Website Notification Bars Sticky Bars

Website Notification Bars (Sticky Bars): The Ultimate Guide

Have you noticed those little bars at the top or bottom of websites? Those are website notification bars.

Imagine you’re browsing the web and see a small bar appear at the top( or bottom) of the screen. This is a website notification bar, also sometimes called a sticky bar or a website notification banner. It’s a handy tool websites use to grab your attention and share important information.

This guide will be your one-stop shop for everything about notification bars! We’ll answer questions like:

  • What is a website notification bar?
  • What does a notification bar look like? (We’ll even show you some website notification bar examples!)
  • How do I make a notification bar for my website? (We’ll cover options like WordPress notification bar plugins, website notification bar generators, and even how to make a sticky bar on scroll!)

By the end of this guide, you’ll be a notification bar pro, ready to create your own or understand how they work when you encounter them on other websites.

An extensive collection of creative website notification bars!

Notification bar templates

What is a Website notification bar (sticky Bar)?

Have you ever visited a website and seen a small bar appear at the top or bottom of the screen? That’s a website notification bar, also known as a sticky bar or an announcement bar.

These bars are a popular way for websites to grab your attention and share important information.

Notification bar example from ikea
Website notification bar example from Ikea

Notification Bar Use Cases

Think of them like mini billboards on a website. You can use them for a variety of purposes, such as:

  • Announcing exciting news: You can highlight new features, product updates, or special promotions with a notification bar.
  • Sharing important updates: Do you have a temporary change in hours or a new shipping policy? A notification bar can keep visitors informed.
  • Encouraging visitors to take action: Do you want people to sign up for your email list or check out a new blog post? A clear call to action in a notification bar can help!
  • Growing your email list: As a subset of lead generation, a notification bar can be an effective tool to encourage visitors to subscribe to your email list, thereby building a direct communication channel with your audience.
  • Increasing your sales: Notification bars can promote limited-time offers, discounts, or flash sales, driving urgency and encouraging visitors to make a purchase.
  • Flexible applications based on need and creativity: Depending on your specific requirements and creative ideas, notification bars can be adapted for various other applications.

Whether it’s directing traffic to a specific section of your website, conducting surveys, or providing real-time alerts, the possibilities are vast.

Difference Between Notification Bars and Popups

Here’s what makes website notification bars different from pop-up ads:

  • Less intrusive: Notification bars are typically smaller and less disruptive than pop-up ads.
  • More focused: You can use them to target specific messages to visitors, making them more relevant.

Notification Banner Best Practices

Here are some key things to keep in mind when using website notification bars:

  • Keep it short and sweet: Don’t overload the bar with long text. Get straight to the point!
  • Clear call to action: Tell visitors what you want them to do next, whether it’s visiting a page, signing up for something, or making a purchase.
  • Easy to dismiss: People should be able to easily close the notification bar if they don’t want to see it anymore.
  • Match your brand: Use colors and fonts that are consistent with your website’s overall design.

There are many ways to create website notification bars. Some website builders have them built-in, or you can use a WordPress notification bar plugin for easy creation. There are even free website notification bar generators available online.

Website notification bar Examples! (what does notification bars look like)

Let’s dive into some real-world examples of website notification bars (sticky bars) and explore how they’re used to engage visitors:

1. experiments with google

website notification bar example from google

This notification bar from Google cleverly taps into curiosity.

It uses a question to pique visitors’ interest and then directs them to a specific landing page (g.co/labs) for more information.

This is a great example of how notification bars can be used to promote new features or initiatives.

2. urban outfitters

WordPress notification bar example from urban outfitters

This notification bar from Urban Outfitters focuses on a clear benefit for shoppers: free next-day delivery.

It includes a specific price point (12 euros) and a timeframe (a year) to make the offer even more enticing. This is a classic example of using notification bars to drive sales and encourage subscriptions.

3. payPal

website notification banner example from paypal

PayPal uses a double dose of notification bars here. The first one targets users based on their location, encouraging them to switch to a specific regional site for potentially more relevant offerings.

The second bar focuses on business users, prompting them to sign up for a business account if they want to connect PayPal to their online store.

This demonstrates how notification bars can be customized to target different visitor segments.

4. Profile pic maker

wordpress  notification banner example from profile pic maker

This notification bar from Profile Pic Maker uses a combination of elements to grab attention:

  • Highlighting benefits: “Higher quality” and “premium” suggest a better product.
  • Discount offer: 30% off incentivizes users to take action.
  • Focus on AI: “AI headshots” taps into a trendy technology.

This example shows how notification bars can be used to promote premium features or upgrades.

5. All Modern

website notification bar example

This notification bar from All Modern is packed with information, showcasing several offerings at once. It highlights product categories (living room collection, sofas), price points (starting at $995), and additional services (free design service, free shipping).

While this approach can be informative, it’s important to strike a balance to avoid overwhelming visitors. Consider A/B testing different notification bar formats to see what resonates best with your audience.

how to make notification bars for a WordPress website?

So, you’ve seen the power of website notification bars (also known as sticky bars or website notification banners) and want to leverage them on your own WordPress website. These handy tools are a great way to grab attention and promote important messages to your visitors.

The good news is, creating a notification bar for your WordPress site is easier than you might think if you use the right tools! There are several methods at your disposal:

  • WordPress Notification Bar Plugins: These plugins offer a user-friendly way to design and implement notification bars without needing to code. They often come with a variety of templates, customization options, and display rules to target specific parts of your website.
  • Website Notification Bar Generator: For a quick and easy solution, online notification bar generators allow you to create a basic bar with limited customization options. You can then copy the generated code and paste it into your WordPress site.

We’ll explore each of these methods in detail throughout this guide, so you can choose the approach that best suits your comfort level and website needs.

creating a sticky bar using a WordPress Notification Bar Plugin: Depicter

In this section, we’ll walk you through creating a notification bar (sticky bar) for your WordPress website using Depicter, a popular WordPress notification bar plugin.

Depicter offers a user-friendly interface and a variety of features to customize your bar’s appearance and functionality.

1. Install and Activate Depicter

In WordPress Dashboard, head to plugins, then add new.

Then search for “Notification Bar” or “Depicter” in the search bar. You will see Depicter in the top results.

Install and activate to plugin to get started.

Install and Activate Depicter
Install and Activate Depicter

2. Create a notification bar (sticky bar/ Notification banner)

In Depicter dashboard, look for Notification bar, to see the templates. Or you can click on “Create A Blank” to start creating one from scratch.

In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the easiest way possible; Using a ready-made template.

Create a notification bar

Browse through the templates, preview them, and choose one to your liking.

Once you import your template, you can customize it to your liking. Let’s go ahead and see what you can control in your notification banner.

3. Website Notification Bar Settings and Options

Once you’re done customizing the overall appearance of your website notification bar or sticky bar, it’s time to configure some option of your notification banner.

Options -> General

  1. Notification Bar Placement: Here you can set where your Notification bar or notification banner appears; Either at the top of the screen or at the bottom.
  2. Notification Bar Position:
    • Set the notification banner to be “fixed,” “sticky,” or “static.”
    • You can enable the “force full width (stretch) option.
    • Enable the adaptive height.
  3. Notification Bar Space: Set the space above your sticky bar.
  4. Notification Bar Size: Set the width a height of your notification bar.
  1. Notification Bar Responsive Size: Make your notification banner responsive by giving a width and height value for every device.
  2. Notification Bar Backdrop:
    • Enable the “Display backdrop.”
    • Set a color for your backdrop.
    • Set the blur intensity of the backdrop.
  3. Vertical Margin:
    • Set a vertical margin for your notification banner.
    • Enable/ disable the Notification bar shadow.
    • Set a notification bar border if you wish.
    • Specify a corner radius value.

Options -> Behavior

  1. Notification Bar Close Behavior:
    • enable the first option to set the banner to close by the ESC button.
    • enable the second option to close the banner by clicking outside of it.

Open and Close Animation

  1. Specify or change the type of open and close animation.
  2. Set the direction and a movement value of your open and close animation.
  3. Enable or disable the fade animation.
  4. Customize the animation timing.

Display Rules

Right when you want to publish your notification banner, you’ll be asked to configure the “display rules.”

In this section, we’ll get to know these rules and how to configure them better.

1. Display Conditions:

In display conditions, you can specify under which circumstances your notification banner is displayed to your visitors.

You are able to specify everything from WordPress pages, custom post types, products, type of device, country and more!

2. Visibility Scheduling:

As the name suggests, you’re able to schedule when your notification bar to be visible to your website visitors.

Let’s say you run an online flower shop and you have a limited time only free delivery for your service. So what you do is you create a notification banner, and you schedule it for that limited time only.

3. Triggers:

In triggers, you can set your notification bar to appear based on the visitor’s behavior:

4. After Close:

And last but not least, you can even define what happens after a user closes the notification bar; Do you want it to appear again after they visit your website, or do you want it to appear every time they visit your website?

Your Website, Your Choice!

Building a Sticky Bar on Scroll

Building a sticky bar on scroll is very similar to creating a regular notification bar. In fact, they’re almost the same thing! The only difference is in a few small settings.

In the last section, you created a notification bar and explored its settings. Now, get ready to turn any notification bar into a sticky bar on scroll that follows you as you scroll down the page – all with just a few clicks!

Turning a Notification Bar Into a Sticky Bar on Scroll

The first thing you need to do is removing the backdrop so that you don’t have to close the notification bar in order to be able to hand around in the website!

To do that go to Option -> General, and disable the backdrop!

Now the next step is, configuring the position setting.

In Options -> General you’ll see multiple positions; Fixed, Sticky and Static.

  • Fixed: This means the notification bar will stay in a fixed position on the screen, even as you scroll down the page. It will appear to “stick” on top and temporarily cover other elements behind it.
  • Sticky: This means the notification bar will also stay in a fixed position, but with a small gap around it. It will “stick” to the top or bottom of the screen as you scroll, but it won’t overlap the content below or above it.
  • Static: This means the notification bar will stay in a specific location on the page and won’t move at all as you scroll. It will eventually disappear from view as you scroll down the page and it goes off-screen.

Now, to make a sticky bar on scroll you need to set the position to sticky!

Now the last thing that you can do, is remove the close button and you’re done, you have a sticky bar on scroll.

Website Notification Bar or Sticky Bar Plugin

Conclusion

In conclusion, website notification bars are a simple yet powerful tool to enhance your website’s communication and engagement with visitors.

Whether you’re announcing exciting news, sharing important updates, or encouraging visitors to take action, these bars can be a subtle and effective way to convey your message without disrupting the user experience.

Creating your own notification bar is straightforward with various tools and plugins available, especially if you’re using a platform like WordPress.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can customize notification bars to fit your website’s style and functionality, ensuring they serve your specific needs.

Remember to keep your message concise, include a clear call to action, and make sure your notification bar matches your brand’s look and feel.

With these tips and the right tools, you’ll be able to leverage notification bars to effectively communicate with your website visitors. Happy creating!

FAQ About Website Notification Bars

Q1: What is a notification bar?

A notification bar is a small bar that appears at the top or bottom of a website to share important information or announcements. It’s also known as a sticky bar or a website notification banner.

Q2: What does a notification bar look like?

Notification bars typically appear as slim bars across the top or bottom of the screen. They often contain concise messages and a call-to-action. You can see various website notification bar examples, like those from Google or PayPal, to understand their appearance and use.

Q3: Can I create a sticky bar on scroll for my website?

Yes, you can create a sticky bar on scroll, which stays visible as users scroll down the page. This can be done using WordPress plugins or by setting the position to “sticky” in your notification bar’s settings.

Q4: What is a WordPress notification bar plugin?

A WordPress notification bar plugin is a tool that allows you to easily create, customize, and manage notification bars on your WordPress website without needing to code.

Q5: How can I use a website notification bar generator?

A website notification bar generator allows you to design a bar online, providing limited customization options. Once designed, you can copy the generated code and embed it into your website.

Q6: What are sticky bar examples?

Sticky bars, like notification bars, stay fixed on the screen as users scroll. Examples include persistent call-to-action bars on e-commerce sites or promotional bars on content-heavy websites.

Q7: How can I make a notification bar sticky?

To make a notification bar sticky:
– Go to the bar’s settings.
– Set the position to “sticky” instead of “fixed” or “static.”
– Ensure the bar remains visible as users scroll.

1

WooCommerce Plugins That You May Need

Are you looking to enhance your WooCommerce store with useful plugins? Look no further! In this guide, we will explore a variety of WooCommerce plugins that you may need to take your online store to the next level. Whether you are seeking to streamline your inventory management, improve customer experience, or optimize your marketing efforts, the right combination of WooCommerce plugins can make a world of difference.

Depicter Plugin

Depicter

Let’s start with an evolutionary WordPress slider plugin designed to enhance the visual appeal and performance of your online store. Depicter offers a comprehensive suite of features, including dynamic product sliders, engaging popups, and informative notification bars, seamlessly integrated with WordPress and WooCommerce. With over 600 ready-to-use templates and a user-friendly interface, Depicter empowers anyone to create stunning visual elements without the need for coding expertise. Now, let’s take a look at some of Depicter’s top features:

Top Features:

  • Dynamic Shop Slider: Showcase products from your online store in an interactive and visually appealing slider format.
  • Popup and Notification Bar Builder: Create engaging popups and notification bars to boost conversion and lead generation.
  • Interactive Visual Elements: Craft various modern visual elements such as hero sections, testimonials, carousels, and call-to-action capabilities to elevate user experience.
  • Performance and SEO-Optimized: Ensure the best visual experience for users with maximum speed and minimal impact on website performance while adhering to SEO best practices.
  • High Compatibility with WordPress: Seamlessly integrate Depicter with popular plugins such as WooCommerce, Elementor, and Divi Builder for enhanced functionality.
WooCommerce Bookings And Appointments plugin

WooCommerce Bookings And Appointments

WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments is the ultimate solution for businesses looking to streamline their booking processes. This powerful plugin allows you to convert your time, products, or services into easily bookable resources, empowering service providers and businesses of all types with a simple and efficient booking system. Whether you need to offer single-day bookings, flexible bookings with start and end dates, or recurring bookings, this plugin covers you. With a wide range of features including email notifications, 2-way Google Calendar sync, and the ability to set up buffer times between bookings, WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments provides everything you need to manage your bookings with ease.

Top Features:

  • Single-day, multiple days, and flexible booking options
  • Recurring bookings and multiple non-adjacent bookings
  • Customizable pricing rules based on factors such as number of days, number of people, and specific dates
  • Flexible staff management with individual cost calculation rules
  • Email notifications and reminders for booking confirmations and cancellations
  • 2-way Google Calendar sync for seamless integration
  • Partial payment and deposit acceptance for bookings
  • Complete control over bookings with customizable restrictions and time limits
  • Global asset creation and synchronization for bookable products
WooCommerce Shipping Plugin for FedEx with Print Label Plugin

WooCommerce Shipping Plugin for FedEx with Print Label

The WooCommerce Shipping Plugin for FedEx with Print Label – is a top choice for seamless shipping and label printing within your WooCommerce store. This powerful plugin empowers you to effortlessly integrate FedEx shipping services into your online store, streamlining the shipping process and giving your customers a reliable and efficient shipping experience. With features designed to enhance convenience and productivity, this plugin is a must-have for any WooCommerce store owner looking to optimize their shipping operations. From real-time FedEx shipping rates to easy label generation, the WooCommerce Shipping Plugin for FedEx with Print Label is your key to unlocking efficient shipping management. 

Top Features:

  • Real-time FedEx shipping rates calculation
  • Ability to print FedEx shipping labels directly from your WooCommerce store
  • Seamless integration with WooCommerce platform
  • Customizable shipping options and settings
  • Automatic tracking information updates for customers
  • Support for various FedEx services and shipping options

WooCommerce UPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label

WooCommerce UPS Shipping Plugin with Print Label is a comprehensive solution designed to streamline the shipping process for WooCommerce stores utilizing UPS services. This plugin automates various shipping tasks, including real-time rate calculation, label printing, and tracking updates, saving you time and effort. By seamlessly integrating with WooCommerce, it offers merchants a convenient way to manage UPS shipments directly from their online store, enhancing efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Top Features:

  • Real-Time UPS Shipping Rates
  • Label Printing and Bulk Shipments
  • Automatic Tracking Updates
  • Flexible Packing Options with various packing methods to optimize shipping costs
  • Comprehensive Shipping Services with Support for a wide range of domestic and international UPS shipping services
  • Enhanced Customer Experience that provides customers with estimated delivery dates, tracking information

All-in-One SEO

All-in-One SEO

All-in-One SEO is a powerful and user-friendly WordPress plugin designed to optimize your website for search engines and improve its online visibility. With over 2 million active installations, All in One SEO has established itself as a go-to solution for website owners and developers looking to enhance their site’s SEO performance. This comprehensive plugin offers a wide range of features, allowing you to easily manage and optimize key aspects of your website’s SEO strategy without requiring extensive technical knowledge. Whether you’re a seasoned SEO professional or just starting out, All in One SEO provides the tools and functionalities necessary to boost your site’s search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic.

Top Features:

  • XML Sitemap support for all major search engines
  • Advanced canonical URLs
  • Automated optimization and social media integration
  • SEO integration for e-Commerce websites
  • Google AMP support for mobile optimization
YITH WooCommerce Wishlist Plugin

YITH WooCommerce Wishlist

The YITH WooCommerce Wishlist plugin, is a powerful tool designed to enhance the shopping experience on your WooCommerce store. This feature-packed plugin allows customers to create and manage their own wishlists, making it easier for them to save and track their favorite products. With its seamless integration with WooCommerce, the YITH Wishlist plugin offers a user-friendly interface and a host of customizable options, making it an essential addition for any online store seeking to improve customer engagement and drive sales.

Top Features

  • Easy wishlist creation and management for customers.
  • Seamless integration with WooCommerce platform.
  • Customization options to fit the look and feel of your store.
  • Promotional tools to encourage sales through wishlists.
  • Multi-language support for global accessibility.
  • Variety of display options for wishlists.
Booster for WooCommerce

Booster for WooCommerce

A powerful plugin designed to enhance the functionality of your WooCommerce store. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, Booster for WooCommerce offers a comprehensive set of features to help you optimize and streamline your online sales platform. From currency exchange rates to customizable checkout options, this plugin empowers you to take control of your e-commerce operations. With Booster for WooCommerce, you can unlock new levels of customization and efficiency, ultimately elevating the shopping experience for your customers.

Top Features

  • PDF Invoicing and Packing Slips: Generate professional-looking PDF invoices and packing slips for your orders, adding a touch of professionalism to your transactions.
  • Prices and Currencies by Country: Set up different prices and currencies based on your customers’ locations, creating a personalized shopping experience tailored to their regions.
  • Checkout Customization: Customize your checkout fields and options to fit your specific business needs, making the buying process seamless and relevant to your customers.
  • Product Input Fields: Add custom input fields to your products, allowing customers to provide additional information or customization requests during the ordering process.
  • Emails and Additional Tools: Access a variety of email and additional tools to streamline communication with customers, manage orders, and improve the overall efficiency of your e-commerce operations.
LiveChat WooCommerce Chat Plugin

LiveChat – WooCommerce Chat Plugin

The LiveChat – WooCommerce Chat Plugin is the ultimate solution for adding real-time chat support to your WooCommerce store. This powerful plugin enables you to engage with your website visitors. With this, you can answer their queries promptly, and guide them through their purchasing decisions. Seamlessly integrated into your WooCommerce interface, LiveChat offers a comprehensive set of features to enhance your customer support experience. From visitor tracking to chat triggers and feedback management. Designed to streamline your interactions with online shoppers, LiveChat aims to boost customer satisfaction and ultimately drive sales.

Top Features:

  • Offline messages, chat transcripts, predefined messages, and chat routing
  • Typing indicators, file sharing, and automated chat invites
  • Creation of AI chatbots and provision of video chat to customers
  • Tracking and reporting feature for chat volume, agent performance, and customer satisfaction assurance
WooCommerce Customizer Plugin

WooCommerce Customizer

Are you looking to customize your WooCommerce site without delving into complex technical coding? Look no further than the WooCommerce Customizer plugin. This powerful tool opens up a world of visual editing settings, making advanced customization accessible even to users with limited coding knowledge. With the WooCommerce Customizer, you can effortlessly modify button text, labels, colors, and a wide range of other elements without the need for extensive PHP coding. This plugin eliminates the hassle of custom coding, providing a user-friendly interface for implementing changes. Additionally, it offers a variety of free extensions to further enhance your site’s functionality. Explore the top features of the WooCommerce Customizer below to see how it can revolutionize your WooCommerce site. 

Top Features:

  • Visual editing settings for seamless customization without coding knowledge.
  • Modify sales badges, Add to Cart text, and checkout page coupons effortlessly.
  • Numerous free extensions, including MailChimp and WooCommerce Memberships, available for maximizing functionality.
  • Simplifies customizations for small elements, such as the Create Account button, without the need for expert development skills.
WooCommerce Checkout Field Editor Plugin

WooCommerce Checkout Field Editor

The WooCommerce Checkout Field Editor (Checkout Manager) Plugin is a powerful tool that enables you to customize and enhance the checkout experience for your WooCommerce store. This plugin allows you to effortlessly add, edit, and remove checkout fields, rearrange their order, validate entries, and add custom CSS classes. Its user-friendly interface simplifies the checkout process, delivering a seamless experience for your customers. Now, let’s explore some of the top features of this versatile plugin.

Top Features:

  • Add and customize up to 20 different types of custom checkout fields
  • Edit, hide, and delete default checkout fields
  • Rearrange checkout fields with a drag-and-drop interface
  • Validate checkout fields to ensure accurate information
  • Incorporate custom CSS classes for a personalized look and feel
  • Affordable premium version with additional themes and field types
  • Easy-to-use interface for editing fields without any coding knowledge
  • Seamless integration with WooCommerce for enhanced versatility in checkout customization
AffiliateWP Plugin

AffiliateWP 

AffiliateWP is a powerful WordPress plugin designed to help website owners easily set up and manage an affiliate marketing program. With this plugin, you can track affiliate referrals efficiently, manage affiliate accounts, and make timely commission payments. Its seamless integration with popular eCommerce and membership plugins makes it a versatile choice for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re an individual blogger or a seasoned online retailer, AffiliateWP provides a user-friendly solution to boost your sales through affiliate marketing. 

Top Features

  • Real-time reporting and analytics
  • Integration with popular eCommerce and membership plugins
  • Unlimited affiliates and creatives
  • Automatic affiliate account creation
  • Comprehensive affiliate management tools
What Is A Popup?: Modal Popups And How To Use Them!

What Is A Popup?: Modal Popups And How To Use Them!

Have you ever been browsing a website and suddenly a new window appears on top of the page? That’s a popup, also called a modal popup!

Popups are like little boxes that websites can use to show you something extra. They can be a bit surprising, but they’re actually quite common and useful.

So why do websites use these popups? Well, there are a few reasons. Imagine you own a store and you want to tell your customers about a special sale.

A popup is a great way to grab their attention and let them know about the deals you have going on. You can use popups to collect email addresses to stay in touch with your customers and send them updates.

In short, website creators use popups to share important information and connect with their visitors in a more personal way.

This article is your one-stop shop for learning all about popups!

We’ll break down what they are, why websites use them, and explore a special kind of popup called a modal popup.

We’ll even cover some tricks to make sure popups on your website are helpful, not annoying, and show you how to add them without needing to be a computer whiz using a popup builder!

So, What Is A Popup?

Ever browsing a website and suddenly a new box pops up? It might dim the background a bit and show a message or ask you to do something, like join an email list or grab a free download.

This attention-grabbing box is called a popup. In the world of websites, If a popup blurs the background, then it is more formally called a modal popup.

What Are Other Names For Popups?

You might hear different names for those little windows that pop up on websites. They can be called modal popups, lightboxes, or even something fancy like magnific popups. But don’t worry, they all mean the same thing, with slight differences.

These popups are like special windows that open on top of the website you’re on. They often appear when you scroll down the page, click a button, or even just enter the website.

In modal popups, the background of the website usually gets a little blurry, and the popup window won’t close until you do something with it, like click “OK” to close it.

This is different from the old-fashioned popups you might be used to. Those would open up on a website and just stay there, even if you clicked on something else.

You could end up with a whole bunch of them open at once, making it hard to see the website itself. No wonder people got annoyed with those, and that’s why popup blockers were invented!

We won’t be talking about those annoying popups here. We’re focusing on the helpful kind, the modal popups that make your website experience smoother, not more frustrating.

Here’s an example of a modal popup by Glossier:

Modal popup example

Popup or Pop Up or Pop-Up?: Don’t Worry About The Spelling!

You might have seen these spellings for those surprise windows on websites: popup, pop up, and pop-up. Don’t worry, they all basically mean the same thing!

  • “Pop up” describes something that appears suddenly, like a jack-in-the-box.
  • “Pop-up” (written with a hyphen) is commonly used to talk about website popups specifically.
  • “Popup” (all one word) is actually the most popular way people write it, even though it’s not technically the most correct.

No matter how you spell it, we’ll be using “popup” throughout this article for simplicity.

Popups for Websites; Yes or No?

popup yes no

Absolutely yes! Popups are a great way to focus a visitor’s attention. Remember those windows we talked about earlier that appear on websites?

Modal popups are a specific kind that dims the background and won’t disappear until you take action, like clicking a button.

And a quick side note: You might see popups written as “popup,” “pop-up,” or even “pop up.” All three are used, though “popup” is the most common. We’ll stick with “popup” throughout this article for simplicity.

Let’s see why they can be helpful for your website!

Simple and Clear

Popups keep things easy. Everything stays on the same screen, so visitors don’t get lost or confused about what they were doing before.

Hard to Miss

Since Popups appear right where you’re browsing, you can be sure people will see them. Unlike popups in new windows, which users might close by accident, modals grab attention.

Space Savers

Need to show a picture or video? Modals can act like a lightbox, displaying it clearly without cluttering up the main page.

But modal popups are more than just pretty faces! They can help you with all sorts of things, like:

Growing your email list

Offer a discount or bonus content in exchange for someone’s email address.

Sharing important updates

Need to let people know about a website update or a new product? A modal Popups is a great way to spread the word.

Showcasing special offers

Have a sale coming up? Use a Popups to highlight it and drive traffic to your product pages.

Basically anything! Popups are flexible and can be used for all sorts of things, from reminding people about an event to collecting feedback.

When Do Popups Pop Up? (Popup Use Cases)

popup use cases

Popups can appear on websites for a variety of reasons, acting like little messengers with specific goals. Here are some of the most common times you might encounter them:

Gathering Information

source: lottiefiles

Popups can act like friendly digital assistants, helping websites collect information (usually using forms) from visitors.

This might involve signing up for a newsletter with your email address to receive updates and promotions, or entering your phone number to receive a special discount offer.

Cookie Consent

Source: Dolce & Gabbana

You’ll also sometimes see popups specifically asking for your consent to store cookies on your device. These cookies help websites remember your preferences and browsing history, and can be used to personalize your experience.

Spotlighting Important Updates

See this Depicter template as an example

Imagine a website just launched a fantastic new feature, or maybe they’re having a huge sale. Popups can be a quick and effective way to grab your attention and ensure you don’t miss out on these exciting developments.

Showcasing Details and Options

Source: freepik

Let’s say you’re browsing a clothing store’s website and spot a cool jacket. A popup might appear when you click on the image, revealing a more detailed description, different color options, or even a short video showcasing the jacket in action.

Gathering Feedback

Websites can also use popups to understand their visitors better. Imagine a small popup appearing as you’re about to leave a site, asking a quick question like “Did you find what you were looking for today?” Your answer can help the website improve and provide a better experience for future visitors.

Age Verification

Some websites might use popups to verify your age before allowing you to access certain content. This is especially common for websites that sell age-restricted products like alcohol or gambling services.

Making Your Popups Pop (and Not Flop!): Popup Best Practices!

popup best practices

Now that you know the basics, let’s talk about making your popups helpful and interesting for visitors, instead of annoying. Here are some tricks:

  1. Headlines that Grab Attention: Start with a clear and catchy headline. What’s in it for the visitor? Use words like “Free,” “Sale,” or “Discount” to get their eyes on the prize.
  2. Pick the Right Format: There are different types of popups, some more in-your-face than others. Big, full-screen popups are okay for things like age checks, but not great for selling products. Choose a format that fits your message.
  3. Timing is Key: Don’t scare visitors away with a popup right when they land on your site. Instead, wait a few seconds before showing it, especially if they seem interested in browsing.
  4. Match Your Website: Make your popups look like they belong on your site. Use the same colors, fonts, and overall style as your website so it feels like a natural part of the experience.
  5. Keep it Relevant: Tailor your popups to what visitors are looking at. For example, a popup on a travel page could offer a discount on flights, while a popup on a clothing store might offer styling tips.
  6. Less is More: Keep your popups short and sweet. Aim for no more than two things for visitors to fill out, like their email address.
  7. Don’t Go Overboard: Popups are helpful tools, but don’t bombard visitors with them. Space them out and use them strategically.
  8. Easy Escape: Always include a clear and easy-to-find “Close” button so visitors can get rid of the popup if they’re not interested.
  9. Mobile Friendly: Make sure your popups work well and look good on all devices, especially phones and tablets.
  10. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: If it helps, add an image to your popup to make it more visually appealing.
  11. Be Friendly! Use a conversational tone and even a little humor to make your popups more inviting. This will help visitors feel less annoyed by them.

Adding Popups to Your WordPress Site with a Popup Builder (No Coding Required!)

adding popup to WordPress website

Ready to add those attention-grabbing popups to your WordPress website? Great! In this section, we’ll show you how to do it step-by-step, without needing any coding knowledge using only a popup builder.

We’ll be using WordPress popup builder called Depicter to design these popups. It’s a great tool because it lets you create beautiful popups easily, even if you’re not a tech expert.

1. Installing and Activating the Popup Builder (Depicter)

Adding the Depicter Plugin

To install the Depicter plugin, go to plugins in your WordPress dashboard, click on “Add New Plugin” and Search for Depicter.

Installing the Depicter plugin

Once you find it, install and activate it and you’re good to go.

2. Importing A Popup Template

Choosing the pop-up category in Depicter dashboard

Remember that you can always start your creation from scratch in Depicter, to do that you can start with “Create A Blank” and choose “Popup” in this case.

However, to make things easy for you, we’re starting with a ready-made popup template.

To choose a template, either go to “templates” and choose the “Popup” category, or simply choose a the “Popup” category in “Home” and import a popup template.

3. Configuring the Popup Options

Depicter isn’t like other tools you might find for building popups. It lets you set everything up in a super simple way, and popups are no different! This section will be your guide to customizing popups in Depicter.

In this section, we’ll walk you through the key things you can adjust to create the perfect popups for your website.

Remember, we’ll focus on the most important settings to get you started.

Options: General

In the “general” options of Depicter popups, there are two things that you need to pay attention to:

  1. Popup Placement: This lets you choose exactly where on your webpage the popup will appear!
  2. Popup Backdrop: Here, you can control the look of the background behind the popup. You can change its color and adjust how blurry it is.
    • Backdrop Color: In backdrop color, you can set the backdrop color of your modal popup to match your website.
    • Backdrop Blur: This option controls the blur effect of the background in your modal popup.

Options: Behavior

By adjusting the behavior of your popup in options you can set thing like:

  1. How it closes: either by the ESC button or by clicking outside.
  2. The other settings are for sliders or when your popups has slides.

Options: Open and Close Animation

By adjusting the Open and Close Animation of your popup in options you will be setting:

  1. The motion of your popup when it appears on the page.
  2. The motion of your popup when it closes (either by the ESC button or clicking outside the popup).
  3. The direction of your popup movement.
  4. And finally the animation timing.

Display Rules

When you want to publish your popup, Depicter will ask you to manage your popup visibility:

configuring display setting for popup for website in Depicter

Now when you open the Display rules, you will notice four sections that you can configure for the most accurate popup display on your website.

Those rules are:

  • Display Conditions
  • Visibility Scheduling
  • Triggers
  • After Close

Let’s check out each one of these settings to see what they do:

1. Display Conditions

In the Display Conditions, you can control where your popup will appear on the website; In a WordPress Page, Custom Post Type, Woo-Commerce, based on the Audience, etc.

2. Visibility Scheduling

Maybe you have a sale, or you designed your popup for a specific occasion, you can schedule when it would appear on your website in the Visibility Scheduling in Depicter.

3. Triggers

In the Triggers settings in Depicter, you can set what triggers the popup to appear on your website; Whether it’s a click, a hover, a time spent on page, etc.

4. After Close

In the After Close settings of Depicter popups, you can set when the content would display again after a visitor closes it.

4. Publishing Your Popup

Once you’re done redesigning and configuring the popup setting, you would want your popup to appear on the website right?

All you have to do is click Publish!. And you’re done.

Popups are not like sliders that must be added to a specific page on your website. Where they appear, depends on how you configure them in the popup setting.

Showcasing Popups on Your Website

Ever wondered how popups would look on your website? Depicter can help!

It’s easy:

  1. Visit Depicter.com
  2. Click “Templates”
  3. Pick a template you like in the Popup category
  4. Click on the template
  5. Enter your website address

Now you can see how that popup template would look on your own website!

Popup on website

(In this example, you see how the template looks on Depicter’s website, but you can do the same for yours!)

Conclusion

In conclusion, popups can be a valuable tool for website creators. When used strategically, they can help you capture attention, collect information, and boost conversions.

By following the best practices outlined above, you can create popups that are informative and engaging, rather than intrusive and annoying.

So the next time you’re building a website, don’t be afraid to experiment with popups and see how they can help you achieve your goals.

Best Revolutions slider alternatives

Best Slider Revolution Alternatives

While it could be said that Slider Revolution is the most well-known and widely used WordPress slider plugin due to its long history, the most experienced is not always the best, and depending on your needs and circumstances, more attractive alternative options may be your first choice for creating sliders and you might want to find Slider Revolution alternatives.

In this article, we will examine this topic in detail.

Alternative Plugins for Slider Revolution 

Here are our top candidates for the Slider Revolution WordPress alternative:

  • Depicter
  • Smart Slider 3
  • Master Slider
  • Meta Slider
  • Soliloquy

All of the options on our list for replacing Slider Revolution are modern and proven plugins, each with its own relative strengths in different areas. We will try to discuss this topic in a concise yet more detailed way to help you find a suitable option as the top Slider Revolution alternative.

What are the key features of the Slider Revolution?

Drag and drop editor :

The Slider Revolution offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, providing a seamless and intuitive interface for creating visually stunning sliders. Users can easily arrange and customize various content elements within the slider design, such as images, text, videos, and more. The drag-and-drop functionality streamlines the process of building and refining sliders, allowing users to achieve their desired layout and design without the need for extensive technical expertise.

Animation Library:

The Slider Revolution WordPress plugin includes an extensive Animation Library, offering a diverse range of captivating animations to enhance slider presentations. From subtle transitions to dynamic effects, users have access to a wide array of animation options that can be applied to different elements within the sliders.

Deep levels of customization and options:

Users have access to deep levels of customization and a wide range of options to customize their sliders to specific design preferences. From controlling transition effects and timing to adjusting layout and interactivity, the plugin provides comprehensive customization capabilities.

250+ ready-to-use templates:

Slider Revolution comes with a collection of over 250 ready-to-use templates, offering users a diverse selection of pre-designed slider layouts and styles. These templates cater to various industries and design aesthetics, providing a valuable starting point for users looking to quickly implement professional-looking sliders on their websites. 

Element library:

With Slider Revolution, you’ve got a royalty-free media library at your fingertips all included in the plugin. Background images, videos, object PNGs, font icons & SVGs, and premade layer groups.

Addons for Special FX

lider Revolution offers addons for Special FX, providing users with additional tools and effects to elevate the visual impact of their sliders. These add-ons introduce special visual effects and enhancements, such as particle effects, dynamic backgrounds, and advanced transitions.

Alright, let’s dive into the best alternatives for Slider Revolution.

Depicter slider

Depicter

With over 100,000+ active users in a very short time since its release, Depicter has become one of the top choices for WordPress sliders, if not the first one, especially if you are looking for a Slider Revolution free alternative.

The completely modern Canva-like editor is incredibly easy to use and intuitive, while still offering a full range of professional and modern features.

Depicter offers a wide variety of image, text, and video elements, an asset library with millions of royalty-free images and videos, a professional and customizable collection of animations and transitions, support for Ken-burns Effect and Parallax Effect, Post Slider, Shop Slider, ACF Slider, AI Slider, and of course Popup builder, Notification bar builder.

In fact, Depicter’s feature list is so extensive that it will surprise you.

With Depicter, you have access to a collection of over 600+ professional and modern templates, with 30+ new templates added to this collection every 2 weeks.

Smart Slider 3

Smart Slider 3

Smart Slider 3, with its simpler interface, is a great option for many users for this reason.

Drag & drop editor. This plugin, which is also one of the best, has all the drag-and-drop features in its editor and also supports animations.

With Smart Slider 3,  you have access to 120+ ready-made templates.

Master Slider

Master Slider

Master Slider, considered a successor to Depicter, also falls into the category of user-friendly sliders that get you to your goals as quickly as possible. In Master Slider, you also have access to over 90+ ready-made templates and can assign various animations to image, text, and video layers. Master Slider is responsive and offers the best possible support for touch-swipe navigation. Another feature of Master Slider is its pre-designed layouts for your slider selection, meaning you can change the structure of your slider with just a few clicks. Due to its small size, Master Slider is also reliable in terms of performance for your website. Therefore, Master Slider is another attractive option to replace the Slider Revolution.

Meta Slider

Meta Slider

Meta Slider is a veteran WordPress slider plugin that has evolved alongside the WordPress ecosystem, gradually adding modern features while retaining its simplicity. SEO optimization is a standout feature of this plugin, and like other plugins on this list, it also offers ready-made templates for importing and customizing. If a straightforward slider creation process and a simple UI are more important to you than replacing Slider Revolution, Meta Slider is a great option.

Soliloquy slider

Soliloquy

Soliloquy is another powerful option for replacing the Slider Revolution. It offers all the features you’d expect from a premium slider plugin, including a drag-and-drop editor, ready-made templates, responsive support, SEO optimizations, and a variety of slider types. Soliloquy is another great option on our list to replace Slider Revolution.

Comparing our candidates

DepicterSmart Slider 3Master SliderMeta SliderSoliloquy
Full-screen SliderYesYesYesYesYes
AI YesNoNoNoNo
ACF Slider SupportYesNoNoYesNo
Number of Templates600+180+90+NoneNone
Popup BuilderYesNoNoNoNo
Notification Bar BuilderYesNoNoNoNo
Asset LibraryYesNoNoNoNo
Dedicated SupportYesYesYesYesYes
Documentation YesYesYesYesYes
Price for Basic plan$29$49$39$39.5$39
Free version YesYesYesYesYes

Let’s talk about Slider Revolution vs Depicter and compare a few important aspects of them.

Slider Revolution vs. Depicter

The Editor

The Slider Revolution has been around for longer than Depicter, and its editor reflects this. The editor is packed with a wide variety of options and features that give you control over almost every aspect of your slider.

Depicter has a more comfortable editor and Drag & Drop capabilities are done more easily.

Options and Features

Both Depicter and Slider Revolution offer you a lot of features and options, but for the main goal of creating a slider, if you are working with either of these plugins for the first time, Depicter has a shorter learning curve and you will learn how to work with the tools in no time.

Depicter includes a snap feature that can be used to align layers. This feature is especially useful when you are moving layers around. It can help you to quickly and easily align layers next to each other. This can save you time and make it easier to create sliders.

Depicter includes several other features that make it easy to use. For example, you can drag and drop images from the asset panel to replace existing images. This is a quick and easy way to change the images in your slider.

Image and Text Layers

Double-click on an image to enter crop mode. This allows you to crop your images to the desired size and shape.

By clicking on a text layer, you can replace the text. This is a quick and easy way to change the text in your slider.

In contrast, Slider Revolution does not offer these same features. To replace an image in Slider Revolution, you must open the image’s options panel and select a new image. To change the text in Slider Revolution, you must open the text layer’s options panel and edit the text field.

Another important point here is that as you use Depicter, you will realize that the layout of the panels has been done with great care and purpose. The result is highly intuitive panels, which is an advantage over the Slider Revolution.

Ready-to-use templates

Both plugins are powerful when it comes to templates. There are a large number of high-quality and professional templates available for use.

The way you import templates is slightly different because Slider Revolution has separated the different display effects into different addon plugins from the main plugin. Therefore, when importing a template, you may need to install the addon specific to it which can have bad effects on your site performance, while in Depicter everything is done with one click.

Furthermore, the preview template is built-in to Depicter, eliminating the need to visit another website, unlike Slider Revolution.

Also, Depicter wins in terms of the number of templates with 600+ ready-made templates to Slider Revolution’s 290+, another reason to consider it as the top Slider Revolution alternative.

Available Slider Building Options

As our main Slider Revolution alternative, Depicter offers a wider variety of slider types. Depicter includes options for:

  • Standard Image sliders
  • Video Slider
  • Woocommerce Product Slider
  • Carousel
  • Post Slider
  • Custom Post and ACF slider
  • Social Media Slider

Slider Revolution only includes options for:

  • Standard Image sliders
  • Video Slider
  • Woocommerce Product Slider
  • Carousel
  • Post Slider
  • Social Media Slider

This means that Depicter is a more versatile WordPress slider plugin. You can use it to create a wider variety of sliders for your website. For instance, you can employ Depicter to craft a hero section to introduce your website or a popup to collect email addresses.

Animations and Transitions

Both plugins are powerful when it comes to implementing animations. You can create different animations on different layers with advanced settings. Slider Revolution has a larger collection of animations, and more advanced settings, and uses an animation timeline that allows you to professionally set the order and timing of all animations while achieving almost the same result as the Depicter is a more straightforward path and does not confuse a newbie user.

Performance

Performance is a complex issue, and there are many factors that can affect it. The final result depends on a variety of conditions. For a fair comparison, we created a simple 2-slide slider with one image on both plugins and tested the result.

Depicter:

HTTP requests: 32

Resources loaded by the page: 2.0MB

Total load time: 3.82s

Slider Revolution

HTTP requests: 33

Resources loaded by the page: 3.6MB

Total load time: 4.65s

The results showed that Depicter outperformed Slider Revolution in terms of both loading speed and overall performance. It’s mainly because Depicter is a more recent plugin that has been created with a focus on performance.

Reasons to Choose Depicter  as the Slider Revolution Alternative

Here are the reasons to choose Depicter as a Slider Revolution alternative:

  • Easier to Use Editor: Depicter has a more user-friendly drag-and-drop editor with a shorter learning curve, especially for beginners. Features like snap-to-align and easy image/text replacement make building sliders faster.
  • More Templates: Depicter offers a wider selection of ready-made templates (over 600 vs 290) and requires no additional installation for use, unlike Slider Revolution.
  • More Slider Types: Depicter allows you to create various sliders like Popups, Notification bars, and Social Media sliders, in addition to the standard options offered by Slider Revolution.
  • Faster Performance: Tests showed Depicter loaded faster and used fewer resources compared to Slider Revolution.

Depicter provides ease of use, diverse templates, slider types, and faster loading, making it a strong Slider Revolution alternative.

Conclusion

In this article, our goal was to evaluate and suggest the best slider plugins in the WordPress community for replacing Slider Revolution and compare their features.

Finally, we made a thorough comparison between Slider Revolution and Depicter and concluded that Depicter is the best option to replace Slider Revolution.

ACF Slider

How to create an ACF slider?

Creating an ACF slider allows you to display dynamic and engaging content that captures the attention of your website visitors. If you’re interested in learning how to create an ACF slider, you have come to the right place.

What is a custom post type in WordPress?

On a WordPress website, post types are utilized to differentiate between various content types in WordPress. Although both posts and pages are categorized as post types, they are designed for different purposes.

WordPress includes several default post types:

  • Post
  • Page
  • Attachment
  • Revision
  • Nav Menu

Moreover, you have the option to establish custom post types. These are particularly helpful when creating content with a format different from that of a standard post or page.

For example, if you manage a movie review website, you may consider creating a custom post type for movie reviews. Additionally, custom post types can be tailored for portfolios, testimonials, and products.

The most popular custom post type for WordPress, which is added to WordPress by a plugin, is the product post type.

When you install the WooCommerce plugin on your WordPress website, it creates a custom post type called “product” for managing the products in your store.

What is ACF?

By default, there is no way to create custom post types in WordPress without touching the code. If you want to do this manually, you need to add the code for defining the custom post type to the code of your WordPress site.

The code snippet provided below creates a basic custom post type called “Recipe” that will be accessible through your admin menu.

// Our custom post type function named Recipe
function create_posttype() {
  
    register_post_type( 'recipes',
    // Options
        array(
            'labels' => array(
                'name' => __( ‘Recipes’),
                'singular_name' => __( 'Recipe' )
            ),
            'public' => true,
            'has_archive' => true,
            'rewrite' => array('slug' => 'recipes'),
            'show_in_rest' => true,
  
        )
    );
}
// Adding our function to theme setup
add_action( 'init', 'create_posttype' );

There are many more details to consider when adding custom post types and their taxonomies.

Combining all of this together and adding the code to your website can be time-consuming and requires a lot of attention to detail. Therefore, using plugins specifically for this task can be a much better option for achieving this goal.

ACF stands for “Advanced Custom Fields” which is a popular WordPress plugin. It allows users to add custom fields to their WordPress content, making it easy to tailor the editing experience to the specific needs of a website. With ACF, users can visually create fields such as text inputs, checkboxes, and more, and then assign these fields to multiple edit screens. This greatly enhances the flexibility and functionality of WordPress.

How to create a custom post type with ACF?

Installing ACF

From the Plugins menu, click on Add New Plugin and then search for “ACF”. In the search results, click the Install and then Activate button for the “Advanced Custom Fields” plugin.

Installing Depicter

Add a new post type 

From the Post Type menu, click on the Add Post Type option and enter the information related to the post type. The initial information includes Name, Label, and Key, which are sufficient to create a basic post type.

Adding custom post type
Adding custom post type

The next step is to create taxonomies. In this example, we will define a taxonomy called Field for our Trainer post type. To create it, simply enter the basic information as in the previous steps.

Adding custom taxonomies
Adding custom taxonomies

After creating a taxonomy, we proceed to create fields, which are actually metadata for our post type. These are completely optional and you can create as many of them as you want in different types such as text, option box, image, and more, according to your needs and preferences.

Adding custom fields
Adding custom fields

After entering the basic information, you must make sure that you link the newly created field to the corresponding post type.

Binding custom fields to the custom post

Finally, you will see that a menu with the same name that we assigned to your post type has been added to the WordPress admin menus. We can use this menu to manage your post type.

The new custom post type in admin menu

Adding new posts to our custom post type

Adding a new Trainer post

We go to the Trainer menu in the admin dashboard to create a new trainer, just like we would write a blog post or page. We then enter the information for the trainer and finally publish it. That’s it.

How to create a dynamic slider with ACF and Depicter?

If you are wondering what is the best slider for ACF to create dynamic sliders, the answer is Depicter. It fully supports WordPress custom posts types and you can easily create professional sliders in the shortest time. For a complete demonstration, watch the following video tutorial or continue reading for more details.

Open the Depicter dashboard and select the “Slider” option from the “Create a Blank” section to create a blank slider.

Creating a new slider

Next, we select the Data Source option from the top right corner and then select Custom Post type. This essentially converts a basic slider into a dynamic slider.

Selecting the custom post type as the data source

In the next step, we select the type of post type we want to choose for the slider, which in this case is Trainer.

Selecting our custom post type

After that, we see a preview of the available fields for Trainer in the bottom right corner, and all the default and ACF-customized data are also available for use in the slider from the left panel.

Custom post type data is loaded
Creating our ACF slider

Using ready-to-use templates for your custom post slider

Utilizing pre-designed templates is an effective way to optimize time and leverage professional designs for creating sliders.

Pre-built templates for both standard and dynamic sliders differ in their functionalities. Fortunately, Depicter offers a vast selection of templates for both types, ready for import.

To import a template, navigate to the “Post Slider” section of the Depicter dashboard and select the desired template from the available options.

Importing a dynamic template
Importing a dynamic template

Since the imported template is designed for blog posts, we need to perform the following steps after importing it:

  • Navigate to the “Data Source” section.
  • Click the “Remove Data Source” option.
  • Select your custom post type, which is “Trainer” in this case.

By following these steps, we have effectively utilized a pre-designed blog post template to create our own dynamic slider with our ACF slider.

Please note that changing the data source may require modifying or removing certain dynamic elements on the slider. For instance, the “Category” element, which is typically associated with blog posts, might not be defined for “Trainers” and may need to be removed.

Additionally, any custom fields we’ve defined can be added to the slider.

Channing the data source
Editing the template

Congratulations, our advanced custom fields slider is done!

Final ACF slider on the website front-end

Conclusion

One of the attractive features of WordPress is custom post types, which gives your website unlimited flexibility to create personalized content. One of the best plugins for creating and managing custom post types in WordPress is ACF. In this article, we saw how we can create a post type using ACF and finally create a dynamic slider of our custom post type using the Depictor slider plugin.

FAQs

Does Depicter only support custom post types created with ACF?

No, Depicter does not exclusively support custom post types created with ACF.

Depicter recognizes and can work with any custom post type defined and registered within WordPress.

Why use a plugin like ACF to create custom post types?

While it’s possible to create custom post types manually by editing code, using a plugin like ACF is a more user-friendly and efficient option. It avoids the need for coding knowledge and streamlines the process.

Can I use ACF to create custom fields for existing post types (like posts or pages)?

Yes, ACF works for both standard post types and custom post types. You can add custom fields to pages, posts, or any other post type on your website and the new fields will be available to use in the Depicter slider as well. 

what is a website carousel

What is a Website Carousel?: A Simple Guide

Want to know what a website carousel is? Ever seen those swipeable sections on websites that show off cool pictures or info?

Those are called website carousels, kind of like a digital picture frame that keeps things fresh.

They’re a great way to grab attention and pack a lot of info into a small space.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about website carousels.

We’ll cover what they are, why they’re awesome, how they’re different from sliders (don’t worry, it’s a minor detail!). and even show you some cool examples.

Plus, we’ll dive into some tips for designing killer carousels and creating your own (it’s easier than you think!).

So, buckle up and get ready to take your website to the next level!

Learn How to Create a Website Carousel From Scratch

No coding required!

In this video, you’ll learn how to create a website carousel from scratch using Depicter.

What is a Website Carousel?

What is a Website Carousel?

Ever scrolled through a website and seen those cool, swiping images or videos?

Those are called website carousels, also known as carousel sliders. Think of them like multiple digital picture frames that show off different stuff all at once.

There are two main types:

  • Automatic Carousels: These are like those fancy automatic photo booths at the mall. They change pictures on their own, showing you different things at a set speed.
  • Manual Carousels: These are like flipping through a photo album. You use arrows on the side to control which picture you see.

Website designers love carousels because they’re like superheroes with two superpowers:

  • Space Savers: They can showcase a bunch of cool stuff, like your favorite bands’ new albums or the top games to download, without taking up tons of space on the website.
  • Attention Grabbers: They keep you hooked! Those swiping pictures are way more interesting than just plain text, right? This makes you more likely to stay on the website and check out what they have to offer.

So now you know what carousels are on a website, and you probably already know what a slider is on a website, but you can’t quite see the difference.

That’s alright, we’ll break down for you.

Website Carousel vs. Slider: What’s the Difference

Website Carousel vs. Slider: What's the Difference

You hear the terms “carousel” and “slider” thrown around when talking about websites. They both sound similar, right?

Well, you’re not wrong! Both carousels and sliders are like slideshows that show off images, videos, or other content on your website. You can often control them manually with arrows, or they can change automatically.

Here’s the small catch:

  • Carousels: Imagine a merry-go-round for images. A carousel shows you several slides at once, like a little preview window.
  • Sliders: Think of a single photo frame. Sliders only show you one slide at a time, and you click arrows (or don’t depending on the slider) to see the next one.

In the grand scheme of things, both carousels and sliders achieve the same goal – showcasing content. But the way they do it can be slightly different.

Don’t worry, though, no matter which you choose, they can be great tools to boost your website’s performance if used well!

Website Carousel Examples

Looking for website carousel examples to inspire your next website design?

Imagine a website for a clothing store. They could use a carousel on their homepage to showcase their latest fashion collections. Each slide in the carousel could display a different outfit with a clear call to action button like “Shop Now!”

Carousels aren’t just for pictures, though! An architect might use a carousel to show off photos of their completed projects, one beautiful building at a time.

Depicter Comes With Many Website Carousel Templates!

Let’s take a look at some website carousel templates to inspire you in your website design.

Grocery Carousel

Imagine a grocery store website using a carousel to display their weekly specials. Mouthwatering photos of fresh fruits, vegetables, and delicious treats would grab your attention right away!

Fashion Trends Carousel

A clothing store could use a carousel to highlight the latest trends. They could show off trendy outfits or new arrivals, making it easy for you to discover the hottest styles.

Brands Carousel

Companies often use carousels to display logos of their trusted partners or collaborators. This builds trust with visitors and shows the strength of their brand network.

Company Testimonial Carousel

Testimonials are a great way to showcase positive feedback from satisfied customers. A carousel can display these testimonials, one at a time, letting visitors see what others are saying.

Podcast Box Carousel

Podcasters can use carousels to feature their latest episodes. Eye-catching graphics and short descriptions can entice visitors to tune in and listen.

Clean Testimonial Carousel

Similar to testimonials, carousels can be used to display positive quotes or reviews from happy clients. This adds social proof and builds trust with potential customers.

Web Page Carousel Examples: In Action

You’ve seen some web page templates above that you could use in your website.

Let’s take a look at some Real Websites using carousels on their webpages to inspire you in your design.

Silkool Tomiko

Imagine planning a trip to Tomioka City! The official tourist information website, Silkool Tomiko, might use a carousel to showcase stunning photos of the city’s must-see attractions. Each slide could feature a different landmark, like a beautiful temple or a serene garden, tempting you to explore further!

MAENI

Maeni, a manufacturing company, wants to show off the cool things they make. Their website might have a unique carousel where the items seem to move based on a slider bar. As you adjust the slider, the carousel animates, giving you a 360-degree view of their products in a fun and interactive way!

Arte

Feeling indecisive about what to watch? Arte, a popular TV channel, might use a carousel to highlight their latest documentaries, films, and other programs. Each slide could display a captivating image and a short description of the show, making it easy to discover something new and interesting to tune into.

Gravis

Looking for the latest iPhone or MacBook? Gravis, an online Apple product store, might use a carousel to showcase their hottest deals. Imagine swiping through images of sleek Apple devices, each with a clear “Buy Now” button, making it a breeze to grab the gadget you desire.

Apple

Apple’s official website might use a carousel on their Mac page to convince you they’re the best place to buy a Mac computer. Each slide could highlight unique features of Macs, like their stunning displays or powerful performance, making a compelling case for why you should choose Apple.

Ikea

Ikea isn’t just about furniture! Their website might have a carousel featuring articles with tips on how to treat yourself right, every day. Imagine swiping through ideas for a relaxing bath, a cozy reading nook, or a delicious home-cooked meal, inspiring you to create a little everyday oasis in your own home.

Quick Tips: Website Carousel Best Practices

Quick Tips: Website Carousel Best Practices

Here are some handy tips to make sure your website carousel is both beautiful and easy to use for everyone.

Imagine you’re designing a storefront window – you want it to be attractive and grab people’s attention, but also clear and easy to understand.

The same goes for your website carousel! Here’s how to achieve that:

1. Website Carousel Accessibility

Imagine someone is visiting your website for the first time. Is it clear what each slide is about, and how to navigate the carousel? Here’s what you can do:

  • Clear Structure: Build the carousel like a well-organized box, with each slide having a clear purpose. This helps everyone understand what’s there.
  • User Control: Let people navigate the carousel at their own pace. This means including buttons to move forward and backward, and the ability to pause any animations.
  • Easy to See: Make sure the colors and text are easy to read against the background, just like a well-lit shop window!

2. Website Carousel Image

People are drawn to visuals, so use high-quality images that are relevant to your message. Think of them as eye-catching headlines for each slide.

3. Website Carousel Size

Don’t make your carousel too big or too small. It should be a comfortable size that fits well on your webpage and doesn’t overwhelm visitors.

4. Website Carousel Widget

Many website builders, like WordPress, have plugins that make creating carousels a breeze. We recommend Depicter, a user-friendly website carousel WordPress plugin that lets you customize your carousel with ease.

5. Mobile Friendly

Remember, many people browse websites on their phones. Make sure your carousel looks good and works smoothly on all devices, not just computers.

6. Website Carousel Simplicity

Avoid cramming too much text or information onto each slide. People won’t have time to read a whole paragraph, so focus on a clear message and a strong image.

Website Carousel Tutorial: Easy as Pie!

Website Carousel Tutorial: Easy as Pie!

Imagine adding a cool carousel to your website, but maybe coding sounds a bit tricky. Here’s where website carousel plugins come in!

These are like handy tools that help you create carousels without needing to be a programming whiz.

For WordPress websites, a popular option is the Depicter plugin. Think of it like a carousel building kit!

Depicter makes creating carousels super easy, with website carousel templates, drag-and-drop features and tons of customization options.

So you can add your own images, text, and choose a design that perfectly matches your website’s style.

And the good news is, we’re going to teach you step by step how to create and add a website carousel to your website in the next section of this guide!

Step 1: Installing and activating the Depicter Plugin

Before anything else, once your website is ready, in WordPress dashboard, head to plugins and click on “Add New Plugin“, then search for “Depicter“.

Once you find it, click on “Install Now“, and once installed, click “Activate“.

Step 2: Creating your Carousel

In this step you have two options; you can either choose one of the pre-made website carousel template and edit it, or you can create your carousel from scratch.

In this tutorial we’ll explain both.

a) Creating a Carousel Using a Pre-Made Carousel Template:

In the Depicter dashboard, either choose the carousel category or search “carousel” in the search bar.

Carousel templates will appear, if you see a carousel template that you like, import it!

Once imported, customize the carousel, and you’re good to go.

b) Creating a Carousel From Scratch

In the WordPress dashboard, head to Depicter. There are lots of pre-made carousel templates as you saw in the previous section.

But if you have something special in your mind, you can start creating your own carousel from scratch and we’ll help you with that. 

So head to “CREATE A BLANK” on the left and choose “Carousel“. 

Choose a name, and adjust the width and height of your carousel and start designing.

Once you’re done designing, publish your carousel so you can add it to your website.

Step 3: Adding the Carousel to your WordPress Website

Adding a carousel to your website is easy, all you have to do is;

Find your home-page or whatever page that you want to place your carousel at (either in “Pages” or by directly going to that page), and click on “Edit with Elementor.”

Once you’re in the Elementor editor page, create a section and add the Depicter widget to it, then choose the carousel that you have created.

Click on update whenever you’re ready and you’re done.

Easy as pie!

And that’s it, only in three steps, you’ve learned how to create and add a carousel to your web page using the best widget possible; Depicter!

Conclusion: Level Up Your Website with Website Carousels!

So, there you have it! You’ve learned everything you need to know about website carousels. We covered what they are, how they can boost your website, and even cleared up the mystery of “carousel vs. slider.”

We also explored some inspiring website carousel examples to spark your creativity. From showcasing your latest fashion collection to featuring glowing client testimonials, carousels offer a versatile way to grab attention and pack a punch.

Remember, using website carousel templates and user-friendly plugins like Depicter makes creating stunning carousels a breeze, even if you’re not a coding pro.

Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind:

  • Website carousel best practices: Keep it clear, accessible, and mobile-friendly. Use high-quality images and focus on a strong message for each slide.
  • Website carousel size: Choose a comfortable size that fits your website’s layout.
  • Website carousel widget: Explore website builder plugins like Depicter to create and customize carousels with ease.

With a little planning and the right tools, you can easily add website carousels to your website and take your user experience to the next level. Now that you’re armed with this knowledge, get ready to create eye-catching carousels that will leave a lasting impression on your visitors!

Everything about image Slider

What is an Image Slider?

If you’ve been captivated by one of the most compelling visual elements in web design, namely image sliders, and you’re eager to gain comprehensive knowledge about a professional image slider, you’ve come to the right place.

What is an Image Slider?

An image slider is a website section that showcases multiple images in a rotating format. It’s also called a slideshow. Each image, typically accompanied by a brief text snippet, acts as a visual teaser linked to a specific page or post on your website or any other website. These sliders can advance automatically after a set time or manually by user clicks, allowing visitors to explore content that fits their interests. The popularity of image sliders comes from their ability to display captivating visuals, create dynamic effects, and showcase a variety of content in a space-saving format. As a result, most modern website themes utilize one or multiple instances of an image slider in many different formats.

Understanding the Types and Features of Different Image Sliders

  • Simple image sliders: These display a series of images that rotate or transition automatically or with user interaction. They often include captions and can link to other website sections.
  • Shop slider (WooCommerce Slider): Specifically designed for WooCommerce websites, this slider displays product images with details like titles and prices. Often used to promote featured products or new arrivals.
  • Post slider: Showcases a selection of blog posts or articles with featured images and titles. Users can click on the slides to read the full posts.
  • Custom post type slider (ACF): This slider utilizes the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin to display content from custom post types you’ve created (e.g., events, portfolio items, testimonials). Provides flexibility to showcase diverse content beyond standard posts.

Samples for Each Type of Image Slider

Whether you’re running an online store, a blog, or a portfolio website, there’s a slider type that can perfectly complement your content strategy.

Let’s explore some popular types of sliders:

Image Slider: 

Simple Image Slider template

Cycling: A beautiful yet simple image slider with full-screen compatibility, autoplay navigation, and a stunning Ken Burn effect.

Shop Slider:

WooCommerce Slider template

Summer shop: A WooCommerce shop slider that loads selected products and presents them to visitors for maximum attention and boost in sales.

Post Slider:

Post Slider template

Games News: Turns the normal blog posts into an amazing visual element on a blog, magazine, or news website.

ACF Slider: 

ACF Slider template

Trainers: takes a custom-created post type (Trainers) and creates a professional slider, best for any WordPress website with customized content.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Image Sliders

Advantages

Making the Most of Limited Space

If you want to present a large amount of information to your website visitors within a confined space, a slider or carousel is the ideal solution. It’s safe to assume that no one enjoys scrolling through a lengthy page of information. On the other hand, an image slider offers a pleasant user experience due to its compact and optimized nature.

When information is presented to users in small sections that occupy relatively little space, it is easier to digest and provides a higher-quality user experience. This demonstrates that careful consideration has been given to the presentation of content to the user.

Visual Appeal

In today’s digital landscape, users tend to favor visual elements over lengthy blocks of text. This psychological reality makes image sliders a valuable asset for your website. For instance, if you want to convey the story of a startup to your audience in the shortest possible time, utilizing a slider, supplemented by concise text elements, would likely be the most effective and engaging approach.

Capturing User Attention

A slideshow prominently featured on the first section of your homepage can effectively grab your user’s attention from the start, making them curious to explore the subsequent slides or utilize the call-to-action elements embedded within the slider.

Therefore, if you have a service or product to offer, employing one or more captivating images is a sound recommendation. Combining these visuals with compelling call-to-action elements empowers your audience to dig deeper into the core message without wasting time.

Disadvantages

The Impact of Sliders on Page Load Time

Every slider requires loading its own set of scripts to function, which directly impacts page loading speed. When you factor in animated effects and potentially slow internet connections, this can overall negatively impact the user experience.

However, utilizing professional plugins with built-in optimization features and choosing pre-optimized images can mitigate this issue to some extent. The impact is likely most pronounced for mobile users.

Lack of Responsive Optimization

It’s true that there are numerous options for adding a slider to your website. If you quickly search for “how to make a slideshow” you will find a large number of plugins available for this purpose, but only a selected few are genuinely responsive. Sliders that fail to account for responsiveness simply shrink your entire slide to a smaller scale on mobile devices. In contrast, professional options provide you with the ability to define specific layouts and behaviors for your slider based on specific screen sizes.

Neglecting Content Consumption Patterns

In many scenarios, there’s a high likelihood that users won’t spend a significant amount of time on your website. While designing your slider, you might assume that visitors will exactly read and absorb every word of your content. However, the reality is that the average user will only view one or two slides before moving on from that section or even the entire website.

Therefore, prioritizing a minimalist design and avoiding content overload is crucial for an effective slider design.

Creating Effective Image Sliders: Design and Implementation Best Practices

Image sliders are a website’s dominant visual element, but their effectiveness depends on thoughtful design and implementation. Here are some key strategies to ensure your slideshow engages and converts visitors:

Intuitive Navigation:

Make it easy for users to explore your slider. Offer clear arrows for desktop users and a smooth swipe functionality for mobile visitors. Remember, an interactive slider helps engagement far better than a passive slideshow.

Visual Storytelling:

Combine stunning visuals with captivating text.  Choose high-quality images that resonate with your message. Craft clear, concise, and persuasive text that compels visitors to Explore further.

Clean and Responsive Design:

Prioritize simplicity and responsiveness. Maintain a clean, uncluttered aesthetic that avoids overwhelming viewers. Consider things like font size, weight, and background color for optimal readability across devices.

Compelling CTAs:

Every slide should grab attention with a captivating headline followed by a clear call to action (CTA). CTAs should be straightforward and actionable, guiding visitors toward the desired outcome. Use action-oriented language in your CTAs, such as “Explore Our Collection Now” or “Download Your Free Guide.”

Optimal Slide Speed

Slower is often better. Avoid frustration by presenting slides at a slow and steady pace. A good starting point is 3 seconds per slide, allowing viewers to take their time to absorb your message without feeling rushed.

Subtle Transitions:

Transitions should enhance the experience, not distract from it. Sometimes, a straightforward fade effect is more effective than an elaborate animation. Choose transitions that complement your overall design and avoid overwhelming viewers.

Focus on Clarity:

Limit your slider to a maximum of 5 slides. Remember, the fewer images you display, the more likely visitors are to recall them.  Avoid information overload that leaves viewers confused and disengaged. Focus on sparking curiosity and encouraging future exploration.

Autoplay for Engagement

Don’t leave navigation entirely to chance. Implement autoplay to ensure viewers see your content even if they don’t manually navigate. However, always provide clear controls alongside autoplay, giving users the freedom to explore at their own pace.

By following these best practices, you can create image sliders that not only showcase your content but also transform your website into an engaging and dynamic platform for attracting and converting visitors.

How to Create an Image Slider With the Depicter Plugin for Your WordPress Website

Installing the Depicter Plugin

  • Go to the Plugins menu.
  • Click Add New Plugin.
  • Search for Depicter.
  • Click Install and then Activate.
Installing the Depicter from the Plugins menu

Importing an Image Slider Template

  • Go to Templates > Sliders
Select your template from the list
  • There are many image slider templates to choose from. Select one and click the import button
Click the import button to start importing
  • Your image slider will be imported and ready for customization.

Customizing the Slider

Customizing the slider

Typically, after importing a template, you may need to make some small adjustments to get the final slider exactly as you want it.

  • Click Publish.
  • Your slider is now ready to be added to your website.
Publishing the slider

Step 4: Add the Image Slider to Your Website

  • Edit the page where you want to add the image slider.
Editing the page with Elementor
  • Select the location where you want to add the image slider.
  • From the list of widgets, select the Depicter widget and drag it into the section.
  • From the list of sliders, select your slider. Your slider will be displayed.
Drag and drop the Depicter widget to the Elementor page
  • Update the changes and you’re done.
Selecting the slider and updating the page

Conclusion

Image sliders are a powerful tool to enhance your website’s visual appeal, promote key content, and ultimately engage visitors. By understanding the different slider types, design best practices, and leveraging a user-friendly plugin like Depicter, you can create an impactful slideshow that elevates your website’s user experience and drives conversions. Remember, keep it simple, prioritize clarity, and focus on showcasing your best content to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

FAQs

  1. What are the benefits of using a slider plugin like Depicter?

Depicter offers a user-friendly interface to create and manage sliders without needing coding knowledge.
It provides a variety of slider types like image sliders, video sliders, and shop sliders to suit your specific needs.

  1. How do I choose the right slider type for my website?

Image sliders are great for showcasing high-quality visuals and storytelling.
Shop sliders (WooCommerce Sliders) are perfect for promoting featured products or new arrivals on your online store.
Post sliders are a great way to display a selection of blog posts with featured images and titles.
Custom post-type sliders (ACF) offer flexibility to showcase content beyond standard posts, like events, portfolio items, or testimonials.

  1. How many slides should I include in my slider?

It’s best to limit your slider to a maximum of 5 slides.

With fewer slides, viewers are more likely to remember them and avoid information overload.
Focus on sparking curiosity and encouraging further exploration on your website.

  1. What are some tips for creating effective slider content?

Use high-quality images that are visually appealing and relevant to your message.
Keep your text clear, concise, and persuasive, compelling visitors to take action.
Prioritize a clean and responsive design that is easy to read on all devices.
Include clear calls to action (CTAs) on each slide, guiding users toward a desired outcome.

  1. Does Depicter offer free and paid plans?

Depicter offers both free and paid plans with varying features.

how to create slideshow using AI

Create a Slider with AI

Create a Slider with AI is an exciting new approach that is revolutionizing the way sliders are designed and implemented. This innovative technique harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to generate sliders that are not only visually stunning but also highly functional. By combining the flexibility of sliders with the capabilities of AI, designers, and developers can now create dynamic and interactive sliders that adapt to user preferences and behavior. This cutting-edge technology opens up a world of possibilities for creating engaging and personalized user experiences.

What is AI and how can it affect your workflow?

Emerging from the field of machine learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has achieved a significant breakthrough. It can now not only learn and adapt but also generate entirely new creative formats, from captivating visuals to sophisticated written text. This represents a major paradigm shift within the creative industry, redefining the boundaries between computational power and human artistic expression.

AI workflows harness the power of artificial intelligence to streamline and enhance business processes that are often manual and repetitive. By automating these tasks, organizations can significantly improve overall productivity and efficiency. This shift frees up valuable employee time, allowing them to focus on more strategic and complex work.

The expansion of the web is no exception to this trend, and all those working in this field can somehow utilize AI to enhance and optimize their daily mechanisms and routines. In this article, we will talk about the pros of using AI in slider world.

Benefits of using AI for making website sliders

Streamlined Design

With just a few clicks, AI tools can streamline the complex process of designing layouts and matching to design standards. This allows you to achieve the best possible outcome or the closest possible approximation for your slider, aligned with your website’s visual framework, in the shortest possible time. This eliminates the need for manual iteration and guesswork

Effortless Content Curation

Spend less time searching for visuals. AI can suggest royalty-free images and videos based on your chosen theme or keywords. This ensures your sliders are visually compelling and relevant to your audience.

A/B Testing Made Easy

AI streamlines A/B testing by automatically generating variations of your slider with different elements. Quickly identify the most effective design for your target audience.

Creating AI Slider with Depicter

The following video tutorial provides a comprehensive walkthrough of using AI in WordPress with the Depicter plugin. However, if you prefer more detailed text instructions for how to create a slider with AI, please refer to the steps outlined below:

To create and add a slider to your website using AI in WordPress, we will use the Depicter plugin.

Install the Depicter plugin:

  • Go to the Plugins menu.
  • Click Add New Plugin.
  • Search for Depicter.
  • Click Install and then Activate.
Installing Depicter

After entering the dashboard, navigate to the “AI Slider” section to initiate the process of creating an AI-powered slider.

Creating an AI Slider

Category Selection: Begin by selecting the appropriate category for your slider’s topic.

Choosing the AI slider category

Keyword Input and Slide Count: Next, specify the slide topic using keywords and indicate the desired number of slides.

Choosing the subject and slide numbers for AI slider

Topic Selection: Choose relevant topics for each slide from the list suggested based on the category selected in the previous step.

Choosing relevant tags generated by AI

Content and Image Suggestions: For each slide select the most relevant image from the list generated using the information provided in the earlier steps.

Choosing images and text suggested by AI

Color Scheme and Layout Selection: In the final step, choose your preferred color scheme and overall layout for the slider from the available options.

Selecting the AI slider template

Once completed, your slider is ready for use.

AI Slider process is done

And here it is, the whole process of creating a slider using AI in WordPress for your website via the Depicter plugin.

Conclusion 

The world of web design is rapidly evolving with the integration of AI.  AI-powered tools like Depicter empower users for using AI in WordPress to create professional-looking website sliders with minimal effort.  These tools not only streamline the design process by suggesting layouts and content but also save valuable time by automating tedious tasks.  If you’re looking to enhance your web presence and stay ahead of the curve, consider embracing the power of AI in web design.

FAQs

  1. Do I need any design experience to use AI sliders?

No prior design experience is necessary! AI tools like Depicter offer user-friendly interfaces that guide you through the process. With simple keyword selection and image choices, you can create professional-looking sliders even if you’re a beginner.

  1. Are AI-generated images original and copyright-free?

The article mentions Depicter suggests “royalty-free images” based on your chosen theme. This means you can use these images legally without copyright restrictions for your website.

  1. Can I customize the AI-generated slider further?

Absolutely! While AI provides a strong foundation, you still have creative control. You can adjust the suggested layouts, color schemes, and text content to perfectly match your website’s unique style and brand.

Frame 827

WordPress Staging and How to Experiment with Sliders in it?

WordPress Staging provides a safe environment to experiment with changes and updates for a live site without distorting the user’s experience.

You will be able to make changes without pressure as you will be doing it within a private space, and no one will see them except those who may be working on the changes with you.

So, we thought, why not tell you how to experiment with various sliders and help improve your design workflow?

Dive into the world of sliders and learn how to experiment with them effectively in your staging environment. Let’s explore together and unlock new possibilities for your website design!

What is Staging?

WordPress Staging is a feature that allows you to create a duplicate version of your website where you can test changes, updates, and new features before making them live on your actual site.

In web development, especially for live sites, using this crucial safety measure will save you tons of headaches.

You can make mistakes, break things, or even delete it and start over. No matter what happens, your live site will remain completely unaffected.

WordPress Staging also allows you to test new plugins and themes without adding the load to your existing database size. This load may remain and bloat your database size even after you decide not to use the tested product again.

Why test slider functionality on a staging site?

Staging sites offer a secure space to test changes and updates intended for a live site without affecting user experience. You can view these changes from the perspective of users who regularly visit the live site.

WordPress websites commonly use design elements known as WordPress sliders or slideshows. These elements are intended to showcase multiple images, videos, or text snippets in a rotating format.

When well-crafted, even a free WordPress slider can be a powerful tool for capturing visitors’ attention and keeping them engaged, highlighting important information, and encouraging visitors to explore various sections of your website.

However, creating sliders on pages is a clear change that can’t be missed. So, it’s best to test your pages with sliders underground by doing it in a staging environment.

Doing this keeps your activities low and allows you to see how the sliders will look and function on your website without affecting the live site.

Using WordPress Staging, you can experiment with different slider designs, settings, and placements to ensure they enhance your website’s aesthetics and user experience.

How to Experiment with Sliders Using InstaWP?

It takes a bit of experimenting and time to master the art of slider creation, and this is necessary because the effectiveness of WordPress sliders depends on how they are designed and utilized. That’s why you need to experiment on a staging environment like InstaWP.

Your slider must showcase a range of content, such as product photos, special promotions, or even videos, directly on your page while highlighting important information and encouraging visitors to explore various sections of your website.

To experiment with sliders, you can easily create a staging site with InstaWP and install Depicter, a powerful WordPress slider tool available in InstaWP’s utility category when setting up a site from scratch.

Depicter is a free WordPress slider plugin that offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of customization options to create stunning sliders for your website. All the excellent slider features packed into this free plugin will amaze you.

With the InstaWP staging environment and Depicter, you can experiment with as many sliders as you can for as long as you want. When you’ve got the perfect sliders, you can then implement them on your live site.

Best Practices for Including Sliders on Your Site

When incorporating sliders on your website, here are some best practices to consider:

Limit the Number of Slides:

Keep the number of slides to a minimum to avoid overwhelming visitors. Your website visitors may tire of scrolling through sliders, ignoring them, or leaving your site. Make use of 3-5 slides and nothing more.

Use High-Quality Images:

Ensure that the images used in the sliders are high-resolution and visually appealing. Sliders are meant to occupy the entire screen or at least a significant portion. Therefore, use pictures that won’t be distorted on smaller or larger screen sizes. 

Optimize for Performance:

Optimize the slider for speed and performance to prevent slow loading times. Using fewer slides, taking out some transitions, and using lossless compressed images are good practices to increase performance.

Include Clear Call-to-Actions:

Each slide should have a clear call-to-action to guide visitors on what to do next. Use a vibrant background for your CTA buttons to stand out from the overlay images or video.

Mobile Responsiveness:

Ensure the slider is responsive and displays well on various devices, including mobile phones and tablets.

Test Different Designs:

Experiment with slider designs to see what works best for your website and audience. If the content breaks out of the screen or is hidden on mobile devices, you lose out on effectively grabbing your website visitor’s attention and irritating them.

Monitor Performance:

Track the slider’s performance using analytics to see how effectively it engages visitors.

Regularly Update Content:

Keep the slider content fresh and relevant to maintain visitor interest. If you track the performance of your slides and CTAs using tools like Google Analytics, you can modify or update the slides for better performance.

Accessibility:

Ensure the slider is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Add intuitive and straightforward navigation arrows and buttons to assist visitors in better interacting with the slider.

These best practices will guide you in creating effective sliders on your site that will continue to attract and engage your website visitors.

Using Depicter for Creating Stunning Sliders

Depicter is a versatile and powerful WordPress slider plugin that allows you to easily create as many eye-catching sliders as you desire in WordPress.

With features like drag-and-drop functionality, customizable animations, and transition effects, Depicter empowers you to design sliders that grab users’ attention and enhance your website’s overall look.

Depicter can elevate your website’s visual appeal and engage your audience with captivating slider content.

Let’s see how you can create a staging site with InstaWP and use the staging site and Depicter to create stunning sliders.

How do you install Depicter on your staging site?

The following video provides a step-by-step guide on how to set up a staging Depicter website using InstaWP for free. After watching this video, you should be able to easily perform the setup. However, if you prefer more detailed text instructions, please continue reading this article.

Step 1: Log into InstaWP

You need to create an account on InstaWP to create a free staging site to experiment with and test your sliders with the Depicter Slider plugin.

After creating your account, you can log in to your dashboard. 

Step 2: Create Staging Site

Click Create Staging from your dashboard to start the staging site creation process. From the popup, select the From Scratch tab. Then, navigate to the Utility category when setting up your site and select the Depicter Slider plugin.

Then click the Create Site button, and your free staging site will be created within seconds. 

Step 3: Login to Your Staging Site

Simply click the Magic Login button to proceed to the WordPress Admin panel of your newly created staging site. 

You will notice that the Depicter plugin has already been activated on your staging site.

Step 4: Create your Slider with Depicter

Select Depicter from the left sidebar navigation, and you will be taken to the Depicter dashboard. 

One fantastic feature of Depicter is its templates for those who don’t want to start building from scratch. There are tons of unique free templates that you can select from and integrate seamlessly into your website design.

To build a slider from the available templates, simply hover over a template that is more suitable to your appeal and click the Import button to import the template to your Depicter canvas.

After importing the template, you can modify it to your taste. You can edit the existing text and captions, replace the images and videos with yours, and customize the slider’s settings, such as the animation, palette, CTAs, type of navigation controls, etc.

Another advantage of using Depicter Slider is the ability to preview your slider’s responsiveness across various screen sizes while still designing your slides.

Once you have completed all of your customizations for your slider, you are ready to publish it. Adding the slider to your page is very easy because Depicter supports all of the most popular WordPress page builders, such as Elementor, Gutenberg, Divi Builder, and Beaver Builder. Of course, Depicter also supports traditional WordPress methods, such as using shortcodes or PHP code.

Why use Depicter for your Sliders?

While it may be impossible to list all of the reasons why adding a slider to your website via the Depicter is an excellent choice, we will briefly introduce you to the advantages of Depicter in this article to give you a better understanding of this topic.

Depicter is a powerful WordPress slider choice for creating sliders due to its user-friendly interface, extensive customization options, and compatibility with WordPress staging environments.

Here’s a list of features that make Depicter the best WordPress slider plugin:

  1. Simplicity: Depicter is an intuitive drag-and-drop slider builder that is very easy to use.
  2. Responsive Design: Sliders built with Depicter look good on all devices and screen sizes.
  3. Customization options: Depicter offers various customization settings for colors, palettes, fonts, animations, navigation, etc.
  4. Transition effects: Depicter is packed with different smooth and attractive transition effects that can be applied between slides.
  5. Slider controls: Depicter doesn’t slack in the slider controls department. It offers easy-to-use navigation controls for users to interact with the slider.
  6. Image and video support: Depicter Slider supports various media types, such as images, gifs, and videos.
  7. Light Weight: The Depicter Slider is lightweight and optimized for speed, and it doesn’t slow down your website.
  8. Compatibility: Depicter Slider is compatible with other WordPress plugins, different hosting platforms, and WordPress staging environments.

It would be unfair not to mention Depicter’s unique and new features, namely Popup Builder and Notification bar Builder. As you explore these two features, you’ll quickly realize that Depicter is the ultimate solution for all your website’s slider needs and more.

Conclusion

To achieve professional results, we must use professional methods. One such method is utilizing WordPress staging capabilities. Sliders are a crucial visual tool for websites, and creating and optimizing sliders in a WordPress staging environment can elevate your results from subpar to exceptional.

In this article, we briefly introduced InstaWP and Depicter and explored how combining these two tools can create a WordPress staging website for producing professional sliders.