fidzu : WordPress

Even though great content is an important part of any blog, it's only a small part of creating great user experiences. Everything on your site should be focused on making sure readers can actually find, enjoy, and interact with what you've written.

A well-designed user experience keeps visitors reading longer, encourages them to explore more posts, and makes them more likely to take a desired action, whether that's signing up for your newsletter or checking out your products.

Search engines care about user experience too. Google specifically looks at how people interact with your blog, making UX a significant factor in where your content appears in search results. And according to Jakob's Law, which tells us users prefer websites that work similarly to ones they already know, creating a familiar yet modern interface can dramatically increase engagement.

Ready to make your blog easier to use and more engaging? Let's explore some proven practices and tools to help create an outstanding experience for your readers. Plus, discover how Gravatar can boost your blog's credibility and user interaction.

1. Ensuring your blog homepage is easy to navigate and well-organized

The homepage of your blog sets the tone for the entire reading experience. Getting it right means implementing smart navigation features that help readers find exactly what they want.

• Start with an intelligent search system. Add auto-suggest functionality that predicts what users might search for as they type and weigh the results based on popularity and relevance. Make sure search results can be filtered by date, category, or content type to help readers narrow down their options.

• Structure your content with a clear taxonomy. Limit your primary categories to 5-7 options - any more can overwhelm readers. Build nested subcategories for more specific topics and use dynamic tag clouds to show popular subjects. This creates clear pathways for readers to explore related content.

How you load content matters, too. For blogs with lots of posts, choose between:

• Infinite scroll: Great for casual browsing and image-heavy content.
• Pagination: Better for readers who want to track their progress or return to specific pages.

On mobile devices, focus on these essential elements:

• A clean drawer menu that slides in from the side.
• Floating action buttons for quick access to searches or categories.
• Headers that stay visible while scrolling.

For content previews on your homepage:

• Keep excerpts between 120-160 characters.
• Use 16:9 ratio images for consistency.
• Create custom layouts for different types of posts (tutorials, news, reviews).

Remember to test your navigation with real users. Watch how they browse and search, then adjust based on their behavior. The best blog homepage design is one that feels natural and helps readers discover more of your content without thinking about it.

2. Optimizing the visual experience on your blog posts

The main goal of great blog design is to make content easy and pleasant to read. Let's look at specific techniques that enhance readability and keep readers engaged.

Typography needs precise measurements to work well:

• Set body text between 16-18px for comfortable reading.
• Use a line height of 1.5-1.6 to create breathing room between lines.
• Keep line length to 60-75 characters to prevent eye strain.
• Pick fonts that render crisply on all screen sizes.

Make long posts easier to navigate with these structural elements:

• Add a sticky table of contents that follows as readers scroll.
• Show a progress bar indicating how far through the post they are.
• Create clear visual separation between sections using whitespace.
• Include "jump to section" links for quick navigation.

The first screen readers see (the "above-fold" area) should give them immediate context:

• Add a clear summary box highlighting the main points.
• Display estimated reading time prominently.
• Keep at least 15-20% of space empty to avoid visual clutter.
• Use subheadings to break up text into scannable chunks.

For complex or technical posts:

• Create expandable sections for detailed explanations.
• Add tooltips to explain specialized terms.
• Use bullet points and numbered lists for step-by-step instructions.
• Include relevant screenshots or diagrams.

Most importantly, maintain consistency across all posts. Readers shouldn't have to relearn how to navigate each time they visit. This follows Jakob's Law - when elements work the same way throughout your blog, readers feel more confident exploring your content.

Overall, visual design should support your content, not compete with it. Every element should serve a purpose in making the post easier to read and understand.

3. Performance optimization: Speeding up your blog with dynamic content loading

A fast-loading blog keeps readers happy and engaged. Here's how to serve content quickly and efficiently using modern loading techniques.

• Start with progressive loading to prioritize what matters, such as text and critical elements. Defer less important elements until after the main content appears and use resource hints to tell browsers what to load next. For example, you can implement the intersection observer API to load images only as readers scroll through them.
• Structure your JavaScript smartly by splitting code into smaller chunks that load only when needed. Use dynamic imports for features like comment sections or sharing buttons, load third-party scripts (like analytics) after core content, and apply virtual scrolling on index pages to handle large archives efficiently.
• Optimize images for better performance by compressing them without noticeably reducing quality. We recommend generating WebP versions of all images and creating multiple sizes for different screen widths. You could also use content-aware loading to prioritize visible images.
• Set up technical optimizations, including browser caching with appropriate cache-control headers, skeleton screens (placeholder content) while posts load, and a CDN that will serve assets from locations close to your readers. Make sure you monitor Core Web Vitals regularly to catch performance issues early.
• Include infinite scroll implementations like pre-loading the next set of posts before readers reach the bottom, keeping memory usage in check by removing posts far outside the viewport, saving scroll position when readers click through to a post, and showing loading indicators only when new content is actually loading.

4. Making your blog more authoritative through E-E-A-T best practices

Building trust with users means showing them exactly why they should value your content. Experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) help readers - and search engines - understand the credibility behind your posts.

The best way to do that is by creating comprehensive author profiles:

• List relevant credentials and certifications.
• Highlight years of experience in specific topics.
• Link to other published work and research.
• Show professional achievements and awards.
• Connect social media profiles to establish a reliable digital presence.

Gravatar makes managing author identities simple across multiple platforms. Contributors have to create just one profile, and their information appears on Gravatar-supported websites, including every WordPress.com blog. There, the integration happens automatically - perfect for blogs with multiple contributors or authors who write across different sites.

For WordPress.org sites, the Gravatar Enhanced plugin adds powerful profile features:

• Customizable author profile blocks.

• Automatic profile card embedding in posts.
• Social media integration.
• Custom biography sections.

You can use these features to build authority with your audience and create dedicated pages showcasing each author's expertise. And if your users don't have a Gravatar profile, you can set up an automated email sequence inviting them to create one.

If you're not on WordPress (org or com), don't worry! You can use Gravatar on any platform thanks to its easy-to-implement REST API.

Now, going beyond author profiles, you can build authority by structuring your archives effectively. For example, you can create Group posts by topic to demonstrate subject knowledge and display engagement metrics like comment counts. When you have someone who's been contributing for a while, you can feature their most popular or influential posts or add testimonials from industry peers or readers.

We also recommend that you make expertise visible throughout your content, not just through design:

• Add "About the Author" sections within posts.
• Include relevant credentials in article introductions.
• Link to author's research or cited works.
• Show expertise indicators next to author names.
• Feature author contributions to industry publications.

The Gravatar API lets you enhance these profiles further:

• Pull in verified professional achievements.
• Display unified author information across platforms.
• Show real-time updates to author credentials.
• Create custom profile layouts for different content types.

Whatever your approach is, the best strategy is authenticity. Focus on highlighting genuine expertise and real accomplishments rather than inflating credentials. Readers appreciate honesty and will trust authors who demonstrate their knowledge through quality content backed by verifiable experience.

5. Boosting engagement and user interactions on your blog

There are several strategies you can implement for a successful and engaging experience.

First, you must ensure that your internal linking structure is logical - you don't need to link to everything, just the posts that make sense. When you're smart about it, you can keep readers exploring your content naturally through connections based on topics, skill levels, and reader interests. So, place contextual links within your content where they add value, and use automated related post sections that adapt based on what similar readers have found useful.

Now, it's a great thing to guide your readers throughout the blog, but you also need to motivate them with concrete but meaningful calls to action. Don't bombard them with popups; analyze your scroll depth data to understand where readers are most receptive to taking action. Test different CTA positions, designs, and messages with various user segments to find what resonates best.

Want to create a successful newsletter? Think beyond basic signup forms. WordPress.com's native newsletter functionality allows for sophisticated subscriber management. You can segment your audience, deliver automated post notifications, and track which content drives the most engagement. Plus, you can show different content blocks depending on whether someone's already subscribed.

However, perhaps the most powerful way to build engagement is through an active comment section. Here's where Gravatar's universal profile system really shines. When readers comment, their verified profiles automatically sync across any Gravatar-enabled platform. This builds a sense of community as readers recognize familiar faces and can trust they're interacting with real people.

With the Jetpack plugin, you can enhance this further by enabling hovercards - detailed profile previews that appear when readers hover over a commenter's name. These cards can display social connections, verified links, and complete user information, encouraging meaningful discussions while reducing spam and low-quality comments. This feature is automatically enabled on WordPress.com websites.

Want to set up commenting on your WordPress site? Check out our detailed guide on enabling and managing comments effectively.

6. Creating multimedia elements that add genuine value to articles

Adding images, videos, and interactive elements can enhance understanding - but only if they're implemented thoughtfully. Your multimedia content should support your message without slowing down your blog.

• Data visualization demands careful attention to detail: Interactive charts and graphs have to work across screen sizes while maintaining readability. Before adding a visual element, ask whether it makes complex information clearer. And remember to A/B test different visualization styles to see which ones readers engage with most.
• Video integration requires balancing quality with performance: Implement lazy loading so videos only download when readers scroll near them. This keeps your pages fast while still offering rich content. Match your video player controls to your blog's design, and add clear thumbnails that tell readers what they'll learn.

Whatever multimedia elements you choose, optimize them for Core Web Vitals:

• Compress files without sacrificing quality.
• Set proper width and height attributes to prevent layout shifts.
• Use modern formats like WebP for images and WebM for video.
• Ensure all content works well on mobile devices.

Most importantly, make your multimedia content accessible. Add descriptive alt text for images, provide transcripts for videos, and ensure interactive elements work with keyboard navigation and screen readers.

Think of multimedia as a powerful tool, not a requirement. Each element should serve a clear purpose in helping readers better understand your content. When used strategically, these additions can transform complex topics into engaging, memorable experiences.

Boost your blog's UX with Gravatar integration

Ready to put these UX improvements into action? Gravatar offers a simple way to enhance your blog's user experience through automated profile management.

The Gravatar Enhanced plugin makes implementation straightforward, with customizable profile blocks that showcase author expertise and build reader trust. Hovercards add depth to your comment sections, displaying detailed user information when readers hover over profile images. This creates a more dynamic, engaging experience that encourages meaningful discussions.

For developers, the Gravatar API enables custom profile displays tailored to your blog's specific needs. Build unique author showcases, create advanced comment systems, or integrate user profiles in creative ways. Plus, built-in privacy controls let users manage exactly what information they share.

Whether you're a developer or a passionate blogger, you can use Gravatar to transform your blog into an engaging, professional platform where readers can connect with authors and each other meaningfully. Check out the Gravatar REST API or the Gravatar Enhanced plugin today!

23 Dec 2024 7:24pm GMT

Joost de Valk, co-founder of the Yoast SEO plugin has called for Breaking the Status Quo of the WordPress world. This comes in the wake of Matt Mullenweg's announcement of a holiday break for WordPress.org and the ongoing Automattic-WP Engine legal dispute.

de Valk said, "We, the WordPress community, need to decide if we're ok being led by a single person who controls everything, and might do things we disagree with, or if we want something else. For a project whose tagline is "Democratizing publishing", we've been very low on exactly that: democracy."

Referring to Mullenweg as a BDFL (Benevolent Dictator For Life), de Valk argued that Matt is "no longer Benevolent, and because of that, speaking up in public is a risk."

de Valk acknowledged that due to Yoast's contributions to WordPresss, he "did get some say in where WordPress went, though never officially, and never when it went in directions that Matt disagreed with. Over time, that influence became less as Matt tightened his grip on the project. I think that tightening was in part a cramp. Wanting to control more what people were working on, because the project wasn't progressing fast enough in the direction he wanted it to go in."

I think it's time to let go of the cult and change project leadership. I've said it before: we need a "board". We can't wait with doing that for the years it will take for Automattic and WP Engine to fight out this lawsuit.

- Joost de Valk

He said, "I'm still, to this day, very thankful for what Matt has created. I would love to work with him to fix all this. But it's clear now, that we can no longer have him be our sole leader, although I'd love it if we could get him to be among the leaders."

He put forward 5 steps that must be taken fast:

• A WordPress foundation-like entity consisting of a board with people from diverse backgrounds leads the project.
• WordPress.org and key community assets are transferred to the foundation.
• The WordPress trademark is made public domain or managed for free use.
• Companies and individuals can sponsor the foundation, receiving perks like listings on a hosting page.
• Small teams are formed for Architecture, Product, Events, etc., with proper governance.

He also suggested "Federated and Independent Repositories" to decentralize the official WordPress repository. He said, "Matt might not agree to my first five points above. However, we can still work on the Federated and Independent Repositories without his permission because, frankly, we don't need it."

He revealed that he's already in talks with other community figures like Karim Marucchi, CEO of Crowd Favorite. He is also willing to take up the mantle of the movement if needed.

He said, "I'm here, and willing to lead through this transition. I do have the time, the energy and the money needed to fund myself doing it. I've worked in this industry and this community for close to 20 years and it's very dear to me. Thanks in large part to the WordPress project, I have the privileged position to be able to drop and/or delegate some of the stuff I'm working on and start working on this."

Karim Marucchi's Vision For a New WordPress Business Roadmap

Karim Marucchi of Crowd Favorite backed Joost de Valk. He said, "the current situation has jeopardized the very fabric of this ecosystem."

We need to prevent a single entity from doing to WordPress what befell other open-source projects that shrank or died while protecting one party's market position.

- Karim Marucchi

He proposed five essential critical paths to concentrate on:

• Securing the supply chain & start modernization
• Convening, defining & creating the Commons
• Defining the roadmap as "the" Open-Web's Operating System.
• Open Source as a hub for innovation
• Focusing on leading data ownership, privacy, and accessibility

de Valk and Marucchi will get together with other community leaders in January 2025 to decide the way forward.

Response From Matt

Matt commented under de Valk's blog post: "I think this is a great idea for you to lead and do under a name other than WordPress. There's really no way to accomplish everything you want without starting with a fresh slate from a trademark, branding, and people point of view."

Response From the Community

Joost de Valk found support from other community leaders too.

Brian Gardner of WP Engine supported de Valk, tweeting, "Cosign. (My personal op and b/c I WordPress.)"

WP Engine also came out in support.

Michele Butcher-Jones of Can't Speak Geek also shared her thoughts:

Katie Keith of Barn2Plugins shared, "Wow, I never expected someone as high profile as @jdevalk to speak out so openly against the current leadership of WordPress. However, I completely agree with his analysis of the situation and his proposed solutions."

WordPress Core Committer Tonya Mork said, "I've been mostly quiet, other than publicly pausing my WordPress Core contributions. That ends today. I stand with @jdevalk and @karimmarucchi for the "hold this community together" effort. Publicly sharing my support."

Taco Verdo of Emilia Capital had this to say:

Daniel Schutzsmith, Jon Brown, Karissa Skirmont, Blake Whittle, Duane Storey, Vova Feldman and Takis Bouyouris also came out in support of de Valk.

Andrei Lupu was, however, against the development. He said, "Let me nuke my WP career with an honest question: why would we follow a board of people who sold their products when they peaked? No one is perfect and I'm not sure if switching from one person's vision to multiple people fighting for influence of a "board" is a good thing."

@ViaEth also supports Matt. "All of this started after WPE couldn't continue to leech off the #WordPress branding. All of these blog posts and whining just proves @photomatt right. Companies want to suck WP dry if this was purely about altruistic reason they would just fork the codebase and fuck off."

Jesse Nickles, an SEO enthusiast, also does not believe in de Valk. He said, "Despite my desire to want to give you another chance as a "thought leader" or whatever else, 2 things are seared into my memory… first, the fact that Yoast SEO was always, and still is, one of the most dishonest and tricky plugins in WordPress history."

Morten Rand-Hendriksen published After WordPress. According to him, there are two paths forward for the WordPress community:

• Mullenweg releases his iron grip on the project, brings in proper governance, creates a more equitable ecosystem economy, and steps into a role of visionary leader instead of micromanager.
• The community organizes, takes every lesson learned over the past 20+ years, combines with a vision for what the world will need going into the next 10 years, and builds a new platform to stand on.

21 Dec 2024 7:00pm GMT

Every social media platform has an About section. However, this tends to be very limited in terms of what you can include in it, making it hard to make a memorable first impression and truly tell people what you're all about. For example, these sections often limit you to a single link in your profile and don't allow different content formats, just text.

That's why link-in-bio tools have become essential for anyone sharing content online. These tools let you pack multiple destinations into one simple URL, making it easier to guide followers to your content, products, or services.

This is important for everyone - from an influencer promoting sponsored content to a business owner showcasing products. But with so many tools on the market, it can be hard to choose the right one - some offer basic link collections, while others provide advanced features like analytics and customization options.

This guide examines popular link-in-bio tools, from dedicated solutions like Linktree to comprehensive profile systems like Gravatar. You'll learn about essential features, pricing comparisons, and practical tips to help you select the tool that fits your needs.

What is a link-in-bio tool?

A link-in-bio tool creates a single webpage that houses all your important links. Think of it as a mini-website that fits inside your social media profile's single link limitation. Instead of choosing between linking to your website, the latest video, or a new product, you can share everything at once.

These tools typically let you include the following:

• Social media profiles
• Website links
• Product pages
• Blog posts
• Contact information
• Latest announcements
• Promotional content

As you can see, this is a great alternative to X's (Twitter) one-link or Instagram's five-link limit. However, beyond solving the one-link problem, these tools make your profile look more professional.

Rather than cramming multiple URLs into your bio text, you present a clean, organized hub for your content. This makes it easier for followers to find what they're looking for, whether that's your latest YouTube video or your online store.

Features to consider in a link-in-bio tool

While the features you require will depend on your specific use case, there are some universal good-to-haves that every good link-in-bio tool should provide.

• Flexible presentation options. Look for platforms that provide various layouts and themes to match your style. For example, a photographer might want a grid layout to showcase their portfolio, while a musician might prefer a list format with embedded music players.
• Design flexibility beyond basic themes. The best tools let you control colors, fonts, and layouts to match your brand identity. Some even allow custom CSS for complete design control. This means you can make your bio page look like a natural extension of your website or social media presence.
• Link management features. While basic tools might limit you to 5-10 links, more advanced options offer unlimited links with organizing capabilities. You might want to group your podcast episodes separately from your shop links, or temporarily feature a special promotion without deleting your regular links.
• Additional content features. Beyond simple URLs, look for tools that support text descriptions, image galleries, video embeds, or newsletter signups. A makeup artist could embed tutorial videos directly in their bio page, while a writer could feature book excerpts alongside purchase links.
• Useful integrations with other platforms. This might include connecting your eCommerce store to display products, embedding your Spotify playlist, or linking your email marketing service to capture leads. These integrations save time by automatically updating your bio page when you post new content.
• Privacy and user control features. Some tools let you password-protect certain links, manage multiple profiles from one account, or control who can edit your page. This becomes especially important when working with teams or managing different brands.
• In-depth analytics. Good tools show you which links get the most clicks, when people visit your page, and where they're coming from. This data helps you optimize your page - for instance, you might discover that placing your newsletter signup at the top doubles your conversion rate.

Comparing the top link in bio tools

Each link-in-bio tool offers unique advantages. Here's a detailed look at seven popular options to help you make an informed choice.

Gravatar

At its core, Gravatar is a universal profile system that doubles as a link-in-bio tool with a unique "Set once, seen everywhere" approach to online profiles. When you create a Gravatar profile, thousands of websites can automatically display your profile picture and information - but only with your consent.

For example, when you comment on a WordPress blog or contribute to a GitHub project, these platforms can pull in your verified profile data. This automatic syncing saves time and ensures consistency across your online presence.

The platform functions as both a link-in-bio tool and a comprehensive profile system. You can add:

• Essential links to social media and websites.

• Verified account connections.

• About Me section.

• Payment details.

• Contact information.

• Images and videos.

Customization options give you full control over your profile's appearance. Drag and drop elements to perfect their placement, choose background colors that match your brand, and add custom headers and footers to make the page yours. The layout builder makes it simple to create a professional-looking profile without needing design skills.

Think of Gravatar as a digital business card that evolves with your online presence. Beyond basic contact details, it showcases your portfolio, connects your social profiles, and highlights your professional achievements - all in one place that updates everywhere automatically.

Privacy remains in your control. Create multiple profiles for different aspects of your life - perhaps one for professional connections and another for creative projects. Choose exactly what information appears on which websites and manage all your online identities from a single dashboard.

Unlike most competitors, Gravatar offers free custom domain support (when acquired through WordPress.com). This means your bio page can live at "yourname.link" instead of a platform-specific URL. And the entire service costs nothing for individual users, making it an accessible option for anyone building their online presence.

Linktree

Linktree popularized the link-in-bio concept with its straightforward approach. The platform shines with its user-friendly interface and extensive template collection. You can set up a basic page in minutes, choosing from various button styles and color schemes.

With their free plan, you get unlimited links, QR codes, and a Shop tab to sell products like merch and affiliates. If you decide to go for one of their paid plans, however, you get:

• Advanced design options like custom animations
• Deeper analytics, such as performance for specific links.
• Link scheduling, SEO settings, Google Analytics, and other marketing tools.
• Collecting email addresses and phone numbers.
• Priority support and tailored onboarding with the highest tier.

Linktree also integrates well with platforms like Mailchimp and Shopify, making it suitable for email marketing and ecommerce.

Later Link in Bio

Later's tool takes a unique approach by turning your Instagram feed into clickable content. Each post becomes a link destination, making it perfect for visual content creators who frequently reference past Instagram posts.

There is a free plan, but it's very hard to find what's actually included in it. The paid tiers start from $25/month up to $80 for individuals and $200 per month for agencies.

Features include:

• 30 and 150 posts per social profile for the first two paid tiers and unlimited for the rest.
• Easy integration with Later's social media scheduling tools for planning posts and corresponding bio links in advance.
• Analytics with up to 1 year of data.
• Credits for AI features.
• Brand collab tools for creators.

Hopp by Wix

Built on Wix's website platform, Hopp offers extensive customization options. Users benefit from Wix's drag-and-drop interface and design flexibility, making it possible to create highly personalized landing pages.

Besides that, you also get:

• URL shortening to match the brand name.
• A mobile landing page that you can track.
• Smart promotions that show a pre-roll when a user clicks on a specific URL.

The platform particularly suits small businesses thanks to its built-in ecommerce capabilities. You can sell products directly through your bio page, complete with inventory management and secure payment processing.

Sprout Social

Aimed at businesses and agencies, Sprout Social's link-in-bio feature comes as part of its comprehensive social media management suite. The tool emphasizes professional features like:

• Grid-like design of the links that mirrors an Instagram feed.
• Advanced analytics - group, profile, and post-level reporting.
• Automated link rotation and link scheduling.
• Engagement and customer care services include social inbox, comment moderation, and case management.

While it's one of the pricier options with no free plan, the integrated approach makes sense for teams already using Sprout Social's other features. The tiers start from $199/per seat per month up to $399.

Stan

Stan focuses on monetization, functioning as both a link-in-bio tool and an ecommerce platform. It's built specifically for creators who want to:

• Sell digital products, services, courses, and webinars.
• Offer paid subscriptions.
• Host exclusive content.
• Manage fan relationships.

The platform includes features for managing customer relationships and tracking sales metrics, though its specialized nature means it might be overkill for users just seeking basic link sharing.

Maximizing impact: Best practices for link in bio optimization

Creating a link in bio page marks just the beginning - optimizing it is what drives real results. Here's how to make your page more effective.

• Start with a clean, organized design that matches your brand. If you're a photographer with a minimalist black-and-white Instagram feed, your bio page should reflect that same aesthetic. This visual consistency helps visitors instantly recognize and trust your page.
• Place your most important content at the top - that new product launch or latest video needs prime placement. And remember to remove outdated links promptly. Nothing frustrates visitors more than clicking a "new release" link from three months ago.
• Write clear, action-focused text for each link. Instead of "My YouTube," try "Watch my latest photography tutorials." Rather than "Shop," use "Browse handmade ceramics." These specific descriptions tell visitors exactly what to expect, increasing the likelihood they'll click.
• Test your page on different devices - mobile, desktop, and tablet. Are buttons easy to tap? Is text readable without zooming? Does the page load quickly? Most of your visitors will browse on phones, so mobile-first design matters.
• Track your analytics to understand what works. If your Spotify playlist gets more clicks than your online store, maybe your audience prefers content over products. Use these insights to adjust your strategy. Try different link placements, descriptions, or visual elements to see what resonates.
• Think of your bio page as telling your brand's story. Rather than throwing random links together, create sections that guide visitors through your work. A fitness coach might group links into categories like "Workout Plans," "Nutrition Tips," and "Success Stories." This structured approach helps visitors find exactly what interests them.
• Remember to refresh your page regularly. Add seasonal content, highlight new projects, and remove outdated material. A dynamic page gives followers reasons to return and explore what's new.

Create the ultimate link-in-bio with Gravatar

Link in bio tools solve common problems, but Gravatar takes a different approach. Rather than just collecting links, it acts as a complete online identity manager. Your Gravatar profile syncs across various integrated platforms, ensuring your online presence stays consistent without extra work.

What makes Gravatar unique? Privacy controls let you decide exactly what information appears where. You can manage multiple identities from one account. And unlike most link in bio tools, Gravatar offers custom domain support at no cost when using a WordPress.com domain.

Plus, there's no catch - it's completely free for individual users. Getting started takes minutes: sign up with your email, add your essential information, and customize your profile. Your unified online presence awaits.

Create your Gravatar profile for free so that your social media followers can truly make a connection with you.

20 Dec 2024 8:18pm GMT

Ever visited a website that seems to know exactly what you're looking for? That's website personalization in action. It's the art of tailoring a site's content, layout, and overall experience to each user based on their preferences, behaviors, and demographics.

Website personalization can be done in different ways. You might encounter:

• Content personalization that serves up articles or products you're likely to enjoy.
• User interface customization that adjusts the layout based on your browsing habits.
• Product recommendations that feel like they're reading your mind.
• Marketing messages that speak directly to your interests.

Think about how Netflix suggests shows you might like or how Amazon recommends products based on your browsing history.

Similarly, news websites often customize their content feeds to match your reading preferences, while eCommerce sites may greet you with personalized homepages depending on your location and cookie history.

In this article, we'll dive into key techniques for implementing personalization on your website. We'll also explore how Gravatar can play a very important role in this process, helping you create a more engaging and tailored experience for your users.

Ready to transform your website into a personalized hub that keeps visitors coming back for more? Let's get started!

Benefits of website personalization

Successful online content always caters to the needs and preferences of its visitors, and website personalization is a powerful strategy for improving your site's performance and user satisfaction.

Here's how it can help you:

1. Improved user experience: When your website speaks directly to each user's needs and preferences, it creates a more enjoyable and relevant browsing experience. It's like having a store that rearranges itself for each customer - pretty cool, right?
2. Increased engagement: Tailored content is a magnet for user attention. When visitors find what they're looking for quickly and easily, they're more likely to stick around, explore more pages, and return for future visits.
3. Higher conversion rates: Personalized recommendations and targeted Calls-To-Action (CTAs) are conversion powerhouses. By showing users exactly what they're interested in, you're essentially laying out a red carpet to the "Buy Now" button.
4. Enhanced customer loyalty: When users feel understood and valued, they're more likely to form an emotional connection with your brand. This can turn casual browsers into loyal customers who not only keep coming back but also recommend your site to others.
5. Better data utilization: Personalization allows you to put all that user data you've been collecting to good use. Instead of letting insights gather dust, you're turning them into actionable strategies that drive real business growth.
6. Competitive advantage: When constantly fighting with competitors (not in real life, hopefully), adding a personalized experience can be your secret weapon. It sets your website apart and gives users a compelling reason to choose you over the generic alternatives.

Challenges of website personalization

While website personalization offers numerous benefits, it's not without its hurdles. Let's take a look at some of the common challenges you might face:

Collecting data

• Data collection methods: Gathering user data can be tricky. You might use behavior tracking, surveys, or third-party sources. However, as people become more conscious about their data, the best strategy is to collect this information directly from your users - it's the most trustworthy way.
• Data quality and accuracy: Your personalization is only as good as your data. Poor quality or inaccurate data can lead to off-target personalization, which might frustrate users instead of delighting them.
• Integration challenges: Integrating data from multiple sources into a unified system can be like solving a complex puzzle. Tools like Gravatar can help simplify this process by providing a centralized profile management system.

Adherence to data regulations

• Privacy laws and regulations: Navigating the maze of data privacy laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) can be daunting. If you don't comply, you risk legal issues and losing the trust of your users.
• Consent management: Getting user consent for data collection and personalization efforts is crucial. It's a balancing act between being transparent and not overwhelming users with consent requests.
• Data security: With great data comes great responsibility. Securing user information is paramount to prevent breaches and misuse. Gravatar, for instance, prioritizes data security and gives users control over their personal information.

Other challenges

• Technical complexity: Implementing personalization can be technically demanding. Setting up algorithms, managing large datasets, and ensuring real-time data processing are not small tasks.
• Resource constraints: Personalization efforts can be time-consuming and potentially expensive. You might need to invest in new tools or expertise. Using existing solutions like Gravatar can help streamline processes and reduce the burden on your resources.
• Over-personalization: There's a fine line between helpful personalization and feeling like you're being watched. Finding the right balance is key to ensuring personalization feels natural and beneficial, not creepy or intrusive.

Requirements of a personalization engine

To effectively personalize your website, you'll need a reliable personalization engine. Here are the key components you should look for:

Unified dataset

A unified dataset is like the brain of your personalization efforts. It's a centralized repository that brings together data from various sources, giving you a comprehensive view of your users.

Benefits:

• Provides a holistic understanding of user behavior and preferences.
• Enables detailed audience segmentation for targeted engagement.
• Simplifies the process of combining data from different channels.

Data sources: Your unified dataset might include information from CRM systems, eCommerce platforms, social media, mobile apps, and even in-store data.

Open architecture

An open architecture is all about flexibility. It's a system design that plays well with others, allowing easy integration with various third-party tools and technologies.

Benefits:

• Connects with your existing marketing tech stack (CRM, CMS, analytics tools, etc.).
• Allows for easy addition of new features and tools without disrupting existing systems.
• Reduces the need for extensive custom development work.

Decision logic

Decision logic is the smart part of your personalization engine. It's the set of rules and algorithms that determine what personalized content to serve up based on user data.

Benefits:

• Automates the personalization process, reducing manual effort.
• Enables real-time personalization, delivering tailored content on the fly.
• Uses machine learning to continuously improve personalization strategies based on user interactions.

Decision logic can power personalized product recommendations, dynamic content delivery, targeted email campaigns, and much more!

Types of data used for personalization

Effective website personalization relies on various types of data. Let's explore the key categories:

Contextual data

Contextual data is all about the user's current situation and environment, including their device, operating system, browser, screen resolution, and traffic source (direct, paid, referral, search, social media).

This information helps tailor the user experience based on their current context and specific situation.

Some examples include:

• Displaying a mobile-optimized version of a website for smartphone users.
• A food app showing restaurant recommendations depending on the user's location.
• Customizing content based on the user's referral source (e.g., different landing pages for social media vs. search engine traffic).

Behavioral data

Behavioral data captures how users interact with your website, for example where they click, what they add to their cart and purchase, and what pages they visit. This data provides you with insights into user preferences and interests, allowing for highly accurate personalization.

Some examples include:

• Recommending products based on previous purchases or browsing history.
• Personalizing content based on frequently visited pages or clicked links.
• Sending notifications and emails about items in their cart.

CRM data

CRM data is information you've collected directly from users, mostly through surveys, registration forms, and other intentional interactions. This is one of the best data types because it's highly accurate for personalization as it's directly provided by the user, reflecting their stated preferences and needs.

Some examples include:

• Customizing email marketing campaigns based on user-provided preferences.
• Personalizing website content for registered users based on their profile information.

Zero-party data

Zero-party data is information voluntarily shared by users through surveys, polls, and other interactive tools, including personal details and preferences. It's considered highly reliable as it's willingly shared by the user, offering deep insights into their preferences.

Some examples include:

• Creating personalized content and offers based on user-provided preferences and feedback.
• Enhancing user profiles with detailed information gathered from interactive tools.

Exploring key techniques for website personalization

1. Segmenting your site according to personas

Create distinct experiences for different user groups:

• Define key personas like "Budget-conscious shoppers," "Luxury buyers," or "Tech enthusiasts" based on demographics, behavior, and preferences. You can create your personas with a tool like the Hubspot persona creator.

• Use tools like Google Analytics to gather data on user segments. Look at metrics like pages visited, time on site, and conversion rates for each segment.
• Develop content variations for each persona. For example, show "Budget-conscious shoppers" value-focused messaging and discounts while presenting "Luxury buyers" with premium product recommendations.

Example: If you're a sports apparel website, you can show runners products like performance shoes and workout gear. But for people who are more into streetwear, make it all about the latest fashion-forward sneakers and urban apparel.

2. Utilizing geolocation strategies

Tailor content based on a user's location:

• Use IP detection to identify user location and deliver location-specific content, like showing local store information, events, or news based on the user's city or region.

• Adjust language, currency, and shipping options based on user location. A visitor from Germany should see prices in Euros and German language content.

For example, Booking.com automatically shows the version of the site relevant to the user's country and suggests destinations based on previous searches.

This is the homepage for US visitors:

And this is what's on the page for Spanish visitors:

3. Optimizing content based on devices used

Adapt your site to different devices:

• Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and adapts to different screen sizes using responsive design frameworks like Bootstrap or Foundation.
• Deliver different content formats based on device type. Prioritize concise text and vertical videos for mobile users while offering longer-form articles on desktop.
• Optimize loading times and performance, especially for mobile users. Compress images, minify code, and use browser caching.

Spotify's mobile app is a master class in device optimization. It's streamlined for on-the-go listening, with big buttons and simplified navigation. Switch to the desktop, and suddenly you've got a full-featured music command center.

4. Personalizing landing pages

Create customized entry points:

• Use visitor data to customize landing page elements in real time. Personalize headlines, images, and CTAs based on user segments.
• Conduct A/B tests with tools like Optimizely or AB Tasty to determine the most effective personalized elements.

For example, show a landing page with enterprise-focused messaging and case studies to visitors from large companies while highlighting ease of use for small business visitors.

HubSpot is the king of personalized landing pages. Visit as a marketer, and you'll see content about lead generation and email campaigns. But if you're in sales, it's all about CRM and pipeline management.

5. Personalizing recommendations

Suggest relevant content or products:

• Use user behavior data and machine learning to provide personalized product or content recommendations.
• Amazon is the pioneer in personalized recommendations, suggesting products based on a user's browsing and purchase history.

• News sites like The New York Times recommend articles based on a reader's interests and previously read stories.

6. Targeted CTAs

Create calls-to-action that have an impact:

• Design CTAs that cater to specific user segments and behaviors.
• Use dynamic content to adjust CTAs based on user interactions.
• Optimize CTA placement for maximum visibility.
• Use behavioral triggers to display CTAs at the right moment.

For instance, show a "Schedule a Demo" CTA to enterprise visitors who have viewed multiple product pages while offering a "Try for Free" CTA to small business visitors.

7. Personalized checkout pages

Streamline the purchase process:

• Use user data to pre-fill forms and reduce checkout friction.
• Offer personalized payment options and shipping methods.
• Provide personalized product recommendations during checkout based on the items in the user's cart.

For example, every time a customer adds a product to their cart on Fenty Beauty's website, a popup of the checkout shows up with some recommended products.

8. Customizing loyalty programs

Reward users in meaningful ways:

• Offer rewards based on user preferences and behavior. If you know a customer loves eco-friendly products, offer points bonuses on green items.
• Send personalized emails and notifications to loyalty program members.
• Use segmentation to deliver relevant loyalty program updates.
• ​​Use gamification to keep things fun. Progress bars, badges, and tiered rewards can turn shopping into an engaging experience.

Sephora's Beauty Insider program offers different rewards and perks based on a member's tier and purchase history.

Gravatar: A key player in website personalization

Gravatar is a powerful tool for web developers who want to improve their website personalization strategies.

With Gravatar's user profile integration, you can import essential user data, including names, display names, avatars, locations, and verified accounts. This access to user profile information means that new visitors don't have to fill out endless forms just to use your website, improving their experience from the get-go.

Gravatar's ongoing development, particularly the inclusion of user interests, opens up new avenues for developers to implement more sophisticated personalization techniques. This feature enables the creation of tailored content recommendations and product suggestions based on user preferences, potentially increasing engagement and conversion rates.

The platform's straightforward integration process, whether for WordPress sites or custom-built platforms, allows developers to quickly implement personalization features. The comprehensive Gravatar API documentation will give you all the necessary resources to incorporate these features effectively.

Finally, Gravatar's commitment to user privacy aligns with current data protection standards, allowing developers to employ personalization strategies that respect user preferences and comply with privacy regulations.

Ready to take your website personalization to the next level? Head over to Gravatar and start exploring. Your users (and your conversion rates) will love you for it!

20 Dec 2024 8:17pm GMT

For the first time, Matt Mullenweg has announced a holiday break for WordPress.org services. In his blog post, he said, "In order to give myself and the many tired volunteers around WordPress.org a break for the holidays, we're going to be pausing a few of the free services currently offered."

The paused services include new account registrations on WordPress.org, plugin reviews, and new submissions to the plugin, theme, and photo directories.

During this time, WP Engine will retain full access to WordPress.org. Matt explained, "As you may have heard, I'm legally compelled to provide free labor and services to WP Engine thanks to the success of their expensive lawyers, so in order to avoid bothering the court I will say that none of the above applies to WP Engine, so if they need to bypass any of the above please just have your high-priced attorneys talk to my high-priced attorneys and we'll arrange access, or just reach out directly to me on Slack and I'll fix things for you."

Matt has not provided a specific date for resuming these services, stating, "I hope to find the time, energy, and money to reopen all of this sometime in the new year. Right now much of the time I would spend making WordPress better is being taken up defending against WP Engine's legal attacks. Their attacks are against Automattic, but also me individually as the owner of WordPress.org, which means if they win I can be personally liable for millions of dollars of damages."

He concluded the blog post by saying, "If you would like to fund legal attacks against me, I would encourage you to sign up for WP Engine services, they have great plans and pricing starting at $50/mo and scaling all the way up to $2,000/mo. If not, you can use literally any other web host in the world that isn't suing me and is offering promotions and discounts for switching away from WP Engine."

The official WordPress Twitter account echoed the announcement: "In order to give tired volunteers around WordPress.org a break for the holidays, we're going to be pausing a few of the free services currently offered…And to be super clear for the court so we're not held in contempt, none of this applies to @wpengine."

Some have applauded the much-needed break for volunteers, while others expressed concern over the indefinite suspension of services.

WordPress User Registration Reopened to Support WordCamps

Since a WordPress.org account is mandatory to buy WordCamp tickets, the temporary suspension of new user registrations had raised concerns, as it restricted new users from buying tickets for upcoming WordCamps, including major events like WordCamp Europe, Asia, Pune, Kolhapur, and Ahmedabad, where tickets are already on sale.

Jeff Chandler commented on the issue, saying, "If the requirement is not removed, at the very least, for WordCamp sites with events coming up and they suffer because of it, that's going to be such a huge blow to current and future event organizers and to the community itself."

Joost de Valk of Emilia Capital raised the issue in WordPress GitHub and Dion Hulse reenabled the registration if the referrer is WordCamp. "Login: Enable user account creations when the referer is WordCamp. This allows for WordCamps tickets to continue to be bought. Per Matt.", reads the Trac message.

Dion Hulse then enabled user registrations for upcoming 'nextgen events'.

Discussions are continuing in Reddit too.

20 Dec 2024 7:19pm GMT

Lena (Eleni) Stergatou has been awarded the first-ever WordCamp Europe Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship. This prestigious scholarship, previously exclusive to WordCamp US, was recently extended to include WordCamp Asia and Europe following the latest meeting of the WordPress Foundation Board.

The scholarship honors Kim Parsell, a beloved member of the WordPress community and regarded as one of the first "women of WordPress." Affectionately referred to as #wpmom, Kim was a passionate WordPress contributor and advocate for women in technology.

In their announcement, the WordPress Foundation stated, "Lena's dedication to WordPress translations, core, plugins, and more truly embodies the values that Kim held dear."

Hailing from Greece, Lena is a devoted WordPress and BuddyPress enthusiast. She has been working as a "Code wrangler", "Happiness Engineer" and translator (in Greek) with WordPress multisite since 2008 and since 2010 with BuddyPress. She currently develops web services for the Greek educational community at the Computer Technology Institute (CTI Diophantus).

Her WordPress profile reads, "I'm familiar with WordPress core and ways to extend it, have an eye for problems on large-scale multisite installation, have fixed numerous outdated themes and edited plugins in order to make them work as they should in multisite WordPress.

I'm used to answer questions about WordPress usage, write manuals and FAQs (in Greek language). I love to debug, fix broken things, extend functionalities and share them with others.

This love led me to participate in the WordPress and BuddyPress community, by contributing with new plugins, "resurrect" broken plugins, bug fixes and contribute to Greek translations as Locale manager in WordPress Greek team."

Lena is an active contributor to the WordPress Community, Core, and Polyglots teams.

The scholarship covers travel to the host city, hotel accommodation for the event duration, and a WordCamp ticket. It does not include airport transfers, meals, or other incidental expenses.

WordCamp Europe 2025 will be held from June 5-7 in Basel, Switzerland.

20 Dec 2024 4:39pm GMT

In 2015, the WordPress Foundation established an annual memorial scholarship to honor the memory of Kim Parsell, a beloved and influential contributor to the WordPress community. This scholarship ensures that Kim's core values continue to inspire and enrich the WordPress community.

Until 2024, this scholarship was awarded each year to a female WordPress contributor who has never attended WordCamp US and would require financial assistance to do so. More information on the scholarship, including past recipients, is available here.

Following the latest WordPress Foundation Board meeting, the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship has been extended to WordCamp Asia and WordCamp Europe, in addition to WordCamp US. This expansion honors Kim's legacy and her dedication to inclusivity and diversity within the WordPress community, making it possible for more community members to attend these inspiring events.

We're happy to announce that this year's scholarship recipient for WCEU is Eleni Stergatou! Lena's dedication to WordPress translations, core, plugins, and more truly embodies the values that Kim held dear.

Meet Lena Stergatou: Advocate for Accessible and Inclusive WordPress Development

I'm Lena Stergatou, known in the WordPress community as lenasterg, and I've always enjoyed working with WordPress and BuddyPress. I discovered WordPress back in 2008 while searching for a platform that could support multiple sites within a single installation. That's when I came across WordPress MU (now known as WordPress Multisite). I immediately loved how flexible and easy it was to extend and customize WordPress to meet specific needs, especially for Multisite environments.

I enjoy contributing to the WordPress community by developing new plugins, reviving broken ones, and submitting bug fixes. As a General Translation Editor for the Greek WordPress team, I help make WordPress and its plugins accessible to Greek-speaking users. I believe it's incredibly important for WordPress, its plugins, and themes to be translated into multiple languages. Translations improve accessibility and foster inclusion by helping more people use the platform comfortably. This realization came from my own experience with my children when they were young, and with my parents, who don't speak English. Simple prompts like "next" or "read more" were confusing for them, making it clear how crucial it is to provide tools in people's native languages. This is why I dedicate time to translating - to ensure that everyone, regardless of their language skills, can fully enjoy and benefit from WordPress.

I try to live by Ralph Waldo Emerson's principle: "To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - that is to have succeeded." So whenever I detect a bug in open-source code, I do my best to fix it, add new features, and share my work with the community.

I live in Patras, Greece, with my husband, my teenage daughter, and my teenage son. Professionally, I hold a Master's in Electrical and Computer Engineering and have worked as an ICT trainer and author. With over 20 years of experience as a web developer, I am currently working with the Computer Technology Institute (CTI Diophantus), where I develop web services for the Greek educational community.

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Get in touch with Lena on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenasterg/

20 Dec 2024 2:38pm GMT

We are proud to be media partners for WordCamp Asia in March 2025, engaging with the community and collaborating with fellow media partners at the event.

20 Dec 2024 9:33am GMT

In this chat about WordCamp Asia 2025 in Manila, organizers Meher and Dan share their roles and plans, emphasizing inclusivity, exciting programming, and the vibrant local culture to enhance attendee experience.

20 Dec 2024 3:55am GMT

In order to give myself and the many tired volunteers around WordPress.org a break for the holidays, we're going to be pausing a few of the free services currently offered:

• New account registrations on WordPress.org (clarifying so press doesn't confuse this: people can still make their own WordPress installs and accounts)
• New plugin directory submissions
• New plugin reviews
• New theme directory submissions
• New photo directory submissions

We're going to leave things like localization and the forums open because these don't require much moderation.

As you may have heard, I'm legally compelled to provide free labor and services to WP Engine thanks to the success of their expensive lawyers, so in order to avoid bothering the court I will say that none of the above applies to WP Engine, so if they need to bypass any of the above please just have your high-priced attorneys talk to my high-priced attorneys and we'll arrange access, or just reach out directly to me on Slack and I'll fix things for you.

I hope to find the time, energy, and money to reopen all of this sometime in the new year. Right now much of the time I would spend making WordPress better is being taken up defending against WP Engine's legal attacks. Their attacks are against Automattic, but also me individually as the owner of WordPress.org, which means if they win I can be personally liable for millions of dollars of damages.

If you would like to fund legal attacks against me, I would encourage you to sign up for WP Engine services, they have great plans and pricing starting at $50/mo and scaling all the way up to $2,000/mo. If not, you can use literally any other web host in the world that isn't suing me and is offering promotions and discounts for switching away from WP Engine.

20 Dec 2024 12:36am GMT

Support Inclusion in Tech (SiNC) has announced the expansion of its grant program to now include applicants from North and South America. SiNC was proposed by Winstina Hughes in 2022 to mitigate the financial stress of underrepresented groups seeking to participate in WordPress events and was first tried in WordCamp US 2022.

Originally launched in June 2024 to honor Pride Month, the Grant program offers four grants of $240 USD each, to individuals across Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and South America.

"We believe that a truly inclusive WordPress community requires a global perspective," said Winstina Hughes, founder of Support Inclusion in Tech. "By expanding our grant program, we are taking a significant step towards ensuring that everyone, regardless of their geographic location, has the opportunity to contribute and thrive within the WordPress ecosystem."

Eligible applicants include those who have contributed to the WordPress community through local meetups, WordCamps, or code contributions. Starting January 2025, applicants can choose to be included in a public directory, with grant selections to follow in March 2025 via a random name picker.

19 Dec 2024 7:57pm GMT

The WP Community Collective has announced that it has incorporated as a California membership nonprofit for mutual benefit. Sé Reed, President & CEO of WPCC, shared, "A lot is said about (and to) the #WordPress community. But for the most part, the community has been spoken for and not had a voice of its own. That's why we founded @thewpcc."

The organization is also finalizing its designation as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, a federal classification that defines it as an association with a common business interest. This will provide WPCC with greater flexibility in projects and funding.

WPCC is also planning to create a charitable nonprofit subsidiary. This subsidiary will focus on supporting important projects like the Accessibility Fellowship and efforts to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in the WordPress community.

Membership in WPCC is now open to individuals with a minimum contribution of $5. Members should adhere to the organization's Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest policy. In addition, WPCC plans to introduce membership tiers for businesses and organizations, along with scholarship memberships, in early 2025. They also launched a dedicated Slack instance for its members.

Earlier this year, the WPCC faced a challenge when its fiscal host, the Open Collective Foundation (OCF), dissolved unexpectedly. As a result, the WPCC had to move its funds to a temporary host. Unfortunately, those funds cannot be used for the new nonprofit structure, but the organization remains focused on moving forward. They are working on new initiatives and building partnerships to expand opportunities for contributors around the world.

The WPCC is committed to being transparent with its finances. You can support the organization by making a contribution here.

19 Dec 2024 7:34pm GMT

When Inc Magazine reached out to have David H. Freedman (website powered by WordPress) write a feature piece I was excited because though Inc wasn't a magazine I have read much since I was a teenager, David seemed like a legit journalist who usually writes for better publications like The Atlantic. I opened up to David with a number of vulnerable stories, and allowed the photo shoot in my home in Houston.

Whether it was him or his editors, unfortunately the piece has turned out pretty biased and negative, even to the point of cherry-picking negative photos from the photo shoot they did in my home. It also has a number of basic errors which make me question the fact-checking and editorial integrity of Inc in the first place. Let's go through it.

Although they have dozens of photos of me smiling, it starts with one where I look pretty morose. At least I got some Sonny Rollins and Audrey Hepburn in the background.

The article starts with a conversation David had with me while we were both in the bathroom, away from his recorder, where he remarked that the bathroom was really nice. I talked about visiting Google in 2004 when I first came to San Francisco and thinking they had cheap toilet paper, and how given that Automattic's offices are barely used there's no reason not to spend a few extra bucks on nice soap and toilet paper to give a better experience to employees and visitors. (For those curious, we use Aesop soap and Who Gives A Crap toilet paper, a brand that donates 50% of profits to charity.) I chose these brands because it's what I use in my home, and I want people in our offices to have the same quality. David spins it thusly:

I ask him who at Automattic, the estimated $710-million company of which Mullenweg is CEO, is responsible for toilet paper and soap quality control?

"Me," he says, beaming.

Of course, Mullenweg's control of Automattic extends well beyond the bathroom walls.

Now you know how the rest of the piece is going to go! Factual errors mixed with bias. First, no credible business publication would put Automattic's valuation at $710 million, our last Series E primary round was at $7.5 billion. That was 2021 and we'd probably trade closer to $5B now with current multiples, but still the article is an order-of-magnitude off.

David asked if there was a person responsible for choosing toiletries: of course not! We have better things to work on. The entire thing took probably 30 seconds of my time, from going to the bathroom in our New York office to sending a Slack message, and I haven't thought about it since until David commented about our bathrooms being nice, while we were both in the bathroom and I was washing my hands. Okay, back to the article.

And it all began when Mullenweg got very annoyed, very publicly, at a $400 million company called WP Engine.

Once again, Inc is unable to distinguish between revenue and valuation.

On September 25, more than 1.5 million websites around the world suddenly lost the ability to make some routine software updates.

First, WP Engine doesn't host 1.5 million WordPress sites. This was easily checked on our website WordPressEngineTracker.com, which as best we can tell from crawling the web, looking at domain registrations and public data from BuiltWith and W3Techs, they probably had ~745k sites on September 25th, so the second number in the piece is off by 2x. Second, those sites could still do software updates using WP Engine's tools or by uploading new versions, it was just the connectivity between WP Engine's datacenters and WordPress.org's that was impacted for a few days.

WP Engine had royally pissed off Matt Mullenweg for not contributing enough to the open-source community, in his opinion. Mullenweg claims he had been in negotiations with WP Engine for months to get them to cough up their fair share one way or another, but finally decided the company had dragged its feet for too long, leading him to break off talks and go public with his ire.

No, the negotiations, and what they were doing wrong, was abuse of the WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks. I also think it's lame how little they're involved in the software their entire business is built on and their ability to serve customers was dependent on free server resources and bandwidth from WordPress.org, but our negotiations were about trademark use.

Mullenweg controls the WordPress Foundation, the non-profit that oversees WordPress's open-source software, the website that serves as the gateway to WordPress resources, and the WordPress trademark.

False, false, false. First, I do not control the WordPress Foundation. I am one of three board members, so by definition am not in control. The other two board members could remove me at any time. Second, the Foundation does not oversee the core software, or the WordPress.org website! This is super clear in WPE's legal filings, in the about pages of the respective websites, by talking to anyone who understands this. Really shoddy journalism.

The nearly 1,700 employees-a number that reflects the more than 150 who have left in the past few months-are scattered officeless across 90 countries.

As you can see on our about page, Automattic has 1,750 employees, not "nearly 1,700."

In person, Mullenweg comes off as surprisingly chill when we meet on October 22, given all the angry online noise and employee turmoil surrounding the WP Engine beef for the past three weeks. He is a young-looking, animated 40 with a near-constant grin, and his neat beard and shawl-collar cardigan sweater contribute to his laid-back air.

I'm quoting this just to show they would occasionally say something nice before twisting the knife or going back into inaccuracies. A "near-constant grin" they couldn't capture in photos.

Two days later, a comment popped up under the post from a U.K. coder named Mike Little: Would he like some help?

Three obsessive days later, Mullenweg released the results and followed a friend's advice to name it WordPress- only after checking to make sure the domain names WordPress.com and WordPress.org were available. This domain ownership would prove critical.

It's true that Mike Little commented a few days after my blog post in January 2003, but WordPress' first release wasn't until May 27^th, 2003. Not "three obsessive days later." This fact could have been easily verified by digging deep into obscure sources like the Wikipedia entry for WordPress.

Though there are different versions of open-source licenses, the general idea is that anyone can freely download and use the software, and anyone can modify it as they see fit, and then release it as their own version. But the original developer of the fork retains the trademark rights. And when it comes to WordPress, the rights belong to Mullenweg.

I'm not sure where to start… The WordPress trademark doesn't belong to Mullenweg, it belongs to the WordPress Foundation. David has clearly not been able to figure things out at this point. But again, this is easily checked by looking at the WordPress trademark on the USPTO site.

A 2020 study commissioned by WP Engine calculated the value of all business driven by WordPress to be $600 billion, and growing rapidly. No one gets a bigger piece of that pie than Automattic.

Okay, now after saying Automattic is worth $710M and WP Engine is worth $400M, you're now breathlessly quoting WPE's PR slop claiming the WP ecosystem is $600B (it's not, probably closer to $10-15B/yr) and then immediately pivot into saying that Automattic gets the biggest piece of that pie, something clearly not true based on our revenue versus everyone else in the ecosystem.

Mullenweg had another complaint: WP Engine was violating Automattic's trademark rights over the WordPress name, based on the fact that WP Engine freely used the abbreviation "WP," and that "WordPress" appeared throughout their website.

I'm quoting this just to point out how bad the quality control is at Inc Magazine: the link for "another complaint" doesn't work, it has the code <a href="http://@photomatt">another complaint</a>. They can't even make sure all the links work in their published articles! I presume this was trying to refer to a tweet of mine, but no one reading the article will be able to know what it was. I would like to know, because our trademark complaint had nothing to do with "WP", it was about the use of "WordPress" and "WooCommerce."

Inc Magazine already runs on WordPress, though they use a needlessly complex and expensive custom front-end instead of just serving the site natively. Maybe in their next re-architecture they can take the money they save by getting rid of their lame headless implementation and put it towards fact-checkers and better editors.

Whenever Mullenweg is accused of being too controlling, he often points out he turned over control of WordPress software to a non-profit called the WordPress Foundation. He created the Foundation in 2010, and did indeed assign it all WordPress rights.

I have never said that, and it's not even factually accurate or possible for me to assign all WordPress rights.

But few people who have looked at the Foundation take its independence seriously. Mullenweg is chairman of its three-person board. Little is known about the other two members, and their names don't appear anywhere on the Foundation's website.

The names of the other directors do appear on the Foundation website, for example in this October 17 blog post that says "WordPress Foundation Directors: Mark Ghosh, Matt Mullenweg, and Chele Chiavacci Farley."

Now the article includes a picture of me at the computer, and out of the hundreds they have with my eyes open, they for some reason chose this one where my eyes were closed.

Like most theme vendors in the early years of that small sub-industry, it sold its themes under a proprietary-that is, non-open-source-license. But in 2008, Mullenweg cleaned house of all theme vendors who refused to switch to an open-source license. Only Thesis held out.

In response, Mullenweg offered to pay Thesis users to switch. He also reportedly paid $100,000 to acquire the domain name "Thesis.com" from a third party and had the name direct to an Automattic blog about theme design.

Themes in WordPress are linked and integrated in a way that the GPL license applies to the PHP code, so if you publish and distribute a WordPress theme the PHP needs to be GPL. There has only been one person to dispute this, Chris Pearson from Thesis, no lawyer or the thousands of successful themes since then have tried to violate the GPL license. Chris is a clown, and the only source for saying that 100k was paid for the Thesis.com domain, I will say now that the domain was bought for a small fraction of that. Again, no fact checking or citing sources.

Thesis eventually gave in. But many in the WordPress community were put off by what they saw as Mullenweg's vindictive, bullying behavior, and some eventually even left WordPress for other publishing platforms because of it.

It's funny to talk about the last big controversy in WordPress world being in 2010, I think it actually speaks to our stability. Since 2010, when "some eventually even left WordPress", the platform has grown market share from under 10% to 43%. I think in a few years we'll look back at WP Engine as inconsequential as Thesis, and Heather Brunner as credible as Chris Pearson.

Some are leaving WordPress entirely. Cernak of Northstar Digital Design has already decided to abandon WordPress (and WP Engine) for a much smaller, rival website-development platform called WebFlow. "I can't depend on WordPress if Matt is going to make changes based on whatever he happens to want at the time," he says.

Wow, they found one person leaving WordPress for Webflow. Is that cherry-picked, or a trend? Again, you can go to third parties like W3Techs to see the relative market share, and see that we've gained share since September and Webflow has been flat. Northstar Digital Design "is a creative agency specializing in digital marketing, blockchain technology, web development & design" with 5 followers on X/Twitter. Their website lists no clients or portfolio. It's unclear how many sites they are responsible for. But this Cernak character is quoted like he's some authority or representative of a trend. Maybe he's more credible on blockchain technology.

When I ask Mullenweg if he is feeling traumatized by the pervasive criticism, he tells me about the time he was playing in a Little League game when his teammates saw, through his thin white pants, that his underwear had cartoon characters on them. "They started laughing. That was traumatic for me. But now it's a funny story," he recalls. "Tragedy plus time equals comedy."

Whether or not anything about the current crisis ever seems funny to him, he insists it will all end up as a beneficial experience. "The best things come out of adversity and clashes," he says. "We're going to come out of it way stronger."

This is a true story, I was very open and vulnerable with the journalist.

In a prepared statement emailed to Inc., a WP Engine spokesperson said that "we are encouraged by and supportive of the ideas we see being shared by leaders within WordPress and adjacent open-source platforms to reimagine how key elements of the WordPress ecosystem are governed and funded…." It is a clear plug for pushing Mullenweg out of his BDFLship.

Oh finally, WP Engine talks to the press after months of avoiding interviews and conferences. This is a great statement given WP Engine can barely fund and govern itself, much less the broader WordPress ecosystem, and I doubt the broader WordPress hosting ecosystem would prefer Silver Lake and WP Engine holding the reins of WordPress.

There's more slop in the article but I'm not going to go through everything. I know a lot of entrepreneurs follow me and I don't want your takeaway to be "don't talk to journalists" or "don't engage with mainstream media." When Inc reached out I thought back to when I was a teenager reading Inc and Fast Company, and how those magazines were inspiring to me, I didn't think as much about their decline in editorial quality and relevance. I read David's other pieces and thought he had some great insight, but this is a good example of where a decent journalist can't overcome a crappy editor and quality control. I probably wouldn't be excited to work with Inc Magazine again while Mike Hofman is in charge as editor-in-chief, he's clearly overseeing a declining brand. But I will continue to engage with other media, and blog, and tweet, and tell my story directly.

If you'd like to see how much editorial bias can shape a story, I will say that Inc just published a great profile, with flattering photos, of my good friend Stacy Brown-Philpot. When an editor wants to make you look good, they can! If they decide they want to drag you, they can too. Everything in my interactions with David and Inc made it seem this would be a positive piece, so be careful. I'll also contrast it with the excellent cover article University of Houston published a few days ago.

We'll see if Inc Magazine has any journalistic integrity by their updates to the article.

19 Dec 2024 5:09pm GMT

Birgit Olzem came to our hosting team after my own involvement with the DEIB team on Make.WordPress.org. After getting to know her as both a friend and a staunch proponent of DEIB (Diversity, Equality, Inclusion & Belonging), I knew it was obvious that she need to bring her voice to the Do the Woo Community. […]

19 Dec 2024 11:56am GMT

In this episode of Woo AgencyChat, Robbie and Robert interview Sarkis from ITQ Commerce, discussing agency challenges, client maturity, WooCommerce perceptions, AI effects, and the importance of community involvement.

19 Dec 2024 10:59am GMT

The controversial mandatory pineapple pizza checkbox on WordPress.org's login form has been made optional. This decision follows a Twitter poll conducted by WordPress.org, in which 81.2% of respondents voted against making the checkbox mandatory. Additionally, 58.3% of respondents declared that pineapple on pizza is not delicious.

The checkbox initially replaced one from October, which required users to confirm, "I am not affiliated with WP Engine in any way, financially or otherwise," before accessing their accounts. This earlier requirement was removed following a court ruling.

Former WordPress Plugin Review Team representative Mika Epstein advocated for the change by opening a Trac ticket to make the "Pineapple is Delicious" checkbox optional. The proposal quickly gained traction, with Matt Mullenweg expressing his support, stating, "I'm supportive of this change."

Earlier, Matt had expressed his willingness to meet with people to discuss specific proposals and changes, responding to calls for reforms in the governance of the open-source project. The Repository had published an open letter written by a group of WordPress professionals urging Matt to work with the community instead of continuing to act unilaterally.

In response to the change, Jeff Chandler tweeted, "The stupid Pineapple checkbox when logging into WordPress.org is now optional." CEO of ClikIT Blake Whittle remarked, "Not of any community doing. Only because Matt is supportive of the change on his personal website." Accessibility Expert Alex Stine added, "Matt said yes, change goes live."

One Reddit user humorously quipped, "The Pineapple is dead! Long live the Pineapple!"

Earlier, Patricia BT had suggested an alternative in the Make WordPress #community-team Slack channel. She said, "Could the .org login box be changed to something a bit more serious? Maybe something like "I adhere to the Community Code of Conduct" so everyone is following the code. I understand the pizza joke and I am relieved that the legal implications of the previous one are gone (see my concerns about legal implications on my blog), but the WordPress community must look a bit more serious and not have newcomers scratching their heads… We are the community and people (meetup attendees, end-users, customers, etc) ask us (who are more involved here) about what is happening and they need trust."

Dion Hulse of Automattic also chimed in. He said, "Rather than having a checkbox that must be checked every time without thought, it's probably better to figure out if the policies are in a format that can be linked to / agreed to, and enable that functionality."

19 Dec 2024 4:26am GMT