Tag: wordpress

How to Auto Update Footer Copyright Year in WordPress Website
There are a few different ways you can automatically update the copyright year in the footer of your WordPress website. One option is to use a plugin like “Easy Digital Downloads – Yearly Archive.” This plugin will automatically update the copyright year in your footer to the current year.

Another option is to use a shortcode in your footer.php file. To do this, you will need to add the following code to your footer.php file:
```
<p>Copyright [year] [site_title]</p>
```
This will display the current year and the title of your website in the copyright footer.

You can also use a simple PHP function to automatically update the copyright year in your footer. To do this, you will need to add the following code to your footer.php file:
```
<p>Copyright <?php echo date("Y"); ?> [site_title]</p>
```
This will display the current year in the copyright footer.

Finally, you can use a widget to display the copyright year in your footer. To do this, go to Appearance > Widgets in your WordPress dashboard and add the “Text” widget to your footer widget area. Then, you can enter the following code in the widget:
```
<p>Copyright [year] [site_title]</p>
```
This will display the current year and the title of your website in the copyright footer.
01.01.2023
6 Best WooCommerce SEO Plugins for 2023
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is one of the most important aspects of building a website. Having the ability to track keywords, set custom titles and meta descriptions, along with optimizing content is critical for SERPs. For those who have eCommerce websites, taking steps to optimize your product pages and add product schema markup is also an important aspect of SEO. In this post, we will discuss our top 6 WooCommerce SEO plugins so you can make an informed decision about which one to use on your website. Let’s get started.

What is a WooCommerce SEO Plugin?

A WooCommerce SEO plugin is essential for a high-ranking WooCommerce site. It is a piece of software installed on your WordPress site that will allow you to add SEO page titles, keywords, and meta descriptions to your posts, pages, and products. SEO plugins assist website owners in getting their site more visible to search engines, and can help boost rankings in search results.

All of the plugins on our list offer WooCommerce support with their free offerings, but there are a few that offer more features for WooCommerce with their paid versions. Let’s take a look at our top 6, list the features that are offered, and discuss pricing for each.

The 6 Best WooCommerce SEO Plugins

1. Rank Math

$RankMath SEO plugin for WordPress$

Rank Math is one of the most popular WooCommerce SEO plugins for WordPress on the market today, and with good reason (see our review here). It encompasses all the features you would expect from an SEO plugin, but it goes even further by adding support for WooCommerce. In fact, it offers a WooCommerce SEO module add-on that pays particular attention to Woo products by optimizing your WooCommerce product pages for search engines. Not only does it add the required metadata, but it also adds product schema which helps your site get more attention in the SERPs.

If you are a Divi user, Rank Math is even better suited for you. With Divi’s integration with Rank Math, you get the added bonus of being able to configure your keywords, meta data, and other SEO goodies in the Visual Builder with the help of Rank Math’s Divi SEO add-on. You no longer have to bounce from the front end to the back end to set up your SEO. Rank Math provides a handy modal pop-up so you can take care of all of the SEO necessities while you design your page. Check out our detailed tutorial on how to use Rank Math in Divi.

The great thing about Rank Math is their WooCommerce specific settings, which are available in both the free and paid versions. You can do things like remove the category base in your products, which shortens your URL for improved search results. Additionally, you can remove that pesky schema markup on your shop archive pages. Google recommends that you not use any other schema type on your shop pages, so this will also improve your odds of better Google rankings.

Key Features for Rank Math:
- Divi integration
- WooCommerce specific settings
- Content AI (content suggestions)
- Google Analytics integration
- Optimize unlmited keywords
- Google Search Console integration
- XML sitemap generation
- Google keyword ranking
- Advanced SEO analysis tool
- Single post/product SEO reports
- 404 monitor
With the pro version, you’ll get additional features such as Google Analytics 4 integration, keyword rank tracker, the ability to track up to 500 keywords (with the Pro license), a highly advanced schema generator, white-labeled email reports, Google Trends integration, local SEO, automated image SEO, and much more.

Rank Math is for you if…
- You are a Divi user who primarily uses the Visual Builder
- WooCommerce specific SEO settings are necessary
- You want to view reporting on individual posts, products, or pages
- You want a schema markup specifically for store items
Rank Math pricing: Free for Basic | $59 for Pro License | $199 for Business License | $499 for Agency License | Learn more about Rank Math

2. Yoast SEO/Yoast WooCommerce SEO

Yoast SEO is one of the most recognizable names when it comes to WordPress SEO plugins. There are many tools in Yoast that allow you to configure nearly every aspect of your SEO including adding a focus keyphrase, custom SEO titles for your posts and pages, as well as meta descriptions. Additionally, Yoast has a handy configuration wizard that takes the guesswork out of setting your site up for SEO success.

Key Features for Yoast SEO:
- Front-end SEO inspector
- WordProof integration
- REST API
- Keyword data via SEMRush
- Schema controls
- Internal linking blocks
- FAQ block
- Function words check
- Image alt attributes check
- Readability analysis
- Mobile previews
- Keyphase density
The Yoast WooCommerce SEO plugin adds to the many great features of the standard SEO plugin by ensuring your products stand out in search results. With Yoast WooCommerce SEO, you’ll get product specific SEO content analysis along with handy training videos to help you make the most of your ecommerce website. Additionally, you’ll receive automatic best practice technical SEO for your online shop.

Yoast SEO is for you if…
- You want to monitor your readability and SEO scores in real time while writing content
- Monitoring keyword density matters
- You want the ability to preview desktop and mobile views of your meta descriptions
- You need in-depth training materials at your disposal
Yoast SEO pricing: Free for Yoast SEO | $79/yr Yoast SEO WooCommerce plugin | $145/yr Yoast SEO WooCommerce/Yoast SEO Premium Bundle | Learn more about Yoast SEO.

3. All in One SEO

The All in One SEO plugin is the original SEO plugin for WordPress. Like the first two entries on our list, it is offered in both free and pro versions. The free version of the plugin has plenty of features to assist you in setting your site up for success. SEO can be configured for posts, pages, and WooCommerce, which makes it a good all around SEO plugin.

Key Features for All in One SEO:
- SEO audit checklst
- Smart SEO schema markup
- Advanced SEO modules
- SEO sitemap suite
- Google AMP SEO
- WooCommerce SEO
- SEO content analysis tool
- Social media integration
- Easy Google Search Console integration
- Google News SEO
- TruSEO on-page analysis
After the inital setup, you’ll be able to access the dashboard where you’ll have access to your SEO site score which contains important issues, recommended improvements, and good results for you to browse. You’ll also have access to All in One SEO’s complete site audit checklist, which will assist you in making changes to your site’s SEO settings.

For more advanced features, you’ll want to sign up for a pro license. Features such as taxonomy optimization, video & news sitemaps, local SEO, image SEO, and advanced WooCommerce SEO are all possible. With All in One SEO pro, you have the ability to write meta titles and descriptions for product categories, pages, tags, and more. Doing this gives you a better shot at ranking higher in Google’s shopping platform.

All in One SEO is for you if…
- You want an easy-to-follow checklist to assist in SEO setup
- Advanced SEO modules are your thing
- You need smart sitemaps
- Local SEO is important for your business
- You want to automatically generate custom product titles and meta
All in One SEO pricing: Free | $49.60/yr for Basic | $99.60/yr for Plus | $199.60/yr for Pro | $299.60/yr for Elite | Learn more about All in One SEO.

4. SEO Press

One of the more basic options on our list, SEO Press is still packed full of features for your ecommerce website. With it’s easy-to-follow setup wizard, you’ll have your site optimized and indexed in under a few minutes. If you are making a switch from another SEO plugin, this one will take the guesswork out of setup for you by importing settings from your previously installed SEO plugin (if you had one).

For WooCommerce users, SEO Press generates a XML product sitemap plus images. This helps Google and other search engines to index your product pages, increasing the chances of them being seen. Plus, you get product rich snippets in Google search results that will aid in higher conversions. These can be generated automatically, or manually if you prefer to do the work yourself. SEO Press also offers Google Analytics enhanced ecommerce integration that tracks purchases, cart additions, and cart removals. Having the ability to track product related events enables you to tweak your SEO strategy when needed.

Key Features for SEO Press:
- Easy to setup
- Google Analytics enhanced ecommerce integration
- Social media optimzations
- XML and HTML sitemaps
- Google Analytics/Matomo tracking
- Intuitve dashboard
- Content analysis with unlimited keywords
As with other plugins on our list, you can set metadata for post, pages, and products. Additionally, you can also optimize product images, and set up social sharing options for your products. You can set titles & meta data, general XML sitemaps, integrate social networks, and set up Google Analytics right in the dashboard. Additionally, SEO Press offers integrations with third party developers such as Divi, HubSpot, TranslatePress, BuddyPress, Easy Digital Downloads, and more.

The pro version of SEO Press offers some added benefits such as a redirect manager, broken link detector, breadcrumbs, a white label tool, as well as 4 Gutenberg blocks including FAQ, how-to, local business, and breadcrumbs.

SEO Press is for you if…
- Want an affordable solution for premium SEO features
- You need Gutenberg blocks integration
- You want analytics reports right in the WordPress dashbaord
- Integrations with third party software is important
SEO Press pricing: Free | $49.99/yr for Pro | Learn more about SEO Press.

5. Squirrly SEO

The next plugin on our list is a great option for SEO beginners who need a bit more assistance to get their site ready for search engines. Squirrly SEO has an extensive dashboard that will walk you through the process step by step in an easy-to-follow interface. If you prefer to handle things yourself, there is an SEO expert option too, which will allow you ultimate control over your settings.

The dashboard comes standard with a one page setup, keyword research tool, a live assistant, SEO audit, and more. There are quite a few amazing features that come standard with the free plugin, so if you are an individual or business owner who needs SEO for their ecommerce site, the free version of Squirrly SEO is all you’ll ever need.

Key Features for Squirrly SEO:
- WooCommerce specific product schema & settings
- Keyword research tool
- SEO live assistant
- SEO audit
- Extensive dashboard
- Focus pages
- SEO automation
A great feature specific to WooCommerce users is the ability to assign a custom product schema markup.

Lastly, Squirrly SEO integrates with Divi’s Visual Builder. This is a great feature if you want to configure your SEO on the front end while you design your site.

Squirrly SEO is for you if…
- Want a fast and easy setup
- You want to be able to configure SEO on the front end
- You enjoy a easy-to-follow interface
- Want a beginner-friendly option for SEO
- You want a keyword generator right in the WordPress dashboard
Squirrly SEO pricing: Free | $71.99/mo for Business | $75.99/mo for Agency | Learn more about Squirrly SEO.

6. Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP

The Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP plugin is a good option for adding Google rich snippets to your Google search results. There are over 35 schema types to choose from including local business, recipes, blog posts, and products, just to name a few. Rich snippets are a great way to enhance your organic search results by adding a bit more information to your content in Google. They help you to stand out by adding rating stars, product availability, pricing information, and photos amongst other things.

The plugin offers many settings in the WordPress dashboard. You can select which schema you’d like including global, archives, and WooCommerce. If you have Google reviews, you have the ability to add those to your snippets. This is a great way to boost product visibility, and gain new customers. Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP offers over 80 integrations for reviews including Google Shopping, Airbnb, Amazon, Etsy, and more.

Key Features for Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP:
- 35 schema types
- Conditional display fields
- Extensive knowledge base support
- AMP compatibility
- SEO migration
- Google reviews integration
- Unlimited custom post types
WooCommerce users can also add schemas for booking and memberships with the WooCommerce Compatibilty for Schema plugin upgrade. Some of the added benefits are WooCommerce membership addon support, Bookings, paywall support, YITH WooCommerce Advanced Reviews plugin support, and much more.

Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP is for you if…
- You want ultimate control over your rich snippets
- Increased product visibility in search results
- You want your rich snippets to stand out from the crowd
Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP pricing: Free | $29 for WooCommerce Compatibility Upgrade (1 site) | $99 for Personal | Learn more about Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP.

Final Thoughts On WooCommerce SEO Plugins

If you have a WooCommerce store, you need to pay close attention to SEO for your product pages, categories, and tags. Doing so increases the chances you’ll get higher rankings in SERPs. Ensuring that your WooCommerce products are properly optimized for SEO is a crucial step in increased traffic to your site, and can lead to higher conversions. Our list gives you several good options for WooCommerce SEO plugins, all of which are worthly of consideration.

For more, check out these advanced SEO techniques you can use as well.

Which plugin is your favorite for optimzing WooCommerce SEO? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post 6 Best WooCommerce SEO Plugins for 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.
31.12.2022
Best Countdown Plugins for WordPress Site
Here are some popular and easy-to-use countdown plugins for WordPress:
- Countdown Timer Ultimate: This plugin allows you to create and display countdown timers on your WordPress site. It features a user-friendly interface, responsive design, and customization options such as the ability to change colors, fonts, and the countdown style.
- Countdown WP: This plugin offers a range of customizable countdown designs, as well as the ability to set a redirect URL for when the countdown reaches zero. It also includes a widget that allows you to easily add the countdown to your sidebar or other widgetized area.
- Easy Countdown: This plugin allows you to create and display countdown timers on your WordPress site with a simple shortcode. It includes options for setting the countdown expiration date and time, customizing the appearance, and displaying the countdown in different languages.
- Advanced Countdown Timer: This plugin allows you to create and display a variety of countdown timers on your WordPress site, including evergreen countdown timers that reset when the user visits the page again. It includes options for customizing the appearance of the countdown, as well as the ability to set a redirect URL for when the countdown reaches zero.
- Countdown Clock: This plugin allows you to create and display a countdown clock on your WordPress site with a simple shortcode. It includes options for customizing the appearance of the countdown, as well as the ability to set a redirect URL for when the countdown reaches zero.
Overall, any of these plugins should provide an easy-to-use solution for adding a countdown timer to your WordPress site.
30.12.2022
How to Password Protect a Page in WordPress

Creating a WordPress website for your business or portfolio is an excellent way to start growing an audience for yourself. However, you may run into scenarios where you want to limit access to specific posts or pages. For example, you may be a filmmaker that wants to limit the viewership of a film on his website to prevent piracy or a photographer trying to safeguard assets. Regardless of your reason, configuring a password on a page allows you to restrict visitor access and permit only particular clients, colleagues, or partners. In this article, we’ll show you how easy it is to password-protect a page in WordPress and why you might need to.

Why Password Protect a Page in WordPress?

As previously stated, password-protecting a page is a useful feature when you want to limit access to something on your WordPress site. In this way, only users that have been given access to the password can access the pages you lock.

There are a number of reasons why you would want to do this, which can span a page being under construction, gatekeeping users to get their email for marketing purposes or limiting access to photos, art, or other intellectual property for internal usage.

There are a number of security plugins that may have password protection built-in. And there are plugins designed specifically for enhancing password protection in WordPress. But if you’re looking for basic functionality, WordPress has a default feature for password protection. In the following section, we’ll delve into how to password-protect pages natively.

How To Password Protect a Page or Post Using The WordPress Editor

If you aren’t already aware, you can easily password protect a page or post using the built-in feature of the WordPress editor. To do this, start from your admin dashboard and create a new page or post by navigating to Page or Post -> Add New.

Once you are done editing your page, select the publish button and select Visibility.

From theÂ VisibilityÂ panel, selectÂ Password protected,Â and create your password in the textbox below.

If you’re wondering if this still works within the Divi builder, good news! It does; the native password-protect functionality works the same in the WordPress editor and the Divi Builder.

If a user visits your password-protected page, they will be met with something that looks like the page below.

Hereâ€™s what it looks like using Divi:

It’s just that simple! But while this is the easiest method for password protection, it’s lacking when it comes to more advanced options. Features such as partial content restriction, password-protecting an entire website or unlocking different areas of a site with a single password aren’t possible natively, so this is where a password protect plugin can be helpful.

How to Password Protect a Page in WordPress Using a Plugin

If you are looking for more password protection features, there are some plugins that should give you what you need. For this example, we’ll be using Password Protect WordPress (PPWP). It’s almost as easy to set up as native WordPress password protection but comes with more features as well.

To get started, let’s navigate to Plugins > Add New from your WordPress dashboard.

In the search box, type “PPWP” and install and activate the free plugin.

Now, when you navigate to your post or page editor, there will be a new section in your sidebar where you can set user roles and corresponding passwords via PPWP.

Other Features of WordPress Password Protect Plugins

You can also use shortcodes to lock parts of your content on a page. To do this, navigate to Partial Protection under the Password Protect WordPress section.

From here, you can customize your shortcode and then simply embed your section into any page on your website.

With PPWP, you can even password-protect your entire website from public view. To do this, navigate to the Sitewide Protection option under the Password Protect WordPress section from your dashboard.

From here, simply toggle the Password Protect Entire site option, set your password, and save the changes.

And don’t worry, PPWP works with Divi, so you can password-protect your content regardless of what editor you’re using. If you’re interested in even more password protection features, you can get the pro version of PPWP.

Password Protecting a Page in WordPress: FAQs

Whatâ€™s the difference between the default WordPress â€œPassword Protectedâ€ feature and the plugin?

The main difference between the two options is that the plugin has been designed specifically for password protection. Thus, it comes with more features available. Whether you want to password-protect a section of a page, your whole website, or a category of posts, the easiest way to do it is with a plugin.

Will password-protecting a page effect SEO?

Search engines aren’t able to index pages that are protected via passwords; this is where a partial section can be useful for SEO, as search engine bots can still crawl to your page, but the content that you want to protect remains hidden.

Can I use multiple passwords to protect a page or post?

Natively, this isn’t possible without some coding know-how, but different users can access pages with multiple passwords using features like the PPWP plugin’s password-protection feature that utilizes user roles.

Final Thoughts On Password Protection With WordPress

A good starting point with password protection is getting familiar with the default settings WordPress has to offer, but you can get as sophisticated as you want. If you want a simple on-off solution, you can use the built-in password protection functionality in the WordPress editor. But if you are looking for a simple solution with more features, a plugin like PPWP is the way to go. You can learn more about how to partially restrict content with a password. Or, if you are a Divi user, check out DiviPasswords to take your password protection to the next level.

If you are looking for better password security for WordPress in general, consider using a Password Policy plugin.

What do you password-protect on your website? Let us know in the comments!

Article thumbnail image by Natty_Blissful / shutterstock.com

The post How to Password Protect a Page in WordPress appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

29.12.2022
If you have received a complaint regarding a spam campaign running on your Droplet from DigitalOcean, here are the next steps
If you have received an email from DigitalOcean stating that they have received a complaint regarding a spam campaign running on your Droplet, it is important to take immediate action to address the issue. Here are some steps you can take to solve this issue:
- Investigate the source of the spam: It is important to determine the source of the spam in order to take appropriate action. You can start by checking the logs of your server and any applications or services running on it, as well as the logs of your email server.
- Take action to stop the spam: Depending on the source of the spam, you may need to take different actions to stop it. For example, if the spam is being sent from a compromised account, you should reset the password for that account and take other measures to secure it. If the spam is being sent from a compromised server, you should take steps to secure the server and prevent further spamming.
- Notify DigitalOcean: Once you have taken steps to stop the spam, you should notify DigitalOcean and provide them with information about the steps you have taken. This will help them determine that the issue has been resolved and prevent any further action from being taken against your account.
- Take preventative measures: To prevent future spamming incidents, it is important to take preventative measures such as keeping your server and applications up to date, using strong passwords, and regularly monitoring your logs and server security.
By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the issue and prevent future spamming incidents.
28.12.2022
7 Best Google Analytics Plugins for WordPress (in 2023)
One of the best advantages for your business to leverage is Google Analytics because it can help improve your marketing strategy and address key issues with your audience. But finding the best Google Analytics Plugin for WordPress can be a real hassle, there are just so many options to choose from, and you’re going to want the best solution for your company’s needs.

In this article, we’ll look at the pros and cons of the best plugins available to help you choose the right plugin for your needs.

What is a Google Analytics Plugin for WordPress?

Google Analytics is a platform that collects data from your websites and apps to create reports that provide insights into your business. These include:
- The number of visitors to your website
- Information about the visitors’ interests and demographics
- Find your blog posts and landing pages with the most traffic.
- Determine the source that generates the most traffic (social, organic, etc.)
- How visitors use your website and which links they choose to click
It’s a fantastic resource that lets you take a deep dive into your website, but it isn’t exactly user-friendly. It’s easy to get lost in a sea of data trying to sift out useful information from the superfluous tidbits. That’s where a good Google analytics plugin comes into play.

A good plugin will easily let you segment data so you can analyze and improve your content and user flow without any of the usual headaches.

7 Best Google Analytics Plugins

We’re eager to share these plugins with you so you can get a leg-up on Google Analytics needs, so let’s get started with our choices!

1. MonsterInsights

MonsterInsightsdoes a wonderful job of combining the tools of both WordPress and Google Analytics. It operates in the background and won’t have an impact on any front-end WordPress themes you use.

You don’t even need to leave WordPress to gain important visitor data using the built-in Google Analytics dashboard, which provides statistics on your best traffic sources, top-ranking articles, site visits, outbound links, and much more. With these helpful stats, MonsterInsights is also a great tool for SEO.

It’s clear that MonsterInsights is the quintessential Google Analytics plugin for WordPress; garnering over 3 million active installations and a 4.5-star rating. In the WordPress community, it’s the most well-known and well-liked analytics tool. It’s free to use but comes with some pretty cool add-ons with the premium version, including eCommerce and outbound link tracking.

Key Features of Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights:
- Simple to comprehend reports from a Google Analytics dashboard
- Conversion tracking for forms
- Improved tracking for eCommerce
- Track affiliate links
- Detailed demographic reports of your audience (gender, age, device, location, etc.)
- Ability to see which sites are referring the most viewers to you and what visitors are searching for within your site
- Enables you to track 404 errors
- Updated embedded tracking code
- Monitor performance for specific pages
Viewing real-time statistics from your dashboard to improve your strategies and generate clicks is just one of the many features of MonsterInsights. Affiliate links, ad tracking, and enhanced e-commerce tracking are all incredibly useful tools that come with MonsterInsight.

You can monitor the top traffic sources for your website as well as your best-performing articles, pages, etc. Making business decisions based on data is made simple thanks to this insight into the behavior of your customers.

Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights is for you ifâ€¦
- You are looking for a simple-to-use plugin with a ton of advanced features.
- You want a solution that’s super easy to configure and integrates easily with WordPress.
- You want to understand your audience in a deeper way.
Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights Pricing: Free with premium plansÂ starting at $99.50 per year |Â More Information

2. Analytify

Another major player in the WordPress analytics space is Analytify. This plugin can install your Google Analytics tracking code for you without requiring any coding on your part. The user interface makes it possible for you to retrieve your data directly from your WordPress dashboard and presents it in an understandable manner.

Since it provides improved eCommerce tracking features, Analytify is especially beneficial for organizations that engage in online sales. Although the commercial versions of the plugin are far less expensive than MonsterInsights while providing identical capabilities, they also have the advantage of allowing you to look deeper into specific posts and pages.

However, the free version of the plugin is very constrained, allowing you to have limited access to some more general features with premium features being necessary for your complete Google Analytics needs.

Key Features of Analytify:
- Automated email reports
- Real-time visitor tracking capability
- Shortcodes for data integration into custom templates
- Clear, intuitive UI
This plugin provides you with some great data, made even more useful through digestible graphs and charts. You can view stats like views, users, bounce rates, time spent on your pages and more from the admin panel on WordPress.

Analytify is for you ifâ€¦
- You use a web store and want enhanced eCommerce tracking.
- You want automatic reports emailed to you.
- You want to track individual campaign progress.
Analytify Pricing: Free withÂ premium plansÂ starting at $39 |Â More Information

3. ExactMetrics

ExactMetrics comes in third on our list of the top Google Analytics plugins for WordPress. With over 1 million downloads this plugin obviously was one of the most trusted in the industry. It has a ton of features and makes it easy to set up Google Analytics without requiring you to work with any code or pay a specialist.

Its user-friendly statistics for beginners put stats into your WordPress dashboard so you can quickly assess how your website is doing and which tactics you’re implementing are effective.

Additionally, it is quite simple to collect data in Google Analytics without manually setting up event monitoring thanks to tracking features like fileÂ download tracking, scroll tracking,Â eCommerce tracking, and custom dimensions.

However, it’s important to note that this plugin has a drawback in that it prevents you from integrating with other tools and services like WooCommerce or Google Ads. Also, the complaints about incessant advertisements have dropped their score to 2.5/5 stars.

Key Features of ExactMetrics:
- No coding is necessary to configure Google Analytics
- Comprehensive dashboard reports
- Track form conversions
This simple-to-install solution allows you to track advanced data and view metrics to better understand your website user experience. While the recent addition of advertisements for the free version seems to have tanked their reputation, the paid version is still a viable solution.

ExactMetrics is for you ifâ€¦
- You want a more basic analytics plugin.
- You don’t mind being bombarded with advertisements.
- You are willing to pay for the premium version.
ExactMetrics:Â Free with premium plansÂ starting at $99.50 |Â More Information

4. GA Google Analytics

GA Google Analytics is a lightweight plugin that simply connects every page of your WordPress site to Google Analytics. Unlike other WordPress analytics tools, it won’t show any data or insights, but it still does its job well.

The Google Analytics interface might be more appealing to many WordPress users that don’t want a dashboard application and would prefer to use the native Google Analytics dashboard. This plugin is for you if you’re content to leave Google Analytics separate from the WordPress dashboard but still want to keep things light and make sure the tracking code is on every page.

Because it eliminates the need for you to manually add tracking code to each page, Google Analytics is perfect for large, complicated websites with a lot of pages.

Key Features of GA Google Analytics:
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant
- Does one thing and does it well
- Support for Global Site Tag (gtag.js), Google Analytics 4, and Universal Analytics (analytics.js)
This relatively light solution is a great way to get your feet wet in terms of tracking analytics. It’s designed to be simple and straightforward, to easily get you started in the world of analytics.

GA Google Analytics is for you ifâ€¦
- You want a lightweight solution.
- You don’t want an extra dashboard UI specifically for tracking Google Analytics.
- You are new to analytics tracking and want to learn the basics before taking a deep dive.
GA Google Analytics Pricing: Free withÂ premium versionsÂ starting at $15 |Â More Information

5. WP Statistics

WP Statistics is a robust yet simple WordPress analytics plugin that enables you to monitor all user activity from your WordPress dashboard. The content and geographical based reports that this plugin produces are solid and, it displays real-time website analytics all for free.

This might not be the greatest option if you’re looking for a simple and uncomplicated plugin. However, it is a good choice if you want to dig deep into the statistics of your WordPress site and want to get data from several platforms and search engines in addition to Google.

You won’t need to set up the plugin with Google Analytics, which is another benefit. The tool only collects information that takes place on your website; no outside data is provided. The only drawback to this is that it can eat up storage space and grow the size of your backup.

Key Features of WP Statistics:
- Data export in XFL or CSV files.
- Filter data by location, keywords, IP address, etc.
- Track from multiple search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo.)
In your WordPress dashboards, WP Statistics can find important incites like the number of visitors, referrals, browser usage, country origins, and more. This plugin shines in particular at providing information in a way that is palatable, such as graphs and maps.

WP Statistics is for you ifâ€¦
- You want to keep track of analytics from search engines other than just Google.
- You want to focus on geographical data and content reports.
- You want a free solution
WP Statistics Pricing:Â Free|Â More Information

6. Jetpack

One of the many features of Jetpack, a multi-purpose WordPress plugin, is its integration with Google Analytics. Jetpack provides a quick overview of your site’s performance by displaying your site stats through a straightforward interface. You shouldn’t count on being able to delve deep into the data on certain posts and pages, though.

The free edition only offers you its own analytics capabilities and reports, which is something to keep in mind. Therefore, you must upgrade to a Pro license if you expressly want Google Analytics integration.

Key Features of Jetpack:
- Simple site traffic reports
- Funnel reports help you track user flow through your site
- Track visitor’s goal conversion
Google Analytics integration with Jetpack’s growth tools enables you to examine traffic statistics for your website in the WordPress dashboard.

Jetpack is for you ifâ€¦
- You want to keep using Jetpack as a multifunctional tool.
- You have experience with using Jetpack for other purposes.
- You are looking for an all-in-one toolkit for WordPress
There is also has a JetPack CRM plugin that may be a great addition for your business.

Jetpack Pricing: Free with premium plansÂ starting at $4.99Â |Â More Information

7. Matomo (A Google Analytics Alternative)

A highly regarded substitute for Google Analytics is Matomo, garnering over 60,000 downloads and a 5-star review. Matomo and Google Analytics differ significantly in that Matomo does not disclose data if you choose not to. This plugin can be a suitable choice if you run a website that promotes privacy.

They pride themselves on security above all else and put you in full control of your data, which is a nice feature in the current climate.

Key Features of Matomo:
- No one else can see your data
- Easy to install. No coding or technical knowledge is needed.
- Free to use, premium features are relatively cheap.
You can view a bevy of advanced analytics from the Matomo dashboard and be ensured of the safety of your data. All of the fundamental features of an analytical plugin are present in Matomo. You can monitor the number of people who visit your website and it displays thorough information on traffic sources, keywords, geo-locations, and other analytics, just like Google Analytics.

Matomo is for you ifâ€¦
- You value privacy and want to be in control of your data.
- You want a cheap solution that provides everything you need for advanced analytics.
- You want an easy to the user interface that doesn’t need too much configuration.
Matomo Pricing: Free with premium plans starting at $29.00 | More Information

Final Thought on Amazon Affiliate WordPress Plugins

As many analytics plugins are tailored for specific purposes, you might want to select more than one. Choose a plugin like MonsterInsights or Analytify if you want to integrate the power of Google Analytics into your WordPress dashboard. Both of these have fantastic free versions as well as feature-rich premium editions.

If you want to focus on security and speed, lightweight tools like Matomo or GA Google Analytics might suit your needs better. Regardless, we’re sure one of these plugins has the features you’re looking for.

Did we miss any great Google Analytics plug-ins? Leave a comment telling us below!

Article featured image by Blan-kÂ / shutterstock.com

The post 7 Best Google Analytics Plugins for WordPress (in 2023) appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.
28.12.2022
How to Fix SSL Error on Your WordPress Site
There are a few different ways you can try to fix an SSL error on your WordPress site. Here are some steps you can take:

1. Check the SSL certificate: Make sure the SSL certificate for your domain is properly installed and not expired. You can check the status of your SSL certificate by using a tool like SSL Shopper’s SSL Checker.

2. Force SSL in WordPress: If your SSL certificate is properly installed, you can try forcing SSL on your site by adding the following code to your WordPress .htaccess file:
```
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
```
This will redirect all traffic to the HTTPS version of your site.

3. Update your WordPress site URL: If forcing SSL doesn’t work, you may need to update the WordPress site URL to use HTTPS. To do this, go to the WordPress dashboard and navigate to Settings > General. Then update the “WordPress Address (URL)” and “Site Address (URL)” fields to use HTTPS instead of HTTP.

4. Check for mixed content: Another common cause of SSL errors is mixed content, which is when a page is loaded over HTTPS but includes resources (such as images or scripts) that are served over HTTP. To fix mixed content issues, you can use a plugin like SSL Insecure Content Fixer to automatically update your site’s URLs to use HTTPS.

If these steps don’t help, you may need to consult your hosting provider or a WordPress developer for further assistance.
27.12.2022
How to Fix Error 404 on Your WordPress Site

There are a few different ways you can try to fix a 404 error on a WordPress site. Here are a few things you can try:

1. Check the permalink settings:

Sometimes the 404 error can occur if the permalink settings in your WordPress site are not configured correctly. To fix this, go to Settings > Permalinks in your WordPress dashboard and make sure the permalink structure is set to the correct option.

2. Check for broken links:

Another common cause of 404 errors is broken links. You can use a plugin like Broken Link Checker to scan your site for broken links and fix any that are found.

3. Check the .htaccess file:

The .htaccess file controls how Apache serves your site’s pages, and a mistake in this file can cause a 404 error. You can check the .htaccess file by accessing it through your hosting control panel or FTP client.

4. Clear your cache:

If you have a caching plugin installed on your WordPress site, it’s possible that the 404 error is being caused by a cached version of the page. Try clearing your cache to see if this fixes the problem.

5. Deactivate plugins:

If none of the above solutions work, it’s possible that a plugin is causing the 404 error. Try deactivating all of your plugins and then reactivating them one by one to see if any of them are causing the issue.

6. Re-upload WordPress core files:

If all else fails, you can try re-uploading the WordPress core files. This can be done by downloading a fresh copy of WordPress and replacing the core files on your site via FTP.

I hope these suggestions help! If you’re still having trouble fixing the 404 error, you may want to consult with your hosting provider or a WordPress developer for further assistance.

26.12.2022
How to Highlight a Menu Item in WordPress
Do you want to highlight a menu item on your WordPress site?

Highlighting a menu item can really help you point user’s attention to a specific area on your menu. This can be great if you want to highlight the Pricing or Contact Us page on your website.

In this article, we will show you how to easily highlight a menu item in WordPress using CSS code.

Why Should You Highlight a Menu Item?

A navigation menu is a list of links pointing to important areas of your website. They are usually presented as a horizontal bar at the top of every page on aÂ WordPress website.

This navigation menu is created by adding different menu items. For more details, you can see our article on how to add a navigation menu in WordPress.

A highlighted menu item can be a great way to capture the user’s attention to your most prominent call to action. The eyes of the visitors will be automatically drawn to the menu item when they visit your website.

By adding this feature, you can create a user-friendly website and highlight important menu items that you want your users to check out.

That being said, let’s see how you can highlight a menu item in WordPress using CSS.
Method 1. Highlighting a Menu Item Using Full Site Editor

If you’re using a block-enabled theme then you’ll have the Full Site Editor instead of the older Theme Customizer. You can easily highlight a menu item in it as well.

First, head over to Appearance Â» Editor from the WordPress admin dashboard. This will direct you to the full site editor.

Here simply double-click the menu item you want to highlight, and then click the gear icon at the top. This will immediately open up that specific menu item’s ‘Settings’ block.

Simply scroll down in the ‘Settings’ block to the ‘Advanced’ tab and click the arrow icon beside it to expand the tab.

This will open up an ‘Additional CSS Class’ field where you simply have to write highlighted-menu in the field.

Next, click the ‘Save’ button at the top of the page to store your changes.

After that, you will need to add a small bit of CSS to your theme for the highlight effect. You can either fix the missing Theme Customizer, or you can use a code snippet plugin to add CSS code.

How to Add CSS Snippets Using WPCode

For adding CSS in WordPress, we recommend using WPCode because it’s the easiest way to add any custom code to WordPress.

First you need to install and activate the free WPCode plugin. For more instructions, check out our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, navigate to Code Snippets Â» Add Snippet from your WordPress admin panel. Now click on the ‘Add New’ button.

This will take you to the ‘Add Snippet’ page.

Here, hover your mouse over the â€˜Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet)â€™ option and simply click on the â€˜Use Snippetâ€™ button below it.

Now that you’re on the ‘Create Custom Snippet’ page, start by choosing a name and a ‘Code Type’ for your CSS snippet.

You can choose any name you like.

Next, simply click the dropdown menu beside the ‘Code Type’ option on the right and then choose the ‘Universal Snippet’ option.

After that, copy/paste the following CSS code into the ‘Code Preview’.
```
<style type="text/css">
/* Highlighted menu */
.highlighted-menu
{
background: #d3d3d3;
border-radius: 35px;
padding: 0px 20px;
line-height: 50px;
}
</style>
```
Be sure to include the style tags, as you see on Lines 1 and 10 below.

After pasting the code, go to the ‘Insertion’ section by scrolling down.

Here simply choose the ‘Auto Insert’ mode so that the code can be automatically executed on your entire website.

Now, go to the top of the page and toggle the switch from ‘Inactive’ to ‘Active’.

Then simply click the â€˜Save Snippetâ€™ button.

You have now successfully highlighted a menu item in WordPress using a full site editor.

This is how your menu item will look after you add the CSS code.

How to Access the Theme Customizer Using a Block Theme

If you want to use the Theme Customizer and use an FSE theme, then simply copy and paste the URL below into your browser. Make sure to replace ‘example.com’ with your own site’s domain name.
```
https://example.com/wp-admin/customize.php
```
Here you simply have to click the ‘Additional CSS’ tab.

Now, expand the ‘Additional CSS’ field, and then just copy/paste the following code snippet.
```
/* Highlighted menu */
.highlighted-menu
{
background: #FFB6C1;
border-radius: 35px;
padding: 0px 20px;
line-height: 50px;
}
```
After that, simply click the ‘Publish’ button at the top.

That’s all it takes to highlight a menu item.

It should look something like this on your website when finished:

Method 2. Highlighting a Menu Item Using Theme Customizer

If you’re using a non-block-enabled theme, then you’ll probably have a theme customizer enabled by default. Highlighting a menu item in a theme customizer is a fairly simple process.

First, simply go to Appearance Â» Customize in your WordPress dashboard to launch the theme customizer. Once the theme customizer opens up, simply click on the ‘ Menus’ tab.

Once you’re in the ‘Menus’ section, simply click on the gear icon at the top right to display advanced properties.

Now, simply check the ‘CSS Classes’ box.

After that, scroll down to the ‘Menus’ section.

If you have multiple menus on your website, simply click on the menu whose menu items you want to highlight.

This will open up a new tab where you can select the menu item that you want to highlight. It could be ‘Get Started’ like in our example, or it might be your contact form page or the link to your online store.

Simply click on the menu item of your choice which will expand it to display some options. Click into the ‘CSS Classes’ field.

All you have to do is write 'highlighted-menu' in the field. You can add this CSS Class to multiple menu items, and they will all be highlighted.

Next, simply go to the ‘Additional CSS’ tab in the theme customizer.

Now, simply copy and paste the following CSS code.
```
/* Highlighted menu */
.highlighted-menu
{
background: #FFB6C1;
border-radius: 35px;
padding: 0px 20px;
line-height: 50px;
}
```
Congratulations! You’ve successfully highlighted a menu item.

Note: Your theme might not have an ‘Additional CSS’ field in the theme customizer. If not, check theme settings to find out how to add custom CSS. If you can’t find it, you might want to contact the developer or add it using WPCode.

Customizing Your Menu Item Highlight

Now that you have highlighted the menu item, you can adjust the CSS code to customize your menu item the way you like it.

For example, you can change the background color of your menu item.

Simply look for the following code in the CSS snippet, you just pasted.
```
background: #FFB6C1
```
After locating it, you can simply replace the pink color code number with the hex code of any color of your choice:
```
background: #7FFFD4;
```
Above is the hex code for aquamarine.

You can check out our guide to easily add custom CSS for other ideas on how to customize the highlighted menu item.

After you’re satisfied with your choices, simply click on the ‘Publish’ button in the theme customizer or ‘Save Snippet’ in WPCode to save your changes.

We hope this article helped you learn how to highlight a menu icon in WordPress. You may also want to check out our beginner’s guide on how to style WordPress navigation menus or our expert picks of the must-have WordPress plugins to grow your site.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post How to Highlight a Menu Item in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.
26.12.2022
How to add a “favorite” feature to your WordPress site
To add a “favorite” feature to your WordPress site, you can either use a plugin or write custom code. Here are the steps to do this using a plugin:

1. Install and activate the WP Favorite Posts plugin. This plugin allows users to bookmark their favorite posts, pages, and custom post types.

2. After activating the plugin, a new “Favorites” menu will appear in your WordPress dashboard. Go to “Favorites > Settings” to configure the plugin’s settings.

3. In the plugin settings, you can choose which post types to enable the favorite feature for and customize the text and appearance of the favorite button.

4. To display the favorite button on your site, you can use the wpfp_link function in your theme’s template files. For example, you could add the following code to your single.php file to display the favorite button on single post pages:
```
if ( function_exists( 'wpfp_link' ) ) {
    wpfp_link();
}
```
5. Users can then click the favorite button to bookmark a post, and view their favorite posts by visiting the “Favorites” page on your site.

Alternatively, you can write custom code to add a favorite feature to your WordPress site. This would involve creating a custom database table to store the favorite data, and writing functions to add and remove posts from the favorites list. You would then need to add a button or link to your site’s templates to allow users to favorite posts, and a page or widget to display their favorite posts.
25.12.2022