With our new feature, importing stunning pre-made templates into your WordPress site is now just a few clicks away. Whether you’re a seasoned web designer or a novice entrepreneur embarking on your online venture, these templates offer a seamless solution to elevate your website’s visual appeal without the hassle.

Streamlined Design, Limitless Possibilities

Our curated collection of pre-made templates encompasses a diverse array of styles, catering to various industries, preferences, and purposes. From sleek and minimalist designs ideal for portfolios or personal blogs to dynamic and vibrant layouts tailored for e-commerce ventures or corporate websites, there’s something to suit every taste and need.

By integrating these templates directly into our hosting platform, we’ve simplified the process of enhancing your WordPress site’s aesthetics. No more scouring the web for compatible themes or wrestling with intricate installation procedures. With just a few clicks within your hosting dashboard, you can browse through our library of templates and import your chosen design seamlessly into your WordPress environment.

Unrivaled Convenience, Unmatched Quality

One of the key advantages of our pre-made templates lies in their quality and attention to detail. Crafted by seasoned designers with a keen understanding of contemporary trends and user experience principles, each template boasts a perfect blend of form and functionality.

Moreover, our templates are optimized for performance and responsiveness, ensuring that your website not only looks stunning but also functions flawlessly across devices and screen sizes. Whether your visitors are browsing on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone, they’ll enjoy a consistently exceptional experience that reflects positively on your brand.

Empowering Your Creativity

While our pre-made templates offer a convenient solution for those seeking quick and impactful design solutions, they’re also highly customizable to accommodate your unique vision. With intuitive editing tools integrated seamlessly into the WordPress interface, you can effortlessly personalize every aspect of your chosen template to align with your brand identity and objectives.

From adjusting color schemes and typography to rearranging layout elements and adding custom features, the possibilities for customization are virtually limitless. Whether you prefer to make subtle tweaks or embark on a comprehensive redesign, our platform empowers you to bring your creative vision to life with ease.

A Seamless Experience, Every Step of the Way

At the heart of our hosting company’s ethos lies a commitment to delivering an unparalleled user experience. With the introduction of our pre-made templates feature, we’ve taken another stride towards fulfilling that promise. From the moment you sign up for our hosting services to the ongoing management and optimization of your WordPress site, we’re dedicated to providing you with the tools, support, and resources you need to succeed online.

Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, a small business owner, or a burgeoning creative agency, our pre-made templates are poised to become your secret weapon for captivating audiences and achieving your digital objectives. Join us in embracing the future of website design, one beautiful template at a time.

The post Introducing Stunning Pre-made Templates: Elevating Your WordPress Experience appeared first on Cloudys®.

The first thing that users see before making a purchase choice is your store’s design and intuitiveness. So it’s important to opt for an ecommerce theme that provides a good user experience, translating into increased sales.

But themes alone cannot give your users the best user experience unless the website is fully functional.

So, If you don’t have a functional WordPress site, set it up now using CloudyHost managed hosting platform.

What should you consider when choosing a WordPress ecommerce theme?

• Attractive design: Order of elements, clean layout, and style according to your industry and inventory.
• Responsive ready: Design adaptability to all screen sizes for better usability.
• SEO optimized: Fast loading, structured data, proper tagging, and link structure built for the search engines’ bots.
• Extended features: Specific features such as sliders, widgets, translation-ready, and other value-added features to save time and add value for your visitors.
• Regular updates: Good support and developer maintenance system to keep the theme fresh and compatible with newer WordPress versions.

Best Free WordPress Ecommerce Themes

Here is the list of best WordPress free Ecommerce themes:

1. Astra

Astra is one of the most popular WordPress ecommerce themes and is compatible with all leading page builders like Visual Composer, Elementor, and Beaver Builder.

It offers various ecommerce templates that can cater to different market niches. It also has numerous add-ons and custom widgets, giving your site versatility.

Key Features

• Lightweight theme
• Optimized for speed and performance
• Quick loading
• Self-hosted Google fonts
• Optimized code
• Powerful design options

Rating

Astra theme has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars on WordPress.org based on 5,087 reviews.

2. OceanWP

OceanWp has some amazing built-in features, making it suitable for any niche. This theme is compatible with WooCommerce and eight different page builders. Moreover, OceanWP is best known for its speed and performance.

Key Features

• Fast and responsive
• RTL and translation ready
• SEO optimized
• Compatible with WooCommerce
• Mobile and tablet friendly
• Supports most popular page builders such as Elementor, Beaver Builder, Brizy, Visual Composer, Divi, SiteOrigin, etc

Rating

OceanWP has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars on WordPress.org based on 5,305 reviews.

3. GeneratePress

GeneratePress is a lightweight ecommerce WordPress theme that focuses on speed and usability. This theme’s default install is only 10kB, making its loading time incredibly fast.

Key Features

• Speed optimized
• Gutenberg Compatible
• Compatible with major page builders, including Beaver Builder and Elementor
• Responsive
• Translation ready
• Powerful dynamic typography
• Sidebar layouts
• Drop-down menus
• SEO-friendly
• Mobile-friendly
• Retina-ready

Rating

GeneratePress has a 4.9 out of 5 stars rating on WordPress.org based on 1,346 reviews.

4. Sydney

Sydney is a free WordPress ecommerce theme that caters to the needs of any business niche. It offers you greater customizability. You can play around with the site’s appearance by changing its layout and colors.

Key Features

• Compatible with WooCommerce
• Compatible with Elementor
• Access to Google fonts
• Access to full control, layout control, logo upload, stick navigation, etc
• Supports social media features

Rating

Sydney has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars on WordPress.org based on 603 reviews.

5. Zakra

Zakra is a lightweight ecommerce WordPress theme integrated with the WooCommerce plugin. It provides more than 50 pre-built design demos. Zakra focuses on speed and provides a user-friendly shopping experience.

Key Features

• Compatible with all popular WordPress plugins
• Responsive
• Lightweight
• Gutenberg-compatible
• SEO-friendly
• Translation ready
• Retina-ready

Rating

Zakra has a rating of 5 out of 5 stars on WordPress.org based on 530 reviews.

6. Rife Free

Rife free is recognized for its visual elements, making it the best choice for fashion and design stores. It is compatible with WooCommerce and offers excellent customization options.

It also has a live preview feature that allows you to see the changes in real-time.

Key Features

• 7 ready-to-use demo layouts
• WooCommerce compatible
• Writing effect
• One-page mode
• Mobile-friendly image and video slider
• Bricks gallery for photographers
• Mega menu
• Post grid
• Google fonts
• RTL and translation ready

Rating

Rife Free has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars on WordPress.org based on 308 reviews.

7. Woostify

Woostify is a lightweight WordPress theme known for its speed and performance. It is fully compatible with multi-vendor plugins, allowing you to display items from multi-vendors.

Also, it is built on a modular architecture, meaning you can disable the modules that you don’t need.

Key Features

• Fast and lightweight
• Responsive
• Mobile-friendly
• Retina-ready
• Compatible with popular page builders including Elementor, Beaver Builder, SiteOrigin, Thrive Architect, Divi, etc
• Compatible with WooCommerce

Rating

Woostify has a rating of 5 out of 5 stars on WordPress.org based on 308 reviews.

8. Botiga

While Botiga is designed for corporations and agencies, it is also suitable for ecommerce stores, thanks to its multiple-section homepage.

The theme is swift and offers many customization options. Also, it is compatible with almost all popular WordPress plugins, giving it an edge over many of its competitors.

Key Features

• It has a multiple-section homepage
• SEO-friendly
• Responsive HTML5
• Customizer to add your own background, page layout, site width, and more
• Fast and easy-to-use
• Supports unlimited color options
• Supports all major WordPress plugin

Rating

Botiga has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars on WordPress.org based on 73 reviews.

9.  ShoppingCart

ShoppingCart is also among the leading ecommerce WordPress themes. It is quite easy to use and offers multiple customization options.

ShoppingCart is perfect for people who want to mark their presence on social media. It offers many social icons that allow you to share your products across all social media platforms.

Key Features

• Easy-to-use
• Multiple social and navigation menus
• Logo display options
• A large variety of widgets
• Social icons to support social media features
• Mobile-friendly
• Retina-ready
• Compatible with WooCommerce

Rating

ShoppingCart has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on WordPress.org based on 24 reviews.

10. SparkleStore

SparkleStore is a WordPress ecommerce theme suitable for any store selling physical products or digital downloads. This theme integrates with WooCommerce, turning any website into an online store.

Since SparkleStore is compatible with multilingual plugins, it can serve a wide range of audiences.

Key Features

• Amazing performance
• Ajax cart, wishlist, compare, and Quickview
• Live-customization​ options
• Excellent RTL support
• Drag & drop page builder compatible
• Responsive and retina ready
• Multilingual & translation ready.
• Fully optimized for SEO.

Rating

SparkleStore has a rating of 4 out of 5 stars on WordPress.org based on 15 reviews.

Wrapping Up!

Whether it’s your first store or you are an ecommerce veteran, we recommend you choose the theme that is compatible with your brand and requirements.

An ecommerce store must be good enough to compete with the existing players and reflect your brand well, and an optimum theme helps you achieve exactly that.

The post 10 Best WordPress Ecommerce Themes for 2024 appeared first on Cloudys®.

Businesses are constantly seeking ways to gain a competitive edge online. Small businesses, often constrained by limited resources, recognize that choosing the right website development platform is a fundamental step towards achieving success.

Years have gone by, and many solutions have popped up, but WordPress has consistently remained a top choice for small businesses looking to establish a strong online presence. 

This article explores why WordPress continues to be a popular option for small business owners in 2023.

1. WordPress is cost-effective and scalable

WordPress has asserted its dominance in the SME market, in part, due to its cost-effectiveness. The fundamental software is both free and open-source, enabling anyone to download, install, and tailor it to their needs without incurring any licensing fees.

Aside from the free themes and plugins you can get, there are also plenty of premium options for those who want extra features. This affordable and adaptable method enables small businesses to create professional websites without spending too much money.

2. WordPress has a user-friendly interface

WordPress is well-known for its easy-to-use interface. Even if you’re not a tech expert, you can handle a WordPress website. Small business owners can smoothly navigate the admin dashboard to make and change content, add new pages, upload images and videos, and tweak the look of their sites. This simplifies things and lets small businesses concentrate on other crucial parts of their work.

3. WordPress offers many customization options

With thousands of themes and plugins available, WordPress offers unparalleled customization options. Small businesses have a wide variety of themes to choose from and can easily tailor their website to fit their unique brand identity. 

But that’s not everything. Plugins expand what a WordPress site can do, letting you add important features like online stores, contact forms, SEO improvements, and more. With this wide range of customization choices, small businesses can effortlessly build a website that matches their exact needs.

4. WordPress offers strong SEO capabilities

There are many reasons why WordPress is the best content management system for SEO, including that it offers a solid foundation for optimizing a website. WordPress themes come with clean code that allows search engines to crawl and index the site easily. Plus, several SEO plugins are available to help small businesses improve their website’s visibility in search engine results. By harnessing the power of WordPress and its SEO capabilities, businesses can increase their online exposure and attract more potential customers. 

5. WordPress embodies responsive and mobile-friendly design.

In today’s digital landscape, it’s crucial for websites to adapt and work well on mobile devices. WordPress themes are typically crafted with responsiveness as a priority, guaranteeing that websites appear and perform effectively on different screen sizes and devices. This mobile-friendly design is vital for small businesses aiming to meet the demands of their diverse customer base.

6. WordPress issues regular updates and security features

WordPress is constantly evolving. With regular updates to its core software, themes, and plugins, the platform’s stability, performance, and security have never been better. WordPress also offers several security features, such as user authentication, access controls, and automatic backups, to protect websites from potential threats. For small businesses, the availability of these updates and security measures is invaluable in keeping their websites running smoothly and securely.

7. WordPress has a large support community

The popularity of WordPress has resulted in a massive global community of users, developers, and designers who are committed to improving and supporting the platform. Small businesses can easily access this knowledge through online forums, tutorials, and blogs. This support network ensures that even those with limited technical expertise can find answers to their questions and troubleshoot any issues they may encounter.

8. WordPress provides easy e-commerce integration

As online shopping continues to soar in popularity, numerous small businesses seek to integrate e-commerce features into their websites. WordPress provides effortless compatibility with well-known e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce, simplifying the process for smaller companies to establish and oversee their online stores.

These e-commerce solutions provide a range of features, including product management, payment gateways, shipping options, and inventory tracking, enabling small businesses to sell their products or services online effectively.

9. WordPress offers multilingual support

As businesses grow and reach global markets, the capacity to serve an international audience becomes more vital. WordPress provides robust multilingual support, complete with a variety of plugins to assist in translating and handling content in different languages. This empowers small businesses to connect with a wider audience, bridging language gaps and potentially expanding their customer base.

10. WordPress enables easy integration with third-party services

The adaptability and expandability of WordPress make it easy to connect with external services like email marketing systems, social media platforms, and analytics tools. Small businesses can utilize these integrations to simplify their work, automate specific tasks, and access valuable data on their website’s performance and user interaction.

11. WordPress is future-proof technology

By consistently staying up-to-date with the latest web development trends, WordPress maintains its relevance in the ever-evolving digital environment. This commitment guarantees that small businesses can have faith in ongoing support and updates for their WordPress websites as new technologies surface. This dedication to future-proofing ensures that SMEs can make a secure investment in WordPress as their preferred website platform.

12. WordPress provides both blogging and content management

Starting out as a blogging platform, WordPress has since evolved into a comprehensive content management system (CMS). Its powerful blogging features, such as easy content creation, a built-in commenting system, and advanced publishing tools, make it an ideal choice for small businesses looking to share their expertise and connect with their audience.

Moreover, WordPress accommodates a wide range of media formats, empowering businesses to integrate multimedia content like images, videos, and audio to enrich their storytelling and captivate their website visitors.

13. WordPress enables custom user roles and permissions

Running a website often involves teamwork, and WordPress provides an easy way for small businesses to manage user access and permissions. The platform offers various predefined user roles like Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber, each with specific abilities. This allows businesses to assign tasks and responsibilities to different team members, ensuring that everyone has the appropriate access rights to carry out their roles effectively.

14. WordPress is celebrated for its speedy loading times and optimized performance.

Website speed and performance are essential to retaining visitors and improving search engine rankings. WordPress, by default, offers a solid foundation for fast-loading websites.

Nonetheless, there are several plugins and recommended methods that can take WordPress site performance to the next level. These include caching, image optimization, and code minification. By incorporating these performance-enhancing techniques, small businesses can guarantee that their website loads swiftly and smoothly, delivering a positive user experience to their visitors.

WordPress is still a winner

WordPress continues to be the foremost choice for small businesses looking to build a robust online presence. Its affordability and scalability, user-friendly interface, abundant customization possibilities, and robust SEO features make it a perfect solution for small businesses operating within budget constraints.

Here’s a snapshot of what makes WordPress so special:

• Super responsive design
• Regular updates
• Top-notch security features
• Large support community
• E-commerce integration
• Multilingual support
• Easy integration with third-party services

Small businesses can create professional, functional, and visually appealing websites tailored to their specific requirements by leveraging the capabilities of WordPress. As the platform evolves and aligns with the latest web development trends, SMEs can trust that their investment in WordPress will prove enduring and fruitful.

You can begin building your website with our WordPress Hosting Packages. It’s a user-friendly and popular choice for website creation. If you have any particular questions or require guidance to get started, please don’t hesitate to ask in our online chat, and our team will be happy to assist you.

The post 14 Reasons That Continue To Make WordPress a Top Choice appeared first on Cloudys®.

It’s crucial for you to know: Even with a solid social media presence and a well-performing website, your online store still needs a blog.

Why? Regular, quality blogging can enhance your business in numerous ways.

1. Blog posts can improve your store’s SEO

In recent years, there has been a notable surge in businesses transitioning to eCommerce. Many local physical stores, retail chains, and even manufacturers that traditionally catered to other businesses have embraced eCommerce to connect with customers confined to their homes and recover sales lost due to in-person limitations.

That means there are a lot more eCommerce stores to compete against for visibility in search results. And that means you need to rev up your SEO engine. 

Regular posts create new site content that can improve your search result rank. So can posts that include the kinds of keywords your customers search for, whether that’s “Bluetooth workout earbuds,” “organic hamster food” or something else.

2. How-to posts can attract new and loyal customers to your shop.

No matter your product, it’s likely that customers are searching for usage tips. This applies to items ranging from skincare products to sports gear to home improvement materials. So, give those customers what they’re looking for, and make your how-to and tutorial posts so useful that people will bookmark them and keep coming back to learn more. 

For example, Lowe’s offers an extensive library of how-to content, each of which include product links, instructions and more. This is the kind of content someone might save and refer back to as they complete each step in their home-eco-makeover project.

You can probably do something similar for the products your store sells. 

3. A quality blog can boost your eCommerce email list.

You probably already know that your email list is the foundation for effective marketing. If your blog offers content that your customers like and can use, it can help you grow your email list so you can get your exclusive offers, promotions and product news in front of more customers, faster. 

You don’t have to use a pop-up box to get people to subscribe, either. Beauty brand Orly takes a less hard-sell approach with a simple, linked call to join their email list at the end of its blog posts, just above its social links. 

4. Lifestyle posts can attract loyal ecommerce customers.

Building a community around your brand is a next-level marketing move, and it often starts with a blog. Notice that outdoor-gear retailer REI doesn’t highlight its products in these recent posts. 

Instead, these blog posts cover topics that their customer base cares about, like conservation and wild destinations.

To create a blog that helps associate your brand with your customers’ lifestyle, you need a good understanding of your customer. And you might want to start small, with a single category on your store’s blog dedicated to lifestyle content. If it does well, you can gradually add more. 

5. Your blog can boost sales by offering buying guides.

Even if your customers aren’t into one particular lifestyle or set of causes, they all want to get the right products—no matter what those products are. That’s why buying guides are such popular content on eCommerce blogs. 

You can turn out holiday- and event-specific buyer’s guides for virtually every occasion, including the Festival of Lights, as Chewy shows with its buyers’ guide to Hannukah dog gifts. 

6. Use your ecommerce blog posts as social content to increase site visits.

Your blog posts will get more visits if they include great, original images. And those images can help your posts get shared more on social media, so you can find new customers and drive new visitors to your store’s blog. 

Here’s an example that truly has it all: part gift-guide, part lifestyle post, this Etsy holiday-themed product roundup post with Nicole Richie has influencer cred and lots of well-styled product photos perfect for sharing on social media. 

Even without an influencer-sized marketing budget, you can use your phone and some expert tips on taking product photos to turn out blog images your readers will want to share. 

7. Your eCommerce blog can help you find your next employees

If your store is growing, you may be looking to hire new employees. Posting job listings on your blog is one way to let your customers know, but what’s even more effective is creating a blog category that shows visitors what your company is like, who works there and why they like it. PetSmart does this with an entire blog focused on their employee experience, with employee profiles and features on community-service projects their stores host and sponsor. 

Indeed, Your eCommerce Platform needs a Blog.

In summary, here’s why your eCommerce store should have a blog: improved search rankings, increased site traffic, an expanded email subscriber base, enhanced customer loyalty, boosted sales, a broader social media reach, and an effective channel to attract ideal job candidates for your business.

Ready to get your eCommerce blog started? Check out our WordPress hosting plans. 

The post 7 Essential Reasons Every Online Store Should Have a Blog, Including Yours! appeared first on Cloudys®.

Let’s look at ten less common freelance roles you might be interested in pursuing.

1. Voiceover artist

With the explosion of audiobooks, podcasts, and animated content, the demand for talented voice-over artists is growing at a jaw-dropping pace. Voiceover artists lend their voices to various projects, including commercials, explainer videos, video games, and more. 

If you have a distinct voice and a knack for storytelling, this opportunity could be perfect for you. Invest in quality recording equipment and software to create professional sounds and build your portfolio to showcase your skills. Once you build your portfolio, getting clients will become easier and easier, and you’ll be well on your way to success as a voice-over artist. 

2. Ethical hacker

As more businesses turn to digital platforms, the need for robust cybersecurity measures is greater than ever. Ethical hackers and penetration testers are often freelance professionals who work with companies to attempt to breach companies’ digital defenses to identify vulnerabilities and weak points. By doing so, they help organizations strengthen their security systems and prevent cyberattacks. 

If you have a strong background in IT and a keen understanding of cybersecurity best practices, consider offering your services as an ethical hacker.

3. Drone pilot

Drone technology has become increasingly sophisticated, opening up new freelance opportunities for drone pilots. Many industries, including agriculture, real estate, and film production, require skilled drone pilots to capture aerial footage, conduct surveys, and monitor various aspects of their operations. 

If you have a passion for flying drones and a knack for capturing stunning visuals, this freelance job might be ideal for you. To get started, obtain the necessary certifications and permits required in your region and invest in a high-quality drone. Spend the time needed to grow this skill, and obtaining high-paying clients will become more than possible. 

4. Virtual reality fitness instructor

The fitness industry is continuously evolving, and virtual reality (VR) is becoming an integral part of the workout experience for many people. As a VR fitness instructor, you can develop and conduct immersive fitness classes using VR technology.

This freelance job allows you to combine a passion for fitness with cutting-edge technology, helping clients achieve their fitness goals in an interesting matter. But first, familiarize yourself with popular VR fitness platforms and obtain any necessary fitness certifications.

5. AI chatbot developer

AI chatbots have become increasingly popular for businesses looking to streamline customer support and improve user experience. As an AI chatbot developer, your freelance work would involve designing, developing, and maintaining chatbots that can effectively handle customer inquiries and other automated tasks. 

If you have experience in AI, user experience (UX), natural language processing, and coding, consider offering your services as a chatbot developer to help businesses enhance their digital presence.

6. Personalized meal planner

Nutrition and healthy eating habits are essential for overall well-being, but many people struggle with planning and preparing balanced meals. As a personalized meal planner, you can help clients develop customized meal plans that cater to their dietary preferences, restrictions, and health goals. 

If you have a background in nutrition or a strong understanding of healthy eating habits, this freelance opportunity could be a great fit for you. You can create meal plans, provide shopping lists, and offer guidance on meal preparation techniques to help clients stay on track with their nutrition goals. Best of all, this can all be done remotely.

7. Upcycling consultant

As awareness of environmental issues and the importance of sustainable living continues to grow, upcycling has become a popular way to repurpose used or unwanted items. And with 83% of millennials saying a brand’s sustainability practices influence their decision to buy, the upcycling consultant freelance job is perfect for creative individuals who want to create a socially responsible business. 

As an upcycling consultant, you can help individuals and businesses transform their old belongings into new, functional, and stylish pieces and offer your expertise to clients looking to refresh their living spaces or revamp their product lines while minimizing waste. 

8. Technical writer

Becoming a freelance technical writer requires a combination of strong writing skills, subject matter expertise, and self-promotion abilities. To start, you must nurture a deep understanding of the technical subject matter in your chosen field, whether software development, engineering, or other specialized areas. There are many ways to achieve this expertise, such as through formal education, professional experience, or self-study.

The next step is to sharpen your writing skills while learning to break down complex information into easily digestible content and build a portfolio showcasing your technical writing abilities to attract potential clients. Technical writing is in high demand, and a freelance technical writer can expect to make $30+ an hour, with skilled writers making even more.

9. Online dating profile consultant

The world of online dating can be overwhelming and challenging for many people. As an online dating profile consultant, your role would be to help clients create compelling and authentic dating profiles that attract potential matches and showcase their best qualities. This freelance job requires excellent communication skills, empathy, and a strong understanding of what makes a dating profile stand out. Offer your services to clients looking to improve their chances of finding love or meaningful connections online.

10. Virtual escape room designer

Escape rooms have become a popular form of entertainment, and with the shift toward virtual experiences, the demand for virtual escape room designers is on the rise. As a freelance virtual escape room designer, you can create immersive, engaging, and challenging experiences that players can enjoy from the comfort of their homes. 

This job requires creativity, storytelling, and technical skills to develop interactive puzzles and storylines. Familiarize yourself with popular virtual escape room platforms and start building a portfolio of unique experiences.

Are you ready to freelance?

The world of freelancing is vast and full of unique opportunities for those willing to think outside the box. These ten unconventional freelance jobs showcase the diversity of roles available in today’s gig economy. By exploring these lesser-known career paths, you can tap into new markets, diversify your skill set, and potentially start a fulfilling freelance business or job that aligns with your passions and expertise. 

So, why not take the plunge and try something new? You never know where your next freelance venture might lead you, and the possibilities are virtually endless.

And if you’ve found a path you might want to pursue, you can choose CloudyHost to register your new domain name and for your new freelance business website.

The post 10 unique freelance jobs you’ve probably never heard of appeared first on Cloudys®.

In this article, we’ll explain what is headless WordPress and if should you use it. We’ll also talk about the pros and cons of a headless WordPress website.

What is Headless WordPress?

Usually, when you make changes to your site on the back end (or admin dashboard), you see the corresponding results on the front end (meaning the live pages visitors have access to). In this traditional model, WordPress serves both the back and front ends of your website.

Front-end is the publicly visible area of your website.

This is what the users see when they visit your site.

When we talk about headless WordPress, we’re referring to a setup in which you’re not using WordPress to generate the front end of your site. Instead, WordPress acts only as the back end. For the front end, you can use any other platform that connects with WordPress via its API, or set up a static website.

The two primary advantages of this methodology are:

• Static websites are highly secure since there aren’t any moving parts for hackers to take advantage of.
• Non-dynamic pages load much faster since they don’t need to pull information from databases or load scripts.

However, it’s not an approach that works with all types of projects. For instance, with this solution, it’s more complicated to include dynamic elements such as contact forms or site search.

That said, a static front end can be an excellent fit for simple websites. If you’re launching a personal blog or brochure site, this setup can be a good option.

What Are the Advantages of Using Headless WordPress?

Headless WordPress can be beneficial in some specific scenarios. We’ll talk about some of the advantages of using headless WordPress in those.

1. Headless WordPress Can Be Faster Than Regular WordPress Website

Many developers believe that headless WordPress can be used to create a much faster WordPress website.

By separating the front end of the site using technology such as React.js, many developers try to deliver more efficient code than most WordPress themes.

However, in our experience simpler WordPress performance optimization techniques work just as good as headless WordPress for most small business websites and use-cases.

2. Publish on Multiple Platforms via Headless WordPress

Headless WordPress makes your WordPress data portable, so that you can take it anywhere.

You can use the data in your marketing campaigns, post on social media platforms, use it on IoT devices such as smart speakers, feed an artificial intelligence tool, connect to virtual assistants, and more.

3. Headless WordPress is far more affordable than proprietary headless CMS

Headless WordPress is far more affordable and powerful than proprietary “enterprise CMS” solutions like Contentful which will easily cost you tens of thousands in hosting alone (not including development costs).

What Are the Disadvantages of a Headless WordPress Website?

Creating a headless WordPress website may also put your website at certain disadvantages. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

1. Some WordPress Plugins May Not Work

Plugins are like apps for your WordPress website, and they allow you to add new features to your site and extend its functionality.

A headless WordPress website may not be able to take advantage of some of the WordPress plugins.

For instance, some WordPress plugin data may not be accessible using the REST API, or plugin features may require a WordPress theme to function properly.

Who Should Use Headless WordPress?

Headless Mode, it’s not an approach that works with all types of projects. For instance, with this solution, it’s more complicated to include dynamic elements such as contact forms or site search.

That said, a static front end can be an excellent fit for simple websites. If you’re launching a personal blog or brochure site, this setup can be a good option.

We believe that headless WordPress should only be used in very specific scenarios.

How to Make a Headless WordPress Website?

With every host package in CloudyHost you can make a headless WordPress website very easy.

You need to login on your epanel, and after you can click Enable HEADLESS MODE.

This will create a static copy of your site. The process might take a while, depending on how large your website is. Once it’s done, you should be able to access the live static version of your site.

Final thoughts on headless WordPress

A headless WordPress approach doesn’t work for all websites. However, if you don’t rely heavily on dynamic elements, then a static front end could improve your site’s security and performance. Plus, you’ll likely save money on hosting.

If you want to set up a static website with a headless WordPress setup, you can do so using the Headless Mode in Control Panel. It works out of the box, and you can generate and deploy a static copy of your site in minutes.

Do you have any questions about how to use headless WordPress? Let’s talk about them via our Live Chat.

The post How to Set Up a Headless WordPress Website appeared first on Cloudys®.

You can use WordPress and blogging to earn money online by doing what you love. You can work from home, at your own time, and there is no limit on how much money you can make.

In this article, we will share top “proven” ways to make money online blogging with WordPress.

Monetize Your Blog Content

When you think of how to make money blogging, advertising is often the first thing that comes to mind.

Yes, it is possible to make money with ads on WordPress, but there are also other ways you can monetize your blog content.

Here are a few methods that work:

1. Make Money With Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is when you recommend a product or service to your audience using special tracking links, and then get a referral commission for every time someone buys after clicking your link.

A real-life example of affiliate marketing would be when you help a friend open a bank account at your bank branch. Usually, they give you a gift card or a bonus of some sort.

Similar to that many products and services online have affiliate programs that you can join. There are affiliate programs available for every industry (niche).

If you’re interested in getting started with affiliate marketing, you can start by thinking about the products you already use that your readers may be interested in as well. Then you can see if they have an affiliate program that you can sign up for.

You can find a huge list of products to promote from:

• Amazon
• Commission Junction
• ShareASale

Once you have selected the products to promote, then you can use a WordPress plugin like PrettyLinks to manage your affiliate links.

It allows you to quickly insert links into posts, create branded links, auto-replace keywords into links, and even see how each link is performing on your site.

Affiliate marketing is the easiest way to make money because you can promote a wide variety of products. Just about every popular store like Walmart, BestBuy, Amazon, and others have an affiliate program.

2. Display Google AdSense on WordPress

Google Adsense is an easy way to make money from your blog. All you need to do is add a script from Google to your website and start displaying ads.

You will get paid for every time a user clicks on the ad. These are called CPC ads.

What is CPC? CPC stands for “cost per click.” By displaying CPC ads with Google Adsense, you receive a set fee every time a visitor clicks on an ad.

The cost per click is set by the advertiser. (This is in contrast to CPM ads, where you’re paid for ad views instead of clicks. CPM means “cost per thousand impressions,” where M is the roman numeral for 1,000.)

Google Adsense is a good way to start earning money online when you are first starting out.

3. Use a WordPress Advertising Plugin to Sell Ads Directly

Google AdSense is easy to set up, but the amount of money you can earn is limited. Each ad click earning will vary.

Directly selling banner ad space on your website can be more lucrative. Instead of having to rely on an intermediary who takes a cut of the money, you negotiate the price and terms on your own.

Above we mentioned the difference between CPC and CPM ads, where you are paid per click or per thousand views. While you could use one of those models for selling banner ads, most bloggers charge a flat rate instead. Charging a flat rate is easier than keeping track of views or clicks.

Still, directly selling ads takes more work to manage than using Google AdSense. Instead of just adding a bit of code to your website, you’ll have to negotiate the pricing, come up with an agreement and terms, and take care of administrative work like invoicing.

However, using a WordPress ad management plugin can make the process easier. We recommend using AdSanity, it allows you to manage Google AdSense as well as your own ads.

4. Sell Sponsored Blog Posts

Some bloggers aren’t interested in displaying ads to their audience and wonder how to monetize a blog without ads.

With ad networks, you lose some control over the content displayed on your site. Some readers will get annoyed or offended by ads, and more and more people are using ad blockers which affects your earning potential.

An alternative way to monetize a blog is through sponsorships.

A sponsorship works just like it does in sports, TV shows, or other industries. Basically, a company pays you to represent their product, talk about it, and promote it to your readers.

To get started, it’s a good idea to put together a one-page media kit that details your traffic stats, social media following, audience demographics, and any other data that will make your site more appealing to advertisers. Then, you can approach companies to negotiate a sponsorship deal.

When publishing sponsored posts, it’s crucial to know about the laws in your area about disclosure.

For example, in the United States, a blogger who publishes a sponsored post must comply with the FTC’s Endorsement Guides. This includes disclosing whenever a post is sponsored. You can do that by adding a sponsored post prefix to your post title in WordPress.

5. Get Paid to Write Reviews

Similar to sponsored posts, you can also make money by writing paid reviews on your site.

This is a slightly different monetization method than a review site with affiliate links, as mentioned above.

Instead, you get to try out products related to your niche for free, and even get paid for writing a review.

The process for doing this can be similar to getting sponsored posts. You’ll want to review products that are relevant to your niche, that your audience would be interested in.

You can approach companies on your own to ask about doing paid reviews. There are also websites like PayPerPost that can help to connect you with businesses that may be interested.

6. Earn Money Online by Flipping Websites

If you know how to build a WordPress website, then you’re way ahead of most people. Sometimes entrepreneurs like to buy already established websites that they can use for their own businesses.

If you can build a WordPress blog and start getting traffic to it, then you can sell it and make money for your efforts.

This requires knowing the type of websites in demand, and how to price and sell them. There are websites like Flippa that serve as auction sites and brokers for selling websites.

7. Get Public Speaking Gigs as an Influencer

If you are promoting your own brand along with your blog, then over time you will get a decent following establishing you as an influencer in your space.

You can utilize this recognition to get some public speaking jobs. Many bloggers make a lot of money by speaking at conferences.

Speaking at events whether you are paid or not helps you promote your blog and your personal brand. If you are good at networking and public speaking, then you would be able to find lots of new opportunities on the way.

Here are some general tips you need to keep in mind if you want to make money as a paid public speaker.

• Be an expert in your field. If you don’t have enough knowledge/skills at the moment, then start learning right away.
• Be consistent – You need to continuously promote your expertise on the topic through your blogging and social media activities.
• Let people know that you are available. You can announce on social media or privately reach out to event organizers.
• You may not find paid public speaking gigs right away. Many successful speakers start their public speaking careers from smaller, more casual, and free community events and meetups.

Create a Paid Membership Website

If you’re not interested in selling ads or sponsored posts, there are plenty of other ways you can earn money online from your blog. A popular method is by having your audience pay to access certain content or areas of your site. Here are a couple of ways to do that.

8. Create Restricted Members Only Content

Your most loyal readers are huge fans and may be willing to pay to read more of your work. You can create a members-only area for them to share more in-depth blog posts, downloads, videos, audio content, and more.

Membership sites can be a big-time investment since you must continually create premium content for your paying members. But they can be very lucrative because they are recurring revenue (subscriptions).

You can easily create a membership site using a WordPress membership plugin. We recommend using MemberPress, it is the most beginner-friendly and robust membership plugin for WordPress.

9. Create a Private Forum

Another option for creating a paid membership site is to create private forums that users must pay to get access to. Forums are a great way for your audience to get one-on-one advice from you. Other members of the community can also interact and help each other out.

While moderating a forum can be a lot of work, a paid forum is a great way to earn recurring revenue from your WordPress site.

Create a Directory Website With WordPress

Another option for making money online with WordPress is to create a directory or listing website. You can then charge visitors to advertise their listings on your site.

Here are a few different directory ideas to get you started.

10. Create a Paid Business Directory

Some famous website directories include Yellow Pages, Yelp, and Angie’s List.

Generic web directories are no longer necessary, but local or niche directories can be extremely useful. For example, you can create a real estate directory for your local community.

Directories might gather reviews of local businesses, share the best podcasts on a given topic, or list the best products in a certain niche.

11. Create a WordPress Job Board With Paid Submissions

Another option is to create a paid job board. Companies who want to advertise an open position to your audience can pay you to submit a listing.

It’s easier to create a successful job board if you narrow it down to a specific niche. That way you can become the go-to site for anyone looking for a job in that industry, with minimal competition.

This works great for established blogs in a narrow niche. For example, ProBlogger is now famous for its job board for professional bloggers.

12. Create a WordPress Event Calendar With Paid Submissions

Instead of a job board, you could create an event calendar where you charge people to advertise their events. This also works well if you already have an established audience, because businesses will be willing to pay to reach your audience.

A paid event calendar is a good monetization method for local or industry-specific websites. You might choose to advertise events in your local city, conferences in a certain industry, or even webinars or live streaming events.

Sell Digital Products With WordPress

If you’re looking for a more low-maintenance way to make money online blogging with WordPress, then selling your own digital products may be a good choice. While you do have to invest the time to create the product up front, after it’s created your work is very minimal.

Here are a few digital products you can create and sell on your website.

13. Sell Ebooks on WordPress

Ebooks are an obvious choice for creating digital products. They are relatively simple to write and produce. If you’ve been blogging for a while, then you can collect some of your old blog posts and turn them into chapters of a book.

Once your book is written, you can design a cover using a tool like Canva and create a PDF of your ebook.

For digital downloads, we recommend Easy Digital Downloads. It’s relatively easy to use and includes all the features you need to create your online store.

14. Sell Online Courses

Selling an online course is another great way to make money online.

Courses usually sell for a much higher price point than ebooks. You can charge a premium for your expertise.

You’ll need to create the lessons for your course, plus any supporting materials that you want to include such as downloads, slides, checklists, templates, etc.

You will also need to decide whether you want to offer personalized support for your course. Some sites offer two tiers of each course: a basic version without support, and a premium version with email support.

We recommend using MemberPress since they have a built-in course builder.

Sell Services Online Using WordPress

If you’re looking for easy ways to make money online, selling services is the fastest way to get started. There’s no up front investment in creating a product or investing in inventory.

Instead, you can just create a “hire me” page on your website and start looking for your first client.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

15. Offer Freelance Services

As a blogger, you’re already an expert on your niche. You can start earning an income by offering your skills and expertise as a freelancer.

Freelancing is a popular way to make money online because it doesn’t necessarily require any upfront investment of time or money. You can just start offering your services to your current audience.

Once you start freelancing, you’ll need a way to invoice and collect payments from your clients. We recommend using either WP Simple Pay or FreshBooks, but there are also other invoicing plugins for WordPress.

16. Become a Coach

If “consultant” doesn’t feel like the right title for you, you can consider becoming a coach instead.

A life coach offers advice, guidance, and accountability for setting goals and improving one’s life. There are also other kinds of coaches, such as blog coaches, writing coaches, and more.

Whatever your area of expertise is, you can provide one-on-one help to your audience with coaching sessions.

To save time and make things convenient for your clients, you can set up a booking form so readers can schedule coaching sessions right from your WordPress blog.

Sell Physical Products Online Using WordPress

While selling digital products or services can be an easy way to start making money online, there’s nothing quite like selling real, physical products. Here are a few ways you can get started selling products with WordPress.

17. Start an Ecommerce Business With WooCommerce

Have an idea for your own product? Why not start your own online store?

WordPress makes it easy to create a shop or even add a shop to your existing blog using the free WooCommerce plugin.

Starting an online store can be a lot of work since you need to create or buy the products and then ship them out yourself.

But selling physical products can be a rewarding experience, and sometimes a physical product is exactly what your audience wants.

18. Create a WooCommerce Dropshipping Store

Dropshipping is another way you can create an eCommerce store on your WordPress website without having to handle inventory or ship items yourself.

With dropshipping, you create the store, manage the website, and customer service. But a dropshipping service will take your orders and ship them out to your customers. They’re an invisible third party that your customers don’t even know about.

You can use the WooCommerce plugin to create a dropshipping store. There’s also a WooCommerce Dropshipping addon plugin that allows you to automate the process.

Offering Platform as a Service

WordPress comes with some incredibly powerful plugins that are actually full-fledged platforms in their own right.

You can add such a platform to your blog or e-commerce store and offer it as a paid service. You get a cut from each sell, which allows you to earn passive income from user activity on your website.

19. Create an Online Marketplace Website

An online marketplace is like an eCommerce store where users cannot just buy but also sell their own products. Normally, WooCommerce assumes that you run a single-vendor website.

You will need a plugin like WC Vendors to turn WooCommerce into a multi-vendor capable platform. After that, vendors will be able to register on your site and start selling.

You can make money by charging a commission on each sale, or you can allow vendors to buy membership packages for their listings.

20. Make an Auctions Website

An auctions website allows users to bid on products to purchase them. This allows the sellers to maximize their profits and customers to find unique deals.

eBay is probably the best example of an online auctions marketplace.

You can run auctions on your WordPress website and even allow third-party vendors to list their products as well. You can make money by charging for the listing or by getting a cut on each sale.

To build an auctions marketplace with WordPress, you will need the following add-ons.

• WooCommerce Hosting.
• An auctions add-on
• A multi-vendor add-on

21. Create a Job Marketplace website

Unlike a regular job listings website, a job marketplace allows you to make money on each job listing. Fiverr and UpWork are probably the best examples of online job marketplace websites.

You can promote your job marketplace as a micro-job platform for people working in the same niche as your blog. To make your platform more competitive you can select a very specific niche.

This will help you easily find customers and professionals who are unable to use large platforms because of too much irrelevant competition.

You can charge a small fee for job listings or when a job is completed. More successful completion of jobs will bring you more customers and freelancers in the future.

Become a WordPress Designer or Developer

If you’re more technically inclined, then you can become a WordPress developer or designer in order to make money online. This will take more technical skills, but it’s not too hard to get started.

22. Develop WordPress Plugins

Plugins are what make WordPress so flexible and powerful. Plugins work like apps, allowing you to extend and modify any feature of your WordPress website.

Plugins come in all varieties, from very simple code modifications to complex software applications. If you have a basic grasp of how WordPress works and some simple PHP knowledge, you can create your own WordPress plugin.

As a plugin developer, there are many ways you can distribute your plugins. Anyone can submit a free plugin to the WordPress.org plugin directory, as long as they follow the WordPress plugin guidelines. This is a great way to gain experience and build a reputation for yourself as a WordPress plugin developer.

Once you’re ready to start selling premium plugins, you could use your existing WordPress blog to sell them. You’ll want to make sure that the plugin you create directly fulfills a need of your audience before offering it for sale. You can create a survey to see what problems they need to solve on their WordPress site, and then create a plugin that solves that problem.

You can then sell the plugin on your site using Easy Digital Downloads.

23. Sell WordPress Themes

If you enjoy web design and development, you could start creating your own WordPress themes to sell.

This requires both design and technical skills. You have to know how to create a good-looking design, and also how to code it for WordPress.

Using a WordPress theme framework such as Genesis can give you a head start. Then you’ll need to design and code a beautiful child theme.

24. Sell Graphics on Your WordPress Site

If you like design more than coding, another option is to design and sell graphics on your WordPress site.

You can create graphics such as stock images or logos and sell them on your site using an eCommerce plugin. You can also join online marketplaces to sell your graphics as well.

25. Accept Donations

Last but not least, one way you can make money from your WordPress blog is simply to ask for it.

You can begin accepting donations in a few different ways. You could add a Paypal donate button or a Stripe donate button to your website. Or for a more professional look and advanced features like email marketing integration, you could use WPForms to create a donation form on your WordPress site.

Donations are last on the list because of their limited effectiveness, since you have to rely on the generosity of your readers. It’s usually more lucrative to offer them something in return.

The post 25 Ways to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress appeared first on Cloudys®.

As this version is still a part of the Gutenberg project phase two, it features many block editor improvements, including backports from over 10 Gutenberg releases after WordPress 6.0. On top of that, it comes with the new Twenty Twenty-Three default theme.

Let’s discuss the new updates for WordPress 6.1.

New Twenty Twenty-Three Default Theme

Following the Twenty Twenty-Two block theme released with WordPress 5.9, 6.1 introduces a new default block theme called Twenty Twenty-Three.

It comes with eleven theme styles from the get-go, allowing you to easily switch the color scheme and typography via the global styles switcher feature. Even if you don’t want to use pre-defined theme styles, the wide variety of options is a great starting point for customization.

Another improvement in Twenty Twenty-Three is the typography. Not only do you get more font family options, but they are available across all eleven styles. This allows more freedom to mix and match the typography between styles.

Block Editor Improvements

With over 10 Gutenberg releases merged into the WordPress 6.1 core, we can see plenty of block editor improvements in the new version.

Improved Template Options

6.1 comes with two new template options – Page and Single Item: Post. The new version also streamlines the template creation process by automatically adding relevant patterns, so you no longer have to start from scratch.

For example, when you add the Single Item: Post template, it will start with block patterns that include post content, the comments query loop, and template parts such as the header and footer. From that point, you can start customizing the layout or design.

Another improvement is that you can choose to add the template to all items or a specific one. For example, when adding an author template, you’ll be prompted to choose whether the template will apply to all authors or just one.

As such, you can create tailored templates for Author, Category, and Single Item: Post.

In addition, there’s now the Custom template option allowing you to create a new template for any post or page. It will feature a pattern similar to the post template, but you can reconstruct it to suit whatever type of content.

Improved Block Locking

Block locking is a neat feature that ensures your content blocks won’t be accidentally deleted or moved. However, locking a nested block can take a lot of time as you have to lock all individual blocks one by one.

WordPress 6.1 introduces a new improvement to this system, allowing you to apply block locking to all elements inside a group block. This option will appear on the block locking pop-up when you want to lock a group block. You’ll see the Apply to all blocks inside toggle switch.

Content-Only Editing

WordPress 6.1 supports content-only editing for group, cover, and column blocks using the templateLock attribute. This lets you lock the content layout while writing, uploading images, or in any other way editing the content.

Patterns allow practical use of content-only editing. If a pattern uses a group block to contain several blocks, add the templateLock attribute to the pattern’s code and set it to contentOnly.

With that pattern active on the block editor, the design tools will be removed from the sidebar panel. Instead, you will see a list of the content blocks in the group. The toolbar will also contain no block-moving tools after selecting a block. With the feature active, you can freely edit the actual content.

You can temporarily disable content-only editing by clicking Modify on the group block’s toolbar. When disabled, you can access all design and layout tools for the group block and its components. Click Done on the group block’s toolbar to enable content-only editing again.

Updated Quote and List Blocks

Quote and list blocks can now contain inner blocks for more content flexibility.

The block inserter is now available in the quote block. You can use it to add any block in the quoted content by clicking the add block (+) icon or typing / in the quote block line.

For example, you can use this improvement to add a heading block before writing the text below or to incorporate an image in the quote block.

Multiple blocks inside the quote block allow you to easily rearrange the inner content. Use the block moving tools in the block toolbar to move a block up or down.

The list block now treats the items as individual blocks, resulting in a nested block structure. This allows for a more streamlined workflow as you can rearrange or remove list items more easily.

The improved list block uses a nested structure and treats the list items as individual blocks. The advantage is that you can rearrange or remove list items easily. The nested structure can also be seen from the block list view for easier bulk actions.

Featured Image in Cover Block Placeholder

The previous major WordPress release introduced featured image support to the cover block. However, users had to add an image and then replace it with the featured image using a button on the toolbar, resulting in an awkward workflow.

WordPress 6.1 comes with the option to use the featured image when you add a cover block. This way, you can set up the cover block easier and faster.

Design Tools Consistency

Starting with WordPress 6.1, we’ll see improvements in design tools consistency for more customization using the block editor without custom CSS. This will allow users to find certain tools for a specific block easier.

In 6.1, over 50 blocks have typography and color tools, over 40 have dimension tools, and 30 have all three. You can find a complete list of the design tools available for each block in the WordPress 6.1 Dev Notes.

Dimensions Settings Presets

WordPress 6.1 adds a slider with seven presets for dimensions settings, such as block spacing and margin. This allows users to set a value quickly and apply the same value for other blocks easily.

That said, there’s still a button to switch back to the old custom pixel field if you want to include custom values.

Updated Preview Button

The block editor’s Preview button is now labeled View, but it still functions similarly. It lets you choose between the editor’s desktop, tablet, and mobile views and open the preview in a new tab.

The only significant difference is the new View site option in the site editor, which will open your site in a new tab. In the previous WordPress version, you had to manually type your URL in a new tab or go back to the dashboard to visit your site.

Template Parts in Block Inserter

Template parts are now available in the block inserter. This makes it easier to create or customize new templates as you can insert them in a few clicks.

Moreover, with the existing options to create template parts from existing blocks, this feature can open more possibilities to utilize custom template elements.

New Preference Option

A new Always open list view option is available in the block editor preferences. To access it, click the Options button at the top-right corner of the editor and select Preferences.

By enabling this option, the list view will be opened by default when you open the block editor.

Updated Editor Details

New metrics have been added to the editor Details menu. Now you can see the Time to read information along with the word and character counts. This way, you can better estimate how long the content you’re writing will be and the time it will take to read it.

Post Summary Update

The Status & visibility section of the post editor is now called Summary. The post’s permalink and template settings are now within this section.

Theme Improvements

WordPress 6.1 brings a lot of enhancements to theme customization, including the improved global styles panel and custom starter patterns. Let’s overview all the theme improvements in the latest version.

Improved Global Styles

There are some new additions to the global styles interface.

The first one is the headings element that you can configure in the typography and color sections. In the previous version, headings followed the global text style, but in WordPress 6.1, you can make headings use different typography and colors throughout the website. This improves the workflow, as you no longer need to customize the heading blocks individually.

The Buttons element is now also available in the typography and color. Similar to the headings element, you can now set different typography and colors for the button’s text and background.

The next are the layout global styles. In the previous version, you could only change padding settings. WordPress 6.1 significantly improved on this by adding content area width and block spacing controls. The padding and block spacing controls also feature a slider with presets to simplify customization.

Starter Patterns for All Post Types

Theme authors and users can set up starter patterns for all post types to provide pattern options when creating a new post. 

This requires adding the patterns’ PHP files into the theme’s patterns folder. Such files contain code snippets that specify the pattern’s title and post type, followed by the pattern’s code.

Note that the new Twenty Twenty-Three theme already has the patterns folder by default. You may have to create the folder if you use another block theme.

For example, we can add a travel blog pattern from the WordPress pattern directory. First, we must create a PHP file called blog.php with the following code:

You can change the title and categories to your liking. The next step involves copying and pasting the pattern from the pattern directory into the file using the Copy Pattern button.

Paste the pattern on the blog.php file. Once done, the PHP file will look like this:

Save the file and open your WordPress admin panel. To confirm that the pattern has been registered, navigate to Posts -> Add New to create a new post. You should see a pop-up with a selection of the registered patterns.

You can add as many starter patterns as you want. To add more, create another PHP file for the pattern and repeat the steps. 

Fluid Typography

WordPress 6.1 introduces fluid typography support via the theme.json file. It enhances responsiveness as the text size will automatically adjust based on the user’s viewport.

To change the fluid typography settings in the theme.json file, include the fluid parameter in the settings.typography.fluid section. If you’re using an older block theme, it may have fluid typography disabled by default, but you can add the fluid parameter and set its value to true.

You can also disable fluid typography simply by setting the fluid value to false.

You can configure the size for fluid typography in the settings.typography.fontSizes section of the file. Here, you can set the minimum and maximum values for each font size and disable fluid typography for specific font sizes. 

For example, you can set the fluid typography size for the Normal font size by setting the fluid parameter value to true and specifying the minimum and maximum values. Then, disable fluid typography for the Large font size by setting a false value for the fluid parameter.

You can configure the text size for fluid typography in the settings.typography.fontSizes section.

Block-Based Template Part Support for Classic Themes

WordPress 6.1 also introduces the block-based template part support feature that expands classic theme usability with the block editor.

Enabling this feature takes two steps. First, you must add template part support by adding the following function to the theme’s functions.php file:

You’ll see the Template Parts option in the dashboard’s Appearance menu.

However, you’ll find no template parts options in the editor – you’ll have to add them manually by creating an HTML file in the parts folder within the theme’s root directory.

For example, we’ll add a footer template part to the Twenty Twenty-One theme. Start by creating an HTML file with the path of /public_html/wp-content/themes/twentytwentyone/parts/footer.html.

Paste the the following code snippet into the file:

Go back to the WordPress dashboard and navigate to Appearance -> Template Parts. You should see the footer template part is now available, and you can start editing it using the block editor.

You can add more HTML files in the parts folder to register more block-based template parts for the theme.

Block Theme Filters

Following the update to the WordPress theme repository, which features a new Block Themes filter, the WordPress dashboard has received a similar update.

When you navigate to Appearance -> Themes -> Add New, you can see the Block Themes filter.

How to Update to WordPress 6.1

Updating to WordPress 6.1 should only take a few minutes, and there are a few ways to do it easily. We recommend creating a backup and testing the new version in a staging environment before proceeding with the update on your main site.

This way, you’ll be sure that the new version works perfectly with your website’s content, themes, and plugins. 

Once you’re ready to proceed, choose one of the following ways to update WordPress:

• WordPress dashboard – go to the update page by navigating to Dashboard -> Updates or clicking the Please update now button on the top banner. Once you’re in the update page, click Update to version 6.1.
• Manual update – download the WordPress 6.1 files from WordPress.org. Extract the .zip file and delete the wp-content folder and wp-config-sample.php file. Then, use an FTP client or a file manager to overwrite the WordPress core files and folders, excluding the wp-content folder and wp-config-sample.php file.
• WordPress command-line interface (WP-CLI) – use SSH to access your website’s public_html root directory and run the wp core update command to perform the update.

Conclusion

WordPress 6.1 adds more enhancements to the block editor to simplify the workflow and introduce additional customization, such as an improved global styles panel and block locking features. The new version also comes with a new default theme and more options available in the theme.json file.

Update your site to WordPress 6.1 if you haven’t done so already. This way, you’ll benefit from the new features and protect yourself from potential vulnerabilities. Remember to back up your site and use a staging environment to test the latest version beforehand.

The post WordPress 6.1: What’s New in the New Major Release? appeared first on Cloudys®.

Often beginners don’t install updates because they are afraid of breaking their site. Updating your WordPress site in the correct order will help you prevent common errors and troubleshoot more easily.

In this article, we’ll show you the proper order for updating WordPress core, plugins, and themes.

Why Keep WordPress Up to Date?

It’s important to always use the latest version of WordPress. This will make sure your website has the latest security patches, newest features, and the best speed and performance.

Unfortunately, on rare occasions, updating WordPress or a plugin can break your website. This can happen if there’s a bug in the code or if the update introduces some kind of conflict with a theme or plugin.

That’s why we always recommend that you create a complete WordPress backup before performing any updates.

It’s also helpful to use the proper WordPress update order. You may be wondering whether it’s best to update WordPress core or your plugins first.

We recommend updating WordPress in this order:

1. First, update WordPress core.
2. Then update your plugins.
3. Finally, update your theme last.

Let’s take a look at the best order to update your WordPress website.

Before You Start, Make a Complete WordPress Backup

Before you update anything, it’s important to perform a full backup of your WordPress website. You should store the backup on your computer or in cloud storage, not just on your hosting server.

That’s because there is always some risk that an update may break your site, no matter how careful you are or which order you perform the updates.

A complete WordPress backup includes everything:

• Your WordPress database.
• All your images and media uploads.
• Your WordPress plugins and themes.
• Core WordPress files.

UpdraftPlus is one of the best WordPress backup plugin and is used by more than 3 million websites. You can use it to create a complete backup of your WordPress site and store it on the cloud or download it to your computer.

First, Update WordPress Core

If a new version of WordPress core is available, then you should update that first. This follows the update order as it is listed on the Dashboard » Updates page and helps minimize the risk to your site.

Because plugin and theme updates are tested to work with the latest WordPress version, you are less likely to have conflicts by updating your plugins and themes after the latest version of WordPress is installed.

The simplest way to update WordPress core is to navigate to the Dashboard » Updates page and then click the ‘Update Now’ button.

When you press ‘Update Now,’ WordPress will automatically put your site in maintenance mode, then fetch the latest version of the software and install it for you. You will see the update progress on your screen.

Advanced users can also update WordPress manually by downloading the latest version from the WordPress download page, and then logging into their WordPress hosting account and using FTP to upload the new WordPress files.

Troubleshooting a WordPress Core Update

Before you move on to update your plugins, you should first make sure that there are no problems with your website now that it is running the latest version of WordPress.

Simply visit your website in a new browser window to see if anything isn’t working or looks out of place. You should also review the settings in your WordPress admin area.

After That, Update Your Plugins

Once you have upgraded WordPress on your website, then you can update your plugins.

An easy way to do that is to scroll further down the Dashboard » Updates page to the ‘Plugins’ section.

Simply select the specific plugins you wish to update and click the ‘Update Plugins’ button. You can select all of the plugins listed by checking the ‘Select All’ box at the top of the list.

You may also notice a red number beside Plugins in the admin dashboard. Clicking inside will show you a yellow notice under each plugin that needs to be updated.

Then, all you have to do is click the ‘Update now’ link under any plugin you want to update without having to leave the page.

Troubleshooting a Plugin Update

As you did after updating WordPress core, you should visit your website in a new browser window to see if you encounter any error messages or other problems.

You may sometimes discover that one of your plugins is not compatible with the latest WordPress version.

If the plugin is from the WordPress Plugin Directory, then you can contact the developer using the site’s support forum. Otherwise, check the official website for support information.

If no further development is planned, then you will need to look for a different plugin that performs the same task.

Finally, Update Your Theme

After you have updated WordPress core and your plugins, and you have checked that your website is working, you can update your theme, if an update is available.

However, when you update a theme, you will overwrite the existing theme files with new ones and lose any changes you made.

Once you are ready to update your theme, you can simply scroll to the ‘Themes’ section at the bottom of the Dashboard » Updates page.

Once there, you can select the themes you want to update, then click the ‘Update Themes’ button. The ‘Select All’ checkbox will automatically select all available theme updates.

Alternatively, you can navigate to Appearance » Themes in your admin area. If any updates are available, you will notice a red number next to ‘Themes’ in the admin sidebar.

Simply click the ‘Update now’ link above any theme you wish to update.

Troubleshooting Your Theme Update

Troubleshooting a theme update is similar to troubleshooting a plugin update. You should start by visiting your website in a new browser window to see if there are error messages or other problems.

If there are, check the error to find a solution, or reach out to the developer for help.

If the theme is from the WordPress Theme Directory, then you can contact the developer using the support forum for that theme. Otherwise, check the official website for support information.

What Is the Proper WordPress Update Order?

In conclusion, let’s summarize the proper order to update your WordPress website:

• First, you should back up your website.
• Then, update the core WordPress files.
• Next, update your plugins.
• Finally, update your theme.

Always make sure your website is working properly before moving on to the next step.

Of course, if there is no update for WordPress core, then you can update your plugins or theme whenever new versions become available.

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