When I first started out building WordPress websites I was surprised how it is dependent on knowing some coding (HTML, CSS and PHP is a must for WordPress). We are capable of creating complete magazines without coding, so why should a website be different? I was happy to learn to code as I am an engineer type of person, but on the other hand, I was curious about what other methods out there for building websites. My first project with a page builder was with the Sydney theme. It uses SiteOrigin page builder and I was amazed how much quicker it is to build a website with a page builder. So I made a research and choose Beaver Builder as my first page builder.
Page Builder Pros:
Faster build time
Templates to give you ideas
Easy to create custom-looking pages
Easy to edit
Helpful community
Page Builder Cons:
Messier code
You’ll still need to know some code to make things look truly custom
Yearly license fees
Things I like about Beaver Builder
I like the developers of the product and had great support experience with them
There is a huge community behind it, and you can ask them for help on Facebook.
If you decide to switch off the Page builder, the content remains without any extra code. The format will be lost, so it is extra work to make it look good again, but at least no strange codes.
I could learn it very quickly and it was natural for me to use the Beaver Builder. I know it is very personal and for you, it might not be the easiest and most comfortable plugin.
There are two other very popular page builders on the market such as Elementor and DIVI.
DIVI page builder
Last year DIVI came out with version 4.0 and with it came a function that is really good: theme builder function. This means now you can build not just the content of your page with Divi, but also the header, footer and other parts of the website. It is really powerful and gives great flexibility to WordPress. It is a tool that makes building custom layouts more quickly. Time is really valuable, so it is important. It can reduce the costs of building a website.
As soon as I saw this new feature, I jumped in and now I started to use DIVI for my projects too.
Things I like about DIVI
It is a very smooth user experience with the integrated theme.
Cool design features and you can really fine-tune the style of every element.
Quick workflow and easy to learn.
Smart opt-in tool and social media sharing included.
Big community and tones of smart tutorials about the usage of DIVI.
If you choose the lifetime licence, there is no yearly fee.
It is started with the radio. Suddenly we were able to hear what’s happening around the world. Wow cool, but it is overwhelming at the same time.
Then came the television and now there is the internet. You can be connected to the world 24/7. It is all very exciting and all the things you can learn and all the information that is available! I still enjoy it most of the time, but sometimes I just have to shut down everything and go for a hike to somewhere with no wifi and no mobile connectivity eighter!
So now among all the noise, it is very important to be clear about your message. A cluttered site has too much on it for your brain to remember. Visitors will remember your design without effort because it makes such a powerful statement.
Advantages of minimalist design are:
clear message
no clutter
easy to navigate
impression of sophistication
minimal maintenance
Minimalist design is taking over because it just works. The style is so simple that users don’t have to think about it. And it is something we all looking for because the world full of information is so overwhelming and simplicity is simply divine.
“Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification.”
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important concept for bloggers to understand.
The key to SEO is learning how Google “sees” your website.
One of the things that Google looks at is the name of your images.
Let’s say that you have a picture of yourself as a lifestyle coach and you looking for clients near where you live.
And the image you upload to your site is named DSC_10234.jpg.
When Google looks at that page on your blog it will think that the image is of a “DSC_10234”.
As you know, that’s not what you want Google to think your image is about.
So, before you upload an image for your post, be sure to change the name to match the topic you are posting about.
If we stick to the lifestyle coach example, something like your-name-lifestyle-coach-your-location.jpg would work perfectly. It will help you come up in Google search when people search for lifestyle coaches in your area.
When you are uploading your image, make sure you write something in the Alternative Text (Alt Text) section. Google can read the text so it knows what your image is about and bring up your website on image searches as well. It is also useful for visually impaired users.
What is a landing page? To put it very simply, a landing page is where your customer first land. Most of the time we call a sales page a landing page and the conversion for a sales page is fairly simple: you want to sell. Just a note, that even your home page is a landing page, so these tips can be applied to those pages as well. With these few simple tips, you can learn the basics of a good landing page design.
1. Use a page builder.
There are many services for this. My favourite one is DIVI. With the help of a page builder creating nice landing pages will be fun and you can use templates, that will give you ideas and inspiration on how to layout the information in an optimized way.
2. Offer value.
Your offer has to focus on solving a problem your client has. It needs to resonate with their lives and offer something they really desire. Then go above and beyond with offering valuable things free gifts, money-back guarantees. Break down why they should opt-in or why they should buy your product or service and why it solves their problem. Focus on your copy. When it comes to landing pages, copy and value you give are the biggest factors that influence conversion rate.
3. Keep it simple.
When it comes to landing page design, simple is the best. Don’t overuse images, headlines, colours. Your design has to focus on delivering the right information to your customers to make sure it is not disturbing for them but enables them to focus on the things that really matter.
4. Show social proof.
There are many different types of social proof. They could be testimonials; they could be case studies, it could be results that other people are experiencing, it could even be videos.
5. Create a video.
The video really helps with delivering information. You need a video that explains everything they’re going to get when they opt-in, buy your product, or sign up for your service. The video should be short and to the point. Under one minute is enough. It should describe everything in a logical order and it should answer most objections people have before they sign up or buy from you.
