Even though we hate Facebook because it makes us waste so much time, we must agree that it has changed our lives. Indeed, even before Facebook launched, the thumbs-up was accepted almost worldwide (excepting West Africa and Middle East) as a sign of acceptance. However, Facebook has made the thumbs-up icon a globally understood sign. Everyone associates a thumbs up with a like.
The global coverage of the Facebook Like button has made developers determined to implement this button on different websites. As a result, there are WordPress plugins for adding the Like button to your sites.
Are you interested in implementing such a button on your site? The Like button provides users with a way to appreciate your posts and reviews, vote, and rate products, services, and comments. Check out these plugins that will help you to set up a Like button on your site.
The Like Button: Facebook for Developers
Adding a Like button with the help of a plugin is simpler and more effective than trying to do it from scratch. However, a WordPress user with decent skills can add this button by copying and pasting a snippet of code. Here is a complete guide to adding a Like button to your site.
- Go to Facebook for Developers and head to the “Like Button” page.
- Read the “Step-by-Step” section and scroll down to the “Like Button Configurator.” Here you can customize the button’s design. It’s straightforward, and you shouldn’t have any problem doing it. Don’t forget to add your website’s URL.
- Click Get Code, and it will prompt you with a popup page. Copy the first code snippet and insert it into your website’s header.php file. Place the second code snippet wherever you want the button to appear on the page.
Plugins to Add a Like Button
As we have emphasized many times, there is a plugin for every WordPress issue. Instead of copying and pasting snippets of code, a plugin does the leg work for you. Some of them come with extended functionality, while others focus on simply adding the Like button.
Social Media Share and Follow Buttons
We aimed to create a simple, lightweight, and easy-to-configure plugin to display Share and Follow buttons. We weren’t satisfied with the current plugins—the vast majority of them come with too many unnecessary features. Our plugin is 100% simple to set up.
Go to our home page or to the WordPress plugin repository to get the plugin. Then install and activate it. Next, click on the Superb Social Media Buttons panel from the WordPress dashboard. First, you have to establish the position of the Share buttons. They can be included in posts and pages and be at the end or the beginning. Next, choose the position of the floating sidebar and tick the Hide on mobile checkbox if you don’t want to agglomerate the mobile version of the site. Under the Social Media tab, choose the social networks you want to display Share buttons for. Finally, the plugin generates a shortcode to insert wherever you want.
Apply the same steps for Follow buttons. The only difference is that under the Social Media panel, you have to add the URL of your social media profiles. The plugin includes all the major social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, GitHub, Reddit, Dribbble, Twitch, and Behance.
The premium version of the plugin packages more button templates and the option to single out the text color and edit the micro-copy (the text on the buttons).
Like Button Rating
Like Button Rating impresses with a huge number of features. On top of that, all the features are genuinely useful. The only downside is configuring the plugin—it takes more time than it does with other plugins.
Install and activate Like Button Rating the same as you do with other plugins. Next, you are prompted to go to the Settings Page (Like Buttons > Settings), and you have to visit Like Button Rating’s website and create an account to get an API key and a site ID. Then, start configuring the plugin on your website.
You can place the Like button on posts, pages, posts lists, pages lists, attachments, and comments. Additionally, you can use the same styling everywhere on the site or use a personalized design for each web page.
The customization options make this plugin great. Start customizing it by choosing the proper theme for your site—you have plenty of options to select from to match your website’s design. Next, enable or disable buttons, icons, and labels, select the language, and add the Like and Dislike button text. Add a cool voting effect and decide on the vertical and horizontal alignment.
Another useful option available with Like Button Rating is the complete voting reports. Head to the WordPress dashboard, visit the Like Buttons panel, and check the Statistics, Votes, and Reports. Here you can get a clear overview of the most and the least appreciated items, the number of likes and dislikes, the total number of votes. You can also get a voting chart and export the data to CSV.
The plugin comes in two versions: free and premium. Check out the Like Button Rating page to get more details about the pricing options. However, the free version packages enough features for most users.
WP ULike
WP ULike differentiates itself from its competitors with its simple and fast activation. WP ULike takes only a few minutes to fully configure. The same as the previous plugin, it works for any kind of web page, including product pages and comments. The WP ULike free version includes four templates, but you are free to upload your preferred like and dislike buttons.
You decide which users—registered or unregistered—benefit from the Like button. You can enable and disable email notifications for each user activity, and most importantly, you can choose to anonymize the voters’ IP addresses for GDPR compliance.
The only downside of this plugin is that the free version misses a few useful features, such as a Dislike button, styling options, complete statistics, and fast support.
WP Like Button
WP Like Button is another simple-to-configure plugin. It has only one panel called Settings, where you set up how the plugin works. Select where you want to insert the Like button. You have some options: use it as a shortcode or a code snippet and insert it into the header or footer files. The position and size of the button are adjustable. Finally, go to the preview area to see how your button looks.
Overall, WP Like Button is a simple plugin aimed at adding the Like button to your site. It doesn’t do anything else, but it completely does its job.
WTI Like Post
Would you prefer a simple and lightweight plugin to let your site visitors rate posts? WTI Like Post is the solution for you. Search for it in the WordPress repository and install it on your site. From your dashboard, go to Settings and click WTI Like Post. Then, you have to configure the plugin.
The plugin offers a handful of customization options. For instance, you can tailor the messages received by voters, the amount of time a user must wait before voting again, and the excluded categories, pages, and sections.
Button design, position, and alignment are also customizable. On top of that, the plugin allows you to add a Dislike button or the “+” and “–” symbols. You also have the option to upgrade to the premium version if you need more options.
WP Share and Like Button
This plugin impresses people who are looking for a simple and efficient plugin. It only takes two to three minutes to make it work for your site. The negative side is that you don’t have too many styling options. You decide the button size, layout type, and the verb to display (like or recommend) and can enable a Share button. Additionally, you can choose where to add the button: on posts, pages, or the home page.
All-in-One Like Widget
All-in-One Like Widget is a plugin to insert a Facebook box as a widget on your site. Install it and go to Appearance > Widgets to configure it for your site. Single out the widgetized area to insert the Facebook box, its name, and the name or ID of the page. Some other worth mentioning features are
- Show friends’ faces when they are logged in
- Choose from among tens of languages
- Display a variety of content tabs, such as Timeline, Events, or Messages
Wrapping Up
Your site can perform well without a Facebook Like button. Still, adding such a button and eventually a Facebook box may generate more social media traffic. All the above plugins are simple to install and free of charge. It costs you nothing to use a plugin to add a Like button. We are grateful that we could test our plugin and that the competitors have come up with useful features. Feel free to contact us for more details about our plugin. We will reply ASAP.
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