All posts by Editorial Staff

24 Best WordPress Themes for Travel Blogs

02.02.2018best wordpress themes, Showcase, themes for travel blogs, WordPress ThemesEditorial Staff

Are you looking for the best WordPress themes for a travel blog? Normally, any WordPress blog or business theme can be used for travel websites and blogs. However, they may not reflect the sense of adventure of a travel website. In this article, we have hand picked the best WordPress themes for travel blogs that will help you achieve the proper look for your website.

Best WordPress themes for travel blogs

Creating a Travel Blog with WordPress

WordPress is the most flexible and easy to use platform to build a website. It is already used by many popular travel websites from all over the world.

There are two types of WordPress websites. WordPress.com, which is a hosted platform and WordPress.org also called self-hosted WordPress. See our comparison of WordPress.com vs WordPress.org for more details.

We recommend using self-hosted WordPress.org because it gives you access to all WordPress features and gives you total freedom to build your website.

To build a self-hosted website, you will need a domain name and WordPress hosting.

We recommend using Bluehost. They are an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider, and they are offering WPBeginner users over 60% off and a free domain name.

Once you have signed up for a hosting account, you can follow our step by step guide on how to start a blog.

Having said that, let’s take a look at some of the best WordPress themes for travel blogs that you can install on your website.

1. Zermatt

Zermatt is a gorgeous WordPress theme for travel blogs. It’s homepage features a beautiful transparent navigation menu with a weather widget on top. The homepage is made up of different widget ready areas. Zermatt includes several custom widgets, which you can just drag and drop to setup homepage.

It also comes with beautiful sliders, photo galleries, page templates, and of course a booking form. It is beginner friendly and you’ll love its professional design.

2. Ultra

Ultra is an all-purpose WordPress theme that comes with several ready-made websites. All these designs can be installed with 1-click with complete content. Just replace the content with your own and you are good to go.

Want to edit a page? Ultra comes with an integrated drag and drop page builder that allows you to easily edit any page layout. You can also create your own layouts if needed. It has a themes option panel which helps you setup your website.

3. Camera

If photos play an important role on your travel blog, then you should check out Camera. This gorgeous WordPress photography theme is perfect for travel blogs. You can create unique photo series in a full-width carousel to accommodate both landscape and portrait images.

Camera features a distraction free design allowing visitors focus on your photography and content. It is super easy to use and only includes the options you’ll actually use.

4. Fall

Fall is a beautiful WordPress blog theme which is perfect for content rich travel websites. Featuring crisp typography and a distraction free layout, Fall makes your content stand out.

It is super easy to customize with unlimited colors, simple design and layout choices, Google fonts, custom logo upload, and Google Analytics integration.

5. Mountry

Mountry is a beautifully designed WordPress theme for travel and adventure websites. It features a minimalist approach to design with tons of flexible options.

It includes 8 homepage designs, multiple page templates for different sections, and a simple drag and drop page builder. It can also be used to add an online store to your website using WooCommerce.

6. Landing

Landing is a stunningly beautiful WordPress theme for landing pages, travel websites, and even blogs. It comes with a drag and drop landing page builder that allows you to easily create your own unique layouts without any programming skills.

It has multiple header design options, portfolio content type, events, blog section, and complete WooCommerce support. It is easier to set up with 1-click installer and theme options panel.

7. Binder Pro

Binder Pro is a modular WordPress theme which allows you to drag and drop modules to create your own layouts. It includes multiple turnkey designs that you can install with the click of a button. Editing these designs is super easy with simple point and click editing tools.

It also includes WooCommerce support to add an online store, Google fonts, custom widgets, contact form, and more. Binder is super easy to use and perfect for beginners looking for effortless modern website.

8. Elegant

Elegant is a multi-purpose WordPress minimalist theme, which is ideal for travel blogs. It comes with multiple page layouts, gorgeous photo galleries, crisp typography, and masonry grid layouts.

Elegant ships with a powerful page builder plugin that allows you to create your own landing pages. It also supports WooCommerce out of the box and includes beautiful shop templates.

9. Zoom

Zoom is a spacious and clean WordPress theme for travel and tourism websites. It features a single column layout with a large header image, followed by website title, navigation menus, and then your most important content.

It includes unlimited galleries, masonry grid layout for blog posts, multiple widget areas, drag and drop homepage, and more. Zoom is super easy to use and most features work out of the box. It also has a custom theme options panel for easier set up.

10. Hive

Hive is a magazine style WordPress theme perfect for content rich travel and tourism websites. Its main features are minimalist design, beautiful typography, and gorgeous display of featured images.

It includes grid layout for your content, post format support, page template, full width page, multiple widget ready areas, and more. It is translation ready and can also be used with multilingual websites.

11. Collecto

Collecto is a WordPress magazine and newspaper style theme perfect for content rich tourism and travel websites. Featuring a truly unique layout, it has minimal vertical navigation menu, a beautiful header area, and parallax background effects.

It has a dynamic grid layout for your blog and content archives which automatically highlights your sticky posts. It has unlimited colors, single page and single post templates, social media integration, Google fonts, and more.

12. OceanWP

If you are looking for a premium-like but free WordPress theme, then check out OceanWP. This excellent WordPress theme comes with its own companion plugins that allow you to apply premium themes like features into your website.

It includes beautiful homepage template, full WooCommerce support, translation-ready, WPML support, page builder support, and more. It has flexible customization options and a custom theme options panel.

13. Veni

Veni is another excellent magazine style WordPress theme ideal for travel guides, tour operators, destination guides, and tourism blogs. This fantastic theme features a unique and elegant design with a large header image or slider on top, slide in menus, and a spacious layout.

Noteable features include featured pages, flexible layouts, portrail and landscape featured images, Google fonts, unlimited colors, contact form support, and more. It is super easy to customize and set up and includes a beginner friendly theme dashboard.

14. Feltmag

Feltmag is another awesome WordPress magazine theme for content rich travel blogs. Featuring a modern layout with a fullscreen header, which is followed by your content sections in beautiful grid style.

It includes two navigation menus in the header area, large featured images, multiple layout styles, flexible header design, custom widgets, social icons, and more. It is designed to work out of the box and is super easy to customize even for beginners.

15. Explorer

Need a flexible blog theme for your travel blog, then take a look at Explorer. This modern blog theme has a sticky navigation menu on top, custom logo support, and a professional static front page.

It is super simple and easy to use and includes only the options you will need and use. It includes multiple layouts, support for all top page builders, WooCommerce support, WPML and translation ready, and more.

16. The Traveler

The Traveler is another excellent option for a WordPress travel blog, tourism, and travel guide website. Its homepage uses a traditional magazine style layout with posts displayed in masonry grid.

It includes full screen background image, Instagram feed, full width page template, custom widgets, social icons, and more. It is super easy to customize with the help of live customizer.

17. Travel Log

Travel log is a simple and free WordPress theme for travel websites and blogs. It comes with a companion plugin to add some travel and tourism related featured to your website.

Its homepage features a slider on top, followed by different sections of your website. Travel log is easy to customize and includes live customizer support with a custom theme options page.

18. Indigo

Indigo is another WordPress multipurpose theme suitable for travel magazines and blogs. It includes a sticky navigation menu on top, followed by website logo, primary navigation, and then a slider.

It includes a magazine homepage and a traditional blog homepage layout. It has unique custom widgets for social icons, popular posts, and full live customizer support.

19. Noozbeat

Noozbeat is a professional WordPress news and magazine theme ideal for travel and adventure sites. Its homepage displays your recent articles in dynamic grid layout. It displays posts blocks as featured images with article title displayed on top of the image.

It has a widgetized layout allowing you to drag and drop widgets to create your homepage. It includes several custom widgets for social media and content discovery features. You will find it simple and easy to use with tons of customization options.

20. Noteblog

Noteblog is a free WordPress theme for blogs, travel, sports, and adventure websites. This simple and elegant theme displays a full width featured image followed by your recent posts in grid layout.

It is easy to use and only include minimal customization options. It is also optimized for speed and performance and works effortlessly with popular WordPress plugins.

21. Medias

Medias is a flexible WordPress theme for podcasts, personal websites, and travel blogs. It comes with multiple layouts and styles to display your posts and other content.

Other notable features include mega menu, slider plugin, custom header, and Google fonts. It is translation ready, multilingual ready, and can be easily customized to make it uniquely yours.

22. Publisher

Publisher is another excellent WordPress magazine style theme for travel and magazine websites. It includes a modern homepage layout with custom headers and article cards. Each single post page allows you to beautifully display featured image, galleries, and more.

It only includes features you will actually use and none that you won’t. It includes infinite scroll support, contact form, and a getting started dashboard to help you walk through the setup.

3. Peak

Looking for an elegant way to display your travel photos? Check out Peak. This beautifully designed WordPress theme is perfect for travel photography, tourism, and personal websites.

It comes with multiple gallery layouts, page templates, multiple styles, slideout widgets, page title banner and more. It is powerful yet quite easy to use with detailed theme options that help you walk through setup.

24. El Greco

Transform your travel blog into a highly engaging platform with El Greco. It features a minimal layout and multiple colors, large header image, and two navigation menus.

Inside you will find custom widgets for social sharing and content discovery features. It is fully compatible with all top WordPress page builders so you can create your own layouts if needed. It is easy to customize and has tons of options located under live theme customizer.

We hope this article helped you find the best WordPress themes for travel blogs. You may also want to see our ultimate WordPress SEO guide to bring more traffic to your travel website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 24 Best WordPress Themes for Travel Blogs appeared first on WPBeginner.

How to Add an Interactive Map in WordPress

01.02.2018travel map, travel map plugin for wordpress, travelogue, WordPress PluginsEditorial Staff

Do you want to add an interactive map in WordPress? Interactive maps allow your users to discover routes, journeys, and itineraries by clicking on markers in the map or moving the mouse around. In this article, we will show you how to easily add an interactive map in WordPress.

Adding an interactive map in WordPress

Method 1: Adding an Interactive Map in WordPress using Google My Maps

This method is simpler and doesn’t require you to install a plugin on your WordPress site.

First, you need to visit Google My Maps website and click on the ‘Create a new map’ button.

Create a new map

This will bring you to the edit map page. On this screen, you can create your map by selecting a base map, adding points of interest, layers, and more.

Editing map

Using the toolbar at the top, you can draw lines on the map, add routes, use rulers, and select items.

Using the map toolbar

All your map items are saved in layers to the left. You can add, edit, rename, or even delete layers. You can also click on any item in your layer to add description, change title, or add photos / videos.

Add descriptions

Once you are done editing your map, you need to make it public so that you can use it on your website. You can do this by clicking on the share button in the edit panel.

Sharing your interactive map

This will bring up the sharing center where you need to click on ‘Change’ under ‘Who has access’ section.

Sharing settings

Next, you need to select ‘On – Public on the web’ and then click on the save button.

Making your map public

After that click on ‘Done’ to close sharing center.

On the edit panel click on the menu icon next to map name and then select ‘Embed on my site’.

Embed map on site

You will now see the embed code that you need to copy.

Embed code

Next, head over to the post or page where you want to add your interactive map in WordPress. On the post edit screen, you need to switch to the text editor and paste the map embed code you copied earlier.

Paste your interactive map code in WordPress

You can now save your changes and preview your post to see your interactive map in action.

Map preview

Method 2: Add an Interactive Map in WordPress Using Plugin

While you can create and add interactive maps using Google Maps, it still lacks certain features and is limited to Google Maps.

If you want to use Open Street Maps, Bing, or other mapping services, then this method is for you.

First thing you need to do is install and activate the Maps Marker Pro plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit Maps Marker Pro page to create your interactive map. To start, you need to click on the ‘Add New Layer’ button.

Adding a new layer to your map

Next, you need to provide a name for your layer and click publish.

Creating new layer and publishing it

Now that you have created a layer, you are ready to add map markers on it. Go to Maps Marker Pro » Add New Marker page to add your first marker.

Adding first marker

First you will need to enter a title for the marker, and then search for the location and select it.

You will also need to place your marker on the layer you created earlier. You can do this by typing the name of the layer in the layers field and select it.

Don’t forget to click on the ‘Publish’ button to save your marker.

Repeat the process to add other markers to the layer.

Once you are done adding markers, you can edit any WordPress post or page where you want to add the map.

On the post edit screen, click on ‘Add Map’ button.

Add map button

This will bring up a popup displaying all your map markers and the layer you created earlier. You need to select the layer and click on insert map button.

Select and insert map layer in your post or page

The plugin will add the required shortcode in your post editor area. You can now save or publish your post and preview it to see your interactive map.

Preview your interactive map

You can always edit your main layer to adjust the map size and dimensions.

Maps Marker Pro is a powerful plugin with tons of options like multi-layer maps, custom markers, directions, GPX support, export map in multiple formats, and more. You can explore these options to make your maps even more interactive.

We hope this article helped you lean how to add an interactive map in WordPress. You may also want to see our list of the best Google Maps plugins for WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Add an Interactive Map in WordPress appeared first on WPBeginner.

How to Send Email in WordPress using the Gmail SMTP Server

31.01.2018contact form 7 not sending to gmail, gravity forms not sending to gmail, how to send email in wordpress using gmail smtp server, wordpress gmail not working, wordpress gmail smtp server, WordPress Plugins, wp mail smtpEditorial Staff

Are you having trouble sending emails from your WordPress site? One easy way to solve this is by sending WordPress emails using the Gmail SMTP server. In this article, we will show you how to send emails from your WordPress site using the Gmail SMTP server.

Send WordPress emails using Gmail SMTP server

Why and When You Need Gmail SMTP Server for WordPress Emails

Your WordPress site sends emails to notify you of new user registration, lost password reset, automatic updates, and even notifications from your contact forms.

By default, WordPress uses the PHP mail function to send out email notifications. However, this function does not work as expected due to a number of reasons.

Most WordPress hosting companies restrict usage of this function to prevent abuse and spam.

Spam filters on popular email service providers check incoming emails to monitor if they are sent from authentic mail servers. Default WordPress emails fail this check and sometimes may not even make it to the spam folder.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the industry standard for sending emails. Unlike PHP mail function, SMTP uses proper authentication which increases email deliverability.

Gmail provides SMTP service that you can use to send out emails from your WordPress site. If you just want to send WordPress notification emails to yourself and few users on your site, then Gmail SMTP servers are the best option.

However, if you are planning on sending newsletter emails using WordPress, then you should use a mass emailing service provider, like MailGun or SendGrid.

Free vs Paid Gmail SMTP Service for WordPress

You can use your free Gmail account to send out WordPress emails. However, for better deliverability, we recommend using paid Google Apps for Work with Gmail.

With Google Apps for Work, you get your own professional branded email address such as ([email protected]).

Google Apps require you to add MX records to your domain name which means that your emails will appear to be coming from your own domain name boosting authenticity and ensuring better deliverability.

We use Google Apps for Work for WPBeginner and can honestly say it’s the best.

How to Send WordPress Emails Using Gmail SMTP Server

If you decided to use Google Apps for Work, then you first need to set up your domain to work with Google Apps. We have a step by step tutorial on how to setup a professional email address with Google Apps and Gmail.

Rest of the instructions are the same whether you are using paid or free Gmail account.

First thing you need to do is install and activate the WP Mail SMTP plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit Settings » WP Mail SMTP page to configure the plugin settings.

WP Mail SMTP Settings

First you need to make sure that you use your Gmail email address in the ‘From Email’ field. Next, you need to provide the sender name.

WP Mail SMTP plugin offers two ways to connect your WordPress site to the Gmail servers.

The first method uses OAuth Authentication. This is a more secure method to send emails using Gmail servers.

The second method is by entering Gmail SMTP settings manually. This method is not recommended because it is less secure.

That being said, let’s set up WordPress to use Gmail SMTP for sending emails.

Method 1: Setting up Gmail to Send WordPress Emails using OAuth Protocol

This method is recommended for all users. It is more secure and once you set it up, you’ll never have to do that again.

You need to start by selecting Gmail as your mailer and set the return path to be the same as sender.

Select Gmail and set return path

Next, you will see the option to enter your Client ID, Client Secret, and a URL in ‘Authorized redirect URI’ field.

Let’s set up these fields.

Creating an App and Generate API Keys for Gmail

Visit the Google Developers Console website and create a new project.

Create a new Google Developer Console project

If you don’t see the blue button to create a project, then you can also click on select a project drop down and create a new project.

You’ll be asked to provide a name for your project. Give it a memorable name, so that you can easily recognize it in the future.

Name your project

After that, click on the create button to continue.

Developer console will now create your project and take you to its dashboard. Google offer developers access to many of their APIs and services. You need to enable the APIs that you will be needing for this project.

Enable APIs

Click on Enable APIs and services button to continue.

This will bring you to the APIs library page. Next, you need to type Gmail in the search box to quickly find the Gmail API and click to select it.

Select Gmail API

You will now see an overview of the API and what it can do. Simply click on the ‘Enable’ button to continue.

Enale Gmail API

Now that your API is enabled, the next step is to create credentials that you can use in your WP Mail SMTP plugin settings.

Click on the create credentials button to continue.

Create credentials

On the next screen, you will need to select ‘Web browser JavaScript’ in ‘Where you’ll be calling the API from’ field. After that click on the ‘User Data’ option.

API credentials step 1

To continue, click on the ‘What credentials do I need?’ button.

You will now be asked to provide a name for your OAuth client name. You can enter ‘WP Mail SMTP’ here.

API Credentials step 2

Under JavaScript origins field, you need to add your website’s domain name. Next, you need to copy and paste the authorized redirect URL from WP Mail SMTP plugin settings.

After that click on the ‘Create client ID’ button to continue.

Next, you need to enter a name for OAuth consent screen. You can put the plugin’s name here.

Ouath consent screen

After entering the details, click on the continue button and the developer console will show your client ID. You can copy and paste this in the WP Mail SMTP plugin’s settings page. However, you will still need to add your client secret key.

Getting your client ID

Go ahead and click on the Done button to move on.

You will now be taken to your project’s credentials page. You will see your recently created credentials listed there. You need to click on the edit icon next to your credentials to continue.

Edit credentials

This will bring you to the edit credentials page where you will be able to see your client secret key. You need to copy and paste the key in your plugin’s settings page.

Client secret key

Return back to plugin’s settings page in your WordPress admin area. Now that you have both client ID and client secret keys, you need to click on the save settings button to continue.

Save client credentials in plugin settings

The plugin will now store your settings and reload the page. After that you need to scroll down to the bottom of the settings page and click on the ‘Allow plugin to send emails using your Google account’ button.

Allow plugin to send emails

This will take you to your account on Google, and you will be asked to give the website permission to send emails on your behalf.

Allow Gmail

Click on Allow button to give permissions.

After that, you will be redirected back to your website where you will see a success message.

Connected successfully

Method 2: Setting up Gmail SMTP as SMTP Sender

This method allows you to manually connect to Gmail’s SMTP servers to send your WordPress emails.

First, you need to visit Settings » WP Mail SMTP page to configure the plugin settings.

You need to start by providing the Gmail address you want to use in the From email field, and your name in the name field.

Gmail SMTP

Next, you need to select ‘Other SMTP’ as your mailer and check the box next to return path.

After that, scroll down to the Other SMTP section to configure more settings.

Gmail SMTP settings for WP Mail SMTP plugin

Here is the exact configuration you need to add in the plugin settings:

SMTP Host: smtp.gmail.com
SMTP Port: 465
Encryption: Use SSL encryption
Authentication: Turn on authentication
Username: Your complete Gmail address, e.g. [email protected] or [email protected]
Password: Password of your Gmail account

Once you are done, click on the save changes button to store your settings.

That’s all, you have successfully setup WP Mail SMTP to use Gmail SMTP servers.

Testing Your WP Mail SMTP Settings

WP Mail SMTP plugin allows you to test your email settings, so you can make sure that everything is working properly.

You need to visit Settings » WP Mail SMTP page and click on the ‘Email Test’ tab. Simply provide an email address that you can access in the send to field and click on the send email button.

Send test email

You will see a success message. You can now check your inbox to see a message with the subject line ‘WP Mail SMTP: Test Email to…’.

That’s all, you have successfully setup your WordPress site to send emails using Gmail SMTP servers.

Troubleshooting Gmail SMTP Not Working Issues

We have seen users encounter few issues when using Gmail SMTP with certain shared hosting configurations.

Take the following steps to fix the Gmail SMTP issue:

Login to your cPanel account and create an email account that matches your Google apps email address. This might seem strange because you’re not using your server for emails. This step basically tricks your server into believing that you’re sending the email through the server.
In your cPanel account, go to the MX Records and change the MX routing from automatic to remote. It might be a little tricky to find since each host now has custom cPanel interface. You need to look for a small link next to MX that says Email Routing: Remote Mail Exchanger.
After that log back into your WordPress site and send a test email.

We hope this article helped you learn how to send email in WordPress using the Gmail SMTP server. You may also want to see our list of the 5 best contact form plugins for WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Send Email in WordPress using the Gmail SMTP Server appeared first on WPBeginner.

5 Best WordPress Appointment and Booking Plugins

30.01.2018appointments plugin for WordPress, booking calendar for wordpress, booking plugin for wordpress, WordPress PluginsEditorial Staff

Do you want to allow your customers to book an appointment directly from your WordPress site? Many businesses need an appointment booking form which allows customers to easily book an appointment online. In this article, we will show you the best WordPress appointment and booking plugins.

What Kind of Appointment and Booking Form Plugin To Choose?

You may want to customize your appointment booking form to meet your business requirements. However, there are few common things that you should look for in your WordPress booking form plugin.

Your appointment booking form should be able to accept customer requests for available time slots divided into your business hours.

It should work on mobile phones, so that your customers can easily book appointments from their phones as well as computers.

A good appointment booking form will save appointments in your WordPress database or a calendar app like Google Calendar. You may also want to send an automatic email notification to customers once their booking is accepted.

That being said, let’s take a look at the best appointment and booking plugins that you can use on your WordPress site.

1. BirchPress

BirchPress is a comprehensive WordPress booking plugin. It allows you to add a professional online booking management system into your WordPress site. Your users can book appointments from your website and pay for it using their PayPal account or credit card.

BirchPress syncs your booking calendar with your other calendars such as Google Calendar, iCal, Android, Outlook, etc. It has a customizable email notification and reminder system to keep you, and your clients informed about the booking.

2. Booking Calendar

Booking Calendar is one of the best free WordPress booking plugins in the market. It is simple, easy to use, and well documented. It comes with a calendar view for both you and your website visitors. You can easily add your booking / appointment form into any WordPress post or page.

While it is simple enough for beginners, it is also very powerful and includes a whole range of options that can be configured from the plugin’s settings page. It comes with built-in captcha to prevent spam, email notifications, jQuery effects, and more. You can even customize the booking form with your own custom fields.

3. WP Simple Booking Calendar

WP Simple Booking Calendar is another straightforward WordPress booking plugin. Simply create a calendar and then add it to a post or page using the shortcode. It only allows users to book an entire day. This means there are no hourly time slots.

If you were looking for something very simple and basic for rooms, accommodation, or other per day offerings, then this plugin will do the job. For more complex items, look at the plugins we mentioned above.

4. Easy Appointments

Easy Appointments is a flexible and free WordPress appointment booking plugin. It allows you to easily add multiple locations, services, and workers. After that you can create flexible connections with granular control of the calendar. It also allows you to customize the booking form by adding custom form fields.

You can easily add appointment booking form to any page or post using the shortcode. You can also customize the notification emails plugin sends to clients, workers, and website administrator.

5. WPForms

WPForms is the best WordPress contact form plugin. It comes with a beginner friendly drag and drop form builder that allows you to easily create any kind of form within minutes.

WPForms can be integrated with Google Calendar through Zapier but it doesn’t allow you to set working hours. However, if you already have WPForms installed, then you can easily use it to create a custom booking form. You will have to manually approve and confirm each appointment.

We hope this article helped you find the best WordPress appointment and booking plugins. You may also want to see our list of the must have WordPress plugins for business websites.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 5 Best WordPress Appointment and Booking Plugins appeared first on WPBeginner.

How to Use Google Matched Content to Show Related Posts in WordPress

29.01.2018google adsense, google matched content, Tutorials, wordpress related postsEditorial Staff

Did you know that you can use Google AdSense to also show related posts in WordPress? Matched Content is a Google AdSense feature that allows you to show related posts in WordPress while also make money by displaying ads alongside. In this article, we will show you how to easily use Google Matched Content to show related posts in WordPress.

Using Google Matched Content to show related posts in WordPress

What is Google AdSense Matched Content?

Google AdSense Matched Content is a native ad unit that allows you to show related posts from your website. You also have the option to monetize this unit with relevant ads that are shown alongside your related posts.

Here’s how the Matched Content unit looks like:

You can customize the look and feel of the widget to match your website layout, and it is 100% responsive (mobile-friendly).

You might be wondering what are the Pros and Cons of using Google Matched Content unit?

Pros:

Less Server Resources – By default, WordPress related posts plugins are resource intensive. By using Matched Content widget from Google, you’re offloading the server load to them.
Better Related Posts Algorithm – Google’s sophisticated algorithm shows a post that’s more relevant to the person viewing.
Monetization – This is another way for you to make money from your blog.

Cons:

Powered by Logo – Google displays a powered by link in Matched Content Unit which some might find unattractive.

Now that you know what is Google Matched Content, let’s take a look at how to add it in your WordPress site.

Getting Started with Google Matched Content

First thing you will need to do is sign up with Google AdSense program if you haven’t already done so.

Google AdSense allows you to make money online from your WordPress blog. You can see our guide on how to properly add Google AdSense in WordPress for detailed instructions.

Google Matched Content feature is available for websites meeting a certain traffic requirement.

To see if your website meets the requirement, you need to visit your Google AdSense dashboard and click on Settings » My Sites from the left menu.

If you can see the ‘Matched Content’ option there, then you are good to go. Otherwise, your site or sites do not meet the requirements for matched content.

Matched Content in AdSense

That being said, let’s see how to easily add Google Matched Content to show related posts in WordPress.

Adding Google Matched Content in WordPress

First, you need to login to your Google AdSense account, click on My Ads from the left menu, and then click on the ‘New Ad’ button.

Creating a new ad unit in Google AdSense

Next, you need to select ‘Matched Content’ as your ad type.

Select Google Matched Content

On the next screen, you will see a preview of your Matched Content box with the ad settings. On the right hand side, you will see the option to customize the unit settings.

You will also see the option to monetize the matched content unit with ads, so you can make money. Of course, you can choose not to show ads and only use Matched Content for related posts.

Matched Content unit settings

Once you are done with the settings, simply click on the ‘Save and Get Code’ button.

You need to copy your ad code and paste it in a plain text editor like Notepad or TextEdit because you will need it in the next step.

Displaying Matched Content Related Posts in WordPress

The most effective place to display related posts is below your individual posts. Many WordPress themes already come with a widget area or sidebar that appears below post content and before comments area.

However, if your theme does not have a widget area below single post content, then you can add one by following our guide on how to easily add after post widget area in any WordPress theme.

After that, you need to visit Appearance » Widgets page and drag the ‘Custom HTML’ widget to the after post widget area. Inside the widget, you need to paste your Matched Content ad code that you copied in the previous step.

Add Matched Content code here

Don’t forget to click on the save button to store your widget settings. You can now visit your website to see the Matched Content related posts in action.

Matched Content preview

You can now visit your website to see the Matched Content box in action.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily add Google Matched Content related posts in WordPress. If you are looking for a different WordPress related posts option, then you may want to check out our list of the best related posts plugins for WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Use Google Matched Content to Show Related Posts in WordPress appeared first on WPBeginner.

How to Start a Food Blog and Make Money From Your Recipes (2018)

28.01.2018Beginners Guide, start a food blog, start a recipe blog, wordpress food blog themes, wordpress food website, wordpress recipes blog, wordpress recipes plugin, wordpress recipes websiteEditorial Staff

Do you want to start a food blog and make money from your recipes? Starting a new food blog can be challenging for beginners, specially when you are not a techy. Having helped over 100,000+ users start their own blogs, we are often asked about how to start a food blog and successfully earn money from it. In this step by step guide, we will show you how to start a food blog and make money from your recipes without any technical skills.

Starting a food blog and making money from your recipes

We have broken the process down, so it’s easy to follow whether you’re 20 years old or 60 years old. However if you need help, our expert team will help you setup your blog for free. → Click Here to Get Your Free WordPress Blog Setup! ←

What do you need to start a food blog?

There are three things you need to start a food blog using WordPress:

A domain name (this will be your blog’s name that people will type to find your site e.g. wpbeginner.com)
A web hosting account (this is where your website files are stored on the internet)
Your undivided attention for 30 minutes.

Yes, you can start a brand new food blog in less than 30 minutes, and we will walk you through the whole process, step by step.

In this tutorial, we will cover the following:

How to Register a Domain Name for Free
How to Choose the Best Web Hosting
How to Install WordPress
How to Find the Perfect Theme (website design) for Your Food Blog
How to Write Recipes with SEO Friendly Formatting
How to Make Money from Your Food Blog
How to Get More Traffic to Your Food Blog
Resources to Learn WordPress and Grow Your Food Blog

That being said, let’s get started.

Step 1. The Right Setup

The biggest mistake new users make is starting off with the wrong blogging platform. You’ll not be making this mistake since you are already here.

We recommend using WordPress.org for your blog because it gives you access to all the WordPress features, and most importantly you can make money from your blog without any limitations.

It’s important you don’t confuse WordPress.org with WordPress.com. They are actually two different platforms. WordPress.com, which is a hosted blogging platform and WordPress.org is a free self-hosted platform. (See our comparison of WordPress.com vs WordPress.org for more details)

Now you might be wondering, why is WordPress.org free? What’s the catch?

There truth is that there’s no catch. It’s free because you have to do the setup and host it yourself.

In other words, you need a domain name and web hosting. See our guide on the difference between domain name and web hosting to learn more.

A domain name is what people type to get to your website. It’s your website’s address on the internet. Think google.com or wpbeginner.com.

Web hosting is where your website files are stored. It’s your website’s house on the internet. Every website needs web hosting.

A domain name typically costs $14.99 / year and web hosting normally costs $7.99 / month.

That’s a lot for beginners who are just starting out.

Thankfully, Bluehost, an official WordPress recommended hosting provider, has agreed to offer our users a free domain name and over 60% off on web hosting.

→ Click here to Claim this Exclusive Bluehost offer ←

Bluehost is one of the largest hosting companies in the world, and they host millions of WordPress websites including some of our own.

They’re committed to giving back to the WordPress community since 2005. They have promised us that if you cannot get your blog setup within 30 minutes by following this tutorial, then our expert team will complete the process for you without any cost. They will compensate us, so you don’t have to. Simply contact us for free blog setup help.

NOTE: At WPBeginner we believe in full transparency. If you sign up with Bluehost using our referral link, then we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you (in fact you will save money and get a free domain + free SSL). We would get this commission for recommending just about any WordPress hosting company, but we only recommend products that we use personally use and believe will add value to our readers.

Now that we have covered that, let’s go ahead and purchase your domain + hosting for your food blog.

Open Bluehost website in a new window and follow along.

First thing you need to do is click on the green ‘Get Started Now’ button.

Getting started with Bluehost

On the next screen, you need to select the plan that you want (basic and plus are the most popular).

After that, you will be asked to enter the domain name for your website.

Choose domain name

Tip: Make sure your domain name is brandable. It’s also a bonus if it uses keywords you think your users will search for. This will help you get more traffic from search engines like Google. For more details, see our guide on choosing the best domain name for your blog.

Once you have selected your domain name, click on the next button to continue.

Now, you will need to add your account information and finalize the package information to complete the process. We recommend going with the 36 month plan because that’s best value.

On this screen, you will see optional extras that you can purchase. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you purchase these, but we generally don’t recommend purchasing them right away. You can always add them later on, if you decide that you need them.

Optional hosting addons

Once completed, you will receive an email with details on how to login to your web hosting control panel (cPanel). This is where you manage everything from support, emails, among other things. But most importantly, this is where you install WordPress.

Step 2. Install WordPress

In your hosting dashboard (cPanel), you will see small icons for different hosting features and services. You need to scroll down to the website section and click on the WordPress icon.

Install WordPress

On the next screen, click on the Get Started button. You will be asked to select your domain name. Choose the domain from the dropdown and then click Next.

WordPress installation

After that, you need to enter your Site Name, username, and a password for your site. You also need to check all the checkboxes and then click Install.

Website settings

The QuickInstall will start installing WordPress. You will be prompted to browse WordPress themes, while WordPress is being installed.

No need to do that right now. We’ll show you how to find the best WordPress theme for your food blog later.

Once WordPress is finished installing, you will see the success notice in the top header bar.

Installation successful

Click on the Installation Complete link, and it will take you to the screen with your WordPress login URL and password.

Installation finished

Congratulations, your WordPress website is now ready. You can continue login to your website by visiting the WordPress admin area.

http://yoursite.com/wp-admin

Don’t forget to replace yoursite.com with your own domain name. Once logged in, you will see the WordPress admin dashboard.

WordPress dashboard

Now you are ready to customize your food website’s appearance and start adding recipes.

Step 3. Choosing a Theme for Your Food Blog

Choosing a theme for a food and recipes blog

WordPress themes control your website’s design and appearance. There are thousands of free and paid WordPress themes that you can install on your website.

However, not all of them are suitable for a food blog. You will need a theme that matches the look and feel of a food blog. Our expert team has hand-picked the best WordPress themes for recipe and food blogs that you should try.

Once you have found a theme that you like, head over to our guide on how to install a WordPress theme for step by step installation instructions.

Step 4. Choosing a Recipe Plugin that’s SEO Friendly

If you want your recipes to get traffic from search engines, then you need to make them search engine friendly.

The best way to write recipes is by using Schema.org formatting. Schema.org formatting allows search engines to display extra information like rating, preparation time, etc.

Now, we know this might sound a bit too geeky for beginners. Don’t worry, we will make it super easy for you to add recipes in schema.org formatting without any special skills.

First, thing you need to do is install and activate the WP Recipe Maker plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

You can also use the premium version of the WP Recipe Maker plugin to take full advantage of its extensive features like enhanced SEO, ingredient linking, user ratings, taxonomies, and more.

Once you have activated the plugin, you need to create a blog post or edit an existing one. On the post edit screen, click on the WP Recipe Maker button.

Launch recipe maker

This will bring up a popup where you can enter your recipe details. You will start by adding an image for the recipe, recipe name, description, serving, duration, and other information.

Adding a new recipe

After adding general information, click on the ‘Ingredients & Instructions’ tab and start adding ingredients and instructions.

Ingredients and Instructions

You can add ingredients and instructions as plain lists, or you can divide them into groups as well for different parts of the recipe.

Next, you need to switch to the Nutrition Facts tab and click on the calculate nutrition facts button.

Calculate nutrition facts

The plugin will now fetch Nutrition facts for matching ingredients. Once you are satisfied, you can click on the calculate nutrition facts button again, and it will calculate the values.

Now if you are satisfied with the recipe, you can go ahead and click on insert and close button.

The plugin will now add the required shortcode to your post editor. You can now save or publish your post and then click on the preview button to see your recipe in action.

Preview of a recipe in WordPress

The plugin comes with extensive settings including several styles and templates to display your recipes. You can go to WP Recipe Maker » Settings page to change the appearance of your recipes and other settings.

WP Recipe Maker settings

Step 5. How to Monetize Your Food Blog

After you have added a few of your best recipes, it is time to start making money from your food blog. There are plenty of ways to monetize your food blog and start earning from your recipes.

Here are some of the most effective ways to monetize your food blog.

1. Selling eBooks with Your Recipes

Selling ebooks

The most effective strategy to make money from your recipe blog would be to sell your own products or digital downloads. These products can be physical goodies and merchandise such as t-shirts, printed books, mugs, or they can be digital downloads such as ebooks.

To sell things from your WordPress blog, you will need WooCommerce. It is available as a WordPress plugin and will add an online store to your existing food blog.

You can also sell memberships on your website, allowing paid members to download ebooks, videos, secret recipes, or submit their own content. If you want to go the subscription route, then you will need MemberPress. For detailed instructions, see our guide on how to make a membership website.

2. Display Ads Using Google AdSense

Display ads on your food blog

The easiest way to instantly start earning from your website is by using Google AdSense. It allows you to display advertisement on your food blog and earn money when your users click on those ads.

Adding Google AdSense to your website is super easy and requires no coding skills at all. See our guide on how to properly add Google AdSense to your WordPress blog for step by step instructions.

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is another way to generate an income stream from your food blog. Basically you add links to affiliate products from your recipes and blog posts. Every time someone purchases those products using your link, then you will earn a commission.

You will need to find food related affiliate products first. Many top websites in the food industry offer affiliate programs. You can also join Amazon’s affiliate program and start recommending products from the world’s largest eCommerce store.

See our list of the best affiliate marketing tools and plugins that you can use on your food blog to boost your affiliate earnings.

For more monetization tips, see our article on how to make money online from your WordPress blog.

Step 6. How to Get More Traffic to Your Food Blog

Your food blog’s earnings directly depend on your website’s traffic. More users visiting your website means more earnings, brand recognition, and success for your website.

Here are some tips to get more visitors to your website.

Start Building an Email List

Email Marketing

More than 75% of visitors who visit your website, will not come back again. There is nothing wrong with your website. It’s just that there is so much content on the internet that your website disappears like a needle in the haystack.

Email marketing allows you to capture those users as subscribers, so that you can reach them via email and bring them back to your website.

See our guide on why you should start building your email list right away. Once you set up an email marketing solution, then check out our guide on how to do lead generation in WordPress. It will help you grow your email list like a total pro.

Create a YouTube Channel

YouTube

When it comes to food, videos are a lot more engaging than text. This is where YouTube comes in. It is not only the largest video sharing website in the world, it is also the second biggest search engine and the second most active social media platform in the world.

Creating a YouTube channel not allows you to add video recipes to your blog, it also helps you find new users who can become active subscribers, and your most engaged fans.

Utilize Instagram to Drive Traffic

Instagram

Food pics are instant hits among Instagram viewers. The popular photo and video sharing platform is rapidly growing and has very high engagement.

Upload your food photos and use hashtags, so that Instagram users can discover your photos. Easiest way to grow your Instagram following is by sharing your Instagram photos in WordPress.

There are many ways to bring more users to your food blog. See more tips to drive traffic to your new WordPress blog.

Step 7. Learning WordPress with More Resources

As you start using WordPress, you will quickly discover new things. Some of these new things may look too technical or complicated. That’s where we can help.

WPBeginner is the largest free WordPress resource site in the world for beginners.

Our goal is to provide helpful content that is easy to understand for beginners, business owners, and bloggers.

To expand your WordPress knowledge, you should check out:

WPBeginner Dictionary – The best place for beginners to start and familiarize themselves with the WordPress lingo
WPBeginner Videos – New to WordPress? Watch these 23 videos to master WordPress.
WPBeginner Blog – The central place for all our WordPress tutorials.

You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel where we regularly share video tutorials to help you learn WordPress.

We hope this article helped you learn how to start a food blog and make money from your recipes. You may also want to see our complete step by step WordPress SEO guide for beginners.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Start a Food Blog and Make Money From Your Recipes (2018) appeared first on WPBeginner.

21 Excellent WordPress Website Examples That You Should Check Out in 2018

26.01.2018ShowcaseEditorial Staff

Looking for some excellent WordPress website examples to get inspiration? WordPress has been used by many of the world’s top designers and developers who use it to build highly engaging websites. In this article, we will share some excellent WordPress website examples that you must check out for inspiration.

Excellent WordPress Website Examples That You Should Check Out in 2018

1. The Obama Foundation

The website for the President Obama’s non-profit organization sports a modern unique design that compliments the vision and mission of the foundation. It uses large fonts, Maintree for paragraphs and Gotham SSM for headings.

It has a collapsed navigation menu on the left, which flies in when a user takes mouse over it. Apart from typography and clean simple design, the website utilizes multimedia, social sharing, and page templates for a polished user experience.

2. Angry Birds

The official website for the popular game. It features a simple design utilizing the game’s fun visual graphics as the main backdrop of every page. This works really well in maintaining the same spirit and consistency as the game itself.

3. 99U

99U is a popular culture and design blog for creatives. It’s homepage features a magazine style template, with sticky navigation menu on top, and featured images displayed in a beautiful masonry grid layout.

4. Creative Ad Awards

Creative Ad Awards is the place to celebrate the best ads from all over the world. Its homepage features a large fullscreen background image on top which is followed by filterable categories, search box, and a grid of recent posts.

5. The Next Web

The Next Web is a leading online magazine covering topics like technology, science, internet, and more. Its home page features a magazine layout with featured stories on top followed by latest articles, recent posts by category, and custom sections like deals.

It utilizes technologies like lazy loading, CDN, and agressive caching to improve website speed and performance.

6. Studio OUAM

Studio OUAM is a French creative agency specializing in visual identity and brand creation. Its homepage features beautiful typography, cursor sensitive animations, beautiful parallax effects, and on-scroll animations.

7. Analytica Projects

Analytica Projects is one of the leaders in food quality control. Their website features a highly interactive animation that shows multiple parts of the quality assurance process as a user scrolls down.

8. Animal Logic

Animal Logic is one of the world’s leading creative digital studios. Their homepage features a beautiful video slider on top, showcasing their work featured in top hollywood movies. The slider is followed by different sections each displayed with beautiful CSS animations.

9. Grette

Grette is a Norway based business law firm. Their website features a minimalist design, collapsed navigation menu, staff profiles, and expertise pages.

10. 10×17

10×17 is a project by 26 artists who visually interpret and countdown their favorite albums of 2017. The website features artwork by the artists and audio tracks from the albums they picked. The overall design is highly colorful, engaging, and interactive.

11. American Scraps

American Scraps converts scrapped artifacts from American history into comics. It features a truly unique design with the latest scrap on top, followed by other recent scraps, and a historical timeline.

12. 99% Invisible

99% Invisible is one of the most popular podcasts about design. Their website features a beautiful design built for podcasting with easy navigation and quick access to their latest episodes. It has a beautiful podcast player integrated into site’s design.

13. RUYA

Ruya is an identity design and branding agency based in the UAE. Their website features beautiful illustrations, smooth navigation, and a unique layout.

14. method

method is the manufacturer of environment friendly cleaning products. Their website features a mega menu on top, colorful background images, and beautiful animations.

15. Unconquered

Unconquered is a New York City based creative agency that specializes in brand development. Their homepage features a unique video slider and a floating logo that moves across the screen on mouse over.

16. Houston Zoo

Houston Zoo’s website is simple and informative. It features custom logo, business hours, and a navigation menu on top. The homepage content area showcases tiles in a masonry grid with a click to load more button at the bottom.

17. Protest

Protest is a sportswear manufacturer from Netherlands. Their homepage features a product image as the header with featured product categories. It uses WooCommerce for the online store and highly engaging beautiful design for individual product pages.

18. The Cool Club

The Cool Club sells beautifully designed wall art and card games. Their website features their wall art and card games which uplifts the whole design . Their online store fun to browse and is powered by WooCommerce.

19. Nove

Nove is an advisory agency that helps businesses interact with European institutions. Their website features a unique design with a fullscreen video background, transparent menus, and custom page templates for different sections.

20. Jony Guedj

Jony Guedj is the website of freelance film director. It features SMPTE color bars for horizontal navigation, showing artists work as you move mouse along the bar. It is unusual and minimalist which makes the design more interesting and engaging.

21. Awesome Motive

Awesome Motive is the parent company of WPBeginner. Our company’s newly designed website is simple and elegant, featuring a subtle animation in the header with company’s mission as the welcome message. Below that, it shows vital stats, our products, job opportunities, and more.

Building Your Own Amazing Website with WordPress

All websites featured in the list use unique custom designs using various technologies. However, one thing common among all of them is WordPress.

There are two type of WordPress websites. WordPress.com which is a hosted solution and WordPress.org (also known as self-hosted WordPress). See our guide on the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.

We recommend using WordPress.org because it gives you access to all WordPress features out of the box.

You’ll need a domain name and a WordPress hosting account to start your own website with WordPress.org.

We recommend Bluehost. They are one of the biggest hosting companies in the world and officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.

After signing up for hosting, follow our guide on how to make a website for step by step instructions.

The design part of your website is controlled by your WordPress theme. All the websites mentioned above use a custom WordPress theme. A custom WordPress website will cost you a lot of money.

If you are just starting out, then you can start with an existing WordPress theme. There are thousands of beautiful WordPress themes that you can install.

See some of our hand-picked lists of the best WordPress themes that you can try:

We hope this article helped you find some excellent WordPress website examples to get inspired and motivated. You may also want to see our list of most notable big name brands that are using WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 21 Excellent WordPress Website Examples That You Should Check Out in 2018 appeared first on WPBeginner.

How to Translate a WordPress Plugin in Your Language

25.01.2018internationalization, localization, loco translate, translate plugins for wordpress, translate wordpress plugins, Tutorials, wordpress multilingual, WordPress PluginsEditorial Staff

Are you looking for a way to translate a WordPress plugin into your language?

By translating a WordPress plugin into another language, you will make it accessible to a broader audience. This allows users from different countries to use the plugin in their native languages.

In this article, we will show you how to easily translate a WordPress plugin into your language.

Translate a WordPress plugin in your language

Why Translate WordPress Plugins?

By default, WordPress is available in many languages and can be used to easily create a multilingual website using a plugin.

Similarly, most of the top WordPress plugins are also translation-ready. All you have to do is ask the plugin author if you can help by contributing translations in other languages.

By translating the plugin, you can increase its reach and create a larger user base. This can lead to more installs, feedback, and exposure for the plugin.

It can also help you establish yourself in the WordPress community and provide you with new networking opportunities with other developers, translators, and businesses in the industry.

You can even add the translation to your portfolio and demonstrate your skills and contributions to the WordPress community.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to easily translate WordPress plugins in your language. We will cover a few different methods in this post, and you can use the quick links below to jump to the method you want to use:

Method 1: Translate a WordPress Plugin Into Your Language for Everyone

If you want to translate a WordPress plugin in a way that helps other people use the plugin in their languages, then this method is for you.

WordPress.org currently hosts a web-based translation tool that allows anyone to contribute translations for plugins within the WordPress repository.

First, you will need to visit a plugin’s page on the WordPress.org website. Once you are there, just switch to the ‘Development’ tab at the top.

Here, you will see a link asking you to help translate the plugin into your language.

You can simply click on it to start contributing to the plugin translation.

However, if the link isn’t available, then you can visit the Translating WordPress website.

Once there, you will see a list of languages on the screen. From here, find your language and simply click the ‘Contribute Translation’ button under it.

This will take you to a new screen, where you need to switch to the ‘Plugins’ tab.

After that, search for the plugin you want to translate using the search field and then click the ‘Translate Project’ button under it.

This will direct you to the plugin translation page, where you must select the ‘Stable (latest release)’ sub-project from the left column.

If you want to translate the plugin’s development or readme files, then you can choose those sub-projects from the list instead.

Finally, you will be taken to a new page where you will see the original strings in one column and the translations in another.

Keep in mind that you will need to be logged in to your WordPress.org account to contribute translations.

From here, just click on the ‘Details’ link in the right column to open up the string you want to translate.

Once you have done that, a text field will open where you can add a translation for the original string.

Once you are done, simply click the ‘Save’ button to submit your translations.

Method 2: Translate a WordPress Plugin for Your Own Website

If you only want to translate a WordPress plugin for your own website, then this method is for you.

First, you will need to install and activate the Loco Translate plugin. For detailed instructions, please see our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, head over to the Loco Translate » Plugins page from the WordPress admin sidebar.

Here, you will see a list of plugins that are currently installed on your website. Just click on the plugin you want to translate.

This will take you to a new screen, where you will see a list of languages available for the plugin, along with the translation progress status for each language.

If the language you want to translate the plugin into is listed there, then simply click on the ‘Edit’ link under it.

If not, then you need to click the ‘New language’ button at the top.

This will direct you to a new page where you can start by selecting a language.

From here, you can pick the ‘WordPress language’ option and then choose your language from the dropdown menu under it.

This option will automatically start using the language file if a user sets the WordPress admin area in this language.

If you don’t want to use a WordPress language, then you can select the ‘Custom Language’ option.

Next, you have to choose where you want to store the translation files. By default, Loco Translate will recommend saving the translation files in its own folder.

However, you can easily change that to save the files in WordPress languages or the plugin’s own languages folder.

Once you have done that, just click the ‘Start translating’ button to continue.

This will take you to a new screen, where you will see a text source section along with a translation field.

You can now start by adding a translation for the source string and then select the next string to translate.

Once you are done, don’t forget to click the ‘Save’ button at the top to store your settings.

Method 3: Translate a WordPress Plugin on Your Computer

If you want to translate a WordPress plugin on your computer using gettext translation apps, then this method is for you.

Keep in mind that you can also submit these translations to plugin authors so that they can include them in their plugins.

First, you need to download the plugin you want to translate on your computer. Next, double-click the plugin zip file to extract it.

Once you have done that, you need to open the plugin’s folder and then find and click on the ‘languages’ folder.

Choose the languages folder in the plugin folder

You should find a .pot file inside this folder. This is the translation template file that you will need to translate the plugin.

If the plugin doesn’t have a .pot file or a languages folder, then it is most likely not translation-ready.

In that case, you can contact the plugin author and ask if they have any plans for their plugin translation. For more details, please see our guide on how to ask for WordPress support and get it.

Once you have the .pot file, you are ready to translate the plugin into any language.

Next, you need to download and install the Poedit app on your computer, which is a free translation app for Mac and Windows.

After you have the app installed, go ahead and open it up. This will launch the Poedit home screen, where you must click the ‘Create New’ option.

You will now be directed to your computer’s file manager. From here, simply find and select the .pot file for the plugin that you want to translate.

Once you have done that, Poedit will ask you to choose a language for translation from the dropdown menu.

After that, click the ‘OK’ button to continue forward.

Poedit will now show the translation interface, where you will see the list of strings available.

All you have to do is click on a string to select it and provide a translation in the ‘Translation’ field.

Once you are done translating the plugin, go to File » Save from the menu bar at the top and name your file after the language name and country code.

For example, if you are saving a French translation for the plugin, then you should save the file as ‘fr_FR’ for French and France.

Poedit will save your translation as .po and .mo files.

Now, all you need to do is place these files in your plugin’s languages folder to start using the translated plugin on your website.

We hope this article helped you learn how to translate a WordPress plugin easily. You may also want to see our beginner’s guide on how to translate your WooCommerce store and our top picks for the best WordPress translation plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Translate a WordPress Plugin in Your Language first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Properly Add Google AdSense to Your WordPress Site

24.01.2018adsanity, adsense, advertisement, Beginners Guide, google adsense, google+, monetization, oiopublisherEditorial Staff

Google AdSense is one of the most popular ways to monetize your website. You can easily add Google AdSense to your WordPress site and start making money. In this article, we will show you how to add Google AdSense in WordPress along with some best practices and tips to increase your earnings.

Properly adding Google AdSense in WordPress

What is Google AdSense?

Google AdSense is an advertising network run by Google that allows bloggers and website owners an opportunity to earn money by showing text, image, video, and other interactive advertisement on their websites. These ads are targeted by site content and audience.

Google AdSense is hassle free because you don’t have to deal with advertisers or worry about collecting money. Google administers and maintain relationships with the advertisers. They collect the payment, take their management fee, and send the rest of the money to you.

AdSense offers cost-per-click ads (CPC) which means that you earn money every time a user clicks on the ad on your website. The amount received per click varies based on a variety of factors.

Video Tutorial

If you don’t like the video or need more instructions, then continue reading.

Getting Started with AdSense

First thing you need to do is sign up for a Google AdSense account. If you have a Gmail account, then you can use your existing account to sign up.

Once you’ve submitted your application, you will receive an email within 6 – 8 hours telling you whether you have passed the first step of the review process. If you passed the first check, then you can log in to your AdSense account and get your ad code.

Start by clicking on the My ads tab and then click on the New ad unit button.

Creating a new AdSense ad unit

This will bring you to a create new ad screen, and you will be asked to choose an ad type. You can select from ‘text and display ads’, ‘In-feed ads’, and ‘In-article ads’.

If you are unsure, then start with the text and display ads.

Choose an ad type

Next, you need to provide a name for this ad unit and select the ad size, type, style, and colors.

AdSense ad units

The name of the Ad is only used for internal purposes, so you can name it anything like “SiteName Sidebar”.

The next option is choosing the Ad Size. While Google offers a wide-variety of ad sizes, there are certain sizes that are listed under recommended because those are the most popular among advertisers.

What that means is that these ads are likely to have a higher inventory thus a better payout.

After that you will need to choose Ad type. We recommend having both text & display ads.

Ad style allows you to control the display of your text based ad units. We recommend using your site’s color scheme for best results.

The custom channels feature allows you to better track the ad performance based on sites. You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to.

For ‘If no ads available’ option, you can either choose to collapse the ad space or fill it with your own ad. This is shown when Google cannot find an appropriate ad (which rarely happens).

Once you’re done with this setup, simply click on Save and get code button. You will be prompted with a message “Ad successfully created”, and you will also see the Ad code.

Ad code

Copy your ad code and paste it in a plain text editor like Notepad or TextEdit. You will need it in the next step.

Adding Google AdSense in WordPress

You need to determine where you want to show the ad on your website. Ads are most commonly displayed in the sidebar. You can add Google Adsense in your sidebar by using WordPress widgets.

Simply go to Appearance » Widgets page in your WordPress admin area. Next, drag & drop the ‘Custom HTML’ widget to the appropriate widget area and paste your Google AdSense code in there.

Add your AdSense ad code in custom HTML widget in WordPress

For better placement control and tracking, we recommend that you check out AdSanity WordPress plugin. (See: Best Ad Management WordPress solutions)

AdSense Best Practices and Frequently Asked Questions

Over the years, we’ve answered several AdSense related questions. Having used AdSense on several of our sites such as List25, we’ve learnt a whole lot about optimizing. Below are some AdSense best practices and frequently asked questions.

What’s the best AdSense Ad Size?

Although ad placement is key, we’ve found that the best sizes are 336×280 and 300×250. These ads tend to fit on most screen sizes and have the best pay rate as well.

What’s the Best AdSense Placement?

This entirely depends on your layout. The goal is to get more clicks, so you want to place your ads in a more prominent spot. We have found that ads within post content towards the top of the screen tends to get the most clicks.

Several users have asked us about adding AdSense in a floating widget because it will be very prominent. We strongly recommend against that because it is not allowed by Google Terms of Service. If you violate their TOS, then you can get banned from the program.

Can I click on my own Google AdSense Ads?

Often beginners are tempted to click on their own ads or ask their family members to click on their ads. Please don’t do that. Google’s algorithm is very smart and knows when you’re clicking on your own ad. This can get you banned from the program.

What is Page RPM in Google AdSense?

RPM stands for Revenue per Mille meaning revenue per 1000 impressions. This is determined by multiplying the total number of clicks and cost per click and then dividing that by the total number of pageviews.

Can I use my Blogger or YouTube AdSense account with WordPress?

Yes, you can. If you started using AdSense on one of Google’s hosted platforms like Blogger or YouTube, then you can change your AdSense account type and use it with WordPress. You’ll need to provide Google AdSense with the URL of the site you want to monetize by filling out an application form.

Simply login to your AdSense account and then under ‘My Ads’ click on ‘Other Products’ option. Next, you need to click ‘Upgrade now’ and complete the application form.

What is CTR in Google AdSense?

CTR or click-through-rates differ vastly for different kind of websites. Your ad clicks depend on a lot of factors like your website’s topics, your audience type, ad placement on your site, and more. The ideal CTR for Google AdSense is really hard to define because you don’t have access to the click rates of other websites like your own.

However, Google AdSense has built-in tools that will start showing you messages if your site is not getting a good CTR. You can follow the optimization guides shown inside Google AdSense dashboard to improve your ad revenue.

When and how does Google AdSense pay publishers?

Each month, Google AdSense calculates your previous month’s earnings and shows them on your your ‘Transactions’ page. If your earnings match the required threshold, then your payment is processed and released by the 21st of that month.

There are multiple payment methods available including direct electronic transfer, wire transfer, check, Western Union, and more.

Why Google AdSense rejected my application?

Google Adsense may reject your application if your website doesn’t meet the AdSense program policies or their terms and conditions.

What are the requirements to get Google AdSense application approved?

Here are the minimum requirements to get your Google AdSense account application approved.

Your website and all its content must comply with AdSense program policies and terms and conditions.
Your website should be at least 6 months old.
You, the applicant, must be over 18 years old.

Note: Even if your application meets all the requirements, Google AdSense still reserves the right to decline your application.

Can I add Google AdSense in my WordPress.com blog?

WordPress.com does not allow you to add Google AdSense to your website unless you upgrade to the Business plan. For more on this topic, please see our guide on the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.

What is the difference between Google AdSense vs Google AdWords?

Google AdWords allows you to advertise on other websites including those participating in the Google AdSense program.

Google AdSense allows you to make money from your website by showing ads on your website.

We hope this article helped you add Google AdSense in your WordPress site. You may also want to check out our guide on 25 ways to make money online blogging.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Properly Add Google AdSense to Your WordPress Site appeared first on WPBeginner.

How to Add a Trello-Like Kanban Board in WordPress

23.01.2018editorial workflow, Kanban Boards for WordPress, productivity, project management, Trello, WordPress PluginsEditorial Staff

Do you want to add a Trello-like Kanban board to your WordPress website? Keeping track of your team’s projects, monitoring sales progress, and staying in touch with existing customers can be challenging if you are not organized. In this article, we will share how you can streamline your workflows by creating a Trello-like Kanban board in WordPress.

Trello-Like Kanban Board WordPress

What is a Kanban Board?

A Kanban board is a workflow visualization tool that helps you optimize your processes and track progress of each task, no matter how complex they are.

Simple Kanban boards consist of three columns labeled To Do, In Progress, and Done. Each column represents a different stage in the workflow process. You can add individual tasks in the respective column.

The individual task item moves horizontally across the board as each stage is performed until it reaches the Done column. This is where the workflow ends and the project is considered complete.

Why Use a Kanban Board in WordPress?

There are several reasons why you might want to add a Kanban board to your WordPress website. For example, they offer an easy way to organize workflows, boost productivity amongst teams, and create a way for people to focus on what needs to be done and in what order.

More specifically, you might consider using a Kanban board in WordPress for the following reasons:

Project Management. If you work with a team and each member is responsible for separate tasks, then using a Kanban board helps organize those tasks and keep everyone productive. You can visually see the status of every project, at every stage, at any time.
Track Sales Goals. If you run a business that relies on sales revenue, then using a Kanban board allows you to work smarter, not harder. You just need to determine individual steps for attracting new customers, pitching sales, and securing transactions. From there, watch your sales team perform and see where improvements are needed.
Editorial Calendar. Publishing consistent content on your WordPress website is crucial for driving traffic to your site, engaging visitors, and converting readers into customers. You can plan ahead with a Kanban board and assign tasks to your team so content is ready to go when you need it.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management). Staying on top of existing customer relationships, as well as garnering new ones, is important for any business to succeed. You can add a Kanban board in WordPress with tasks related to reaching out to old customers, addressing questions and concerns of potential customers, and generating more leads that can help close additional sales and boost revenue.

As you can see, using a Kanban board for your WordPress website is a great way to become more productive all around, no matter what your end goals are.

While there are several third-party Kanban board solutions available like Trello, Jira, and Asana, some people prefer to keep everything in their WordPress site.

It helps keep things centralized and saves money on third-party services.

Having that said, let’s take a look at how to create a Trello-like Kanban board in WordPress.

How to Add a Kanban Board in WordPress

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the Kanban Boards for WordPress plugin. For more details on how to do that, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you will be prompted with an option to choose which type of Kanban board you plan to set up.

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - Kanban Board Types

You have the option to choose from Project Management, Editorial Calendar, Job Applicant Tracking, Sales Pipeline, Basic, and Custom. Each option comes with their own set of statuses, which can be customized to your liking.

Once you decide which one you would like to use, select Set it up!. For this example, we are going to use the Basic Kanban board option which has the statuses of To Do, Doing, and Done.

Configure Your General Settings

After you choose which pre-designed Kanban board you want to use, you need to navigate to the Settings tab to configure your plugin settings.

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - Settings

Under the General tab, you will have the option to determine which increments of time you want users to track their progress in. For instance, we have chosen to track hours.

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - Settings, General

In this section, you will also decide things such as:

Whether to hide the time tracking
If you want to display task IDs
If you want all columns to display
Whether to use the default login screen or not

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - Settings, General.2

Configure Your User Settings

Under the Users tab, you will first define who is allowed to make changes to the Kanban board. In addition, you need to determine who you want to assign new tasks to.

For example, assign tasks to the user that creates the task, the first user to move the task, or a single user. You also have the option to assign new tasks to no one.

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - Settings, Users, Permissions

Once configured, go ahead and click on Save your Settings.

If you scroll down a bit, you will notice the section for creating new users. You can create a user by adding information such as their username, email, and first/last names.

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - Settings, Users, Add User

Once you have entered the information, click on the Add a user button and they will be immediately added to your Kanban board.

Configure Your Statuses Settings

Next, under the Statuses tab, you will customize your Kanban board in terms of column title, color, WIP, and whether to auto-archive.

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - Settings, Statuses

WIP or Work in Progress, is the allotted number of tasks in each column on your Kanban board. By pre-setting how many WIPs you want allowed per column, you prevent bottlenecking of work into one column and keep the workflow moving smoother.

For instance, if you would only like 3 new To Do tasks assigned at any one time, then you would configure that column’s WIP to be 3. Until one of those tasks is moved to the next column on the Kanban board, no one will be allowed to add another To Do task to that column.

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - Settings, Statuses, WIP

Once you are done, click on Save your Settings.

Configure Your Estimates Settings

Lastly, under the Estimates tab, you will decide the set points users will be allowed to choose from when deciding how long a particular task will take.

For instance, the default estimate settings include 2 hours, 4 hours, 1 day, 2 days, and 4 days.

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - Settings, Estimates

You can, however, change those estimates to whatever you want. You can also add another estimate by selecting Add another estimate.

Keep in mind, all estimates you define will show in your Kanban board in the order they are set.

After making any necessary changes, click on Save your Settings.

Add Tasks to Your Kanban Board

After all of your plugin’s settings have been configured, click on the Go to your board button.

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - My Kanban Board

Since your Kanban board is brand new, it will look very empty at first. That’s because you need to start the workflow process by defining tasks in the To Do column.

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - Define a Task

You will also be able to estimate how long each task will take the assigned user.

Kanban Boards for WordPress Plugin - Define a Task, Estimates

From there, team members assigned tasks will be able to move them into the appropriate column labeled Doing, track the time it takes to complete the tasks, and lastly, move them into the Done column, signaling the task as complete.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily add a Trello-like Kanban board to your WordPress website. You may also want to see our list of must have WordPress plugins for every website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook .

The post How to Add a Trello-Like Kanban Board in WordPress appeared first on WPBeginner.