Shopify vs WordPress: Which is Best?
Setting up an online store has never been easier. However, it can still be confusing. There are just so many different platforms and services available for you to start selling your products online that it becomes hard to make the right choice. This is especially true for beginners who have never set up an eCommerce store before. In this article, I'll compare two of the most common names—Shopify and WordPress—that keep popping up when you are looking for tools to set up your own eCommerce store. I'll compare the platforms in the following categories: If you just want the final results, you can skip ahead to Which One Should You Pick? Shopify vs WordPress: What Do They Do?Before we dive any deeper, it is important to understand what exactly these two platforms were created to do. This will help you figure out which of them is more suitable and aligns better with what you have planned for your own online store. WordPress comes in two flavors. WordPress.com and WordPress.org. WordPress.com is a SaaS offering which makes it easy to set up and run your website, but which charges a monthly fee. WordPress.org requires a bit more work, but it is completely free and let's you control every aspect of your website. In this post, I'm comparing Shopify with the free WordPress.org flavor. What is WordPress?![]() ![]() ![]() WordPress is meant to be used as an all-in-one tool for website development. It started as a basic CMS but kept on expanding through its robust plugin ecosystem to build almost everything that you want. This includes news websites, forums, simple blogs, eCommerce stores and much more. What is Shopify?Shopify is different from WordPress in two key aspects. First, it is not open source. Second, its primary focus is on being an all-in-one tool for commerce. The founders of Shopify created it over a decade ago to sell snowboards online. So, its development headed in that direction from the beginning itself. It will manage everything for you to help you set up a store as soon as possible. ![]() ![]() ![]() Shopify also has an app store of its own but it is not as extensive as WordPress when it comes to number of available choices for extending and customizing your website. In short, Shopify is a good choice if you plan on focusing almost exclusively on commerce. You can also add some other elements like a blog to your store but using WordPress would be the way to go if you want a lot more freedom in the direction of your website or online store. Shopify vs WordPress: Setup Time and Ease of UseLets say you want to have an eCommerce store up and running as quickly as possible. The definite choice in that case would be Shopify. This comes down to the fact that Shopify was built with eCommerce in mind. As a result, their whole process of creating an online store is geared towards making it easy to sell things online. Creating an online store requires you to figure out a lot of things like domain name registration, hosting, creating a website, collecting credit cards, and integrating payment solutions. Shopify will handle almost all those aspects for you. WordPress, on the other hand, requires considerably more effort from your end, especially if you are just starting out. There are service providers out there that will handle all these things for you. However, this means that you will no longer have control over every little aspect of your store. Just go with Shopify if you don't want to worry about the nitty-gritty details and time is of essence. Shopify vs WordPress: Available ThemesThe primary purpose of themes is to give your website a unique and refreshing look. They allow you to quickly add all the necessary markup and styling to change the visual appearance of your website. Both Shopify and WordPress offer a decent collection of themes. While all the listed themes in WordPress directory are free, the themes listed on Shopify store include a mix of free and paid options. ![]() ![]() ![]() As well as free themes, WordPress also has a huge ecosystem of premium themes. These are very feature rich and cater to every design taste and website niche. might not be as good looking or as feature rich as premium ones.
While WordPress might offer a wider range of choices, Shopfiy is more organized and makes it easier to find themes that are tailor-made for your particular niche when it comes specifically to eCommerce. It is almost a tie when it comes to available themes. Shopify vs WordPress: ExtensibilityIt isn't feasible for either Shopify or WordPress to include all the functionality that you need for your eCommerce store directly in their core. This means that you will need a system of plugins and extensions to access additional features. The comparison here is similar to available themes. You have a lot of options to choose from in both the Shopify app store and in the WordPress plugin directory to find an extension that provides the functionality you like. ![]() ![]() ![]() Both the Shopfiy app store and WordPress offer a mix of free and paid extensions. All the plugins that you find in the WordPress plugin directory are free but many of them also include additional features in their pro or paid versions. You can also directly go to marketplaces like CodeCanyon to find premium WordPress plugins. ![]() ![]() ![]() The plugin system in WordPress is a bit better if you want to include functionality beyond eCommerce. Shopify vs WordPress: CustomizabilityShopify is a closed system when compared with WordPress. You can definitely customize different aspects of your websites in Shopify but it comes no where close to what you can do with WordPress. When you are using WordPress, you can get direct access to the source code of a theme and plugin that you install on the website. This means that you have the option to make all kinds of changes to the code and upload it back on your server. For example, lets say you have installed a product review plugin for your store. WordPress will allow you to modify the behavior and appearance of the reviews as much as you like by directly changing the source code. This type of customization is not ordinarily possible with Shopify. Therefore, people who want complete customizability and control should consider using WordPress. Shopify vs WordPress: CostCost for developing and running an online store can vary considerably depending on a lot of factors. You have to take things like hosting, theme and plugin prices, customization etc. into account. As a result, it is really hard to predict which option would be cheaper for you beforehand. Also remember that the cost of a project cannot always be measured directly in terms of money you paid for a product or service. It should also include the time spent to get everything up and running. Things like losing out on a $500 sale to keep initial cost down by $50 might not be a good idea. That being said, one big factor that will determine the cost of create your online store is its customization. WordPress will be a cheaper option if you have basic technical know-how and can make minor changes to themes and plugins yourself. Shopify vs WordPress: SupportEveryone needs to access technical support at some point for any product and services that they avail. This is certainly true for something as big as setting up an online store. While WordPress does have a large community of people supporting the platform, the support you get isn't comparable to Shopify. This essentially comes down to their business models. WordPress is free and open-source so those developers of free themes and plugins will most probably only be able to help you in their spare time. Shopify, on the other hand, will have a dedicated team ready to help you resolve any issues related to your online store. Pick Shopify if this is your first time setting up an online store and you have almost no prior experience in web development. Which One Should You Pick?I hate to say this but it would be impossible and incorrect to tell you whether WordPress or Shopify is the right choice for you without looking at your project requirements in more detail. This is why I broke down the article into different sections which covered one specific aspect to help you make an informed decision. Here's a summary of the results.
In short, Shopify is easier to setup and use for complete newbies. WordPress will most probably be a better choice for people who want to control almost every aspect of their store and already have experience with web development. via Blogger http://erinecassy.blogspot.com/2021/10/shopify-vs-wordpress-which-is-best.html October 01, 2021 at 05:57PM
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9 Best WordPress Restaurant Menu Plugins
The pandemic has established the era of virtual restaurants. Restaurants have moved online and the online ordering genie is not going back into the bottle. Having an online menu is a basic requirement for your restaurant website. WordPress restaurant menu plugins will help you create a menu to showcase your dishes so customers can choose, place orders, and pay for them. ![]() ![]() ![]() A menu alone, though, is not enough. To stay ahead of competition you need to have a customer-friendly restaurant menu. A customer-friendly restaurant menu is interactive. It shows what kinds of foods you serve including photos, description, and prices. It gives option to click and select the food they want, add it to cart, and pay online. And in addition to delivery or pickup option, it also gives customer the choice to use variety of payment options. In this post we'll look at the best WordPress restaurant menu plugins that you can purchase on CodeCanyon. Best-Selling WordPress Restaurant Menu PluginsGrab one of these WordPress restaurant menu plugins and create attractive menus that offer your customers a hassle-free food ordering experience on your restaurant website. ![]() ![]() ![]() 13 Best WordPress Restaurant Menu Plugins1. WooCommerce Food: Restaurant Menu and Food Ordering![]() ![]() ![]() WooCommerce Food makes ordering menu items seamless and hassle-free, It allows you to manage the showcasing of your menu items, receiving and processing orders from one place. To help design attractive menus, the plugin comes with over ten menu display styles, online food ordering and manager system, support for extra options, and online payment gateways. You can display the menu in grid, list, table, or carousel slider. You can offer delivery, take away, or dine. You can charge delivery fee if you wish and even limit your delivery radius by distance, postal code, or using Google Map API. If you use WordPress check out a similar version call WP Food—Restaurant Menu and Food Ordering. 2. WooFood: Food Ordering Plugin for WooCommerce![]() ![]() ![]() WooFood allows you to create your online delivery system for your fast food location, pizzeria, cafe, or restaurant. You can create a system for multiple restaurants, and set it up to send the order to the location that is nearest to the customer. Customers can also select this option manually. You can add extra options categories on each menu item. Customers can pickup their orders or have them delivery. In this case you have tools to set your maximum delivery radius, including delivery based on postal codes and calculated distances. The orders can be printed automatically. 3. Foodlify—Restaurant Food Menu for Woocommerce![]() ![]() ![]() Foodlify makes it easier and faster for customers to order from your restaurant menu. The plugin is fully responsive and includes additional features like image, search option, food information and an add to cart button to enhance the user experience. You can customize the plugin by changing the background, border and text color. You can even implement menu and submenu background hover, as well as set the hover and description color. When it comes to the mini-cart, you can display or hide it, and customize it from eight mini-cart templates. 4. Woo Product Table Pro
Woo Product Table Pro allows you to display your products in table form. It has a restaurant table template which you can use to create your restaurant menu and display it online in a table view format. Check the plugin documentation for instructions. 5. Restaurant Food Menus for WPBakery Page Builder![]() ![]() ![]() If you're going to be using WPBakery Page Builder to create your menus then this food menus pack is a perfect choice. It comes with twenty four different customizable food menu layouts with special colors, editable fields, over one thousand icons, and custom hover effects. You have the option of including multiple food menus in one page. 6. FoodMenu: Creative Restaurant Menu Showcase![]() ![]() ![]() FoodMenu is the ideal restaurant menu display for your website. The plugin is built from the ground up with SEO in mind, and includes a testimonial rotator. It comes with five layouts and four skins. In addition to being touch optimized, it looks great on all mobile devices and works seamlessly across all modern browsers. You can modify colors using CSS3 and SASS. Free WordPress Menu PluginsFW Food Menu![]() ![]() ![]() This plugin offers a collection of responsive food menu designs with all meal elements in different categories. Every category has its own settings, layout and designs. WPCafe![]() ![]() ![]() WPCafe is an online food ordering and restaurant reservation system. You can create responsive food menus, schedule bookings, even add pickup and delivery. The plugin comes with shortcodes, Elementor widgets, and Gutenberg blocks. Restaurant Menu, Food Ordering System, and Table Reservation![]() ![]() ![]() With this plugin you can turn your restaurant website into an online restaurant. It comes with a drag and drop online editor that makes it fast and easy to build responsive menus, upload your own images, customize menu sizes, colors, and so on. Tips for Creating Engaging Restaurant MenusAn online restaurant menu must create an enjoyable and interactive experience. To achieve this, your menu has to engage the senses while at the same time offering a great user experience that will make visitors come back regularly. 1. Put Yourself in the Customer's ShoesWhen designing your menu, always take the place of the customer. Look at it as a customer would and think about what they see. This will allow you to create a customer-centered menu. 2. Use a Mobile-First DesignSince most of the orders you will receive are from mobile devices, you want to make sure your menu is mobile friendly. This means asking questions like: does your customer have to scroll down a long list of dishes? Does your menu overwhelm the customer with choices? Does it adapt seamlessly to different device screen sizes? 3. Keep the Menu Up to DateUpdate the prices if they change, and be sure to update the menu to reflect any changes in the dishes you serve. It's frustrating for a customer to spend the time picking something from the menu and then learn that it's no longer available. 4. Spare No Costs on Great PhotographyFood is a visual and sensual experience. First we eat with our eyes. Later with our mouths. Carefully staged, high-resolution, professional-quality photos of your dishes translates into more orders and repeat customers. 5. Use Clear DescriptionsInstead of listing ingredients, use beautiful descriptive phrases to describe the dishes. Describe how they taste in a way engages the senses and awaken the customer's desire to get hold of the dish and savour it. Activate Your Customers' Tastes Buds Now!Some wise ancients once said "We eat with our eyes first." Let your restaurant website menu lead the customer to the next step: ordering and putting food in their bellies. The best place to find WordPress restaurant plugins is CodeCanyon. ![]() ![]() ![]() And if you prefer contactless restaurant menus checkout our PHP contactless restaurant menus or digital restaurant menus. If you're still looking for WordPress themes and plugins that will make your restaurant the envy of the restaurant world, checkout these posts and more on Envato Tuts+.
via Blogger http://erinecassy.blogspot.com/2021/09/9-best-wordpress-restaurant-menu-plugins.html October 01, 2021 at 09:57AM
13 Best WordPress Database Plugins
The database is the source of information that makes it possible for your WordPress website to function. It is where all the data that makes up your WordPress website is stored. This data includes: posts, pages, comments, settings, spam, media, tags, as well as users' personal data. Of course this includes a fair bit of old stuff that is no longer needed. The database keeps all your content and data in rows, columns, and tables. To keep your WordPress site running smoothly, you need to manage and maintain your databases, to clean and optimize it. You can do this by accessing your database directly, but this can be a lot of work and is riskyâit's easy to make a mistake and damage your WordPress site. A better way is to interact with your databases using database plugins. ![]() Database plugins come into categories related to their functions: external database builders, database managers, database backup, or database cleanup. In this post I'll show you some database plugins that are available on CodeCanyon. I've also included some free database plugins.
Before modifying anything in your database, you need to backup your database with a quality backup plugin.
Best-Selling WordPress Database Plugins on CodeCanyon![]() ![]() ![]() The Best WordPress Database Backup PluginsThese plugins allow you to backup your database before you make any changes and also so you won't lose anything should your website go down. 1. Free: UpdraftPlus ![]() ![]() ![]() This free plugin comes highly recommended as a basic backup solution that can satisfy most needs and users. To learn how to install and configure it, read Adi's tutorial or check out the video. You'll learn how to install and configure the UpdraftPlus backup plugin for backing up a WordPress database and website. 2. Super Backup and CloneâMigrate for WordPress![]() ![]() ![]() The Super Backup and Clone plugin is a trustworthy backup solution that allows you to back up all your WordPress database, WordPress and non-WordPress files immediately to your own cloud, or to the same server, for safe-keeping and easy restoration. You can choose your backup scheduleâhourly, daily, or weeklyâand it will do everything automatically. You have access to the backup logs, so you can keep track of what's going on. In addition, you can run straight cloud migration from multisite to multisite, multisite to single site, and single site to multisite. This versatile plugin links to cloud destinations like Google Drive, Amazon S3, OneDrive, Dropbox, Rackspace, and more. WordPress Database Builder and Manager Plugins3. Database for Contact Form 7![]() ![]() ![]() Database for Contact Form 7 allows you to save all submitted forms from Contact Form 7 to a database. This database is displayed in Contact > Database menu. You can export all the submitted data including column data to CSV. Some features of this powerful WordPress database plugin include:
4. eForm Easy SQL![]() ![]() ![]() eForm Easy SQL is an addon for our eFormâWordPress Form Builder plugin. It allows you to directly export submissions to a dedicated database table on the go. Some notable features of this eForm add-on include:
5. WP ContactsâContact Management Plugin![]() ![]() ![]() Your contacts database requires smooth managing. This plugin allows you to manage, share, log and track your contacts from the front-end of WordPress on a dedicated page of your choice. You can track your contacts with events and statistics. Detailed logging gives you information on every change with your database. Manage your Database with ease, share leads with a team or tailor your customer data while providing simple to use log-in capabilities. Customize user roles and access and even limit access to specific fields. Take it for a spin nowâyou wonât be disappointed. 6. Storage for Contact Form CF7![]() ![]() ![]() Contact Form 7 Storage stores all Contact Form 7 submissions (including attachments) in your WordPress database. All contact form entries and business leads are stored safely even if the e-mail notifications go missing or get deleted. To help with GDPR compliance, this plugin offers the following functionality:
7. Gravity FormsâWPDB and MySQL
With this plugin you can connect your Gravity Forms directly to your WordPress database tables. The plugin allows you to use the Gravity Forms API. It supports standard, advanced, post, and pricing fields. You can also fill in select, multi-select, radio and checkbox fields, including products, option and shipping fields with WordPress database queries directly from your database. Any change or deletion from Gravity Forms backend will reflect on your WordPress database table by simply adding a primary-key. 8. Schedule Report For Advanced CF7 DB![]() ![]() ![]() This plugin is an add-on that requires the free Advanced CF7 DB plugin. The plugin will interact with the CF7 database in order to generate reports in CSV, XLS, or Excel. It will schedule these reports to be generated and emailed daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. When you add a scheduled event, it will be added to the WordPress cron schedule and your report will be sent at the scheduled time. In order to access data, you send inquiry to the database, and this plugin has all the inquiry forms to do so. You can select any one enquiry form for generating a report for the particular scheduled event. You can also schedule more than one events by using different forms. The plugin also helps you keep up with GDPR requirements by helping you create schedules for deleting records that you don't need to keep beyond a certain period. The Best Database Cleanup PluginsThese plugins will delete unnecessary data and leave important files in place. 9. Smart Cleanup Tools![]() Smart Cleanup Tools helps you take control of junk weighing down your databases. Orphaned records, expired transient records, and other clutter be gone! This powerful WordPress database cleanup plugin is easy to use and has a total of 37 cleanup, reset, and removal tools. With this plugin, you can remove data that is no longer in use or is unneeded. You can schedule cleanup jobs to run at any time. They can run once or repeatedly within selected periods. All cleanup reports can be exported and saved into files. The plugin supports WordPress multisite. It also has a few tools designed for network admin that can help you reduce database overhead and speed up database operations. Smart Cleanup Tools is capable of performing many tasks, some of which include:
10. WP Cleaner Pro![]() Clean your WordPress database and make your website faster. WP Cleaner Pro can clean 26 types of orphaned and obsolete database data. In addition, it can optimize your databases. It can do all these tasks at once or in a scheduled event. The cleaning process is logged for later review. Crucially, WP Cleaner Pro also creates a backup of the WordPress database before changing anything. The plugin is optimized for speed and has a clean, mobile-friendly admin dashboard with no back-end errors. Equipped with a friendly user interface, it's developed for WordPress single-site installations, not for multisite. Free WordPress Database PluginsWP CSV to DatabaseAdding data to your WordPress database using a CSV file or want to export database table content to a CSV file? Then use WP CSV to Database. It is perfect for bulk uploads. Database Add-on For WPFormsUsing this plugin, submissions from WPForms can be captured to your WordPress database and can be exported as a CSV. Plugins Garbage Collector (Database Cleanup)When you remove plugins, they leave behind their junk files and tables. Plugins Garbage Collector checks your databases to find this junk so you can clean it all up. Start Looking After Your Database Health Now!Good health of your database is important to optimal functioning of your website. WordPress database plugins from CodeCanyon will help your manage, maintain, and cleanup your database. ![]() ![]() ![]() You can learn much more about the WordPress database in some of our other posts here on Envato Tuts+.
via Blogger http://erinecassy.blogspot.com/2021/09/13-best-wordpress-database-plugins.html September 30, 2021 at 02:57PM
Create a WordPress Coming Soon Page
Not everyone gets the appeal of creating a coming soon page and it might seem like a waste of time to some people. However, having a coming soon page can be an effective marketing strategy. It also becomes a lot easier and quicker to create a basic and yet stylish coming soon page if you are using WordPress. In this post, we will give you some tips on how to get the most value out of a WordPress coming soon page. You will also learn how to create a WordPress coming soon page for your own website. ![]() ![]() ![]() Tips for Creating a Coming Soon PageOne of the first things to remember when creating a coming soon page is to actually provide some value to users. Just placing a big coming soon text with a background image can work for well-established companies but you will need to put some effort into it if you are just starting out. Show a Launch DateA basic piece of information that you can provide to users is to give them a launch date for the product or service. This way even if someone visits your coming soon page only once, they would still know when you are planning to go live. Use Social Media for UpdatesProvide links to any social media accounts that you have created. People who are actually interested in your product or service will likely have some questions or would like to stay updated. Sharing your social media accounts will help you get some early likes and followers as well as give users an easy way of contacting you. You can also use the coming soon page as an opportunity to build an email list. Build Hype with Previews and UpdatesYou can also provide timely updates on the coming soon page about the progress that you have been making with your product or service. This will help build some hype around the product and keep your followers engaged. Create a WordPress Coming Soon PageWe will be using a free WordPress plugin called CMP—Coming Soon and Maintainance Plugin to create our WordPress coming soon page. It is completely free and easy to use. Once you have installed and activated the plugin, you can turn on the Coming Soon Mode from the Admin toolbar in the dashboard. ![]() ![]() ![]() Since "Coming Soon Mode" is turned on, you might expect that visiting the homepage of your website directly in a new tab will show you a coming soon page but that's not how it works. All the content of the website will still be accessible to you as an Admin. However, other visitors will see a generic message when they try to visit any page on the website. Here is a screenshot of the generic coming soon page that the plugin creates by default as soon as you turn the coming soon mode On. ![]() ![]() ![]() Choosing a ThemeThe plugin comes with three free themes that have some basic features built into them. All of them offer a slightly different set of features. We will choose the Countdown theme in this step because it offers a bunch of features like an actual countdown timer, a subscription form and the ability to link to social media profiles. ![]() ![]() ![]() Adding Content to the PageWe will be adding two main pieces of content to our coming soon page. First is the logo to help establish our brand identity and second is a lunch date with the progress that we have made so far. For this tutorial, our coming soon page will refer to a fictitious service called "Camp Yaatra" that helps people plan camping trips. Therefore, the logo is simply the text Camp Yaatra in a large font. It links to the homepage of the website. ![]() ![]() ![]() The main content simply announces the launch date and provides a basic update about the tasks we have completed so far and tasks that are to be done. We are writing it as HTML (after using the Text tab) here because we will be using some custom CSS to modify the appearance of our to-do list. Since we are launching the service on Christmas, it makes sense to set the countdown timer to December 25, 2021. You can also instruct the plugin to take some predefined actions like hiding the counter when the time is up. We have set it to disable the coming soon page. ![]() ![]() ![]() There are three different options to create a mailing list with the plugin. You can use the built-in subscription form provided by CMP or use MailOption or any other 3rd party plugin by including their shortcode. Assuming you have followed all the steps in the tutorial so far, your coming soon page should look similar to the image below. The font and placement of some items might be a bit off but we will get to that in the next section. ![]() ![]() ![]() Customizing the Font and AppearanceThe color and font of the coming soon page can be customized from the Customize tab in the plugin settings. You will be able to specify the font family, font weight as well as the letter spacing and line height for the heading and main content. ![]() ![]() ![]() The dropdown menu allows you to choose from a big list of Google fonts. I have selected Ubuntu for the heading and Muli as content font in our example. Now, we move on to the Custom CSS tab and enter the following custom CSS. p.progress { font-size: 2rem; margin: 0; } div.logo-wrapper { padding-top: 0; } h1.cmp-title { margin-top: 0; } .cmp-subscribe input[type="email"] { font-style: normal; } .social-wrapper.body { margin-bottom: 0; } #subscribe-form { margin: 0; } Adding Social Media Icons and Footer ContentYou can use this plugin to add links of different social media platforms where you actively engage with your followers. We will be including just Facebook, Twitter and Instagram here but you can add your YouTube channel or TikTok account as well. ![]() ![]() ![]() The footer content can be the tagline of your company or provide some more information about it like its physical location etc. Adding a BackgroundYou can also add your own custom background to the coming soon page. This could either be the default image that is unique for each theme or it could be a custom image that you have uploaded to WordPress media library. The plugin also gives you the option to use a video as background or show a random image from Unsplash. ![]() ![]() ![]() Other options include settings a simple gradient or solid color as background. You can also use a solid color or background as an overlay over your own custom image if you like. In our example, we have used a camping image from reshot. Here is what the final version of our Coming Soon page looks like. ![]() ![]() ![]() Final ThoughtsIn this tutorial, we have used a free plugin to quickly create our own customized WordPress Coming Soon page. Hopefully, the end result looks good enough for use in your own projects. Try experimenting with different themes and adding your own custom content and CSS to make it stand out even more. You can also take a look at lot of other such free plugins listed in the WordPress directory if you would like to try them out. via Blogger http://erinecassy.blogspot.com/2021/09/create-wordpress-coming-soon-page.html September 30, 2021 at 01:57PM
Should You Avoid Social Media Links to Your Website?
The most important factor for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is content. The second most important factor is links. Links are a vote of confidence in your website, and you always want links from relevant high quality websites back to your website. Or do you? At a webinar I attended, the speaker told us that we don’t want social media links to our websites. She wasn’t talking about SEO. She was talking about using social media to engage prospective clients. Don’t link to your website from YouTube or Facebook, she told us, because those social media platforms want to keep people on their own websites. If we draw people away, they won’t show our posts to our followers, let alone to searchers, and we won’t get that engagement. The external links policiesYouTube has an external links policy. It doesn’t say, “Don’t link out because we want to keep people at YouTube longer,” but it wouldn’t, would it? It actually says not to link to content that violates its policies. They give an example: “A video featuring sexually themed content whose description says ‘click here to see what YouTube won’t allow!’ and contains a link to a pornographic site.” Quite simply, they don’t want scalawags using workarounds to present rule-breaking content to their visitors. That seems reasonable to us. Facebook doesn’t seem to have a general external links policy, but they announced that they would “lower the reach of posts containing links to low-quality web pages” back in 2017. Again, that seems reasonable to us. Whose goals are you paying attention to?We did find some old rumors online claiming that Facebook would penalize posts with links, rather than posts linking to poor quality content. We did not see any actual evidence of this. We looked at insights for our stable of Facebook pages and saw widely varying levels of engagement, but no consistent pattern showing that links reduce reach or engagement. So here’s the question: what is your goal for Facebook? Do you want people to visit your website and book an appointment? Do you think you’re going to get that result by asking people what they’ve been reading lately? Not only does Facebook want to keep people at Facebook longer, they also want you to spend money on ads. Their algorithm focuses on friends and family in organic results, because people want to see posts from their friends and family more than they want to see posts from businesses…including businesses (like yours) that they love. Facebook has been a pay to play platform for years. That’s how they make their money, and they get to make the rules. But if your goals for your Facebook involvement have to do with actions people can take at your website, linking to your website is very important for you. We could say the same thing for YouTube and any other social media platform. Post a variety of posts and track reach and engagement. We’ll be very surprised if you find that the presence or absence of links is the deciding factor. Disagree? Please share your views in the comments! The post Should You Avoid Social Media Links to Your Website? appeared first on Haden Interactive. Via Tech http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://erinecassy.blogspot.com/2021/09/should-you-avoid-social-media-links-to.html September 30, 2021 at 02:57AM
15 Best WordPress Map Plugins
A map is worth ten thousand words. It visually shows the location of a business in a way that a street address alone cannot. It also makes it easy for customers to search and find and see the best route to get them there. WordPress doesn't have built-in facility to add maps to your website. This is where WordPress maps plugins come in. They embed maps on your WordPress website. By using Google Maps, plugins create maps that have markers, add maps to your website, contact forms, promotions flyers, popups, and so on. You can also create store locators. There are many WordPress map plugins and choosing the right one can be a challenge. In this post, we'll look at the 15 best WordPress map plugins you can install anywhere on your website today. ![]() ![]() ![]() Why Use a Map on Your WordPress Website?Maps are tools that website visitors can interact with in several ways. They can be moved around so visitors can see streets nearby and other places that are close to your business location. Maps also have different views: street views, satellite views, and terrain. They also contain details like traffic conditions and what public transit to get visitors to your business. Maps can also be shared on social media, sent to visitors phones so they can obtain directions. And since WordPress map plugins use Google Maps, you can be sure the maps is always up-to-date. How to Get a Google Maps API KeyTo use WordPress Maps plugins you will need a Google Maps API key. The API key is a unique identifier that authenticates requests coming from your website. Google also needs you to have it so they can track free usage, or bill for high-volume usage. The reality, however, is if you are generating few requests then you're not going to pay anything. To obtain an API key:
![]() Best WordPress Map Plugins1. Mappli—Custom Interactive Map WordPress Plugin![]() ![]() ![]() Using Mapplic you can turn simple images and vector graphics into high quality, responsive and fully interactive maps. The plugin is responsive and touch optimized for touch screen devices. Notable features of this responsive WordPress interactive map plugin include:
2. Google Maps—WordPress Map Plugin![]() ![]() ![]() Google Maps plugin makes it easy for customers to find your business location. This plugin is highly customizabe and supports multiple locations and markers for interactive maps on your website. You can add a new location by just entering its address, or name, or coordinates. You can even choose your map style and appearance. It has over twenty predefined icon types and the option of creating your own custom icon. Some notable features include:
3. Agile Store Locator (Google Maps) For WordPress![]() ![]() ![]() This WordPress Google Maps plugin helps users find stores and their locations. It can be used for stores, hotels, real estate, restaurants, and so on. Users can search for a store using a wide range of parameters like store name, description, street, state, city, phone, email, postal code, and so on. In addition, you get map templates and layouts with their own UI elements. Some notable features of this user-friendly maps plugin include:
4. Super Store Finder for WordPress (Google Maps Store Locator)![]() ![]() ![]() Super Store Finder for WordPress uses the latest Google Maps API to help customers locate your stores without fuss. Through the admin panel you can manage stores, tags, categories and customize styles, colors, labels, notifications, regions and map settings. On your maps, you can upload zoomable images and also display embedded video on your store location. That's not all, using a store locator analytics tracking feature you can track your store views, most viewed stores, location searches, telephone and email clicks, as well as generate analytical reports. Other features of this plugin include:
This plugin is compatible with Visual Composer and Cornerstone, and language translator plugins like WPML, 5. Progress Map Wordpress Plugin![]() ![]() ![]() With Progress Maps, you can easily list locations on Google Maps. Once listed, the locations will be displayed as markers on Google Maps as well as on a carousel. The carousel is linked to a map and when it's selected it will target the location on the map and make it easier for readers to find your listings. 6. Map List Pro—Google Maps and Location Directories![]() ![]() ![]() Map List Pro allows you to add a map and store locator to your site in no time. It is ideal for creating store locators, office address and contact lists. It displays your locations in a paged, sortable, searchable, and filterable list. The lists automatically update when locations are added. The plugin is loaded with customizable map styles and you can use your own custom markers or choose from the hundreds that come with the plugin. The plugin is easy to use. You just need to click the Map List Pro button in the editor to set up and insert a list and map. You can choose map only or list only option. You can allow users to search by text or location. You can also use geolocation for directions and location distanced. 7. MapSVG: Interactive Vector Maps![]() ![]() ![]() MapSVG is a map plugin that allows you to create objects of any kind and display them on a map. The plugin is also a database that contains many different kinds of maps. Here is what you can do with MapSVG plugin:
Using a built-in template editor you can customize map styles. Adding map functionality can be done by adding a few lines of JavaScript code. You can also integrate this plugin with a gallery, slider, or lightbox with images. Finally you can add search and filters. Learn how to use the MapSVG plugin with our step-by-step tutorial. 8. Simple Business Directory with Maps, Store Locator, and Distance Search![]() ![]() ![]() This is a business directory listing plugin that is powered by the Google Maps platform. It allows you to create business directory listings that have geolocation maps, distance search, radius search, and map clusters. The plugin also auto-detects user location. You can create store locators, local restaurant directories, local grocery store directories, and more. You can create paid listings and collect money using PayPal and Stripe. It also supports map marker clusters. This plugin is compatible with all themes and works with Gutenberg, Elementor, WPBakery Page Builder, Beaver builder, and more. 9. Advanced Google Maps Plugin for Wordpress![]() ![]() ![]() This maps plugin, developed using feedback from thousands of customers, bills itself as an all-in-one Google Maps plugin for WordPress. It allows you to add single or multiple Google Maps on your website, and create and display locations including their markers. But that's just a taste of what this plugin can do. To find out more of what this plugin can do check out live preview for its many features. 10. Hero Maps Premium—Responsive Google Maps Plugin![]() ![]() ![]() The Hero Maps Premium plugin allows you to add Google Maps including markers to your WordPress website. The maps can be full width or fixed size. It comes with free markers in many different colors that you can generate through a drag-and-drop interface. You can also aggregate all your markers in one map via Marker Geo Mashup. Free WordPress Map PluginsThese free WordPress map plugins don't offer as many features as the premium WordPress maps plugins on CodeCanyon, but if you're on a budget, they're a great way to get started adding maps to your website at no cost. WP Google Map Plugin![]() ![]() ![]() This Google Maps plugin allows you to create shortcodes to display responsive maps on pages, widgets and custom templates. Show custom markers on each map and display messages inside the info window on marker click. The autosuggest-enabled location form helps you to create markers and then them to a Google Map. It’s super easy. MapPress Maps for WordPress![]() ![]() ![]() MapPress is the easiest way to add beautiful interactive Google and Leaflet maps to WordPress. RVM—Responsive Vector Maps![]() ![]() ![]() This plugin allows you to create responsive linkable vector maps that you can use in sidebars and in post or page content using shortcodes. Geo Mashup![]() ![]() ![]() This plugin lets you save location information with posts, pages, and other WordPress objects. These can then be presented on interactive maps in many ways. Snazzy Maps![]() ![]() ![]() Snazzy Maps is not a Google Maps plugin. It simply adds styles to existing Google maps on your website. It comes with hundreds of free styles that you can apply to Google Maps on your website. Add Maps To Your Website And Increase Customer Engagement!For small one-time fee you can add a map to your website using a WordPress map plugins. Finally, these posts contain some of the best tips for adding maps to your website:
via Blogger http://erinecassy.blogspot.com/2021/09/15-best-wordpress-map-plugins.html September 29, 2021 at 03:57PM
How to Raise Financially Smart Kids
We all know some things are much easier to learn when we’re kids — other languages are a great example. One thing that is also easier to adopt as a kid is a financial literacy. Unfortunately, a good chunk of parents doesn’t do much to set their kids up for financial success. A study performed by the University of Illinois found that a whopping 36% of young adults find themselves financially at risk. You may be wondering how the researchers determined this. Getting into scientific detail would be beyond the scope of this article, but we can explain the study and its implications in simple terms. The researchers sampled a pool of over 3,000 adults to assess their financial practices, understanding of basic economic concepts, and overall financial aptitude. To be deemed “financially at risk,” participants needed to fulfill two essential criteria: they had no savings they could use to pay three months of living expenses, and they had no way to come up with $2,000 in an emergency. While some members of the scientific community have described these criteria as “somewhat arbitrary,” they are undoubtedly helpful when it comes to presenting the bigger picture — many young adults are a setback away from bankruptcy. [Source: Unsplash]
1. Generational Ripple EffectThe 22% of young adults that the survey deemed “financially stable” had savings or checking accounts were less likely to use the services of payday lenders and were better at planning their finances overall. However, even most of these individuals only described themselves as “moderately comfortable” about their financial literacy. The study’s lead author, Gaurav Sinha, believes that this issue may lead to further financial illiteracy in future generations. In an interview with Science Daily, he expressed concerns about young people’s inadequate financial skills and their ability to ensure both theirs and the well-being of their children.
2. How to Teach Your Children to Be Financially StableThe findings of this study suggest a dire need for parents to become much more engaged in their children’s financial literacy at a much younger age. Our friends at MNYMSTRS financial literacy for beginners have presented us with three simple ways to set your kids up for financial success. Let’s explore them together below!
Delayed GratificationIt seems that each new generation faces more difficulty when it comes to resisting the allure of instant gratification. Millennials have probably long thought that delaying gratification could not possibly be more difficult, but we would argue that Gen Z-ers have had even more distractions to deal with. Since their early childhoods, almost everything they wanted has been instantly available. Want to listen to your favorite song? Just stream it on YouTube or Spotify. Need a new pair of headphones? Amazon Prime can deliver precisely the model you’re looking for on the same day. Are your friends talking about a new app or video game? Just press a button on your controller or tap your phone’s screen a few times, and it’s yours. Whether it is physical possessions or digital entertainment, very little compels this generation to learn about the value of patience, persistence, and the power of time. It’s not their fault either — it’s just the hand they’ve been dealt. Unfortunately, acquiring wealth is not a one-click sort of endeavor (at least not for the time being). If you want to reap the benefits of your investments, you need to sit back and wait for the stock (or crypto) market to do its thing. It is your responsibility to teach your kids that not everything they want can be achieved instantly. Whenever possible, try to instill in them the value of delayed gratification. For example, if you have an allowance system in place, consider switching to monthly rather than weekly payments. This will teach them to pay attention and control how much money they have left until the next month rolls around. Just make sure not to budge when they inevitably come running for more cash after a week and a half. If your kids are still too young to have an allowance or deal with money directly, have them plant their favorite fruit or vegetable, and observe the literal “fruits of their labors.” We don’t need to explain why this analogy directly applies to the world of finance.
Embrace TechnologyYou might have had the mildly unsettling experience of seeing a kid try to swipe up a magazine cover like it was a touchscreen. We’re living in a new world, and for today’s kids, it is all they’ve ever known. For them, there was never a time without ubiquitous WiFi, smartphones, apps, and social media. In the previous few paragraphs, we might have sounded like we had some kind of problem with technology. On the contrary, we think it is an excellent opportunity to grow. We’ve all used technology to collaborate, create, buy, sell, make friends, learn, etc. The point we’re trying to make is that, for this generation, technology is almost inseparable from the “real world.” So, if you’re trying to teach a kid about finances, your best bet is to incorporate some technology to keep them interested. Thankfully, we’re not the first to think of this, and there is a wide array of software tools and apps geared towards teaching children about finances — even kids as young as five. Apps like iAllowance, Rooster Money and FamZoo let children keep track of their allowance and chores while teaching them financial skills through a wide array of gamified visual tools. If you want to sneak in financial education without boring your kids to death and force-feeding lessons, use the technology they’re comfortable with. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Incorporate Experiential LearningChildren nowadays have access to all the information they need, and they’ve had it from a very young age. Learning to sift through the information, figure out what’s important, and which sources can be trusted is the journey of a Gen Z-er. Back in the day, when a kid had a question about the world, they would default to asking their parents; now, the situation is a bit different. Sure, parents do get asked a question from time to time, but only if Google has failed to provide a satisfactory answer, However, one thing that Google can’t impart to your child is the real-life experience of managing finances. That said, if you simply sit your kid down for a lesson, they’re probably not going to be very interested in listening. This is where experiential learning comes into play. If you want your kids to pay attention, take them with you the next time you visit your financial advisor or show them how to balance a checkbook or fill out a check. Things like setting up your family budget for the month or reviewing the interest you’ve earned on your savings account may sound like tedious everyday activities to you, but to your kids, it’ll be like entering into a new reality. These activities will set the scene for you to have the all-important financial conversation with your children, and if there’s one thing you can’t Google, it is a practical experience.
Closing ThoughtsWouldn’t it be great if our educational system was more focused on teaching students how to be financially savvy? Unfortunately, at least for the time being, the burden of this responsibility lies with parents and caretakers. However, this also means that if you can teach your kids how to be smarter with their money, they’ll likely have a leg up on their peers, putting them in a great spot down the road. Most importantly, by teaching our kids how to be smarter with their money, we instill the right financial habits in them before they develop the wrong ones on their own.
About the AuthorEllie is a long-time marketer, currently working as a freelancer in Miami, Florida. She is also a passionate writer and loves to explore new, innovative and digital news. In her spare time she is an eco-activist. Editor at Digital Strategy One. The post How to Raise Financially Smart Kids first appeared on Reviewz'n'Tips. Via Tech http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://erinecassy.blogspot.com/2021/09/how-to-raise-financially-smart-kids.html September 24, 2021 at 09:57PM
Time is Money at Your Website
Time is money for several important aspects of your website, even if it is a cliche. Your domainIf you have an old domain, you have a big advantage. If you’ve had something — anything — online for a long time, you get extra points with the search engines. Right now, we’re working with some domains over a decade old. Once we get their new sites up, the owners can expect to see very good results more quickly than a brand new domain with an equally good website. How can you get the benefits that make that kind of time money? Get your domain right now. Don’t fool around one second longer. Then keep your site online. After some time, you can reap the benefits. Your designWeb designers are usually paid by the hour. Think about what you want first, be decisive, limit the number of changes you ask for, and you’ll save money. I’m surprised to find that clients don’t expect to be charged for changes, however long the changes take and even when it’s the client who has changed his or her mind rather than the designer who has failed to interpret the client’s wishes accurately. I think part of this is because clients often have no idea what’s involved in the work or how long it takes. Many people don’t know for sure whether web design is like posting a picture at Facebook or involves soldering. The best course of action is to ask: what kinds of changes can I ask for, and what will extras cost? Your blogOnce you’ve posted regularly at your blog for a few months, directories will list it. Google will (if you’ve written something worthwhile) rank it and offer searchers your posts. You will become a recognized authority in your field. If you’ve just been thinking about blogging, or you blog about once a month, or you’ve been blogging for a few weeks and think you’ll give it up because it isn’t working for you — well, remember that you need a calendar and not a watch to measure your results. Time is money at your blog in another way, too. Does it take you several hours to write one blog post? Does that time come out of your other work? If so, then the chances of your getting to the point where your blog will pay off for you are slim. Hire somebody to write it for you: it’s a worthwhile investment. Tell us about yourself with the handy form below if you need blogging support, and we will get in touch. The post Time is Money at Your Website appeared first on Haden Interactive. Via Tech http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://erinecassy.blogspot.com/2021/09/time-is-money-at-your-website.html September 23, 2021 at 10:57AM
9 Best WordPress Pricing Table Plugins
Do you want to increase sells by adding pricing tables on your website? Pricing tables are tools for increasing sales. They guide visitors to take action whether it's signing up for a free plan or buying a plan or product. Pricing tables are visual pricing tools that offer your visitors options to choose pricing plans that suit their needs. They can compare two, three, or four different products at once by reviewing their list of features, similarities, or differences. This saves time by giving users easily digestible information that allows them to make informed decisions. In this post I'll show you some of the best WordPress pricing table plugins you can download today. ![]() ![]() ![]() A well-designed and well-organized pricing page is crucial. The good news is, you don't need to create pricing tables from scratch. On CodeCanyon you will find WordPress pricing table plugins that you can add to your website easily. Best-Selling WordPress Pricing Table Plugins on CodeCanyonMake it easy for your customers to choose pricing plans that work for them by incorporating a pricing table on your website. Choose from over 100 WordPress pricing tables listed on CodeCanyon and get ahead of your competition. ![]() ![]() ![]() Best WordPress Pricing Tables1. Best-seller: Go Pricing: WordPress Responsive Pricing Tables![]() Using Go Pricing you can create colorful and attractive WordPress pricing or comparison tables for your website. It is loaded with 250 premade pricing tables that you can edit and customize from the admin interface. There are hundreds of customization options to choose from like colors, icons, and a live preview window to see how your pricing tables will look in real time. To add excitement to your pricing tables, you can include column animations for each and every column by choosing from 39 transition options. To make them even more engaging, you can add images, audio, videos, and maps. Don't forget to take advantage of Google Fonts and match the pricing table's text to your website font. 2. CSS3 Responsive WordPress Compare Pricing Tables![]() ![]() ![]() This responsive pure CSS3 WordPress pricing table plugin comes with two table styles and twenty predefined color versions. From the extensive admin panel you can customize tables, columns, rows and table cells. To make customization a breeze, you have access to tools like sliding columns feature, expandable rows feature, popped up columns, hover states, table cell tooltips, columns ribbons, and tick-cross icons. You have a live view of any changes you make. Other notable features include:
3. ARPrice—WordPress Pricing Table Plugin![]() ![]() ![]() ARPrice is a fully featured pricing table plugin that comes with a whopping 300+ ready to download pricing table templates, 13-14 color options, 900+ fonts, and over 2400 different font icons. Using drag-and-drop tools you can add an unlimited number of columns, as well as change colors, fonts and icons, add your own images, and add ribbons to your pricing tables. You can make your columns dynamic by adding animations and effects such as hover, glow, fade, swing, slide or fall, and even integrate YouTube or Vimeo videos. The plugin includes a weekly-monthly-yearly toggle switch, which you can set as a tab at the top of each table. You can instantly preview your changes via the real-time editor to see what your tables will look like across all devices. 4. Pricing Table—WordPress Pricing Table Plugin![]() ![]() ![]() This pricing and compare table plugin allows you to create visually stunning pricing tables. It comes a multitude of customizable options including three predefined layouts, six predefined column elements, two predefined border radius and more. You can also customize button border radius and width, font size and weight. You can display pictures on your price columns by simply pasting its link in the picture field. 5. CSS3 Vertical Web Pricing Tables For WordPress![]() ![]() ![]() A majority of pricing tables focus on vertical layouts. But this plugin different because it lets you create pricing tables that are laid out horizontally, on rows instead of columns. The tables are divided into three distinct sections: the header, the main body, and the footer. The tables are also fully responsive, so they look great on all devices. Features of this plugin include:
6. Easy Pricing Tables WordPress Plugin![]() ![]() ![]() Easy Pricing Tables helps you build awesome pricing tables in a few clicks and see how they will look on your website using a live preview. You have great selection of customization features to choose from including ten pricing themes, ten predefined colors, nine content elements for pricing tables, as well as more than 120 ribbons, over 100 icons, and several hover effects. The plugin supports WPBakery Page Builder, video integration, and HTML content. 7. PTSC: WordPress Pricing Tables, Sliders & Comparison Tables![]() ![]() ![]() WordPress Pricing Tables, Slider, and Comparison (PTSC) is WooCommerce-supported, all-in-one plugin for
PTSC is different from other WordPress pricing table plugins where you build pricing tables by adding rows to each table one a time. With PTSC you just enter your product descriptions in plain text, then the plugin processes it to make pricing tables, pricing slider or comparison tables all from the single set of data. This powerful plugin is perfect for adding long comparison tables to your WordPress website. You can generate comparison tables with unlimited rows and columns. 8. WHMCS Pricing Sliders and Comparison Tables—WHMpress Addon![]() ![]() ![]() If you run a web hosting business on the WHMCS platform using the WHMPress, then this comparison table and price slider is for you. It will give your visitors all information they need to make informed decisions. The plugin is prefilled with data from WHCMS and you don't need additional coding. Features include:
9. AP Pricing Tables![]() ![]() ![]() Create beautiful tables with AP Pricing Table. This feature-rich WordPress pricing table plugin comes with 35 predefined templates that you can use to unlimited pricing table with unlimited row and column addition. You can customize the tables by defining column border radius, column space, column width, configure ribbons for each column, and add column animation. But that's not all you can add audio, video, and Google Maps to the content on your table. Additional features of this pricing table plugin include:
The plugin supports multiple source font icons: Font Awesome, Typicons, Linecon, Icomoon, Material icons. Free WordPress Pricing TablesIf these premium WordPress pricing table plugins for WordPress are outside your budget, there are some free pricing table plugins you can try. These plugins come with a lot of features that will help you create tables for your website. However, if you need advanced features, you will need to pay for the premium versions. Responsive Pricing Table![]() ![]() ![]() Responsive Pricing Table allows you to easily create pricing tables for your website. You can place the table anywhere using a shortcode. WRC Pricing Tables![]() ![]() ![]() This free CSS3 pricing table plugin allows you to create comparison pricing tables for your website. Pricing Table by Supsystic![]() ![]() ![]() This plugin comes with pricing table templates that you can customize with a pricing table builder and publish on your website. WooCommerce Tiered Price Table![]() ![]() ![]() This plugin sets different prices for different quantities of a product. Less is More: Tips for Designing Pricing Tables That Connect With Your CustomersPricing tables share a message visually, quickly, and effectively. They do this by clearly highlighting differences between plans so customers can select one that suits their needs. You can use design to emphasise differences by utilizing robust colors, backgrounds, fonts, icons, badges, call to action buttons, and framing. When done right, tables avoids confusing the customer with too much information. So when designing your pricing table, remember effective design is all about simplicity. Simple design steers away from clutter and draws attention to benefits, price, and call the visitor to take action. Another element is simplicity is clear, concise copy that is easy to understand. You can achieve this by making information minimal and digestible. Show your visitors how each will plan benefit them. How will it improve their business. Also make the tables short, so visitors don't have to scroll to see more information. Finally, offer few services so visitors can decide quickly. Offering too many services makes it confusing for your customers to compare prices. Before you even start building your pricing comparison tables, be clear about the services you offer including their features and benefits. Some Color and Layout Tips for Pricing TablesColors catch and hold attention. The background of each pricing plan can be of different color and font. The most popular plan can be highlighted with graphics and fonts of a different size. The background color of each pricing plan can be the same except for that one plan you want to fully highlight and market to your potential customers. Doing so will focus attention to one plan that performs well and has the best features for an affordable price. Add a WordPress Pricing Table to Your Website!![]() ![]() ![]() Here are some more pricing table plugin resources on Envato Tuts+ via Blogger http://erinecassy.blogspot.com/2021/09/9-best-wordpress-pricing-table-plugins.html September 15, 2021 at 12:58PM
Jetpack CRM
Jetpack has a Customer Relationship Management tool that they want to share with you. As entrepreneurs themselves, they say, they like to give back. So this is a gift to you. Go to jetpackcrm.com and download Jetpack CRM. Upload and activate it as a plugin, and it will start walking you through the options. There aren’t very many. Connecting the extensions (see more on this below) will doubtless take some time, but the basic free version has just a few options. ![]() You will very quickly be through this section and ready to add a customer. Automation — at a priceJetpack CRM will pull customers from your WooCommerce records and elsewhere with extensions. ![]() In fact, Jetpack CRM has lots of extensions. The pricing can definitely add up. However, you can pay $17 a month (billed annually) and get access to all of the extensions. There’s also an $11/month tier that bundles the PayPal and WooCommerce extensions with Gravity Forms and Invoicing Pro. If you choose to stick with the free version, you will need to type in all your customers’ information. The customer editor is the familiar WordPress editor with a form to guide you in adding your client’s name, email, address, photo, social media info, and such. You can add unlimited notes and upload pdf files, too. ![]() Once you have your customers in…Jetpack CRM lets you keep notes on your clients and upload documents, as well as creating a customer portal and adding custom fields. Keeping everything in one place is big plus of using a CRM, so I like the fact that you can add tasks and deadlines sorted by team member. Jetpack CRM will automatically add this to your calendar and send reminders. You can build quotes in this CRM as well, and it will actually produce some content. It’s fairly human-sounding, too. “A paragraph summary, such as: Works to website at clientsdomain.com, including a re-design with three client-feedback stages, and translation into French” was the first sentence of the first example it produced for us. ![]() There were some good ideas in there, too. I can see this being quite helpful. You can produce invoices, list transactions, create forms, and review data. There’s a calendar for scheduling tasks, a team members page with easy control over permissions, and email tools. ![]() Since it’s built in WordPress, everything will seem familiar to you if you already use WordPress. Will this work as your CRM?If you don’t already have a CRM but you do have or want customers, install the free version and see how you like it. I think it looks useful. Even the paid version, at $204 a year, is very economical. It doesn’t have all the features you might find in a more robust tool. For example, it doesn’t track time, show you your clients’ social media posts, forecast financials, track your client acquisition channels (though there’s an extension that looks as though it might do that) — okay, there are lots of things it doesn’t do. I am not tempted to switch. For a basic, economical CRM, however, it looks excellent. The post Jetpack CRM appeared first on Haden Interactive. Via Tech http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://erinecassy.blogspot.com/2021/09/jetpack-crm.html September 08, 2021 at 03:57PM |