That’s right, you can use the widget area of your site now to embed and style little sticky notes. Use them as reminders or as part of the graphical layout of the sidebar or other widget area.

Why Add Sticky Notes in WordPress?

This is an interesting question. Everyone has a different answer. To be honest, the sticky note style widget is simply fun and unique. You may have several uses in mind for it. Add several different ones to your sidebar and create graphic post-it-like notes that go down the right or left side of your site. 

You can also simply use the Notes Wrapper Widget plugin to create amazing sticky note graphics and font, then embed items inside the note and create just about anything you want.

These can be used as reminders for yourself or for site users. They can be added to give flare to a site or even used as a promotion tool to advertise or promote a product. 

Today, I am going to show you how you can easily add a handwritten notepad style in WordPress by using a smooth little plugin. Let’s take a look at the plugin we are going to use today and see what all it has to offer.

Notes Widget Wrapper

Notes Widget Wrapper is a straightforward, easy-to-use plugin that allows you to add post-it-like notes to your WordPress website. Once the plugin is installed, you will be able to add these styled notes to any widget area on your particular site.

The plugin actually adds code that wraps your widgets in a “sticky note” style box and displays the text in a handwriting style. The idea is that you can write and display all the HTML content you want in a widget area, and then the plugin automatically wraps that text widget in the Notes Widget Wrapper styling.

The plugin is very straightforward, and it does come with some really cool features. Some of the highlights include:

• Ability to add a sticky note styling to any WordPress widget
• Full control of all HTML
• Embed images, videos, Google Maps, and iFrames
• Complete control of HTML element positioning
• Compatible with the TinyMCE widget
• Text, background, and pushpin settings
• Font size control
• Add your own CSS

If you are looking for a fun and easy way to add post-it notes and sticky style notes to your site, then this is definitely the plugin for you.

Let’s get it installed and running together.

Note: There is a pro version of this plugin that will give you a few more features. One of the main things the pros version does is give you the ability to use shortcodes and put sticky notes on any post or page. If you think this is something that might interest you, then feel free to give it a look. The rest of this tutorial is based on the free version of the plugin.

Add a Sticky Note to Your WordPress Website

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

Before you can start using Notes Widget Wrapper to add sticky notes in WordPress, you first have to install and activate the plugin. You can easily do this by popping over to the Plugins page in the WordPress admin dashboard.

Here, you will see that there is an available search field. Use that search field to search the plugin by name. When you see it pop up, then go ahead and install and activate it right from there.

Step 2: Go to the Settings Page

Now that the plugin is installed and activated, you need to access the main settings page for it so that you can configure it how you want. To do this, click on Settings > Notes Widget Wrapper, located on the left side menu area of the dashboard.

You can see that this option has appeared and been made available because you successfully activated the plugin.

Step 3: Configure the Plugin Settings 

Now that you have reached the settings page for the plugin, you can start going through and configuring them how you want. These settings will basically apply as the wrapper settings that you wrap content in to create a sticky note.

Go ahead and apply all the default settings you want. 

Scroll down some and choose the font style you want to be displayed in the wrap as well.

When you are finished with your configurations, click on the “Save Changes” button to make sure all your settings are applied.

Note: You can also configure each note separately in the widgets area of your site. Which you will see below.

Step 4: Go to Widgets

Now, head over to the widgets page in your dashboard. You can get there by clicking on Appearance > Widgets, in the left menu area of the dashboard.

Step 5: Drag and Drop a Widget

You are able to wrap just about any widget in the Notes Wrapper that you have styled. If you want to create a lot of styled HTML content, then drag and drop an HTML widget into where you want it to display.

For this example, I am simply pulling over the Calendar widget.

Click on the available “Apply Notes Widget Style” checkbox to apply the style you configured on the settings page. If you want to create a different style, then use the settings in the widget box.

Step 6: View Sticky Note on Front End

When you get your selected widget styled and set it as you want, then go ahead and take a look at it on the front end of your website and see how it looks.

You can see mine is set to blue with white text and a red pin. Yours will display based on the configurations you made. If you see something you want to change, then go back to the widget and make the needed updates.

That’s it! You can create as many post-it-style notes and display them in all the widget areas you want. Have fun!

Other WordPress Sticky Note Options

There is actually another plugin by this same author called WP Notes Widget. It has some advantages and disadvantages when compared to Notes Widget Wrapper. Let’s take a quick look and if you prefer this one, it is definitely an option.

WP Notes Widget

WP Notes Widget is another available option if you are looking for another way to add sticky notes to your WordPress site. The same developer that created Notes Widget Wrapper created this one. 

That being said, there are a few main differences. They include:

• This one has more restrictive HTMNL elements and it also has a standard order for those elements.
• This one will allow to manage and organize notes a little easier than Notes Widget Wrapper
• You have to display notes in sequential order with this one
• This one enforces a standard look for all notes, whereas the one above has much more flexibility.

Try them both out and see which one you like best, but I recommend Notes Widget Wrapper.

Final Thoughts

Adding unique items to your WordPress site does not have to be difficult. As long as you have the right plugin, then it can actually be really fun and allow your site to stand out from the rest.

Have you ever tried something like the Notes Widget Wrapper plugin before? What other cool things have you added to your website?

The post How to Use Notes Widget Wrapper in WordPress to Show Sticky Notes appeared first on GreenGeeks.

Weather forecasts, maps, updates, and radar coming from your site give you another type of tool to use to help gain site users. This is especially true in the right situations and website niches.

Why Use the Ventus Weather Map Plugin

There are a few different ways that you can embed weather radar on a website. That being said, the Ventus plugin makes the entire process as simple and easy as possible, while giving you access to great tools and a lot of functionality.

The plugin will also allow you to use a shortcode, which means you can display your weather map widget on any post or page, along with all the widget areas.

Having a weather embed on your site can be beneficial if you have a travel site, a surfing blog, or even a local-focused website with some sort of news and weather information. It allows users to easily track weather and get the information they need for a particular trip, outing, or activity.

If used correctly, your site can become a solid source of weather-relevant information. This helps to bring more site users and increase traffic.

Let’s take a look at the plugin and see what all it has to offer.

Ventus – Weather Map Widget and Shortcode

Ventus is a plugin that allows you to easily embed the weather forecast and other map options on your WordPress website. It does this by connecting to windy.com and grabbing all the data needed and pulling it into your website.

It is a very lightweight, yet functional plugin and gives you access to a lot of really cool weather-related features. Furthermore, as stated quickly above, the plugin provides a shortcode that you can use to display the weather maps you make on any post or page.

Some of the other great features included inside the plugin are:

• Set overlays to clouds, radar, temps, snow, and more
• Use Celsius or Fahrenheit temperature
• Define latitude and longitude manually
• Choose from 8 different levels of zoom
• Show or hide several options, including map marker
• Choose from several different wind measurements

This weather map widget plugin basically gives you everything you need and more to display weather forecasts. 

Let’s get the plugin installed and set up together.

Embed Weather Radar on Your WordPress Site

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

In order for you to start buildings maps and displaying weather functions, you first need to install and activate the Ventus weather widget. You can do this by popping over to the Plugins page of the WordPress admin directory.

Simply use the available search field that is provided on the page to search for the plugin by name. Once you see it pop up, install and activate it directly from there.

If you choose, you can also manually install the plugin by downloading it off the page, then uploading it directly to your website. This is totally up to you.

Step 2: Go to Widgets

Now that the plugin is installed and activated, you want to go ahead and go directly to the widgets page in the WordPress dashboard. 

Note: The Ventus plugin does not actually have a settings page. All configurations are done when building the weather map embed that you want to display. The relevant shortcode given is also customizable, which we will talk more about below.

To access the widgets page in WordPress, click on Appearance > Widgets. This is located on the left side menu area of the dashboard. It is always there, but when you arrive on the page, you will notice there is a new weather widget that has been added because you activated the plugin.

Step 3: Find the Ventus Weather Map Widget

Now that you are on the right section of the site, look through the available widgets and find the “Ventus Weather Map” widget. They are listed in alphabetical order, so simply scroll down some on the page and you will see it there.

When you see it, drag and drop it into the widget area of your site that you want it to display on.

Note: The widget areas available on your website may differ, as all WordPress themes are different in the widget areas that they offer.

Step 4: Configure the Weather Map

The weather widget will automatically open up. You can see that there are quite a few configurations and settings to play with.

Start filling in the applicable options for the widget. Add a title, choose width and height, add rounded corners if you want, and create a manual latitude and longitude.

Scroll down the widget some and finish filling out the rest of the available configurations how you see fit. These will include layer types, wind units, temperature scales, and more.

When you are finished, click on the “Save” button within the widget to save all the configurations you made.

Step 5: View Your Live Weather Map Widget

At this point, you have finished creating a weather map. Head over to your live site and see what it looks like. If you feel you need to make any changes, then pop back into the widget and just do those updates there.

That’s it! You can repeat the above steps over and over and create as many Ventus weather maps as you want for your site.

How to Use the Shortcode

The Ventus plugin comes with an available shortcode that you can use to embed weather radar on your website on any post or page. 

The shortcode to use is [ventus].  There is also an old available shortcode that will work called [weather-map], which should continue to work for a while. However, it is recommended you use the updated shortcode.

This shortcode is also customizable, and you can add all of the following to it to create whatever you want.

• Width (any valid CSS property for width)
• Height (any valid CSS property for height)
• Radius (any valid CSS property for radius)
• Latitude and Longitude Attributes
• Zoom Attribute
• Layer Attribute
• Scale Attribute
• Units Attribute
• Pressure, Marker, Forecast Attributes
• Time Attribute

Using this information, you should be able to create a custom shortcode that fits with what you are trying to do.

You can get an example of what the fully-customized shortcode looks like on the plugin’s page on WordPress.org.

Final Thoughts

The process of embedding a weather map widget on your WordPress site is not a difficult one. If you have the right plugin, then a few clicks of a button here and there and you can have beautiful weather maps all over your site.

The Ventus weather map plugin makes this entire process simple. Not only does it give you all the tools you need to build and embed beautiful weather maps, but it also allows you to use an available shortcode to put those maps on any post or page.

What other ways have your been able to embed weather-related items on your website? Have you found that the plugin method is the easiest way to accomplish this?

The post How to Embed a Weather Widget for WordPress with Ventus appeared first on GreenGeeks.

This will not only keep your site users up-to-date with prices and other things happening in the world of crypto, but it will give you a stronger foothold in this arena. This is even more important if you have an eCommerce website of any sort. You could even go as far as to add a cryptocurrency donation box to your site.

What is Cryptocurrency?

There are a lot of ways you can describe cryptocurrency. However, in the easiest to understand words possible, cryptocurrency is a type of currency that uses digital files as money.

The files are created using the same methodology as cryptography (which means the science of hiding information). Perhaps the most attractive thing about crypto right now is the fact that they are secure and use “decentralized control.” This means that the currency (any of them) is not controlled by any one person or government.

Today, I am going to show you how you can add a cryptocurrency ticker to your website using a smooth plugin that will provide you all the tools you need to accomplish this.

Let’s take a look at the plugin we are going to use today and see all that it has to offer.

Cryptocurrency Widgets – Price Ticker and Coins List

Cryptocurrency Widgets is exactly that. It is a plugin that gives you the ability to create a crypto ticker, or multiple crypto tickers, for your WordPress website. The plugin does a number of things including generating crypto coins prices, widgets, and coins list shortcodes.

This cryptocurrency price ticker widget plugin supports all of the most popular currencies including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Dash, and many more of the most recognizable cryptocurrencies out there.

Essentially, the plugin allows you to create multiple customizable widgets that you can display as part of a cryptocurrency ticker. This means your website users will be able to see up-to-date ticker info on all their favorite coins.

Once downloaded and set up, you will be able to display a ticker and crypto pricing table anywhere on your website. This includes posts, pages, and widgets.

It also comes packed with features. Some of the highlights include:

• Advanced Ticker
• Crypto Price List
• Price Label
• Multi-Currency Tabs
• Fiat Currency Support For 32 Coins
• Custom Colors
• Custom Settings
• Ability to Add Custom CSS

All in all, if you want an advanced Bitcoin widget or other crypto widgets on your site, then this is how to do it fairly easily. 

Let’s get the Cryptocurrency Widget plugin installed and set up together. You can then build your own customized ticker widget.

Note: There is a pro version of this plugin available. It gives you access to other cryptocurrencies and a layout like Coin Market Cap, as well as some other features. If this is something you feel your site needs, then go ahead and give it a look. The rest of this tutorial is based on the free version of the plugin.

Add a Cryptocurrency Ticker Widget

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

In order to start building ticker widgets using the Cryptocurrency Widgets plugin, you first need to install and activate it. You can do this by hopping over to the Plugins page of the WordPress admin dashboard.

Once you are there, you will see that there is a search field available. Simply use that search field to search the plugin by name. When it pops up, install and activate it right from there. The plugin will then be ready to configure and use.

Step 2: Checkout the Dashboard

This plugin is very straightforward, and all of the configurations are actually done when you build a widget. That being said, before we do that, take a look at the “Dashboard” area of the plugin.

To get there, click on Cryptocurrency Plugins > Dashboard, located on the left side menu area of the dashboard. 

You can see that these options are now showing and available because you activated the plugin.

The Dashboard simply shows you what is currently running in the plugin, as well as shows you some other add-on options you may be interested in. Go ahead and give the page a look and make any notes you need.

Step 3: Add a New Widget

At this point, you are ready to add a new widget. Click on the “Add New Widget” link that is located on the left side menu of the dashboard.

You can see it is located directly under the main Cryptocurrency Plugins tab.

Now that you have landed on the widget editor, start filling out the relevant info needed to properly create the crypto ticker.

On the top of the page, you will see a spot to enter the title. Go ahead and do that.

Note: The preview of the widget will only show once it has been published.

From here, scroll down some and add all the relevant widget settings that you want. This will include picking a widget type, coins to show, show only certain coins, select your fiat currency, and enable formatting.

Last, but not least, if you know how to add Custom CSS, then you can do that in the box provided. 

Now, public the widget and let’s go place the shortcode on a page.

Step 4: Add Crypto Widget Shortcode to Page

When you click the “Publish” button, you will see a demo of how it will look right there in the editor. That being said, let’s take the shortcode generated and paste it on a page. You can put it on any page you want it to show on.

Step 5: New Live Crypto Ticker

Now, view the live crypto ticker you just placed on the page. If you need to style some things differently, then go back to the widget and update some things.

That’s it! You can build as many different cryptocurrency widgets as you want and place them throughout your website. Simply repeat the process above.

Adding the Ticker Via Widget

As stated earlier in this article, you can also add the crypto tickers you build to your site using widgets as the plugin has one built-in. Head over to the widgets page in your dashboard.

Once you arrive, search for the widget title “Crypto Widget.” Drag and drop it into the widget area of the place that you want it to display.

That’s it. You can add as many of them via widget as well, as the plugin has no limit.

Final Thoughts

Cryptocurrencies are wildly popular and only continue to grow. Using this plugin is a great way to allow your customers access to prices and currencies. The plugin is stuffed with features and will give you everything you need to easily build as many cryptocurrency widgets as you would like for your site.

I hope this tutorial was able to show you how easy it is to dive into crypto prices and set up ticker widgets on your WordPress website.

Are you already familiar with crypto? Have you found a plugin that does what you want?

The post How to Add a Ticker with Cryptocurrency Widgets in WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

In order to customize a WordPress dashboard, you need some outside help from a plugin. Now, you could try to do this all on your own and custom code a bunch of portals and other customizable options. However, using a smooth plugin that offers plenty of selections is a much easier way to go about this.

What is the WordPress Dashboard?

The WordPress dashboard is what you see when you log in to the back of your WordPress website. While there are different ways of logging into a site based on your setup, the most popular way is to go directly to the admin page. You can access the WordPress dashboard by going to:

[ht_message mstyle=”info” title=”” show_icon=”” id=”” class=”” style=”” ]yoursite.com/wp-admin [/ht_message]

When you get there, you will see the admin login. And when you log in, you can see the entire WordPress admin dashboard. I bet you didn’t know that there was a WordPress dashboard plugin available that will allow you to fully customize your entire dashboard. 

You will be able to use it to customize anything from the login page to any visible portal. This makes things easier to see, understand, and puts you in full control of the styling and information that is presented to you when you log in to your WordPress website.

Let’s take a look at the plugin in question and see what all it has to offer.

Ultimate Dashboard

Ultimate Dashboard is a plugin that will allow you to fully customize your WordPress dashboard. Not only will this present you with a more appealing look and feel for personal use, but it allows you to create custom layouts for your clients as well. This means that after you build the dashboard for them, it will have a more personal and branded feel.

The plugin comes with a ton of options and functionality. However, it is built lightweight, so it will not slow your website down when you use it. Once you have activated the plugin, you will be able to easily replace any of the default dashboard widgets with the widgets you choose, giving a more custom feel and look to the entire site.

The Ultimate Dashboard plugin really does come packed full of features. Some of the more popular ones you will have access to upon installation include:

• Ability to Remove Dashboard Widgets
• Create Your Own Widgets
• Customize the Login Page
• Clean Up the WordPress Admin Area
• Add Custom CSS
• Create Custom Admin Pages
• Replace the WordPress Dashboard Headline
• Hide WordPress Admin Bar
• Export and Import Dashboard Widgets and Settings
• Define Colors and Layouts

If you are looking for a way to customize your dashboard or the dashboards of clients, then Ultimate Dashboard is definitely a plugin you want to look into.

Let’s get the plugin installed and running so that you can start a WordPress customization of the dashboard.

Note: There is a pro version of this plugin available. It gives you more freedom and control over the widgets, adds more white-label features, and also provides some extra tools. If this is something you feel you need, then go ahead and check it out The tutorial below is based on the free version of this plugin.

How to Create a Custom Dashboard in WordPress

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

Before you can start customizing the WordPress dashboard, you first need to install and activate the Ultimate Dashboard plugin. You can do this quickly and easily by heading over to the Plugins page in the WordPress admin dashboard. 

Simply use the available search field that is above the plugins list and search the plugin by name. Once you see it pop up, go ahead and install and activate it right from there.

Step 2: Access the Settings Page

Before we start customizing the WordPress dashboard, you want to go ahead and configure the plugin settings how you want them. These are the universal settings that you can apply to the plugin before you start anything else.

To access them, click on Ultimate Dashboard > Settings, located on the left side menu area of the dashboard. 

You can see that these and other options are now available because you have activated the plugin for use.

Step 3: Configure the Plugin Settings

At this point, you are on the main settings page for the plugin. Let’s go ahead and configure the settings together. 

On the top portion of the page, you will see a couple of sections titled WordPress Dashboard Widgets and 3rd Party Widgets. Go ahead and remove any of the widgets showing that you would like.

Note: The widgets showing will be based on plugins and other settings you have running on your site. So the list you see will probably be different than the one above.

Now scroll down some and you will see the Widget Styling and General section. Go ahead and configure these how you would like as well.

Scrolling down a little more and you will find the Custom CSS section. If you know how to add CSS, then you can do that here.

Finally, the bottom of the page has a couple of misc items to deal with. Go ahead and finish that up and click on the “Save Changes” button to apply everything.

Step 4: Choose the Modules You Want

Now that all of your plugin settings have been configured, let’s go over the rest of the features.

You can now choose the sections you want to have access to from the modules page. Click on ”Modules,” located on the left side menu under the main Ultimate Dashboard tab.

From here, you can activate or deactivate all the modules you want to be able to customize. You can see they are all activated by default.

Step 5: Configure and Style Modules

Now it is time to configure and style the modules you want. On the left side menu area, you will see links to all available modules. Simply click on any of those links and customize each module how you see fit for your site.

In this case, we are in the “White Label” module. You can see that there are available settings to configure for this particular module. Go ahead and configure all these settings how you want.

Note: You can do the same thing for the other modules. Just click on the module link you want to configure and go for it.

Step 6: Add a Widget

Last, but definitely not least, you can start adding the widgets you want. Click on the “Add New” tab located on the left menu area. Again, you will see this under the main Ultimate Dashboard” link.

When the widget editor opens up, go ahead and add all the relevant widget info needed. This will include:

• Title
• Widget Type
• Icon
• Tooltips
• Links

When you are finished adding what you want, publish the widget and it will automatically be availed to place on the admin homepage of the dashboard. 

Repeat this step as many times as you want to create as many different, customized, unique dashboard widgets as you want. You will see them available on the main page and you can drag and drop to position them how you want.

Other Ultimate Dashboard Options

There is also a “Tools” link that you can view. Essentially, this is where you export and import widgets from site to site if you need to do that.

You can also click on the “Pro” tab and view some of the extra features available if you choose to buy the pro version.

Final Thoughts

Having a customized WordPress dashboard makes things so much more personal and enjoyable for both you and the clients you do this for. Instead of the default WordPress dashboard, you are able to customize it to your needs, settings, colors, and branding.

I hope this article was able to show you how easy it is to customize a WordPress dashboard using the Ultimate Dashboard plugin.

Have you found another plugin that works like this one? Do you prefer to just stick with the default WordPress dashboard?

The post How to Create Custom Admin Widgets with Ultimate Dashboard appeared first on GreenGeeks.

Sometimes, a dropdown menu for navigation works best because it allows users the ability to see everything in one place and make a simple choice from the menu. Other times, a WordPress sidebar menu is appropriate because if a user is on a mobile device, then the sidebar menu can act as a way to more easily navigate.

What is a Dropdown Menu?

When talking about this in computer terms, a dropdown menu is a menu that offers the user a list of options when clicked on. The title of the menu (whatever you named it) remains on display no matter when or where the menu is clicked. 

When a user makes another selection in the dropdown, the current visible item remains even when a new page is clicked through. 

Dropdown menus are very popular on certain types of websites. They are also a popular way to display a list of answers for a question on an online form. 

Today, I am going to show you how to easily create a dropdown navigation menu and display it in the sidebar of your WordPress website.

To do this more easily, we are going to use a smooth and easy-to-handle plugin. Let’s take a look at the plugin in question and see all that it has to offer.

Navigation Menu as a Dropdown Widget

Navigation Menu as a Dropdown Widget is a lightweight and easy-to-use plugin that will allow you to quickly and efficiently add a dropdown WordPress sidebar menu that makes it easier for your users to navigate your website, especially when they are on a mobile device.

The plugin is as straightforward as it gets, really. There is no configuration page or any settings to update. You simply install and activate the plugin, then head over to your widgets page and place the tool where you want the collapsible navigation widget for WordPress to display.

That’s it! You can repeat that process over and over and create as many different WordPress sidebar menus as you want.

Let’s get the plugin installed and running together and we will quickly go over how to add the navigation widget to the sidebar.

Create a Dropdown Sidebar Navigation Menu

Step: 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

In order to use the navigation widget in WordPress, you first need to install and activate the plugin. You can do this by hopping over to the Plugins page in the WordPress admin dashboard.

Just use the available search field on the page and search the plugin by name. Once you see it pop up, install and activate it right from there.

You also have the option of manual plugin installation, but the process above is faster and you never have to leave the dashboard.

Step 2: Go to the Widgets Page

The Navigation Menu as a Dropdown Widget plugin does not have a configuration page. As stated above, there is nothing to set up or fix once the plugin has been activated. 

It automatically adds a widget to the widget area of your site. You can use this widget to create a navigation menu in the sidebar.

Go ahead and head right over to the Widgets page in the dashboard and place it where you want. Then, set the configurations you want right from the widget itself.

To access the widgets page, click on Appearance > Widgets, located on the left side menu area of the dashboard. 

You can see that the widget is now available because you activated the plugin.

Step 3: Place the Navigation Menu as a Dropdown Widget

At this point, you are on the main Widgets page in your WordPress dashboard. Look for the “Navigation Menu as a Dropdown” widget. When you find it, drag and drop it into the widget area where you want it to display.

Step 4: Configure the Widget

Once you have the widget placed in the area you want, go ahead and configure it how you see fit.

You can see there are not many options available. You are gonna choose a title for your menu, select the menu that is going to display, and then go over the two checkboxes below that.

Finish configuring the checkbox options and then “Save” the widget.

Step 5: View the Navigation Menu Widget

Go ahead and view the navigation widget section on the front end of your site. The section will look different based on the configurations you set and the menu you choose.

Go ahead and click on the menu to see the dropdown.

That’s it! You can repeat the process above and create as many WordPress sidebar menus as you would like.

Note: You can customize the styling of the navigation dropdown menu if you know how to add custom CSS to your site. 

What If Your Theme Does Not Have a Sidebar?

Some WordPress themes do not have a sidebar available. this is becoming more common as many themes are going for a more minimal layout look. If this is the case, you need to either find a plugin that can add a sidebar to your site posts and pages, or code a template yourself and add it. I recommend a plugin. Here is a good one.

SMK Sidebar Generator

SMK Sidebar Generator is a plugin that will allow you to build and generate as many sidebars as you need. You can then take a sidebar you build and place it on any post or page that you want on your WordPress website.

The plugin is lightweight, so adding it to your site to build sidebars will not slow you down. It also comes ready to roll with some great features including:

• Build an unlimited number of sidebars
• Replace default theme sidebars when needed
• Global replacement conditions or single sidebar replacement options
• Show all sidebars built and generate them without using any code
• Drag and drop sidebar positions

This is a perfect add-on plugin option if you need something that will allow you to build a sidebar. You can then add a navigation widget dropdown menu to the sidebar you built.

Final Thoughts

Adding navigation widgets to your WordPress site will help site users navigate more easily through your content, especially when they are on mobile. If you add this type of navigation to your site, then you give users another outlet for moving around aside from your main or footer menus.

Adding a dropdown menu to your sidebar is not a very difficult task, you just need to have the right plugin and the steps in front of you so that you can see what exactly it is you need to do.

I hope the tutorial was able to show you how easy it is to add a navigation widget with a dropdown menu to your WordPress sidebar. 

Have you used other plugins to add dropdown menus to your site? Have you found that navigation is easier for mobile users when there is an available navigation widget?

The post How to Create a Navigation Widget for the Sidebar in WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

There are all sorts of ways to build and show navigation. From mega-menu layouts to sticky headers, you can build and design just about anything you want. Semantic navigation is the bedrock of accessible markup and should be used to build a nav section on your site.

Understanding semantic markup will allow users with disabilities to read and navigate page title, landmarks, headings, navigation menus, links, tables, lists, iframes, and other elements.

What is a Navigation Widget?

In WordPress, a navigation widget or plugin is a tool that allows you to build menus and other types of navigation so that your website users can easily understand the structure and layout of your website.

These menus can be built as sticky menus, footer menus, sidebar navigation menus, and other section navigation types. In order to do this properly, you may need a navigation widget in WordPress to help you place the nav menu where you want it to show.

Today, I am going to show you how you can easily build a navigation menu to highlight posts and pages on your WordPress site.

Let’s take a look at the plugin in question and see all that it has to offer.

Better Section Navigation Widget

The Better Section Navigation Widget is a plugin that allows you to add a new widget type to your sidebars or any other widget area. The widget that is made available when the plugin is activated will allow you to display section-based navigation. You will also have the ability to exclude certain pages from showing up.

The plugin is very easy to use and extremely lightweight. It won’t slow your site down at all when you use it. The section navigation widget is also laid out in a way that is easy to understand. 

The main title of the widget is the top-level page within the current section. The widget then can show all of the page’s published siblings (except on the top-level page), all parents and grandparents (and higher).

It can also be called by a function inside template files. 

Basically, you can pick any top-level page and show all of the sub-level pages or posts underneath it. This makes it easy for people to navigate a certain section of your site because you can display the WordPress category navigation widget in the sidebar of your site or in any other widget area.

The widget that comes with the plugin uses standard navigation classes. It gives you a lot of features packed in as well. Some of these include:

• Ability to determine whether widget will appear on homepage
• Override the standard behavior of the widget
• Determine where widget will appear overall
• Provide list of pages from the output
• Use a specific widget title
• Choose whether or not the section title should be linked
• Determine a page sort order

Again, the Better Section Navigation Widget plugin is easy to use and straightforward. Let’s get it installed and running together so you can start creating section navigation areas.

Configure Section Navigation

Step: 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

In order to use the WordPress category navigation widget, you first need to install and activate the plugin. You can do this by hopping over to the Plugins page in the WordPress admin dashboard.

Just use the available search field on the page and search the plugin by name. Once you see it pop up, install and activate it right from there.

Step 2: Go to the Widgets Page

The Better Section Navigation Widget plugin does not have a configuration page. Instead, you head right over to the Widgets page in the dashboard and place it where you want, and set the configurations you want right from the widget itself.

To get there, click on Appearance > Widgets, located on the left side menu area of the dashboard. 

You will see this option has now been made available because you activated the plugin after installing it.

Step 3: Place the Better Section Navigation Widget

At this point, you are on the main Widgets page in your WordPress dashboard. Look for the “Better Section Navigation” widget and when you find it, drag and drop it into the widget area that you want it to display.

Step 4: Configure the Widget

Once you have the widget placed in the area you want, go ahead and configure it how you see fit.

You can see there are several options available. Pick a title and override the main title if you want. You can also sort pages by different order types and exclude certain pages.

Finish configuring the checkbox options and then “Save” the widget.

Step 5: View the Live Navigation Section

Go ahead and view the navigation section on the front end of your site. The section will look different based on the configurations you set and the pages you add or subtract. You can see that my demo uses an entire list of pages based on configurations. Yours may list just a few that you want because you excluded certain ones.

That’s it! You can repeat the process above and create more section navigation areas for your site.

Using the Shortcode

In the event that you want to display the section navigation in a place on your site that does not have an available widget area, you are in luck. The Better Section Navigation Widget plugin actually comes with a shortcode that you can use.

To display section navigation without adding a widget or editing a template, you can use the [better-section-nav] shortcode. Simply copy and paste the code anywhere you want and the navigation will automatically display there on the post or page.

So, when it comes to placement, the plugin has you covered in all areas.

Final Thoughts

Navigation and layouts on a WordPress site are always important. In order to create the best navigation styles and make your site easy to view and get around on, sometimes you may need to experiment with some different things.

One of the better ways to add navigation sections to the sidebar or other widget area of a WordPress site is to use the Better Section Navigation Widget. Not only will this help with markup and navigation, but it also helps with SEO.

I hope this tutorial was able to show you how easy it is to add navigation to your site and highlight posts or pages that you think are important. Simply follow the steps above and you can add as many of these sections as you want using widget areas or shortcode.

Have you tried adding this type of navigation a different way? Did you find that this tool was more powerful than adding basic menu styles?

The post How to Use a Section Navigation Widget to Highlight Posts in WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

Normally, you would need to delete a widget, add a new one, and then fill out all of the settings and customize it. For some widgets, this could take quite a long time to do. Using this plugin avoids this scenario entirely. It saves time and helps give your website a festive look for regular visitors.

Today, I will demonstrate how to use the Widget Visibility Time Scheduler plugin for WordPress.

Never Forget About An Event Again

Widgets are commonly used to display important information for websites in the sidebar area. That’s because the sidebar is visible anywhere on your website. However, there is limited space, so many developers have to juggle their widgets around.

Luckily, you can avoid juggling by choosing the exact date and time.

For example, it is extremely common to have sales for Memorial Day and Labor Day at the exact same time. Normally, an online shop will have an ad created for each sale and display it when the deal is active. Yet, sometimes the store owner may forget to switch the ads.

This can lead to customers thinking a sale is still ongoing, or that the website is not very active. Instead, you can set the exact time an ad will be visible and set the info to appear at the start of the sale and disappear by the end.

It’s easy to do and can save you a lot of time.

How to Set Widget Visibility in WordPress

Step 1: Install Widget Visibility Time Scheduler

The Widget Visibility Time Scheduler gives developers further control over their widgets by controlling visibility options. The plugin simply adds controls to existing widgets that you can alter at any time.

The plugin supports 9 different languages, and since it doesn’t collect any data, it is GDPR compliant. It takes less than a minute to use once you know what to look for, so let’s begin.

Click on Plugins and select the Add New option on the left-hand admin panel.

Search for Widget Visibility Time Scheduler in the available search box. This will pull up additional plugins that you may find helpful.

Scroll down until you find the Widget Visibility Time Scheduler plugin and click on the “Install Now” button and activate the plugin for use.

Step 2: Set Visibility Options

Unlike most plugins, this one does not have any settings to configure and works upon activation. It simply adds a button to each widget that allows you to customize when it is visible. You only have to do this for widgets that you want to alter the visibility options for.

If you plan to keep a widget visible at all times, like your most recent posts, you can safely ignore the button and it will work like normal.

On the left-hand admin panel, click on Appearance and select the Widgets option.

Click on any existing widget in your widget area and click on the newly added “Open Scheduler” button. Alternatively, you can add a new widget for testing purposes.

The first option is to schedule if the widget will be displayed at the specified time or hidden. For example, if you were displaying a sale notification for Labor Day, you would only want that message to appear on labor day and remain hidden the rest of the year.

Thus, you would select the show option.

Choose to hide or show the widget at a specified time.

Below is the time and date planner. You can enter the date and time of when the widget will be visible or hidden. You can also choose the day of the week, which may work out better for websites that have weekend events or deals on a regular basis.

Simply enter the date and time and click on the “Save” button.

Note: If you still need to configure the rest of the widget, click on the “Close Scheduler” button to hide all of the visibility options.

Congratulations on setting up the Widget Visibility Time Scheduler plugin to hide and show widgets in WordPress.

How Can I Test the Plugin?

Due to the nature of the plugin, it can be a bit tricky to test it. There are really two ways to go about testing the plugin.

The first is to set a simple widget, like a text widget, to be visible during a specific time and see if it appears. You can set it for a few minutes ahead of time to get quick results. If you plan on testing specific days, that will require waiting till that specific day.

As long as you can get it to work within a few minutes, the long-term schedules should work as intended.

Another option to consider is using a testing environment. This is more ideal if you plan on regularly cycling your widgets. You can try setting up all of the widgets in the test environment and monitor how they work for a week or month.

If they work, simply copy those settings onto the main website and if they don’t, try again. This method also avoids having to display random widgets on your live website.

Interesting Uses for Your Website

While I have focused on sales in this tutorial, there are far more options that you can use this plugin for.

For instance, if you offer a service that gives customers access to customer support but has set hours. You can set the live chat widget to only be visible when it is during support hours. Then, during the hours that do not provide support, you can list your hours instead.

Another interesting option to consider using this for is release dates and affiliate links.

For example, let’s imagine you run a video game website and want to remind users about major releases coming out. You can create pre-order widgets that display for a week before the product launches and then switch them to buy now buttons after the launch.

You can also just use the plugin to be festive during the holidays.

For example, during December, you might want to have a countdown to Christmas. You can set the widget to be displayed on December 1st and have it disappear the day after Christmas. This works for all holidays and can help you stay festive all year long.

Control Your Widgets

Widgets are powerful tools in the hands of talented developers. However, by default, there is no way to control their visibility options. This creates a lot of extra work by having to constantly either edit them to match an event or simply remove them till you need them again.

This can eat up a lot of time, but by using a schedule widget like Widget Visibility Time Scheduler, you can leave your widgets in place all year round and just control their visibility options. It’s easy to do and saves you a lot of time.

How easy did you find the Widget Visibility Time Scheduler plugin to use? Do you think WordPress should let you control visibility options by default?

The post How to Set a Widget Visibility Time Scheduler in WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

Some of the options provided by this plugin include the ability to choose the color, the font,  the font size, a tooltip, animation effects, alignments, and much more. It is by far the most comprehensive tag tool in WordPress.

Today, I will demonstrate how to use the Cool Tage Cloud plugin.

Why Style Tags in WordPress?

Tags are one of the most common taxonomies used by WordPress developers. Customizing allows them to better match your website’s design or even better match what they represent.

For instance, let’s say you cover environmental topics. In this case, you could make all of your tags related to the environment use the color green. This visual change makes it easier for visitors to identify the content.

This same idea can be applied to a variety of topics.

You can also utilize them to match the time of season or holiday. For example, you could make your tags festive for Halloween by using an orange color with a spooky font.

Little changes and details like this can really make a difference to your visitors.

How to Use Cool Tag Cloud in WordPress

Step 1: Install Cool Tag Cloud

The Cool Tag Cloud plugin is the one-stop-shop of tag customization in WordPress. Most users will add their tags using the tag cloud widget, but it is also possible to add them via shortcode. The widget is more popular because it is typical to add them in the sidebar or footer area.

However, shortcodes give you more options, so it is worth being aware of their existence. For this plugin to work, you must already have created and assign tags to posts. If a tag has not been assigned to a post, it will not appear.

Let’s start by clicking on Plugins and selecting the Add New option on the left-hand admin panel.

Search for Cool Tag Cloud in the available search box. This will pull up additional plugins that you may find helpful.

Scroll down until you find the Cool Tag Cloud plugin and click on the “Install Now” button and activate the plugin for use.

Step 2: Find the WordPress Cool Tag Cloud Widget

There is no settings page for this plugin, instead, everything is handled by either using the widget or writing a shortcode. In this section, I will go over how to use the widget. It mainly consists of dropdown boxes, so it should be very easy for any skill level.

On the left-hand admin panel click on Appearance and select the Widgets option.

Locate the Cool Tag Cloud widget and add it to the desired widget area.

Note: There is another widget called Tag Cloud that is a default widget in WordPress. This uses the basic design in WordPress and your theme. It is not related to the plugin at all.

With the widget in the desired widget area (sidebar, footer, etc.) it is now time to customize the appearance of it.

Step 3: Widget Settings

Before I cover the settings, I need to point something out that is essential.

This plugin does NOT create tags for your website. You must already have created AND assigned tags to your posts and pages.

If you do not have any tags assigned to posts or pages, the plugin will not display any of them. Thus, take a few moments to create and add tags if you do not already have them in place.

The settings for this widget are pretty straight forward and by default, the tags will look pretty good. Create a title and go through the various settings. You will find options for the font type, font color, tag color, alignment, the number of tags to display, display the post count, and much more.

Most of these are drop-down boxes, but some of them ask you to enter a number. Carefully go through the settings of the widget.

When you are done, click on the “Save” button at the bottom.

Keep in mind that the plugin will not show you a live preview. Thus, as always, I recommend opening a second tab so you can see what the changes look like on a live page. You can quickly edit them in the widget section at any point. Having two monitors in these situations is ideal.

You can view the tags on your website.

For most websites, using the widget will be the best choice, however, if you want to place tags in a different area, the shortcode is the only option.

Step 4: The Shortcode

As with most plugins, there is also a shortcode alternative. You can customize specific parts of the tags by adding information to the shortcode. All of these options can be found on the shortcode page.

The base shortcode is:

[ht_message mstyle=”info” title=”” show_icon=”” id=”” class=”” style=”” ][cool_tag_cloud][/ht_message]

The shortcode can be customized just as much as the widget. This is accomplished by adding specific parameters to the shortcode. And trust me, it sounds much harder that it is.

For instance, you can change the color of the tag with the following parameter: [ht_message mstyle=”info” title=”” show_icon=”” id=”” class=”” style=”” ]style=”green”[/ht_message]

So the actual shortcode would now look like this:

[ht_message mstyle=”info” title=”” show_icon=”” id=”” class=”” style=”” ][cool_tag_cloud style=”green”][/ht_message]

Notice that there is a single space between the base shortcode and the parameter in question. All parameters MUST be separated by a space.

And it will look like this on a page:

Note: You can find all of the shortcode parameters on the plugins page, with all of the possible options. It can generate any appearance that the widget can. Just remember to separate each parameter with a single space.

Congratulations on learning how to customize your tags with the Cool Tag Cloud plugin.

Tags Are Useful For SEO

It’s no secret that taxonomies like categories and tags are very useful in SEO. However, keep in mind that there are a lot of different types of tags that can help your website grow.

Post tags are extremely useful in helping visitors, and even search bots, find specific pieces of content on your website. For visitors, this can help them navigate your pages. In the case of search bots, you could rank higher.

Thus, there is no reason why your website should not be utilizing tags.

Small Customizations Can Make A Big Difference

No matter how small of a change you make on your website, it can have a big impact when it comes to improving your site’s appearance.

Displaying highly stylized tags are just one simple way to not only improve the appearance of your website, but also the navigation. After all, click on a tag will display all of the posts that utilize that tag. It’s simple but highly effective.

Just make sure the colors you use stand out on your website while not clashing with the design.

How easy did you find the Cool Tag Cloud plugin to use? Did you prefer using the Cool Tag Cloud Widget or using the shortcode?

The post How to Fancy Tags in WordPress with Cool Tag Cloud appeared first on GreenGeeks.

So, you’re sure to find exactly what you are looking for. For some businesses, it is extremely important that customers know what the forecast is before arriving. Thus, adding it to your website is extremely beneficial.

Today, I will demonstrate how to add a weather widget in WordPress.

Why Add A Weather Forecast in WordPress

If your website is meant to promote a physical location that operates outside, the weather is extremely important.

For example, let’s say you have an outside rock wall to climb. However, for safety reasons, you don’t allow customers to use it if it rains. This can help customers ensure that they are not wasting their trip to the location. After all, they are unlikely to come back if you’re not supporting all the amenities you advertise.

It’s easy to see why adding a weather forecast can help you, but also keep in mind that most websites don’t need one.

For example, if you do not have a physical location and just run a blog, there is not really a point of showing off the weather in a random location. Unless of course, your blog is focused on a specific location, then it does make sense.

In either event, let’s get right into it.

How to Install Weather Atlas

Step 1: Installing Weather Atlas Widget

The Weather Atlas Widget plugin lets you easily add a customizable weather forecast in WordPress. You can freely change the location at any time. It comes with a variety of styles, which help it match the design of just about any website.

Most importantly, it adds a WordPress weather widget that you can add to any sidebar or footer area on your website. You can also place it on a post or page via a shortcode. All it takes is a few settings and your good to go.

Let’s get started!

Click on Plugins and select the Add New option on the left-hand admin panel.

Search for Weather Atlas Widget in the available search box. This will pull up additional plugins that you may find helpful.

Scroll down until you find the Weather Atlas Widget plugin and click on the “Install Now” button and activate the plugin for use.

Step 2: Adding the Weather Widget

This plugin does not have a settings page and is ready to go upon activation. Instead, everything is handled directly in the widget itself. This is also where you will find the shortcode to place it within a specific article.

Note: Even if you do not want to place this as a widget on your website, you still need to set it up in this area. When you are done, you would simply need to copy the shortcode and can safely delete the widget.

On the left-hand admin panel, click on Appearance and select the Widgets option.

Locate the Weather Atlas Widget and place it in the appropriate area.

Step 3: Customizing the Weather Widget

Customizing the weather widget is very simple to do and only involves a series of drop-down options with a few text entry fields.

The first option you need to decide on is the location. Simply type the location name and select it in the drop-down list.

Note: Underneath the location box you can find the shortcode for post usage.

Next, decide if the forecast will be in Fahrenheit or Celcius. Select the option in the drop-down list.

You should now see a block of text that explains how the plugin selects its language. It is based on the language you chose for your WordPress website. Thus, you cannot change the language from the rest of your website.

The appearance section is next. This includes the layout view (vertical or horizontal), font size, background color, and font color.

Note: Make sure that the font color is visible on the background color. Do not select the same color or you will not be able to see it.

The Display section allows you to add a header to the widget. This can be anything you want and you can leave it blank.

Finally, you can pick to show the current conditions that include:

• Sunrise/Sunset time
• Humidity
• Wind
• Pressure
• UV index
• How often the widget updates (in terms of hours)
• How many days to display

Simply fill out the information and click on the “Save” button when you are finished.

You can now see the widget on your website:

Step 4: Adding the Forecast to A Post/Page

You can also add the widget to a post or a page via a shortcode. You can find the shortcode underneath the location section.

Note: The customization in the previous step is still relevant, but once you are done, you can simply copy the shortcode and delete the widget from your widget area. This will allow it to appear on a post or page.

Go onto any existing post or page. Alternatively, you can create a new one for testing purposes.

Click on the “+” button and select the Shortcode block.

Paste the shortcode into the block and save the changes. The Weather Atlas Widget will not appear on that post or page and will look identical to the widget.

Congratulations on adding a weather forecast to your WordPress website.

Additional Plugins

WordPress has thousands of plugins to choose from, so you can bet there are quite a few other weather plugins you can select. Here are a few that I found that work similarly to Weather Atlas Widget:

Awesome Weather Widget

The Awesome Weather Widget plugin is quite popular with over 30,000 active installs. It adds a sleek customizable weather widget to your website. What makes this plugin awesome is being able to actually display the city as the background for the widget.

It’s a great way to win some style points.

Location Weather

The Location Weather plugin is another great alternative. It allows you to add a weather widget anywhere on your website and can show multiple days worth of forecast. The weather forecast is in real-time, which can be quite handy for businesses that rely heavily on the weather.

Weather Station

The Weather Station plugin is really simple to use. Just set it up and place it where you want it to appear. The widget is customizable in appearance and that means it can match any type of website. It’s a great alternative to consider.

It Needs to Make Sense

There are many things that you can add to a WordPress website, but that doesn’t mean you should add them. In fact, you should only try to add what you need, after all, when it comes to web design, less is more.

Every plugin you add will ultimately slow down your website. However, before you start panicking, this is really only noticeable when you add a large number of plugins. But when you begin adding a lot of smaller plugins, they can add up fast.

A weather forecast makes sense on some, but the majority of websites do not need one.

Where did you add the Weather Atlas Widget to? Why do you want to add a weather forecast in WordPress?

The post How to Use the Weather Atlas Widget in WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

If you’ve put a lot of care and feeding into your Google My Business profile, you’re on the right track. It’s one of the most effective ways to spotlight your business in Google search. If you’ve worked hard for reviews, make the reviews work for you by displaying them on your website.

The process begins on your WordPress website, so let’s install the plugin.

Installing the Google Reviews Widget Plugin

Log in to your WordPress admin panel.

In the left column navigation, mouse over the “Plugins” link and click the “Add New” link.

In the “Search plugins…” box, enter, “Google Reviews Widget.”

When you find the plugin, click the “Install Now” button.

Now the plugin is installed, but it has to be activated before you can use it.

Click the “Activate” button.

That’s all there is to it. Now let’s put the plugin to work.

Configuring Google Reviews Widget

We’ll need a couple of things from Google before we can embed Google reviews with the plugin. First, a Google Places API key, then your Google Place ID.

Getting the API key means delving into the murky waters of the Google Developers Console. But if you follow these steps, it should be smooth sailing.

How to Get a Google Places API Key

Log in to your Google console. That link should land you in the “APIs & Services” section.

If you’ve never created a project before, you’ll have to create one now. (If you have an existing project, you can skip to Click the “Enable APIs and Services” button.)

Click the “Create Project” link.

Give the project a name, or just leave the default name.

Click the “Create” button.

Click the “Enable APIs and Services” button.

In the search box, enter “Places API.”

Click the “Places API” link.

Click the “Enable” button.

Now click the “Credentials” tab.

Click the “Credentials in APIs & Services” link.

Click the “Create Credentials” link.

Finally, click the “API Key” option.

Your API key will be generated.

Note: Don’t restrict the API key. If you do, it won’t work with this plugin.

Copy the API key. We’re going to enter it into the plugin.

How to Add Your Google Places API Key to the Google Reviews Widget Plugin

In the left column navigation of your WordPress admin panel, mouse over the “Settings” link and click the “Google Reviews Widget” link.

Click the “Settings” tab.

Now paste your API key into the “Google Places API key” field and click the “Save” button.

So far, so good? Okay, let’s grab the second piece of the puzzle.

Where to Find Your Google Place ID

In order for the API to know which business reviews to display, we have to provide what’s called a “Place ID.” The Place ID is connected to the Google My Business account.

Luckily, finding your Place ID is a bit easier than it was to get the API.

Go to the Google Maps Platform Place IDs page.

In the “Find the ID of a particular place” section, enter your business name and address.

A popup will open, and the Place ID will be displayed.

Copy the Place ID.

Next, we’ll set up the widget to get the WordPress Google reviews up onto our site.

How to Add the Google Reviews Widget to Your Website

All right, now we’re finally getting down to business. The plugin creates a widget, but you can also use a shortcode to place the reviews anywhere on your site.

First, let’s look at how to set up the widget in WordPress.

In the left column navigation, mouse over the “Appearance” link and click the “Widgets” link.

Scroll down until you find “Google Reviews Widget.”

Click the widget and choose where you want it to appear. My demo theme only has a widget area in the footer, so that’s where the widget is going.

Click the “Add Widget” button.

Though, you can also just drag-and-drop where you want the widget to show.

The widget configuration screen will open up.

Paste the Place ID that we copied earlier into the “Place ID” field.

Click the “Connect Google” button.

Your Google Business info should be populated into some of the widget fields.

Scroll down and click the “Save” button.

Now the reviews should be visible in the widget area you assigned them. In our case, the footer.

I added a review to the demo business shown here a couple of hours ago, but apparently, it isn’t public yet.

Let’s see if I can add the Place ID for some other business and display their reviews on my site…

Well, look at that, it works.

As you can see, several reviews are displayed. The plugin imposes a character limit, so the reviews look consistent. The number of reviews to show and the character limit is configurable in the widget settings.

An Important Note About the Google Places API Key

Unless you have a billing account on the Google Cloud Platform, you’re limited to one API query per day. I know that’s inconvenient when you just want to test (or demonstrate) a plugin like this one.

But you might consider setting up a billing account for Google Cloud. In most cases, you won’t incur any charges.

If you’re thinking that Google APIs used to be free to use, you’re right. And for most of us, they are still free. Because when you add billing information to a Google Cloud account, you get $200 free usage of the Places API every month. (That $200 also applies to Maps and Routes. And you get a $300 Google Cloud Platform credit that’s good for 12 months.)

But, of course, to access those credits, you have to have a payment method attached to your Google account. There’s no way around it now if you want to use the Google APIs.

According to Google, “Based on the millions of users using our APIs today, most of them can continue to use Google Maps Platform for free with [the $200] credit.” So adding a payment method probably won’t result in any charges unless you’re running a large or very busy site. In which case, you’d have to admit that it’s reasonable to pay for access to an API.

How to Display Google Reviews Using a Shortcode Rather Than a Widget

If you want to display your reviews outside of a widget area, you can do it using a shortcode.

In the left column navigation of your WordPress admin panel, mouse over the “Settings” link and click the “Google Reviews Widget” link.

Click the “Shortcode” tab.

As you can see, the set up is similar to what we did for the widget.

So to generate a shortcode, enter your Place ID into the “Place ID” field.

Click the “Connect Google” button.

The shortcode (which is pretty long in this case) will be generated in the box on the right.

Copy the shortcode.

Create a new page or post or open an existing one.

Insert a shortcode block and save or update.

If you don’t use the WordPress Gutenberg editor, just paste the shortcode like any other text using the “classic” editor.

Now the review section will be displayed on the page or post.

That’s Not All the Plugin Can Do

But wait, there’s more! If you like the way the plugin works, they also make versions for Facebook and Yelp reviews.

If you really like the plugin, there’s also a paid version that gives you access to more features. (For all three review sites, Google, Facebook, and Yelp). The premium version doesn’t limit the number of reviews displayed, and it generates some structured data markup.

But maybe the best feature is the ability to add a button so visitors can leave reviews from your site.

What Happens if You Uninstall the Google Reviews Widget Plugin

If you uninstall the plugin, widgets, pages and posts that used the plugin will be affected.

• The widget created by the plugin will be deleted.
• The plugin shortcodes will stop working, so the shortcodes themselves will be displayed anywhere they were used.

Google Is Your Friend. Most of the Time.

My girlfriend just walked past the desk here and asked me what I was working on today. I told her it was an article about a Google review widget for WordPress, and she rolled her eyes.

I had to get an API from Google once; it was impossible! I was clicking around and guessing.

Sometimes you just have to click around and keep guessing until you find it.” Hopefully, this article took the guesswork out of finding the data needed to set up the Google review plugin widget. 😉

In fairness to Google, they do offer about a million products and services. There’s no way to make everything easy to find in that kind of ecosystem. But you’ve got to wonder about the complexity of just about everything they offer sometimes.

I just received an email that says, “Google Cloud Organization is now available for your domain,” and I’m not sure I even want to know what that is. Do I need it? Don’t I already have it? It’s hard to tell with Google sometimes.

And we talked about the payment method requirement being a downside to using Google APIs. It’s up to you to decide whether the upside is worth it. I believe it is, but then I don’t make enough use of Google APIs to have to pay for them.

Your mileage may vary.

Reviews Give Your Business Credibility and Promote Trust

Reviews are good for your website SEO. Especially star reviews, which can get picked up and shown in Google search results. So the advantages of including your reviews on your site are many.

SEO aside, reviews tend to increase trust. In fact, 84% of us trust online reviews as much as we do personal recommendations. And also keep in mind how many people trust elements like Facebook reviews as well.

This means you may want to consider alternatives to engage the audience.

You can’t beat consumer trust when it comes to your business. So get your reviews onto your site as soon as you can. They don’t have to come from Google. Use any site or service where customers can review your business.

The methods to get the reviews onto your website will vary. But what’s important is that the reviews are there, and visitors can see them.

Have you set up your Google My Business account? (If not, why not?) Do you display reviews on your website? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

The post How to Add a Google Reviews Widget to the Sidebar of WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.