Recently, one of the most popular and secure cloud storages -Dropbox- announced that they move to a API V2 and that API V1 will not longer supported. Thus, all apps developers should make some changed in their apps and plugins to avoid troubles in the future, to let their users to continue using their favourite services. Backup & Restore Dropbox plugin for wordpress is one of the most popular and successful plugins that allows to backup wp site files and database to Dropbox made all possible to let their users to use their favourite backup plugin without problems, keep saving files on dropbox, restore and migrate wp site. Dropbox API V2 is available in Backup & Restore Dropbox starting from Version 1.6. (September 28, 2017). For an appropriate plugin work all users should use no less than Ver. 1.6 - wordpress.org/plugins/dropbox-backup/ Using this plugin you can enjoy its professional and reliable features like unlimited local backups and dropbox backups, unlimited restores from local server and from dropbox, connect to your own App using App key and App secret. To enjoy top features like schedule automated backups on particular date and time you have to upgrade to PRO, as well as you will have a great chance to migrate automatically without wasting time on manual file transfer through FTP. Backup & Restore Dropbox for wordpress can do it automatically just clicking on one button. Let's see how to connect Dropbox Full Backup plugin to a new version of Dropbox Platform API V2. Make sure you are logged in at necessary dropbox account at dropbox.com 1. Open Settings box in your Dropbox Full Backup plugin main window 2. Hit Connect to Dropbox button 3. In dropped new window push Allow (means you allow access to your Dropbox account where you want to save files). 4. In new window you will see a code. Highlight it, make a right mouse click to copy it 5. Paste this code in to Dropbox Full Backup Settings box into the field Enter code and hit Get access token That is all. Now you can confidently use the plugin to backup, restore and migrate.
If you want to use the plugin to backup multiple websites, you can use online service at www.webpage-backup.com. But first, install free plugin version on your wp site.
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The most effective plugins to link WordPress internally Recently we have talked and internal links and their privileges for blogs and sites. I promised that will tell about the most effective plugins for internal linking. So, today is that day. There are two ways to build links at website: manually or automatically. Manual variant is nice but it requires much time and it is not easy to link all relevant posts and pages if you have a big blog / website, you simply can get lost in your content. Once Matt Cutts said: Link-building is Sweat plus Creativity. Not to waste too much time sweating, it's better to use plugin that will link relevant website posts and pages automatically. 1. SEO Post Content Links Content Links is SEO plugin for internal website optimization that builds link-anchors from keywords that you can type manually or the plugin can generate them automatically for you for each post or page you need. You can link internally posts, pages and categories within one website, as well as create links to H-tags. The plugin will search relevant words and build links to post or page logically. There is a way to make a list of bad words or black words that you want to exclude from link-building. Professional Content Links version allows to customize link-building to any taste and need:
This SEO plugin has very user-friendly, clear interface and settings area that helps quickly setup necessary configurations. I like that during link-building I can see running logs. So even if something goes wrong I can understand the reason. But in my case, everything was in success. 2. SEO Smart Links This SEO plugin creates anchors from keywords to the promoting page. This relinking is automated, you just have to make some configurations based on your needs and purposes and launch the process. You can build internal links to page and posts of your site. Setting up the plugin correctly, it will make a link automatically from each article in which he finds a direct entry of the keyword, for example "gyro-scooter" to it from the given page. While there can be a lot of such pages, an automatic work will save a lot of time. This plugin has a lot of settings but most of them are necessary, Let us check the main useful features:
There is one not good fact that this plugin was updated 3 years ago. So quite a long time. 3. Wordpress Related Posts Related Posts displays similar WordPress entries on pages with articles with links to materials close to the topic of the publication at the end of which they are presented. It creates a list of related posts in the end of the page that the user might like. thus if a user read your post about "WordPress", you can suggest to read about "Useful WordPress plugins", "Awesome WordPress themes", "WordPress SEO", etc. The more user reads and travel around your website, the better it is for your website. Main Features:
Finalizing. These are the TOP 3 plugins for effective internal links of wordpress site or blog. SEO Post Content Links and Seo Smart links create links right in the text, thus while reading your article user can click at the link to open related post in new tab to read more material. Wordpress Related Posts creates a section of related posts links and titles. As a rule it is located in the end of the page. Not all users scroll down the page, so it reduces the chances that this section with related posts will be often founded by users. The optimal solution for me is SEO Content Links. It is up to you what to choose, I just share my experience and thoughts. I hope you found this article informative and helpful. Do not forget to leave likes and share with friends. Learn more about internal links importance. You can customize chat window design the way you want as it allows the whole spectrum of colours, size, positions, texts, avatars, signatures, chatbox types, animated bubbles. Even if the chat is offline there is the way for customer to leave you his / her name, email, phone number, etc to contact again. Supports automatic change of chat status that is very convenience for busy people and big companies.Let's imagine for a second that your customer is about to purchase a beautiful shirt online, and while he or she is still wondering if the shirt is as nice as it looks, a welcoming and smiling face pops up on the bottom of the page asking if the customer needs any assistance. If the client does oblige, his /her worries are immediately taken care of. Now that's the magic of the online chat. It gives the customer a great feeling of satisfaction. Live chat can be imagined as the addition of a digital equivalent of salesperson attending to the immediate needs of website visitors helping them in the end to have a good day. This usually makes a difference as your welcoming nature could swing doubtful or undecided customers your way or away from you. Live Chat chat makes it easy for you as a web owner to improve the lives of your customers faster. It prevents a backlog of delayed answers, angry customers, and lost opportunities. Why Live Chat is a Necessity on Your Website? In our current age, everyone wants everything instantly, hence the need to pay attention to the growing population of online customers and more customers want the live chat option than ever before. Other forms of communication like the use of e-mails, phones, etc are great, but takes more time to get a response. Calling a customer care support hotline offers a more instant approach, but then customers would still have to be on-hold most times. When a potential customer has a question or an existing customer needs something fixed, they can easily get in contact with your support staff without leaving your website or waiting. Now, I would like to depict the best live chat plugins to my opinions that performs good job and include a good set of necessary features. Chat – Live Chat, Support, Sales Chat - Live Chat, Support, Sales is a stunning multifunctional chat tool for customer support, compatible with the woo-commerce. Versions: Free/Pro Active Installs: +8000 Rating: 4.9/5 Support Team: yes Site: https://www.wp-chat.com This is the way admin area look like. In front of each website you can make settings that you need for that very website. You can chat in special chat room and view some data about customer. PRO allows much wider opportunities. You can customize chat window design the way you want as it allows the whole spectrum of colors, size, positions, texts, avatars, signatures, chatbox types, animated bubbles. Even if the chat is offline there is the way for customer to leave you his / her name, email, phone number, etc to contact again. Supports automatic change of chat status that is very convenience for busy people and big companies. All chat histories are saved in archives as well as customer can also get the copy of his chat history to the desired email. Message delivery is instant without delays, for sure depends on your internet connection. One more important things about this live chat is chat apps for Apple and Android smartphones to be aways in touch with clients. Summary: awesome plugin that even in free version offers enough features to chat instantly, pretty design, multilingual interface, easy and convenient independent chatroom. WP Live Chat Support WP-LiveChat - cute plugin for wordpress website with interesting style. Versions: Free / Pro Active installs: 30.000+ Rating: 4.5/5 Support Team: yes Click install and chat is on my site. Fast. This plugin does not require registration on third-party services and sites, all functionality will be in your wordpress admin panel. The way chatroom looks like: You can choose a place on the site where the chat will be displayed, you can select the color of the chat widget, chose from the already created color themes or create your own, set up introductory text, chose animation you want the chat window appear on the website. You can enable or disable chat on mobile devices, there is a feature of offline mode, when you are not in place, you will also be able to send messages. If you have missed chats there is not problem as they are recorded in database and you can view them. Summary: interesting chat-box style, nice idea of viewing missed and offline chats, but quite expensive paid version as for 1 domain, as well as limited free functions. free version allows only 1 agent. Zendesk Chat Zendesk Chat - is reliable and easily scalable online consultant. Versions: Lite / Basic / Pro Active installs: 90.000+ Rating: 4 /5 Support Team: yes, 24/5 Easy to install on wordpress without any code or whatever. There is a convenient offline mode, personal greetings for visitors, automatic translation of the chat into the desired language, powerful chat templates. The PRO trial period is given for 14 days to try all possible features, and after that they will be limited according to each tariff. There are three basic tariffs: lite, basic and advanced. Tariff Lite (free) includes the ability to work only one operator, one chat at a time. The history is stored for 14 days. In the base rate there are no restrictions on the number of chats, you can already customize your widget. It's great for small teams. Advanced is more suitable for large companies - it can create an unlimited number of departments, there are weekly analytical reports. The cost of a basic and advanced tariff is calculated based on the number of operators that will operate on the network. As you can see all settings you can do in a convenient personal cabinet in the form of a web application. Also you can work with visitors of your site through the application for Android and iPhone. Live Chat by Formilla – Real-time Chat Plugin Live Chat by Formilla - is a nice chat service to communicate in real-time from pc or mobile. Versions: Free / Premium / Premium Plus Active installs: 9.000+ Rating: 5/5 Support Team: yes Formilla allows your support agents to communicate with multiple clients at the same time, through stunning applications for iOS, Android, and PC. It provides features that can track visitor activity, offline status (along with user messages, mail forms, visitor statistics), chat queue management, auto-response, select colors to design chatbox, using images as agent avatar, etc. As for me the installation process was not so nice and easy, requiring to copy and paste Code ID. Summary: cute chat service, seemed to be a little bit complicated, last updates was 7 month ago that is an a close to call for me. Also was impressed with costs that are only for one agent. The more agents the higher price. Tawk.to Live Chat Tawk.to Live Chat is a well-designed free chat service for real-time chat and visitor monitoring. Versions: Free Active installs: 80.000+ Rating: 5/5 Support Team: yes This is a positive chat plugin that allows to carry on unlimited chats and agents, provides free mobile apps for Apple and Android to communicate with guests even on the go. What is nice about this plugin is that it is easy to install, easy to customize chat widget using various colors from its own dashboard. I told it is positive as it allows to use emoji and attach files during the chat. It is awesome to track visitors, check missed and offline messages, even evaluate user satisfaction. You can create triggers and send to the visitor to attract attention after he/she spends some time on the website. If you have any spaming user or someone who annoys you, you can simply ban him/her. You can manage all settings and chats from special dashboard app at https://dashboard.tawk.to/ Summary: positive chat plugin to talk and monitor website visitors for free. Wise Chat Wise Chat is smart tool to support website visitors in real-time. Versions: Demo / Paid Active installs: 10.000+ Rating: 4,5/5 Support Team: yes Well, one more chat service with positive appearance. However, this chat service offers demo service that is does not let to know the chat as I wished. All features are available in PRO license that is given for one domain and includes the following options: use of avatars, BuddyPress integration, themes, emoji, private messages, multi-site support, automatically bans users who use offensive words, all chats are archived. It also allows to attach files and images. Looks pretty good for personal usage. Summary: looks more like awesome chat for chat with friends, last update was 4 months ago. Live Chat WP live chat software for WordPress Live Chat - WP live chat software for WordPress is an easy to install and customize live chat plugin to communicate with website guest, as well as to create and manage ticket system. Versions: Free / Paid Active installs: 10.000+ Rating: 5/5 Support Team: yes You can sign in you live chat app or install desktop app to chat with customers. This Live Chat allows to choose desired chatbox design from its templates and select colors, create some kind of texts to engage customers, setup chatbox automatic pop-up. You can install chat mobile application to chat with visitors, view some analytics about them, add agents. Summary: nice ready chatbox templates, good idea to show analytics, could be nice if you need ticket system for your tech support.
Wrapping up: Live Chat is an amazing way to support customers, influence their decisions as for purchase, thus increasing sales. Live Chat is an essential software for any business and online stores to increase sales, convert visitors into regular customers, perform more successful sales. Welcome the most reliable wordpress plugins to backup to Dropbox Recently, we've discussed the definition for plugin and I've shared the list of my first plugins, installed to my wordpress. Today I want to review some of the best, the TOP plugins that protect any website / blog from data loss. As you've already guessed it is about our awesome wordpress backup plugins. Actually, there exist 2 methods to backup website data: manual backup (with the help of phpMyAdmin, FTP, Host or cPanel) and more or less automatic (using plugins). The second method is faster, more convenient and simple awesome, sure if you use correct tool. That is why ensconce yourself cosily and learn about them. Why it is better to keep your data at Dropbox you would ask me. Nowadays, Dropbox is the most powerful and safety cloud storage to keep all possible data for free (it gives 2 GB of space for free). So, today in this post we will discuss tools that help to save files at Dropbox quickly, safely and freely. Before to start the list of backup plugins, it is necessary to remind that you should create Dropbox Account at www.dropbox.com if you have none. This list of backup plugins is based on the number of active installs, reviews and rating. All the reviewed plugin have Free and Premium version with various functionality. I will start with the cheapest that are awesome and includes useful features. 1. Backup & Restore Dropbox. Backup & Restore Dropbox (www.webpage-backup.com) is a very user-friendly backup plugin that brilliantly performs not only dropbox backups but also local backups (saved at webserver). It allows to make backups as much as possible without limits. The only limit can be your own hosting disk space or Dropbox Account storage limit. The plugin itself does not place any limites for backup creation or restores. KEY FREE FEATURES:
There are 2 paid versions. 1) Online Service www.webpage-backup.com. It works the following way. You register your website in system. Then you put money at your own account (minimum $10). The cost of each successful task (backup / restore) is $ 0,50. This service is awesome to backup multiple websites. You can manage all backups for all your websites from one account that is quite convenient. KEY FEATURES:
2) Standalone PRO plugin version. You can get this plugin version from the free plugin in your wp dashboard. This versions provides license only for 1 domain, costs $29. KEY PRO FEATURES:
Summing up. Pretty attractive set of features to backup and restore without limits even in free, necessary for any user. Fast backup creation, adequate cost, very awesome and user-friendly interface. 2. WordPress Backup and Migrate Plugin – BackupGuard BackupGuard has simple interface, allows to make unlimited backups for free but unfortunately only local. KEY FREE FEATURES
KEY PRO FEATURES. There are 3 paid packages: 1) license for 2 sites, for backups and restores, backup customization, website migration,only backup to Dropbox and FTP only for $9.95 2) license for 5 sites, incl. all mentioned info before plus backups and restores to more storages 29.95 like (Google Drive. Amazon) 3) license for unlimited sites for $79,95.
Summing up. In general the plugin is fast in backup creation, but in free version it makes only local backup copy. To backup to Dropbox, etc you need PRO. It makes backup in its own archive format, that is for me also not very nice. BackUpWordPress. BackUpWordpress is a nice plugin to backup website manually and automatically, quickly and to many remote directions that are only paid. For free you can backup only on your server. KEY FREE FEATURES
KEY PRO FEATURES. The plugin has 3 paid tariffs. 1) Single License for one domain for one remote destination. You can choose to which storage service you want to backup up your single website. You can choose from (Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, FTP/sFTP, Dreamhost DreamObjects, Rackspace Cloud, or Microsoft Azure). This package costs $29 for 1 year. 2) Multi-site License for 5 domains and still to one remote destination (Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, FTP/sFTP, Dreamhost DreamObjects, Rackspace Cloud, or Microsoft Azure). Costs $79 for one year. 3) License for unlimited websites to all remove directions. The cost is $129 for 1 year. Summing up. Many installs and good rating, like the idea to schedule backups in free, but would like to choose particular dates. There is no automatic restore. You have to do it manually via FTP. UpdraftPlus. UpdraftPlus Backup Plugin is one of the most popular and used backup plugin on wordpress that provides a set of features to backup, restore and migrate websites. KEY FREE FEATURES
KEY PRO FEATURES: ($70-145)
As for me this interface was not so clear. I started the backup and for 20 min it has not been completed. All I saw is "No backup has been completed". In addition, I had problem to backup to Amazon. However, there was a notification that the backup was successful but it has not displayed in my Amazon storage. That is strange. Hope you will not face such problems. MY CONCLUSION: Today we have considered 4 the most popular, the most high-rated backup plugins for wordpress. All of them have something awesome in their interface and work. It is not easy to select the best one, but especially for me the most user-friendly was Backup & Restore Dropbox. It seems even blind can use it. I liked the idea of unlimited backups and restores to Dropbox and Server and from Dropbox and from Server, automatic backups, migration. So I believe it is the most necessary and useful features for every webmaster. Would be nice to add more storages, however Dropbox is the most popular and secure. What is a sitemap and why it is so vital to make it? In this article I am going to highlight what sitemap is, why your wordpress website should have sitemap.xml and show you some methods how to create it. Well, Sitemap is a document owing to which webmaster can inform search engines about website pages, available for crawling. It is one of the most easiest and primary methods to increase your wordpress website rank in search engines. There exist one more way to improve website optimization and increase indexing is to build internal links, but it is not the topic of this article and I will tell about it a little bit later. XML sitemap contains information about pages and records of your site, the date of their modification and page priority. Sitemap performs some more useful actions for sites:
Now comes another question: How and where to create sitemap for wordpress website? METHOD 1. Using wp plugins. Owing to some wordpress plugins this process can be very easy. I will tell about the best ones. . . It is the most popular wp plagin with 2+ mln installs. It creates xml sitemap that helps the biggest search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, Ask.com) crawl website pages. You create sitemap only once and then the plugin will renew it automatically every time you make changes at your website. Regularly updated and tested with Wordpress 4.8. 2. WP Sitemap Page . In this plugin you have to use its shortcode and paste it to the pages that you want to index. This plugin generates HTML sitemap. However, these sitemaps cannot be presented to search engines, but it helps to improve relations between users and website, making it easier for them to fine your pages and posts. Last update a year ago and tested with WordPres 4.6.6 that is not very good. 3. Simple Sitemap . It generates HTML sitemap for WordPress. You can choose whether to display pages and records in one list, or group them by taxonomy using the drop-down list. The sitemap is created by one column, which is placed on pages, in records and even in side panels. You can also add a shortcut plug-in to the text widgets. Generator sitemap allows you to select the order in which pages and a note will be displayed. Updated 4 months ago and tested with Wordpress 4.7.5. 4.Simple Wp Sitemap . This plugin generates both xml and html sitemaps that as all above listed renews sitemaps automatically after each website content update. Updated 2 months ago and compatible with Wordpress 4.8. METHOD 2.
Using Google Webmaster Console. In Google Webmaster Tools section, you can submit a map of your site by following these steps:
You can submit XML sitemap using Bing Webmaster Tools:
Wrapping up. There exist many different methods to increase website indexing. Today we have learnt about sitemaps and how to submit them to let search bots crawl the website. I'd recommend to use wp plugins for this purpose as they help to index website for the most popular search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing. It is more time-saving than to do it manually, moreover the process of map refreshment is automatic, otherwise you have to go to Webmaster Search Console to resubmit sitemap. But anyway it is up to you what method to choose. Essential wordpress plugins for new blog When you build a website at any platform you can be offered to use extra additions for your website. In Wordpress platform such additions are called PLUGINS. Plugin is defined as a small software addition that improves website work, providing it with additional features that extend website operation and functionality. Wordpress is considered to be CMS platform with the biggest number of free and paid additions for different purposes and needs. When you are ready with website design, content, etc there is the right time to add necessary plugins that will secure your website and give additional functionality. But what plugins should be added first of all? I would recommend to activate the following plugins at once. 1)WP Super Cache - will let identify and delete the cache on your site, clean up your site. 2)Akismet - will protect your website from spamming in comments. 3)Backup & Restore Dropbox - will create backup copy of your website files and database and restore it if necessary. 4)File Manager -will let you easily delete, download, extract, rename files without FTP. 5)Website Analytics - will let your easily see website stats. There is nothing easiest than to add plugin in wordpress dashboard. Follow the steps to activate essential wp plugins:
OR you can open www.wordpress.org in your browser and search for a plugin you need. At the plugin page you can "Download" the plugin. After the plugin *zip.file is downloaded to your device, you will have to upload *zip.archive to your wordpress dashboard. Have a look at the screenshots below:
It is a typical plugin activation process for all plugins. Some of them would require authorization or create account, for some it is enough to hit install and activate buttons. When you activate the plugin, it will appear in the list of <Installed plugins>. Owing to various plugins you can create really secure and beautiful website. But you also should note that some plugins may effect your website speed, so it's better to use only necessary plugins and do not overload website with addons.
What is your essential plugins you can't live without? Share them in your comments ;) |