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  • Top 5 Content Restriction Plugins for Your WordPress

    Top 5 Content Restriction Plugins for Your WordPress

    A high-quality content plays a crucial role in the success of any website. It not only brings a large number of visitors to your website but also helps your site to get high ranking on search engines.

    There is no doubt that a web design is important in making a good first impression on your audience, but the high-quality content is what will keep users coming back to your site.

    However, it is essential to figure out how much access your users should have on your content because the content is the most important of your site. There are a number of content restriction plugins available that allow users to access the certain parts of the content available on your site.

    By using these plugins, you can organize your users and restrict content differently for every user.

    Let’s have a look at 5 popular content restriction plugins for WordPress Site.

     

    1. PrivateContent

    PrivateContent is a popular and high-rated WordPress plugin that offers various user management features all in one place.

    The plugin is built by Aldo Latino having more than 9,000 active installations at present. It uses a shortcode to showcase a portion of a post content only to users of a certain roles. For instance, you get an option to display the hidden text to editors and authors only. However, an administrator can read editor’s private content.

    The best part is, the plugin is quite user-friendly, you don’t need to be proficient in scripting knowledge to use this.

    Speaking of its features, it comes with various advanced features like you can lock down your site entirely with a single click including the menus. Let’s check out its other features.

    Features

    -It is a complete solution to restrict any site content.

    -It comes with an advanced user management system along with complete tracking.

    -The plugin also supports a custom skin builder. If you want to know how you can use custom post types in WordPress, read out the complete guide on 000webhost.com.

    -It supports developer friendly API and hooks.

     

    2. Restrict Content

    Developed by Pippin Williamson, Restrict Content is a well-known content restriction plugin for WordPress that lets you restrict access to your content to logged-in users. The plugin is highly rated, which is specially designed for web developers and more advanced users. From free to $ 499, the plugin comes with a variety of pricing options. Moreover, the plugin comes with an extensive documentation and numerous add-ons.

    Plugin Features

    -It allows you limit access to content with a simple shortcode. For instance, [restrict] This.

    -You can limit access to full content through a simple interface.

    -You can display a registration form on any page of your site for new accounts.

    -For existing users, you can display a login form on any page of your site.

     

    3. MemberPress

    MemberPress is all in one WordPress plugin which lets you build a professional WP membership site and accept credit cards without any fear.

    With this plugin, you can charge your users for accessing your content and digital products like e-books and software.

    Using this plugin, you can confidently manage and examine all your digital content and membership subscriptions. Besides this, MemberPress lets you grant and reverse access to pages, posts, feeds, digital files, tags, and communities on the basis of what services your users have purchased.

    Features

    -It is quite user-friendly, you can immediately start charging your audience for accessing your digital content.

    -It leverages various great features of WordPress and other 3rd party services such as forums, social communities, content management, etc.

    -It supports easy integration for running affiliate programs, processing payments, etc.


    4. WP Customer Area

    It is another renowned all-in-one WordPress plugin that helps you manage private content on WordPress. Using this plugin, you can share private content such as pages, tasks, conversations, and files with one or multiple users.

    WP Customer Area plugin was developed by MarvinLabs and at present, it has more than 10,000 active installations.

    The plugin ensures that your member-only area is accessible to authorized users only. With this plugin, you need not worry about the security of the shared content. All the content which is shared in the space is fully secured. Even search engines don’t index this content.

    Its basic version allows you to share pages and files privately for absolutely free.

    Features

    -It helps you secure customer area.

    -You can easily assign private pages and files to a particular user.

    -You can customize the appearance of the plugin by using your own templates and themes.

     

    5. User Access Manager

    If you are looking for a solution to manage the access to your posts, pages or file, User Access Manager should be an ideal option for you.

    The plugin lets you create a user group, add registered users to this group and set up the rights for them. User Access Manager plugin is going to be quite useful for you if you want to add a member area or a private section on your blog. You may use this plugin to allow users to write on your blog as well.

    Features
    -You can build user groups.

    -You can set individual access for editors and readers.

    -It lets you add time-based access.

    -You can set default user groups.

    -You can hide elements in the navigation

    -It supports multilingual.

    -It protects your RSS feeds.

    -It gives access by IP-address

     

    Wrapping Up-

    Have you ever used any of these WordPress plugins to restrict your content? If yes, do share your experience with us. If we have missed any of your favorites let us know in the following comment section, we will be glad to add that to this list.

  • MailChimp vs Drip: Which is the best email marketing tools?

    MailChimp vs Drip: Which is the best email marketing tools?

    MailChimp vs Drip — These are two of the best email marketing solutions but which is the better option?

    I love writing about email marketing solutions. Email marketing is a powerful digital marketing strategy that provides super high return of investment (ROI) for many companies and industries.

    Even if you are a blogger, you should start building an email list because it will come in handy when you are promoting a product, services or even keeping your subscribers engaged with the latest posts.

    In this article, I will give you some quick insights on what MailChimp and Drip does and how they compare to each other.

    Ultimately, I’ll also share my reviews on both the email marketing solutions with the hopes that it will help you in your decision making.

    MailChimp

    • checkFree for life (up to 2,000 email subscribers)
    • checkSend up to 12,000 emails a month for free
    • checkMost intuitive drag and drop visual builder (when creating emails)
    • checkHeavily based on HTML and images
    • checkLow learning curve
    • checkFree account comes with automation and workflow
    • Automation and workflow are limited
    • Advantaged tagging is not user friendly
    • Coding skill is needed to maximize MailChimp features
    • closeIs the worst email marketing solutions for affiliate marketers
    • closeVery basic landing pages
    • closeUgly form to collect emails
    • closeBasic reporting dashboard

    Try MailChimp today!

    Drip

    • checkBeautiful analytic dashboard and reporting
    • checkFree for first 100 email subscribers
    • checkAdvantaged tagging and workflow
    • checkAbility to segment subscribers based on their activities (clicks, open etc.)
    • checkLess dependent on HTML
    • checkLow to medium learning curve
    • checkOne of the best automation and workflow in the industry
    • checkMultiple widgets and plugins to help you collect emails
    • checkAdvanced ‘smart’ forms to collect leads at the right time
    • checkBest for eCommerce and website owners who are serious in email marketing
    • The lowest pricing is $49 per month and is often considered heavy for many beginners
    • Some users find the Drip’s feature overwhelming (because there are a lot of things you can do with Drip)

    Get started with Drip for free!

    MailChimp vs Drip — Detailed Comparison

    As a disclaimer, I use both MailChimp and Drip, alongside with ConvertKit for that matter.

    MailChimp is my favorite email marketing solution for my personal blog while Drip is used for my creative agency.

    Without further adieu, let’s dive into the MailChimp vs Drip comparison.

    MailChimp

    For me, MailChimp is an affordable email marketing solution for bloggers. It is easy to use and doesn’t cost a dime (for the first 2,000 email subscribers).

    Low learning curve and good delivery rates make MailChimp a no-brainer choice for many (including myself).

    What I love most about MailChimp is the newsletter template builder. MailChimp is heavily based on HTML and the visual builder is one of the best you can find in the market.

    BONUS: The Beginner’s Guide Using MailChimp

    MailChimp’s free account also comes with the ability to use the marketing automation which is pretty awesome.

    This is what it looks like.

    what is mailchimp automation

    Everything on MailChimp is very much into drag and drop — therefore, you can easily start email marketing almost to instantly.

    MailChimp also comes with a ever growing list of ready-made templates to help you get started on the right foot.

    templates on MailChimp

    As you can see, MailChimp is very much into beautiful designs and low learning curve.

    If you are a beginner, you are going to love MailChimp. Try MailChimp now!

    MailChimp is not for you if …

    There is no love from MailChimp if you are an affiliate marketer.

    MailChimp doesn’t allows you to use it for affiliate marketing purposes.

    The only way to solve this is through sharing a link to your blog post (and having great call-to-actions to drive website visitors to your affiliate products — which is of course the biggest hassle.

    Drip

    I first came across Drip because I wanted to better manage my email subscribers and sending emails to a highly targeted audience.

    On the surface, Drip beats MailChimp in every aspect except for the price.

    Drip comes with free account but only for 100 email subscribers.

    Using Drip, you can easily monitor the progress of your email marketing campaign in a beautiful dashboard.

    Plus, Drip comes with super detailed reports even for the free account as you can see below.

    drip dashboard for reporting

    Drip’s automated workflow does wonders and it is one of the best I have seen and experience in the market.

    When I first use Drip workflow, I was blown away … big time!

    This is what I mean.

    drip advanced workflow

    Drip email marketing solution is the best option if you are selling a product/service or serious in understanding how your subscribers react to your email.

    Drip allows you to tag your email subscribers based on the actions they take and therefore, you are able to send super targeted emails to them for a higher conversion.

    Last not least, Drip comes with form widget which is really awesome. If you are not using lead generation plugins such as Thrive Leads or OptinMonster,

    drip form widget

    Drip form widget is easy to configure and can easily integrate to major CMS including WordPress.

    Drip is not right for you if …

    You are concern about money. Drip comes with a forever free account which is applicable up to 100 email subscribers. After that, the pricing starts at $49 per month which can be pretty hefty for beginners.

    MailChimp vs Drip — Summary

    There is no denial that both MailChimp and Drip are two awesome email marketing tools.

    On one hand, MailChimp is a super cost efficient email marketing tool but offers limited features compared to Drip with a slightly higher cost.

    If you are just starting out, I recommend you to go with MailChimp and once you are ready to make email marketing work harder for you, Drip is the best email marketing tool!

  • Is Divi A Good WordPress Theme?

    Is Divi A Good WordPress Theme?

    Undecided if Divi is the worth it? Is Divi a good WordPress theme?

    In this article, I hope you share some light on this website builder. The latest version for Divi theme is Divi 3.0. It is the brainchild of the team behind Elegant Themes, Divi 3.0 is used by many web developers and bloggers.

    What makes Divi such a powerful and highly sought after WordPress theme?

    Let’s dive in for more information.

    1. Divi allows you to build anything (and everything

    There is nothing you cannot build using Divi. The Divi theme is powered by Divi builder — an insanely fast and incredibly intuitive front end editor like nothing you have seen before.

    Believe it or not, it will change the way you build websites forever.

    Using Divi theme, you can change the width of a column perform changes in typography and update the content in real time using the front-end visual editor.

    divi 3.0 drag and drop website builderdivi 3.0 reviewcheap drag and drop website builder 2018

    The usage of Divi 3.0 allows beginners to create custom website designs without any coding skills.

    For web developers, Divi will be a powerful website builder to help create websites for clients faster and cost efficiently.

    BONUS: Divi 3.0 is voted as one of the top 5 WordPress website builder for 2018. Click here to read more.

    2. Intuitive drag and drop visual editor

    Organizing content on your site could not be any easier with Divi theme.

    Not only you can drag and drop, you can even zoom out and rearrange any element on the page with a bird’s eye view!

    3. Responsive editing using Divi 3.0

    You know the importance of search engine optimization and mobile first by Google.

    With Divi 3.0, you can easily change the layout to ensure that each website design is mobile friendly.

    You can easily switch between mobile and tablet previews, and adjust your design for each device independently.

    For the record, this is one feature that no other WordPress builders are able to perform!

    4. Editing content in real time

    Inline editing as what called by Divi theme — you can now edit the content in real time by highlighting the text.

    You can edit literally anything, from adjusting the font, color, sizing and styling.

    Divi 3.0 is one of the most powerful WordPress builder in 2018. Click here to try Divi 3.0 demo now!

    5. Customization at its best

    This is by far my favorite feature.

    The Divi Builder is the first WordPress page builder to offer a truly customizable interface.

    Feel free to adjust the interface elements to compliment your screen and your content with just a few clicks!

    6. Go crazy with MORE elements

    Why would you use WordPress builder?

    Chances are you want to customize your website design or content without using coding skills. Don’t be shy, admit it!

    Using Divi 3.0, you can choose a wide range of elements to make your content interesting and stand out from the crowd.

    divi elements

    The best part? There is no coding skills required of any sort.

    All you need to do is to select the elements and add them into the respective places as seen below.

    divi builder plugin review

    7. Pricing matters!

    Last but not least, Divi is a good WordPress theme because it is affordable.

    Divi WordPress theme doesn’t come as a standalone theme and it is based on either yearly subscription or one-time payment.

    Divi membership costs $89 per year (that’s $7.41 per month) and comes with unlimited access to all themes and plugins that Elegant Themes offers.

    divi 3.0 pricing

    Divi 3.0 is cheaper than its alternative, Thrive Architect if you compare them based on the membership model.

    Here’s a good article if you are comparing between Divi 3.0 and Thrive Architect.

    Is Elegant Themes really worth it?

    The answer is subjective. For me, Elegant Themes comes with multiple plugins and themes that are important for web developers, freelancer designers and niche bloggers. You can also read my full Elegant Themes review.

    Is Divi a good WordPress theme?

    Yes, Divi 3.0 is flexible, highly customizable and affordable. It is user-friendly and low learning curve makes it the perfect WordPress builder theme for bloggers and website developers. While there are options, like one of the most popular portfolio WordPress themes, Divi is still better.

    Want to try Divi 3.0 today?

    Click here to see Divi 3.0 demo

  • The ULTIMATE Guide In How To Start Freelance Writing

    The ULTIMATE Guide In How To Start Freelance Writing

    How to start freelance writing?

    If this is your concern, you are at the right place. In this article, I will share with you some quick and efficient ways to start freelance writing in just 3 hours.

    But before that, freelancing makes my day … every day.

    I love freelancing and I have been doing for years. As a matter of fact, this is what happens to me when I talk about freelance writing.

    how to start freelance writing

    Wait, who am I?

    My name is Reginald and I’ve been a freelance writer since 2004. It all started as a hobby and soon, it turned out to be a full-fledge business.

    Freelance writing is also my base which helped me launched my creative agency.

    During my freelance writing career, I was lucky to be featured on many authority websites and recently, by Freelancer.com as one of the top freelancers in Malaysia. You can read the article here.

    Question: How much can you make through freelance writing?

    I believe there is many concepts and ideas pertaining to this topic. Here’s what I can tell you.

    You can make at least $10 per article (approximately 350 to 500 words) and on average, a moderate freelance writer can earn around $20 to $25 per article.

    You can earn even more when you are doing ghost writing for eBooks and website contents/redesign — that’s an easy $200+ per project.

    The total amount you can earn often comes hand in hand with your experience. For example:

    • What is your writing experience?
    • What are the perks you are offering?
    • How fast can you complete an article?

    If you are serious in starting a freelance writing career, you can easily earn at least $500 or $1,000 a month by just writing!

    In most cases, this is often more than what you earn from blogging or through Google Adsense.

    1. How to start freelance writing?

    The first step is often the easiest of all — take some time to determine the type of content you want to write.

    For example, you should have some sort of writing experience now (be it blogging or any other forms of writing).

    Defining the niche of your writing allows you to create a better portfolio to attract the right and potential employers (more on this below).

    For me, I am very into business writing. Therefore, all my freelance writing projects are aimed heavily on small-medium sized businesses who require professional ghostwriting services.

    Note: You should take your time to understand the capacity of writing as well as your target audience before moving to the next step.

    2. Choosing a freelance writing platform

    There are many freelance writing platforms and for me, my go-to platform is Freelancer.com.

    The advantage of using Freelancer.com is the free account creation. You can easily try out the platform for free (30-days trial) which is extremely important especially when you are new to the freelancing writing industry. You can register a free account here.

    Once you get several projects in, consider going for a paid account for better visibility and faster withdrawal rate.

    freelancer pricing

    Want to get a free 30-days trial? Register for a free account using this link and enjoy 30-days complimentary upgrade to Plus account worth $9.95!

    3. Creating a professional profile

    If you want to attract potential employers, having a professional profile is critical for success.

    What should be included in a professional freelancer profile?

    A professional freelancer profile should include information such as your past experience, a little about you and of course, what makes you different from the rest of the freelance writers.

    Your profile should be short but precise. Here’s an example.

    About

    Reginald Chan

    A TEDx speaker and Chief Marketing Officer, Reginald is highly passionate in writing. His writings had been published on authority sites such as Harvard University, Yahoo! Small Business, Entrepreneur Magazine and SEMrush.

    You can also see my Freelancer profile here.

    If you have a blog, you can even create a single page profile page to sell your services. Single page landing pages can be created easily using WordPress website builders. I use Thrive Architect and head over to this post to learn how you can easily create a landing page under 15 minutes.

    4. Bidding professionally

    Want to know how to become a freelance writer?

    You need to have a highly effective template when it comes to bidding for a project.

    I know. There are guru’s and coaches out there that tell you not to do so. But hear me out.

    Having a template allows you to bid faster and sending the relevant information to your potential employers.

    What should be included in the template?

    • checkA quick introduction of you (people like to know who they are dealing with)
    • checkAn overview of what you do (sharing experiences for example)
    • checkHow you fit into the project?
    • checkWhat makes you different from the rest of the freelance writer?
    • checkWhat are your commitments and promise?
    • checkThe expected completion time
    • checkPitch for future works

    Having the right pitch at the end of your bid is critical because you want to showcase your interest for long term work and not just one off projects (like what most freelancers are looking for).

    5. Communication is key

    If you want to be a highly sought after freelance writer, you need to be really good with your communication.

    This means that be courteous during the conversion and ensure that you respond with an acceptable time frame. For example, I love responding within 10 minutes and if it is in a different timezone, within the day will create a lasting impression.

    The key to successful freelance writing business is creating a clear path for communication before, during and after completing the project.

    6. Ask for more future jobs

    Lastly, do not be afraid to ask for more future jobs. If you have done a great writing job, then the employers will have no problem giving you more jobs in the near future.

    find freelance writing jobs

    The trick here is to make it clear that you are always looking for long term business partnership and have no problem working with him/her again.

    Are you ready to start freelance writing?

    I love doing freelance writing as it is not only fun but extremely rewarding.

    Have you started freelance writing?

    Tell me what you think in the comments below!