Thanks to this, a new trend has recently taken over web design: video hero sections. Now, when you work with websites, you know far too well that a website is only as good as its hero. This is most often the beginning of the customer journey, and if it’s not convincing enough, the customer will simply leave. With an average time spent on your website of 53 seconds, a captivating hero is a must if you want to keep the readers on and reduce your bounce rate significantly. Still, that can be achieved just as well with a great picture. However, in some cases, video heroes work better. So, let’s have a look at the ins and outs of video heroes, the benefits, the downsides, and the best practices. Most importantly, let’s see if they will fit your unique needs. But before we get there, let’s start from the top. 

What Is The Hero Section?

A hero section is the first thing your audience will see on your website. It’s front and center, right beneath your header (most often occupied by your logo and menu). Typically, it’s a large, prominent area that is used to capture the user’s attention and drive them to take action, either by continuing scrolling or using a CTA.

Now you know why the hero section is the one that will determine whether your website works or not. It’s front and center, and it must tell the user precisely where they are, what they are looking for, and how they can get it. It’s much like an information desk or, better yet, a concierge who greets all visitors and directs them to where they need to go. Naturally, the greeting has much to do with whether the visitor will stay or leave immediately. In other words, your hero’s content must be impeccable – clear, to the point, and informative. It must portray your brand persona, as well as your brand voice, as it’s usually the first point of touch between users and your brand.

Most often, hero sections are dominated by the brand colors and a high-definition image, leaving no place to interpret your brand’s product or service. For example, take a look at our hero section.

We leave nothing to the imagination. We tell our potential customers precisely what we offer and how they will benefit. Moreover, we complement our copy with a stylish visual representing exactly what we do.

However, some brands prefer a video hero to communicate with their audience. Now, whether this is a good or bad decision depends on several factors. But before we get there, let’s discuss what the video heroes’ goals are and how they differ from the image heroes’ ones. 

What Are The Goals Of the Video Hero Section?

A video in your hero section changes the dynamic of your entire page. While the primary goal of your hero section when using images is to forward your customers to the next step on their journey, a video in the hero section aims to retain their attention. But why would you want to keep the user’s attention at the first step? Well, there are many reasons. Most often, its aim is to expand your authority. 

Moreover, if your website’s aim is to redirect users offline, a long customer journey through various pages may prove highly frustrating for the user. So, a video hero can summarize the most important parts of your presentation before you invite them with a CTA to get to your location. In this case, the hero section plays the role of a brand awareness instrument rather than a sales one. It establishes the brand’s goals, values, and voice. 

Some industry niches also benefit highly from video heroes. The music industry is definitely among the frontrunners. If you are a musician, adding a video of your concert will act as social proof of your capabilities. The same goes for DJs and other artists related to the music industry.

The sports industry is another great example. In this case, the video in the hero section plays a seduction role. Sport is always accompanied by passion. Thus, seeing someone running with a particular brand of shoes will instantly increase customer’s desire to get a pair. 

All of these extra goals can be achieved by a picture as well. However, using an image won’t be nearly as effective as using a video. And, of course, the video has some other benefits to sweeten the deal. 

What Are The Benefits?

If you manage to make your video up to your audience’s standards, you are bound to reap a vast array of benefits. Let’s go through some of the most important:

Grabs attention

The most significant benefit of using a video in your hero section is the engagement you will achieve. It’s unparalleled. Moving images grab human attention far more easily. That’s encrypted in our psychology as we subconsciously react to movements. There’s no wonder why toddlers are always captivated by any screen, and breaking their attention from a video is almost impossible. Videos inspire interest, and thus, you will captivate your audience and represent your brand without the fear of losing their attention to something else moving around them. 

Creates emotional response

True, an image can also produce a strong emotional response, but it’s far more unlikely than a video. If you are selling emotions or feelings, your best bet is using a video hero. That’s what videos are best at. This is why a song may convey different emotions when you are only listening to it, in contrast to when you are watching the music video. 

Conveys messages much easier

People tend to prefer watching and listening over reading. Actually, 59% of people prefer to receive information through videos. That’s hardly a surprise, as videos tend to take less time than actually reading something. Still, that’s only valid for simple information. If you need to concentrate on understanding something, reading is the way to go.

Still, on your website, you won’t give lectures on how your product was conceived and its technical aspects. You will simply list its benefits and how it can help your customers with the specific problem that brought them to your website. This is a simple enough message. 

Creates a specific mood

Using a video in your hero section will help you to create a mood. This is essential if you are trying to push your customers to buy. Naturally, the mood should reflect your website’s goals. 

Creates a sense of authority

Finally, a good video can build up your authority like nothing else. Showcasing your strengths and knowledge, as well as adding some numbers, will increase your authority as a factor in your industry. 

What Are The Downsides?

Naturally, hero section videos have their fair share of downsides

Too expensive

As you can imagine, only high-quality videos can ensure you will get the benefits from a video in your hero section. This, however, is neither easy to produce nor cheap. A hero-section video is simply out of the question if you are on a tight budget. 

Little room for A/B testing

While you can try and test over a hundred images to see which one works best, this is impossible with videos. The production, as already stated, is far too expensive to create more than 1 video. So, as you can imagine, you have no room for errors. Thus, you need to nail it on the very first try. Naturally, that’s extremely hard, especially if you don’t have enough data on your customers and their drivers and behavior.

It will make your website too heavy

Regardless of all the technical improvements of the past few years, a video is a video. It’s heavy, and you can’t do much about it. Having a video on your hero means your website will load a bit slower. And since the hero section is the first thing people see on your website, they might lose interest if your video is delayed. So, if you are going to use a video in your hero section, make sure every other aspect of your website is highly optimized. 

So, as you can see, though a video in your hero section can bring a lot of benefits, it’s a risky maneuver that demands a bit more consideration. Don’t just rush in to make any video. This way, you will only acquire all the negatives without any of the benefits. 

Video Hero Best Practices

If you’ve decided to go for a video in your hero section, this part is essential. You can’t just put any old video there. Nor is it a good idea to place a stock video, just so you can show off with a video hero section. If you are going to go down that road, you might as well do it right.  

High-quality videos only

This must come without saying, but a high-quality video is a must. So, keep the resolution to at least 1000p, and ensure the content is high-quality. You can’t put some half-baked stream of you commenting on your product’s success with no cuts or intention. You need to provide your audience with something that they won’t just enjoy but will also find useful. Whether it’s an emotional booster or a quick guide to the product’s use, your video should aim to please. 

Keep it short

Indeed, the video should be short, not only because a longer video demands far too many resources but also because your audience’s attention span is limited. Keep in mind that each user, looking for a solution to their problem, has at least ten other tabs opened at the same time. Thus, you must impress them as fast as you can. So get straight to the point and convey your message in under 10 seconds. 

Make it specifically for this task

One of the biggest mistakes we’ve seen when creating a video hero section is using an old video for the task. You might have to shoot an advert for your products or an explanation video for your YouTube channel. You might have created a short on your Instagram Real or TikTok. Unfortunately, though, using these videos will never work. You need to create a video that’s specifically for your website. Each communication channel has a unique role, and you can’t mix and mingle your messages as if they are all the same. They are not. 

Darker videos work better

An excellent pro tip is to darken your video by about 35%. This way, your video will still attract attention but won’t overwhelm and push away audiences. Imagine looking at the screen at night, looking for a product or a service, and at some point, a giant wave of lights crashes on your screen. This will trigger the fight or flight response, and none of them is good for your business. So, keep your video darker.

No Sound

On the same note, keep the sound off. Even if your video has some majestic sound effects, give the user the opportunity to hear them at their own will. Don’t force it on them. Keep your video’s sound off as default and put a visible button to allow your users to unmute. 

Make it a loop

Finally, make sure to keep the video ongoing. The best solution is to make the beginning and the end the same so it will seamlessly blend. However, if your vision demands a strict beginning and an end, you do you. Regardless, make sure to put your video on look since users might miss it. As we already stated, people often have multiple tabs open when looking for a product or service, so you might not be their first tab. It would be a shame if your video ends before they even get to your website.  

Is a Video Hero Section a Good Fit For You

So, the big question. Is putting a video in your hero section a good fit for you? Well, if you have enough budget to produce an entire video just for your website, you can ensure it is high quality, you have enough data on your audience and know what they like, and you want to convey an emotion, then yes. A video is the perfect solution for your hero section. 

However, if you are on a tight budget, your product is practical and does not need emotions to be considered, and if your home page is just the beginning of your customer’s journey, then an image is a much better idea. 

Now you know. But beware. If you go for the video solution, you will need powerful hosting to help reduce the strain on your website’s speed the video will inevitably cause. Luckily, we have just the thing.

HostArmada is a powerful cloud-based hosting solution that offers a robust hosting infrastructure. Our lightning-fast speed, high-end security, and unmatched uptime will guarantee that your video hero section will have all the resources it needs to provide your users with the best experience possible. 

The post Is Video Hero Section a Good Fit For Your Website? appeared first on HostArmada Blog.

Moreover, the industry will be worth 15.7 trillion dollars by the end of the decade. If you think that’s outlandish, just take a look at your smartphone. Whether you like it or not, if you are using a smartphone, you are most probably using Artificial intelligence as well. Actually, around 97% of users interact with AI daily.

So, the question is not whether you should use AI but how to utilize it in your best interest. Is it worth giving a shot when creating a website, and in what aspects can it reduce your work and help you create a stunning online home? In short, let’s discuss how to utilize AI when building your website.

Can AI do everything from A to Z?

Before we get started, however, let’s address the elephant in the room. You might think you can build a website just by telling an AI what to do. Wouldn’t that be something? Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. AIs are not yet smart enough to create such complex things independently. They will need your guidance and your ability to share your vision clearly. The AI will also need refined instructions on how to proceed with some aspects, as it tends to be stubborn in doing things its way or in no way.

What AI can do, however, is help you with the heavy lifting. The manual job, which usually takes days, can now be done in mere seconds.

Searching through the internet, you will find several AI-powered website builders who will promise you a great website in a few minutes only by asking you a few questions. And indeed, these are great if you have absolutely no vision whatsoever of how your website should look. However, at least for now, such platforms build generic websites that lack personality and flair. That’s enough to chase most customers away.

Still, that doesn’t mean you should entirely disregard this marvel of modern technology. On the contrary, you should take full advantage of the AI’s capabilities when building your website.

Use AI in web design

Just a few years ago, this was more like a science fiction than a reality. Today, we can bear the fruit of the tireless development of Artificial intelligence and its strive to take web designers out of business. Jokes aside, AI is far from being able to substitute an experienced web designer, but it can help first-time website owners know precisely what they want. In other words, AI is great at giving you an idea of how your website should look and what elements it should have. To top it all off, it includes complimentary color schemes that perfectly align with your brand.

In this regard, DALL-E can be of great help. Instead of souring for hours across various platforms, searching for something that might be up your niche, you simply write a simple request like, “Create a website design layout for an {industry name} in the {niche name} niche. The website is for {brand name}, and the target audience is {target audience}.” You will receive several versions of great-looking websites.

Uizard is another outstanding AI tool dedicated to creating exceptional web designs. Unlike DALL-E, it creates full-blown mockups like the one below:

Just share what you want to create, add your categories and your needs, and the AI will do the rest. You can also use screenshots or sketches of your design, and Uizard will transform them into mockups you can use for ordering a website to a designer.

Now, as you can see, these AI tools won’t build your website but will help you get a clear idea of what you want and what you have. After that, you can make it yourself on WordPress or hire a designer to do it for you.

However, before that, you will need to work on your brand.

Use AI in building your brand

Now that you have a design in mind, it’s time to improve your branding. First and foremost, you will need a logo. There are many logo generators out there. Those that are free to use are pretty good but will only generate a standard logo. It’s good enough if you are just starting, but hiring a designer for the job might be a better idea if you are dreaming of going big. Otherwise, AI generators like Looka will create a stunning and elegant logo based on several questions and preferences. The entire process takes less than 2 minutes. After that, you can get your logo for a small fee.

Smashing Logo is another great tool in this direction. It creates various types of logos based on your preferences, industry, and niche, as well as your personality. Still, in the end, if you want to get a web-ready logo, you will have to pay a hefty price. Yes, you will have it instantly, but alternatively, it won’t be any cheaper than hiring a designer on Fiverr to create one for you.

There are many more logo generators, but at least for now, they are far inferior to having a designer create your logo. Still, they are handy to give you an idea of what logo to order. However, there is a far more valuable use for AI when it comes to branding. You can use it to find your perfect target audience, determine your buyer persona, and align your brand voice and personality to your target audience’s expectations. This is invaluable for your website creation process, as it’s instrumental to building your brand personality from the very beginning. In this regard, Chat GPT and Bard are irreplaceable partners.

Use AI in creating content

Speaking of Chat GPT and Bard, they can be of great help in creating content for your website. Especially with Google’s Gemini and Open AI’s Chat GPT-4, AI engines are truly on the verge of being able to create stunning copy for your website independently. Unfortunately, though, that’s not even close to enough.

Indeed, AI assistance is of great help, but if you want an honest, genuine connection with your audience, you must write from the heart. Most users can easily recognize AI’s refined and to-the-point style, devoid of any personality. You can’t force a machine to mimic empathy or human emotions, as it can’t understand them. You can’t forge genuine experiences, which, again, AI can’t have.

Still, AI can help you a lot with creating content. On the one hand, AI can inspire some great ideas on how to build your landing page. It will give you the best practices and even provide you with examples.

Furthermore, it will streamline your work by making the research process infinitely easier. A great example is researching your target audience and their characteristics. Instead of reading 20 articles and 30 papers, you can just ask an AI model to summarize all of them and give you direct answers to the relevant questions. Not sure what the relevant questions are? No problem, ask the AI to help with that as well.

Artificial intelligence can work miracles in the background. Still, don’t be greedy and write the actual copy and content yourself. Otherwise, your communication with your audience will remain just that – artificial. And believe it or not, users feel the difference.

Use AI in maintaining a blog

While we are talking about content, AI can help you greatly in writing your blog post. Though it’s pretty tempting to use Chat GPT or Bard to generate blog posts, this is definitely not a good idea. Even if you utilize the paid version of Chat GPT, you will still struggle to provide a unique perspective on an issue. You will simply paraphrase other ideas, which is not the point of having a blog at all. Your blog, along with being a great SEO tool, aims to showcase your professionalism and understanding of the industry you are in. It grants you authority. Thus, using AI to create blogs is disgraceful, to say the least.

Moreover, although Google doesn’t penalize AI content per se, it insists on sharing personal experiences with your audience. As we already discussed, however, AI does not have and will never have personal experiences, as it’s a machine. So, naturally, blog posts written by a well-versed in the industry writer will always be better for your SEO. They will also be better for your communication with customers, as well as for establishing your authority.

This being said, AI does have some excellent implications regarding blogs. First and foremost, as we already mentioned, it’s a great way to gather information faster. Still, if you are using the free modules, be careful, as they don’t always tell the truth. Chat GPT’s free version’s knowledge was cut off in September 2021, while Bard often feels the gaps in its knowledge with interpretations that are not always true.

Still, AI can be extremely useful for finding relevant topics, creating content plans, fast-tracking research, editing and proofreading your draft, and, of course, checking for plagiarism. Even this blog post uses some AI help. Almost all writers nowadays use Grammarly to avoid typos.

Use AI in SEO

You might want to dial down your expectations when using AI for SEO. Though utilizing AI will optimize your workflow and cut your work time in half, you still need to know the basics of SEO research. In other words, once again, AI won’t do your job. It will simply assist you in making it a bit easier and faster.

Before you get to the AI tools, building a good and winning SEO strategy is still your job. Yes, AI can help you with gathering and analyzing data, but the creative work will be left to you (or your team, of course). Still, utilizing AI to find trends within your data is more than a good reason to employ AI in your SEO.

Moreover, robots can also take over keyword research. For example, you can use Semrush’s Keyword Magic tool to help you find the right keywords for your needs. That’s, of course, vastly different than asking Bard to find you 20 keywords for your eCommerce niche at the last moment.

AI can also help you make your text SEO-friendly. There are a ton of guidelines that a writer should follow to create an SEO-optimized text. While most professional content writers know them by heart, most people don’t even know they exist. Thankfully, with AI, you don’t have to read through dozens of pages and try to guess what Google had in mind when writing paragraph 3.

We’ve talked about the Yoast SEO plugin, which uses AI to pinpoint problematic aspects in your texts. You can use this tool to polish your text and make it Google’s favorite.

So, just like with everything else, AI can help you a lot in your SEO efforts, but it will certainly not do the entire job on its own.

Use AI in customer relations

Though it might only play a supporting role in website building and content creation, AI takes the spotlight when it comes to customer relations. Utilizing Artificial intelligence will significantly boost your business in this regard, as AI will practically save you money, time, and effort. The easiest example is customer service.

AI customer support allows even small businesses to offer 24/7 support. What’s more, these AI interactions save you money from hiring an entire support team. Moreover, they effectively take care of over 90% of all queries, as they are most often something that can be found in the FAQ section or elsewhere on your website.

The best part is that the AI can store and analyze data from these interactions and help you position yourself better on the market.

More advanced AI can even make customer recommendations based on their online behavior. For example, if a customer is looking for a vacuum cleaner, the AI can also offer them some filters. Or they can pinpoint the color scheme of products they spend more time looking at and offer them similar products in the same colors. The opportunities are as vast as your imagination.

Use AI in eCommerce

Finally, let’s get to the most practical use of AI on your website – e-commerce. As we’ve already explained in our e-commerce trends for 2024 blog post, AI will be everywhere. It will be the catalyst behind the customer-centric offerings in e-commerce in 2024. It will also empower more and more brands to follow Amazon’s lead in offering personalized related products. The retargeting potential is sky-high when utilizing AI, which can increase your sales significantly.

Moreover, AI can help you create a much more efficient sales process, boosting your productivity, revenues, and customer satisfaction. With artificial intelligence, you can create individual and highly personalized customer journeys based on the user’s behavior. This is significantly better than having one customer journey to fit them all.

For example, if a customer has entered your website through Google by clicking on a blog post, they are in a vastly different stage of their customer journey than those who clicked on a specific ad for a specific product. Thus, their customer journey on your website can’t be the same. With the help of AI, you can segment your audience even further, making the entire sales process much more personalized. Naturally, this will lead to better results.

All of this will decrease your spending and increase your overall revenues. Naturally, you will have to find the best tools to do that. If you are after a customized AI tool, you will have to invest a significant amount in building and teaching it. Still, the investment is well worth it.

Conclusion

As you can see, AI can significantly help when building your website. All you need to do is know how and where to utilize it. Hopefully, you will no longer have illusions that a machine can do the job while you kick back, relax, and take all the profits without lifting a finger. Unfortunately, the Technotronic era, as envisioned by Zbigniew Brzezinski, is not as close as the Polish American political scientist believed. So, you will still have to put in the hours to build up your business.

The first step, as usual, is to secure your infrastructure. Yes, even when creating your website from scratch, you need a solid foundation on which to build it. We’re talking of course about your service. No website can exist without a server hosting all its data. Luckily, this is not something you will have to take care of alone.

All you have to do is take a look at our plans and choose the one that best suits your needs. We at HostArmada pride ourselves on our top-of-the-line cloud-based hosting services. We offer lightning-fast loading time, top-notch security, and something no AI can guarantee (at least for now) – a 99.9% uptime. Remember that no matter how good your website is, it only counts if it’s out there on the internet for others to see. With our hosting services, that’s guaranteed.

The post How to Use AI when building your website? appeared first on HostArmada Blog.

While this doesn’t seem like a big deal at first glance, in fact, Christmas decoration has a huge impact on customers’ behavior. In other words, these God-awful Mariah Carey songs actually boost profits. Now you might be thinking, why not add these ear tortures to your website as well if it’s so profitable? Well, consider how intrusive they are while you are in a store, and then think of how your audience will react if their speakers suddenly start blasting, “All I want for Christmas is you.” Yes, not the best idea. 

Still, some Christmas decoration on your website is not only recommended, but a must if you want to capture at least part of the massive Christmas spending. So, today, at the start of December, we’ve gathered the best Christmas plugins that will bring holiday cheer to your website and boost your sales and profits as a result. 

How does that work?

The Christmas spirit is not just a myth. Several research studies over the years have proven that people react positively to Christmas decorations, resulting in approximately $1000 on average spending on Christmas shopping alone. About 64.9% of this spending is dedicated to gifts for family, friends, and coworkers. It stands to reason that you will buy Christmas gifts from a decorated place, which gives special attention to the holiday. Not that you are keen on listening to Wham, but rather because your brain follows the path of least resistance. Shopping during the Christmas holidays is stressful, and your brain instinctively pushes you to finish it as fast as you can. So, naturally, you are attracted to the places where it’s most likely to find some Christmas presents.

You might be skeptical of this method, but US holiday sales have grown each year for more than a decade. Moreover, with 96% of Americans buying gifts for their families, this trend is not about to change anytime soon. 

What about online stores?

But why would you care about what offline stores do? You are running an online store. True, but about 63% of Americans purchase their holiday gifts online. So, yeah, you need them. Moreover, there are several other factors that can persuade your audience to spend more than a few dollars on your website. For starters, the Christmas decoration on your website works on two fronts.

On the one hand, it reminds customers that they are in the season of generosity, so buying one more gift or a more expensive item is a sign of benevolence. On the other hand, they feel pressured that Christmas is around the corner, reminding them that everyone is buying gifts, so their child’s new bike may go out of stock at any moment. The famous FOMO (fear of missing out) affects rational thinking and pushes customers to buy. 

The biggest advantage of the Christmas decoration on your online store, however, is the over-stimulation your customers will experience. This results in the so-called ego depletion, which unfortunately doesn’t mean your customers become humbler. This phenomenon actually affects people’s ability to make rational decisions. So, when they see your flashy, new, colorful website look, themed after one of the most beloved holidays out there, your audience’s rational decision-making is hindered, and they are pushed to finish a purchase without feeling buyer’s remorse.

As it seems, having some decoration on your website will definitely benefit you. As a WordPress user, you’re in luck. There are a ton of plugins that will make your website as bright as a Christmas tree. So, let’s have a look at the most useful ones in WordPress’s vast library.

8 WordPress Plugins that will make your website a Christmas fairytale

WordPress, as usual, has hundreds of plugins dedicated to making your website more festive. Many of them work fine. However, only a few can help you achieve the main goal of giving your website a Christmas makeover. We gathered our favorite 8, which are stunning and will help you achieve the already-explained customer response. 

Snow Storm

Let’s start with the basics. If the name is not revealing enough, this plugin will add a romantic snowfall to your website. This way, you can sing to your customers, “Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but our prices are so delightful,” or “Baby, it’s cold outside.” Jokes aside, this small touch will add a nice feeling to your website and make it season-appropriate. 

The plugin itself is highly customizable. You can adjust the color of the snowflakes, how intensive the snowfall is, and the animation interval. You can also enable some additional effects like Melt and Twinkle. Finally, you can even make the snow start gathering at the bottom of the window, which is an excellent touch. 

This is truly an essential plugin, so you can use it on pretty much all sorts of websites, regardless of whether you are monetizing by e-commerce or otherwise. 

Rocket Fireworks

This one is for those focusing on the New Year’s event. For example, if your primary audience is non-Christian, it stands to reason you’d want to showcase the New Year Celebration.  

This relatively lightweight plugin adds a fairly basic but highly effective fireworks animation. As discussed, this will overwhelm the customer’s senses and throw them into ego depletion. The best part of this lightweight plugin is that it’s straightforward to set up, and even if you are new to WordPress, you can add it without any hassle.

Once installed, it will blast multicolor fireworks directly on your website, making it festive and extremely attractive. 

Christmas Greetings

This is perhaps the best plugin to enhance your relationship with your customers. Essentially, this plugin will display greetings and messages to your audience. There are only a few customizations available, but they are quite enough to spread cheer and make your customers feel warm and fuzzy. But what’s a Christmas wish without a Christmas present? That’s why Christmas Greetings allows you to stick promotions to store products or coupons with Woo-commerce. Now that’s a genuine early Christmas gift. Naturally, you can personalize the messages, depending on what data you gather from your customers. 

This plugin is designed for e-commerce users who want to enhance their communication with their customers and offer some promotions with an unmistakable Christmas vibe. 

MMX – Make me Christmas

When it comes to making your website Christmasy, MMX is the full package. It’s an all-in-one Christmas plugin that offers header, body, and footer options. You will be able to cheer your audience with snowmen, snowfall, various types of garlands, Christmas trees, stockings, and presents. There are ten types of Christmas hangings. 

The best part is how easy it is to set up, and it comes with great features. The bad thing is that if you want access to the best, you will have to pay a small amount. Still, it’s not a huge price for spreading some cheer. 

Xmas Lights

This is another low-key Christmas decoration for your website. Essentially, you can add a string of holiday lights to welcome your visitors over the holidays. This neutral celebratory plugin will be effective for business owners with a culturally mixed audience. It does remind you of Christmas, but it doesn’t shove it in your face. 

The plugin is seamless to set up, as all you need to do is install the plugin. There are no additional settings or any other complications. The best part is that these Christmas lights are a great attention grabber without insisting on your attention per se. 

Random Christmas Fact Widget

This is among the more interesting and cultivated holiday plugins. It attracts attention not only with vision but also with exciting content. Essentially, the plugin displays one of 40 random Christmas facts in your sidebar. Each time a user refreshes the website, they will get a new fact. 

When installed, the widget will appear without any CSS formatting so that it can blend perfectly with your website’s style. 

This is an excellent way to grab attention and push your customers to interact with your website. Still, you will have to use a theme with a sidebar to use this plugin. Still, it’s perfect for all sorts of websites, regardless of their functionalities and aims. 

Christmasify

If you want to give your visitors the Christmas market experience, then Christmas is definitely the plugin for you. You can add snow, music, flying Santas, Christmas decorations for your images, and Christmas hangings. You can do this only on your home page or all across your website. The only thing missing will be the sweet aroma of eggnog, but you can always add one as a present in each order. 

The best part is that the plugin is compatible with CSS3 animation, and you can use it through a JavaScript snippet. On top of that, it’s lightweight, easy to use and free. What more can you need? 

Santa Press

Finally, we have what’s, in our opinion, the creme de la creme of Christmas plugins – SantaPress. This plugin offers individual advent calendars on your website. This way, you can give small but meaningful gifts to your customers each day. Naturally, this will stimulate customers to come back every day until Christmas just to get their small presents. In terms of this, it will build brand loyalty, and as usual, the longer someone stays on your website, the higher the chances of them buying something. 

The plugin is masterfully designed and offers eight distinct and stunning layouts. To top it all off, Santa Press also includes various features like Snowfall, WooCommerce integration, hidden mode, external links, and others. If you want to add to the fun, you can even introduce a quiz, which your audience will have to fill out if they’re going to get the price of the day. Santa Press truly gives your website a holiday spirit. 

So, think of 23 small prices that are relevant to your business. They might be small discounts, a special offer, 2 for one coupon, or anything in between. It all depends on your business and what you are ready to give. The rest is up to Santa Press.  

The only downside is that this outstanding plugin is paid, and you will have to prepare around $40 to get it. Still, it’s well worth the price.  

What to avoid

As you can see, you can make your website a genuinely stunning place. Still, there are some things you might want to avoid. For starters, don’t overdo it. Making your website practically a user’s nightmare just because you want to be more flashy, will be counterproductive. So, avoid rapidly flashing lights, as they may cause physical harm to some groups.

Moreover, don’t overuse religious symbols, especially if you are targeting not-so-religious communities. Yes, Christmas is celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. Still, it’s also a family holiday, celebrated by people who don’t go to church every Sunday but instead are only brought up in the Christmas traditions. 

Next, be sure to know your audience. For example, if you are advertising to Muslim or Jewish communities, Christian religious symbols won’t do you much good. Instead, opt for celebrating the new year, as this tradition is universal across the entire world (well, maybe not China, which has its own thing going on). 

Finally, don’t destroy your user experience by adding heavy plugins that will compromise your loading speed. After all, nothing is more important than your website’s load time, as a 1-second delay will cost you significantly. 

So, if you want to make your website into a Christmas fairytale, you need a robust, fast, and secure hosting service. 

HostArmada is just that. We offer lightning-fast load speed, robust security, and 99.9% uptime, making your website the best place to shop this Christmas. Check out our plans and give yourself, your website, and your customers the gift you undoubtedly deserve.

The post 8 Christmas Plugins for WordPress To Boost Your Online Sales appeared first on HostArmada Blog.

Catering to the products and their representation is definitely a must, but you also need to establish yourself as a trustworthy, high-quality, and authoritative brand. Thus, you need some other pages on your website. Blogs will greatly help you in this effort, but they will only catalyze the process. To become a household name, first, the household must know you. They need to be aware of your mission, values, goals, team, and more. So, naturally, you need to add a dedicated page to cater to this need.

The About page is precisely that. Naturally, not just any page will do the trick. You need specific know-how to create a stellar About page. Only then can you enjoy all the benefits it brings.

Why the About page is a must

The About page is much more than just a bio or business card. It has several specific goals that make it a must for any website.

Establishes Credibility

The main goal of your About page is to establish credibility. By giving a glimpse behind the curtains of your brand, you show your audience you have nothing to hide. As you can imagine, each customer feels a bit anxious when spending money on the Internet. Even though by now, as a society, we are used to ordering products and services online, we usually do it from established brands that have proven their credibility. Whenever we need to purchase anything from a new source, a wise user researches the company’s background, who they are, where they are from, and who stands behind them. This is just common sense.

So, just like with anything else, outsourcing this information to third-party websites will only lead to losing customers. Instead, the About page will not only give all the relevant information on your website but will also follow your narrative to assist your marketing and sales strategies.

Gives a human face to your brand

Moreover, users are far more prone to trust another human rather than a faceless corporation. The About page allows you to build just that – a human face. If done right, this will allow you to create a genuine connection with your audience, increasing brand loyalty and boosting your return of customer rating, sales, revenues, and profits.

Separates the brand from the pack

Regardless of your business industry and niche, you will always face competition. Even if you are a pioneer in your field, someone will always try to capitalize on your success. Naturally, you need to be distinguishable. The About page is the easiest way to showcase how unique you are. It’s the place where you can separate yourself from the pack. This can be done with your backstory, your mission, or values. The main point is to showcase your uniqueness. If you manage to become distinguishable from the rest, you will become in a league of your own, without much competition. A great example is Red Bull. Though they offer an energy drink, of which there are hundreds, by showcasing their passion for extreme semi-professional and professional sports, they cater to a vast number of sports enthusiasts without much competition within these subcultures.

Gives your products or services additional value

The About page will also expand your product or service value beyond its primary worth. By showcasing your mission and values, you will put additional leverage on your proposal, making it that much more lucrative for people sharing the same values and mission in life.

Naturally, this will allow you to increase your margins over time without people feeling the raise is unjustified. For example, whenever you want to buy cheese, you will be bothered if the price is well above the average. However, when purchasing a Louis Vitton handbag, the added value won’t bother you at all. It’s because Louis Vuitton has established itself as a high-end, recognizable, and luxurious brand, typically associated with high class and higher living standards.

Boosts SEO

Among other things, the About page is a golden opportunity to boost your SEO. Including various industry-relevant keywords on your About page will boost your presence in the search engines. In turn, it will increase your traffic and visits.

Moreover, by boosting your credibility, search engines will recognize you as a more authoritative website, increasing your overall website rankings. Finally, adding your location and contacts will make you easier to find, raising user experience. Naturally, this will relate to better search engine rankings.

It’s a vital part of the customer’s journey

Finally, the About page is only a stop on your visitor’s customer journey. It’s an essential part of your storytelling. As you probably have noticed from books and movies, characters without a backstory and motivation are most often one-dimensional. This renders them boring, predictive, and, in general, pointless. The same goes for your business. If your product has no context, it can’t stand out from the pack. Take Coca-Cola, for example. Their story of trying to create an intellectual booster with a tonic containing traces amount of coke has become folklore. That’s why Coca-Cola is now worth nearly 100 billion dollars and has 36.5% of the North American market.

So, your About Page is just a small stop on your customer’s way to buying your product or services. Thus, you need to build your About page to function as a lead generator.

Now that we know the About page goals, it’s time to focus on building one for yourself. But before we get to the elements you need, let’s talk a bit about what’s the essence of a good About page.

What makes a good About page

Though what elements you will include in your About page is essential, how you present them will be the difference between succeeding in achieving the page’s goals and failing to do so. Naturally, there are some best practices you need to follow.

Use compelling storytelling

As we already mentioned, the About page is part of your storytelling. Actually, it’s an essential part – the beginning. As you can imagine, not many people will be interested in reading 10,000 words on your background. So, you must infuse compelling storytelling techniques in your About page content. Make sure your story is linear and flowing. Don’t jump from one moment to another without any connection between the two. Also, be sure to work with the tension. Whenever there is high tension, you need to break it with a small joke.

Naturally, there are many techniques for creating a compelling story, but we will discuss this in another dedicated topic.

Write for your audience

As mentioned above, your About page is just a small part of your overall customer journey. So, make sure to have that in mind when writing it. In other words, you must write what your audience wants to learn. You might find a particular story from when you started your business quite amusing, but if it doesn’t bring any valuable information to your customers, it’s utterly pointless.

Regarding your story, focus on how you were just like your customers, with the same problem, and you were looking for a solution. Now, they don’t have to look for a solution, as you can provide them with one instantly. No one needs to know how bored you were with your life, how you dreamed of having a better work-life balance, or how you wondered about what to invest your inheritance in. So, stick to what’s important to your audience, and keep anything else for small talk with your friends.

Humanize your brand

Humanizing your brand is an essential part of creating your brand persona. As already discussed, people prefer communicating with people rather than faceless corporations. Anyone who has tried to contact an unreachable airline knows the feeling of being ignored by a corporation. Thus, humanizing your brand will significantly boost your overall customer experience. Naturally, this comes at a price, as you will have to tend to their needs and actually care about their complaints. But the rewards are well worth it.

The About page is where all of this magic comes to life. Humanizing your brand means you need a brand persona that has its own voice, style, and tone, preferably one that’s not yours. You don’t want to become the face of your business, as you will face increasing pressure with the brand growing. That’s, of course, up to you since you might want your fortune to come with a dose of fame, just like with Elon Musk. On the other hand, not everyone is suitable to be their business’s image. For example, Bernard Aranut is predominantly behind the scenes when it comes to branding.

Regardless of your preferences, you need to make sure your customers communicate with your brand as pals, not as customers. This is the only way to create some form of loyalty and trust.

Maintain your brand persona, voice, style, and tone

While we are on the topic of the brand persona, you must make sure it’s consistent across your entire website. This includes the tone, the voice, the style, everything. Moreover, you need to keep it the same across all channels. Remember that your brand persona is your business’s human form. So, make sure to act as such. The About page doesn’t make any difference, despite it being where you will show the real people behind the persona. This is a delicate task, so give yourself enough time to perfect your delivery.

Avoid industry jargon

Once again, this is a good idea in general. Industry talk is for B2B platforms like Linked In, where you are targeting highly specific audiences. The About page is targeting a broader audience. If we had to put it on the chart, it would target people at the very top of your funnel as a marketing tool and the upper-middle part of the sales funnel.

So, industry jargon is definitely not welcome on your About page. This will only represent your brand as impossible to communicate with to someone unfamiliar with the industry. For example, if you offer plumbing services and add highly-complicated plumbing lingo to your About page, your potential customers will be scared off. They won’t understand a word of what you’re saying. Moreover, you will give the vibe that everyone should know this. So, someone who doesn’t know the terminology will feel embarrassed and choose not to seek your help.

So, keep unnecessarily complicated terminology for conventions.

Use a lot of images and graphics

This should come as no surprise. Images and graphics are essential in creating a friendly and welcoming atmosphere on your webpage. Use many of them and build a visually stunning About page. Show, don’t tell whenever possible, as people prefer to get the information as easily as possible.

So, bet on high-quality, informative images that relay subliminal messages. Use the right colors to convey your overall brand personality and product demeanor. For example, luxury brands are often represented in regal colors or black. Cleaning products will most often rely on warm colors and white, and financial institutions would prefer gold, silver, or green. Find your industry’s colors and see what combinations you can use to make them yours.

Make it unique

The worst thing you can do with an About page is just copy the style and vision of another brand. Your About page must be just as unique as your product or service. It must be a clear representation of the unique personality of your brand. Don’t be tempted to just copy the About page structure and vision from another more successful brand in the same industry. Yes, you can get some inspiration, but make it unique. Make it unmistakably yours. This is the only way you will be able to get the credibility and recognition your brand deserves.

SEO is a must

Finally, your About page must be SEO optimized. As we already mentioned, the About page is an SEO gold mine. So, don’t waste this opportunity to gain even more traction on search engines and find a fresh audience for your website. Making your About page SEO friendly is no different than making your Homepage SEO friendly, so don’t waste this opportunity.

Now that we know what makes an About page a winner, it’s time to fill it up with content.

The 10 key elements of stellar About pages

Probably the most important question regarding your About page is its content. You need to decide what to put inside, how to present it, how to formulate it, and how to arrange it. While the representation and arrangement depend entirely on the overall vibe of your brand and website, some elements must be present in any About page if you want it to succeed in all of its goals.

Talk about your brand’s story

First and foremost, your About page must showcase your story. Still, as already noted, you need to write your story so that it will be attractive to your audience. Your story is essential to your identity and will determine what type of customers you will attract. Don’t go too in-depth with your story, and make it scannable. You can even add a graphical representation of all your milestones or something like this:

While it’s wise to represent your brand’s history with the audience’s interests in mind, don’t hesitate to add some charming, awe-inspiring, or human moments of cheer or sadness. This will make your story more compelling.

Most importantly, try to establish your motivation, your journey, and your success.

State your mission and core values

Many companies (like us) start precisely here, as this is the most fundamental cornerstone of any brand. The mission is the driving force behind any endeavor, strategy, or campaign. So, naturally, it stands to reason to be up and front. However, you can also start with your history if you want to give some context of how you got to find your mission and establish your core values. Regardless, the brand mission and core values are integral to your About page.

The mission is what gives extra value to your product. Often, especially when it comes to food, apparel, and luxury items, people identify with the brand because they seek something more than the product. They seek a society, fan club, or movement somewhere they belong. BMW is a prime example, with its customers ready to pay any additional price as long as they get to be in the BMW club.

So, when writing your mission and core values, try to identify with your target audience so it will reflect and recognize your mission as their own. Tesla is an excellent example of this trend, with their short but clear mission “Accelerating the World’s transition to Sustainable energy.”

This works on multiple levels. Firstly, it’s a great mission that has millions of supporters worldwide. Moreover, it incorporates their unique selling proposition.

State your successes

Always celebrate your victories and be sure everyone knows about them. Your awards and successes should be everywhere, but especially on your About page. Whenever you receive an award, a nomination, or just a positive mention in the media, make sure to share it on your About page. This will project authority and dramatically increase your credibility.

Don’t waste too much space on the awards here, though, as they will also be present on your Homepage. Either mention how many awards you’ve received over the years or highlight them with a badge or picture from the award ceremony.

Showcase your product or service.

The main point of your About page is to present your product or service in the context of why you started producing/doing it. The main focus should be the solution you offer. People often overthink this point as they try to write something way more complicated than it needs to be. All you need to do is represent your product or service, what it does, and what motivated you to go into business making precisely this.

When it comes to services, most often, it’s the lack of good enough services in the area where you started. Being honest here is both a good and a bad idea. It’s good because you must be genuine about what you are trying to achieve by entering this industry precisely. It’s bad because if you only state the money as your driving motive, you’d most probably lose a lot of customers. So, try to figure out why you chose this market without sounding like Scrooge McDuck.

State your limitations

No matter if you offer products or services, there are limitations to your abilities. Whenever you start a business, you know you can’t help everyone. You have a specific target audience in mind, and they should be your priority. More importantly, if you manage to weed out those whom you can’t help, it will save you a lot of effort and time.

So, make sure to state the limitations of your product or service on your About page. For example, if you operate only in the US and Canada, make sure to mention it specifically. Most services are local, so why bother answering questions from people who are 3000 miles away with no prospect of becoming your customers?
Also, if you don’t do specific jobs within the same industry, make sure to mention those specifically. For example, if you repair cars but can’t repair EVs, be sure to specify this on your About page.

Talk about whom you serve

Next on the agenda is whom you are targeting. In general, this is a statement that showcases the groups of people you’d like to have within your inner circle. Naturally, this can’t be blatantly stated, as people, of course, don’t like to be referred to as targets. So, try to be a bit more subtle about it. The Museum of Modern Art is a great example.

They clearly identify the traits they are looking for in a customer. The targeting is quite good, as it obviously describes more liberal-leaning individuals, as they are most often the patrons of modern and contemporary arts.

Pitch your unique selling proposition

The last two points will naturally lead you here – the unique selling proposition. This is what will separate you from the bench and either win or lose a prospective customer. Usually, any product or service caters to a specific need.

Naturally, there are many solutions to the same problem, so your job is to advocate yours as the best. In our case, this is quite obvious. Before we started our business, we were frustrated by several problems with the hosting industry, like cancellation fees, charges for every little additional help, no uptime guarantees, and no testing periods. Naturally, when we created our business, we set out to address all these problems, so now our unique proposition is closely related to the solution to all these problems.

Let your teammates take the spotlight

Showcasing your team is essential for boosting your credibility and giving your brand a face. By giving your audience a chance to look behind the mask, you show them that you have nothing to hide. Moreover, you stand with your face and name to prove that you are there to take responsibility for every action of your company. This is nothing short of a power move that will make you much more trustworthy.

So, pay for a photo session of your core team or at least the management and make identical branded photos. After that, write each person’s job and qualifications so your customers would know they are in good, capable, and professional hands.

Contact Information

Adding a physical address, a telephone number, and an e-mail will significantly benefit your credibility. Most customers feel safer dealing with businesses that can be reached physically. Moreover, this can help you find new customers close to your location.

If you are reluctant to give your physical address (if you are a freelancer and work from home, for example), you can leave your phone or add a meeting link where people can schedule an online call with you without too much hassle. The main point is to give your audience as many contacts as possible. So, naturally, including all your social media icons here is a must.

CTA

Finally, don’t forget that your About page is just a step in the overall customer journey. So, to further your story, you need to redirect the audience to another page. The CTA can lead to a bunch of places – the blog, the homepage, product pages, social media accounts, or even an invite for subscription or download a brochure or eBook.

This will depend on how far along the customer journey your About page is positioned. If it’s toward the end, the product page is the obvious choice. The homepage is a better solution if the About page is at the very start or an entry point. Regardless, a CTA is a must.

The About page is a small piece of the puzzle

Yes, the About page is just a pebble in your overall digital marketing strategy. Yet, it depends on your efforts if this pebble will be an obstacle or an integral part of your customer journey. Following these best practices, you can build one astounding About page that will manage to build up your credibility, humanize your brand, give your products or services additional value, separate you from the pack, boost your SEO, and help you bring in more leads.

However, a stellar About page won’t do anything if users are unable to see it. Poor loading time, security issues, and problems with the server can be detrimental to your efforts. So, your first step, before you start thinking about your About page, is to get a HostArmada hosting service. We offer lightning-fast speed, top-notch security, and impeccable reliability with 99.9% guaranteed uptime. So, check out our plans and choose the one that best suits your needs. Don’t let your gorgeous About Us page fall into oblivion because of someone else’s poor infrastructure. Come to the best to receive the best.

The post How to build a stellar About page appeared first on HostArmada Blog.

Fortunately, there is one truly effortless way to achieve your goal, and it’s called a child theme. This powerful tool will allow you to explore your theme’s potential, add new functionalities, update, and even change the design without your new look going online prematurely. But why would you need a child theme? Can’t you just change the regular theme and reverse it if there is a problem? Well, you can, but that’s definitely not optimal, and you will waste a lot of time, harm your stats, and, worst of all, damage your SEO. So, while a child theme is not a necessity per se, it’s a pretty handy tool if you want to touch the building blocks of your WordPress theme.

But before we get to the scenario where you will need a child theme, let’s first address the elephant in the room.

What Is a Parent, And What Is a Child Theme?

Using WordPress gives you immense advantages. One of the biggest pluses of using the CMS King is the countless themes you can choose as the basis of your design. These are professionally made website templates that can fit any niche and need. Most often, they are enough to create and operate a fully functioning website.

When you want to make additional changes to the theme but you want to keep the original code intact, WordPress gives you a solution. Using a child theme, you can change anything without risking your original template.

A child theme, as defined by the WordPress Codex, is a theme that “inherits the functionality and styling of another theme, the so-called parent theme.” But what exactly are parent and child themes, and why should you consider using them?

Parent Theme

The parent theme is the foundation of any WordPress website. Whether you have an e-commerce website, an online business card, a one-pager, or anything in between on WordPress, you have a theme that encapsulates all essential files, styles, and functions needed for your website to have any structure or design. Naturally, it can operate as a stand-alone theme, and it doesn’t need a child theme. This theme is the building block of your website, as it lays down all its essentials. As a result, most people don’t even go any further than the parent theme, as it often offers everything you may need to have a fully functional website.

Child Theme

On the other hand, the child theme is an overlay of the parent theme. It mimics its functionalities, customization, and layout while allowing you to tweak them. This gives you the opportunity to play around with styles, functions, and elements without the fear of losing your customization.

As you might have guessed, a child theme needs a parent one to function, as it doesn’t have any styles and functions on its own. It only copies those of the parent, as they inherit part of their files, including styles and template structures. Thus, how good your child’s theme is will depend on your chosen parent theme.

For example, if your parent theme lacks some cornerstone functionalities that your website needs, the child theme will lack them as well. So be mindful when browsing in the WordPress theme library and pick a template that aligns with your vision and needs. This way, the child theme will have a strong foundation, and you won’t have to develop it from the bottom.

The beauty of child themes lies in their ability to safeguard your customizations. Child themes ensure that your design and code modifications remain intact when the parent theme receives updates. This separation of concerns is crucial for website stability and long-term maintenance.

Child themes are a developer’s best practice when it comes to adding extra features or styles to a WordPress theme. They should never directly edit core WordPress, plugin, or theme files except for starter themes specially designed for theme developers.

Why Use a Child Theme?

Using a child theme is more than a mere recommendation. It’s a necessity for developers who want to enhance the website’s performance but keep its customization intact. Using a child theme is the most efficient way to work on your website without compromising its security and continuity.

In fact, security is the most compelling argument for using a child theme. Whenever you update your website, there is the risk of something going wrong. You are compromising your website’s security or simply losing your customizations. The child theme acts as a protective layer, allowing you to modify the appearance, functionalities, and templates without altering the parent theme. This practice ensures that any changes you make to the child theme remain intact, shielding you from the hassle of re-implementing customizations after each parent theme update.

Furthermore, a child theme allows you to incorporate additional functionalities and templates that the parent theme lacks. This is invaluable if you want to enhance the usability of your website. It will enable you to add new features, modify existing ones, and create unique templates that align with your specific requirements.

Using a child theme is practically mandatory if you frequently change your website’s CSS. If you make these changes on the parent theme, they will most probably be erased by the next update. The child theme will house your CSS modifications so that they will be sheltered from the update.

The uses of a child theme are plenty, as are its advantages.

Advantages of Using Child Theme

Child themes are a godsend for anyone wanting to go further in their WordPress website development. Naturally, this tool has some enormous advantages.

Fallback Safety

The child theme is practically a safety net. Well, not exactly, as the parent theme is the safety net, while the child theme is the acrobat doing triple axles on a tiny rope 200 feet above the ground. Yes, altering your website is not as dangerous to your health, but make a mistake and see your adrenaline rushing as if a bear is chasing you. In this sense, the parent theme offers a quick fix to any problem that may occur during your attempts to enhance your website’s functionalities.

When creating a new functionality, you must consider various scenarios and have a code to respond to every eventuality. Still, the parent theme will step in if you have overlooked anything. Its core functionalities will take over, saving your website from disruptions.

Customization Without Risk

The same goes for any customization you may want to do on your website. For example, if your brand grows, you might consider changing your typography with a unique style that’s brandable and recognizable. This is standard practice for big brands, so following their steps is a great idea.

When changing your typography, it’s advisable not to touch the main files and codes. There are many reasons for this, but mainly, any update can erase your customization and bring you back to square one. So, by using a child theme, any changes you make are safely stored within the child theme, ensuring that your customizations are preserved even when the parent theme is updated.

Safe Updates

Speaking of updates, one of the primary advantages of using a child theme is that it allows you to apply updates to the parent theme without fear of overwriting your customizations. When a new parent theme version becomes available, you can confidently update it, knowing that all your design and functionality modifications are securely preserved within the child theme. On the other hand, you can’t just ignore updates, as they often deal with security issues, breaches, and bugs. Thus, leaving your parent theme without updating is a security risk. In other words, updates are inevitable, but erasing your customization is definitely avoidable.

Offers Flexibility

Using a child template is not only about preserving your customization and functionalities during updates but also about developing them easier. The child theme is often much more flexible than the parent theme. This means you can extend the theme functionalities without necessarily writing pages of code in the process. You can selectively modify template files and functions to cater to your specific needs, effectively customizing your website without delving into complex coding.

Ideal For Beginners

Child themes are the perfect training ground for aspiring web developers or DIY website owners, who prefer to do it on their own. If you are new to WordPress theme development, a child theme can save you a lot of time while simplifying the learning process immensely. Child themes typically consist of just two files – style.css and functions.php – making them more manageable and less overwhelming for beginners. Additionally, the reduced number of files in a child theme simplifies the debugging process, allowing developers to pinpoint and address issues with greater ease.

Disadvantages of Using Child Theme

While using a child theme is a blessing in almost any case, that doesn’t mean it has no downsides. So, consider the following disadvantages carefully before going for a child theme.

Steep Learning Curve

Probably the most significant disadvantage of a child theme is the learning curve. You can’t just hop on in and start changing. You need to invest some time learning the ins and outs of how to operate and program your child theme. Moreover, you need to have some, albeit basic, programming knowledge as you will change your website’s codes.

Furthermore, you must learn the ins and outs of your parent theme. This learning curve can slow down your development process, particularly if you’re new to WordPress theme development. Still, when you do end up learning what the parent theme is capable of, it becomes much easier.

Dependance on Parent Theme

Being dependent on a third party to have your website functioning is a hassle. Especially if you want to make modifications, unfortunately, child themes are extremely reliant on parent themes, meaning they can’t exist without the parent. So, for example, if you want to create a photography portfolio using a theme but you also want to add your signature style and typography to your website, you will install a child theme to a specific photography theme. But, if the theme owner discontinues the theme, all your work will be for nothing. You can’t just continue to use abandoned themes, as this poses a significant security risk to you and your customers. Thus, you must start from the bottom and build your child theme anew with a new parent theme.

So, to avoid this, you must consider only reliable themes from respected sources. This way, you will ensure that your child’s theme modifications will be for the long run.

Limited Scope of Changes

Child themes are primarily designed for making small to medium alterations to an existing theme. If you intend to perform a complete overhaul of your website’s design or introduce complex new functionality that goes beyond the boundaries of your existing WordPress theme, child themes might not be the ideal solution. In such cases, opting for a custom theme developed from scratch to align with your unique requirements would be a more suitable approach.

Slowing Down Your Website

Though not mandatory, this issue occurs if you go on and make extensive customizations on your child theme. When you customize, browsers are forced to load an additional file. Depending on how big the file is, your website speed may suffer.

To avoid this, you must find a suitable parent theme and only do minor customizations on your child theme. This way, your additional files will be significantly lighter.

Parent Theme Limitations

Not all parent themes are designed to be used with child themes. Attempting to create a child theme for a parent theme not well-suited for this purpose can result in breaking the parent theme and rendering it unusable. Careful consideration of the parent theme’s compatibility with child themes is essential before proceeding with customization.

Regardless of these downsides, using a child theme is more than a recommendation. It’s a standard for many WordPress developers. But this begs the question: if you’re not a developer, do you really need a child theme?

Do You Need a Child Theme on Your WordPress?

The answer to this question is somewhat inclusive. Not everyone needs a child theme, especially if they are happy with the parent theme’s functionalities and design. So, when do you need a child theme?

When Do You Need a Child Theme?

Well, first and foremost, you need one if you want to make changes to the general code of your website and you don’t want to lose it when your parent theme updates. However, you must have some CSS and PHP coding skills or at least work with someone who does.

Moreover, a child theme is a sensible choice for substantial projects that involve adding extra features, functions, or custom code to the parent theme. It provides a structured environment for managing and organizing your customizations.

Furthermore, if you are a developer trying to streamline your work while creating quality themes, you will need a child theme. This can significantly reduce your development time and enhance productivity.

Finally, if you make frequent modifications to your functionalities, design, or style, a child theme is a must. It will keep everything organized and prevent this customization from being overwritten.

When You Can Skip the Child Theme

However, if you lack any coding skills and you are quite happy with what you have, adding a child theme is entirely useless. Even if you want to add some minor changes, many themes nowadays offer adding custom CSS. For example, if you want to hide an element from a particular page, all you need to do is add a line of additional CSS code.

So, using a child theme is entirely up to you. But if you do want to make some more significant changes, we strongly suggest building a child theme.

How to Build a Child Theme

There are several ways to build a child theme. Plugins are the obvious choice. Still, they do come from a third-party user. So make sure the developer of the plugin is trusted, or build a child theme yourself. If you have basic coding knowledge, this is not that complicated. We created a step-by-step guide to help you build your own child theme so you can be sure no third party will have access to your code.

Still, before you even get to the child theme, you need reliable, fast, and secure hosting to support your work. HostArmada offers just that and more. So, check out our plans and enjoy lightning-fast speed, 99.9% uptime, and top-notch security. This is the easiest way to boost your traffic, user experience, and customer satisfaction.

The post What Is a WordPress Child Theme, And Should You Use One? appeared first on HostArmada Blog.

So, if you already have your mesmerizing freelancer website ready, and all you need is to attach a few of your best works, we are here to show you the Top 7 portfolio plugins for WordPress that will give you the edge over your competitors.

Why do you need a portfolio?

Before we dive deeper into the topic, let’s first address the big question: “Why do you need a portfolio?” – Well, the answer is quite simple. You need a portfolio because any client will expect one. Especially now, in the digital age, having a portfolio is a cornerstone of finding well-paying customers. Businesses won’t just give you money and trust you with their essential projects. They’ll want proof that you can do the job. Big clients can’t afford the time to wait for you, only to turn out you are incapable of providing what you offer. They won’t call your former employers and most probably won’t have the time to send you a smaller task just to test your skills. Most well-paying customers will simply want to find someone to finish their time-sensitive task with as little need for corrections as possible.

Furthermore, a portfolio will showcase what you are best at. Thus, you won’t be bothered by people who are looking for something completely different. For example, if you are offering impressionist paintings. If someone is looking for a different style, they won’t waste your time asking if you can do it. On the other hand, if you can, you should put a sample in your portfolio so the potential customer would know if your style fits their project.

So, building a portfolio should be a top priority. Naturally, there are many things to consider when searching for the right plugin to accommodate your needs.

What to look for in a WordPress portfolio plugin

Not all portfolio plugins are built the same. More importantly, not all plugins will fit your specific needs. Thus, you must consider several key points before you choose your portfolio.

First and foremost, a good WP portfolio plugin is easy to use. Most freelancers are not web developers, and those who are probably don’t need our advice on finding the best plugin. They can simply create their own. Thus, a great WordPress portfolio should have little to no learning curve and a user interface that can be effortlessly navigated. This includes easy embedding and having some premade templates to avoid building portfolios from scratch.

On the other hand, the plugins should allow more freedom in the creative department. This means the plugins should be easily customizable. Being able to add a bit of glamor, like animations, is good to have but definitely not essential. On the other hand, the portfolio it creates must be highly responsive and look equally good on PC and mobile.

Finally, the portfolio should be fast-loading, as no one will spend their afternoon waiting for your work to come to the screen. Decision-makers often have little time and a lot of options. It’d be wise to accommodate that specifically, especially if you are in a competitive market.

Now that we know what we are looking for let’s get down to business and review the top 7 best portfolio plugins for Freelancers.

1. WP Portfolio

WP Portfolio is the go-to portfolio for a vast number of freelance visual artists, web designers, and photographers. Its vast array of features, though, can fulfill almost any freelancer’s needs.

The plugin offers over 48 ready-to-use templates segmented by profession. Thus, even the most clueless freelancer can find a gorgeous solution for his portfolio within seconds. If you desire a customized design, WP Portfolio allows users to build a portfolio that perfectly matches their branding and website style.

Moreover, the easy shortcodes simplify the entire process of embedding the portfolio in your website.

The infinite scroll feature keeps visitors engaged, encouraging them to explore more of a freelancer’s work effortlessly. It enhances user experience and increases the chances of potential clients discovering their talent.

But most importantly, WP Portfolio is compatible with the most popular page builders like Elementor and Visual Composer, thus allowing you to build your website on whatever feels most comfortable for you.

Naturally, there is a downside. The plugin is paid only. Thus, if you have a tight budget, you won’t be able to benefit from its amazing features. Still, the prices are not too steep, with an annual fee of less than 50 dollars.

So, if you are ready to spend this amount, definitely consider whether the WP Plugin will work for your needs.

2. Visual Portfolio

If you want to enhance your online presence significantly with a gorgeous portfolio, look no further than Visual Portfolio. This plugin is exceptional in presenting your work in a visually stunning manner. Naturally, photographers, videographers, and artists are its most frequent users.

The Visual Portfolio offers several layout options, each answering a specific need. Regardless of your choice, you can customize it even further to make it your own.

Visual Portfolio’s advantages extend beyond aesthetics. It includes photography-centric features like image theft protection and client photo proofing, which are invaluable for professionals in visual fields.

Furthermore, the plugin has a free version, albeit slightly cut. Some of its more advanced features are reserved for premium users. But even if you decide to invest in this astounding portfolio plugin, you will pay less than $50 a year. This way, you will be able to benefit from its social media integration, image filters, and many more features enhancing the general user experience.

The only downside of the plugin, apart from the limited features in the free version, is the sheer number of customization options. This can be a bit overwhelming to beginners.

Still, Visual Portfolio is a perfect choice for photographers, videographers, and anyone who wants to protect their images from getting stolen.

3. NextGEN Gallery

As the name suggests, this portfolio is based on a gallery. Naturally, it would be perfect for photographers and visual artists, but it works surprisingly well with portfolios in other fields as well. Since its introduction in 2007, NextGen Gallery has been the standard, and all other plugins are following.

The best part about this plugin is that its free version offers everything you need to build one stunning portfolio. It allows bulk image uploads, metadata imports, and some simple gallery customizations. You can choose from three gallery styles and two album styles. Still, that’s quite enough if you are just starting out looking for a portfolio.

The premium version is where NextGen Gallery truly shines. Freelancers can benefit from features like gallery extensions for selling images directly from their WordPress site. It also offers access to a wide range of gallery styles, photo proofing, lightroom integration, deep linking, and more. But that’s not all. The plugin includes social sharing through Pro Lightbox and compatibility with secure payment methods like credit or debit cards and PayPal. This makes it more than a mere portfolio. It elevates it to a genuine marketplace for your photos.

Of course, these benefits come at a substantially higher price than the average. Moreover, if you are just starting, the premium version and its features will be very overwhelming. So take your time to learn how they work before you jump straight into the deep.

4. Essential Grid

Essential Grid is a fantastic general-purpose portfolio plugin. Its strengths lie in its ability to create grid-style galleries, making it an ideal choice for freelancers all across the market. Freelancers can use Essential Grid’s phenomenal gallery construction ability while at the same time having the flexibility to link projects and services effortlessly. One standout feature of Essential Grid is its compatibility with various WordPress plugins, simplifying the process of importing existing galleries, thus saving valuable time.

One of its best features is the visual skin editor. It allows users to preview their page before publishing, thus reducing the stress of adding or changing the portfolio on a life website. Furthermore, the 40 customizable templates offer ample design options. So, even if you have absolutely no vision of how your portfolio should look, Essential Grid has you covered.

Essential Grid’s seamless integration with some of the most popular social media and platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Vimeo allows users to enhance their portfolio’s reach and use already published resources with a click of a button.

However, Essential Grid is a premium plugin, meaning there are no freebies when using it. While the pricing is extremely reasonable, this may be a drawback for freelancers who start their endeavor as a side gig and are not ready to invest in plugins.

Still, if you are serious about building a freelance business, Essential Grid is definitely worth checking out. Especially if you’re not a photographer or a visual artist. As you’ve already seen, most plugins cater precisely to their needs.

5. Envira Gallery

Elegance and simplicity. That’s what Envira Gallery is all about. If you are looking for a clean and straightforward way to represent your work, this plugin is definitely for you.

What sets Envira apart from other similar plugins is the extremely user-friendly interface. The drag-and-drop builder enables even complete beginners to build unique galleries for their work. If you don’t have a vision, though, worry not. Envira offers a range of pre-built templates to choose from. Just find the right one in the library, and you are ready to go.

Moreover, Envira Gallery integrates seamlessly with the WordPress block editor, making it a breeze for freelancers to embed their portfolios within their websites. The plugin also supports social media integration, which allows users to showcase their portfolios even more broadly without adding extra steps.

For those looking to monetize their portfolio, Envira Gallery offers WooCommerce support, streamlining the process of selling creative products online. Additionally, image-proofing enhances the user experience, particularly for visual artists seeking feedback on their work.

Unfortunately, if you want access to all these features, you will have to pay. The lite version is quite enough for a mere portfolio, but you will need a premium account to enhance it to a marketplace.

Another downside of Envira Gallery is its relatively small number of customization options compared to other plugins on the market. Of course, this makes it extremely easy to use, especially for beginners. Still, if you want your portfolio to look unique and exquisite, Envira won’t suffice. However, don’t be quick to discard this option, especially if you are just starting your journey.

6. Go Portfolio

When it comes to beauty and style, there is no better option than Go Portfolio. Its outstanding aesthetics make it a prime choice for all creative professionals who want to stand out and add flair to their portfolios.

One of Go Portfolio’s standout features is its ability to support various content types, from standard posts to custom post types, WooCommerce products, and multimedia content like videos. This flexibility ensures that freelancers can curate diverse portfolios tailored to their specific needs. It’s genuinely outstanding when it comes to customization options. It offers four default styles with unlimited color skins and the flexibility to adjust the column numbers. This allows even newbie freelancers to maintain their branding style and make their portfolio an integral part of their website rather than an add-on.

Moreover, Go Portfolio’s commitment to SEO optimization and full responsiveness ensures that portfolios look stunning and help freelancers expand their reach.

Unfortunately, for those on a tight budget, this aesthetic masterpiece is only premium. Moreover, while it does offer some substantial customization options, beginners may find them overwhelming and complicated as they have a slight learning curve if you want to master them.

Regardless, Go Portfolio is THE choice if you are looking for a visually stunning portfolio above all else.

7. GridKit Portfolio Gallery

Source: WPSofts

GridKit is another multi-purpose portfolio plugin that essentially allows freelancers across the entire market to have a visually stunning portfolio. Its strength lies in its versatility. It offers several gorgeous layout options combined with over 100 animations and styling options. This will allow you to build not just a visually stunning portfolio but an interactive one to separate you from the pack.

For e-commerce freelancers, Grid Kit Portfolio Gallery can be used to showcase not only their work but also team members and products. This feature is particularly valuable for those who want to integrate an online store into their portfolio website.

The plugin’s responsive design ensures that portfolios adapt seamlessly to different devices, providing an optimal viewing experience for visitors. Additionally, its support for WordPress shortcodes simplifies the process of embedding portfolios on websites.

The only drawback of this plugin is its free version. The non-premium version of the plugin is below average when it comes to functionalities. Many of the essential features are reserved for the premium version. Thus, if you decide to use this option, you must be prepared to pay the premium fee. Luckily, it’s below the average, so it won’t be such a burden on your budget.

Grid Kit Portfolio Gallery is a valuable tool for freelancers seeking to create visually stunning and interactive portfolios.

Choose wisely

Before you choose your portfolio plugin, do your research. Have a clear vision of what you need, and don’t hesitate to try out several free versions before paying for a premium one. Regardless of your choice, however, you will need a premium hosting service. HostArmada is just that. We are one of the best hosting providers on the market. We pride ourselves on our lightning-fast load speed, tight security, and unquestionable reliability. So, take a look at our plans, and if you need any help with selecting the right one, contact our team. We will happily assist you. Before you get to choose your plugin, your success depends on selecting the right hosting provider.

The post Top 7 Portfolio Plugins for WordPress appeared first on HostArmada Blog.

Of course, big brands also have an advantage on the Internet, as their higher budgets allow them to create stunning customized websites that attract users with their interactivity and design. Fortunately, WordPress has leveled this playing field with its easily customizable and gorgeous themes. Not all themes are created equal, though. Some are built to support freelance portfolios, while others to complement business websites. Thus, today, we will focus only on those themes that eCommerce users can utilize to boost their sales. But before we get to the ten best options, let’s first answer the big questions.

Why do you need an eCommerce-ready WordPress Theme?

Since WordPress is the most popular solution for building websites right now, there are hundreds of thousands of visual themes out there. However, not all are ready to take on your eCommerce website since not all are capable of providing all the tools, features, and enhancements your online store will need. So, If you want to build a great eCommerce website, it’s best to use a visual theme that was created specifically for this exact purpose.

Let’s briefly review the other possible scenario – using a standard WordPress theme. Typically, WordPress themes that are not designated as suitable for certain use cases (like eCommerce, Blogging, News, etc.) do not provide specific design elements or functional components that will enhance the particular use case. For example, using a simple Blogging theme for your eCommerce website will not enhance the design of the page where the product can be reviewed in detail. Or, using an eCommerce theme for your Blogging website might end up adding several additional plugins that you do not need. That might potentially slow down the loading speed of your blog.

How do you pick the best theme?

Picking the best theme is not that complicated. In general, you need to have several key features in mind.

• Attractive Design – The theme should correspond with the needs of your industry. For example, if you offer a single product, a design highlighting more than one product on the home page would not suffice your needs.
• Resonance with your target audience – Do your research, check your competitors, and determine what visual or functional components your website should have to accommodate your audience.
• Responsiveness – This is now the norm, so finding any theme that’s not mobile-friendly and responsive would be quite surprising. Still, before you go ahead and choose your template, make sure it is up to the current standards.
• Additional mandatory components – Compatibility with payment gateways, social media integration, and inventory management tools are essential. While extended features like sliders, widgets, and translation readiness can save time and add value for your visitors, it’s crucial not to overload your website with too many add-ons or plugins, as this can impact speed negatively.
• Maintenance – By this, we mean the theme should have regular updates to be reliable, safe, and compatible with the newest WordPress versions. You don’t want a theme that will become outdated in a few months.

Now that you have a general idea of what to look for let’s get to our picks for the ten best WordPress themes that will help you boost your sales and website traffic.

1. Astra

When it comes to top-quality eCommerce WordPress templates, one can hardly do better than Astra. This theme has gained immense popularity and boasts numbers that other WP themes can only dream of. Its exceptional speed and clean design put it at the forefront whenever someone’s looking for a simple yet sophisticated-looking website. With 2.4 million downloads and a remarkable 5,600 five-star reviews, Astra can definitely brag about its numbers.

One of the key features of Astra is its speed. In a world where 2 seconds is the norm for a page to load, Astra delivers a high-speed solution thanks to its minimalistic design. This ensures a magnificent customer shopping experience and a low bounce rate, improving your search engine standings.

Another benefit of this theme is its compatibility with the most used page builders, such as Elementor, Visual Composer, and Beaver Builder. Moreover, it already has more than 240 ready-for-use templates, making building your first website as easy as clicking on a few buttons.

Most importantly, Astra seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce and offers specific templates for online stores in different industries. The theme’s compatibility with WooCommerce ensures that your store is equipped with the essential tools for managing inventory, processing payments, and engaging customers effectively.

To top it all off, Astra is quite flexible due to supporting self-hosted Google fonts. This allows the website owner to maintain their unique brand identity. It’s no wonder more than 2.3 million active websites use Astra. It’s simply the best.

2. OceanWP

OceanWP is a formidable contender to Astra’s eCommerce WordPress Theme dominance. The theme offers a multitude of features and has an impressive track record of being reliable and easy to use. This is enough to capture the hearts of many WP web designers, especially those sick of using Astra as the go-to theme.

OceanWP is unmatched when it comes to speed and performance. The theme is built for efficiency and loads lightning-fast. This is crucial when operating an online store, as customers rarely stick around for more than 3 seconds. Naturally, the fast load speed not only increases customer satisfaction but also plays a crucial role in your SEO efforts.

Like all other themes on our list, OceanWP is mobile-friendly and responsive, making sure your online store will look just as mesmerizing on a small screen as it will on a big one.

Like Astra, it seamlessly integrates with page builders like Elementor, Visual Composer, and Beaver Builder, giving website owners the power to create unique landing pages.

Additionally, OceanWP offers a host of native eCommerce features, such as a cart pop-up, floating add-to-cart bar, and product quick view displays. These features enhance the shopping experience and boost conversions, making it an excellent choice for online retailers.

OceanWP’s user-friendly approach extends to its live customizer, where users can easily tweak header styles, backgrounds, colors, navigation menus, and more to align with their brand identity. The theme also provides built-in templates for creating custom landing pages, simplifying the process of crafting unique content. With a stellar rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars on WordPress.org based on 5,305 reviews, OceanWP has garnered widespread acclaim for its performance, versatility, and user-friendly features. Unsurprisingly, more than 6.6 million websites use it to build their stores.

3. Divi

Divi is the brainchild of the renowned independent WordPress theme store Elegant Themes, and it is definitely worth checking out. Its versatility and powerful design make it an excellent choice for many online stores.

Divi wouldn’t be so successful if it weren’t for its seamless integration with WooCommerce. With over 25 dedicated WooCommerce modules and 20+ online shop-focused layout packs, Divi empowers users to effortlessly create stunning and dynamic product pages. The Divi Builder is renowned for its efficiency. However, it does have a slight learning curve despite the relatively simple drag-and-drop editor. Naturally, it does not support other popular builders like Elementor or Beaver Builder, so if those are the ones you are comfortable working with, Divi won’t do you any good.

On the other hand, Divi allows users to design their own cart and checkout page with utmost precision. This is crucial for branding and creating a flawless customer journey. Moreover, the building process is made even easier thanks to over 200 design modules. They can help website owners with zero development knowledge create truly stunning eCommerce pages.

The best feature Divi offers, however, is the Divi Marketplace, where one can further enhance their theme’s capabilities with third-party modules, templates, and layouts. This allows website owners to build a tightly niched-website.

On the downside, Divi is not free like most other themes here. Still, with 4.8 out of 5 stars, Divi has earned accolades for its user-friendly interface and powerful design capabilities. Users consistently praise Divi for its WYSIWYG editor, support for multiple languages, animations, and bulk editing features. So, if you are in a tighter industry niche, giving Divi a chance might be the best choice.

4. Flatsome

Flatsome has rightfully earned its reputation as the best eCommerce WordPress theme, standing out as a versatile and feature-rich choice for online businesses. With a plethora of benefits, it’s no wonder this theme has garnered a devoted following.

One of its most renowned benefits is the extensive customization options. The theme comes with the powerful UX Builder. This user-friendly, drag-and-drop page builder boasting over 30 content, nine shopping, and five layout elements allows users to get creative with their designs even when they have little to no web designer skills.

Moreover, Flatsome offers a treasure trove of pre-designed layouts, sections, and elements. This allows owners to make one truly spectacular online store. But more importantly, it allows them to meet their industry standards when it comes to design. This flexibility is paramount for more obscure industries with specific designer requirements.

Still, Flatsome has its drawbacks. The biggest one is its learning curve. Some beginners will feel intimidated by Flatsome’s customization options. Moreover, it has no free plan, so if you are just starting and you are not in a very specific niche that requires high customization, Flatsome will probably be a bit too intimidating for you.

Still, with its capabilities and vast customization options, Flatsome is definitely among our favorites despite its drawbacks.

5. StoreFront

Being the WooCommerce official theme should be enough to make our point about why StoreFront deserves a spot on this list. But there is so much more.

First and foremost, StoreFront integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce and all its products. This is a goldmine for anyone using the most popular WordPress plugin for their eCommerce website. As the official WooCommerce theme, it ensures that your online store operates effortlessly with the WooCommerce core, offering a harmonious eCommerce experience.

Moreover, StoreFront is entirely free, making it perfect for new businesses with limited budgets. Designed to be lightweight and accessible, the theme provides countless customization options. Altering the online store’s design, functionalities, and feel is effortless, making it perfect for website owners without coding knowledge. Moreover, the platform uses standard coding practices, which helps you enhance your SEO performance. This ensures a solid foundation for your search engine optimization efforts.

Despite all of this, StoreFront still has some limitations regarding customization. Users seeking highly specific and unique design elements may find themselves wanting some more flexibility in their customization options. Furthermore, the clean and straightforward design may look good, but from a branding standpoint, it’s a bit tricky, as some more flamboyant brands may find themselves stuck with a boring and sterile online store.

Still, StoreFront is a perfect choice for beginners who want to spring into action as quickly as possible.

6. Hestia

With over 3.7 million downloads and an impressive 96% rating based on 531 reviews in the WordPress Theme Directory, Hestia is truly a force to be reckoned with. Arguably, its greatest strength is its versatility. It integrates seamlessly with popular page builders and offers an array of customization options. Users benefit from unlimited color choices, multiple layouts, a highly adaptable header, social media integration, and numerous navigation menu possibilities. These features give website owners immense control over their website’s look and feel. Best of all – Hestia is entirely free.

Moreover, Hestia is renowned for its parallax slider, one-page design, and outstanding support. This theme is simply exceptional for one-product stores that want to create a customer journey from the homepage to the gateway.

Best of all, Hestia integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, page builders, sliders, and video headers. With its real-time customization and settings for product styling, many consider Hestia the best eCommerce theme. However, if you want to hop on that bandwagon, you must consider some of the theme’s drawbacks.

For starters, Hestia needs a variety of additional plugins for advanced eCommerce functionalities. This poses a considerable security risk. Still, if you are after a simple online store, Hestia is an outstanding choice on par with Astra and OceanWP.

7. TheGem

If you are looking for a theme that can give you vast creative power, look no further than TheGem. Its versatility and modern, innovative design make it an attractive choice for those looking to build a professional website with a creative edge.

With over 100 pre-made websites and 400+ multipurpose demos, users can access an extensive array of templates that focus on UX trends and incorporate impressive animation effects. Additionally, TheGem Blocks, a free plugin bundled with the theme, offers over 300 available page section templates, allowing users to mix and match their favorite sections and customize the look and content effortlessly.

Thanks to features like video parallax sections, which seamlessly integrate videos from YouTube and Vimeo, TheGem creates one genuinely inspiring shopping experience.

Moreover, TheGem has received positive reviews for its design, customizability, and excellent support, making it a well-rounded choice for online retailers. It supports popular drag-and-drop website builders like Visual Composer and Elementor, allowing users to create layouts that match their preferences and needs. The theme’s beautiful storefront design with rollover effects and lightweight nature further add to its appeal.

Still, despite these immense benefits, TheGem has its downsides. The price is one of them. If you are a newcomer on the market, you probably wouldn’t be able to afford TheGem. Moreover, all of these features make the theme a bit clunky. To top it all off, users may need additional third-party plugins to extend their eCommerce potential.

Regardless, if you have the money and you are after a creative solution for your online store, TheGem is probably your best bet.

8. Botiga

Botiga may not be among the most famous themes out there, but it definitely deserves its spot on this list. With its beautiful, minimal, and modern looks, it’s a genuine masterpiece of web design.

Botiga’s main benefit is its clean, SEO-friendly code, which contributes to the website’s outreach. Naturally, the load times of this theme are extremely good, which immensely enhances the user experience. But where Botiga truly shines is its customization. The theme allows users to fully tailor category layouts without the need for additional plugins. The premium version offers valuable additions like wishlists, one-step checkout, and product swatches.

Its compatibility with Gutenberg and Elementor further enhances the creative possibilities and ensures a smooth website-building experience.

Still, Botiga has some drawbacks. Though the free version is quite useful, you need to unlock the pro version to utilize the theme’s full potential. This, however, will cost you significantly above the average for such themes. So, if you are on a tight budget yet need enhanced eCommerce options, Botiga won’t suffice. Moreover, the straightforward design of Botiga is definitely not for the more flamboyant websites, so be mindful of what your industry expects of your website before you pay the hefty price for Botiga’s pro-version.

Regardless, the theme’s minimalist design and deep WooCommerce integration make this theme a perfect choice for those looking for a straightforward yet modern and stylish online store.

9. Zakra

Many would argue that Zakra has no place in a list like this. Still, considering the benefits and the fact that it’s among the rare themes with perfect scores, one can easily argue that Zakra is truly a hidden gem.

One of the key strengths of Zakra is its impressive performance. With over 50,000 downloads and a perfect rating of 5/5 based on 559 reviews, it has gained admiration within the eCommerce community. This lightweight theme integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, focusing on speed and delivering an excellent shopping experience. That’s more than enough for any beginner who just wants to spring into action.

Moreover, Zakra offers over 50 pre-built design demos, providing users with a vast collection of free theme options. This versatility allows for easy customization and adaptation to various types of online stores.

Of course, Zakra has its limitations. For example, some more advanced customization options, especially the mobile menu layout designs, are only available in the premium version. Still, if you have the spare funds, Zakra will give you more than enough to build one genuinely stunning online store.

10. Shopkeeper

Finally, we have Shopkeeper, undoubtedly one of the premier eCommerce WordPress themes. It boasts a plethora of benefits that establish it as a prime choice for online retailers.

One of Shopkeeper’s standout features is its beginner-friendly nature. With a quick and straightforward setup process and an extensive library of demo content that is automatically imported, users can kickstart their WooCommerce store without delay. Furthermore, the built-in Catalog Mode is a valuable addition, allowing the temporary suspension of orders or strategic marketing tactics like offering previews of upcoming collections.

Shopkeeper’s rich feature set includes 80+ pre-built page templates, 15 WooCommerce-specific block elements, four product page templates, and multilingual and multi-currency functionality support. The theme’s ability to cater to users seeking an efficient and hassle-free WooCommerce store setup makes it a standout choice.

However, some downsides should be considered. While Shopkeeper offers a free 6-month support period, extending it to 12 months incurs an extra fee. Additionally, while extensive, the theme’s customization options require familiarity with its settings to make the most of them. This may prove to be a difficult barrier for complete beginners to pass.

Still, Shopkeeper excels in customer satisfaction with its responsive design, seamless navigation, and stellar shopping experience. So, it’s a great choice if you envision fast growth with your business so you can allocate the funds and prolong your subscription.

So, which one’s the best?

Well, as we said earlier, it all depends on your needs. However, in general, choosing Astra or OceanWP as your initial eCommerce themes, especially if you have a tight budget and little knowledge of how to build an online store, is best. All other choices either need a substantial investment or cater to specific needs.

Regardless of your choice, for your theme to be efficient, you need one outstanding web hosting service. This is where we join in. HostArmada is the best solution if you are looking for a fast, reliable, and safe hosting service. And if you are planning on having customers 24/7 and dealing with their private data, all of these features are a must. So, check out our plans and choose the one that best fits your business plan. If you need help with choosing the right one, just contact our support team, and we will happily assist you.

The post Top 10 eCommerce WordPress Themes that will drive your sales up appeared first on HostArmada Blog.

There are various kinds of websites on the Internet, and each one has its goal. Today, we will discuss the smallest business website out there – the one-pager. Those are sometimes called business card websites. Mind you, websites are more than business cards, and usually, they must be treated like something unique rather than just an extension of your physical business card. But before we get to how you can create one outstanding online business card website, let’s first dwell on some of the FAQs.

What is a one-pager website?

The one-pager is also known as a business card website. It’s a website that fully represents a business on just a single page. No pages, no blogs, no products or services pages. It’s just a simple landing page that says all there is to know about a brand or a person.

The one-pager should work as both a home page and a sales page. Naturally, the page will host the entire customer journey, meaning you need to have outstanding content. One of the most significant advantages of such pages is the lack of complex navigation, fast and clear content, extreme mobile-friendliness, and lack of complicated designer solutions. In a sense, this type of website corresponds with how people relax. Usually, people scroll through social media. No need to click, no need to divert and get back. This makes the entire customer journey much more relaxing, and your business proposal is much less intrusive.

The best feature of a one-pager, however, is its straightforward and simplistic look. It looks professional, and it inspires trust. However, one-pagers can’t target multiple keywords effectively, as the lack of a blog prevents them from targeting long-tail keywords. Moreover, organic visits are minimal and often are the second or even the third contact with the business proposal. Most often, such one-pagers are used as a landing page for digital marketing campaigns or just as online business cards where you can send leads you find offline. So, this begs the question, who needs such a business card?

Who needs a one-pager website?

As already mentioned, one-pagers are great for anyone who needs a fast and relatively simple introduction to their business. Note that one-pagers are not at all suited to be e-commerce websites, and they are mainly lead generators.

So, if you operate a nano business, a freelance gig, or you offer a unique single product, a one-pager is perfect for your needs. For a nano business in particular, such a website can show off your portfolio, your free hours, your service, its benefits, and how one can contact you. It’s a perfect way to redirect people you meet offline to see if your services will suffice their needs.

Some small businesses or agencies also go for a single-page website, as it’s much cleaner, and their customers can find the needed information much faster.

Still, if you are going for a one-page website, make sure you can fit all relevant information inside. Plastics Unlimited is a small business that tried to utilize a one-pager when it didn’t fit their needs. The website offers too much information to be handled on a single page. As you can imagine, creating plastic is not easy, and if you want to explain it in detail, you will have to create separate pages.

A genuinely visually stunning one-pager is the Neverland agency website. Just scrolling through it makes you feel in a whole other world. Their website is a prime example of how to build a customer journey on a single page.

What sections should your website have?

Each website is unique, and how it will look depends on its goals, the product or service it offers, the audience it will accommodate, and, of course, the owner’s preferences. Still, whatever your website, adding some essential information to your one-pager is a good idea.

Hero section

First off, you need a hero section. This is the title section of your website, where you must represent your product or service thoroughly within one headline and one sub-heading. Follow the visual hierarchy of your target audience. The hero’s section must be straightforward and show your customers precisely what you offer. No need to waste their time with hints or other metaphors of your work. This would be frustrating even for end customers, let alone B2B customers, who value time over anything else.

Product (benefits) section

Next, represent your product or service. Be straightforward and point out the benefits of what you offer. This segment should underline all essential features of the product or service and should push the reader to want to learn more. This will most likely sway them to ask for a free demonstration or a sample.

About section

But before we get to the samples, you need to introduce yourself. This is where the about me (us) section comes along. Remember that this is not a separate page, so make it short and sweet. Be sure to focus on your expertise and your experience, but don’t forget to mention your story, why you love what you’re doing, and why you personally like your product or service.

Portfolio section

The next section should be your portfolio. This is essentially a sample of your work. Not all single-pagers will have a portfolio section. For example, services like cleaning or moving stuff can’t be advertised online. Moreover, if you have a product, you will want to demonstrate it personally, not over the Internet. So, if you don’t need a portfolio, you may use the space for some authority proof.

Authority proof section

Add articles or reviews of your product or service by known websites and experts. If you don’t have any, you can always pay a relevant magazine or other media to feature you, so you can build your authority proof. Here would be the place to share all your certificates, your awards, and anything issued by an authority figure regarding your business and quality. This is the digital representation of the office wall with the framed diplomas and certificates.

Social proof section

Along with the Authority proof, you must add some social proof. That includes reviews from users and adding high-profile companies as your partners. For example, if Coke Cola ordered a new bottle design from you, be sure to mention it on your website. This is where you can add some reviews from third-party websites.

FAQ

Towards the bottom of your online business card, you would want to answer all the questions that are usually asked. Make sure to research and know precisely what your audience is interested in. This is the place where you can share details on your product or service. Be sure to give examples and thoroughly explain everything people would want to know. You can start only with the fundamental questions but track what other questions your potential customers ask over time.

Moreover, the FAQ section allows you to add some long-tail keywords to your page. This way, you will enrich your keyword library and improve your SEO.

CTA

Finally, we have the end of the customer’s journey – the CTA. One-pagers rarely have a “buy” button since they most often offer services or products that can be customizable. So, more often than not, your CTA will push the customer to contact you directly with their needs. Many companies with unique products will offer free demonstrations or a free trial period rather than sell the product outright. Services can also offer free trial periods or a small work sample. In general, however, the main idea behind the one-pager CTA is a lead generation goal.

What about the header and footer

Of course, just like any other website, one-pagers also have headers and footers. Unlike multi-page websites, however, these elements are part of the customer journey, not just a branding tool.

The header must contain your logo, some contact information, and a menu. Place your phone number in the header if you prefer to conduct business over the phone rather than an email. Many customers prefer speaking to you directly rather than seeking an email.

The menu is also a bit different. It won’t lead to a new page but instead will go to a specific section within the home page.

The footer must contain the only two additional pages you must have – the terms of service and your privacy policy. These are legally required, so having them is a must. If you are a freelancer or you personally offer a service, you might want to attach a PDF with your CV. This way, if someone is interested in your experience, they can learn it without asking you specifically.

The footer should also contain a contact form, links to social media, your contact information, and an address if you have a physical location. For example, if you are a doctor or a dentist, sharing your physical location is obviously a must.

Step-by-step guide on building your business card website

Now that you have all the elements, it’s time to build your website. Naturally, this is easier said than done, but we are here to help. We created a comprehensive step-by-step guide on making your first one-pager business card website.

Step 1: Find a great hosting company

Most guides will tell you that you first must create your brand and conduct your goals. We tend to disagree. This is mainly because brands are intertwined with your domain name nowadays, and most domain names, especially the .com ones, are occupied. So, naturally, first, you’d want to find a suitable domain name, which can then become your brand name. But as you will need hosting, and most hosting companies offer domain name registration without extra fees, it’s a good idea to start by choosing your website’s host.

When it comes to hosting, you must look for a reliable, fast, and correct provider. The faster your website is, the higher the CTR and the lower the bounce rate will be.

Moreover, even though you won’t accept payments on your one-pager, you want all your data to be secured. Thus, you want to invest in a hosting company with high-end security features and a proven protection record. Finally, your website must be reliable. Imagine the image blow if you advertise yourself offline, and a potential client decides to check your website only to find an error message. This happens when your server is overloaded or out of commission.

HostArmada is the perfect  solution for your one-page business card website. Our cloud-based technology offers lightning-fast website load time, impenetrable security, and unmatched reliability. Our 99.9% uptime is not mere words. We actually will reimburse you for any downtime over 0.1%. Most importantly, we offer highly competitive prices that otherwise will bring you a lot slower and barely secure hosting service. So, if you want to make a prominent first step in creating a one-page website, then check out our plans. If you need any help deciphering what exactly you need, contact our team, and we will happily help you.

Step 2: Reserve a domain

Your next step is to find a free domain name. You can use our awesome free domain name search engine. It will show you what domains are free and which ones are already taken. Finding the right domain name for your brand is an art form. So, before you go ahead, we urge you to read our dedicated article on how to choose a brilliant domain name.

Step 3: Register your brand and business (optional)

Once you’ve registered your domain name, it’s time to register your business according to the local laws. If you already have, skip this step and go straight to number 4. Naturally, the registration rules vary depending on where you live and operate, so you need to do your homework and learn what it takes to be considered a legal business in your area. Keep in mind that most businesses are reluctant to deal with unregistered businesses. In some states or countries, registering your business may take some time, so it’s good to start the process as soon as you have your brand name. And since we are not qualified to give you legal advice on how exactly to register your business, let’s move along with the more technical steps.

Step 4:Choose a website builder platform

Choosing the right website builder platform is essential in creating a gorgeous website. We prefer using WordPress for more than one reason. Mostly, it’s effortless to use.

Moreover, WordPress is by far the biggest player in the website-building platform market and even bigger in the CMS market. Over 455 million websites, or 42.7% of the entire Internet, used WordPress to build their website. If that’s not social proof, nothing is. Moreover, WordPress has 64.3% of the global CMS market.

To sum it all up, WordPress is the best choice because everyone uses it. They have a vast library and support group when you need help, and with its plug-in-based builder, you can add almost any feature that comes to mind. Still, it’s up to you if you want to go for another builder.

Step 5: Structure your Website

As we already explained, how your website looks depends entirely on what you are offering, your website’s goal, target audience, customer journey, and personal preferences. Still, starting with a Hero Section and adding all the sections we recommend above is a good idea. If you are entirely new and don’t have a unique perspective on how to create your customer journey, we would recommend following the classical structure:

• Hero section
• Product section (benefit section)
• About section
• Portfolio section
• Authority proof section
• Social Proof section
• FAQ section
• CTA

Step 6: Build your website

Building your website can be a bit frustrating if you have no web development knowledge. Even if you use highly comprehensive and easy-to-use page builders like WP Page Builder, Gutenberg, or Elementor, you still must put the right elements in the right spot. You must choose the correct color scheme, build your visual hierarchy, and create an overall design.

So, instead, you can use a ready template from WordPress’s vast library. There are literally thousands of them, and they cover almost any niche and industry. Some of them are paid, but their price is well worth the investment.

So, if you don’t have the time and knowledge to build your website, investing in a template is better. However, if you want to build your unique vision, you can always play around with the page builders and create something special.

Step 7: Test and ask for feedback

Once your website is ready, you can go for a test run. Try to see if all buttons work as they should, check if your website is SEO optimized, proofread your content, and make sure your website is responsive and mobile-friendly.

Also, making a controlled test is a good idea. This includes asking some of your friends and family members for honest opinions on the website. If you have a designer friend, you should definitely ask them what can be improved. You can even ask some strangers on social media groups to check your website and give their opinions as well. Many support groups will happily do you this favor.

Most importantly, don’t expect to nail it from the very first try. Creating a stellar website needs refinement. So once you have gathered your feedback, it’s time to get to the next step:

Step 8: Fix problems

Once you’ve gathered substantial feedback, it’s time to analyze and fix the mistakes. See the mistakes that dominate in the responses and start with them. Some problems mentioned in the feedback will be personal preferences, so be mindful whether those who gave them are within your target audience. Still, any technical and user interface suggestions should be addressed.

Step 9: Advertise

The next step is to start building traffic. Make sure you popularize your website on Social Media and create a PPC campaign to start receiving some views. Follow closely your stats on Google Analytics and Google Search Console. They will give you invaluable data that will help you optimize your messaging, design, UX, and any other aspect of your website.

Step 10: Optimize your website

Once you’ve gathered enough information, you must optimize your initial website design to make users more comfortable. This information will give you an idea of what the users search for when on your website. For example, if most readers go straight to your social proof section via the menu, then you can draw this section right under the hero section and adjust the rest of the customer journey.

Moreover, you can start A/B testing different CTAs, designs, and layouts to see which one works better.

Finally, you will have to optimize your SEO. Once you start receiving some keyword data, it’s essential to change your keywords and adjust your metadata so you can draw even more free traffic.

There you have it!

Your gorgeous one-pager is up and running. Now, all you have to do is build a marketing strategy and start growing your business. Who knows, at some point, you may even outgrow your one-pager when you diversify your business. Still, you are just beginning your entrepreneurial journey, so follow this step-by-step guide and start offering your product or service as soon as possible. That’s the only way you can grow, after all.

The post How to create a one-pager business website (a step-by-step guide) appeared first on HostArmada Blog.

Finding your tightly-niched audience is anything but easy. You must invest time, effort, and resources in researching your audience’s specifics and customer behavior. However, before you get there, you need to look at the bigger picture. You must decide whether you will communicate with other businesses or end clients. This decision entirely depends on your product, service, and business model. Your business model will determine your website’s design and content. Unsurprisingly, content dedicated toward businesses is not as persuasive when used on end customers. Vise Versa, businesses won’t engage in the same numbers if you have built your website with end-customers in mind. But before we get to how the designs differ, let’s determine your business model.

What’s the B2B business model

At the heart of the Business-to-business (B2B) model are commercial transactions conducted between two companies. In simple terms, this means your company will sell its products or services to another company. These types of businesses can be found in almost every industry, as most often, B2C companies need suppliers and other vendors to conduct their business. For example, imagine you produce vital components for making microscopes. Your primary clients will be companies that make microscopes or large laboratories that need the component to fix their own microscopes.

Of course, you may occasionally get an end-customer looking for that particular component, but that’s not your target audience. With such a tight niche, you need to target the audience that can bring you the most benefits. Thus, you need to create a B2B website. The same goes for any type of machinery that’s used in production. Sure, anyone can look for a hydraulic bending machine, but those who can order in bulk are manufacturers rather than amateur DIY enthusiasts.

Here, we need to address the elephant in the room. If you are creating a website for your freelance services, in most cases, you need to make it with a B2B look. It does have some specifics for being a freelance website. Still, the design and content should generally follow the B2B model.

Also, Some large companies sell their products to end customers and businesses alike. Such are high-tech companies like Intel, HP, Dell, and others. In most cases, these companies have two separate divisions that operate independently, with their own budget and often with their own websites. If you have such a product and can capitalize relatively equally from end customers and businesses, building two separate websites, even if one is a subdomain like business.businessname.com, would be best.

What’s the B2C business model

As you can imagine, the business-to-client model is entirely dedicated toward the end customers. This means you are offering a product or service that is already good enough for end customers to use. The main goal of the business is to cater to the needs, preferences, and behaviors of individuals rather than businesses. This is the most common type of business as it is the driving force behind the global economy. Most commonly, e-commerce websites are dedicated to end customers.

Usually, the B2C business model has a lot more competition and enjoys much more sales. However, the driving force behind each purchase is vastly different, which makes B2C communication a true art form.

Predominantly, the B2C model is related to higher-volume sales but of much lower-value products. Prices are rarely negotiable, but discounts and coupons often incentivize individuals to convert into customers.

The B2C business model has much more to do with catering to the customer’s emotions than the product’s capabilities. Still, the B2C model can be highly profitable, as some of the wealthiest people, like Bernard Arnaut and Jeff Bezos, gained billions precisely with B2C business models.

What are the differences between the two models?

As you can imagine, the two models have some crucial differences. Though we can probably list 50, 7 can be considered key differences. They will play a vital role in building your website and narrative.

The Type of Buyer

While we already established that B2B sales to businesses and B2C operates with end-customers, we can’t pretend that, in the end, we are not dealing with people. However, those we communicate with have vastly different objectives and motivations. B2B customers are often represented by mid- or high-level managers with experience and are highly knowledgeable about your product or service. They know precisely what they are looking for, and they make decisions without emotional attachments to the product.

B2C customers, on the other hand, often do not know the product. What they have is a problem, and they seek a solution. If your product or service can solve their problem at a reasonable price, they are likely to become your customers. Naturally, this is extremely oversimplified, but the main idea is that the types of people you are communicating with are vastly different.

Audience range

As we mentioned earlier, deciding whether you will be dealing with customers or businesses is just the first step. Unfortunately, these steps will open significantly different doors to finding a niche audience.

Finding a niche is important as it helps you filter your messaging and make it much more personalized. Moreover, it will significantly help you with designing your website. But more importantly, it will help you upgrade your product to cater better to your customers’ needs.

Finding a niche when you are operating a B2B website is a bit more complicated. You must target needs rather than specific behavior characteristics.

Moreover, when you have a B2B business, you must choose your audience based on your production capabilities. For example, if you run a small textile operation with limited production capabilities, you can’t target Walmart, Target, New Yorker, or similar brands. Instead, you need to find smaller boutique establishments or even online stores.

With B2C, finding a niche is much easier. You can target customers based on their gender, age, hobbies, needs, professions, education level, and anything in between. For example, if you are a bike manufacturer, you must consider the type of bikes you are making. Are they for men, women, or children for road, mountain biking, or commuting? Are you targeting avid cyclists or just casual riders? There are many aspects to consider, and you can target a very narrow niche of people.

Making decisions

The decision-making process is another aspect that is vastly different depending on your business type. Businesses rarely make emotional decisions. They follow strict plans and budgets and don’t purchase products that they won’t transform into profits later on. This means that businesses will strive to buy only as much as they need, but at a discount price, so they can maximize their profit.

Customers, on the other hand, often buy emotions rather than benefits. Their driving force is vastly different. Customers can buy products to feel better, improve their health and fitness, or boost their ego. The latter is most commonly known as status purchases, and those are usually luxury products or services. In a sense, most commonly, the driving force behind a purchase is one of the seven deadly sins – pride, gluttony, envy, sloth, lust, greed, or wrath. This driving force is impossible when it comes to businesses, as the managers do not operate under their own will but rather under the corporate interests.

Average order price

Naturally, when a business buys products or services, they do it in bulk. This drives the order prices significantly higher. Naturally, there are variations from product to product, but in general, businesses will get a lower price per unit but order huge quantities, making the deal much more beneficial for the vendor.

On the other hand, end-customers will pay more for a single unit but will order much less in quantity. For example, if you are making T-shirts with a specific print, you can sell one shirt for 20 dollars to a customer and get 20 dollars. Or you can sell 1000 shirts for 18,000 dollars to a retailer. This way, despite getting a 10% less profit per unit, you will earn much more money in a single deal.

So, when choosing the B2B or B2C business model you prefer, you need to consider how you will ensure getting the right amount of orders to keep your treasury full. This can be done with minimum order quantities, flexible pricing, or discounts on higher quantities.

Marketing strategies

B2B and B2C companies have vastly different marketing strategies. They have different messaging, different channels of communication, and different tactics. For example, while a B2C customer can be won by selling emotions, a B2B buyer will never fall for that. Mostly because they are following a plan and are not swayed by their personal feelings.

Moreover, B2C companies target their audience where they dwell. In the past decade, this has been predominantly social media platforms. So, B2C companies must find the right social media and allocate enough budget to create a message that will stand out from the rest.

As you can imagine, business owners and managers won’t look for solutions to their business problems in their Facebook feeds. B2B communication goes through entirely different channels, and more often than not, the sales process requires much more effort than simply posting an ad on TikTok.

Relationships building

Every business goal should be to create a relationship with its customers, regardless of whether they are end customers or other businesses. However, the B2B and B2C models strive for entirely different relationships. B2B businesses should build long-term relationships with their business customers. That’s why, most often, these clients are called partners, not customers. This emphasizes collaboration, mutual growth, and shared success. Of course, to achieve such long-term partnerships, you need to be trustworthy. B2C relationships are much more transactional. They are predominantly short-termed and should strive to achieve emotional rather than beneficial connection. The main goal is to gain brand loyalty, encouraging the customer to repeat their experience.

In simple terms, as a B2B business, you are trying to build a partnership or a network of partners, while as a B2C business, you strive to build a fandom.

Customer Journey

Regarding your website, however, the most important difference between the two models is the customer journey. The B2B customer’s journey starts with a specific business need, challenge, or opportunity. The B2C customer journey begins with a personal desire, a need, or a problem. Though they may sound similar, the driving force behind them is vastly different. The business customers have a specific strategic goal, while the end customers are often driven by emotions and aspirations.

The B2B journey is often much longer. Often, the decision-making involves several shareholders. Thus, you need to cater to several needs and preferences at the same time. Often, the journey requires a demonstration and a lot of formal requests and proposals. But most importantly, the B2B customers are well aware of their needs and do their research.

The B2C customer journey is typically much shorter. The decision can be spontaneous and with minimal research. The journey’s end typically doesn’t involve a presentation, and the relevant information is given in short or persuasive content.

Knowing these differences, we can now discuss the main differences between a B2B and a B2C website.

What are the main differences between a B2B and a B2C website?

As the first point of contact, your website should cater to the needs of its audience. As it has become evident, B2B and B2C customers have different needs, motivations, and requirements. So, naturally, your website should address these differences. There are 13 main differences that you need to take into account when creating your website.

The Product Page

The product page is the one the customer first ends up on, especially when it’s your ad’s landing page.

Traditionally, B2B sales tactics were related to a lot of handholding and guiding. Recently, especially during and after the pandemic, a notable shift occurred. Today, B2B websites try to give the most essential and tailored information to potential business customers. This means that your product page must have in-depth product videos, comprehensive guides, many accompanying and explanatory blog posts, and fast and uninterrupted access to sales reps and support.

End-customers usually buy products on a whim and rarely do their decision depend on another party. Thus, your B2C website should cater to their impulsive behavior and enforce their hype. Naturally, a B2C website needs clear and high-resolution images, social proof in the form of reviews and ratings, the product’s features and highlights, and some flashy signs like “Discount,” “Best Seller,” etc.

The Homepage

Though not the first page the customers land on, the homepage gives your website authority and inspires trust. Customers will often check your homepage to see if you are a genuine vendor and if you have other products.

The B2B homepages strive to be as minimalistic as possible. There shouldn’t be any clutter or fluff. Remember, you are not trying to convey emotion, just information. Thus, the design is straightforward, and the content is highly informative. The Hero section should feature the main products or services. Adding a quick purchase option at the very top is essential, as customers who are already familiar with the product won’t have to go through the entire journey.

The B2C homepage should be more flashy. It should grab the attention, be it through its images, special offers, discounts, or sales. It should feature the most bought products or services and use more catchy clickbait headlines that convey positive emotions.

The Pricing page

Regardless of whether you are offering products or services, you need to share the price at some point. However, when you are operating a B2B website, it’s wise not to show your pricing upfront since pricing is often negotiable and customizable based on what the customer wants. You can create specialized pricing offers for users with an account on your website. However, when it comes to new customers, the best course of action is to add a “Request a Quote” CTA or refer them to a sales rep.

B2C pricing is much more straightforward. Usually, each product has an end price, but you can offer discounts, coupons, loyalty discounts, or special offers. Needless to say, you need to be transparent in formulating this price and keep it consistent.

The CTA

The Call-to-Action (CTA) usually drives the customer forward on their journey. At the end of the journey, there is usually a “Buy” button, but there is a difference depending on your target customers.

B2B CTAs are usually more straightforward. They often offer free demonstrations or transfer the lead to a sales team. There, the deal’s price, terms, and other features can be negotiated.

B2C CTAs are usually more creative and in tune with the overall mood of the website. For example, while “Become awesome” will work for B2C customers, for B2B, it would simply discourage the buyer from interacting.

The Checkout design

Usually, the last step in your website is the most important one. This is the place your customers will separate from their money, so it needs to be persuasive and authoritative.

If you have a B2B website, the checkout should include automated, pre-programmed checkout steps and some viable human assistance on demand. This is important, as there is usually a lot of money involved in such deals. Thus, the buyer, who uses company money, needs the human reassurance that they are doing the right thing and nothing will go wrong. Moreover, there should be options for delayed, partial, or credit payments. Most importantly, however, B2B websites should always have a one-click reordering system, enticing the partners to order again.

The B2C checkout page is much more straightforward. It should have the ability to add additional products. You can go a step further and advertise complementary products on your checkout page. Furthermore, the B2C checkout page should have a system to remind the user they have an abandoned cart. The more payment methods the checkout page has, the better. Still, make sure to at least have a debit and credit card option. Lastly, adding coupons or referral codes should also have a visible place on your checkout page.

Customer support

Customer support is essential for any business regardless of its target audience. Still, there are some nuances that differ depending on whether you are targeting businesses or customers.

As mentioned, the B2B sales practice involves much more holding hands. Thus, your support should be far more extensive. There should be such support throughout the entire checkout process. Moreover, the customer assistance should be highly knowledgeable about the customers’ business models and prepared to answer niche business FAQs. Finally, the after-sale customer support should be able to handle reorders and any concerns fast and flawlessly.

B2C customer support can be a bit more relaxed. In most cases, self-help support or a well-done FAQ section covers most of the questions. Still, the B2C customer support should be able to handle the main issues and be ready to respond 24/7. The post-sales support should be focused on returns, exchanges, and complaints. Still, with the rise of AI, adding a chatbot could limit the need for actual customer support for about 90% of all cases.

Is there a difference in your hosting needs?

Whether offering your products or services to end customers or businesses, you need a fast, secure, and stable website. This is where we can help you get in front of the competition. Our cloud-based web hosting allows for the lightning-fast loading speed of your website, 99.9% uptime, and state-of-the-art security for your data. Naturally, however, you must choose a plan that will work best for you. This is where there is a slight difference. If you are operating a B2B website, you don’t expect a massive influx in your traffic. However, having at least a VPS server would be wise, as its security is much more prominent than that of shared hosting. Nonetheless, you can start with a relatively inexpensive shared Web Warp, and as your business grows, you can upgrade to Web Voyager or Web Raider.

On the other hand, if you are a B2C customer, you should expect much higher traffic. Thus, the bare minimum is the Speed Reaper option. Once your business grows, you can go either for the Site Carrier option or even for the Low Orbit Dedicated server option. Check out our plans and see what will fit your needs best. Naturally, if you need some additional help, our support team is here to assist you. Just give them a call.

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