So, let’s say you’ve had your website for a while now. You have a nice collection of blog posts, and a steady stream of regular visitors. Things are going well at first glance, but as most website owners know, there’s always room for improvement.
Whether you want to encourage more interaction, put your posts in front of a new audience, or give your website a fresh, new look, you’re in for a treat.
In today’s post, we’ll show you 20 ways to take your WordPress website to a new level and impress your readers with more than just your awesome content.
20 ways to impress your visitors with next-level WordPress tips
1. Update your theme
Sometimes, a fresh new look is all it takes to breathe new life into your website. Free themes are a great starting point but sooner or later, you’ll want to opt for a premium theme that gives you more options and more control over your website. Luckily, there’s plenty of high-quality themes to be found on marketplaces like our very own ThemeForest.
Consider using a theme like Avada or X The Theme to redesign your website and fine-tune every last detail, from colors, to fonts, to adding unlimited sidebars and stunning sliders.
2. Customize with a page builder
If you’re already using a premium theme and don’t want to change it completely, consider adding a page builder plugin such as Visual Composer to your arsenal.
It will give you more control over the layout of your pages and add a variety of useful items such as sliders, testimonials, and accordions that you can add to every page on your site.
3. Start an email list
An email list is one of the most effective ways for establishing a more personal relationship with your readers. Aside from cultivating relationships, it also gives you a list of potentially “warm” leads if you monetize your blog in the future. If you’re just getting started, use a service like MailChimp to create your list and start collecting their email addresses.
4. Use an exit-intent email opt-in form
Once your email list is setup, use a plugin like Ninja Popups to display opt-in forms on your website and encourage your readers to subscribe. You can choose from a variety of form types, including exit-intent popups, social lockers, and even popup contact forms, all of which come with gorgeous pre-styled themes and plenty of customization options.
5. Make sharing easy
Add social sharing buttons to your site to make it easier for your readers to share your content across social media. Easy Social Share Buttons for WordPress will help you not only to get your content shared but to grow your followers at the same time.
6. Secure your website
It’s no secret that WordPress is often a favorite target for hackers. But, you can prevent your site getting hacked by using the Hide My WP plugin which helps you hide the default login screen and replace it with a custom link only known to you.
7. Increase engagement with forums
Forums are a great way to extend the conversation about your niche or industry and engage your readers. Use bbPress to integrate forums into your current website with ease. You can also consider using a theme such as Socialize to add forums in a more seamless way.
8. Respond to comments
Show your readers you appreciate them by responding to their comments in a timely manner. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to reply the minute a new comment is posted but do try to reply to every comment within a day or two.
9. Use a favicon
Kick your brand up a notch by adding a favicon to your website. It’s the little image that identifies your website in the browser bookmarks. You can use WordPress’ default site icon settings in the Customizer to easily add a custom favicon to your site.
10. Replace the default Gravatar
By now, you probably know that almost everyone who comments on your website has their own Gravatar. But if a reader doesn’t have one, WordPress will show one of the default images. You can quickly add an element of fun to your website and encourage users to spend more time engaging with your content by letting them create a custom Gravatar which they can upload via the Gravatar website. Simply install SVG Avatar Creator and you’re good to go.
11. Setup Google Analytics
Sign up for Google Analytics so you can monitor website traffic, see which devices your visitors are using, and identify your most popular content. You can add the tracking code manually to your website or use a plugin like gAnalytics to add it automatically.
12. Create a welcome video
Video can be quite a powerful medium when it comes to connecting with your audience. Consider creating a welcome video to greet your visitors and give them a brief explanation of what your site is all about. Then add it to your homepage and spice it up by adding a custom logo opener at the beginning to build recognition. A simple Logo Reveal can do wonders for your brand and make a great impression on your readers.
13. Add videos to your content
Speaking of videos, consider adding video posts to your publishing schedule. Not only can you use a template like Explainer Video Toolkit to explain complicated concepts, you can also use animation to add extra flair to your blog post titles with a simple template as 210 Title Animations.
14. Interlink your content
It’s safe to assume that your blog started out without a big audience. Why not use your new posts to link back to the older content and get it in front of your now loyal readers? This helps with your search engine rankings and it also helps you keep your visitors on your page for a longer period of time.
15. Link to external websites
Provide extra information for your readers by linking to other relevant blogs in your niche and the posts that relate to your blog’s topic. An added benefit of external linking is that it might help your blog get noticed by the blog’s owner which can lead to more traffic and a valuable relationship.
16. Keep your branding consistent
Once you have a logo for your website and your preferred color scheme, keep your brand consistent across your entire Internet presence. Use the same logo and colors in your social media headers and in the promotional graphics you use on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social networks.
17. Setup Automatic Backups
Use a plugin like WordPress Backup and Clone Master to automatically backup your entire WordPress site on a regular basis. On top of that, make sure to backup your website before installing WordPress updates and when updating your theme or plugins.
18. Promote your contributors
If you run a multi-author blog, use a plugin like Authors Widget to give credit where credit is due and to allow your readers to find all the posts and comments from their favorite author.
19. Improve your about page
Make your About page less about you and more about your audience. Tell them what they can expect from your blog and how the content you share can help them solve their problems.
20. Include a call to action
Every website has an end-goal in mind. Whether you want to grow your email list, establish yourself as the expert or grow your client and customer base, it’s important to let your visitors and readers know about it. Use a call to action that serves your end goal and don’t be afraid to add it to multiple places on your website.
Level up your website
Building a successful website is no easy task but these tips will help you take it to the next level, impress your readers, and turn visitors into loyal followers.
Read more:
- 3D, simpler WordPress, machine learning, & better freelancing: design & tech predictions for 2017
- 50+ Best Premium WordPress Themes of 2016
- What Microsoft, McDonald’s and more brands used from Envato
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