Category: Web Development

  • Beaver Builder vs Divi vs Thrive Architect: Comparing for the ULTIMATE website builder tool

    Beaver Builder vs Divi vs Thrive Architect: Comparing for the ULTIMATE website builder tool

    ​Beaver Builder vs Divi vs Thrive Architect — which is the best WordPress builder for you?

    Recently, ​I had published a full and detailed article about the top 5 drag and drop website builder in 2018​. Then, it struck my mind.

    What if I want to compare each of the builder tools instead? So, this post is to compliment it by going through comparison between the my personal favorite of the top three website builders.

    ​Wait, what is a landing page builder?

    beaver builder vs divi vs thrive architect comparison

    ​A landing page builder helps you create landing pages (like the above) or design your site easily without using a single line of code. It also helps you to build website designs faster and more efficient.

    ​Beaver Builder

    beaver builder review

    Beaver Builder is a simple and very straightforward website builder doesn’t don’t suck. 

    The Beaver Builder comes with two forms — plugin and theme builder.

    ​Want to know more about Beaver Builder plugin or theme?

    ​​Here’s a cool resource for you: The ULTIMATE Beaver Builder Review (​updated for 2018)

    ​I recommend Beaver Builder because it is super easy to use and is not cluttered with tons of features that will make you go nuts.

    ​Advantages using Beaver Builder (vs Divi vs Thrive Architect)

    • check​Kick-start your creativity with dozens of gorgeous page templates
    • check​You can position images and text with precision, and build column based layouts in minutes
    • check​Separate your page builder from your theme and get complete control of your content
    • check​The Beaver Builder Page Builder plugin works with almost any theme (Genesis, Divi, Woothemes, Ultimatum and others)
    • checkYou can configure a row/module once, then use it all over your site.
    • checkPlus, set a saved row/module as a global and your changes will affect all instances of the module/row!
    • checkBeaver Builder supports shortcodes and widgets so you can use your other favorite plugins

    ​Disadvantages using Beaver Builder (vs Divi vs Thrive Architect)

    • ​Pricing structure is steep compared to other builders
    • ​Beaver Builder isn’t really build to look good (backend) compared to Divi and Thrive Architect
    • ​Two different components (Beaver Builder plugin and Beaver Builder Theme) can be confusing for beginners

    ​Beaver Builder Review

    Overall, Beaver Builder is a good builder tool if you are looking to redesign your site (or client’s ones) without any coding skills.

    The usage of Beaver Builder makes web designing much faster and efficient with the global row and column features.

    ​Plus, the massive and supporting community/reviews show that Beaver Beaver is a great tool and there is support standing strong behind the Beaver Builder.

    testimonials beaver builder

    ​Thinking twice if Beaver Builder is the right one for you?

    No, you don’t have to!

    Even the biggest names in WordPress trust and recommend Beaver Builder for obvious reasons.

    beaver builder plugin

    ​Divi Builder

    divi 3.0 review

    ​Divi 3.0 or Divi Builder plugin is one of the most popular drag and drop website builder for developers.

    Divi is the flagship product of Elegant Themes. Serving over 488,000 customers and counting, Divi is a heavy lifter when it comes to website builder.

    While Divi Builder plugin is often used by website developers, it is also used by seasons bloggers. 

    ​It is not just because Divi makes beautiful websites — Divi makes it really easy for you to create powerful website designs without a single line of code. Click here for the full Elegant Themes (Divi) review.

    ​I highly recommend Divi Builder because it is very flexible and website designing is a brief. Here’s a quick sample of what you can do with Divi.

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

    ​Advantages using Divi (vs Beaver Builder vs Thrive Architect)

    • check​Real time design (front-end editor)
    • check​Ability to customize anything and everything
    • check​Just click and type (no coding required)
    • check​Automatic responsive editing
    • checkGlobal elements save time and energy
    • checkEasily import and export contents from the library
    • check20+ pre-made layouts ready to download
    • checkFast website loading speed
    • checkIn-line editing feature
    • checkDrag-able widths
    • checkElements for every occasion
    • checkEasily share and download layouts and content from Elegant Theme’s community
    • checkEasy pricing structure and highly affordable

    ​Disadvantages using Divi (vs Beaver Builder vs Thrive Architect)

    • ​Feature-rich website builder tool may be ‘too much’ for beginners
    • ​A little bit heavy which affects website loading speed

    ​Divi Builder Review

    ​Overall, Divi Builder is a great option when compared to Beaver Builder and Thrive Architect. The rich features allows you to put web designing in the front seat while making all your design ideas come to life.

    The drag and drop website builder is intuitive and powerful — making it an ideal option for web designers and bloggers who want to redesign their sites.

    ​Thrive Architect (previously known as Thrive Content Builder)

    thrive architect comparison

    ​Some may call Thrive Architect the underdog in the website builder arena but do not take that lightly.

    ​Since the launched of Thrive Architect (previously known as Thrive Content Builder), it has become one of the top household names when it comes to building websites using drag and drop tool.

    ​Editor’s Note

    ​​What I personally love about Thrive Architect is that it is build around conversion. Every element or designs you can find on Thrive Architect is aimed to convert your website visitors into paying customers or email subscribers. Click here to head directly to the demo page.

    ​When comparing Thrive Architect vs Beaver Builder vs Divi, I got to admit that Thrive Architect certainly comes with some advanced features (which makes is very tempting to use).

    Take a look below.

    thrive architect column layout

    Easily drag and customize column size

    thrive architect attention grabbing elements

    ​Grab the attention using different elements

    thrive architect font customization

    ​Customize the fonts anyway you like it to be

    thrive architect customize width

    ​Width customization is easily done without coding

    thrive architect hover effect

    ​Hover effect enables you to create better CTA

    customize buttons using thrive architect

    ​Make yout buttons stand out and unique (increase conversion)

    ​If you are wondering, this page is created using Thrive Architect.

    ​Advantages using Thrive Architect (vs Beaver Builder vs Divi)

    • check​Instant drag and drop editing
    • check​No coding or design skills needed
    • check​Over 220 beautifully designed and 100% conversion focused landing page templates to download and use instantly
    • checkPre-built conversion elements
    • checkAbility to create sales pages without hiring a professional copywriter
    • checkAbility to create different type of pages (webinar, product launch, opt-in, sales pages etc.) in just a few clicks
    • checkUltra-flexible column layouts
    • checkAttention-grabbing texts and image combinations
    • checkTotal font customization (feel free to go crazy with it)
    • checkAdvanced, attention grabbing hover effects
    • checkCosts way cheaper compared to Beaver Builder and Divi
    • checkExcellent support team in case you ever need help

    ​Disadvantages using Thrive Architect (vs Beaver Builder vs Divi)

    • ​Known to not play nice with CloudFlare (the files on Thrive Architect are all optimized already in advance)

    ​Thrive Architect Review

    ​To be honest, Thrive Architect is really an interesting website builder (comparing with Beaver Builder and Divi).

    Having using Thrive Architect for over a year, I got to say that Thrive Architect is still my favorite drag and drop website builder compared to Divi and Beaver Builder.

    While I have no issues with any of these site builder tools, I feel that Thrive Architect is very light and helps me focus in one particular area — converting website visitors into email subscribers.

    Want to know more about Thrive Architect?

    ​Thrive Architect is a great choice but is it right for you? Let’s face it — there is no one product that fits all. Therefore, how about taking a quick look at this post to help you with the decision making? Thrive Architect Review: Is it worth the hype and money?

    ​Beaver Builder vs Divi vs Thrive Architect: Which is better?

    ​Make no mistake as all three are great site builders. My personal choice would be Thrive Architect, followed by Divi and finally, Beaver Builder.

    ​What about you? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think!

  • Beaver Builder Review – What is Beaver Builder and how good is it?

    Beaver Builder Review – What is Beaver Builder and how good is it?

    ​In this Beaver Builder review, you are going to get detailed insights on what is Beaver Builder and why it is one of the most popular page builder in the market today.But before we go deep into the details, I know I have been talking a lot about WordPress page builder for the last few months. And the biggest question is “why.”The new wave of drag and drop website builders enable you to do a wide range of modifications to your site without using a single line of code. Plus, the constant improvement in the page builder make the entire website building process much more fun, intuitive and satisfying. If you are looking for a plugin that is easy to use, going with WordPress page builders software such as Beaver Builder is an excellent choice to build a beautiful WordPress website.Sure, Gutenberg is growing rapidly but it is far from being a full-fledged page builder. This is exactly where page builder plugins such as Beaver Builder comes nicely into the page builder industry, especially in building WordPress website.Let’s dive into the Beaver Builder assessment.

    Table of Contents1 ​What is the Beaver Builder? tl:dr version2 Beaver ​Builder Review: Features Overview3 ​Beaver Builder Review: Pricing4 ​How to build a WordPress page with Beaver Builder?5 ​Building a page with Beaver Builder plugin6 ​Beaver Builder Review: The editing process7 ​Beaver Builder ​Review: The Beaver Builder Theme8 Beaver Builder Review: ​Is Beaver Builder right for me?9 ​Beaver Builder for beginners10 Beaver Builder for website agencies11 ​Beaver Builder Review: Is this the best drag and drop builder?

    ​What is the Beaver Builder? tl:dr version

    beaver builder review

    ​As usual, this review is going to be a pretty deep one. If you don’t have time to go through the thousands of words in this article, just focus on this segment and you will get a good grasp of what the Beaver Builder is and if Beaver Builder is worth it.I want to start this Beaver Builder comparison by saying that this tool​ is a feature-rich page builder that is easy to use, easy to get started and one of the most powerful WordPress page builder plugin that offers white label.​This means that:

    • ​​You can use Beaver Builder to create posts and pages through an advanced drag and drop ​WordPress text editor
    • ​​No coding required (yes, no HTML and no CSS required at all) to use Beaver
    • ​​Integrates and compatible with a wide range of WordPress themes (so you don’t have to worry about breaking your site)
    • ​The page builder is a front-end editor, thus you are able to see the work/changes done in real time
    • Beaver Builder doesn’t slow down your website due to the huge number of <div> and other irrelevant codes

    ​With that being said, the Beaver Builder is a handy WordPress tool for a majority of WordPress users (especially for those who doesn’t have coding skills or those who wants to start a web design business ​from home without spending too much time).There’s no doubt that it is one of the most popular page builders that are suitable for both beginners and advanced users—when it comes to building a WordPress website.

    Beaver Builder Review: ​The Beaver Builders is a great WordPress tool for both beginners (who doesn’t have experience building websites) and seasoned WordPress users as this tool allows you to create great content quickly and efficiently. The low learning curve with the intuitive drag-and-drop website editor makes it an ideal choice for all.

    ​​Let’s take a deeper look on each Beaver Builder feature below.Note: Want to see Beaver Builder in action? ​Here’s the link to the demo and product page.

    Beaver ​Builder Review: Features Overview

    ​Before we start this Beaver Builder review, it is important to state that there are two parts to this. The Beaver Builder is divided into:

    • ​Beaver Content Builder Plugin
    • ​Beaver Builder Theme

    ​The differences between both is that the Beaver Builder Theme is a WordPress theme build specially for Beaver Builder. This means that you can rest assured it is 100% compatible and it comes with additional perks such as functions and advanced settings.

    ​​Make no mistake as this page builder plugin comes with a wide range of features. Here is a list of them to kick start our Beaver Builder review post:

    • ​Ability to drag and drop elements on posts and pages
    • Coding skill is not required (yes, no HTML and CSS knowledge is needed)
    • ​Easily edit posts and pages in just a few clicks
    • Ability to build column-based layouts (easily) which are often not supported by most WordPress themes
    • Over 30 ready-made page templates that you can download and use immediately (​sample of ​landing pages demo and content templates)
    • Beaver Builder Theme comes with a list of predefined styles (best when you are building a site from scratch)
    • Complete front-end editing feature which allows you to do changes and amendments in real-time
    • The builder beaver is compatible with any WordPress theme
    • Posts and pages created with Beaver Builder’s editor is automatically optimized for mobile viewing
    • Whatever you build with Beaver Builder will stay looking great even if you deactivate the plugin at some point (similar to Thrive Architect)
    • One of the page builder plugins that is optimized for SEO
    • 100% compatibility with WooCommerce
    • Easily import and export designs, elements and demo

    ​About the Beaver Builder

    ​Beaver Builder for WordPress is one of the best page builder in the market. The Beaver Builder modules and very intuitive user interface allow you to easily create custom page layouts that put Elementor to shame (oops). In terms of functionality and module, page building with this software has no limits and the sky is your only limit. Plus, if you’re looking for a white-label tool for your website development agency, you certainly don’t want to miss out Beaver Builder.There are a lot of features that come packed when you use Beaver Builder. Unlike other drag and drop website editors, Beaver Builder’s visual editor is perfect for both beginners and advanced users because you will not feel overwhelmed suddenly with the massive features it offers. Instead, these features are readily available when you click or ​enable them.Many modules can be activated or deactivated in just a few clicks—one that not many WordPress page builder in the market are offering. This feature allows you to remove bloatware from the page or post, and make your website load faster.In this Beaver Builder review, I’ll go through the critical and popular features of the tools to help you decide if Beaver Builder is the right choice for you.

    ​Beaver Builder Review: Pricing

    ​Yes, you are right. This post is slightly different. Usually, the pricing structure is located at the bottom part of the post but I want to make it slightly different in this Beaver Builder review.I’m sure this is not the first article you had read about builder beaver or Beaver page builders. So, I hope you will find some gem, especially in the pricing structure.More importantly, is Beaver Builder worth it?​Here’s the official pricing table:

    beaver builder pricing

    Beaver Builder comes with three different pricing packages

    ​Beaver Builder comes with three different pricing packages. ​The entry-level for Beaver Builder plugin is $99 for a full year of support and unlimited upgrades. The best part about Beaver Builder pricing is that it comes with unlimited sites — which is often not the case for many of its competitors.

    It is also important to note that there are no website limits to using Beaver Builder regardless of the plans that you are subscribed to (which is a huge advantage).

    Beaver Builder Standard Plan. The Standard plan is probably the best option if you only need the page builder plugin and not working on multisite. The Beaver Builder editor works perfectly well with the majority of free and premium WordPress themes—and thus, compatibility isn’t an issue here.

    Beaver Builder Pro Plan. The biggest difference between Pro and Standard plan is, of course, the Beaver Builder Theme and multisite capabilities. The main selling point of the Pro plan is the Beaver Builder Theme.

    If you are serious in starting a web designing business, Beaver Builder Theme is going to help you build websites from the ground up ​really, really fast.

    Beaver Builder Agency Plan. Personally, I see no reason for you to get this unless you have a web design business and requires white labelling. But for the sake of this Beaver Builder review, the Agency plan is best when you managed dozens of websites and have a thriving web design business.

    It is important to remember that there are not many page builders that offer white labelling option. So, use Beaver Builder if you are serious in creating a professional white label website development business.

    In my honest opinion, Beaver Builder Standard plan is the best value since you would probably have a working WordPress theme installed on your site now.

    I do, however, recommend you to go for the ​Pro plan if you are serious in making web designing business works for you (as a side hustle or a full-time job). Plus, the Pro plan comes with more features of Beaver Builder which you can import export designs works in just a few clicks.

    Important note: Beaver Themer is not included in any of the plans and is sold separately at $149.​There is no Beaver Builder free trial available but there is a light version of the plugin which is on WordPress.org. In comparison with the premium plans, the light plan doesn’t come with these powerful features

    Beaver Builder Lite Version

    ​How to build a WordPress page with Beaver Builder?

    ​For this part, I’ll be reviewing Beaver Builder plugin and not the theme.

    ​There are two ways to get started using the Beaver Builder plugin.​​​

    • ​Pick from one of the available page templates
    • ​Go to your wp-admin, open any post or page (or create a new one), and select ‘Launch Beaver Builder to use the page builder feature.

    How To Use Beaver Builder Plugin For WordPress

    How To Use Beaver Builder Plugin For WordPress

    ​You will see the above setting if you have the latest WordPress installed. Once the page builder loads, you would be able to customize the post or page in WordPress.

    Beaver Builder Page Builder Tool

    Beaver Builder Page Builder Tool

    ​In the previous Beaver Builder version, you will find the Layout Templates​ where you can toggle the options and choose the right one based on your current needs.

    ​Landing pages are used for marketing and sales purposes with one clear goal in mind—converting website visitors into customers or subscribers. It is also worth to note that you will find nicely labelled landing pages based on needs/purposes—templates for small businesses to fitness, and from online magazines to restaurants for example.

    ​Content pages that come with the Beaver Builder are designed to help you create beautiful looking pages (contact us page, homepage, portfolios etc.).

    The new layout and Beaver Builder version allows you to do much more (see the screenshot above) including using modules, rows, templates and saved elements.

    ​Once that is done, you will be able to proceed with the next step.

    ​Building a page with Beaver Builder plugin

    ​Typically, you start building a page with a specific content structure in mind. Here’s an ugly example:

    How to build a wordpress page

    ​​When building a WordPress page, you will have rows and columns in mind. And in each of them, you will have an idea of what type of content is in them.

    You can go crazy with 3 rows, 5 columns etc. The sky is your only limit (not me, not you and certainly not the Beaver Builder plugin).

    Here’s where it gets really interesting. The Beaver Builder plugin allows you to create multiple WordPress pages without a single line of code. It is all about the drag and drop, baby!

    This is what I mean.

    Beaver Builder drag and drop wordpress editor

    ​Using Beaver Builder, you can move any element across the page by dragging and releasing it at the spot of your choice. In other words, Beaver Builder’s powerful editor allows you to use different elements on any page while building your dream website design.

    Pretty cool, right?

    ​Adding rows and columns before you are able to create your page is also fairly simple. Head over to the sidebar of the Beaver Builder (seen on the side of the page) and click on the relevant option to create the elements of your choice.

    ​What do you get when you click on each of these settings?

    Row Layouts. Control the number of columns you want each row to have.

    Basic Modules. Elements such as audio, buttons, heading, photos, text and videos.

    Advanced Modules. Call to action buttons, accordions, contact form, maps, social media buttons etc.

    WordPress Widgets. ​You can use any widget you have enabled on your WordPress site, and this also means that Beaver Builder works with content generated by other plugins.

    Those days, I hate drag and drop editors because I will lose my content when I deactivate or delete the tool. With Beaver Builder, this is not a problem because you will never lose any of your content (even when you change the template).

    ​Beaver Builder Review: The editing process

    ​​The process of editing using Beaver Builder is very simple and smooth. While there are many other drag and drop WordPress editors which may create glitches when you change templates etc., you will not experience this when you use Beaver Builder.

    A surprising but very grateful feature to say the very least. Before we proceed to the next part of the Beaver Builder review, I want to stress that a lot of drag and drop builders are known for crashes and glitches—but not for this Beaver Builder tool. Kudos to the team!

    ​Beaver Builder ​Review: The Beaver Builder Theme

    ​The Beaver Builder Theme is available with the ​Pro plan and you can use it to build a website from scratch in a matter of minutes not days.

    Using Beaver Builder, you can customize the overall look and feel of your site using the WordPress Customizer. Additional settings can be found on pages and posts when you edit them.

    ​Let’s start the Beaver Builder Theme review with ​the general settings​:

    wordpress customizer

    ​You start off by selecting the Presets for the layout and feel of your entire site.

    beaver builder presets

    ​Each of these preset comes with distinctive differences in design and I recommend you to try each of them before deciding the best one that fits you best.

    Once that is done, click on the ‘general’ setting panel and move on to the ‘layout’ settings. Here, you can choose to use boxed layout (which is the standard for most website designs) or a full-width layout.

    ​In the same panel, you will have more ability to adjust and control your site display through colours, heading, typography and many more.

    beaver builder theme settings

    ​In short, Beaver Builder allows you to create the type of website you truly wish and aims for in terms of designs and layouts.​​

    ​Beaver Builder Review: ​The Beaver Builder Theme is unique and extremely easy to use. It comes with a lot of features to help you create your dream site easily without having to mess around with the codes. The combination of Beaver Builder Theme and Beaver Builder plugin makes this duo a perfect match for web design projects.

    Beaver Builder Review: ​Is Beaver Builder right for me?

    ​I think this is a very important question and fits perfectly well in this Beaver Builder review.

    Is Beaver Builder right for me?

    Here are some of the advantages using the Beaver Builder:

    • ​Ability to create awesome looking content without coding knowledge
    • ​​Low learning curve and easy for beginners (ease of use)
    • ​​Ability to import and use pre-made page templates
    • ​Build sites fast and quick
    • Beaver Builder integrates perfectly well with Gutenberg blocks

    ​Beaver Builder doesn’t fit everyone but it certainly fit two types of WordPress users who will benefit dearly from it:

    • ​​WordPress users who manage their own sites, and want to be able to create great-looking content all on their own.
    • Designers, website developers and WordPress agencies building sites for clients.

    ​Beaver Builder for beginners

    ​The low learning curve in the Beaver Builder makes it ideal for beginners and those who are working on a shoestring budget. As hiring web developers can costs you thousands of dollars, ​Beaver Builder is just a fraction of the cost and it works like charm!

    Besides that, Beaver Builder comes with a drag and drop WordPress editor which is really intuitive (again, for beginners). Having a front-end editing feature, you can easily work on your site in real-time without having to go back and forth with the preview page.

    ​With the Beaver Builder pricing at $99, this is definitely the best value-for-money option for beginners.

    Beaver Builder for website agencies

    ​I personally know a big number of agencies that use Beaver page builder because it has white labelling option along with clean codes. This tool is excellent when you are building client sites and want to create beautiful custom post types without affecting the website loading speed.

    The use of Beaver Builder Agency plan makes all the sense and with the huge 50% discount for Beaver Builder renewal (automatic), you certainly can’t go wrong with it.

    Beaver Builder page builder for WordPress also offers simplicity if you’re looking to train your client in updating posts and pages in the future thanks to its low learning curve,

    ​Beaver Builder Review: Is this the best drag and drop builder?

    ​This is a tough question. No joke.

    There are many other drag and drop builders in the market and Beaver Builder is definitely one of the best page builder plugin for WordPress right now.

    ​Overall, the Beaver Builder plugin and theme are great options when it comes to web design and building a site fast—with or without any coding skills.

    Should you be getting Beaver Builder plugin or theme?

    The short answer to this question is “Yes”.

    To sum up my Beaver Builder review, Beaver Builder is a great tool for WordPress users regardless of experience and skills. The support is great and more importantly, these tools come with rich features to help you make web design and development more effective.

    I recommend you to take a look at what Beaver Builder has to offer and even sign up for any plan.

    Each of them comes with 30 days money back guarantee and if you are looking for Beaver Builder discount coupon, a 50% automatic discount is applied when you renew.

    Therefore, I find no reason why you shouldn’t give this WordPress plugin a try!

  • OptinMonster Review — Is OptinMonster the best list building plugin for WordPress?

    OptinMonster Review — Is OptinMonster the best list building plugin for WordPress?

    Are you deciding if OptinMonster is the right lead generation software for your website?

    If the answer is “yes”, you are going to love this article …

    And here’s why …

    Side note: This article was first published on 11th March 2018 and the content is updated on 13th November 2018.

    OptinMonster has long been in this lead generation industry; from a humble beginning as WordPress lead generation plugin to now, a full-fledged lead generation software for major CMS and eCommerce solutions.

    This is my promise to you.

    In this post, I’m going share with you:

    • Quick introduction to email marketing and list building
    • checkWhat is OptinMonster lead generation software?
    • What are the unique features of OptinMonster?
    • What are the advantages using OptinMonster? (OptinMonster review)
    • What are the disadvantages using OptinMonster? (OptinMonster review)
    • How much does OptinMonster costs?
    • My honest OptinMonster review (summary)

    This post is over 3,000 words, over 9 main parts and several sub sections.

    And I get it that you might not have the time …

    So, here’s the deal.

    Here’s a quick summary for OptinMonster review.

    Summary: OptinMonster Review

    OptinMonster is the best lead generation software for marketers who are serious in building an email list.

    OptinMonster software is easy to use comes with some seriously powerful features such as reduce cart abandonment and simple but yet effective techniques to increase sales conversion.

    Another great feature on OptinMonster is the AI (artificial intelligence) where you can easily create custom triggers to ensure that visitors are greeted with the right offers.

    Last but not least, you don’t have to worry about coding skills or if the software is compatible with your website.

    P.S. If you are looking for OptinMonster alternatives instead, read this post instead.

    And with that being said, here’s a table summary for today’s OptinMonster review.

    Part 1. What is email marketing and why it matters?

    ​According to The Balance, email marketing is a form of marketing that uses the power of email to promote products and services.

    Nowadays, email marketing is defined as the use of email to create relationship with potential customers and clients.

    Email marketing had proven to be one of the most reliable channel to connect with your website audience and customers.

    Even if you are not doing email marketing now, you should still focus on collecting email addresses of visitors so that you can build up an army of audience for future marketing purposes.

    ​75% of the websites in the world today is powered by WordPress and it is common to see lead capture forms on websites. Thrive Leads is my favorite.

    But in this article, I’m going to look at another popular lead generation software tool called OptinMonster.

    Note: ​Opt-in lead generation forms are not only use to build an email list, this tool plays an important role in segmenting your audience based on their preferences. With segmentation, you can deliver the right emails to the right audience and at the right time.

    If you are looking for a lead generation software that kick ass and game changer, you definitely need to carry on reading this OptinMonster review.

    Part 2. What is OptinMonster?

    OptinMonster is a powerful, cloud-based lead generation software which was launched back in 2013.

    At that time, there weren’t many email optin plugins in the market and OptinMonster had became the market leader in no time.

    It is also important to highlight that OptinMonster was created by Syed Balkhi of WPBeginner and Thomas Griffen.

    Last two weeks, I migrated all my opt-in forms from Thrive Leads to OptinMonster.

    The reason?

    I needed more than a WordPress opt-in plugin.

    Thrive Leads had been a great WP opt-in plugin but OptinMonster allows me to convert first website visitors into customers …

    Way much faster and effective.

    As a result, I save more time and focus on things that matters most to my online business.

    Some more reason why OptinMonster is awesome

    Do you know that OptinMonster can work on any websites or eCommerce store?

    Yes! OptinMonster doesn’t only work on WordPress, you can also use OptinMonster on non-WordPress sites that support HTML.

    Hint: OptinMonster cart abandonment feature and exit-intent technology are two killer features not to be missed!

    Part 3. General OptinMonster review (overview)

    OptinMonster had changed a lot over the years.

    Currently, OptinMonster is offering cloud solutions which you can build, create and publish opt in forms without having to do it on your own website.

    Here’s what you will see when you first sign in to OptinMonster.

    OptinMonster Review Campaign Builder

    Using OptinMonster, you can create unlimited campaigns specifically for unlimited domains in just a few clicks.

    Takeaway: The OptinMonster user-friendly interface makes navigating the backend extremely easy and beginner friendly.

    Mini OptinMonster review: How to create campaign on OptinMonster?

    The first step is to click on the bright green button ‘Create Campaign.’

    how to create campaign on optinmonster

    Want to know more about OptinMonster campaigns and how it works?

    Watch the quick video tutorial below.

    OptinMonster is setup to help you create powerful opt-in forms in just a few clicks.

    No coding, no hassle type of thing.

    The first step in creating an lead generation form using OptinMonster is to select the type of form you want.

    How To Create Opt In Forms Using OptinMonster

    There are five different types of lead generation forms that you can choose from, namely:

    • Popup forms
    • Fullscreen forms (some call this welcome mat or canvas)
    • Slide-In forms
    • Floating bar
    • Inline forms

    For this OptinMonster review, I’ll use Popup form as demo.

    Once we are done with the first step, it is time for the second step.

    Drag and Drop Campaign Builder Using OptinMonster

    There are 32 different inline forms that I can use from using OptinMonster (yes, that’s freaking crazy).

    And if that doesn’t impress you, this will …

    Each forms can be customized further which allows you to showcase your offer and entice your visitors to take action.

    You can preview or select the form by hovering your mouse over the selected form.

    Preview Opt In Forms OptinMonster Review

    Click on the preview button will open up the live form demo like this.

    Form Preview on OptinMonster

    Let’s say that you are happy with the selected opt-in form.

    The next step is to click on ‘Use Template’ and this is what you will see.

    Build Opt In Form Using OptinMonster

    And if you think that’s all …

    You are wrong!

    Carry on reading to see OptinMonster drag and drop form builder.

    OptinMonster Drag and Drop Form Builder

    Now, this is where the fun part starts.

    You can literally customize everything under the sun using OptinMonster.

    Create Opt In Forms Using OptinMonster

    Here’s a little trick for you.

    Take a look at the bottom left side of the image above.

    Do you see the toggle between light and dark background editor?

    If you are using white colour fonts like the above, you will have a freaking tough time trying to customize the form in the editor.

    However, by using the toggle to contract the colour, you can now customize the opt-in forms in just a few clicks!

    Smart, right? Thanks OptinMonster!

    Do you like Yes & No option?

    If you do, you can do so in this screen by enabling the option as seen below.

    Two Steps Opt In Form

    This 2-steps opt-in form pretty much offers permission marketing and can often times offer higher conversion rate.

    Watch how the form changes automatically to have the “Yes and No” feature (see image above).

    Once the visitor clicks yes and fill up the email address, they will reach the third page which is the “thank you page.”

    success form

    Pretty cool, right?

    If you are looking for a lead generation software that is powerful, offers tons of features and comes with a drag and drop form builder, OptinMonster is definitely (hands down) one of the best in the market.

    How fast can I build a lead generation form using OptinMonster?

    5 minutes top.

    Seriously, OptinMonster is that easy to use and you don’t need any coding knowledge (or whatsoever) to use it.

    All of these options allows you to create the perfect opt-in form (or opt-in forms) at the right location and serving them to the right audience.

    image

    ​What is canvas form type?

    Canvas is a complete blank theme where you can use HTML and CSS editor to build an opt-in theme from scratch. Of course, you would need to know some level of coding knowledge to fully utilize the canvas form.

    ​Notes about OptinMonster opt-in forms

    All the opt-in forms on OptinMonster are not only beautifully created, elements on the forms are all focused on conversions. This means that bolded, underlined and italic texts, different font sizes and colours are important elements to help you build email list faster.

    Make no mistake. OptinMonster comes with a very advanced drag and drop form builder (some call it form visual builder) to help you create the best opt-in form to get more leads.

    With these straight forward features, you can easily create opt-in forms specifically targeting specific audience and website visitors.

    Ultimately, this will help you grow your email list faster and more effective.

    OptinMonster is an extremely powerful opt-in lead generation WordPress plugin for its simplicity and speed in setup and launching you lead generation campaigns.

    Mini OptinMonster review: OptinMonster Display Rules

    Creating an optin form is not sufficient to increase your conversion rate.

    And OptinMonster development team understands this.

    Using OptinMonster Display Rules, you can now display the right pop up forms to the right audience with simple ‘if’, ‘or’ and ‘and’ filters.

    Take a look at the image below.

    OptinMonster Display Rules

    This simple logic allows the optin form to be served to the website visitors only if they fulfill these criteria:

    • Time on page at least 5 seconds
    • Distance scrolled from the top is at least 15%

    Using display rules, you can now ensure that your opt in forms are no longer intrusive to your website visitors.

    Less Intrusive = More love from website visitors

    Here’s a long list of filters that you can choose from:

    • Time on page
    • Time on site
    • Exit detected
    • Visitors clicked on MonsterLink
    • Distance scrolled
    • Visitor’s inactive time
    • The current date
    • The current day
    • The current time
    • The current month
    • Current URL path
    • Pages viewed
    • Visitor’s device
    • Visitor has opted in to
    • Visitor has not opted in to
    • Visitor has closed
    • Visitor has not closed
    • Visitor is new
    • Visitor is returning
    • Visitor’s location
    • The URL query arg
    • A cookie
    • The referrer URL
    • Visitor’s ad-blocker is
    • Current URL hash

    Now, that’s 25 crazy options to help you show the right optin forms to the right visitor.

    Mini OptinMonster review: Targeting options for less intrusive

    ​Popovers are annoying and there’s no denial for this matter. While the convertion rate for opt-ins are always under 7 seconds, some website visitors find popovers annoying (including me).

    So, how do use OptinMonster to solve this problem?

    By using the different filters and some -state-of-the-art technology.

    Here are some to start with,

    1. OptinMonster Exit Intent technology

    ​The Exit Intent technology is groundbreaking.

    With this feature, popovers will only be visible to visitors who are about to leave your site.

    optinmonster exit intent technologyoptinmonster exit intent technologyoptinmonster exit intent technology

    With Exit Intent technology, you can rest assured that the reading experience of your website visitors will not be interrupted until they are about to leave your site.

    2. Scroll trigger

    ​With scroll trigger, popovers will be displayed after the reader had scrolled down to a certain percentage on the page.

    Again, this OptinMonster feature allows you to have more control over the popover and ensuring that you are not annoying your website visitors (while still having a good chance to convert them into email subscribers).

    3. Second page view option

    ​This is a unique feature by OptinMonster which not many email list building plugins are offering.

    With this feature, popovers will only appear once the visitor is on the second page view. This is done through cookie which is saved on the browser.

    ​Less Intrusive = Higher Conversion

    ​OptinMonster opt-in plugin is focused on increasing your email opt-in rates through well-planned and form designs that are less intrusive.

    4. Auto hide popovers from your current email subscribers

    ​This is golden and I’m surprised that not many email opt-in plugins are offering this.

    When your email subscribers visit your page for the second, third or fourth time, they probably wouldn’t want to see the opt-in forms again because it makes no sense.

    ​​If you are using OptinMonster, you are in luck! The easiest way to go around this is to add a single and short string of code in the URL (which you can input it in your email newsletters). When OptinMonster crawl through the URL, it will automatically take note on the setting and stop showing popovers to your website visitors.

    All you need to do is to add this to the end of your URL:

    ?omhide=true

    This is how your URL will look like after adding the code:

    http://www.yourdomain.com/post-1/?omhide=true

    5. Cookie duration for even more control on popovers

    optinmonster cookie durationoptinmonster cookie durationoptinmonster cookie duration

    ​By setting up cookie duration allows you to control when the ​popovers will be displayed to the same person. In other words, website visitors will only see the popovers again after a specific time (e.g. 7 days after their visit to your site).

    Part 4. OptinMonster review: User friendly interface

    ​OptinMonster email list builder plugin allows you to manage not only one but multiple websites under one roof. If you are an advanced blogger or marketer, you are going to find this extremely useful at the very least.

    Here’s what the OptinMonster dashboard looks like.

    OptinMonster Review Campaign Builder

    I don’t know you but this is an extremely easy-for-the-eyes dashboard that allows me to have the latest stats, campaign overviews and monitoring under one roof.

    Did you know? You can easily manage split testing, view the analyics and deploy forms using the OptinMonster dashboard

    ​Here, you would need to enter the split test title and notes. ​

    Take a  look below.

    Split tests are marked with A/B and you can see the full stats in just a few clicks.

    OptinMonster Split Test

    Most optin form builders don’t allow you to create A/B test after the form is activated.

    However, you can do so easily using OptinMonster.

    The first step is to click on ‘A/B Split Test option. Take a look at the image below.

    OptinMonster AB Test

    Next, fill up the details to create an exact replicate for your A/B test feature.

    OptinMonster AB Test Review

    Once this is done, you are all set to activate A/B split testing using OptinMonster.

    How easy is that, right?

    Part 5. OptinMonster review: Integration with Google Analytics

    ​Google Analytics is one of the most popular analytics tools in the market, and it makes all the sense to maximize the usage of it.

    Why should you integrat​e OptinMonster with Google Analytics?

    ​​Data. From where the leads come from to which page gives you the best conversion rates.

    Integrating Google Analytics to OptinMonster is pretty simple. Firstly, you need to authenticate your Google Analytics profile with OptinMonster.

    optinmonster with google analyticsoptinmonster with google analyticsoptinmonster with google analytics

    Once integrated, you will get a powerful visual overview that contains important information such as the top 10 converting pages.

    Part 6. What are the other OptinMonster features worth mentioning?

    ​Before I proceed with going through other features in this OptinMonster review,

    it is important to understand that some of these features are only available for higher OptinMonster paid plans (more on this in the pricing review which you will find in a moment).

    • check​MonsterLink feature. Add clickable popovers within your content and leveraging the power of content upgrade technique
    • check​Integrates with many email marketing providers such as AWeber, GetResponse, MailChimp and ConvertKit
    • check​Adding effects on popovers to grab attention and increase conversion rates
    • checkCustom HTML support is available
    • checkCustom CSS support for advanced form customization
    • checkAutomated custom thank you page or a standard success message upon successful sign up
    • check​Advanced page targeting to deliver the right offer to ​your website visitors
    • checkAble to deliver highly customized opt-in forms to turn readers into paying customers
    • checkSuper effective exit intent technology

    Part 7. How much is OptinMonster?

    (my honest OptinMonster review)

    ​We finally reached this part! Woo-hoo!

    Take a look at the pricing table below for the latest OptinMonster pricing 2018.

    how much is optinmonsterhow much is optinmonsterhow much is optinmonster

    ​OptinMonster serves both beginners and advanced online marketers with their multiple tier pricing structure.

    ​You can opt for OptinMonster as low as $9 per month with basic features and popover forms.

    If you need more firepower and want to skyrocket your list building strategy within a very short time period (like 24 hours or so), consider using OptinMonster Plus or Pro plans that come with more feature-rich marketing features.

    Part 8. OptinMonster review: Is OptinMonster worth it?

    I believe this is the most important part for this OptinMonster review and I’m going to answer you based on my experience using OptinMonster for over three years now.

    OptinMonster is definitely worth your money. 

    As a matter of fact, I’m totally impressed with the easy to use interface, and OptinMonster’s optin forms and the drag and drop form builder tool.

    OptinMonster started as a humble WordPress plugin and now, it has transformed into a much bigger and effective list building tool that comes with state-of-the-art feature.

    Ultimately, you should use OptinMonster if you want to:

    • check​Save more time in list building
    • check​Set and forget list building tool
    • check​Manage all your opt-in forms from multiple websites under one roof​
    • checkPowerful and yet affordable list building tool for both WordPress and non-WordPress sites

    Part 9. Is OptinMonster the perfect list building tool?

    OptinMonster had came a long way — and I think they definitely deserve to be at the top of the lead generation software for marketers.

    Overall, the features for OptinMonster are way beyond most of OptinMonster alternatives.

    Therefore, I will recommend OptinMonster anytime of the day!

    ​Summary: Recapping the OptinMonster review for 2018

    ​The bottom line is simple. OptinMonster allows you to create, deploy and test opt-in forms across multiple sites without any coding or mess.

    ​The features that come with OptinMonster are definitely worth a look and rest assured that this is one email list building tool that will skyrocket your conversion rates under 30 days or less.

    Click here to learn more about OptinMonster or immediately grab the best OptinMonster discount using the button below.

  • Sumome Alternative: Top 3 Plugins To Help You Start An Email List

    Sumome Alternative: Top 3 Plugins To Help You Start An Email List

    ​Sumome tools have long been great assets to bloggers, marketers and website owners because they allow you to build an email list. While Sumome is a free tool to use, many people are looking for other Sumome alternative because as they progress down the email marketing business, Sumome is no longer a liable option — especially with the free plan.

    Sure, Sumome has a paid plan but it is priced at higher end which makes it extremely un-affordable for many.

    ​This is how their pricing plans look like.

    sumome alternative

    ​Here are some reasons why bloggers and marketers (including me) decided to look for alter Sumome alternatives.

    • Sumome free plan comes with only 200 subscribers
    • ​Entry level Sumome plan is $24 per month and caters for 750 subscribers only
    • ​Unlimited email subscribers starts at $59 per month

    ​While I appreciate the fact that Sumome offers discount of 20% for yearly subscription, this is probably the most expensive list building tool that I’ve ever come across!

    And with that, let’s move forward and get down to business. Let’s go through some of the best email list building tools and great Sumome alternatives.

    ​Thrive Leads

    thrive leads

    ​I know you have heard about Thrive Leads and you guessed it right. I love Thrive Leads because it is extremely simple to use and is absolutely more flexible than Sumome.

    ​Why is Thrive Leads is better than Sumome?

    ​Thrive Leads is cheaper than Sumome. Being a Thrive Themes membership costs you $19 per month and you have access to Thrive Leads and 9 other Thrive plugins and themes. Compared to Sumome, you are only able to use ​Sumome to build an email list (and nothing more). You can also purchase Thrive Leads separately at $67 per month (that’s $5.58 per month).

    Thrive Leads offers more features than Sumome. ​Absolutely a no brainer. This is true because Thrive Themes membership comes with 10 WordPress themes and 10 plugins for various blog and email marketing needs. Sumome is created solely for email marketing and therefore, it is definitely an advantage using Thrive Leads over Sumome.

    Thrive Leads ​templates ​are beyond awesome. This is not a one sided opinion. When you use Thrive Leads, you have the opportunity to explore dozens of optin forms compared to Sumome. While the templates on Sumome aren’t completely bad, more templates and demo forms are always welcomed especially when you are a beginner and doing split testing.

    How much does Thrive Leads costs?

    thrive leads pricing​See Thrive Leads in action here

    ​OptinMonster

    optinmonster sumome alternative

    OptinMonster calls themselves as the best WordPress lead generation plugin. How good is OptinMonster?

    More importantly, is OptinMonster a great Sumome alternative?

    OptinMonster is created by the talented WordPress entrepreneur, ​Syed Balkhi of WPBeginner. OptinMonster became famous as it was the first WordPress lead generation plugin that offers Exit Intent technology.

    With this technology, lead generation forms will only be visible when the website visitor is leaving the page. With Exit Intent technology, visitors will not longer receive lead generation forms that are annoying (you know how it feels like when a pop up flashes upon you when you are reading an article).

    ​How much does OptinMonster costs?

    how much is optinmonster

    ​If you are looking for a good Sumome alternative, you should consider using OptinMonster. It is powerful and it is also very user friendly (great for beginners)!

    More OptinMonster features here

    ​Bloom by Elegant Themes

    bloom email list builder plugin

    ​I have used many email opt-in WordPress plugins and I got to say that Bloom is probably the simplest I have ever come across.

    Bloom email list builder plugin is apart of the Elegant Themes (see my complete Elegant Themes review​) and it used by many other bloggers in the industry to grow their email list.

    But why Bloom?

    Bloom is bloody straightforward and everything is created to help beginners start building an email list fast.

    ​After installing Bloom, you are guided to create your first form and this is what you will see.

    Bloom plugin

    Bloom offers several optin forms to collect emails

    ​Once the type of optin is selected, you move forward to create a form to collect leads (you can choose from a wide range of pre-made templates). You will end up with something like this.

    Bloom lead generation plugin

    Sample of email optin form using Bloom

    ​What makes Bloom a great alternative to Sumome is the simplicity.

    ​The Bloom plugin provides advanced customization to ensure that your form is delivered to the right audience and at the right time.

    ​Bloom email list builder plugin is not sold separately and it comes with the Elegant Themes membership which starts at $89 per year (that’s $7.42 per month). Being a paying Elegant Themes member allows you have unlimited access to all premium themes including the famous Divi 3.0 multipurpose theme, and all the plugins as well.

    ​Click for more Bloom features

    ​Sumome Alternative: Which is the best alternative to Sumome?

    ​There is no definite answer to this but there is one thing for sure — Sumome is not worth it especially with the paid pricing structure. The price is just too steep compared to what Thrive Leads, OptinMonster and Bloom are offering.

    Plus, all of these three Sumome alternatives provide more marketing features compared to Sumome.