button Style’ dropdown and choose a new style from the list.
Most of the settings are self-explanatory so it’s worth going through them to see what different kinds of effects you can create.
With that in mind, it’s worth clicking to select the block and then seeing what changes you can make in the left-hand menu. For example, you can change the background color, text color, increase the padding, and more.
To remove any of the default blocks, simply hover your mouse over that block.
Then, click on the Trash can icon when it appears.
You can also move blocks around the page using drag and drop.
Get More Sales with a Custom WooCommerce Product Page
The template’s built-in blocks are a great start, but you may want to add your own content.
SeedProd has lots of WooCommerce blocks that you can use to create a high-converting online marketplace or store. To help you out, here are some blocks you may want to add to your WooCommerce product page.
Show Related WooCommerce Products
You may be able to get more sales and increase the average order value by showing related items on your product pages. These might be products that shoppers frequently buy together or items that complement one another.
For example, if a customer buys a laptop then they may also be interested in a laptop bag.
SeedProd comes with a ready-made Related Products block. However, to get the most out of this block you’ll need to set up linked products in the WooCommerce plugin, as you can see in the following image.
With that done, simply find the Products Related block in the SeedProd editor and then drag it onto your layout.
By default, the block shows one related product in a single column.
You can show more products by typing new numbers into the ‘Columns’ and ‘Posts Per Page’ boxes or by clicking the arrow buttons.
If you display multiple products, then you can change how these items are arranged using the ‘Order By’ box. For example, you might show the highest-rated products first, since customers seem to enjoy these items the most.
You can also open the ‘Order’ dropdown and choose whether to display the related items in ascending (ASC) or descending (DESC) order.
Add a Star Rating
Showing a star rating for each product can help reassure shoppers that your items are good quality. That said, you may want to drag the Star Rating block onto your design.
For the best results, we recommend showing the star rating towards the top of the screen, where it’s easy for customers to spot. This can help shoppers make purchasing decisions faster since they can immediately see whether other shoppers recommend a product.
Use FOMO by Showing the Product Stock
FOMO, or ‘fear of missing out,’ encourages shoppers to take action now.
If you sell limited edition items or regularly have a small amount of stock, then you may want to show the number of products remaining. This can convince shoppers to buy now, rather than wait and risk the product selling out.
To show this information, drag the Product Stock block onto your design.
By default, the block displays the number of items remaining, followed by ‘in stock.’ You may want to add your own messaging to this default text.
To do this, simply type into the small text editor in the left-hand menu. If you do add some text, then be careful not to edit the ‘[sp_product_stock]’ tag as this allows SeedProd to show the total number of items remaining.
Replace the Featured Image with a Product
A featured product image lets shoppers see what they’re buying in an online store.
However, sometimes you may want to replace a single featured image with a product galley. For example, you might show the same product from different angles. Some stores even use interactive 360-degree images so shoppers can explore a product in more detail.
If you’ve added a gallery to your WooCommerce products, then it makes sense to replace the default Product Featured Image block with a gallery block.
To do this, simply hover over the Featured Product block and then click on the trash can icon when it appears.
You can then find the Product Gallery Image block in the left-hand menu and drag it onto your page layout.
We recommend adding this block toward the top of the page, so visitors can immediately see what they’re buying.
Shoppers can zoom into the image by hovering their mouse over the product gallery.
By default, the zoom icon appears in the upper-right corner of the current featured image, but you can change this using the ‘Position Top’ and ‘Position Right’ sliders.
You can also make the magnifying glass icon bigger or smaller using the ‘Font Size’ slider or change its icon color and background color.
You can also add borders around the different images, using the ‘Image Border’ and ‘Thumbnails’ border settings.
Create a Buzz on Social Media with Sharing Buttons
If a shopper shares your product on social media, then it can drive more people to your online store. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to add social share buttons to your product pages.
SeedProd has a Social Sharing block that supports Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Simply drag and drop this block onto your page and it’ll add the Facebook and Twitter sharing buttons automatically.
To add more social networks, simply click on the ‘Add New Share’ button.
You can then choose a social media site from the dropdown menu.
After adding all the networks you want to use, you can change the size of the sharing buttons using the ‘Size’ dropdown.
Bigger social sharing buttons will stand out more, although it may distract from the page’s other content including the Add To Cart call to action.
Show Customer Testimonials and Business Reviews
WooCommerce lets customers review your individual products, but you may also want to show customer testimonials. These might be quotes from your best reviews, comments about your excellent customer service, or any other content that you want to highlight.
SeedProd’s Testimonials block lets you create rotating testimonials, which is a great way to show lots of information in a small amount of space.
A ‘recently viewed’ section encourages customers to revisit products they recently saw, but didn’t add to their cart. This helps customers compare products and find the item that’s right for them. It also gives them a chance to change their mind, and buy a product they recently visited but didn’t add to their shopping basket.
With that being said, you may want to add SeedProd’s Recent Products block to your design.
After adding the block, you can change the number of columns using the settings in the left-hand menu.
If you want to show lots of different products, then you can add pagination by activating the ‘Pagination’ toggle.
If you do enable ‘Pagination,’ then you’ll get access to some extra settings.
To start, you can show the total number of results at the top of the Recent Products block, by enabling the ‘Show Items Count’ toggle.
You may also want to enable the ‘Show Order By’ slider, as this allows visitors to sort through the recent products.
As you can see in the following image, this adds a ‘Default Sorting’ dropdown to the area.
Show Your Most Popular WooCommerce Products
You may want to show the best-selling or top-rated products on your product pages. Since these items are already performing well, showing them to more people can be an easy way to get more sales.
Another option is to show products that are currently on sale. This can motivate shoppers to buy these items now, in order to get the best deal.
SeedProd has a few blocks that can fetch these products automatically. If you want to show your biggest sellers, then add the Best Selling Products block to your design.
If you want to show products that have the highest star rating, then you can drag the Top Rated Products block onto the page.
Finally, there’s a Sale Products block that shows all the items that are currently on sale.
No matter what block you add, click to select it and then take a look at the settings in the left-hand menu. All of these settings are straightforward, so it’s worth going through them to see what different effects you can create.
How to Publish Your Custom WooCommerce Product Page
When you’re happy with how the product page looks, it’s time to save your changes. Simply go ahead and click the dropdown arrow next to ‘Save’ and then select the ‘Publish’ option.
The custom product page won’t appear on your online store until you activate the entire custom WooCommerce theme. This gives you the chance to look through the other designs in your theme kit, and then make any changes using SeedProd’s drag-and-drop builder.
For example, you’ll typically want to edit the header and footer templates to feature your own navigation menus, your store’s custom logo, and other content. For inspiration, please see our checklist of things to add to the footer of your WordPress site.
To edit any other template, head over to SeedProd » Theme Builder. Then, hover over the template you want to customize.
You can then click on the ‘Edit Design’ link when it appears.
Now, simply change the design by adding more blocks and then customizing them using the settings in the left-hand menu.
Just keep repeating these steps until you’re happy with how all the templates are set up.
When you’re ready to make the custom WooCommerce theme live, go to SeedProd » Theme Builder. You can then click on the ‘Enable SeedProd Theme’ toggle so it shows ‘Yes.’
Now, if you visit your online store you’ll see the custom WooCommerce product page live.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Are you wondering what to do if your WordPress site keeps going down?
A website that is down (offline) can hurt your business. It creates a bad user experience for visitors who cannot access your content, and you may even lose customers and potential sales.
In this article, we will share the most important things you need to do if your WordPress website keeps going down.
Why Does Your WordPress Website Keep Going Down?
When your WordPress website is down, your users will see an error message that prevents them from visiting the page.
If your website is down due to one of the common WordPress errors, then you can simply fix it to resolve the issue.
However, if the issue keeps happening, or your website is not showing an error, then you will need to investigate it further.
Website downtime can happen for several reasons, including unreliable hosting, an expired domain, security reasons, an error in custom code, and more.
Another reason for downtime can be increased website traffic that exceeds your WordPress hosting resource limits.
No matter the reason, if your WordPress website keeps going down on a regular basis, then it can harm your business. Your conversion rates may fall, and you might lose customers.
Luckily, we have compiled a list of things to do if your WordPress website keeps going down. These steps will help you troubleshoot the cause and fix it easily.
1. Check if It Is Just You or if the Website Is Down for Everyone
Your WordPress website may not be down for everyone. Sometimes you might just be unable to access your site due to a network error or lack of internet connection.
First, you will need to verify that your website is down for everyone and not just you.
To do that, you can use IsItWP’s free uptime checker.
Click on the ‘Analyze Website’ button, and the tool will tell you if your website is down for everyone or just you.
If it is only down for you, then we recommend checking your internet connection. You can try clearing your browser cache or restarting your network router.
On the other hand, if your website is down for everyone, then continue reading to learn how to fix it.
2. Make Sure Your WordPress Hosting Plan Has Not Expired
One of the most common reasons for website downtime is your WordPress hosting provider. Your plan may have expired, or the provider might be having server problems.
First, you need to make sure that your hosting plan hasn’t expired. You can usually find this information in your hosting account dashboard.
If your plan has not expired, but your WordPress website keeps going down, then you will need to contact your hosting provider. It is possible that they are facing an issue on their end and can provide you with more information about it.
For example, your hosting company might be performing server maintenance, facing DDoS attacks, or may have taken down a few servers. All of these reasons could result in downtime.
Your website may also be down due to the failure of some hardware components of the host’s server.
In these cases, your website should be up and running again once the hosting provider fixes the issues.
If you’re constantly running into issues with your hosting provider, then it’s a good idea to switch to a more reliable managed WordPress hosting company.
Sometimes the website goes down because the domain name you bought when starting your website might have expired. If this is the case, it needs to be renewed.
To check if your domain is still valid, you can use a WHOIS lookup tool. You just need to enter your domain name and click the ‘Lookup’ button.
The tool will then look up details of your domain name. If your domain has expired, it might show as available for registration.
If your domain has expired, then you can now go ahead and renew it using any domain registrar, such as Domain.com.
You can also obtain a free domain from some hosting providers, including Hostinger. This is a top WordPress hosting company that provides a free domain name with any web hosting plan.
You can also use our Bluehost coupon code, which provides WPBeginner users with a free domain name, SSL certificate, and a discount on web hosting plans.
4. Check Your Plugins and Themes
WordPress plugins or themes can sometimes cause website downtime. The software may be outdated and / or have a vulnerability that hackers can use to take down your site.
Similarly, a WordPress theme can conflict with a particular WordPress version or a plugin on your website.
To see if a plugin or theme is causing downtime, you will need to deactivate all of your plugins and switch to a default theme.
Deactivate All WordPress Plugins
Deactivating all of your WordPress plugins can quickly show you if one of the tools is causing your site’s downtime.
If you have access to the WordPress admin area, then you need to visit the Plugins » Installed Plugins page from the admin sidebar.
From here, you can select all plugins by simply checking the bulk select checkbox at the top.
Next, open the ‘Bulk actions’ dropdown menu and select the ‘Deactivate’ option.
After that, click on the ‘Apply’ button to deactivate all of the plugins.
However, if you don’t have access to the WordPress admin, then you can deactivate plugins using a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client.
First, you need to connect to your website using an FTP client or the File Manager app in your hosting account control panel. Once your site is connected, head to the /wp-content/ folder.
Inside, you should see a folder named ‘plugins.’ This is where all your WordPress plugin files are stored.
Simply rename the plugins folder to ‘plugins_deactivate.’ This will deactivate all WordPress plugins installed on your website.
Your WordPress theme may also cause your website to malfunction. This can happen if you are using a poorly coded or outdated WordPress theme that has not been updated for a while.
To find out if your current WordPress theme is causing downtime, you will need to switch to a default WordPress theme.
First, connect to your website using an FTP client or the File Manager app in your hosting account control panel.
After that, go to the /wp-content/themes/ folder.
From here, you need to locate the ‘themes’ folder. This is where all the themes from your WordPress website are stored.
Simply rename the folder to ‘themes_deactivate’ to deactivate your current theme.
Next, you need to create a new folder named ‘themes.’
After that, you can go ahead and download a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Three from the WordPress themes directory.
Once it has been downloaded, you need to unzip the file.
Next, simply upload the downloaded theme file in the new ‘themes’ folder. This will activate it on your WordPress website.
You can also delete themes using the WordPress database. For more instructions, you can see our guide on how to delete a WordPress theme.
If changing the theme or deactivating plugins didn’t resolve the issue, then continue reading.
5. Check Your WordPress Settings
Your website may also experience downtime due to incorrect WordPress configuration settings. Most commonly, your site may be using the wrong WordPress address.
First, you will need to check if your WordPress address and site address are the same.
The WordPress address is where your WordPress files and folders are stored. By contrast, the site address points to the part of your website that visitors see and interact with.
If you have access to the WordPress admin dashboard, then just visit the Settings » General page from the admin sidebar.
From here, make sure that the ‘WordPress Address’ and ‘Site Address’ boxes have the same URL.
However, if you don’t have access to the WordPress admin, then you can check your site URLs by editing the wp-config.php file.
Permalinks are the permanent URLs for posts and pages on your website.
Your permalinks can break due to installing or updating a particular theme or plugin. Additionally, migrating your website to a new server or domain can also break your permalinks and cause your site to go down.
In this case, you can regenerate your site’s permalinks by going to Settings » Permalinks from the admin sidebar. Here, make sure that you have the right permalink structure selected.
Next, you simply need to click on the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom to repair the broken permalinks.
If your website is still down after repairing its permalinks, then you will need to continue reading.
7. Try Reuploading the WordPress Core Files
Updating the core WordPress software can also cause downtime due to changes or corruption of the core files. When this happens, important system files for your website cannot be accessed.
To fix this problem, you can try reuploading the /wp-admin/ and /wp-includes/ folders from a fresh WordPress install.
Note: This method will not remove any information or content from your site, but it may fix a corrupted core file.
First, you’ll need to visit the WordPress.org website and click the ‘Download & Extend’ menu link, followed by ‘Get WordPress’. Next, click the blue ‘Download WordPress’ button to download the .zip folder to your computer.
Next, you’ll need to extract the zip file and find the ‘wordpress’ folder inside of it.
After that, connect to your website using an FTP client. Once you have made the connection, head to the root folder of your website. It is typically called ‘public_html’ and it contains the wp-admin, wp-includes, and wp-content folders, along with other files.
Open the WordPress folder on your computer in the left column. Then, select all of its files and hit ‘Upload’ to transfer them to your website.
The FTP client will now transfer these folders to your server.
Next, it will ask if you would like to overwrite the files. You need to simply check the ‘Overwrite’ option and then select ‘Always use this action.’
Finally, hit the ‘OK’ button. Your older WordPress files will now be replaced with fresh copies.
If replacing corrupted files doesn’t solve the problem, then you need to move to the next step.
8. Install a Firewall on Your Website
Your WordPress website might also be down due to malware or DDoS attacks.
During a DDoS attack, a hacker sends a large amount of data requests to your WordPress hosting server. This causes the server to slow down and eventually crash.
Similarly, malware is software that injects itself into your WordPress files. It uses up your WordPress server resources by attacking other websites or generating spam.
The firewall acts as an filter between your website and incoming traffic. It identifies and blocks all suspicious requests before they reach your server.
It runs on a DNS level and catches DDoS attacks before they can even make a request to your website.
However, if you are looking for a free solution, then we recommend using Cloudflare instead.
You may want to read our article on Sucuri vs Cloudflare for a detailed comparison.
For better website protection, you will also need to use security best practices on your WordPress website. For more details, see our complete WordPress security guide with step-by-step instructions on how to secure your site.
9. Move to a Reliable WordPress Hosting Plan
Finally, if you have tried all the steps above and your website keeps going down, then it might be time to move to a reliable WordPress hosting provider.
If you have a small business or blog, then we recommend moving to Bluehost or Hostinger.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
SmartCrawl‘s Automatic Linking feature allows you to automatically turn specific keywords or phrases into internal or external links within your site’s content, saving you time and effort, making interlinking a breeze, and boosting your website’s overall SEO.
Interlinking web pages is essentially what makes the web the web. Smart and effective interlinking of web pages will improve your site’s SEO and play a crucial role in increasing the visibility and success of your website.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover practical uses of the SmartCrawl plugin’s Automatic Linking feature and how it can help automate an important aspect of your website’s SEO.
The Importance of Linking Web Content For Improved SEO
Internal and external linking are essential components of SEO that help to improve your site’s visibility and ranking on search engines and user navigation.
Internal linking refers to the practice of linking pages within the same website. It is an effective way to guide users through your website, make it easier for search engines to crawl and index pages, and establish a hierarchical page structure.
Internal linking can also help distribute link equity throughout a website, which can improve the ranking of individual pages.
External linking, on the other hand, involves linking to other websites or pages that are not within the same domain.
External linking can provide additional information or resources for users, and can also help establish your website’s authority and relevance in your particular field or industry.
What is SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking and How Does It Work?
SmartCrawl’s powerful Automatic Linking feature automates your site’s internal and external page linking and improves your site’s SEO.
It works by allowing you to select the post types for which you want to enable auto-linking and the post types or taxonomies that can be linked to.
This means that you can choose which areas of your website you want to apply the automatic linking feature and select exactly which post type(s) the plugin should automatically insert links in. Every post type active on your site will then be available for keyword linking.
For example, let’s say you run a web development business and you offer a website building, web hosting, and web maintenance package called “Total Business Care Service” which has an information page where clients can purchase the service.
Additionally, let’s say you run a blog on your site where you post articles about topics related to WordPress information and want to link to the WordPress news blog any time you type the words “WordPress news.”
Without the SmartCrawl plugin, you would have to manually create these links each time you write the text in your pages and posts.
With SmartCrawl, you can enable and set up automatic linking in a few simple steps, and save yourself a bunch of time by letting the plugin do the work of linking the text to your internal and external pages automatically.
Let SmartCrawl automatically link to the internal and external pages you specify for certain keywords.
Step-By-Step Guide to Using SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking
Using SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking feature is super easy.
First, make sure that you have installed and activated SmartCrawl Pro. Automatic linking is not available on the free version of the plugin.
Next, go to SmartCrawl > Settings > Advanced Tools. Here is where you’ll find the Automatic Links section.
Note: If this is the first time you are using this feature, click the Activate button.
Activate SmartCrawls’ Automatic Linking feature.
This will enable the functionality on your website and display the Automatic Linking screen.
SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking Screen.
The feature has four main tabs that let you configure exactly how you want the plugin to handle the automatic linking of keywords on your site.
Let’s go briefly through each tab:
Post Types
This tab lets you choose which areas of your website to apply the automatic linking feature. Use this tab to select the post types that you want to insert links from.
Every active post type on your site is available for keyword linking.
After selecting the post types to insert links in, a “Link to” field will display. Use the dropdown menu to select the post types or taxonomies to link to.
Select the post types or taxonomies to link to.
You have now specified the areas of your website where automatic linking will apply.
Remember to save your settings before continuing.
Custom Links
This section is where you take control of your linking strategy.
Add any keywords or key phrases that you want to automatically link to specific URLs (internal or external) here.
Specify your automatic internal and external links in the Custom Links tab.
SmartCrawl will now automatically create links throughout your site using the keywords and URLs you have specified.
SmartCrawl automatically creates the links in your content.
Exclusions
Use the Exclusions tab to ensure that certain keywords or URLs will not be linked to.
Exclude keywords and URLs from being automatically linked.
Settings
The Settings tab lets you specify global settings for your automatic linking strategy when using SmartCrawl.
For example, you can set minimum title and taxonomy lengths, maximum limits for links, allow auto-links to empty taxonomies, prevent linking in heading tags, and even process RSS feeds.
Other options include case-sensitive matching, preventing duplicate links, opening links in new tabs, adding nofollow autolinks, and preventing linking on no-index pages, image captions, and caching on autolinked content.
The Settings tab puts you in complete control of SmartCrawl’s automatic linking feature.
With all of these options, you can customize SmartCrawl to meet your specific linking needs.
Practical Examples of SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking Usage
So, what are some practical uses of SmartCrawl’s automatic linking feature?
Let’s go through some examples:
Example #1 – Boost Internal Linking to Blog Posts
Suppose you’ve written a great blog post about WordPress themes. You can set up an automatic linking rule in SmartCrawl to target the keyword “WordPress themes” which will automatically link this keyword on all of your existing and new posts to this article.
Example #2 – Automatically Link to Top Product Pages
If you have an eCommerce store, you can use automatic linking to turn your top-selling items’ names into links that direct users to the relevant product pages on your site.
This will help to drive more traffic to your popular and best-selling products and boost sales.
Example #3 – Increase Visibility of Pillar Content
Use automatic linking to increase the visibility and boost the rankings of your cornerstone or pillar content by turning the keywords you are targeting for this content into site wide links.
For example, suppose you have a page that contains an article about XYZ Widget with a step-by-step tutorial and detailed instructions that your customers need to follow to ensure that they use the product correctly. You can create an automatic linking rule in SmartCrawl that targets the keyword “XYZ Widget instructions” and automatically links to this important page.
Example #4 – Cross-Promote Related Content
Use automatic linking to connect topic-related blog posts, guides, or how-to articles on your site, providing users with easy access to related information and keeping them engaged longer with your content and your site.
Example #5 – Link to Useful External Resources
Have you got a relevant resource on an external site that your readers might benefit from? Turn specific keywords mentioning these resources into links that will direct users to those external pages.
Example #6 – Boost Affiliate Marketing Revenue
Similar to the previous example, if you promote affiliate products or services on your site, you can use SmartCrawl’s automatic linking feature to create anchor text links connecting specific brand names or product/service categories to their respective destination pages or sites with your embedded affiliate link.
SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking feature is perfect for affiliate marketing!
Sitewide Automatic Linking – Faster Than Blinking
SmartCrawl’s powerful and time-saving Automatic Linking feature helps you take your linking strategy to the next level while simultaneously improving your site’s SEO and user navigation experience.
Check out our documentation section to learn more about using the automatic links feature or access SmartCrawl Pro and start boosting your traffic, search rankings, and sales conversions today by becoming a WPMU DEV member.
SmartCrawl‘s Automatic Linking feature allows you to automatically turn specific keywords or phrases into internal or external links within your site’s content, saving you time and effort, making interlinking a breeze, and boosting your website’s overall SEO.
Interlinking web pages is essentially what makes the web the web. Smart and effective interlinking of web pages will improve your site’s SEO and play a crucial role in increasing the visibility and success of your website.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover practical uses of the SmartCrawl plugin’s Automatic Linking feature and how it can help automate an important aspect of your website’s SEO.
The Importance of Linking Web Content For Improved SEO
Internal and external linking are essential components of SEO that help to improve your site’s visibility and ranking on search engines and user navigation.
Internal linking refers to the practice of linking pages within the same website. It is an effective way to guide users through your website, make it easier for search engines to crawl and index pages, and establish a hierarchical page structure.
Internal linking can also help distribute link equity throughout a website, which can improve the ranking of individual pages.
External linking, on the other hand, involves linking to other websites or pages that are not within the same domain.
External linking can provide additional information or resources for users, and can also help establish your website’s authority and relevance in your particular field or industry.
What is SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking and How Does It Work?
SmartCrawl’s powerful Automatic Linking feature automates your site’s internal and external page linking and improves your site’s SEO.
It works by allowing you to select the post types for which you want to enable auto-linking and the post types or taxonomies that can be linked to.
This means that you can choose which areas of your website you want to apply the automatic linking feature and select exactly which post type(s) the plugin should automatically insert links in. Every post type active on your site will then be available for keyword linking.
For example, let’s say you run a web development business and you offer a website building, web hosting, and web maintenance package called “Total Business Care Service” which has an information page where clients can purchase the service.
Additionally, let’s say you run a blog on your site where you post articles about topics related to WordPress information and want to link to the WordPress news blog any time you type the words “WordPress news.”
Without the SmartCrawl plugin, you would have to manually create these links each time you write the text in your pages and posts.
With SmartCrawl, you can enable and set up automatic linking in a few simple steps, and save yourself a bunch of time by letting the plugin do the work of linking the text to your internal and external pages automatically.
Let SmartCrawl automatically link to the internal and external pages you specify for certain keywords.
Step-By-Step Guide to Using SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking
Using SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking feature is super easy.
First, make sure that you have installed and activated SmartCrawl Pro. Automatic linking is not available on the free version of the plugin.
Next, go to SmartCrawl > Settings > Advanced Tools. Here is where you’ll find the Automatic Links section.
Note: If this is the first time you are using this feature, click the Activate button.
Activate SmartCrawls’ Automatic Linking feature.
This will enable the functionality on your website and display the Automatic Linking screen.
SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking Screen.
The feature has four main tabs that let you configure exactly how you want the plugin to handle the automatic linking of keywords on your site.
Let’s go briefly through each tab:
Post Types
This tab lets you choose which areas of your website to apply the automatic linking feature. Use this tab to select the post types that you want to insert links from.
Every active post type on your site is available for keyword linking.
After selecting the post types to insert links in, a “Link to” field will display. Use the dropdown menu to select the post types or taxonomies to link to.
Select the post types or taxonomies to link to.
You have now specified the areas of your website where automatic linking will apply.
Remember to save your settings before continuing.
Custom Links
This section is where you take control of your linking strategy.
Add any keywords or key phrases that you want to automatically link to specific URLs (internal or external) here.
Specify your automatic internal and external links in the Custom Links tab.
SmartCrawl will now automatically create links throughout your site using the keywords and URLs you have specified.
SmartCrawl automatically creates the links in your content.
Exclusions
Use the Exclusions tab to ensure that certain keywords or URLs will not be linked to.
Exclude keywords and URLs from being automatically linked.
Settings
The Settings tab lets you specify global settings for your automatic linking strategy when using SmartCrawl.
For example, you can set minimum title and taxonomy lengths, maximum limits for links, allow auto-links to empty taxonomies, prevent linking in heading tags, and even process RSS feeds.
Other options include case-sensitive matching, preventing duplicate links, opening links in new tabs, adding nofollow autolinks, and preventing linking on no-index pages, image captions, and caching on autolinked content.
The Settings tab puts you in complete control of SmartCrawl’s automatic linking feature.
With all of these options, you can customize SmartCrawl to meet your specific linking needs.
Practical Examples of SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking Usage
So, what are some practical uses of SmartCrawl’s automatic linking feature?
Let’s go through some examples:
Example #1 – Boost Internal Linking to Blog Posts
Suppose you’ve written a great blog post about WordPress themes. You can set up an automatic linking rule in SmartCrawl to target the keyword “WordPress themes” which will automatically link this keyword on all of your existing and new posts to this article.
Example #2 – Automatically Link to Top Product Pages
If you have an eCommerce store, you can use automatic linking to turn your top-selling items’ names into links that direct users to the relevant product pages on your site.
This will help to drive more traffic to your popular and best-selling products and boost sales.
Example #3 – Increase Visibility of Pillar Content
Use automatic linking to increase the visibility and boost the rankings of your cornerstone or pillar content by turning the keywords you are targeting for this content into site wide links.
For example, suppose you have a page that contains an article about XYZ Widget with a step-by-step tutorial and detailed instructions that your customers need to follow to ensure that they use the product correctly. You can create an automatic linking rule in SmartCrawl that targets the keyword “XYZ Widget instructions” and automatically links to this important page.
Example #4 – Cross-Promote Related Content
Use automatic linking to connect topic-related blog posts, guides, or how-to articles on your site, providing users with easy access to related information and keeping them engaged longer with your content and your site.
Example #5 – Link to Useful External Resources
Have you got a relevant resource on an external site that your readers might benefit from? Turn specific keywords mentioning these resources into links that will direct users to those external pages.
Example #6 – Boost Affiliate Marketing Revenue
Similar to the previous example, if you promote affiliate products or services on your site, you can use SmartCrawl’s automatic linking feature to create anchor text links connecting specific brand names or product/service categories to their respective destination pages or sites with your embedded affiliate link.
SmartCrawl’s Automatic Linking feature is perfect for affiliate marketing!
Sitewide Automatic Linking – Faster Than Blinking
SmartCrawl’s powerful and time-saving Automatic Linking feature helps you take your linking strategy to the next level while simultaneously improving your site’s SEO and user navigation experience.
Check out our documentation section to learn more about using the automatic links feature or access SmartCrawl Pro and start boosting your traffic, search rankings, and sales conversions today by becoming a WPMU DEV member.
If you’re comparing different website builders, then you may have come across the sentiment that WordPress is hard to use.
WordPress is the world’s most popular website builder powering over 43% of all websites on the internet. However, some people complain that WordPress is more difficult to use than solutions like Squarespace and Wix.
In this article, we’ll address the myth of why WordPress is so hard, and share the tricks, tools, and techniques you can use to harness the full power of WordPress without any difficulties.
Why is WordPress So Hard?
Over 43% of all websites on the internet are built on WordPress. This might make you wonder:
Why are so many people using a difficult platform?
Unlike website builders such as Squarespace, WordPress is completely open source, customizable, and flexible. You can use WordPress in any way you want, which might sound confusing for new users.
This is particularly true if you’ve previously used a website builder like Wix.com. These platforms typically have limited features and control exactly how you use their tools. This might make it seem like that they’re easy to use, but they are also very restrictive.
With the right techniques, tools, and information, WordPress is just as easy as any website builder, but without any of the restrictions.
By choosing WordPress, you’ll get the freedom to use any web host and domain provider, so you can update, customize, and extend your WordPress website in exactly the way you want.
In the official WordPress repository alone, you’ll find over 60,000 free plugins that can add all sorts of features to your website. Think of plugins like apps in your iPhone except they’re for your websites.
When it comes to designing your site, you can use any free or premium theme, or even use drag & drop page builders to create a completely unique design.
There are no provider terms and conditions to follow, and you own all the content on your site.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at why nearly half of all website owners in the world ignore the myth that WordPress is hard to use and choose WordPress as their platform.
WordPress Isn’t Hard (But Here’s How to Make it Even Easier)
At WPBeginner we don’t believe that WordPress is hard. However, if you don’t have the right tools, tricks, and know-how, then WordPress can feel more complex than it actually is.
With that in mind, let’s see how you can make WordPress easier. You can use the links below to jump to any section of the post.
By choosing the best WordPress hosting, you can set your site up for success. The right host will provide exactly the features you need to build and run a successful WordPress website, even if you have no previous experience.
Some hosts even perform crucial WordPress maintenance tasks such as creating backups, adding security plugins, and installing updates. This will make WordPress feel effortless.
For example, Bluehost is a well-known WordPress hosting provider that automatically installs and set up WordPress for you when you sign up.
From time to time, you may encounter problems or have questions.
A good host will offer support over email, phone, live chat, and other channels so you’ll have no problems getting your site back on track.
As the world’s most popular CMS, there are lots of companies that offer WordPress hosting. For that reason, we’ve done the research and created a list of the best web hosting companies to help you find the provider that’s right for you.
Here are the top WordPress hosting companies that we recommend:
Bluehost – great for beginners – includes free domain.
Hostinger – growing fast in popularity due to affordable prices, fast speed, includes free domain.
The best part about WordPress is that you can easily add any feature to your site using plugins, without hiring a developer.
There are eCommerce plugins to help you create an online store, plugins that turn WordPress into a membership site so you can sell courses, add smart lead generation forms to grow your business, improve your SEO rankings, and much more.
In fact, there are over 60,000 free plugins in the official WordPress repository alone, so you’ll have no problems finding a plugin that meets your exact needs.
Just like plugins, there are countless free themes to choose from. In fact, there are over 10,500 free themes in the official WordPress repository alone.
It’s important to choose a theme that looks good, has the features you need, and is also high quality. To help you make the right decision, see our guide on how to select the perfect WordPress theme.
When building your site, you’ll create posts and pages using the WordPress block editor.
If you’re using a block-enabled theme such as Divi or Astra, then you can also add content using the full-site editor.
This editor allows you to completely change the theme layout and add new sections to your website without writing any code.
This is a great start, but it can be very basic and has a limited number of features.
We still recommend using a page builder plugin such as SeedProd. SeedProd allows you to create completely custom page designs and comes with ready-made blocks that you can drag and drop anywhere on your site.
This includes advanced blocks like countdown timers, contact forms, Google Maps, payment fields, and much more.
After adding a block to your site, you can customize it using the settings in the left-hand SeedProd menu.
Most visitors will find your site through search engines like Google. To help search engines show your content to the right people, you’ll need to work on your WordPress SEO.
SEO is a huge topic that often includes technical tasks such as adding rich snippets schema markup to your site.
Thankfully, there’s a WordPress plugin for everything and SEO is no exception. There are lots of different WordPress SEO plugins and tools you can use for individual tasks, but we recommend AIOSEO as it’s the complete SEO toolkit for WordPress.
AIOSEO comes with powerful features including breadcrumb navigation, advanced eCommerce SEO support for WooCommerce, local SEO, an internal link assistant, and much more. This means you don’t have to set up and learn multiple SEO plugins.
AIOSEO also scans your pages and posts as you’re writing them and creates a checklist of ways to improve its SEO.
To provide a good experience, your website needs to load quickly.
WordPress is already optimized for speed and performance, but there are lots of tricks and tools that can make it run even faster. With that in mind, we’ve created the ultimate guide to boost WordPress speed and performance that has everything you need to know.
Set up an Automated Security Plugin
WordPress is secure software, but hackers are always coming up with new ways to break into sites and steal data. To help new WordPress users keep their sites safe, we’ve created an ultimate WordPress security guide.
Sucuri tracks everything that happens on your site, including failed login attempts and any changes to the WordPress files.
It also scans for malware and monitors whether your site appears on any blocklists, as this may mean there’s a problem with your site’s security.
If it finds an issue, then Sucuri will notify you automatically. In this way, you can protect your site without having to perform any manual checks, or learn complicated security tools.
As a website owner, your goal is to get people to your site and keep them engaged. That’s where Google Analytics comes in.
Analytics allow you to make decisions based on real data. For example, you can track website visitors and see the content that gets the most engagement. You can then create more of this popular content.
You can also see how long visitors stay on your site and the bounce rate, which is the percentage of users who exit your site on the first visit. You can use this information to increase pageviews and reduce bounce rate in WordPress.
Google Analytics is an important tool, but it can be complicated to set up. For that reason, we recommend using MonsterInsights.
Spambots and malicious third parties can easily flood a site’s comment section with links to malware and low-quality pages. This can hurt your website’s reputation and may even affect its SEO.
You can moderate comments in WordPress directly from the dashboard, including manually approving and blocking comments, or even deleting them completely.
However, moderating every single comment can be time-consuming, especially as your site grows and attracts more visitors.
WordPress is open-source software so anyone can see and edit its code, or even add their own PHP, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. It may sound complicated, but there are lots of reasons to add custom code to WordPress.
WPCode is the best code snippets plugin for WordPress and allows you to add custom PHP, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML without editing any theme files.
WPCode also has a built-in library of snippets that you can add to a site with just a few clicks. Even if you’re a beginner with no coding experience, WPCode makes it easy to add custom code in WordPress in a safe way.
Keep Your WordPress Site Up-To-Date
It’s important to keep your themes, plugins, and core WordPress software up-to-date. Hackers try to exploit known errors and vulnerabilities in outdated software, so if you fall behind then your site could become an easy target.
Some updates even add features that make WordPress easier to use. For this reason, it’s important to update WordPress core, update your WordPress plugins, and install the latest version of your theme.
Some web hosts will install these updates for you automatically, especially if you’re using a managed hosting provider.
WordPress is secure and reliable software, but it’s still a good idea to create regular backups.
Accidents and mistakes happen, such as deleting important content or editing the wrong page. Malicious third parties may also try to break into your site and delete your content.
By creating regular backups, you can always recover a working and error-free version of your website. Even if the worst happens and you lose all your data, you can simply restore your WordPress website from its latest backup.
They may be important, but many website owners overlook backups until it’s too late.
The good news is there are many free and paid WordPress backup plugins that can do the hard work for you. We recommend using a premium plugin like Duplicator Pro as it can create backups automatically.
For added security, Duplicator Pro will save your backups to popular online storage solutions like Dropbox, OneDrive, or Amazon S3. This means you can log into these services from any location, and get access to a working copy of your website.
For this reason, many website owners don’t take the time to learn more about WordPress. We think this is a big mistake.
By continuing to learn you can often make WordPress even easier to use. With that in mind, here are just some of the free resources you’ll find on WPBeginner:
WPBeginner Blog. This is where we publish our WordPress tutorials, how-tos, and step-by-step guides. We have a huge library of free content, and we’re publishing new information all the time.
WPBeginner Dictionary. Complicated terms and technical jargon can make WordPress seem a lot harder than it is. For that reason, we’ve created a directory that covers all the WordPress lingo.
WPBeginner Videos. Our step-by-step WordPress 101 video tutorials have everything you need to get started with WordPress.
WPBeginner on YouTube. Enjoyed our WordPress 101 series and want to learn more? You’ll find over 900 more videos on our YouTube channel covering everything from SEO, to common WordPress errors and how to fix them, how to embed dynamic social media feeds on your site, and much more.
WPBeginner Engage Group. The largest and fastest-growing WordPress group for non-techies and beginners on Facebook. Here, you can connect with over 91,000 WordPress users, ask questions, and get support from the community.
Consider Hiring a WordPress Maintenance Service
The tips and tricks in this guide will make WordPress feel effortless, even if you’ve never created a website before.
However, if you’re looking for the ultimate hassle-free experience then you can always hire a maintenance service to take care of WordPress for you. This includes creating backups, installing updates, performing SEO audits, upgrading your site’s security, finding and fixing broken links, and more.
These services are perfect for first-time WordPress users or anyone who finds that day-to-day website maintenance takes too much time. If you want to hire a WordPress expert, then see our pick of the best WordPress website maintenance services.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Asking the right questions to evaluate a digital marketing agency before outsourcing your marketing needs is important. The questions below will help to ensure a perfect fit and a successful long-term partnership.
In this article, we list the essential questions you should ask before outsourcing to find the right agency for your needs and explain why asking these questions is vitally important for the success of your business.
We’ve grouped these questions into the following categories:
Questions To Ask A Digital Marketing Agency Before Outsourcing
Navigating the vast digital marketing landscape can be overwhelming. To ensure your business’s online visibility and growth, it’s important to find the perfect digital marketing agency that can not only provide tailored marketing solutions, but also help you achieve your desired goals through innovative, data-driven strategies.
Asking the right questions is crucial in determining the best fit for your specific marketing needs. To save you countless hours of research and time-wasting, we’ve compiled the list below. It includes all the questions to ask a digital marketing agency before outsourcing your marketing initiatives.
Note: If you’re a digital agency, use the questions below to help you gain a better understanding of your business and to position your services more competitively (go here for details on how to list your agency in our directory).
Agency Background and Experience
The questions below focus on understanding the agency’s overall experience and expertise in digital marketing. Ask these questions to help you determine if the agency has a proven track record of success within your industry or with similar businesses, to ensure they have the knowledge and skills needed to drive results for your business.
1. What is your experience in digital marketing? How long have you been in the industry?
Understanding the agency’s experience and longevity in the industry helps you to evaluate their expertise and stability. This question helps you assess the agency’s expertise and industry knowledge. A digital marketing agency with a proven track record of experience is more likely to have the expertise to handle your marketing needs effectively.
2. What sets your digital marketing agency apart from your competitors?
It’s important to identify the agency’s unique selling proposition, differentiating factors, or innovative approaches that make them stand out. Understanding the agency’s distinctive offerings can help your business make a more informed decision and ensure that you are choosing the right partner to help you achieve your goals.
3. Can you provide examples of digital marketing campaigns or projects you have worked on in the past and their outcomes?
Reviewing the agency’s portfolio and case studies can help you evaluate their past work and outcomes, assess their track record of success, and gauge their creativity, strategy, ability, and effectiveness to achieve results.
4. Do you have experience working with businesses in our industry or similar industries? How do you tailor your digital marketing strategies to different industries?
Businesses with experience in your industry will be better prepared to handle the unique challenges, trends, and audience behavior of your industry and develop targeted and effective marketing strategies and campaigns that cater to these unique needs.
Asking this question will help you find out if the agency has relevant experience and knowledge about the sector and the markets your business operates in.
Digital Marketing Services and Approach
The questions below are designed to gain insights into the agency’s specific digital marketing services and their strategic approach to driving success. This includes their process for developing and implementing digital marketing strategies, as well as their knowledge and experience in specialized areas such as content marketing, SEO, and social media marketing.
5. What digital marketing services do you offer? (e.g. SEO, PPC, social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, etc.)
Different agencies may have different areas of expertise, like SEO, PPC, or social media. Knowing the agency’s core services will help you to determine if they have the capabilities to meet your digital marketing needs and align with your business goals.
6. How do you approach developing a digital marketing strategy for a business? Can you provide an overview of your process?
A well-defined strategy is essential for successful digital marketing campaigns. This question helps you assess the agency’s strategic thinking and planning process and understand how they create customized marketing strategies and what steps are involved in their process.
7. What is your approach to content creation and content marketing? How do you ensure that the content is aligned with our brand and messaging?
Content is a crucial aspect of digital marketing. Understanding the agency’s approach to content creation, quality, relevance, and alignment with your brand helps to ensure that your content marketing efforts are effective.
8. How do you handle social media marketing? Can you provide examples of social media campaigns you have managed?
Social media is a prominent digital marketing channel. This question helps you assess the agency’s experience and approach to social media marketing, their capabilities and their ability to to create and manage successful social media campaigns that will generate engagement and growth through various platforms.
9. How do you approach search engine optimization (SEO)? Can you provide examples of SEO strategies you have implemented for other clients?
SEO is critical for online visibility. Inquiring about the agency’s approach to SEO and their past strategies and proven successes can help you assess their expertise in optimizing websites for search engines, and evaluate their ability to improve your search engine visibility and drive organic traffic to your site.
10. How do you handle paid advertising campaigns, such as pay-per-click (PPC) or Google Ads? Can you provide examples of successful paid advertising campaigns you have managed?
Paid advertising can be an effective way to boost online visibility. This question helps you evaluate the agency’s expertise and ability to manage paid advertising campaigns effectively and their proficiency to generate desired outcomes a positive return on ad spend.
11. How do you handle email marketing campaigns? Can you provide examples of successful email marketing campaigns you have executed?
Understanding the agency’s approach to email marketing, including their strategy, segmentation, and automation, can help you assess their ability to create and execute effective email campaigns that drive engagement and conversions.
12. What is your approach to website design and development? Do you offer website design and development services or work with external partners?
Your website is a critical digital marketing asset. Knowing the agency’s approach to website design and development helps you assess their expertise in creating websites that are user-friendly, visually appealing, and aligned with your brand.
Tools, Technologies, and Data Security
The questions below are critical for understanding the agency’s technical capabilities and their commitment to data security. Asking these questions will help to elucidate the digital marketing tools and technologies they utilize, any additional costs associated with these tools, and their approaches to ensuring the protection of your business and customer data.
This is important because you will need to trust the agency and provide them with access to everything they need to run your marketing effectively – login details to your site, Google Analytics and social media accounts, etc.
13. What tools and technologies do you use for digital marketing? Are there any additional costs associated with these tools?
Knowing the tools and technologies used by the agency helps you understand their capabilities and efficiency in managing and executing effective digital marketing campaigns, and allows you to assess any additional costs associated with these tools.
14. How do you handle data privacy and security? How do you ensure that our business and customer data are protected?
Protecting your business and customer data is paramount. Data privacy and security are critical concerns, and asking about the agency’s data privacy and security practices ensures that they follow industry standards and will take appropriate measures to safeguard your sensitive information.
Performance Metrics and Reporting
Gauging the success of digital marketing campaigns requires effective tracking and reporting of performance metrics. The questions below address the agency’s process for measuring campaign success, the key performance indicators they track, and their approach to reporting and communicating these metrics to their clients.
15. How do you measure the success of digital marketing campaigns? What metrics do you track, and how do you report on them?
Clear reporting and analysis are crucial for optimizing campaigns and achieving desired results. Understanding the agency’s approach to measuring campaign success and the metrics they track allows you to evaluate their performance and accountability, set up realistic expectations, and evaluate their performance and campaign success over time.
This question will also help you understand if the agency’s performance metrics align with your business goals.
16. How do you handle reporting and communication with clients? How often will we receive reports, and what will be included in them?
Clear and regular communication is essential for a successful partnership. This question helps establish expectations for reporting frequency and content. It’s important to ensure there’s open communication and trust between your business and the agency.
You want clear and consistent communication about the progress of your campaigns in order to make timely adjustments and ensure that the campaign’s messaging and strategy remains aligned with your goals.
Collaboration and Coordination
Partnering with a digital marketing agency often involves extensive collaboration and communication with your internal team. The questions below cover how the agency plans to involve your in-house team, as well as their methods for coordinating with various stakeholders to ensure seamless execution and synergy.
17. How do you handle communication and coordination with our internal marketing team or other stakeholders? How much will you involve the in-house team? Who will be working on our account?
Effective communication, reporting, and coordination with internal teams and stakeholders are key to a successful agency-client relationship and allow for a smooth collaboration between your business and the agency.
If you have an internal marketing team or other stakeholders, coordinating with them is essential for successful digital marketing campaigns.
Asking the agency about their approach to coordinating and collaborating with your internal team or other stakeholders helps you understand how they will work with your team and ensure smooth communication and coordination throughout the campaign.
Knowing the main contact person(s) and the team structure will help to foster a healthy working relationship and keep communication streamlined. Understanding the dynamics of the team that will handle your digital marketing efforts, the agency’s reporting frequency, format, and how communication channels will be maintained helps you ensure that you receive regular updates and insights on your campaigns.
Pricing and Timeline
Understanding the costs associated with digital marketing services is essential for budgeting and decision-making. The questions below focus on the agency’s pricing structure, any additional fees, and their expectations concerning timelines and results. This information will help you plan your marketing efforts more effectively and determine if the agency is a good fit for your financial goals.
18. What is your pricing structure? How do you charge for your services, and are there any additional costs or fees?
It’s important to have a clear understanding of costs associated with outsourcing your digital marketing efforts to the agency. Understanding the agency’s pricing structure, payment terms, and any additional costs associated with their services helps you assess if their services are within your budget and if they provide value for the investment.
It’s important to have clarity on pricing and budget to avoid any surprise costs, hidden fees, or misunderstandings later on.
19. What are your expectations in terms of timelines and results for our digital marketing campaigns?
Setting realistic expectations and understanding the agency’s anticipated timelines and results ensure transparency and optimized goal-setting for both parties.
Additional Questions to Gauge Agency Success
Asking the questions below will provide additional insights into the agency’s overall success and adaptability in the ever-changing digital marketing landscape. Topics covered in this section include staying updated with industry trends, providing references and case studies, internal marketing strategies, expected result timeframes, and the agency’s ability to learn and bounce back from failures.
20. How do you stay updated with the latest trends and changes in technology and the digital marketing landscape?
The digital marketing landscape is constantly changing. It is essential for the agency to stay updated with the latest trends, algorithm changes, and best practices, and be able to adapt their strategies accordingly.
You want to know how flexible and adaptable their strategies are to changes in industry trends and technology to ensure they can adapt to changes in the market, deliver timely, effective and up-to-date marketing efforts, and maintain their relevance and competitiveness.
21. Can you provide references from previous clients or case studies of successful digital marketing campaigns you have executed?
Case studies and client references provide insights into the agency’s credibility, ability to drive results, and client satisfaction. Ask for examples of successful campaigns and whether you can contact existing clients to obtain feedback, verify the agency’s claims, and get insights from their previous clients about their experience, communication, and results achieved.
22. Which strategies do you use for your brand, and what has been working out for you?
This question is important because it helps evaluate the agency’s own digital marketing efforts and identify the strategies that have been successful in promoting their brand. By learning about the approaches they use for themselves, you can better understand their expertise and potential effectiveness in implementing those strategies for your business.
Asking this question also showcases the agency’s ability to adapt and innovate in the digital marketing space, demonstrating their willingness to stay ahead of the curve and continuously test and refine techniques. Furthermore, it shows that they practice what they preach and can be a credible partner for your business.
23. What is the onboarding process for new clients?
Understanding the agency’s onboarding process is crucial to ensuring a smooth and efficient transition into the working relationship. This question helps reveal the agency’s organizational skills, communication strategies, and their commitment to providing a seamless integration for new clients.
The response to this question will offer insights into their process for gathering necessary information, setting expectations and goals, assigning key personnel, and establishing communication channels. Additionally, it allows you to assess the agency’s dedication to understanding your business, objectives, and target audience, which is vital for creating and implementing tailored and effective digital marketing strategies.
A clear and well-defined onboarding process also demonstrates the agency’s professionalism and experience, ensuring that they are well-versed in managing projects and working with different teams. This information helps build trust and confidence that the agency can effectively address your unique digital marketing needs and cultivate a productive partnership.
24. When can I expect to start seeing results?
Setting realistic expectations regarding the timeline for results is crucial for both the client and the agency. This question allows you to gauge the agency’s transparency and the effectiveness of their strategies in delivering quantifiable results. It is essential while forming a suitable partnership, as it prevents potential misunderstandings or disappointments in later stages of the project.
The agency’s response helps you understand the typical timeframes associated with different digital marketing strategies and the time needed to achieve desired outcomes. It also provides an insight into the agency’s ability to deliver on their promises and their overall performance.
25. What are some of your recent failures, and how did you remediate them?
This question is not only about learning from their mistakes but also assessing the agency’s adaptability, transparency, and problem-solving capabilities. The willingness to share and acknowledge their failures demonstrates a proactive learning attitude and a commitment to continuous improvement, which are essential traits for a successful digital marketing agency.
Inquiring about their remediation efforts helps you understand the agency’s resilience when faced with challenges and their ability to bounce back and learn from their mistakes. This insight can inspire confidence in their services and provide a better understanding of their approach to overcoming setbacks and unforeseen obstacles.
Successfully Interviewing Digital Agencies – Additional Tips
It’s important to thoroughly vet and interview digital marketing agencies to ensure they align with your business goals, have the necessary expertise and experience, and can deliver results.
In addition to the questions listed above, the tips below will help you make an informed decision about selecting the right digital marketing agency for your business:
Contract and Terms
Review the agency’s contract and terms of service thoroughly and clarify any doubts before committing to their service. This will help you understand the legal and contractual aspects of the engagement and ensure that you are comfortable with their terms and conditions.
Team Expertise and Qualifications
Ask about the qualifications, certifications, and expertise of the agency’s team members. This will help you assess their skills, knowledge, and experience in digital marketing. A qualified and experienced team is more likely to deliver effective results for your campaigns.
Communication Channels and Response Time
Clear communication channels and timely response are crucial for successful collaboration with a digital marketing agency. Inquire about the agency’s preferred communication channels and their typical response time. This will help you set expectations and ensure smooth communication throughout the engagement.
Flexibility and Adaptability
Digital marketing is dynamic, and strategies may need to be adjusted based on results and changing market conditions. As covered earlier, it’s important to ask the agency about their flexibility and adaptability to changes. This will help you assess their ability to adjust strategies and tactics as needed to optimize results.
Client Retention Rate
Inquire about the agency’s client retention rate. This helps you gauge their ability to retain long-term clients. A high client retention rate is a positive indicator of client satisfaction and successful outcomes.
Ask For a Proposal or Plan
Request a proposal or plan from the agency. This allows you to evaluate their approach, creativity, and strategy in detail. A well-prepared proposal or plan provides insights into their understanding of your business, market, and objectives, and helps you assess their suitability for your digital marketing needs.
Additional Tip: Choose Local
Although we live in a global economy that allows us to do business with anyone, anywhere in the world, keep in mind that international laws can be complicated. Should your relationship with an agency go sour for any reason, you could find yourself in a difficult situation facing complex, challenging, and expensive options for resolution.
For this reason, we recommend hiring an agency within your own country or within the same region your business legally operates in.
Unlock the Full Potential of Your Digital Marketing Strategies with WPMU DEV’s Agency Partner Directory
If you plan to outsource your digital marketing needs to an external agency, it’s important to find the right partner that aligns with your business values, expectations, and objectives.
Asking the essential questions listed above when hiring a digital marketing agency is crucial to assess their expertise, experience, approach, and compatibility with your business goals. It will help you make an informed decision and choose an agency that can effectively meet your digital marketing needs and goals, drive successful outcomes for your business, and provide you with the backing and support you need to run a successful marketing strategy.
WPMU DEV’s Agency Partner directory is an invaluable resource that we have developed to help you find reliable agencies with the expertise and experience to help your business maximize online visibility and growth and ensure that your marketing goals are met and exceeded.
If you are ready to outsource your digital marketing needs, then familiarize yourself with the above questions and search through our directory of digital marketing agencies. You will be sure to find a suitable partner that will perfectly meet your needs.
And if you provide web development or digital marketing services, consider becoming listed on our directory. For more details, go here: Become a Partner.
