plugins, add-ons + extras

There are 2 ways that any podcaster or site owner can add audio to their site — with an mp3 file link or through SoundCloud. The difference between the 2 has a lot to do with the size of the file. But also if you’re going to embed audio onto WordPress a lot versus once or twice. Embed an audio file If you have a single audio file to share with your audience, you can more than likely upload it to your Media Library without too much trouble. (But make…

This isn’t about adding social sharing buttons to your blog posts. If you want to do that, check out how to add branded social sharing icons to your site. This post is all about embedding your social media feeds + content directly into your WordPress website. This post covers options the 4 most popular social networks for business — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram + Pinterest. Facebook To add your Facebook business page feed to your site, you can’t go wrong with the Custom Facebook Feed plugin. It’s easy to use +…

I’ll be honest, before I thought to embed Calendly on my site, I did the email dance more than I’d like to admit. It goes like this…. Handfuls of emails between grown-ass adults who are trying to nail down a date, time + spot for their upcoming meeting. It’s laughable when you think about it, but not when you’re in the middle of it. Thankfully systems like Calendly exist to make this dance a thing of the past, and I’m going to tell you exactly how to use this system….

There are a handful of ways you can embed video into WordPress. In fact, they made it even easier with Gutenberg. But before I dig into how you add videos to your site, I want to first touch base on an important topic — where you store your videos. There are a few great resources for uploading video content, like YouTube, Vimeo + Wistia. Notice how I didn’t list your website as one of them? That’s because it’s almost always a bad idea to upload video content directly to your server…

With so many options available to you, how do you know what plugin to pick? You could do research on plugins until you’re blue in the face. But instead try focusing on these key questions to ensure your choice is a good one for your online business. 1. What problem am I trying to solve? To start off our plugin pondering, it’s best to take a step back + first get a clear picture on what problem you are solving. Because knowing what you are trying to accomplish will help…

I’m a bit of a collector. Growing up I had a stamp, rock, bracelet + beanie baby collection. As a teenager my biggest collection was my kangaroo shoes — the ones with the pockets — I had 21 different pairs at my craziest proudest moment. So when you keep hoarding your WordPress themes like they’re gonna suddenly stop making them, I get it. I really do. But today’s dose of tough love is that you do not need more than 3 themes installed on your site, ever. And many of…

Install Jetpack on your site First things first, you’ll need to install Jetpack on your site. (If you already have it installed — check by going to Plugins > Installed Plugins — you can skip to the next step.) I use + recommend Jetpack for a number of reasons. One, it’s built by a great team + constantly being updated. Two, it offers a variety of useful features meaning you can install one plugin + likely remove 3 others that were single purpose. (Need to spring clean your site?) And…

Backup Buddy It shouldn’t be a secret that I love + talk non-stop about Backup Buddy. if you are interested in peace of mind when it comes to your website, this is the app for you. Automatic backups can be scheduled to run whenever you want them to — and you can send those backups offsite for even more security. Gravity Forms If I’m building a site for someone with a form +/or opt-in on it, you can bet that I’m using Gravity Forms. {Unless they use Ontraport since those…

One use for Gravity Forms: client intake I use Gravity Forms for a lot of things around my site, but the options it gives me for client intake is worth the cost alone. It starts simple enough, with a contact form that I direct all leads to. Ask the right questions The questions + options on the form help me better understand whether or not I’m the right fit for the project as well as what the person reaching out is looking for. Thanks to the conditional settings, I can…