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How to Install a WordPress Slideshow Plugin

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Hosting

The post How to Install a WordPress Slideshow Plugin appeared first on HostGator Blog . Sliders have a multitude of uses. Whether you’re looking to show off your latest images, highlight your recent blog posts, or even showcase video content, a WordPress slider plugin can help you do just that. A lot of WordPress themes actually come equipped with sliders right out of the box. But, if a slider isn’t included with your WordPress theme, then this post is for you. WordPress has a multitude of slider plugins that you can easily integrate into your site. Below you’ll learn why you’ll want to use a WordPress slideshow plugin for your WordPress-hosted site , how to choose the right one for your site, which plugins we recommend, and finally how to actually install the plugin on your WordPress website.   Why Use a WordPress Slideshow Plugin? By adding a WordPress slideshow plugin to your site you can create a more lasting impression on your site visitors. With a slider, you can entice visitors with dynamic and flexible content the moment they land on your site. Dynamic and moving content is more engaging than plain text. Higher engagement and user interest mean more time on your site, increased interaction, and hopefully, more customers. In the fight to grab your audience’s attention online, you’ll want to use every tool in your arsenal. Depending on the slider plugin you decide to use, you’ll get access to a wide variety of features. For example, you can create full-page sliders that show off your best images. You can create sliders to insert into your post, creating a slideshow list post. Or, maybe you want to embed your YouTube video content , or even add animations. With a WordPress slideshow plugin , you can do all that and more. You can even use WordPress shortcodes to simplify the process further. Keep reading to learn what you’ll want to keep an eye out for when choosing a WordPress slideshow plugin .   How to Choose the Best WordPress Slider Plugin There are tons of different WordPress slider plugins out there. Once you know that you want to add a slider to your site, it’s time to dig through the vast WordPress plugin library to find the right plugin for your needs. Before you begin your search, it’s important to take a few considerations to heart: Do you have a budget for a premium plugin, or are you opting for a free plugin? This will help to narrow your selection. What will you primarily be using the WordPress slider plugin for? For example, are you solely creating image slideshows, or do you need video compatibility too? Is a basic plugin okay? Or, do you want advanced customization features and dynamic content support? Is drag and drop design and functionality important? Do you want the ability to upgrade your plugin in time with additional extensions, or a premium version? Spend some time thinking about the questions above and keep your answers in mind throughout your plugin search. Now you probably have a better idea of what kind of slider plugin you’re looking for. Here are a few other considerations you’ll want to think about which will help determine the quality of the WordPress slideshow plugin you choose: Does it have a large volume of downloads? Typically, plugins that have been downloaded hundreds of times (or hundreds of thousands of times) are higher quality. What’s the general consensus of the user reviews? Is it four-stars or above? Do the negative reviews point out any glaring flaws that haven’t been addressed? Does the plugin include a dedicated community forum? Or specialized support?   5 Best WordPress Slideshow Plugins If you’ve spent any time browsing through the WordPress plugin repository , or on a site like CodeCanyon , then you’re probably overwhelmed with the sheer volume of choices. Instead of making you sift through every plugin yourself, here are five of the top WordPress slideshow plugins currently on the market:   1. MetaSlider MetaSlider is an incredibly popular free WordPress slider plugin. For being a free plugin it offers an incredibly rich set of features, such as several themes to choose from, a library of transition effects, and more. To build out your slideshow you’ll use the drag and drop builder and built-in image cropping tool. Once you install the slideshow plugin you’ll have four different slider types to choose from, which are all equipped with different features and advantages. There’s also a premium version of the plugin which will unlock even more features. For example, you’ll get access to multiple plugin skins, animation effects, and the ability to include more dynamic content in your slides.   2. RoyalSlider RoyalSlider is one of the most downloaded plugins on the Code Canyon site. It’s even been used by massive companies like Coca-Cola and Land Rover. This WordPress slider plugin is very versatile and can display a wide range of content types. From images to text, to video, animations, and more. Those who are photo-obsessed will love the full-screen slider capability, along with the ability to pull photos directly from your Flickr account. Some other features this plugin offers include: Adding multiple sliders into a single page Responsive slider capabilities Multiple different navigation options and formats Built-in slider templates and skins A lot more Currently, this plugin will cost you $24 . That’s a pretty good deal considering everything you’re getting with this plugin.   3. Easing Slider Easing Slider is a great free plugin that’s very lightweight. That means it won’t bog down your site on the backend, or have a negative impact on your site loading speeds . This plugin is incredibly easy to use and if you’ve used the WordPress post editor before, you’ll feel right at home. You can upload images in bulk. Then this tool will optimize them for you, so you can begin creating and customizing your sliders. You can also extend the functionality of this WordPress slideshow plugin by purchasing one of the premium add-ons . With these additional features you’ll be able to do things like add video, insert captions, add the lightbox effect, or even include touch and swipe compatibility for mobile devices.   4. Soliloquy Soliloquy is one of the best selling slider plugins on the market. It’s a very lightweight plugin and is incredibly fast. If one of your biggest concerns is speed, then this plugin can’t be beaten. Beyond its speed, it also has top-notch security measures in place . In regards to building out your WordPress slideshow, this plugin couldn’t make things easier. It’s equipped with a drag and drop builder so you can effortlessly rearrange elements as you see fit. It also offers a ton of different customization options, so you can embed images and video. You have a wide range of transition options available as well. This plugin currently costs $19 for a single site . However, there is also a basic version of the plugin available if you’d like to give it a trial run before you decide to purchase.   5. Slider Revolution Slider Revolution has been a top selling WordPress slider plugin for quite some time. Just one look at the quality of sliders you can create and it’s easy to tell why. This flexible plugin lets you easily create eye-catching sliders that are intricately layered. You can even add animations to different parts of your slider while incorporating elements like text, images, video, buttons, HTML, and more. Even though it might seem complex combining all of these different elements into a single slider, using the plugin is actually pretty intuitive. You can either use the drag and drop feature, or the graphical interface to build out each slide. Finally, you’ll have the option to easily add content from sources like YouTube, Twitter, previous WordPress posts, and a lot more. Overall, there’s really nothing that you can’t do with this plugin. It’s infinitely flexible and can help you create the perfect sliders for your WordPress site. You can currently pick up Slider Revolution for $26 from Code Canyon , which is a steal considering all the uses of this plugin.   How to Install a Free WordPress Slideshow Plugin Once you’ve found the WordPress slider plugin of your dreams, installation is pretty straightforward. If you’ve ever installed a WordPress plugin in the past, then you’ll just follow those same steps. But, in case you forgot, you can follow the steps we’ve outlined below.   1. Login to Your WordPress Backend Your first step is to login to your WordPress dashboard (or admin panel). This link, along with your login information, should have been provided when you installed WordPress. The URL will look something like this, http://yoursite.com/wp-admin. Enter your username and password and you’re good to go.   2. Navigate to the Plugin Install Screen Now that you’re in the backend of your site find the Plugin tab on the left-hand side. Then select Add New . Here you’ll be able to search for and install the plugin right from WordPress itself.   3. Search for Your Preferred Plugin For the sake of this tutorial, we’re going to assume you went with the free MetaSlider plugin. In the little search bar in the upper right-hand corner type in MetaSlider . Then, find the plugin that looks like the one below and click Install . Once the plugin has been installed the button will switch over to Activate . Click this, and you’ve successfully installed a WordPress slider plugin on your site!   5. Start Configuring Your WordPress Slider Plugin Now you can start configuring the plugin and adding a slider to your site. With the plugin installed you’ll now find another menu option on the left-hand side. In the case of MetaSlider, you can access the plugin by going to the tab labeled MetaSlider on the bottom left-hand side. How to Install a Paid WordPress Slideshow Plugin If you decided to purchase one of the plugins from the list above, then you’ll have a slightly different order of operations. Typically, you’ll have instructions from your plugin provider on how to install and set up the plugin. But, if not, then follow the steps below.   1. Purchase and Download the Plugin If you’re going with a premium plugin, then you’ll want to purchase and download the plugin from the provider’s website. Then, you’ll have a .zip file, which we’re going to upload to WordPress.   2. Upload Via the Plugin Screen Once again navigate to your WordPress dashboard, then select Plugins> Add New . Then select Upload Plugin at the top of the screen. On this screen, you can either drag the file into the box or click Choose File , then locate the file on your computer. Boom! You’ve successfully installed a premium slider plugin on your site.   3. Setup and Configure Your Plugin Now it’s time to set up and configure your plugin. Since it’s a premium plugin you’ll have access to extensive documentation, support, and even tutorials to help you successfully use the plugin. What you do with your slider plugin is up to you!   Time to Create Your WordPress Slideshow Hopefully, by now, you have a better understanding of what WordPress slider plugins can do and why you might want to add one to your site. Adding a slider to your site gives you a lot of flexibility. Today’s sliders offer a lot more than a basic image slideshow. Overall, your selection will depend upon your budget and the overall features you’re looking for. Any of the WordPress slider plugins above will be a great choice, but if you’re looking for the ultimate in flexibility and display options, it’s a good idea to upgrade to a premium plugin. The free options highlighted above are great choices, but if you’re serious about the look of your slider, then it’s hard to beat a premium option. If you’re still unsure about which slider will be the best fit for your needs, then it’s a good idea to check out the demo of each plugin or install a free version to get a feel for how you can integrate it into your existing site. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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Learn to Code from These 10 Places

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Hosting

The post Learn to Code from These 10 Places appeared first on HostGator Blog . 10 Places That Teach You How to Code Someone building a website today is lucky that it’s much easier to put together something that looks good and professional than it was in the early days of the web. You no longer have to become fluent in html or CSS in order to launch a website. Instead, you can lean on website builders and templates. But while becoming a coding expert is no longer required, learning to code –at least the basics– is still a useful skill for any website owner to have. Why You Should Learn to Code Even if you hire a programmer for the heavy lifting or use a website builder , understanding the basics of how to code can make you better at maintaining your website and doing a lot of the smaller tasks that will come up over time. In particular, learning to code will: Make you better at hiring people for positions that require coding because you’ll know the right questions to ask and be able to understand their answers. Ensure you understand the backend of your website so you’ll know how to add code for things like Google Analytics tracking or schema markup . Teach you how to recognize and update the different parts of the web page that are most important for on-site SEO . In short, it can help you do a lot of things on your website better and save you from having to call in (and pay) a programmer for smaller tasks you can manage yourself. The good news is that basic coding isn’t even all that hard. It definitely looks intimidating at first, but as with any new skill, learning it is just a matter of taking some time and finding the right resources. We can’t help you with time, but we can point you in the right direction for coding resources.   10 Places Where You Can Learn To Code 1. Code Academy Price: Free Code Academy offers free online courses that cover the basics of HTML, CSS, Javascript, Python, CMD Line, and SQL. Most of their classes take less than 11 hours and include quizzes that help you test out your knowledge as you go. If you’re good at self-directed education, then their free courses will probably be a good fit. If you could use more direct help, they also offer a paid option that includes a personalized learning plan and live help from advisors.   2. W3 Schools Price: Free W3 Schools bills itself as the “world’s largest web developer site.” They offer comprehensive, well-organized text tutorials on how to do all the main things you’d need to know when using html, CSS, Javascript, SQP, PHP, and Bootstrap. They’re a good resource for learning the basics if you learn well by reading, and they’re a good go-to resource to bookmark for when you need examples or a refresher on how to do something down the line.   3. FreeCodeCamp Price: Free (it’s right there in the name!) FreeCodeCamp has thousands of free lessons that cover html, CSS, Javascript, Github, and more. You can choose to follow individual lessons based on the specific knowledge you need, or take all the lessons in a particular course in order to earn a free certification. In addition to the lessons themselves, FreeCodeCamp also has an active forum with millions of community members who help each other out, so you can ask questions as you go and learn from others’ experiences.   4. GA Dash Price: Free GA Dash offers a course that covers html, CSS, and Javascript training. The course is project-based, giving you specific assignments that offer hands-on experience that allows you to put learning to action. It’s good for beginners that learn better by doing rather than reading or watching.   5. The Odin Project Price: Free The Odin Project provides free courses that cover html, CSS, Javascript, Git, databases, Ruby, and Ruby on Rails. The courses include a mix of learning by reading and by doing by having you complete several hands-on projects along the way. The Odin Project also offers a forum with an active community of people who can help each other through the learning process.   6. Code Conquest Price: Free The Code Conquest website offers free coding tutorials, programming language cheat sheets, and quizzes to help you test your knowledge. In addition to all of the education resources they offer, they also provide reviews on other coding training resources (including some on this list) and coding-related deals.   7. Lynda Price: Free trial, then $9.99 a month Lynda is a subscription service that provides access to a large number of online courses on various subjects, including coding and web design. In addition to courses on coding and specific programming languages, you can also find courses that get into topics like UX design and SEO.   8. Udemy Price: Varies per course Udemy’s another site that offers web courses in a wide variety of topics. Unlike Lynda though, you pay by the course rather than a flat subscription rate. The site has many courses on coding and programming languages, most of which cost around $10 a piece.   9. Envato Tuts + Price: $19 a month Envato Tuts+ provides a number of how-to tutorials, courses, and ebooks that cover an array of coding subjects, as well as other web design topics. Their pricing covers both all the courses and a number of resources like templates and fonts you can use in your web design projects as well.   10. Local Coding Bootcamps Price: Varies Some people are simply better at learning from a teacher who will work with them in person. If you’re worried online courses and resources won’t match your learning style, do some research into local coding bootcamps being offered in your area. Most cities will have one or more option and you can get the in-person treatment that works best for you.   Ready to Start Learning? You could probably get by as a website owner without learning to code, but devoting a few hours to learning the basics will absolutely make your life easier and make tasks accessible to you that would otherwise feel out of reach. Take advantage of the many helpful resources available to learn the basics and take more control over your website. For professional help building your website, contact HostGator’s Design Services Team . Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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HostGator 2019 Technology Scholarship

Posted on May 24, 2018 by Hosting

The post HostGator 2019 Technology Scholarship appeared first on HostGator Blog . HostGator’s Annual Scholarship Each school semester, HostGator aims to help college students achieve their goals of graduating and entering the professional world. In fact, HostGator was founded in a college dorm room back in 2002, so we understand the importance and the impact students can make in the world. That’s why we’re so excited to announce our 2018 fall technology scholarship for college students! Being in the technology sector ourselves, we know firsthand what a massive impact technology has made. Now we want to know your thoughts on how technology will impact the future. We will be selecting three students to win a $1,500 scholarship based on their answers to the essay question, “In what industry or area do you see technology making the largest impact in the next 10 years?” These scholarship funds must be used for qualified school expenses such as tuition, fees, books and board for the 2018-2019 academic year. How to Enter: Send us your essay to hgscholarship@hostgator.com and make sure it includes: Your completed 500 word essay attached as a Google Doc Ensure your name is in the title of the Google Doc What college or university you’re attending Your expected year of graduation Your intended major The deadline for submissions is July 30th, 2018 and we will be notifying the winners around August 15th, 2018. Eligibility: You must be enrolled in an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree or graduate level program at an accredited 2-year college or 4-year anniversary during the 2018-2019 academic year. Employees or immediate family members of employees of HostGator or Endurance International Group are ineligible. Students of all majors are encouraged to apply! View the 2018 HostGator Technology Scholarship Rules We look forward to reading your entries! For more information on HostGator web hosting, please visit our home page. Read about last year’s scholarship winners here . Digital Rights Agreement:  By submitting an entry to this competition, you agree that all essay and content submissions will become the property of HostGator and may be used in marketing materials, reposted or displayed online in whole or partial form without notification.   Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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9 Best Practices For Social Based Customer Care

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Hosting

The post 9 Best Practices For Social Based Customer Care appeared first on HostGator Blog . It is no question that social channels can be an extremely valuable tool for a business. It not only increases brand awareness and connects you to potential users, but gives you a direct channel to your current users as well. Yet, as the saying goes, ‘with great power comes great responsibility.’ Now that you are talking to your users, know that your users are talking to you, and it is not always positive. Using social media as a tool for customer care not only let users feel heard in a medium they feel comfortable with, but it also sends the right signals to potential customers about how you treat your users. Here are some best practices to doing this properly.   1. Don’t Disregard The Issue Everyone wants to be heard, and a generic, “take a look at our FAQ’s page for answers to most of your issues,” is just useless enough for your user to look elsewhere. Put a pinned comment at the top of your Facebook page, or in your twitter bio, that sends user to try your customer care channels first. Many may ignore it, but a number will listen and be dealt with there, only coming back if the problem persists. You may need to try harder to keep them happy after the process but at least it isn’t clogging up your social feed.   2. Treat Your Users As People Not Problems Don’t be afraid to banter and have an informal chat, as long as you don’t make it inappropriate or too personal for a public forum. Users respond to the human element and will have a more positive impression than if they receive generic, robotic answers. Look at your user’s basic information. The instructions you give to a tech-savvy teen, would not be appropriate for someone with less technology experience. Adapt your support accordingly.   3. Keep It Short And Sweet You need to keep you user engaged, the worst kind of service is one that is met by the sound of crickets because you have lost your audience 4 tweets ago. Make sure your answers are informative but do not drag on longer than necessary. If you can be as effective with three words as using a paragraph, opt for the three. You will maintain your audience’s attention span and not make them feel that their time has been wasted with superfluous information.   4. Don’t Be Afraid To Take It Elsewhere Some issues are universal and your reply could be of value to all users, if this is not the case, then you should carry on the conversation in a direct message or through email. If they have opened a support ticket before contacting you, take their ticket number and flag it up with your support staff to be prioritized.   5. Give Clear Answers Try to make your post, tweet or Facebook message as informative as possible. Be aware that talking on your Facebook homepage or through main twitter channels means that anyone can see your interaction. Both current and potential users can be listening, and your decorum can be a make or break for some of them. Make sure not only that you are patient and helpful, but also that you are using proper grammar and punctuation. When someone’s account is frozen, it is not the time to bombard them with emojis.   6. Look Out For The Little Guy There will always be that shy user that will post once, oftentimes as part of an unrelated thread that will get lost unless you are actively looking out for them. Signaling them out and answering their issues or concerns sets you apart from much of the competition, and lets the user feel important which could result in lifelong loyalty.   7. Deal With Complaints Some users are out for blood, ignoring a negative comment can be more disastrous than you realize. Be warned that some users may use their social following to bombard you page or ‘trash’ your brand. They can do this by creating inflammatory hashtags or posting multiple comments across all of your social channels. Early intervention is key here.   8. Separate The Wheat From The Chaff Not all users on your social channels are what they seem. Keep a sharp eye out for competitors looking to harm your brand, and destroy your service’s reputation. If you are sure a user is not what they seem, and they are becoming more hassle than their worth, don’t be afraid to block them from your account. You should only do this as a last resort! A perfect page looks fake, and will cause you to loose trust from potential users.   9. Manage Expectations If you are a small business, no one expects you to have a large social media support team. Be honest with your audience and don’t spread yourself too thin. If users know that it could take up to a few days to have their complaint attended to, their expectations will be better managed and they are less likely to be fed-up and leave. Just be sure to keep your promises, if you say it will be up to two days, make sure it is.   ***** Natalie Lehrer is a senior contributor for  CloudWedge . In her spare time, Natalie enjoys exploring all things cloud and is a music enthusiast. Follow Natalie’s daily posts on Twitter: @ Cloudwedge , or on  Facebook .   Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosauraochoa/3256859352/in/photolist-5XNfPs-dUmKE4-amC4jN-6mYWTq-aFy3bt-dZxNRq-6u2DBs-5XJ1Qc-9eVCSc-99BVQZ-9MoWtb-9hNywz-9x7H6Z-8bspY4-4oUWXS-6DtPYC-axnKy3-6u2Dkq-7rY7do-6qPE85-7YNkeA-7YNkh5-8Q7LKc-8Q7LSH-8Q7LZ4-8QaSeA-9yMPBV-71ZNv4-8NyVNa-yv3t2-6tXvgR-6qPE89-7oytoK-8H6Z3P-6qPE8f-aucWr1-dU7Cn1-9iAUEF-9iAVoa-9iAVf2-9iE4fm-9iATSR-9iE2eb-9iE3uw-9iAWvP-9iATHv-9iAUmz-9iAUY2-9iE4od-9iE47b web hosting Continue reading →

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Determining When To Enact Change

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Hosting

The post Determining When To Enact Change appeared first on HostGator Blog | Gator Crossing . Nothing stays the same forever, and neither should your website. It’s important to constantly work to improve the content and quality of your website, but how do you determine when change is necessary? What changes should you make? These are both valid questions, and while we cannot provide you with all the answers, as some of that will depend on your client base, profit margins, and the like, we can offer you some tips as to when you should start looking to change things up.   Updates This is huge. When you receive a notification that your site or any of the different programs, applications, widgets, templates, etc. that you use has an update available, do it. These updates are typically designed to address vulnerabilities. Your site needs to stay up to date. Make the change. Update your site. Your customers, your tech support, your staff, and your pocketbook will all thank you. It can be disastrous to fail to do this one simple step. Granted, these changes will likely not bear any visible changes to your site, but they will keep the back-end safe which is just as important.   What About The Rest of It? If you’re blogging, try to update at least two to three times per week. More if you like, but at least weekly updates are ideal. Keep new content coming and you will have repeat readers. If you have an e-commerce site, keep it constantly flowing – add new products or services. Change product descriptions to make them sound catchier if you notice a particular item isn’t selling. You can even poll your customers regarding changes that they would like to see on your site and then determine how you would like to go from there. Not all the ideas are going to be ones that you will implement, but if half a dozen people tell you that they want the search options updated, there’s a good chance you should get on that. If you have no suggestions, go look at your site from a customer’s point of view. See the site as they would see it, try to see it as if you are seeing it for the first time. See where it looks cumbersome, see what you did well. Try to remove the clunky and the cumbersome and try to work to ensure that what you did well is done well everywhere. If you really like the way one item page looks and flows, try to replicate it on the others.   It’s Natural It’s natural to not want to update your site (the “set it and forget it” mentality), and you don’t have to update everything. If you like your background color or the template you’re using, keep it. If you’re using a black background and neon pink text, you may want to consider changing it to something easier to read, however. The Internet is constantly evolving, and your site should be as well. In working to determine the different things you like about other sites, you may find things you want to change about your own site. Inspiration can come from anywhere. Change is not a bad thing. Keep things fresh and your content up to date and attention grabbing and your website will flourish!   Image Source: Jelly Ranger. (2014). Future Self. Retrieved from http://jellyranger.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/futureself.jpg web hosting Continue reading →

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