WordPress’s plug-ins can add all kinds of functional value to its projects that a developer can imagine. It is up to the adaptability, versatility, and technical knowledge of users to figure out which plug-in will work where.

WP Rich Snippets, a plugin that might not feature on “The Most Amazing Apps” charts, however, it is one of the most creative plug-ins that are available for advanced WordPress developers. Using this plug-in will allow you to professionally present your reviews on a particular WordPress site. The plugin works by fixing a custom field set to your already uploaded content and posts. When a user completes that post, it can add information like price, rating criteria, description of products and services, action buttons, and numerous other angles that a particular review from users can cover.

The plugin works amazingly well with Google algorithms which means that by utilizing all its functions the organic ranking of your site can drastically improve, leading to better web traffic and ratings on the internet. Such features of this plug-in, when combined, can provide an amazing user-experience enhancement tool through which you can gather informative and presentable reviews as well as improve your website’s traffic.

Plug-in Features And Use

WP Rich Snippets is designed purely to professionally and visually present different reviews and publish them on a website making it unique and different amongst the competitors. Two main established functions that this plug-in has are:

  • Aseptically pleasing reviews and information for WordPress sites
  • Real-time information and data based on results from search engines

Reviews and information is presented by adding an extra Metabox within the WordPress editing screen from where users can easily enter the reviewed information which may include:

  • Product or service description for review
  • Rating editor (percentages or numbers)
  • Brief summary of sub-products
  • Columns for advantages and disadvantages
  • Details and price comparisons
  • Pictures, sounds, and videos
  • Other calling to action functions
  • Author’s credentials

Once all the information fields are finalized, users and website visitors will be able to see the set information framework in the WP Rich Snippets area of your uploaded content.
This plug-in will display the content with any default post that you upload on WordPress editor. You can easily define your display settings by modifying the options and by selecting the area to display anywhere on the main content. What it means is that you can publish your regular content with conventional methods like you generally do, and then you can decide to add this fancy review box along with the main content. This method will allow complete utilization of all WordPress resources, allowing your website to communicate better in the context of search engine results and also have a positive impact on your organic search results. The concluding result is that all your reviews, tables, and post content will appear alongside the information with your website’s search results which will eventually attract better traffic and click-through rate on your website. Often it happens that a user looking for reviews looks at the initial description under the search results and when it is not there, they consider the site useless. Therefore, displaying brief information against your site content as a description that also appears in search results will definitely help you grow your website’s reach and traffic.

Additional Features Of The Plug-in

  • Attention-grabbing, and call towards action icons attached to review tables
  • Demo button features against your review section
  • Complete customization of buttons, colors, designs, and text
  • Short cording, to publish different reviews on pages or posts
  • Feature to allow customers or users to submit reviews
  • Choosing a rich snippet tool (like reviews, product description, organization details, and restaurant information)
  • Adding other credentials like opening hours, closing hours, location tabs, and maps
  • Uploading sounds, music, and videos as well as synchronizing YouTube
  • Function to display the reviews
  • Other terrific add-ons

How To Set WP Rich Snippets

Once you have installed your plug-in it is important now to go through a validation process alongside the API prior to using it. Validation ensures your plug-in is legitimate and has all the promised functionality. Validation can be done by deriving your license key from the purchase of this plugin. Once finalized, you can get access to the dashboard or settings page.
In order to give you a complete understanding of what the administrative dashboard comprises of we have divided it into the following sections:

  • All your custom settings and preferences
  • All your lists and modifications
  • Blogs, posts, and news
  • Function to import or export files
  • License and Documentation
  • Online help and support

Within the dashboard, settings and preferences are even further divided into seven different sections that allow you to completely customize how plugins operate on the website.
From within these settings, you will also be able to easily choose the type of currency used on the user-end of your website, the type of custom posts that can be uploaded, and on what posts will the plug-in operate. Finally, it also allows you to choose all your functionality and call towards action ideas. You are also allowed to enable star or user-based rating systems for your items and posts. If you want to force reviews on every user, you can easily make the same mandatory. The plugin also has a feature to work on IP-based settings in order to avoid duplication in stars and ratings from a similar user or IP address.

Setting Up A Globally Reviewing Criteria

Another great feature of the plug-in that adds even more to its overall functions is that it allows you to customize your own fields of criteria for the review of your product. For example, you can include things like ease of operation, value for the price, the entire performance measure, and other similar rating points.

With the mentioned settings for the criteria page, you will also be able to define a set of custom-made criteria that we talked about in the previous sections of the post. This can then be added on with your review tables and content. Adding pre-defined, criteria tools gives you a set of ratings based on consistent methods, which can help analyze and interpret the data for further use, such as improvement in services or offers. Once you have enabled this feature, then whenever a user requests to plan a review, these fields will promptly appear on the user screen.

Finally, when a user opts to complete the given ratings for review, its results will be delivered using a percentage-based system for criteria selected by reviewers. Again, it is important to stress the point that such a review framework which is pre-designed by the developer gives an advantage of consistent ratings and review results for a better interpretation of data.

The above discussion highlights, that once this system is enabled, it will turn your review system into a set form. Here, reviewers will have to give their credentials like user names, email addresses, and other generic contact information after which they will be able to rate all the criteria and give their comments towards the end.

When a reviewer is done with the entire form, it will be sent to a moderator to decide whether this review should be published or not. Once approved, the review will be available for the public to see along with the site’s content.

If your settings are not configured correctly, all user reviews will not be featured with a separate user review tab. All your reviews will then be displayed underneath your main posts just like traditional blogs and based on simple star ratings rather than the comprehensive form-based review system we discussed earlier.

The previous section might seem a tad bit confusing to understand and this is the only significant drawback as it can confuse developers while working on this plug-in. It takes time to completely develop an understanding of how the customization of various criteria works and how the framework for ratings or reviews is defined with possible combinations. With a few experiments, you will easily get the hang of it.

Add-Ons

Along with the plugin, there are even more different kinds of add-ons that could be available depending on the package and pricing plan you opt to choose. Some add-ons may require additional price:

  • WPRS Call towards action: Add an even more aesthetically pleasing, and functional info table with a short summary towards the end
  • Comparison: This allows the feature to add comparison tables for your products and services
  • Ranking: Allows the function to add a short table to rank reviews, for example from best to worst, etc

Subscription Packages

There are four different subscription packages to suit the different needs of developers. A free version for a limited time is also available to test out some features before planning on one of the four available pricing options:

  • Single site package for $69
  • Multiple site package for $139
  • Unlimited site package for $199 (including complete add-ons)
  • Premium ultimate package $299 ( with unlimited support)

All plans except the premium deal will have a year of update and free support with an option to renew the license for one more year for just $49. The plug-in will also come with two extra supportive plugins named hReview and WP Reviews. Both plugins, however, are more of an outdated version of the current one.

Online Support

The online support is fully available for this plug-in, however, some of the add-ons’ support is still not completely available or covered on the official help site. Paid customers can leave their queries on discussion forums if they fail to find prompt support or solution for any problem.

Conclusion And Key Takeaways

With the WP Rich Snippets plug-in, users have the capacity to create some amazing and eye-catching review options on their WordPress website with little or no effort at all. It comes of priceless use of websites that deal with different kinds of products, services and rely heavily on customer reviews.

Through its customizable features, users can easily set up a framework for different sets of reviews that they want from the audience and then use the gathered data for further use like improvement in services or providing required updates.

The overall functionality for the plug-in seems highly justifiable on the given prices and there are plenty of different pricing options to suit the needs and scope of the user. Further add-ons that are available with this plug-in like the comparison and ranking tables, add more features to its overall performance and can provide lots of room for creativity while working on developing websites. This plugin has a lot of potential in the developing phase if used correctly and creatively. Its ability to integrate with different WordPress posts also allows for a good fusion of the rating system around a certain kind of post.

However, taking all the positives on one side, there are still areas that demand improvements. For example, the online and additional update support, which still seems incomplete for a variety of underlying issues. Another drawback is the number of errors and mistakes on the official website that takes its credibility down to a notch or two. It is understandable that the product is still under the development phase, however, if the developers can figure out a way to address these issues it can rally amongst some of the top WordPress plugins available.

The WP Rich Snippets has the potential to go a long way forward despite its shortcomings. We will still have to wait and see how things progress as more developers come to know of its amazing ratings and review systems.