In today’s digital world, content is king. Useful content motivates a visitor to read, engage, purchase, and most importantly return. Have you ever been on someone’s blog and interacted with a photo gallery or embedded video? These elements provide functionality to a site’s core mission of enticing readers and users.
The open-source nature of CMSs like WordPress allows for the complete customization and scalability of your website. If you are unable to create the custom code needed, plugins and widgets can come in handy.
Plugins are third party software developed to improve performance and to provide functionality like providing forms, rotating photos, setting up spam filters, and photo galleries. If it operates in the background of a website, it’s a plugin.
One type of plugin that includes a combination of HTML/CSS and JavaScript is the widget. Widgets are interactive elements that provide additional functionality like social icons or a search bar. If your user can use it, it’s a widget.
Videos are a great way to engage with an audience on your blog. One way to embed videos into your site layout is using an iFrame. An iFrame is an element in web design that can be used to “house” linked materials as a target frame for a link.
How to insert a video from YouTube into a WordPress blog using iFrame:
Locate the video you wish to share
Click the “Share” button below the video
From the listed shareable options, choose Embed.
Copy the iFrame code (in the right upper corner of the window) and return to WordPress.
Open a blog post editor
On the top right nav bar, choose More Tools & Options
Insert the iFrames code
Save Draft
Widgets allow users to interact with your content across multiple platforms. Social media can be integrated directly into your blog or linked to open in a new tab.
To insert a Twitter feed directly onto your blog, use a widget.
Copy the Twitter URL you want to embed and paste it in Publish Twitter.
Choose how you would like the tweets to be displayed.
Navigate to the Appearance option on the sidebar and select Customize
Select Widgets and choose where you would like your twitter widget to display. For this, I chose the sidebar.
Select the + button and select Custom HTML.
Paste the copied code.
Save.
Note: the widget worked for me in the preview window, but not on my main blog because my current theme doesn’t support it.
To add social buttons in your footer (or any other nav bar you want)
Navigate to Appearance and select Customize
Go to Widgets and select where you want your social icons to be displayed. For me, I chose the footer of my blog.
Click the + icon and search Social Icons
Click the second + that appears in the sidebar and choose what social platform you want to link to. My first choice was Vimeo.
Select the icon and paste the site you want to link to in the dialogue box.
Save changes
Recently, I added a portfolio section to my blog. To better display that section and encourage users to explore more of what my portfolio has to offer, I added a gallery to the sidebar of my blog.
To do this, once again navigate to the Appearance section and select Customize.
Go to Widgets and select where you would like your gallery displayed. I decided to feature mine in the Sidebar.
Click the + icon and select Gallery
Upload the images you would like to appear in your gallery.
Once you have your images uploaded, select the Transform To icon in the corner left and select Widget Group.
Now you will have the option to title the gallery.
Save your changes.
It’s good to note that to add plug-ins to WordPress sites you need a paid subscription. Since I am currently using the free version, I am limited in how I can customize my blog. Adding functionality to your site personalizes your content, creates a more interactive space, and delivers an overall more enjoyable user experience.
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