Let’s dive into the 48in48 story, explore the benefits it brings to nonprofits, and see some of the standout nonprofit websites that have emerged from this fast-paced event.

What is 48in48?

48in48 is a tech-savvy nonprofit that’s all about empowering other nonprofits. Founded in 2015 by two friends, Jeff Hilimire and Adam Walker, with the following vision:  

“To create a supportive digital ecosystem where nonprofits can thrive, grow, and achieve their goals. By offering free websites, comprehensive marketing training, branding guidance, and reliable digital support we aspire to empower nonprofits to make a meaningful and lasting difference in the world.”

48in48 volunteers have participated in 32+ events and built over 1,300 free, professional websites for nonprofits, saving them a whopping $33 million:

Free Websites for Nonprofits Built with Beaver Builder

A great website helps nonprofit organizations connect with their audience and showcase their mission in a powerful way. 48in48 takes it a step further by offering more than just an improved website presence.

Each 48in48 website package includes:

• A Free WordPress Website Build: A professionally designed website that showcases the nonprofit’s mission and services.
• Support / Hosting: One month of dedicated support and hosting to ensure the website runs smoothly and efficiently.
• Marketing Training: Comprehensive training to help the nonprofits leverage digital marketing tools and strategies to reach a wider audience.
• Nonprofit Networking: Opportunities to connect and collaborate with other nonprofits, fostering a community of support and shared knowledge.

The payoff? Better visibility, more engagement, and more support from donors and volunteers.

The Role of Beaver Builder in the Mission

Our powerful nonprofit website builder has been key in making the process of building 48 websites in 48 hours not only possible but also efficient and effective.

Beaver Builder offers an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface that simplifies website creation, even for users with minimal WordPress experience. Its flexibility and ease of use mean that volunteers can focus on creating beautiful, functional websites that meet the unique needs of each nonprofit.

Here’s how Beaver Builder makes building nonprofit websites a breeze:

• Speed and Efficiency: Beaver Builder allows volunteers to quickly design and customize websites without needing extensive coding knowledge. This speed is crucial when working against the clock to build 48 websites in a weekend.
• User-Friendly Interface: The drag-and-drop functionality enables volunteers to easily add and arrange content, making each website both attractive and user-friendly.
• Consistency and Quality: Beaver Builder ensures a high standard of design across all websites, providing nonprofits with a professional and polished online presence.

Recent Highlights: The Social Justice Event

One of the most recent 48in48 events focused on social justice, showcasing the power of community-driven efforts to promote equality and support underserved communities. This event brought together a diverse group of volunteers dedicated to making a difference.

Beaver Builder’s Marketing Director, Anthony Tran, joined the event as a judge, evaluating the incredible work done by the volunteers. Here’s what he had to say, “Very impressed with the 48in48 teams organization and all the hard work that went into these website projects. Well done!!!”

Here are the top websites of the 48in48 Social Justice Event:

1st Place: Uptown & Boogie Healthy Project

The Uptown & Boogie Healthy Project website is a great example of what dedicated volunteers can achieve in just 48 hours, and it rightfully earned the first place spot in the 48in48 event.

It features an engaging and user-friendly design, compelling content, interactive features, a professional aesthetic, and a responsive and mobile-friendly layout. The site effectively supports the organization’s mission of promoting health and wellness in the community.

2nd Place: Campbell Community Center

The Campbell Community Center website snagged the runner-up spot in the 48in48 event for its clean and engaging design, user-friendly navigation, and clear presentation of the center’s mission and programs.

The site’s vibrant visuals and intuitive layout help visitors easily find information about events, volunteer opportunities, and ways to get involved. It highlights the center’s community impact, showcasing how a well-designed website can enhance nonprofit outreach and support.

3rd Place: I See My Baby

The I See My Baby website earned third place in the 48in48 event for its heartfelt and visually appealing design. The site does an excellent job of conveying the organization’s mission through touching imagery and clear messaging.

Its user-friendly interface makes it easy for visitors to navigate and find relevant information, while interactive features like donation links, shop pages, and contact forms boost user engagement. Overall, the site’s professional look and accessible layout make it a powerful tool for the organization to connect with its audience and promote its cause.

Overall, the winning projects demonstrated outstanding creativity and functionality, showcasing the true potential of nonprofit organizations when equipped with the right tools.

Join the 48in48 Movement

48in48 is more than just an event; it is a movement dedicated to empowering nonprofits through technology. Participation in 48in48 means contributing to a cause that transcends boundaries and creates a lasting impact. Whether as a volunteer, donor, or supporter, involvement helps shape a brighter future for countless communities.

Volunteer to Build Websites

Join their enthusiastic community of skilled volunteers dedicated to building professional websites and providing digital marketing support for nonprofits. Volunteers can share their talents to make a meaningful impact, helping organizations expand their reach and influence. 48in48 proudly hosts events focused on empowering women, promoting social justice, and fostering positive change worldwide.

Nonprofits – Request a Website 

Is your nonprofit in need of a new website? Visit the Nonprofit Hub to submit your request. If chosen, 48in48’s dedicated team of volunteer marketing and design professionals will create a stunning online presence for your organization. Empower your mission with a professionally designed website that showcases your work and connects you with a wider audience.

Sponsor an Event

Getting involved with 48in48’s corporate sponsorship goes beyond giving back—it’s about building connections and camaraderie within your company. Their opportunities allow your organization to make a difference through charitable giving and purpose-driven sponsorships, leaving a lasting global impact.

The post 48in48 Spotlight: Beaver Builder’s Nonprofit Website Builder appeared first on Beaver Builder.

The Bento Grid Design seamlessly combines clean lines, balanced proportions, and intuitive organization, drawing inspiration from Japanese bento boxes. Beaver Builder’s Box Module makes it straightforward to implement this sophisticated layout. Simply drag and drop the Box module to structure your grid, customize each section with text, images, or icons, and ensure your design looks great on any device.

In this article, we’ll walk you through creating a stunning Bento Grid Design using Beaver Builder’s Box module. Get ready to impress your visitors and elevate your website’s look and feel!

Understanding the Bento Grid Design Concept

Before we dive into the technical aspects, let’s first understand what sets the Bento Grid Design apart. Inspired by the Japanese bento box, this design approach emphasizes clean lines, balanced proportions, and seamless organization. The result? A visually appealing grid layout that effortlessly showcases content while maintaining clarity and coherence.

The Bento Grid Design takes its cue from the classic Japanese bento box – where each meal is carefully arranged to create a balanced and delightful experience:

In web design, the Bento Grid mirrors this approach, focusing on simplicity, balance, and precise organization to build layouts that truly connect with users.

Clean Lines

The Bento Grid Design is all about clean lines. Just like a neatly divided bento box, this layout keeps clear boundaries between content elements. This minimalist style boosts visual clarity and adds a touch of sophistication.

Balanced Proportions

Balance is everything in Bento Grid Design. Each element, from image sizes to text blocks and spacing, is thoughtfully proportioned. This careful calibration creates a harmonious look that’s easy on the eyes and maintains a cohesive visual experience.

Seamless Organization

Like the artful arrangement in a bento box, the Bento Grid Design focuses on seamless organization. Content is logically and intuitively structured, making it easy for users to navigate. Whether it’s a project portfolio or a product gallery, this layout ensures users find what they need without hassle.

The Result

Combining these principles results in a visually appealing grid layout that goes beyond just looking good. Inspired by the elegance and precision of a bento box, the Bento Grid Design balances form and function. It showcases content beautifully while enhancing usability and user experience.

 By adopting this approach, web designers can build websites that are not only visually stunning but also offer a seamless and intuitive user experience, much like opening a perfectly curated bento box.

Website Examples of Bento Grid Design

Incorporating Bento Grid Design into your web design projects can elevate the overall user experience, providing both clarity and visual interest. The following examples showcase the flexibility and creativity that this layout style can bring to your designs. Each example highlights different approaches and techniques, demonstrating how this design trend can be adapted to suit a wide range of content and purposes.

1. Procreate

The Procreate website effectively employs bento grid design to present information in a clean, organized manner. The homepage features distinct sections, each with its own compartment, showcasing different aspects of the product, such as tools, gallery highlights, and tutorials. These sections are visually separated but maintain a cohesive flow, making it easy for users to navigate and absorb information. The use of varying compartment sizes within the grid layout enhances the visual hierarchy, drawing attention to key features and updates, while maintaining an overall balanced and harmonious look.

2. Apple

The Apple Card webpage uses bento grid design to create a visually appealing and organized layout by dividing the page into distinct sections, each highlighting different aspects of the card. Varying compartment sizes within these sections, such as large images paired with smaller text boxes, establish a clear visual hierarchy and draw attention to key information. Consistent margins, padding, and alignment maintain balance and harmony throughout, enhancing the user experience by making it easy to navigate and absorb information.

3. Aaply

The Aaply webpage uses bento grid design to present its content in a structured and visually engaging manner. The site is divided into distinct sections, each addressing different aspects of the app, such as features, benefits, and pricing. Within these sections, varying compartment sizes and elements, like images, text boxes, and icons, create a dynamic visual hierarchy. This organized layout enhances user navigation and ensures that key information is easily accessible, contributing to a cohesive and user-friendly experience.

Bento Grid Design in WordPress using Beaver Builder

Now that we’ve introduced the concept of the Bento Grid Design, let’s dive into creating our own example using Beaver Builder’s Box Module.

If you’re new to Beaver Builder, don’t worry – its intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes designing straightforward. Consider watching this video from our Box Module Basics Online Course to get a quick overview of how to use the Box Module’s grid feature to create a colorful photo grid:

How to Create a Bento Grid Design with the Box Module

Beaver Builder’s Box module simplifies creating a Bento Grid Design with its drag-and-drop interface, flexible customization options, and advanced layout controls. The Box module allows you to effortlessly add and arrange various content types—such as text, images, and icons—within individual boxes.

With its robust Grid and Flex settings, the module provides precise control over alignment, spacing, and positioning, ensuring a cohesive and visually appealing layout. This combination of user-friendly design tools and powerful customization capabilities enables you to quickly and efficiently create dynamic Bento Grid Designs that enhance the overall aesthetic and functionality of your website.

Let’s take a look at how to build this colorful grid design using Beaver Builder’s Box module:

Step 1: Drag and Drop the Box Module

Begin by opening WordPress and launching Beaver Builder to get started. Click the “+” icon in the upper right corner to open the Content panel, then drag the Box module onto the page:

Step 2: Configure the Grid Layout

Set up your grid layout by adjusting the row and column settings. In the Box Module settings popup, go to the CONTAINER tab and set the Display to Grid.

This action will display the CSS grid options. For a 4×2 grid, set the Columns Number of Tracks to “4” and the Rows Number of Tracks to “2” as shown here:

Next, in the Spacing section, you can increase or decrease the Gap and Padding to refine the layout. Keep in mind that you can always make adjustments later as your grid begins to take shape.

Now, we will add our Flex children containers to form a structured grid, mirroring the compartments of a bento box. Drag a Box module onto the page and drop it inside the grid Box module. In the popup settings box, ensure that this box is set to Flex:

Then, navigate to the Outline Panel, right-click on “Box: Flex Row” and select DUPLICATE. Repeat this action until you have created 4 copies, representing the number of containers you want to display:

Now we are ready to adjust the appearance of each Box and add content.

Step 3: Customize Each Flex Box Module

Each Box module serves as a container for content. In this step, we will customize each Flex Box module. We will work from left to right and top to bottom, starting with the orange 2×2 container on the left:

To achieve this look, click on the first Box module to open up the settings popup. Under the CONTAINER tab, scroll down to Sizing & Placement. Increase the Span to “2” for both the Grid Column and Grid Row in order to achieve a 2 x 2 box like this:

Next, scroll down to the APPEARANCE section and click to add a Background Color:

Drag the Heading and Text Editor modules into the Box module, and add your desired content into each module. To arrange them as shown below, adjust the Flex settings (Direction, Align, Wrap) in the Box module popup:

Once you have finished with the first box module, click on the next Box module. Create a 2 x 1 grid by setting the Sizing & Placement to “2” for Grid Column and “1” for Grid Row:

Then, just as you did with the first box, add a background color, a heading module, and a text module. Adjust the Flex settings for each additional box module to create a visually appealing and balanced layout.

Step 4: Ensure Responsive Design

The next step is to ensure your grid design adapts well to different screen sizes. Use Beaver Builder’s responsive tools to maintain the Bento Grid’s visual integrity across various devices.

Open the Tools menu by clicking the arrow in the top bar of your editing screen and select Responsive Editing from the dropdown. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut “R”:

The Responsive Editor offers a precise preview of your layout across various devices. You can view the design at different sizes using the Width and Height options or the Drag Handles:

Note that the Responsive Editor does not create separate layouts for each device size. Instead, you can adjust your design for each device using the Visibility options and Responsive Toggle.

Step 5: Enhance with Interactive Elements (optional)

Depending on your design objectives, you might want to incorporate interactive features like hover effects, clickable links, or animations within each Box module. While some enhancements may require basic coding skills, others are straightforward to implement.

For example, the Box module’s Linking settings let you add a link to the entire box, which includes all child modules within it:

Finally, once your design is finished up, click DONE and then choose SAVE DRAFT or PUBLISH to save or post your work.

By following these steps, you can effectively create a visually organized and engaging Bento Grid Design using the Box module, perfect for enhancing your WordPress website projects.

Conclusion

In summary, mastering Bento Grid Design in WordPress with Beaver Builder’s Box Module unlocks limitless potential for web creators. By blending Japanese design principles with Beaver Builder’s user-friendly interface, you too can present your content in a flexible and visually striking way.

Want more Beaver Builder Box module tips?

• Enroll in our free online course for the box module (free): Box Module Basics: Build Better Layouts with Flexbox + CSS Grid
• Check out Joshua Long’s Beaver Builder Intermediate course (paid): Beaver Builder: Intermediate Crash Course

The post Bento Grid Design in WordPress with Beaver Builder’s Box Module appeared first on Beaver Builder.

But is this a good use of your time?

Instead, I recommend taking a structured WordPress training course. These courses offer step-by-step training and support to help you along the way. For example, if you don’t understand something in the course you can reach out to the course creator for help.

There are many WordPress courses available to choose from. To help you, I’ve compiled a list of the best WordPress training course providers.

Let’s check it out!

Best WordPress Training Course Providers

You will find that there are paid and free training courses available. Free courses are helpful if you’re on a budget, but they tend not to offer as much support as paid courses. Whichever route you’re leaning toward, you’ll find great options in the list below.

1. Beaver Builder’s Course Library

If you want to learn how to use WordPress with a page builder, the best place to do it is with our own Course Library. The official Beaver Builder Course Library contains six free courses. They cover everything from using the Beaver Builder WordPress page builder to getting to know the Themer tool.

Our library also contains courses on setting up website hosting and a domain if you’re starting your WordPress site from scratch. Each curriculum includes multiple videos and hands-on exercises.

Price: The entire Beaver Builder Course Library is free.

Pros: The free courses can teach you everything from setting up website hosting to learning how to use Beaver Builder.

Cons: Most of these courses are geared toward beginners. If you already have experience setting up websites and using Beaver Builder, you might want to look for more advanced resources.

2. Web Design Trainer

The Web Design Trainer course teaches you how to create awesome websites using WordPress and Beaver Builder. You’ll start from scratch, learning the basics, and then move on to more advanced techniques to build professional-looking sites. It’s perfect for beginners, with step-by-step lessons, quizzes, and downloadable resources to help you along the way.

Topics Covered:

• Introduction to WordPress
• WordPress Basics
• Introduction to Beaver Builder
• Designing with Beaver Builder
• Customizing Themes with Beaver Builder
• Building Our Freelancer Website Together
• Extending Beaver Builder
• Deploying and Managing Your Website

You also get step-by-step guides with each lesson, downloadable resources, cheat sheets, reference guides, quizzes, and access to future updates.

Cost: $299 Lifetime

3. WP101

WP101 is considered one of the most popular video tutorial series for WordPress beginners. Created in 2008, WP101 has helped more than 2 million people learn how to use WordPress. They have a lot of courses to choose from and their step-by-step videos make it easy to follow along.

WordPress Courses to Choose From:

• WordPress 101 for Beginners
• Beaver Builder 101
• WordPress 101; Classic Editor
• Introduction to Gutenberg
• Easy Custom Forms with Ninja Forms
• How to Add an Event Calendar
• Complete Guide to Jetpack
• WooCommerce Quick Start
• The Complete Guide to WooCommerce
• The Complete Guide to Yoast SEO
• Easy Email Newsletter MailPoet

WP101 is ideal for people who want to learn WordPress but are on a busy schedule. Many of their video tutorials are less than five minutes long. And as a student, you’ll gain access to the help forum.

Cost: If you want the WordPress 101 course, you’ll only pay $19 per month. All-Access plans are $49 per year or $99 for lifetime access. Get 10% off when you use promo code: BB101 

They also have a great course on how to use Beaver Builder, a drag-and-drop page builder that allows you to build websites easily. Check out their Beaver Builder 101 course here: https://www.wp101.com/beaver-builder-101/

4. WP Apprentice

WP Apprentice is another WordPress training course provider. They offer a free course that helps you get your website up in less than 1 hour. WP Apprentice also has more courses that help you dive further into topics like SEO and eCommerce.

List of Courses:

• WordPress Quick Start
• WordPress Essentials
• Gutenberg Essentials
• Business Website Blueprint
• WordPress Business Blueprint & eCommerce Training Bundle
• SEO Fundamentals for WordPress

Included with your purchase is access to a members forum, Tune-Up Guide, WordPress Security Training, and more.

Cost: Their prices range from Free, $39, $75, and $99.

5. WPSessions

WPSessions offers WordPress training taught by experts. They have a growing library of training sessions and courses. The topics are on a variety of subjects such as WordPress Maintenance, SEO, Creating a Plugin, and Speed Optimization.

List of WordPress Courses:

• Your First WordPress Plugin
• Mastering Sass: From Beginner to Expert
• Using the WordPress Plugin Boilerplate
• How to Optimize WordPress Performance
• Bashing Your Way with WP-CLI
• Front-End Submission
• Filterable Archives

Cost: Memberships are $15 per month or $149 per year.

6. Udemy

Udemy is a marketplace for course creators. This comprehensive online learning platform offers courses on many topics, including WordPress.

You have to be very selective when it comes to picking courses on Udemy. Pick a course that is current and has lots of good reviews. The length of the courses varies, too. Some have almost 100 lectures while others have less than ten.

List of Bestsellers:

• The Complete WordPress Website Business Course
• WordPress for Beginners – Master WordPress Quickly
• WordPress Theme Development with Bootstrap
• WordPress for Beginners: Create a Website Step by Step

Cost: At Udemy, you pay per course, and their prices vary. You can access some for free, while others cost $199.99.

7. Yoast

Yoast offers free WordPress training designed for beginners. This training is great for all types of people. So if you want to start a personal blog, create an eCommerce site, or an online business this course will help you get your platform off the ground.

Topics Covered:

• Introduction to WordPress
• How to Customize Your Site
• Creating Content in the Block Editor
• Structuring Your Site
• Managing a WordPress Site
• WordPress SEO
• and more…

This online course provides you unlimited access to 3-hours of instructional videos. The course is broken down into 43 short videos. You’ll also get PDF documents of the training to help you follow along if you like to quickly review the tips.

The training offers 23 quizzes to help reinforce what you’ve learned as well. Best part… it’s free!

Cost: Free

8. LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is an online training platform. They offer a wide variety of career-boosting courses, including how to use WordPress. There are over 81 high-quality WordPress courses available and they’re divided into different levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.

Example of WordPress Courses Available:

• WordPress: SEO
• WordPress 5 Essential Training
• WordPress: Workflows
• WordPress: E-commerce
• WordPress: Building a Paid Membership Site
• WordPress: Plugin Development
• WordPress: Building Child Themes
• WordPress: Developing Secure Sites
• WordPress Plugins: Analytics

If you want to use WordPress to further your career, this is a convenient way to start learning. You will need a LinkedIn account to use LinkedIn Learning.

Cost: They offer a 1-month free trial and then you’re billed $29.99 per month.

9. WPShout

WPShout is great for people who want to learn about WordPress development.

They offer video lessons with in-depth articles on each topic. This makes it easy to go back and reference their guides whenever you need them. They also include short quizzes at the end of each lesson to test your comprehension.

List of Premium Courses:

• Up and Running: Learn WordPress Development
• WordPress Security with Confidence

Cost: They offer a free introductory WordPress development course. But, Premium courses are also available, and prices start at $197 per course.

10. OSTraining

OSTraining has helped over 100,000 people with its online training programs. They also offer a library of ebooks included with your subscription.

Just like taking a course in the classroom, they provide lessons and quizzes along the way to help you retain the information you learned. When you finish each course you get a certificate of completion that you can use for your credentials.

WordPress Courses for Beginners:

• Why Should You Use WordPress
• How and Where to Install WordPress
• The Beginners Guide to WordPress
• How to Build a WordPress Portfolio Site
• How to Build a WordPress Club Site
• How to Build a WordPress Rental Site
• How to Build a WordPress Recipe Directory
• How to Build a WordPress Restaurant Site and Theme
• How to Improve SEO on WordPress Sites
• How to Speed Up WordPress Sites
• How to Keep Your WordPress Site Safe
• How to Use the BackWPup Plugin in WordPress
• How to use the BackupBuddy Plugin in WordPress
• How to Collect Stripe Payments in WordPress
• How to Build a Membership Site in WordPress
• How to Use the Easy Digital Downloads Plugin in WordPress
• How to Use WooCommerce in WordPress
• How to Use the Give Plugin in WordPress
• How to Create Custom Post Types
• How to Use the Pods Framework in WordPress
• How to Create Quick Post Types and Metaboxes in WordPress
• How to Use Jetpack Plugin in WordPress
• How to Use Gravity Forms in WordPress
• How to Use the BuddyPress Plugin in WordPress
• How to Use the NextGen Gallery in WordPress
• Getting Started with WordPress Theme Development
• How to Build WordPress Themes

WordPress Courses for Developers:

• Why Should Developers Use WordPress
• How to Use the WordPress API
• How to Use the Developer Plugin in WordPress
• How to Build a WordPress Widget
• How to Publish Your Plugin at WordPress.org
• How to Use PHP Code Sniffer in WordPress
• How to Contribute to a WordPress Plugin
• How to Develop WordPress Plugins
• How to Use DesktopServer
• How to Build Multilingual WordPress Websites

Cost: OSTraining costs $59 per year and comes with a 100% money-back guarantee.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a WordPress beginner or an experienced developer there is always something new you can learn. While learning WordPress on your own is possible, you’re better off investing in a well-structured WordPress training course. Do consider one of these WordPress course providers we’ve listed. You’ll save a lot of time and headaches in the long run.

Do you have a favorite training course or class, or any recommendations that we didn’t list?

Connect with us on social!

The post 10 Best WordPress Training Courses (Updated 2024) appeared first on Beaver Builder.

Fortunately, using Beaver Builder and a quality membership plugin, you can implement these types of restrictions on your WordPress site. You’ll be able to decide what content is open to the public and what can only be accessed by specific users. Even better, this can be as simple as toggling a setting.

In this article, we’ll share a few scenarios where implementing content restrictions makes sense. Then, we’ll show you how to add content restriction in Beaver Builder with the ARMember plugin in three simple steps. Let’s get to it!

When to Use Content Restriction on Your Website

There are a lot of scenarios where it makes sense to restrict some (or most) of the content on your site. How those restrictions work and when to implement them will depend on what tool you use. In any case, here are some of the most common scenarios:

• Membership or subscription sites. Membership sites tend to offer restricted content. For example, streaming websites or online magazines are membership sites based on subscriptions. Without an active subscription, you can’t get access to their content.
• Websites with early-release content. If you subscribe to any content creators from platforms such as YouTube, you’ll know it’s relatively common for them to restrict content to paying users. In these cases, you can get access to videos and other forms of content before they are released to the public.
• Online learning websites. Educational websites are a fantastic example of effectively using a paywall. With a lot of these sites, you can’t access their exclusive courses until you’re a member. Typically you’ll also need to choose one of multiple membership tiers.
• Regional or location-based restrictions. This is a very specific scenario, but one that you might have to consider depending on where your site’s audience is located. If your website shares copyrighted content, you might need to restrict its availability depending on the user’s location.
• Restrict specific parts of a page or a post. In some cases, you might want to restrict the content of a page or post so that only members can see it. For instance, you may offer a tutorial blog post for free, but restrict the embedded video that accompanies it to paying users.

Note that these aren’t the only scenarios where it makes sense to restrict content on your website. You’re free to set up members-only or private sections on any kind of website. 

If you’re interested in implementing any kind of content restriction, you’ll want to use a plugin that works with Beaver Builder. That way, you’ll be able to build your website using the Beaver Builder plugin while also choosing what parts of it won’t be accessible to the public.

How to Add Content Restriction in Beaver Builder (3 Steps)

If you use Beaver Builder, you know it can help you with almost any kind of project you need. In many cases, if you can’t find a feature or module that you’re looking for, there are plugins that can integrate it into the builder.

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to use Beaver Builder with the ARMember plugin to implement content restriction in WordPress. 

Step 1: Create a Page or Post Using Beaver Builder

If you’re not familiar with how Beaver Builder works, the page builder offers a drag-and-drop experience. It enables you to design pages and posts using a row and column system. 

You can decide how many columns each row (or section) will include and add one or more modules within each of them:

There are tons of Beaver Builder modules to choose from. These include larger elements like sidebars and videos, as well as smaller design features like buttons and icons.

If you want to kickstart the website building process, Beaver Builder also includes a selection of modern WordPress templates. These are pre-designed pages you can use as the foundation for new designs:

When you select a template, you can modify any aspect of it. That includes the layout, which modules it includes, as well as their individual settings:

Once you have the foundation of your page or post in place, you’ll need to create an element that will be restricted for certain users. We’ll explore this in the next step.

Step 2: Add Members-Only Content to the Page

Now, we’re going to show you an example of adding members-only content to a page. We’ll set up a simple landing page that includes a button to download a PDF. This button will only appear for the users you choose. 
To start, we set up a large hero section with an image background. This is a simple full-width row using the Background Photo option that you can access if you click on the element to modify its settings:

Next up, we’ll add a Call-to-Action (CTA) using the Heading module. In our case, we’re using a simple prompt that says “Access your download”:

Note that every module in Beaver Builder comes with unique settings. The Heading module, for instance, enables you to choose what level of heading you want to use. You can also modify the heading’s style, including its font, color, size, spacing, and more.

With the heading in place, let’s move on to some simple description text above the download button. For this, we’re going to use the Text Editor module:

Next up, we have the actual download button. The Beaver Builder Button module enables you to customize the style of the element. You can even include an icon inside the button:

Beaver Builder provides you with a selection of simple icons. For this example, we’re using one that reflects a download so there’s no confusion about what the button does.

Note that this entire row won’t be visible to most users depending on what kind of content restriction you set up. With that in mind, it’s important to also include non-restricted content on the page.

That way, users that don’t have access to the restricted content will still be able to see something. For this tutorial, we set up a simple section that explains non-members don’t have access to the downloadable content:

With the method of content restriction we’ll use, non-members will only be able to see the bottom section. The part of the page that includes the downloadable content won’t show up for visitors, and you can decide exactly which WordPress user roles will have access to it.

It’s important to note that this functionality isn’t part of Beaver Builder. To add content restriction as an option, we’ll use a WordPress membership plugin.

Step 3: Restrict Access to the Module or Row

To enable content restriction in Beaver Builder, we’ll use the ARMember plugin, which comes in both a premium and a free version. This tool is ideal due to the built-in ARMember integration with Beaver Builder, which adds new options to module settings when using the page builder.

You can see these options by selecting a module, going to its settings window, and navigating to the ARMember tab. This tab will give you the option to restrict content for specific sets of users in WordPress:

Click on Select ARMember access and then select Yes. This will open a new menu where you can select who has access to or who can see the module:

You can select either a specific user role or a more broad option, such as logged-in users. Note that you can configure different ARMember content restriction settings for several blocks, which gives you a great deal of control over who gets to see restricted content.

The ARMember integration also adds content restriction options for rows. This means you can choose to restrict entire rows, which is perfect for the example we showed you earlier. In our case, we can configure the row’s settings to hide all the modules it contains except for a specific membership or subscription plan.

When you’re happy with the changes you’ve made, save them and close the Beaver Builder editor. Now, you can check out your site and test the content restriction settings in action!

Conclusion

Restricting content on your website can be a great way to make money or grow your business. You can paywall premium material like online courses, or simply encourage people to sign up for a membership to get access to freebies.

If you use Beaver Builder, you can restrict content with the ARMember plugin. Here’s a brief recap of how this process works:

1. Create a page or post using Beaver Builder.
2. Add members-only content to the page.
3. Restrict access to the module or row using the ARMember integration with Beaver Builder.

Do you have any questions about how to restrict content in Beaver Builder? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!

The post How To Add Content Restriction in Beaver Builder appeared first on Beaver Builder.

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The post Best WordPress Black Friday Deals (2023) appeared first on Beaver Builder.

This article was revised and republished in August 2023. Are you interested in learning more about using WordPress and Beaver Builder? You should check out our free course library.

If you’re planning to make big changes to your website structure or to move it all together from one host to another, taking the time to redirect your WordPress pages can help you avoid broken links. 

In this article, we’ll dig into what redirects are and why you might need or want to use them. We’ll also discuss three ways of implementing them on your website.

Understanding Redirects in WordPress

When we talk about redirects, we’re referring to the process of mapping one URL to a different one. In other words, when a user types in a URL or clicks on a link to Page A, you can redirect them to Page B instead.

There are five main types of redirects you can use:

• 301. This type of redirect is permanent. and indicates that the original page no longer exists at its original address. This is the best redirect to use for making sure your search rankings stay respectable. 
• 302. This redirect serves as an alternative page when the requested file exists at the specified address, but can’t be found for some reason. This is a temporary redirect that caused problems for some browsers, so most site managers no longer use it. 
• 303. Created as a replacement for the less-than-helpful 302 redirects, this type helps prevent screen refreshing or bookmarking of sensitive data, such as credit card information. 
• 307. This redirect is temporary and nearly identical to a 303 redirect. They differ only in that a 307 utilizes the same technique to send and get information. A 303 uses two different techniques. 
• 308. A cousin to the 303 and 307 redirects, this type of redirect achieves the same functionality. However, it’s permanent rather than temporary. It’s most useful for programmers rather than everyday WordPress users. 

Each type has its own specific purpose and benefits. For this post, we’ll be focusing on 301 redirects, as they’re most often the type you’ll encounter when working with WordPress.

Why You Might Need to Use a Redirect in WordPress

Some redirects can be used to directly benefit your site and business, while others serve as fixes for various technical issues.

Some of the main reasons you might need a redirect on your website include: 

• 404 errors. These occur when a user requests a page that can’t be found. This may happen when you move a page to a new address, or simply because a user has typed in a URL incorrectly. You can also use custom 404 pages to keep lost users engaged and entertained. 
• Permalink changes. Changing your WordPress permalinks to something more readable might benefit your site. If you change your existing links’ default structure, however, you’ll want to set up redirects so your site visitors don’t receive a 404 error. 
• URL optimization. If your site has been established for some time, you might look at some of your old yet still popular pages and posts and decide if it would be better to optimize the URLs for mobile use or readability. During this process, make sure any bookmarked favorites your visitors have redirected to the new URL. This will also keep Google happy.
• Directory changes.  You might need to move a directory of your website, either for general reorganization or even for security reasons. A 301 redirect will help to make sure site visitors still get to the right place. 
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Whether you’re rebranding your website or want more control over the URLs your visitors see, experimenting with 301 redirects is one way to boost your SEO. For example, you might want all your site’s pages to display the same URL. Another SEO booster is to redirect all HTTP input to HTTPS.

Regardless of your reasons for redirecting one or more WordPress posts or pages, there are some things to be aware of before you get started. In particular, it’s wise to plan how to structure your redirects and what Google Page Rank might do with them.

For example, it’s important that the page you redirect a broken link to closely matches the topic of the original page. Otherwise, search engines will treat the redirect like a 404 error, which could hurt your SEO instead of helping it.

How to Redirect a WordPress Page (3 Ways)

There are several ways to redirect your WordPress pages. We’ll take a look at two ways that involve editing your .htaccess or functions.php files. Then we’ll walk through setting up a 301 redirect using a WordPress plugin.

1. Create Manual Redirects in WordPress Through Your .htaccess File

If you’re comfortable editing your WordPress files directly, your .htaccess file is probably the quickest way to set up a redirect. This file is where WordPress manages all your site’s permalinks. Editing your .htaccess file is an effective option whether you’re wanting to redirect just one URL or your entire website.  

First, find the URL you want to redirect and decide on the new endpoint URL. Make a note of the mapping for later use.

Second, make sure to back up your WordPress site. If you encounter any issues, you can restore the previous version of your site.

Next, go to your site’s file directory. There are a few ways to access it: through your web host control panel, the native WordPress file editor, or using File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and an FTP client such as FileZilla:

Here you’ll see a list of all your current redirects. Below that list, there are fields where you can enter a current URL and the target URL to create a new redirect. Click the blue Add Redirect button when you’re finished.

Don’t forget to test your redirects to make sure they’re functioning correctly. You can also visit Tools > Redirection and use the tabs at the top of the screen to monitor your redirect log and 404 errors.

Conclusion

Whether you’re planning to move your website, want to change your permalink structure, or are looking to use redirects to fix broken links and improve your SEO, there are several ways to implement them in WordPress. Which is best for you will depend on your situation and skill level.

The three methods you might consider include: 

1. Via your .htaccess file: This is the best option for whole-site redirects.
2. Editing your functions.php file: A better option for more in-depth and specific redirects. 
3. Installing a plugin: Ideal for users who aren’t comfortable editing core files, or who want ongoing redirect and 404 error monitoring. 

Do you have questions about using redirects on your WordPress website? Share them with us in the comments section below!

After you’ve completed the setup wizard, you can create redirects by navigating to Tools > Redirection:

Here you’ll see a list of all your current redirects. Below that list, there are fields where you can enter a current URL and the target URL to create a new redirect. Click the blue Add Redirect button when you’re finished.

Don’t forget to test your redirects to make sure they’re functioning correctly. You can also visit Tools > Redirection and use the tabs at the top of the screen to monitor your redirect log and 404 errors.

Conclusion

Whether you’re planning to move your website, want to change your permalink structure, or are looking to use redirects to fix broken links and improve your SEO, there are several ways to implement them in WordPress. Which is best for you will depend on your situation and skill level.

The three methods you might consider include: 

1. Via your .htaccess file: This is the best option for whole-site redirects.
2. Editing your functions.php file: A better option for more in-depth and specific redirects. 
3. Installing a plugin: Ideal for users who aren’t comfortable editing core files, or who want ongoing redirect and 404 error monitoring. 

Do you have questions about using redirects on your WordPress website? Share them with us in the comments section below!

After you install and activate the plugin, you’ll be greeted with an introductory screen with information and an option to start the setup wizard, which provides some simple options for your redirects. The plugin uses Redirection uses the WordPress REST API to communicate with WordPress, the setup wizard also checks that functionality and reports any problems. Here’s a screenshot of the information screen:

After you’ve completed the setup wizard, you can create redirects by navigating to Tools > Redirection:

Here you’ll see a list of all your current redirects. Below that list, there are fields where you can enter a current URL and the target URL to create a new redirect. Click the blue Add Redirect button when you’re finished.

Don’t forget to test your redirects to make sure they’re functioning correctly. You can also visit Tools > Redirection and use the tabs at the top of the screen to monitor your redirect log and 404 errors.

Conclusion

Whether you’re planning to move your website, want to change your permalink structure, or are looking to use redirects to fix broken links and improve your SEO, there are several ways to implement them in WordPress. Which is best for you will depend on your situation and skill level.

The three methods you might consider include: 

1. Via your .htaccess file: This is the best option for whole-site redirects.
2. Editing your functions.php file: A better option for more in-depth and specific redirects. 
3. Installing a plugin: Ideal for users who aren’t comfortable editing core files, or who want ongoing redirect and 404 error monitoring. 

Do you have questions about using redirects on your WordPress website? Share them with us in the comments section below!

Sometimes you may have to reveal hidden files in order to view and edit your .htaccess file. 

Open the .htaccess file in a text editor and enter the appropriate 301 redirect code. To complete a single URL redirect, add the following lines: 

Redirect 301 /old-page.html http://www.mydomain.com/new-page.html

In the first line, modify old-page.html to match the old URL, and in the new URL modify the URL to match the target URL,

If your site has an SSL certificate, it’s good practice to redirect users who have “HTTP” in the URL to a more secure “HTTPS” URL. For this, add the following lines to your .htaccess file without modification:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

Finally, you can redirect your entire website to a different URL by adding the following lines to your .htaccess file and changing the URL in the third line to match your target location:

#Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^(>*)$ http://www.mynewdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]

Save the changes to your .htacess file. If you edited the file on your local system, don’t forget to upload it to your site’s server. To test your redirect, type in the URL for your old page to see if you land at the new address.

2. Edit Your WordPress functions.php File to Create a Redirect

Another way to create a 301 redirect for your WordPress website is by editing the functions.php file in a child theme. Any WordPress theme folder has a functions.php file, which contains important code for your site. The child theme has its own functions.php file, which is the place to put customizations. It’s important to edit the functions.php file only in a child theme because that file in the parent theme can get overwritten any time there’s an update. Luckily it’s easy to create a child theme if you don’t have one yet, either with a plugin or manually.

Locate the functions.php file in your child theme via one of the same methods we described for accessing .htaccess. Here’s a screenshot of a typical WordPress installation with a child theme:

To redirect your entire site to a single new location, open functions.php in a text editor and add the native WordPress wp_redirect function by appending the following lines to the end of the file: 

wp_redirect( "http://www.my-blog.com/a-new-destination", 301 );
exit;

Change the URL to the redirect target. 

Embedded in additional PHP code, the wp_redirect function can be used to redirect a single URL. If you use a strategic slug structure on your website, you can also use wp_redirect to redirect certain slugs to a new URL. This can be handy if you want to redirect all your posts after changing your default permalink structure, for example.

3. Redirect Your WordPress Pages With a Plugin

If you’re not keen on slicing and dicing your website files and adding new code strings, don’t fret. There are other ways to employ redirects on your website. In fact, there are many WordPress redirect plugins available that might pose less of a risk to your site. 

A great plugin option is 301 Redirects – Easy Redirect Manager:

It offers an import/export feature for bulk management of redirects. If you’re working on a one-time restructuring or moving to a new host, it can be helpful. 

Redirection plugin is another popular and highly rated tool for this purpose:

It acts as a bit of a housekeeper for your website. It can keep track of 404 errors, manage 301 redirects, and make sure your links stay tidy so your page rank remains respectable.

Let’s walk you through how to use it. 

Start by navigating to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard and searching for it:

After you install and activate the plugin, you’ll be greeted with an introductory screen with information and an option to start the setup wizard, which provides some simple options for your redirects. The plugin uses Redirection uses the WordPress REST API to communicate with WordPress, the setup wizard also checks that functionality and reports any problems. Here’s a screenshot of the information screen:

After you’ve completed the setup wizard, you can create redirects by navigating to Tools > Redirection:

Here you’ll see a list of all your current redirects. Below that list, there are fields where you can enter a current URL and the target URL to create a new redirect. Click the blue Add Redirect button when you’re finished.

Don’t forget to test your redirects to make sure they’re functioning correctly. You can also visit Tools > Redirection and use the tabs at the top of the screen to monitor your redirect log and 404 errors.

Conclusion

Whether you’re planning to move your website, want to change your permalink structure, or are looking to use redirects to fix broken links and improve your SEO, there are several ways to implement them in WordPress. Which is best for you will depend on your situation and skill level.

The three methods you might consider include: 

1. Via your .htaccess file: This is the best option for whole-site redirects.
2. Editing your functions.php file: A better option for more in-depth and specific redirects. 
3. Installing a plugin: Ideal for users who aren’t comfortable editing core files, or who want ongoing redirect and 404 error monitoring. 

Do you have questions about using redirects on your WordPress website? Share them with us in the comments section below!

The post How to Redirect a WordPress Page (Manually and Using a Plugin) appeared first on Beaver Builder.

If you’re creating a website for this type of business, you need a robust built-in booking system. Fortunately, this is simple to do if you’re using the right tools. In just a few minutes, you can set up a form that enables current and potential customers to reserve the times they want.

In this post, we’ll discuss the advantages of a built-in booking system. Then we’ll show you how to build a website that offers this feature, using Beaver Builder and the BookingPress plugin. Let’s get started!

The Advantages of a Built-in Booking System

Service-based businesses both large and small deal with appointment booking on a daily basis. As your client base grows, this daily task can become unmanageable. The problem is compounded if multiple employees or team members need to book clients at different times.

Too much disorganization can result in miscommunication and missed appointments. Alternately, the booking process might be too complex, scaring potential clients away and impacting the bottom line.

Whether you have an appointment-based business, or you’re building a website for a client that does, a built-in booking system can help eliminate these problems:

With this user-friendly feature, the business can book more appointments and increase profits. Plus, this is an excellent way to boost customer loyalty, especially if you make it easy to purchase and reserve multiple sessions at a time.

As a designer, developer, or agency building this type of site, you’ll be setting your client up for success. Meeting their unique needs is the perfect way to go above and beyond.

Sites That Can Benefit From Built-in Booking Systems

Still not sure if the site you’re building would benefit from a built-in booking system? Here are some types of businesses that might need one:

• Beauty, hair, and nail salons
• Wellness spas
• Private fitness centers, personal trainers
• Yoga studios
• Private clinics (dental, veterinary, etc.)

Of course, these are just a few examples. Just about any business that provides a session-based service can benefit from an online booking system.

How to Build a Beaver Builder Website with a Built-in Booking System (In 3 Steps)

For this tutorial, we’ll be using WordPress, Beaver Builder, and the BookingPress plugin. If you already have your Beaver Builder website up and running, you can skip ahead to Step 2. Otherwise, let’s get your site set up first.

1. Set Up Your Beaver Builder Website

WordPress is a powerful yet easy-to-use Content Management System (CMS), which makes it ideal for both beginners and developers. Plus, it’s free! However, you’ll still need a web host to provide you with the necessary server resources. 

That means choosing a hosting provider should be your first order of business. If you’re not sure how to select the right one, you may want to check our recommended resources. 

After that, you’ll need to install WordPress on your site. Most web hosts provide you with an easy way to do this. Then you’ll require a theme to determine the look and layout of your site. There are plenty of excellent free options in the WordPress Theme Directory.

If you’re interested in a premium theme with advanced functionality and customization options, you might want to check out our Beaver Builder Theme which is included in our Pro, Agency and Ultimate plans:

Our theme is built to run alongside the Beaver Builder plugin, and provides a minimalist base for just about any type of website. It’s an especially powerful tool in the hands of designers and developers looking to create something unique.

2. Create Your Booking Page (And Other Key Pages)

After you’ve installed the Beaver Builder Theme (or another theme of your choice), you’ll need to create your booking website’s primary pages. To simplify the site-building process and gain more control over your design, we recommend installing Beaver Builder:

Our plugin enables you to use drag-and-drop functionality to build fast, mobile-friendly websites. It offers far more flexibility and features than the default WordPress Block Editor, all presented in a streamlined and user-friendly way.

Once you’ve installed and activated the plugin, go to Pages > Add New and hit Launch Beaver Builder. You’ll see your editor screen where you can drag and drop modules, rows, templates, and more:

You’ll want to start by creating the website’s most important page – the booking page. You can do this however you’d like, but to keep things simple, begin by adding a Heading module with some descriptive text (such as “Book an Appointment”):

This is all you’ll need for now, since you’ll be adding the actual booking functionality in the next step. However, feel free to include additional modules with whatever information and imagery you like (or that your client has requested).

At this point, you may also want to create a few more essential pages. At a minimum, you’ll probably need an about page, a services page, a contact page, and a home page. Then you’ll need to build a navigation menu, so current and potential customers can easily make their way around the site.

As you design these pages, don’t forget to incorporate elements of the company’s visual brand, such as its logo or unique color palette. This can help boost credibility with clients and make the booking site appear more professional.

3. Add Your Booking System

Now it’s time to add a booking system to your Beaver Builder site. We’re going to do this with BookingPress. 

This plugin helps streamline the booking process. It comes with many useful features, such as custom email notifications, calendar views, and more. It even integrates with 17+ payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Square.

We’ll be using the premium version for this tutorial. However, if you’re budget-conscious there’s a free version as well.

After you sign up for a BookingPress plan, install and activate the plugin. Next, navigate to the new BookingPress tab in the left-hand menu. This leads you to the “getting started” wizard:

On this page, you’ll need to enter some basic information, such as the company name and address. You’ll also select some important details, including the correct time format and timezone.

After that, you can add the company logo, website URL, and any other additional details you’d like to include. If you’re using the premium BookingPress plugin, you can indicate whether multiple team members will be using the booking system.

When you’re finished, hit Next to go to the Booking Options page and customize the team’s availability:

If you want to set a dynamic price based on dates and times, you can pick up the Happy Hours Pricing extension (which is one of 35+ BookingPress addons). 

With the premium version of the plugin you’ll be able to add multiple staff members to the following page:

Employees will be able to access a separate staff member dashboard to manage their appointments. This feature can drastically simplify workflows and reduce unnecessary back-and-forth for scheduling.

Next, you’ll describe the services you or your client offer, and set the price and duration for the sessions:

If needed, click on the plus symbol to add another service:

You can also use the Cart Addon if you want to let customers select multiple services.

When you’ve finished adding all the relevant services, hit the Next button to continue with Styling. Now, you’ll be able to customize your booking form:

You can select your font and the color of different design elements on your booking page. If you’re setting the system up for multiple team members, you can also choose a preferred booking form sequence.

When you’re done, select Finish! This will give you a shortcode for your booking form:

Copy the shortcode and navigate to the Booking page you made earlier. Pasting the code into Beaver Builder’s HTML module will add your fully-customized booking form to that page:

Customers will be able to easily choose a service, and then select a time and date from the calendar:

After that, they’ll need to enter some Basic Details. Then, they’ll see a summary of the information they entered before clicking Book Appointment:

Finally, the customer will receive a confirmation number and brief thank you message.

If you’d like, you now have another chance to use Beaver Builder modules to add more content and imagery to this page, or to customize your layout.

Conclusion

Managing appointments manually can be an arduous process. Just about any service-based business can benefit from adding a streamlined appointment booking system to its website. This is an excellent way to add appointment booking to simplify workflows and maximize efficiency.

To recap, here’s how you can create a website with a built-in appointment booking system:

1. Choose a web host, install WordPress, and select a theme.
2. Create your booking page using the Beaver Builder plugin.
3. Customize and add a booking system using the BookingPress plugin.

Related Questions

Can You Create a Booking Website for Free?

With a free platform like WordPress, you can get a website up and running quickly. You can also use the free versions of tools like Beaver Builder and BookingPress to add booking features to that site. However, you will need to pay for web hosting and a domain, both of which can be very affordable.

Is It Hard to Make a Booking Website?

No! With beginner-friendly tools like WordPress, Beaver Builder, and BookingPress, it’s very easy to create an attractive and functional booking website in just a few steps.

The post How to Add Appointment Booking to Your Beaver Builder Site appeared first on Beaver Builder.

Contact forms are a great way to provide support to your customers and prospects. They’re easy to create and affordable, and they can help you improve your customer service.

However, manually replying to every form submission can be a time-consuming task. That’s where automation comes in.

Automating your contact form responses can save you a lot of time and effort. It can also help you improve your customer service by ensuring that all inquiries are responded to promptly and accurately.

In this blog post, we’ll introduce an AI hack for WordPress to help automate your contact form responses as well as how to get started.

What’s the Problem with Manually Managing Contact Forms?

So you may be thinking, “What’s the big deal with manually managing contact form submissions? It is simply replying to questions over email.”

But it’s not as simple as it looks.

Let’s dive into the problems it can cause and why it’s essential to find a smarter solution.

Tedious and Time-Consuming

Manually replying to each and every form submission can quickly turn into a never-ending task. 

It requires you or your team to sift through countless emails, run the information, and draft individual responses.

I get it. Your time is precious, and spending it on repetitive work can steal the time that you can invest in strategic and business-growth activities.

Delayed Response Time

Imagine your customer sending an important inquiry through a contact form, eagerly waiting for a response, only to hear crickets for days.

Not the best experience, right?

Manual management often leads to delays in responding to form submissions, leaving your users in the dark and potentially damaging their trust in your business.

In today’s fast-paced world, customers expect prompt and efficient communication, and failing to meet those expectations can cost you valuable opportunities.

Generic and Impersonal Messages

Have you ever received an automated response that felt like it was written by a robot? It’s not the most pleasant experience.

When manually managing form submissions, it’s easy to fall into the trap of sending generic, one-size-fits-all acknowledgment messages.

But let’s face it, people want to feel seen and appreciated.

A generic response can make your users feel like just another faceless number in the crowd, diminishing their connection with your brand.

What’s the Most Effective Solution?

Now that we’ve uncovered the problems associated with manual form submission management, it’s time to find the most effective solution.

The answer lies in the power of AI and Automation!

With the help of AI and Automation, you can set up a process that will save you from manual work and provide a better experience for your customers.

This process involves two steps:

Part 1: Automate Personalized Submission Acknowledgment Emails

You can use automation/integration tools to connect your form application with your email-sending applications.

This will help you automatically send an email when someone fills out your contact form:

The screenshot above shows a workflow created with SureTriggers, an automation tool.

As per the workflow, you can instantly send emails when someone fills out a contact form made with Beaver Builder.

With this workflow, you can send emails with the same content, but you have the option to add data from the form entries and replace information for every email like name.

And to take it a step further and make your email content dynamic and personalized, you can leverage the power of AI.

OpenAI, in particular, offers language generation capabilities that allow you to customize each acknowledgment message to the individual, making them feel valued and appreciated:

You can incorporate their name, refer to their specific inquiry, and provide them insights about the next steps.

The outcome? A truly personalized experience that leaves a lasting impression on your users.

Part 2: Instantly Notify Your Team Members on New Form Submissions

Now that your customers are satisfied that their query has been heard, they should also expect a response as soon as possible.

So again, we have automation at the rescue!

Automation doesn’t stop at sending acknowledgment emails.

It takes collaboration to the next level by allowing you to notify your team members whenever a new form entry is received.

If you use Slack to communicate with your team, you can instantly send a channel message so the appropriate people from your team can respond to the customer’s query:

By implementing these notification systems, your team can promptly follow up with leads, answer inquiries, or allocate tasks.

All without the need to manually check for new form submissions.

How Do Automation Tools Work?

Automation tools work on the concept of triggers and actions.

Triggers are events that initiate a workflow like a form being filled out or someone making a purchase from your e-commerce store.

While Actions are tasks that are performed when any trigger event happens. For example – creating a card in Trello, or sending a WhatsApp message.

One complete set of trigger and actions is called a Workflow. An example is sending a WhatsApp message when someone makes a purchase from your WooCommerce Store:

The terminology for Workflow can vary from platform to platform but the concept is the same.

Things to Consider While Picking Up an Automation Tool

Once you understand the advantages of using automation tools, the next question arises: “Which automation tool should I use?”

So to help you in selecting the most suitable automation tool for your requirements, here are some important factors to consider:

Know what you need

Make a list of the tasks you want to automate, like contact form replies or automatically add/update email list, add contacts to CRM tools, etc.

Think about every repetitive task that you have in your business and see if they can be automated by connecting different apps.

Easy to use

Look for a tool that is user-friendly and doesn’t require advanced technical skills.

It should have a simple interface and easy-to-understand workflows. In particular, it should not require you to have coding skills so anyone from your team can use it.

Available integrations

Check if the tool can connect with the apps and systems you already use, like your form builders, email marketing tools, e-commerce platforms, CRMs, etc.

You should also check if they have added new applications to their integration list.

Available triggers & actions

If the automation platform can connect with the apps you already use, it’s important to check what triggers and actions are available for those apps.

For example, if you want to add subscribers to your Mailchimp list, make sure the automation tool has a specific “Add Subscriber” action for Mailchimp.

Integrations with AI tools

Using AI in your automated workflows can enhance the process to a great extent. Hence, you should check if the integration platform offers integrations with tools like OpenAI.

Workflow customization features

Make sure the integration tool offers advanced features so that you can customize automated workflows to fit your specific needs like – delays, formatters, schedules, routers, etc.

Scalability

Consider if the tool can handle your growing business needs.

The tool that you select should be able to execute a large number of tasks effectively and you should be able to create multiple workflows without any blockers.

Reviews and Recommendations

Read reviews and recommendations from other users to learn about their experiences with different automation tools.

Support

Check if the tool has a good customer support and helpful documentation. You may want assistance if you have any questions or issues.

Pricing

Lastly, consider the cost of the tool and what you get for your money. Look for value in terms of features, support, and how it benefits your business.

Additionally, you can check if the platform offers a free trial so you can test it as per your needs and then make a decision.

How to Create a Workflow to Send Personalized Emails When Someone Fills Your Contact Forms

Imagine that you have selected your automation tool and now you want to automatically send personalized emails whenever someone fills out a contact form on your website.

To illustrate this process, let’s take a look at the following set of tools as an example:

1. Beaver Builder: Considered one of the top page builders for WordPress, Beaver Builder includes a convenient form block that we’ll use to create our contact form.

2. SureTriggers: This automation tool seamlessly integrates with WordPress, WordPress plugins, and web apps, allowing you to create automated workflows.

3. OpenAI: You might be familiar with OpenAI, the organization behind products like ChatGPT and Dall-E 2. We’ll use OpenAI to generate personalized emails.

4. Gmail: While you can use any email service or SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) to send emails through SureTriggers, for simplicity, we’ll use Gmail to send emails when a form is submitted.

5. Slack: We imagine you and your team might use Slack for internal communications and we’ll be sending a message on Slack when new form submissions are received.

Now, let’s delve in and understand how automation tools function and then explore the process of connecting SureTriggers with Beaver Builder, OpenAI, and Gmail to create our desired workflow!

Before You Begin Creating Your Workflow

Before we begin setting up the automated workflow, make sure you have the following:

• SureTriggers account: You can sign up for a SureTriggers account for free, or log in if you already have one.
• Website designed using Beaver Builder: Ensure that your WordPress website has Beaver Builder installed and activated, as this will be the form creation tool we’ll be working with.
• OpenAI account: Register for an account on the OpenAI platform as we will use its API keys to connect it to SureTriggers.
• Gmail account: You probably already have one. If you wish to use that account to send emails, you can certainly do so. Alternatively, you can set up a new Gmail account exclusively for connecting and sending emails with SureTriggers.

Once you have these accounts ready, you can log in to your SureTriggers account and connect all the apps to SureTriggers.

How to Connect Beaver Builder with SureTriggers

To connect SureTriggers with Beaver Builder, all you need to do is install the SureTriggers plugin on your WordPress site where you’re using Beaver Builder.

Here’s a video that will help you understand the installation process.

After successfully installing and activating SureTriggers on your WordPress site, your SureTriggers account will be linked to this WordPress site along with the plugins installed on it.

Next, you can use Beaver Builder’s contact form module to add any kind of form to your website and save it as a new module:

By saving the forms as modules, you will be able to select the form while setting up the Beaver Builder trigger:

If you’re thinking about how to set up the triggers, it is explained further in this article.

How to connect OpenAI, Slack & Gmail with SureTriggers

The process to connect web apps with SureTriggers is pretty straightforward. You can simply follow the steps described below:

1. Log in to your SureTriggers account and go to the Apps screen:

2. Click on the Add New Connection button:

3. Search for OpenAI and click on its icon from the results:

4. Follow the steps on the screen that will help you create a connection between SureTriggers and OpenAI:

After you’ve connected to OpenAI, you can follow the same steps to add a new connection for Gmail and Slack:

Once OpenAI, Gmail, Slack, and Beaver Builder are connected to your SureTriggers account, you can start creating your workflow.

Creating the Workflow

Here’s how to create this workflow:

1. Start by setting up a trigger that activates when someone submits a form using Beaver Builder.
2. Configure an action that uses OpenAI’s capabilities to generate personalized emails.
3. Set up another action to send an email through Gmail to the person who submitted the form.
4. Finally, create an action to send a notification message to your team on Slack whenever a new form submission is received.

By following these steps, you can automate the process of sending a reply to form submitters and keep your team informed about new form submissions.

If you need a detailed guide on how to create this workflow in SureTriggers and access a ready-made workflow template, check out this article.

Conclusion

In conclusion, incorporating AI and automation into your business operations can have a transformative impact.

Automation has revolutionized the way businesses operate and with AI in the picture, the game has completely changed.

Harnessing the power of AI and automation can make a significant difference for your business. It has the potential to revolutionize the way you operate and achieve your goals.

By embracing these technologies, you can streamline processes, boost productivity, and unlock new opportunities for growth and success.

So don’t hesitate to explore the possibilities and reap the benefits of AI and automation in your business endeavors.

The post AI Hacks: Improve Customer Experience with AI-Powered Form Submission Confirmation Emails appeared first on Beaver Builder.

This post was originally published on January 9, 2018, and republished on May 5th, 2023. The question continues to come up and our thoughts about it remain the same.

TL;DR, Imposing a site limit on GPL software is simply putting an unenforceable block in front of using open source code as you please. It’s a bad user experience.

Happy New Year! We mentioned in our last update post that we’re going to shift formats on our blog. In this post, we’re going to answer a question we hear all the time:

“Why don’t you guys offer a cheaper license for only one or two sites?”

Many other companies in the WordPress space sell licenses based on the number of sites the product is being used on. For example, $10 for 1 site, $50 for 5 sites, or $100 for 100 sites.

We considered offering a similar license structure but ultimately decided on allowing unlimited sites for all of our license packages. This approach provides the best user experience given that Beaver Builder is a GPL-licensed product.

What does the GPL have to do with site licenses?

After deciding to fully adopt a GPL license for Beaver Builder, we’ve learned a LOT about the implications and nuances of the license. The GPL enables anyone to use, modify, and distribute our code. The code is free. We don’t have to make it freely available, but nothing is stopping you from taking your copy of Beaver Builder and giving it to your friend. More importantly, nothing is stopping you from changing the code and releasing your own version of it. This is how WordPress was started in the first place. It was a fork of a GPL software project called b2.

Over half a million websites now use and depend on Beaver Builder’s codebase. If Billy, Justin, and I get fed up with technology and decide to start a rock and roll band (which, admittedly, we do joke about sometimes), the code will live on. The project doesn’t end with us.

What’s the Catch?

The catch is (and this is how most WordPress companies protect their business interests) our brand is not under the umbrella of the GPL. The Beaver Builder brand is protected by a registered trademark. You can not take our code, redistribute it, and call it Beaver Builder. Furthermore, we ask anyone that wants to fork Beaver Builder to remove our trademark from the codebase. There is a clear distinction between the code and the brand.

Back to the original question, why don’t we offer single-site licenses? If you buy a copy of Beaver Builder, you’re supporting the team and the further development of the product, the convenience of automatic updates, and access to our awesome support. If we offered a single-site license, it wouldn’t be illegal for you to update a single site, then take that code and go manually update however many other sites you were managing.

That said, it feels disingenuous to force this arbitrary restriction on our customers. We believe in the value of our product. We don’t want to ask you to jump through hoops when you purchase from us.

What About Support?

Support is another can of worms. Some companies in the WordPress space offer fantastic support and some not so much. We take a lot of pride and invest a lot of resources in providing excellent support. It’s completely reasonable for a company to only offer support for a certain number of sites. We want Beaver Builder to appeal to you if you’re building one site or if you’re someone that manages 100+ sites. Whether you’re a small business or a powerhouse design agency, we want to offer the same level and quality of support to everyone.

Surprisingly, we’ve found many of the people using Beaver Builder on 100+ WordPress sites use fewer support resources than some of the folks who are just getting started in web design/WordPress. For us, the number of sites managed doesn’t accurately represent the number of support resources any given user will require, or how much time it will take for us to solve the issues.

Perhaps counterintuitively, the “power users” of Beaver Builder are the ones discovering legitimate bugs and working with us to help fix and solidify the codebase. Power users are also more likely to be using Beaver Builder and other tried and tested plugins and themes that are far less likely to cause conflicts. In the WordPress space, premium software products are almost always more stable and well-maintained than their free alternatives.

GPL + WordPress =

This post isn’t to make a claim that our approach is right for everyone, but we hope to reference this post in the future when the question inevitably arises. We believe in the freedoms of the GPL and—call us crazy—we do our best to maintain a business selling free software!

If you’re curious to learn more about the GPL license and its implications for starting or running a software business, these are a few articles we learned from. And if you’re choosing a plugin or theme for your WordPress site, review the license terms. Join us in using, creating, and championing GPL-licensed products (or, see the article about Mullenweg and Pearson to see what might happen if you don’t).

A human-readable summary of the GPL by attorney, Richard Best

The GPL License Doesn’t Provide The Freedom To Infringe Registered Trademarks by WPTavern

Trademarks in the WordPress ecosystem: An interview with Carl Hancock by Chris Lema

And one of the more entertaining grudge matches in WordPress, Mullenweg and Pearson Square Off on Patents, GPL, and Trademarks

The post Why GPL Products and Limited-Site Licenses Don’t Make Sense appeared first on Beaver Builder.

We have some photos and stories to share from the camp. We also brought back the notorious stuffed beaver swag and, just like the last time, a whole bag of them managed to scurry off and get lost. Read on to find out what happened…

Beaver Builder Sponsor Booth

Despite sponsoring many WordCamps over the years, this was the first time sponsoring at a level where we got to have a display area. Our previous approach to sponsorships was to choose a lower level because, many times, it was just me attending and I didn’t want to be stuck at a booth all day.

This year for WCPHX, we had 9 people from the Beaver Builder family available to help out. We invested in some signage, custom basketball-themed stickers, and handouts to give away. The experience was great!

We all took turns meeting people that came up to our table. We had a computer monitor set up so we could do demos, and we got to show folks the new community and template marketplace features we just launched at Assistant Pro.

Did we hang out at WordCamp Phoenix? Let us know by sharing this tweet:

I had a tail-slapping good time hanging out with the @BeaverBuilder team at @WordCampPHX 2023! #WCPHX
Click To Tweet

Stuffed Beavers Giveaway

We brought back our most popular swag item ever, the stuffed beavers! We debuted these in Nashville at WordCamp US 2018 and have several pictures of them featured on our new about page. They were a huge hit!

Bizarrely, because we weren’t sponsoring that particular WordCamp, some of the organizers took offense to us handing them out and a big bag of beavers was taken from us without any communication. It seemed strange since we’ve never heard of anyone’s stickers, business cards, or other various gifts folks share at WordCamps disappearing.

Just a silly miscommunication, of course. To keep the tradition going, some of the WordCamp Phoenix organizers “borrowed” a bag of beavers while we were at lunch and hid them until later in the day. Those little critters sure have a knack for chewing their way out of where we put them.

Want a stuffed beaver of your own?

This question came up the last time around. We’re not planning to sell or distribute the stuffed beavers. Sorry! The only way to get one is to meet us at an upcoming WordCamp. We’re planning to be at WordCamp US in August and, hopefully, at WordCamp Seattle (date TBA).

You can discover which camps we’ll be at by following us on Facebook or Twitter, joining the Beaver Builder Facebook group, or signing up for our newsletter (in our footer).

WebCami Takes Over the Beaver Builder Booth

I’ve taken over the ⁦@BeaverBuilder⁩ booth. #WCPHX pic.twitter.com/a7WL0XcLA1

— Cami MacNamara (@WebCami) March 25, 2023

The next day when we were at lunch, our good friend Cami MacNamara of WebCami noticed our table was empty. She very graciously decided to step in and field questions and hand out swag while we were away. Thank you so much, Cami! We really appreciate that.

Pagely Wins the SWAG Game

As well as the stuffed beavers were received, my vote for the best swag of WCPHX – and possibly ever – was from Pagely. They brought out custom tie-dye shirts, a screen printing press, and pressed various Pagely logos on the shirts live and in-person. I am a total sucker for tie-dyes, and these were gorgeous, custom-made shirts from Jammin On.

Our site has been hosted on Pagely for many years and they take great care of us. I’ll never forget how I, when I thought I was working on a staging site, accidentally deleted all of the pages on our live site. To make matters worse, it was Sunday and it was Mother’s day. Despite being a weekend and a holiday, Pagely’s support team was able to restore all the pages in a matter of minutes (my sincere apologies to all of their mothers).

Cobra Arcade Bar Party

We made it back to one of our favorite spots in Downtown Phoenix, the Cobra Arcade Bar. We discovered this bar several years ago and quickly fell in love. During the day, it’s a dive-y bar filled with vintage arcade consoles. A lot of us grew up playing video games, so it’s been a favorite spot to grab a drink and hang out.

This year, we invited a few friends from the camp to come to play some games with us before the official afterparty which was conveniently located just around the corner.

Buckle Up, Beavers! A Self-Driving Adventure

One of the more memorable moments of WordCamp Phoenix had nothing to do with WordCamp at all. It was sharing the first-time experience of riding in a driverless car! Waymo is Google’s driverless car subsidiary and they’re actively testing the service in Phoenix. Just like Uber or Lyft, you can download an app, enter a destination, and a car will show up, pick you up, then drop you off where you need to be. The only difference is there’s no driver!

Getting driverless rides around Phoenix is going to be one of the more memorable highlights of @WordCampPHX #WCPHX @Waymo pic.twitter.com/AA1ivZEG3T

— Beaver Builder (@BeaverBuilder) March 25, 2023

It was a bizarre experience, but after the first or second ride, it felt totally natural. It was really nice being able to have a private conversation or talk on the phone without being self-conscious about it.

There were several somewhat complicated issues Waymo had to tackle, like a double-parked car and a cat running across the road. Each time, it navigated the traffic and obstacles elegantly and dropped us off where we needed to be. What a time to be alive.

We joked around that someday, we might all share stories with our grandchildren about how humans used to have to drive their own cars and how we’d regularly crash into each other causing injuries, deaths, and thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Next Stops for the Beaver Builder Family IRL and Online

The dates are still yet to be announced, but we’re hoping to visit Seattle in the next few months for WordCamp Seattle. In late August, on my birthday weekend, we are tentatively planning to be in Washington DC for WordCamp US.

We’d love to know which WordCamps you’re attending and what other places you’re talking about WordPress online. Please leave us a comment on Twitter, our Facebook page, in the Beaver Builders Facebook group, on Slack, or on Reddit.

See you soon!

The post Tail-Slapping Good Time: Beavers Take on WordCamp Phoenix 2023 🏀 appeared first on Beaver Builder.